Elena's second week in Glasmint began with a jolt—literally.
She had been stirring a warming salve when a faint boom echoed from the backroom, followed by a small puff of turquoise smoke escaping under the alchemy lab door. Liora didn't even flinch.
"That'll be Tavin again," she muttered, adjusting her goggles. "He keeps trying to add shimmerroot to accelerant mixtures. No matter how many times I warn him..."
Elena blinked. "Wait, there's someone else working here?"
"The apprentice who doesn't know how not to explode things. He only comes twice a week, thank the stars."
As if on cue, a thin, soot-covered boy emerged, coughing dramatically. His eyebrows were singed, and his gloves were smoldering slightly.
Liora calmly handed him a basin of water. "Try again. Without the shimmerroot."
---
By noon, Elena was carefully bottling a batch of soothing balm. Each bottle had to be sealed with a heated wax rune and labeled in standard alchemist script.
She was starting to feel confident, at least with the basics.
"How much do these sell for?" she asked, holding up a vial.
Liora glanced over. "That one? Two crowns, maybe three, if the salve is particularly pure."
Elena furrowed her brow. "That's… not much."
"For one vial? It's decent. Most laborers earn around five crowns a day. Merchants and guild officials get more, obviously. Alchemists earn better, but our ingredients are costly. You're just starting, so don't expect to get rich off healing balm."
Elena jotted down the information mentally.
Basic Pricing:
Healing Salve: 2–3 crowns
Energy Tonic: 4 crowns
Fireburst Phial (restricted): 12+ crowns
Daily wage for laborer: ~5 crowns
Room at inn: 8 crowns/week
"You'll understand more once we go over the supply logs," Liora added. "Knowing what to make and when to sell is just as important as knowing how to brew."
---
That afternoon, Liora handed Elena a list.
"Delivery run. Go to these places, drop off their orders, collect payment if they haven't prepaid."
Elena looked at the names.
Alchemist Deliveries:
Mayor's Office – Calming Draught x2
Temple of Eldwyn – Warming Salves x6
Becker's General Goods – Spice Tonic x3
"And try not to get distracted this time," Liora said with a teasing look. "Last time you wandered into the beekeeper's garden."
"I got curious!"
---
Her first stop was the Mayor's Office, a tall stone building with copper wind-chimes. The clerk, a hawk-nosed woman with immaculate writing posture, signed a chit and handed Elena four small silver coins.
"Lady Virelle," she said with a mild nod. "Word travels fast. I hear you're settling in."
"I'm trying," Elena replied.
"Your employer is… intense."
"Is that what people say?"
"She once exploded a councilor's shoes for stepping too close to her boiling bench."
Elena blinked. "…Noted."
---
Next was the Temple of Eldwyn, a serene building filled with gentle harp music and a faint smell of incense.
An older priest in moss-colored robes welcomed her. "Ah, the new alchemist's apprentice."
"You can call me Elena."
"Thank you for bringing these. We rely on the warming salves for treating joint stiffness in the elderly. You'd be surprised how hard winters are here."
He handed her a wrapped loaf of sweet bread. "Tell Liora the temple is short on coin this month, but we'll make it up with incense deliveries."
Elena nodded, touched by the kindness. "I'll let her know."
---
The final stop, Becker's General Goods, turned out to be the most chaotic.
A woman with wild auburn hair and six bracelets per arm was trying to haggle with a teenage customer over a jar of pickled thornfruit.
"—and I'm telling you, three crowns is already a discount!"
"I could get it for two in Northwell!"
"Then walk to Northwell, dear, and come back in two days covered in blisters!"
Elena cleared her throat.
Becker turned with a broad grin. "Ah! Liora's girl. Come in, come in."
She handed over the tonic bottles and accepted a small pouch of coins in return. Becker squinted at Elena as she tied the pouch to her belt.
"You've got the hands of a scholar," she said. "Not a farm girl."
"I used to be… something else."
Becker chuckled. "Aren't we all."
---
By the time she returned to the shop, Elena was exhausted but proud.
Liora was arranging vials in precise rows. "Any problems?"
"Nope. And the temple gave you sweet bread."
Liora arched an eyebrow. "Bribery?"
"Gratitude."
Liora accepted it and cut a piece off. "You can have the corner. That's the best part."
They stood quietly for a moment, chewing warm, soft bread.
Then Liora added, "You've done well today."
Elena smiled. "Thanks. I'm still figuring things out."
"That's fine. Astraea isn't a place you master quickly. But I think you're adjusting."
---
Later, at the inn, Elena sat with her notebook—now upgraded to a full Grimoire, courtesy of the Adventurers' Guild. She began listing everything she'd learned.
Elena's Notes:
Local Currency: Crowns (silver), Florins (gold), Bits (copper)
Standard Work: 5 crowns/day labor, 3–10 for specialized tasks
Alchemy Roles: Brewing, Delivery, Herb Sorting, Analysis
Other Roles: Adventurers (combat), Mages (rarer, study-based), Artificers, Healers, Farmers, Merchants, Scribes
Her eyes drifted toward the window. Fireflies hovered again over the cobblestones.
It wasn't just the learning—it was the feeling of progress.
Slow, yes. But steady.
Her system chimed softly.
Side Quest Completed: First Successful Delivery Run
Passive Skill Acquired: Barter Basics (Level 1)
Elena stared at the message, then laughed quietly.
Even deliveries had their perks.
---
[End of Chapter 6]