Chapter 190
Chapter 190
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: A Ticket to Heaven
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Shirone tossed the elixir to the merchant who had the drone.
The merchant's body trembled as he caught it with both hands. He was so overcome with emotion he could barely hold it.
It wasn't a Red, Green, or Yellow Elixir. It was a White Elixir.
Shirone said, turning his palm up.
“Well? This settles it, right? Now give the item to Kanya.”
“This won't do. That elixir has to be mine for the deal to work.”
“Then you can try taking it from him.”
The drone merchant's eyes twitched. He realized Shirone's action was more than a simple provocation.
As if to prove his point, Shirone turned to the merchant fumbling with the elixir and asked.
“He says he wants it. What are you going to do? Can you give it back?”
“N-No! There's no way I'm canceling this deal!”
The merchant waved his hands frantically, horrified.
Of course, a mecha drone was valuable. That is, if it was in working condition.
The drone he'd sold off was, in reality, worth about a Yellow Elixir. To have sold it for a White Elixir was the deal of a lifetime.
“So, what's it going to be? Are you two outcasts going to have a nice little brawl? Seems to be your specialty.”
The apothecary's face hardened.
This was certainly an awkward situation. He could be as shameless as he wanted when haggling with a customer, but conflicts between fellow merchants were never profitable. This was especially true for merchants in the lower community who primarily dealt in daily necessities.
The apothecary finally studied Shirone closely.
Pressuring him like this, he had to be a Nor. And not an easy one to deal with.
Should he just take the one and let it go? Trading Epines for a White Elixir would be a deal for the history books.
But it was a matter of pride. He didn't want to accept that a citizen of Heaven had gotten their way.
“Fine, I won't sell. So be satisfied with your little toy. You know what? You've just mercilessly crushed this young lady's hopes.”
The merchant had called the whole thing off. He chose the thrill of victory over money.
It was a terrible deal from a merchant's perspective, but it seemed he didn't care as long as he got to see a citizen cry.
Shirone realized the man had lost the game.
“No, you have to sell the medicine. If you don't, you'll be in breach of contract.”
“What? What contract did I breach?”
“You said it yourself. You'd sell the medicine if I brought you all the elixirs I had. Kanya did just that. Suddenly canceling the deal is a breach of contract. You must know what happens when a merchant loses their credibility, right?”
He didn't just know; it was the end. At the very least, he'd lose his place in the community.
But he couldn't help feeling it was unfair. Shirone was the one twisting the facts.
“Get your facts straight. When I made the offer, you had two elixirs. And since you bought the drone right after the deal was made, I'm not in breach.”
“How would you know that? When I bought the drone?”
The apothecary's eyes wavered in shock. He had lost his composure, but his long experience as a merchant gave him a gut feeling.
He was the one at a disadvantage.
“I had already made a deal to buy the drone. I just hadn't handed over the elixir yet. To think you'd make a deal without even checking that, and you call yourself a merchant. You've still got a lot to learn. If you doubt me, feel free to check.”
The apothecary ground his teeth. Things were unfolding just as his gut had told him.
The merchant who sold the drone would side with Shirone no matter what. After all, confirming the deal with Shirone would secure his ownership of the White Elixir.
This kind of thing was common on the mainland. He himself had made exorbitant profits through monopolies, so he was in no position to criticize others.
‘Why am I at a disadvantage? Shouldn't it be the other way around?’
As the apothecary retraced his steps, he realized. Shirone knew the drone's value was lower than expected.
He didn't know how Shirone had found out, but without that knowledge, the current situation wouldn't exist.
The other merchant was siding with Shirone because he had made a profit several times over.
A sound of admiration escaped him. The boy saw right through human nature when it came to material goods. It was a skill that would work even among the merchants of the mainland.
“How about it, sir? We made our deal first, right?”
“Of course, we did. We had a verbal agreement to trade the drone for a White Elixir before that young lady even shouted.”
Shirone had confirmed it himself, without even being asked.
Now he was well and truly stuck. If a prior deal existed with another merchant, it was the seller's fault for not confirming the customer's assets.
Should he back down like this? One White Elixir was still a huge gain, but it was a matter of pride.
He played the lowest card a merchant could.
He decided to burn it all down.
“My mother was a citizen of Heaven. But she never received Ilhwa's Drink. Do you know why?”
When no one answered, the apothecary tapped his head and continued.
“Because she went mad. My father was murdered in Heaven. By some lunatic who had a crush on my mother. And do you know what the punishment was? A reduction of forty years from his lifespan. But even then, he still had forty years left. My father was dead, you see. My mother cursed that man her entire life, khahaha. But then, absurdly, the date for Ilhwa's Drink was set. For her and the bastard who killed my father, together.”
Kanya's eyes trembled.
Shirone didn't understand the significance of this, but everyone except his companions was utterly horrified.
“So my mother took her own life. With one less target for the ritual, I was supposed to take on the remaining sin. That's why I fled, to escape the law. Do you get it now? I hate the citizens of Heaven. The mere sight of them makes me want to puke! You really think I'm going to sell you medicine?”
In short, he'd lost it and was ready to take everyone down with him.
Shirone responded with a snort.
Someone truly determined to self-destruct wouldn't bother explaining why. In a situation where everyone dies, the process doesn't matter.
What he wanted was an emotional victory, and Shirone had no intention of giving it to him.
“So, are you selling the medicine or not?”
“I'm not selling. And I'm not giving back the elixir either. I've made up my mind, so do whatever you want.”
“Then I have no choice but to take it by force.”
“Go ahead. But are you sure about that? Use violence, and you won't be able to set foot in this community again. You'll have to wander for the rest of your life.”
Shirone held out his hand. Photons compressed, and a white sphere began to vibrate.
The apothecary was terrified. Magic like that shouldn't be possible. If by some miracle it was, only those from the outskirts of the community who had contracted with a light spirit could do it.
“You… Are you a Borderlander?”
“The Vortex Serpent was quite strong. Thanks to it, I got three White Elixirs.”
Shirone showed no emotion.
And the apothecary knew that mages were at their most cruel and ruthless when they cast aside their emotions.
“I wonder what kind of elixir is inside your body.”
Everyone knew the apothecary's survival depended on his answer.
The apothecary struggled with his decision for a long moment. It was the end of the line. Finally realizing he couldn't win, he raised his hands with a bitter smile.
“None. There's no elixir in my body. So please, spare me.”
Shirone fired the Photon Cannon. A streak of light grazed the tip of the apothecary's nose and slammed into a pillar of the ruins.
A deafening roar erupted as the pillar exploded.
The apothecary turned to Shirone, the smile gone from his face.
“Don't smile. You might be bluffing, but I'm serious. I don't care about the law or the community. If you try to be despicable one more time, I won't forgive you.”
“Alright, I get it. I get it. Calm down.”
The apothecary realized the gravity of the situation.
Shirone had displayed the maximum amount of hostility possible without resorting to actual violence. For a swordsman, it was like drawing his sword; for a beast, baring its fangs.
Realizing there would be no more concessions, the apothecary tossed the Epines to Kanya.
“There, satisfied? The deal is done.”
“One more thing. Apologize to Kanya.”
“Why should I? You have no right to interfere with my personal feelings.”
“But you have a painful past too, don't you?”
“What does that have to do with apologizing?”
“I'm not telling you to apologize unconditionally. Words without sincerity are worthless. But didn't you want someone to acknowledge it, too? Your past wounds.”
Is that true? Have I… still not moved on?
The apothecary looked back at Kanya's pitiful face. She had said it was her mother waiting for Ilhwa's Drink.
Back then, his mother had not been in her right mind. She screamed and self-harmed every day. The fear she felt became an even greater terror for him as a child.
“Tch, as if I'd ever apologize.”
The apothecary snorted and began to pack up his stall. He put the medicine bottles in his bag, rolled up his blanket and placed it on his backpack, then stood up and tossed a purple potion to Kanya.
“It's called Corpin. A nervous system enhancement potion. I made a killing, so take it as a bonus. It should be effective if you use it with the Epines. Not that it'll matter in the end.”
As he walked toward the tent village, the apothecary looked back at Shirone and said.
“And kid, everything I said was a lie. You did well to beat me, but if you can't even see through that, you'll have a rough time on the mainland.”
Arin spoke through the mental channel.
-Shirone, should I check if he's lying?
-No, it's fine.
Shirone watched the apothecary's lonely figure retreat into the distance.
Nor's Shelter.
A place where the wanderers of purgatory came to rest.
Perhaps what they set down here for a while wasn't their weary bodies, but the wounds in their hearts.
The spectacular shopping spree came to an end.
Shirone comforted Kanya, who couldn't hold back her tears. Beside them, Lena watched with her cheeks puffed out.
Amy and the others began a meeting without Shirone.
The items purchased with three White Elixirs were the fire spirit, the drone, and the Epines.
Even if it was the best they could do under the circumstances, they couldn't help but feel they'd taken a loss. Tess, in particular, couldn't hide her guilt.
“I know I'm the one who begged for my item, but is this really okay? There must have been other things that would have been more helpful in battle. Especially the Epines, we paid a ridiculous price for it.”
“What does it matter? If we need more, we can just go hunting. No point worrying about what's already done.”
“Rian's right. And a financial loss isn't the only kind of loss. Shirone used the elixirs in the most efficient way possible, and we should be satisfied with that.”
Comforted by Amy, Tess looked crestfallen.
“What good is efficiency when the situation was such a mess? I support Shirone's choices, but if that apothecary hadn't pulled his weird stunts, we could have gotten the drone for half the price.”
Canis said with a sneer.
“That's not what Amy meant. In reality, Shirone didn't take a loss at all. Because what he bought was something you couldn't get even if you offered all your White Elixirs.”
“What? Was the fire spirit that expensive?”
“No. The most expensive item was the Epines.”
Tess thought Canis, with whom she wasn't even close, was joking.
Now that it was brought up, the thought of buying something worth a Red Elixir with a White Elixir was enough to make her shoot up from her sleep in fury.
Rian asked, unable to understand.
“Why was the Epines the most expensive? It's a common potion.”
“It is, but today its value was beyond imagination. What's most important is who owns it now. Kanya and Lena. In other words, citizens of Heaven.”
“Ah…”
“Do you get it now? It wasn't about the Epines. With a single White Elixir, Shirone bought a ticket to Heaven.”
Indeed.
Come to think of it, their chances of entering Heaven had been remote. But now, they had an in. With Kanya's help, they could get into Heaven.