Once things had calmed down (or at least once I made sure my companion wouldn't try to purify Wiz the second I turned my back), I decided to take a proper look at the shop's products. They were arranged on wooden shelves, each with a small label that showed the name of the potion on one side and its effects on the other.
They were potions I had never seen anywhere else.
That didn't surprise me, considering how ridiculous their descriptions were…
"This has to be a joke," I muttered as I inspected a little vial containing a strange red liquid.
POTION OF SKILL ENHANCEMENT: The name didn't sound bad at all. In fact, it seemed like a pretty beneficial item.
The problem was in the description: "A magical brew that increases the effectiveness of skills that cause the following status effects: Paralysis, Burn, Freeze, Bottomless Swamp. However, once used, the user will also be affected by the same status effect."
"What the hell?! What's the point of using a potion like this if it's going to screw me over too?"
And they were all more or less the same. Substances that gave the user an advantage on one hand but screwed them over massively on the other.
MONSTER ATTRACTION POTION: After drinking it, this potion will attract a powerful, bloodthirsty monster that will begin attacking the user.
AMNESIA POTION: A potion that will make you temporarily lose your memory.
ALL OR NOTHING POTION: A mysterious brew with a 50% chance of making the user invincible for one day. Ideal for anyone who wants to complete a high-level quest that involves fighting a powerful enemy. The only downside is that if it doesn't work, the user will suffer a terrifying death.
LUSTFUL MANA POTION: After drinking it, the user will recover all mana points. However, this will significantly increase their sexual appetite, turning them into an insatiable beast of pleasure. Absolute discretion is recommended when using it. If the user's partner does not have enough stamina, they could die in the middle of the act.
Is this for real? A potion that can kill you instantly if you don't get the other 50%?
Plus, 100,000 eris?! Who would be stupid enough to spend that much money on something when the odds of dying are so high?!
This world really lost more and more sense with every passing day.
As for the last potion… "After drinking it, the user will recover all mana points. However, this will significantly increase their sexual appetite…"
I won't deny that the idea itself sounded tempting enough for someone to want to try it.
But on the other hand… having sex until you die… that didn't sound funny at all.
Although the label said it "could" kill you. It wasn't a sure thing.
And if it also makes me recover my mana… No, no! What the hell am I thinking?!
"Arrrgh! Stupid shitty world!" I cursed from between the shelves.
"AAH!"
Suddenly I heard someone screaming. Immediately after that, came the sound of something falling to the floor and shattering into pieces. Glass, apparently.
I opened my eyes wide, looking straight ahead and trying not to move. These potions might be ridiculous, but they were insanely expensive. If I broke even one…
"Ah! What the—?"
This time I was the one who yelled. Right in front of me, a pair of red eyes stared at me from the shadows.
Instinctively I reached for the hilt of Kronos.
"S-Sorry, did I scare you?" a soft, timid voice asked.
"Huh? Yeah… I mean, no. I'm fine, don't worry," I answered, a little embarrassed when I realized it was just a girl.
She peeked out from around the wooden shelf like a little mouse coming out of its hiding spot.
"I was looking at some potions when I suddenly heard someone cursing," she explained. "That startled me and… well, I dropped one of the bottles. I'm really sorry!"
So she was the one who dropped the glass bottle, huh? Thank goodness.
"No, it's fine. It was my fault in the first place for cursing out loud. If anything, I should be the one apologizing."
Now that she was up close, I could see she was a very pretty girl. Her features looked like those of a doll.
While her gaze had an air of innocence and even a bit of naivety, the intense red glow in her eyes gave her a mature look that only enhanced her beauty.
She had dark brown hair with two elegant strands falling to the sides, each tied with a red ribbon at the tip.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Huh?" the girl seemed startled.
"You just dropped a glass container. Did you cut yourself?"
"Ah! No, no! I'm fine. Thank you for asking."
The atmosphere suddenly felt awkward for some reason.
"And… well… did you find anything that caught your eye?" I asked, not knowing what else to say.
"Yes! Eeeh! I mean no! The truth is the products in this shop aren't exactly eye-catching," the girl explained nervously. "So I just come here to kill time every now and then."
"By yourself?"
"N-No!" Her answer was immediate. "I'm waiting for some friends."
"I see."
I was pretty sure Aqua and I were the only people in the shop when we came in. Including Wiz, of course. Still, just to be sure, I quickly glanced around.
"Um… sorry, I don't see anyone."
"Ah! That's because… because they haven't arrived yet! But we agreed to meet here. So I was just… just killing time."
"I see," I repeated.
Then I remembered. I thought I had seen her before.
"Hey!" I called out suddenly. She shrank back and took a few steps away. Maybe I was too abrupt.
"Yes? Is something wrong?"
"You're that girl, right? The one from the adventurers' guild."
"Huh? Well, I guess. There are lots of girls at the guild. But yeah, I've been there a couple of times. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing in particular. It's just that I always noticed you were alone. Are you an adventurer too?"
"N-No, I'm not alone!" the girl who was clearly always alone hurried to say. "I-I-I'm usually the first one to arrive…"
Now that I knew who she was, I was completely sure I had never seen her with anyone. Was her level so low that no party wanted her?
While I was thinking about that, without realizing it my eyes drifted down to her chest. Her breasts were huge and round like two melons, peeking out from the neckline of her black blouse. No room for imagination here.
First Wiz, and now this girl. What is this? My national day for running into busty babes?
"I-I see. So you just got to the shop and you're waiting for your friends?" I asked, trying to sound as natural as possible.
Don't stare at her tits! Don't stare at her tits!
"Actually I've been in the shop for a while."
"Really?"
"Yes," the girl replied. Then, a little shyly, she added, "I even saw when the blue-haired girl — the one who wouldn't stop screaming and threatening — tried to purify the shop owner…"
"Ah… so you saw that…" I scratched my cheek in embarrassment. I guess it was too late to pretend I didn't know Aqua. "Yeah… well, how do I explain it? Let's just say my companion gets pretty passionate when it comes to the undead."
"Ah, don't worry," the girl said, waving her hands lightly. "If anything, it's my fault for being in the wrong place. Please forgive me."
I let out a small laugh. I wasn't sure if she was being serious or not.
"What are you talking about? We didn't even know you were here."
"In that case… I apologize for that too! It always happens to me… people rarely notice my existence and because of that I end up causing problems."
Honestly, I didn't know what was worse: the fact that people completely ignored her or that she took all the blame herself.
"Well, I-I think I'll wait for my friends outside," she said. "Yes, my friends! So I'll leave you alone. Still, i-it was very nice talking to you. Sorry if I wasted your time with all these completely unnecessary stuff!"
And without even giving me a chance to reply, the mysterious girl (who hadn't even told me her name) picked up the glass shards from the floor and ran out.
Just out of curiosity I checked what potion she had been looking at.
FRIENDSHIP POTION: Summons a dangerous demon of darkness to become your friend. Ideal for people with no friends whose existence is usually completely ignored!
Definitely a weird girl, I thought.