Qrow Branwen stood before Jaune, the powerful scent of the Remedy already replaced by the sharp clarity of his sober mind.
Jaune, sensing the momentous shift in the man, immediately contacted Ciel.
"Ciel, check how powerful he is. I can tell he's strong."
[Scanning target Qrow Branwen... Analysis Complete. High-level Aura reserves, mastered Semblance. He is one of the top Huntsmen of this world, operating at a level far above the current local economy. He has the potential to be a Gold Rank Customer.]
"Gold Rank!"
Jaune gulped internally. He was struggling to scrape together enough Copper for a simple disguise, and here was a man who could break through to such a tier of the Multiverse Store's consumer structure.
Jaune knew he couldn't afford to lose this customer.
"You can pay in installments,"
Jaune offered, stepping out from behind the counter to establish his dominance in the conversation.
"Or, you can work for the shop. In the first place, buying things using Lien is not recommended for high-value items."
Qrow listened carefully, his red eyes now sharp and focused.
"I can work. That's fine. But let me be clear. I might be a drunkard, but I am not a criminal. I won't do anything that goes against my mission."
Jaune quickly reassured him.
"I am not going to let you do anything bad. I want you to be the shop bodyguard."
Jaune had already mentally inquired about a fair wage for a high-tier protector.
[System recommendation for a Silver Rank Bodyguard Contract: 1 mcc per day. Requires active deterrence of local low-rank threats and occasional high-threat interception.]
"The work is simple,"
Jaune explained.
"You will be the shop's local security consultant and bodyguard. The pay will be one Copper Coin per day. With your debt of 54 mcc for the ten remedies, you would need to work for fifty-four days to clear the balance. However, as an immediate goodwill gesture for the first vial, we will round the debt down. Fifty days."
Qrow rubbed his chin, considering the deal.
Fifty days of part-time security for items that reversed a decade of damage—and he could find a substitute if he was too busy with official business.
"54 days… and I can find a substitute when I'm too busy? Humm, okay. Let's do that."
The deal was struck.
"I will come back and start work tomorrow,"
Qrow declared, adjusting his sword.
"I have... things to do today that I can't put off."
Qrow then paused, looking down at the bag of ten remedies in his hand.
He hadn't paid for them yet.
He knew the debt was real, but the thought of leaving the miracles behind was agony.
"Can I bring the rest of the potions with me right away, or do I have to leave them here until I've worked off the coins?"
"You can have them,"
Jaune said, nodding confidently.
"We have established a binding contract. You can't run away anyway."
Qrow felt a distinct, prickly sensation on his skin—a cold, certain dread that transcended his Semblance of Bad Luck.
He could tell, with absolute certainty, that if he ran away from this young shopkeeper, something bad was going to happen to him—something even worse than his own natural curse.
"Alright, see you tomorrow, boss,"
Qrow said, giving Jaune a grudging nod of respect.
Qrow left the Multiverse Convenience Store and immediately took to the skies, flying in the direction of Beacon Academy.
He had found something that could change everything.
...
In his tower office overlooking the academy grounds, Professor Ozpin was patiently waiting for Qrow to come and report.
The Beacon initiation ceremony was about to begin the next morning, and he needed to finalize the defense plans for the upcoming Vytal Festival.
If Jaune had known this, he would have been utterly shocked.
After he had died, time had reset in his world to just before the initiation began.
He could still become a Huntsman if he wanted to, if he could find a way back to his true identity.
A rush of wind and a flurry of black feathers signaled Qrow's dramatic entrance, transforming back to his human form mid-air as he flew through the open window.
"Oz! Oz! I have something incredibly amazing. Maybe we can use it to finally heal Amber!"
Qrow exclaimed, his usual drunken slur completely gone, replaced by frantic excitement.
He placed the ten vials of Remedy on Ozpin's desk.
Ozpin immediately sensed a subtle, powerful energy radiating from the potions.
He picked up a vial, his eyes widening slightly.
"This... Magic!"
Ozpin whispered, the word escaping him—a rare, dangerous term in Remnant.
He instantly sensed the ancient, otherworldly power contained within the fluid.
"Qrow, where did you get this potion! It shouldn't exist in this world anymore."