Ryan's eyes shot up in surprise; the voice belonged to none other than the annoying dwarf that patronized him.

If Ryan wasn't so low on customers, he would've tried to throttle the short bastard by this point. Instead, he turned back to face the smug-looking form of Leo. The big man was no doubt laughing at the fact that Ryan hadn't picked up on someone walking up to his shop.

"Huh, no... That is my brother," Ryan said after taking time to collect himself, much to the amusement of Leo if the barely concealed snort was anything to go by.

Then again, maybe Leo had snorted at the fact that the dwarf assumed he was Ryan's assistant, but Ryan was willing to bet that it was the former that had most likely made the big man snort.

"Brother? You sure?" the dwarf said. Standing on his tippy toes, he looked into the shop from the window and closely at Leo's form. "The lad looks way different from you. He looks better in every aspect."

Ryan almost face-palmed. Leo was never going to let him live this down; he should've said friend. He definitely should've said friend. Now here he was, about to start explaining to a dwarf that he didn't know on a first-name basis.

"I'm sure I'm better in some aspects and—"

"No, your brother dominates you in every aspect." The adventurer said before pointing a finger at Leo. "I mean, look at the lad. He's taller, sturdier, with a lot more muscle than you. The lad is even more handsome than you—must be difficult to be related to him, lad."

Leo seemed content to just watch the drama unfold before him, something that irritated Ryan to no end.

"Well, that maybe—"

"Maybe? Lad, you'd have to be blind not to agree with me. Your brother is a fine specimen. Is he an adventurer?" the dwarf asked, still on his tippy toes.

"Fine, point taken, and no, he's not an adventurer. He's an... alchemist," Ryan said uncertainly.

Ryan honestly still didn't know what Leo's profession was, and he had no clue what it could be. The big man seemed content keeping that information away from Ryan.

Something that Ryan hoped would've slipped once or twice during their various talks, but nope—Leo had managed to keep his profession under wraps and also withhold any information that could clue him in.

Now, however, he had the chance to find out what Leo's profession actually was, as the adventurer had inquired about it.

Ryan waited for the big man to chip in and correct him, but Leo seemed content with the current narrative that Ryan had spun.

"An alchemist, you say," the dwarf said as he dropped to the balls of his feet and stroked his beard. "Are you any better than this brother of yours? I'd accuse him of selling me rat's piss if the damned potions weren't so effective and cheap."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Ryan didn't even need to look back to know that Leo's smile had probably widened, the big man likely having the famous words 'I told you so' at the tip of his tongue.

"Hey, I brewed those potions, and you said they were good!" Ryan protested.

"For the price you're selling them, sure... But I'm growing tired of drinking that rat's piss of a potion you sell," the adventurer moaned.

Ryan had half a mind to ask the dwarf how he knew what rat's piss tasted like, but he restrained himself, barely. The slight on his wares was making him feel a little defensive, and while the dwarf was technically right, Ryan still clung to the belief that as long as the potions did what they were supposed to, there should be no other issue.

"You better get used to it," Ryan said, but on second thought, could he test the waters with the dwarf? "You could get an improved potion though."

Even as the words left his mouth, Ryan couldn't help but feel a little giddy at the prospects that awaited him.

"Well, I'm not complaining just for the sake of it. Where's the improved potion?" the dwarf asked somewhat impatiently.

Now Ryan knew that there was no improved potion, but the dwarf didn't need to know that. After all, he doubted that the dwarf would press too much with the response he was about to give him.

"Right here, for just a thirty-five percent increase in the original fee," Ryan said with flourish.

A snort from behind reminded him of Leo's presence, something that he'd totally forgotten about as he'd gotten into merchant mode.

The dwarf, on the other hand, was someone that Ryan kept his eyes trained on. The adventurer seemed to deflate like a leaky balloon after the words that left Ryan's mouth.

Ryan barely held back a chuckle at the thoughts that crossed his mind and the sour expression displayed on the dwarf's face.

"Well played, lad. You got me this time," the dwarf said dejectedly.

"What do you mean?" Ryan asked, feigning ignorance. "The potions would only cost thirty-five percent more."

"Bah, I don't care much about the math, lad. I do know that I won't be paying a single silver more than I need to, and I think I do like the original potion you sell."

Aha, a win for the day. Ryan had half a mind to turn back and gloat in Leo's face, but he didn't, as that would be extremely disrespectful to the customer in front of him, and dwarves were known for their hot temper.

"You sure you don't want the improved potion?" Ryan asked again, not to confirm the dwarf's decline, more to cement the dwarf's decision in Leo's mind for when they eventually had a conversation about the interaction.

"Are you deaf, lad? I said I want the original potions you sell. The premium package," the dwarf said heatedly. "Damn you merchants and your schemes!"

Ryan couldn't help but smile at the outburst. He was certain that Leo wouldn't even have straws to grasp on when next they had this kind of argument.

"Premium package coming right up," Ryan said.

Turning to walk into the shop, Ryan couldn't help the smug smile that spread across his face as he went past Leo. He made sure to make eye contact with the big man, receiving a snort for his efforts, but Ryan didn't mind. Logical business model had won over artsy business models.

Without wasting any more time, Ryan had the potions bagged and exchanging hands with the dwarf. He received his coins as the dwarf received his potions, both parties satisfied with the purchases they'd made.

"Sorry, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?" Ryan asked, hoping that he hadn't overstepped his boundaries.

The dwarf seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, stroking his beard as he contemplated something. The scene made Ryan feel a tad awkward.

"Bah, that's the first time that a merchant has asked that question in a while," the dwarf said in a whisper, a smile forming on his face. "My name is Talas. 'Tis nice to be asked that once in a while."

With a nod to end what felt like a touching moment, Talas turned and left the duo behind, probably heading towards whatever Veron-forsaken dungeon had the misfortune of hosting the dwarf.

"Are all your customers like that?" Leo asked, startling Ryan a little.

"Nope, he's a special case. Most that come by here are rarely interested in chatting," Ryan said.

"I can see why," Leo said suddenly.

Rolling his eyes and hating himself for even considering it, Ryan turned to face Leo.

"And pray tell, why is that?"