Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Setting aside the fact that I had already located Teo’s soul.
After finishing potion production, I went straight upstairs and collapsed onto the bed.
The exhaustion from mana depletion combined with mental fatigue had completely drained me.
After enjoying a deep, heavy sleep in the soft bed, I finally regained my senses.
I yawned and checked the time.
The clock hand pointed to six.
I got up from the bed.
“Good morning, everyone.”
“Kyuu…”
“Kyuu…”
The spirits, who had just woken up like me, rubbed their eyes and yawned.
Smiling at their cute behavior, I went down to the first-floor atelier.
I looked at the basket on the table.
It was overflowing with potions, far beyond the intended amount.
I had gone a bit overboard and ended up making twice the planned quantity, but it wasn’t a problem.
Potions don’t spoil quickly, and in games like this, making extra is basically standard practice.
I stood up and picked up the basket full of potions.
“Let’s open the shop.”
“Kyuu!”
I opened the door connecting the atelier and stepped into the shop.
It wasn’t a large space, but all the necessary furniture was there.
Thanks to Teo cleaning before the possession, the display shelves were spotless.
The spirits quickly moved around, placing potions one by one.
Before long, forty potions were neatly arranged.
Ten each of health, mana, vitality, and antidote potions.
I smiled in satisfaction.
“Alright. Preparation complete.”
Some might think forty potions aren’t much for a shop, but everything here was handmade.
Alchemy doesn’t allow mass production easily, so this amount was normal.
Besides, Nigredo-class alchemists were roughly equivalent to third or fourth circle mages.
They weren’t exactly common.
And Astrum, the city I was in, had only been built ten years ago.
It was a newly established frontier city, also known as the “Demon Frontier City.”
Many people seeking success had gathered here, but skilled alchemists were rare.
More precisely, skilled alchemists were rare.
So, based on supply and demand, this stock would be more than enough to attract early adventurers.
If needed, I could always make more.
After finishing preparations, I flipped the sign on the entrance from “Closed” to “Open.”
I glanced at the people passing by outside, then sat down behind the counter.
“So it really begins now.”
“Kyuu!”
“Yeah. I can do this.”
Leaning back in the chair, I thought to myself.
Even though I had taken control of the body, this was still Teo’s life.
Mind, body, and spirit were aligned here, meaning I could instinctively imitate Teo’s actions if I wanted.
At this point, following the story shouldn’t be a problem.
“Now it’s time to build a foundation.”
Running the shop and earning income was important, but the top priority was improving alchemy skills.
That meant exploring ancient ruins in the Demon Frontier to recover lost formulas, or gathering rare materials needed for research.
Sticking to the same basic recipes wouldn’t lead to any growth.
“I wonder how many named characters are accessible at this prologue stage.”
I didn’t know how much of the game had been faithfully implemented here.
If parts that were originally game limitations were now real, some routes might be blocked or completely different.
I adjusted my plans with that in mind.
Time passed.
My plan was carefully structured and satisfying.
But from morning until afternoon, not a single customer came.
“Not even one person…”
“Kyuu…”
Well, it made sense.
I hadn’t advertised the shop at all, and no one even knew it had opened.
That was Teo’s mistake.
Other ateliers would promote themselves through guilds or town squares, or notify branches of the Sage’s Tower.
But Teo had focused entirely on his atelier and forgotten all that.
So even though demand for potions was high, no one knew this shop existed.
A normal alchemist would immediately start advertising.
But I wasn’t normal.
I glanced at the clock on the wall and muttered.
“Should be about time.”
If Alchemist Story truly allowed glimpses of the future, then a customer would arrive soon.
The first companion character, the one who always maintained top-tier performance in the game.
I calmed my excitement and waited.
This was the first meeting, so I should greet them with a proper smile.
I wondered what they would look like in reality.
Not long after I began imagining it, the door finally opened.
Ding—
“Is the shopkeeper here?”
“Welcome to Teo’s atelier!”
I greeted them with a bright smile the moment the door opened.
But that smile didn’t last long.
“Yo! So you’re the young alchemist?”
“…?”
The visitor was, without a doubt, a man.
Golden hair like desert sunlight, emerald eyes, and a well-built body with tanned skin.
Despite his intimidating appearance, he wore a playful expression and held out a rough, calloused hand.
“Name’s Clovis. I used to work as a monster-hunting mercenary. I’m a warrior.”
“Teodoro. You can just call me Teo.”
Online, he was often described as “not gay unless it’s Clovis,” and “an absurdly likable man.”
Clovis chuckled loudly, twin swords hanging at his waist.
“Nice name. I was passing by and saw this place. You just opened?”
“Yes, this morning.”
“So I’m your first customer?”
In Alchemist Story, Clovis was the companion who appeared when you chose the female playable character Sio, and he was a top-tier warrior.
Right.
If you chose the female character Sio.
Why is this guy here instead of that?
I barely swallowed the words rising in my throat.
I kept smiling, but my mind was more chaotic than when I first got possessed.
A day into this world, and the timeline already felt warped.
Still, I forced myself to stay calm.
“Just to check, did you do any promotion?”
“Not yet. I was busy setting things up.”
“Then I’ll help you with the adventurer guild introduction, how about that?”
“That would be great, actually.”
As I talked with Clovis, I thought things through.
The gender change of the companion was something I couldn’t fix.
Even if I had known, I couldn’t have changed it.
I had already expected that the game information might differ from reality, so I accepted it quickly.
From now on, I had to proceed assuming my companion was a friendly, overly confident golden warrior.
“You’re lucky, kid. I don’t like saying this myself, but I’ve got a wide network.”
“Why are you helping me?”
“Because getting close to a talented alchemist is a rare opportunity!”
That part was unchanged from the game.
He was here because he wanted to invest early in a promising alchemist.
Talented alchemists were rare everywhere, and building connections early was valuable.
Even beyond that, having an alchemist friend meant guaranteed potion supply in Astrum.
“I should make a good impression then.”
“You’re very honest.”
“Hahaha! I don’t like wearing masks with people I’ll be close to!”
His straightforward personality made me laugh a little.
Losing the female companion route was unfortunate, but gaining a powerful warrior ally wasn’t bad.
Just as I was accepting the situation—
A second presence approached from outside.
Ding—
I looked toward the door as it slowly opened.
That was odd.
Clovis was supposed to be the only visitor today.
“Is the shopkeeper here?”
“Welcome…?”
My voice faltered as I saw the newcomer.
Because I recognized her too well.
“I noticed this place while passing by. I saw preparations a few days ago and was curious when it would open. So it’s today.”
Cold sky-blue hair and eyes.
A tall woman with a voluptuous figure hidden beneath a loose robe.
Pale skin like fresh snow, and a massive staff in her hand.
Cecilia, a mage.
As expected, she was the companion who appears when you choose Teo in Alchemist Story.
I looked back and forth between Clovis and Cecilia with a shaken expression.
Two companions?
This wasn’t in the game.
Even more surprising, they both frowned the moment they saw each other.
“Ugh, you again.”
“And why are you here?”
They clearly disliked each other.
I forced a smile and asked.
“You two know each other?”
“She’s been following me like a stalker.”
“That’s my line!”
“Everywhere I go, you’re there. If that’s not stalking, what is it?”
“And you’re always showing up where I go!”
They argued loudly.
I tilted my head in confusion.
Then they explained.
Whenever they searched for talented individuals, gathered rare materials, ate at restaurants, or even booked lodging, they always ran into each other.
It had happened so often they once thought the other was stalking them.
That was… suspiciously frequent.
I muttered without thinking.
“Maybe you just have similar interests?”
“Even twins aren’t like this. I swear I see his face half the day.”
Clovis complained, and Cecilia nodded.
Strange.
But come to think of it, a duo like this might actually work.
A fast dual-sword fighter and a crowd-control ice mage.
If Cecilia immobilized enemies and Clovis struck, it would be an efficient party.
“Why don’t you just party up then?”
“I mean… I get weird physical disgust when I see him.”
“More like seeing a sibling, honestly.”
“Yeah, exactly.”
I blinked.
So they really were behaving like paired companions.
In the game, there was only one companion per route, but this world might be different.
Same role, same behavioral pattern.
Maybe that was causing overlap.
“Strange… is this even possible?”
This was supposed to be reality, not a game.
Teo’s soul was clearly here.
Yet two companions acting nearly identical just because of role overlap?
Still, Astrum was a massive city filled with countless people.
It wasn’t impossible for similar personalities to converge by chance.
“I already claimed this place.”
“Nonsense. I’ve been watching this atelier for days.”
“Same here.”
Watching them bicker, I couldn’t help but smile.
Whatever the case, having two companions wasn’t a bad thing.
After all, companions were meant to help.
And with Teo’s talent, having two early allies was actually a huge advantage.
Looks like I won’t need to recruit anyone else for a while.