Chapter 28: I Made Them
Ailene Calendar, July 24th, Sunday.
A day had passed since bringing the Jo family on board as members of the Beauty Tower.
"You definitely look more valiant with that haircut! Hahaha!"
"Oh my! The curls really bring out your beauty."
"This is a scalp massage using ice magic. It feels so refreshingly cool your body shivers—perfect for weather like this! It costs a bit extra, but it's great for blood circulation too. Care to give it a try?"
On the second floor of the Beauty Tower, in the Total Beauty Care Shop, the three former heresy inquisitors were bustling about under Josephine's supervision at the counter, serving the influx of Young Noble Society members.
They're real pros at cutting hair, alright. Each one's on the level of a shop director.
I watched their busy hands on the CCTV feed linking the underground first-floor staff lounge to the Total Beauty Care Shop, a satisfied smile on my face.
Even with more visitors to the Beauty Tower these days, most were Young Noble Society members coming for haircuts, dyes, or perms.
Now with three more reliable members, we could even cover the lunch-hour lull.
Thanks to the Jo family, we won't starve anymore... but what to do about those magic tower bastards?
Walter was faithfully carrying out his bodyguard duties, but given the current situation, I couldn't shake the feeling that the magic tower mages could sabotage us anytime.
Looking over the ledger Cache had organized, over 70% of the Beauty Tower's revenue came from the Total Beauty Care Shop.
With three designers now, it might hit 80% or even 90% of total sales going forward.
Cache was thrilled at the rising profits, but I couldn't just relax.
As the saying goes, don't put all your eggs in one basket—diversifying was key to weathering any risks.
Right now, the Black Cross Society folks are playing nice, but they could stab us in the back anytime. Gotta prepare.
It was common in the real world for a star chef to bolt from a famous restaurant and open their own, or a top academy tutor to jump to a rival.
I had no idea how long the Jo family would stick around loyally, but relying solely on hair salon revenue was a bad idea.
Just then, something odd caught my eye on the CCTV linked to the Total Beauty Care Shop.
"...What's that? What mistake did they make for everyone to react like that?"
Servants and maids, apparently belonging to the Young Noble Society members, burst through the shop door in a panic and urgently whispered to their respective ladies and young lords.
Hearing them out, the nobles started packing up and leaving mid-treatment.
"What happened?"
"Walter, let's head up to the second floor."
I took the elevator up with Walter.
The Total Beauty Care Shop floor was littered with the severed hair of young lords and ladies, the Jo family staring blankly.
"What happened? Why did all the customers bail?"
"W-Well..."
"Director! There you are!"
"Miner!"
Bursting through the door with Res slung over her shoulder was Cache.
"What brings you here? What about the customers and stock?"
"No customers left at all. I already moved the goods inside."
"Huh? Why...?"
"The Potion Co-op declared a boycott."
"Potion Co-op? Boycott? What does that mean?"
Cache continued without missing a breath at my urgent question.
"All the potion shops in the Frederik Dungeon Zone are members of the Potion Co-op. And they've decided not to sell potions for a week."
"How does a potion shop not selling potions affect us?"
I got the words, but not the logic. Boycott? Out of nowhere?
"I don't know the exact reason. But they said they won't sell potions to anyone who's gotten treatment or procedures at the Beauty Tower!"
Her absurd, sudden words left my mind blank.
A boycott? Against our hospital? Why the hell?
I'd thought we were finally turning a corner—not quite out of the woods, but able to breathe.
No reason came to mind, no matter how I racked my brain.
"Did we ever cross the potion shops? Why target us specifically... Wait, you guys?"
"Eek! N-No, not us!"
"It's true! This is sudden for us too!"
"We're innocent! We have nowhere else to go!"
"Please believe us! Really!"
A quick micro-expression scan of their sweaty, fidgeting faces confirmed they were telling the truth.
"It's not the Jo family. This has the magic tower's fingerprints all over it!"
"Magic tower? Why would they get involved here?"
"Potion Co-op members are all tight with the magic tower. Especially the chairman—he's close to Tower Master Servius."
So that's the snake in the grass.
The magic tower. Those quacks were the problem.
"This is too blatant, isn't it? It hasn't even been long since they sent those cultists to mess with us. Tsk."
The Jo family's shoulders flinched at my tongue-click.
"That's why I said not to make enemies of the magic tower. They're in deep with the Black Moon Church and the Potion Co-op."
"Any way to sway the Potion Co-op? Like selling their potions here, or supplying Cash Shop goods to their stores?"
Cache shook her head at my desperate pitch.
"Impossible. Where do you think they get their potions from?"
"From where? ...No way?"
Cache sighed and nodded.
"Only magic tower mages know how to make stamina and mana potions. The co-op is basically a puppet of the magic tower."
"That's straight-up illegal collusion! Can't we report it to the territory office or something?"
"No... Physical sabotage might draw legal heat, but collusion like this? No penalties."
When I first arrived in this world, I thought it was some romance-fantasy setting.
But time showed it was a strong-eat-weak jungle.
"Ugh... This sucks. Wait! Then we make our own, right? We have four magic-user types—priest, dragon, witches!"
"Um... I can't make potions..."
Res was out.
"Sorry. We can't make potions either."
Jo family out too.
"What? Priests, dragons, witches all use magic—why can't we?"
"It's not that they don't want to—"
Cache cut in as I glared at the cowering Res and Jo's.
"They don't know the recipe?"
"Yes... Rumor is, only 4th Circle mages and above, including the tower master, know it."
Josephine chimed in abruptly.
"Y-Yes. The Black Moon Church is tight with the magic tower, but even they don't get the potion recipes. Same for us."
A headache hit hard.
To think a mere potion shop could cripple my hospital like this.
No, not mere. Potions are absolute here.
Potions weren't miracle cures—everyone knew that.
But in this frontier, especially with the dungeon, they were essential.
No matter my medical skills or Cash Shop products, potions were king here.
Damn it... And I can't make them either.
"Potions aren't exclusive to mages."
"...?"
As I wracked my brain fruitlessly, an unfamiliar voice came from behind.
A customer visiting amid the boycott panic? How rare...
"Wh-What? Why are you here again?"
The one Josephine and the Jo's gawked at, pointing in shock, was the old lady who'd had her compound nevus—basically a mole—removed from her inner thigh.
Smiling brightly, she stepped into the Total Beauty Care Shop.
Her deep crimson hair was far darker than Cache's tangerine locks, her face pale.
"Nice to see you again. No one was downstairs, so I came up. Overheard you need potion recipes?"
"..."
This was the old lady who'd shown up last yesterday, when I offered free devil's mark removals—the very last one.
She'd seemed shifty and broke back then.
So why's she so bold now?
Her shabby clothes were the same as yesterday.
Yet she carried herself like a different person overnight. Suspicious as hell.
But now wasn't the time to nitpick.
"If you've heard the rumors, you know the Potion Co-op's boycotting us for a week. Know any mages who can make potions?"
"All potion-capable mages are registered with the magic tower. You need 4th Circle or higher to learn it. No mage will make potions for the Beauty Tower."
Was she messing with me?
Only customer in a crisis, and I couldn't snap.
"Sorry, but things are urgent—can't chat long. State your business first—"
"As I said, mages aren't the only ones who can make potions. Want to test it?"
"What do you... Huh? That's?"
From her subspace pouch, the old lady pulled out a potion and handed it over.
My eyes widened in shock, and a faint smile crept across her pale face.
"As you see, a stamina potion. I have low-grade mana potions too. I could supply you—interested?"
"..."
This timing was too perfect, almost eerie.
"Plenty of questions—like steady supply and pricing... but this is awfully convenient. Right after the co-op's boycott, you show up offering help."
Even laced with suspicion, the crimson-haired old lady just smiled faintly.
"No need to be so wary. You're my only option for sales too."
"With all those co-op shops, nowhere else to sell? What...?"
"I made these potions."