Sirone tossed the elixir to the merchant who owned the drone.
The man's hands trembled as he caught it. Overcome with emotion, he could hardly hold on.
It wasn't red, green, or yellow—this was a White Elixir.
Sirone turned his palm upward and said,
"So? That settles it, right? Hand over the goods to Kanya."
"This won't do. That elixir has to be mine for the deal to count."
"Then go ahead and take it from him yourself."
The merchant's eyes twitched. He realized Sirone's act wasn't mere provocation.
Almost as proof, Sirone looked at the man fondling the elixir and asked,
"What about it? Will you give it back?"
"N-no! I'd never cancel the deal!" the merchant flustered, waving his hands.
Of course, Mecca's drone was valuable—if it worked properly.
But the one he had sold was only worth about a Yellow Elixir at best.
Trading it for a White Elixir was a once-in-a-lifetime windfall.
"So, what's it going to be? Are heretics going to brawl among themselves? Seems like that's your specialty."
The apothecary's face hardened.
This was tricky. With customers, he could bluff all day, but conflict between merchants only led to losses. Especially among small-time traders in the lower communities who dealt mostly in necessities.
Only then did the apothecary really study Sirone.
This kind of pressure could only mean he was Norr—no, a formidable one at that.
Should he yield with just one item? Trading Epinace for a White Elixir was the sort of deal that would go down in history.
But it wasn't about profit anymore. He couldn't stomach letting a Shinmin have his way.
"Fine. I won't sell. Be happy with your toy. Do you realize? You've just crushed this girl's hope."
The apothecary broke off the deal, sacrificing money for the satisfaction of seeing a Shinmin weep.
Sirone realized the man had lost the game.
"No, you have to sell the medicine. Otherwise, you're violating the contract."
"What? What contract have I broken?"
"You said it yourself—if I brought all the elixirs I had, you'd sell the medicine. Kanya did exactly that. Canceling now is a breach of contract. A merchant who loses credibility—you know what happens then."
He knew very well—it meant ruin. At the very least, he'd be cast out of the community.
Still, the apothecary felt wronged. It was Sirone who was twisting things.
"Be precise. When I made that offer, you only had two elixirs. And you bought the drone right after, so I haven't broken anything."
"How do you know when I bought the drone?"
The apothecary's pupils shook. He was rattled, but experience told him instinct was right: he was at a disadvantage.
"I already had a contract to buy the drone. I just hadn't handed over the elixir yet. For a merchant, not confirming that much before a trade—shows you've got a long way to go. If you doubt me, go check."
Grinding his teeth, the apothecary realized the tide was against him.
The drone seller would side with Sirone no matter what—it meant the White Elixir became his.
Such tricks were common in the homeland. He himself had profited through monopolies, so he had no room to complain.
Why am I the one at a disadvantage? Shouldn't it be the other way around?
Thinking back, he realized—Sirone knew the drone's true value was lower than expected.
How, he didn't know. But without that knowledge, none of this would have worked.
And of course, the seller sided with Sirone—because the profit was many times over.
The apothecary couldn't help but be impressed. Sirone had grasped the essence of human greed. Even in the homeland, such cunning would be respected.
"Well, old man? We had the first deal, right?"
"Of course. Before that girl even shouted, we had a verbal agreement—White Elixir for the drone."
Sirone didn't even have to ask—the seller confirmed it himself.
Now the apothecary had no escape. If he had made another deal, it would still be his responsibility for not confirming the buyer's resources.
Should he back down now? Even one White Elixir was a huge haul, but this was about pride.
So he played his dirtiest card: spilling his guts.
"My mother was once a Shinmin of Heaven. But she never accepted the Wine of Harmony. Know why?"
Silence. He knocked on his head and continued.
"She went mad. My father? Murdered in Heaven. By some lunatic who loved her. And the punishment? Forty years shaved off his lifespan. He still had forty left! My father was dead, but that lunatic lived on. My mother cursed him her whole life. And then, the Wine of Harmony was decreed—with him as her partner."
Kanya's eyes trembled.
Sirone didn't understand, but everyone else was struck with horror.
"So my mother killed herself. With her gone, the curse fell to me. That's why I fled the Law. Now you see? I hate Shinmin. They make me sick. And you think I'd sell you medicine?"
In short, he'd flipped the table—better to die together.
Sirone snorted.
Someone truly bent on self-destruction wouldn't explain themselves. In a death-match, the reasons don't matter.
This man only wanted an emotional victory, and Sirone had no intention of granting it.
"So, are you selling or not?"
"I'm not. And I won't spit out the elixir either. Do what you like."
"Then I'll just take it by force."
"Go ahead. But once you use violence, you'll never trade in a community again. You'll wander forever."
Sirone stretched out his hand. Light compressed, forming a vibrating white sphere.
The apothecary froze. This kind of magic was impossible—except for those who had bonded with Light Spirits in the outer fringes.
"You… are you a Borderlander?"
"The Whirlpool Serpent was tough. But thanks to it, I got three White Elixirs."
Sirone's face showed no emotion.
And the apothecary knew—when a mage erased their emotions, they became cruelest of all.
"What kind of elixir runs in your veins?"
Everyone knew—the answer would decide his survival.
The apothecary wrestled with himself for a long time. Cornered to the end, he finally realized he couldn't win. With a bitter smile, he raised his hands.
"None. I've got no elixir in me. So spare me."
Sirone fired his Photon Cannon. A streak of light grazed the apothecary's nose and slammed into a pillar.
The boom shattered stone.
The apothecary looked back at Sirone, his smirk gone.
"Don't laugh. Maybe you think I'm bluffing—but I'm not. I don't care about law or community. Try one more dirty trick, and I won't forgive you."
"…Fine. I get it. Calm down."
He finally grasped the seriousness.
Sirone had revealed the utmost hostility short of actual violence. Like a swordsman unsheathing his blade—or a beast baring fangs.
There was no more room to push.
With a grimace, the apothecary tossed Epinace to Kanya.
"There. Satisfied? The contract's done."
"One more thing. Apologize to Kanya."
"Why should I? You've no right to meddle in my feelings."
"But you've got painful memories too, don't you?"
"What's that got to do with apologizing?"
"I'm not telling you to say empty words. A fake apology is worthless. But wasn't there a time you wanted someone to acknowledge your wounds?"
Am I still trapped by the past?
He glanced at Kanya, her face full of pity. She said her mother awaited the Wine of Harmony.
Back then, his own mother had lost her mind—screaming, hurting herself daily. Her fear had been his greatest terror.
"Tch. Who said I'd apologize?"
He snorted, packing up his stall. Bottles into bags, blanket rolled over his pack. As he stood, he tossed a violet potion to Kanya.
"That's called Corphin. A nerve-enhancing draught. Consider it a freebie since you fleeced me good. Use it with Epinace—you'll see results. Not that it'll matter in the end."
As he walked toward the tent camp, he turned back to Sirone.
"And kid, everything I said? Lies. You beat me fair, but if you can't tell truth from bluff, you'll get burned bad in the homeland."
Arin's voice came through the mental channel.
–Sirone, want me to check if he's lying?
–No. It's fine.
Sirone watched his figure fade into the distance.
Norr's Haven.
A place where wanderers of Purgatory came to rest.
Perhaps what they set down here was not weary bodies, but wounded hearts.
The flashy shopping spree was over.
Sirone comforted Kanya, who couldn't hold back her tears, while Lena puffed her cheeks in frustration.
Amy's group began a meeting without Sirone.
Their purchases with three White Elixirs: a Fire Spirit, a drone, and Epinace.
It was the best they could do under the circumstances, but the sense of loss was unavoidable. Tess, especially, felt guilty.
"I'm the one who begged for it, but… are you sure? We could've bought more combat gear. And Epinace was absurdly overpriced."
"What does it matter? If we need more, we'll hunt for it. No use dwelling on the past."
"Rian's right. And it wasn't only about money. Sirone managed the elixirs most efficiently, and that's enough."
Consoled by Amy, Tess still pouted.
"Efficient or not, the whole thing was a mess. I support Sirone, but if that apothecary hadn't played dirty, we could've gotten the drone for half."
Canis sneered.
"That's not what Amy meant. Sirone didn't lose anything. Even if he gave up every White Elixir, he bought something priceless."
"What? The Fire Spirit's that valuable?"
"No. The most valuable was Epinace."
Tess blinked, thinking the aloof Canis was joking.
Even Red Elixirs could buy that stuff. Paying White for it? Enough to make you jump up in your sleep.
Rian frowned.
"Why would Epinace be the most valuable? It's common."
"Normally, yes. But today, its price was beyond measure. The key lies in the owner—Kanya and Lena. They're Shinmin. Citizens of Heaven."
"…Ah."
"Now you see? It wasn't Epinace Sirone bought. With one White Elixir, he bought a ticket to Heaven."
It was true.
Until now, entering Heaven had seemed impossible. But now, they had a way in—through Kanya.
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