Poppy's Potions—
The moment one stepped inside, the atmosphere outside seemed to fade away, and following the quick click of the door, it completely disappeared.
Warm amber light spilled from hanging lanterns overhead, bathing the interior in a cozy orange glow that pushed away the evening light outside and made the entire shop feel strangely welcoming, despite the overwhelming number of suspicious substances lining the shelves.
The room itself was built almost entirely from dark wood, giving everything a rich, aged appearance that blended together into the dwelling of an old-fashioned apothecary, only mixed with a restaurant!
In the front room, tall shelves stretched from floor to ceiling along nearly every wall, packed tightly with bottles, jars, sealed powders, dried herbs, preserved parts, glowing liquids, and strange ingredients that were difficult to identify at a glance, even for those 'special individuals' who managed to find this place…
Some containers were neatly labeled while others appeared completely unmarked, which somehow made them feel even more dangerous. Small drawers were built directly into the walls in uneven clusters, many of them left slightly open, revealing scraps of parchment, sealed bags of powder, or odd trinkets shoved carelessly inside, like the discarded toys of a child.
Near the center of the room stood a large wooden counter covered in tools and unfinished product.
Mortars, scales, spoons, knives, half-filled notebooks, and countless glass containers, all displayed openly when one entered the shop.
Despite the clutter, nothing felt random.
Everything looked as if it had been placed according to a logic only Petra and her people understood.
Unfortunately, at least for the guests, this was just messy chaos…
The air carried a strange mixture of scents, such as sweet herbs, alcohol, flowers, smoke, medicine, poison, tea leaves, and an aromatic wave of cooked food that all blended together into an oddly comforting smell that lazily lingered.
Putting aside the front-facing room—
Toward the side of the shop, the building opened into a connected L-shaped restaurant area that had gradually become more popular. Unlike the crowded medicine store, this side felt softer and more relaxed, with a lively atmosphere that was oddly smooth considering the sharp contrast.
Several small wooden tables sat beneath hanging lights while the sounds of cooking occasionally drifted out from a nearby kitchen that could not be located.
Travelers, merchants, adventurers, and countless 'curious customers' had gathered here to eat, drink, gossip, and quietly observe the strange interior of the medicine shop that had been the talk of the town.
Mm, and finally—
Behind a concealed wooden partition near the back of the building, existed one final space.
This was a large 'private room', one clearly meant for group gatherings.
Unlike the warm and public atmosphere of the front half, this section of the building felt isolated and strangely secretive. The entrance was rarely visible unless one was specifically invited inside, and most ordinary customers never even realized the room existed at all. As for those that were permitted to enter, they would find a far larger space hidden behind the walls of the shop than should have been possible from the outside, which was filled with research materials, rare ingredients, experimental tools that had not been unpacked, several sealed storage containers, and some things that Petra absolutely should not have been allowed to own!
In short, it was a storage space for items that had not yet been brought back to the Verdelith Castle!
Naturally, this was where the truly dangerous things were kept and stored before passing through a check, then eventually making their way back home.
-
Petra pushed open the door and entered.
The thick noise of conversation and sharp clinks of dining dishes immediately swept past her.
Lantern light reflected softly against rows of polished bottles while the scent of herbs, grilled meat, sweet tea, and medicinal smoke drifted through the air together in a strangely comforting blend.
Petra inhaled, then nodded in all seriousness, feeling fuzzy inside.
She ignored the gazes and casually walked towards the back room, passing the front desk, walked through the restaurant, and eventually found her way to Mell, who was standing near a stack of crates and checking an inventory sheet in the back room.
She sighed, showing an exhausted look that was clear on her face.
She let out a low hum, ticked something off the list, then turned towards Petra, who had just entered.
"You're late," Mell muttered, barely looking up.
Petra puffed out her cheeks, ignoring the useless reprimand.
"Mm! I was busy saving a beauty!"
From behind, Soryn rolled her eyes, while Wind's face reddened, not knowing what to say.
Seeing this, Mell just shook her head again.
There were really too many things to do, especially because time in the capital was quickly running out. She just didn't have time for Petra's antics, and by now, she already understood that if something needed to get done, it was best not to rely on Petra too much.
Upon closer inspection, she had large black bags under her eyes, clearly a sign that she was very exhausted, and it seemed as if she had been a bit overworked recently.
Petra took note of this…
* * *
Poppy's Potions, Across the street—
Around the same time as Petra entered the building…
Two figures cloaked in black stood quietly beneath the shadow of a narrow alleyway, their faces hidden beneath deep hoods. One of them slowly raised their head just enough to watch Petra disappear into the building, while the other glanced toward the wooden sign hanging above the entrance with a frown.
"…This should be the place..."
The second figure remained silent for a moment before speaking quietly.
"Isn't this… the ghost shop that has been all over the news lately…?"
"Hm? Now that you mention it…"
"She can't really live here, right? What if—"
Both of them looked towards the warmly lit, well-welcoming windows with clear hesitation. The building itself appeared ordinary, almost disappointingly so, but the strange pressure surrounding its face made the nearby street feel subtly distorted, as if the shop itself didn't completely belong there.
And indeed, this feeling was not wrong…
After exchanging one final look, the two figures quietly disappeared.
* * *
Back inside—
The business was bustling.
Customers filled nearly every seat in the restaurant section, while others wandered between shelves pretending to browse, despite obviously looking for something more specific. Plates moved between tables, drinks were carried through the crowd, and countless low-volume conversations overlapped beneath the warm lantern light of the lounge.
Toward one side of the room sat a particularly eye-catching trio.
Mm, or perhaps an 'unfortunate-looking trio' was a bit more accurate...
Petra had noticed them on her way in!
The apparent leader of this trio was a loud, hooligan-ish-looking man with spiky red hair that jutted out in every direction, making him look a bit like he had survived an explosion earlier in the day. A crooked grin remained permanently plastered across his smug face while he lazily balanced a sword in one hand, swinging it back and forth like an extension of his arm, only with a level of carelessness that made the nearby customers visibly uncomfortable, even a bit vulnerable.
Beside him sat a tall, broad-shouldered middle-aged man in worn-down leather armor with a stiff back and the sitting posture of someone who was trying very hard to appear respectable, while across from them sat a nervous-looking woman wearing robes far too revealing to even be remotely practical.
Whether it was the man who was trying to act tough, or the woman who was trying to act seductive, it was clear that these two were a timid man and an innocent girl at heart.
Unfortunately, their leader was just too reliable, never failing in an endeavor!
At least, excluding the times he did…
Ahem! Honestly, the entire group looked like discounted cannon fodder villains, but unlike their previous appearance, it was clear the 'direction' of these three had been more fleshed out!
Looking at them now, they had apparently even started to upgrade themselves!
Now they were eating expensive grilled meat while trying to act more knowledgeable.
Not only that, but the large man was now carrying a broadsword that was clearly too heavy for him to use, and the woman had a spiked whip tied to her waist, but unfortunately, she had no idea how to wield it! As for the legendary leader of this trio, after his newly formed friendship with Red, he was gifted a crazy cool crimson sword forged from a dragon claw!
Life was on the up and up!
Things were looking good!
They had a bright future ahead of them!
"…I'm telling you," the red-haired man roared loudly while stuffing food into his mouth. "This place is absolutely real! I can guarantee it with our dignity!"
The bulky man grimaced, but he didn't refute, instead, he simply covered one ear and spoke in a much quieter voice, "Stop yelling, people are looking at us…"
The woman leaned back nervously. "…Boss! You don't want to become a target right away, right? What if all the people figure out that they were the strongest? What if we're targeted!? Also, are you sure tonight will be the midnight event? If so, aren't we here a bit too early? What's going on?"
Around them, many customers were secretly discussing the same thing.
Spiky Red burst out laughing! "Hahaha! Silly girl! What do you know! Midnight is only a fictional concept created by the strong! Midnight is not at midnight, no, not at all! Midnight is when the master of this place decides it is! We're not here early, we're here right on time! Only a true genius like me can understand such an obvious thing! Hehhe! Don't worry, if my instincts are correct, then it should be soon! These people, all of them are here just to scout out the area, but they don't know that they are the truly lucky ones! But us? No! We don't need luck! We've come on time! There is no question about it!"
Both the large man and the, erm… 'large woman', looked at the boss with equal parts confusion and envy, not doubting his higher intelligence at all.
'The Ghost Shop', that was the name recently spreading throughout the city.
A few days ago, an unnamed man had supposedly walked out of a tiny back-alley medicine store carrying several impossibly rare medicinal herbs that were worth a small fortune. After drunkenly bragging about it to a friend, rumors rapidly spread that the strange store was abnormal. Apparently, one did not simply 'buy' things here, Instead, customers occasionally encountered strange opportunities, hidden events, or bizarre transactions that bordered on the supernatural! And the greatest of these opportunities was 'The Midnight Event'…
The strangest part was that nobody could reliably find the shop twice.
Over the short few days that it had opened, the location changed constantly.
Sometimes the entrance appeared between two buildings on a normal street, while at others it replaced the door of an abandoned shed, the entrance of a wine cellar, or even an old entrance behind a broken alley wall that had been used to patch up old architecture.
It was completely unpredictable!
It appeared without warning and disappeared the same way, which was exactly why so many people had gathered here tonight.
It was a rare opportunity!
-
Meanwhile, around the main counter—
The trio couldn't help but secretly steal a glance toward one particular person.
Kora, one of Petra's busty bunnies, moved silently between the tables with long, elegant strides, balancing trays effortlessly despite her unusually tall figure.
Petra had four bunnies, two of which were tall beauties, and two of which were spiky shorties.
Kora, Carrot, Papu, Babon, these were the four names!
Today, Kora was on duty…
Her short bleached-blonde hair framed a mature and dangerously attractive face, while her pale pink eyes lazily scanned the room with a quiet and controlled attention. Large upright rabbit ears swayed subtly atop her head, while a small pom-pom tail occasionally peeked out from behind her outfit.
Unlike Petra's normal maid uniforms, Kora wore a far more specialized outfit specifically designed for today's establishment. A bit like cosplay, it was a fitted black-and-white waitress uniform that cleanly hugged her tall figure while exposing just enough skin to leave certain people visibly distracted. The design emphasized elegance rather than vulgarity, but considering her natural appearance, the distinction barely existed at all.
The red-haired hooligan swallowed hard.
"…I-I think I'm in love!"
The bulky man buried his face in his hands, while the woman awkwardly looked away.
His words were clearly too loud…
-
Around the shop, the excitement quietly continued to build, because according to the rumors—
At exactly midnight, the Ghost Shop would open a hidden opportunity, and anyone fortunate enough to be present might encounter fortune, fame, or even cultivation knowledge…!
Time ticked by…
* * *
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Just then, a bell began to ring, and all heads turned…