Suspiciously Fond of Honey and Immune to Poison
"For a place that supposedly has a lot of beastfolk, I haven't seen a single one so far."
"That makes sense. The ones who come here for potions would be the sort who loudly declared they hated humans and left the Empire. What's there to be proud of in coming here because you miss human goods?"
They hate humans, but they like human goods.
So even they thought it was a ridiculous sight.
"And above all, if they know the customer is beastfolk, they sell at a higher price."
This was the only black market beastfolk could go to.
Which meant the goods sold even when the price was jacked up.
"Let me give you some advice, young man. Don't sell too high. If you gouge too much, the black market side apparently won't leave you alone."
In the end, there was no way to identify beastfolk.
There was only the hope that, as I sold potions and got to know people, some connection would form.
Still, I could definitely achieve my first goal: selling potions.
"Judging by that heavy bag, you're here to sell. If you want to open a shop, go find Miss 'Sori' over on Potion Street."
Perhaps because the coins had been quite profitable, the old man kindly even told me where to apply.
After briefly thanking him, I headed in the direction he pointed.
As I got closer to Potion Street, I heard arguing voices.
When I approached the source of the sound, a rough-looking man was threatening a short girl with bronze skin.
"I said I'm selling, so what's this about needing permission? You little runt, stop yapping and get lost."
"You're the one who started shit, you bastard."
The girl had a sturdy build, but the man looked twice her size.
Even so, the girl went at him without fear.
Just as I was about to ask for help, thinking this would turn into serious trouble—
The girl swiftly ducked down and grabbed the thug's ankle with one hand.
She yanked the ankle, and the man lost his balance and toppled backward.
She didn't stop there. She grabbed the ankle and swung him over her head.
The huge frame, which looked over 190 centimeters, floated lightly into the air like a stuffed doll.
And then.
—BANG
The man was slammed into the ground in an arc.
He lay there with both arms spread out like a starfish, unable to get up.
I had briefly forgotten while living as a prince.
That this was not an ordinary medieval world, but a fantasy world with people who transcended humans.
The girl turned her gaze from the fallen man to me.
"Huh? What're you? You with this guy?"
"No. I've never seen him before."
Not wanting to end up like that, I waved both hands in denial.
The girl clicked her tongue as if disappointed.
"By any chance, are you 'Sori'? An old man in black clothes told me to find you if I wanted to do business on Potion Street."
"Ah, that old fossil?"
Judging by her reaction, I had come to the right place.
"Can I apply to sell here?"
"Huh? You're an alchemist too? But it's not an application. It's my permission."
"Excuse me?"
"You have to pass my test to sell. No potions caked in side effects or dangerous drugs."
Drugs weren't allowed?
Then what about the drug Young Lord Lawrence said he got from the black market?
Recalling his expression and the situation when he confessed to getting it from the black market, it didn't seem like he had lied.
"Of course, if you show a little sincerity, who knows. Heehee."
Sori grinned and rubbed her thumb and forefinger together.
Of course.
This was a black market, after all.
"So what potions are you selling? Drugs?"
"These two. A Recovery Potion and a Vitality Potion."
I took two potion bottles out of my bag and handed them over.
Both were one-star, Lowest-Grade potions.
"Shall I test them, then?"
"Yes, go ahead."
I had confirmed through the Status Window that the potion-making had succeeded, so I was confident.
I thought she might take out some kind of analysis tool.
Sori just chugged the potion.
The test she mentioned was a clinical test.
—Gulp, gulp
"What is this...? It's so delicious it makes my eyes fly open!!!"
"Are you insane? What if it had poison in it?"
"Poison? That kind of thing all gets resolved after a quick nap."
This woman was out of her mind.
Without even knowing what was in it.
And she didn't just taste a drop at a time—she emptied it to the bottom in one go.
"Besides, this one didn't have any toxicity."
"Of course not. It's a Recovery Potion."
I couldn't help shaking my head at how reckless she was.
As if she couldn't even see my reaction, Sori shook the remaining potion and asked.
"Then what does this one taste like?"
"It's a Vitality Potion."
"No, not the effect. The taste. What flavor is it?"
"Flavor? It's honey-flavored, but...."
"WHAAAT?!!"
Sori screamed at the word "honey" loudly enough to burst my eardrums.
"That's my favorite flavor! I'll drink it well!"
Whether she was savoring it or not, the potion decreased more slowly than before.
But it still emptied until the bottom was visible.
A lick with her tongue.
She didn't miss even the single drop left at the corner of her mouth.
"Whoa! It really tastes like honey?"
As if regretful, she put the empty bottle to her mouth, shook it out, and smacked her lips.
"Other people's potions taste so bad I just gulped them down without letting them touch my tongue. But that one just now was so good I regret drinking the first one so fast. I've never been to one, but a restaurant! It tastes like it came from a place like that."
It was true that, as a potion recipe that paid attention to flavor, it contained natural honey and fruit flowers, so it was tasty.
But it wasn't enough to make someone's eyes sparkle like that.
Since medicinal herbs added bitterness, it was honestly lacking compared to fruit juice.
Had the Vitality Potion made her reaction excessive or something?
"The shop in the back here is a prime spot because it's right at the entrance. I was saving it to give to some amazing alchemist if one showed up, but I'll give it to you."
As if excited from eating honey, Sori enthusiastically introduced the shop.
What did the reason matter?
What mattered was that the result was good.
***
Today, I asked the prince early whether I could go to the information shop.
Maybe because things were going well, he readily gave permission, unlike his usual self.
Only the departure time was moved up a little; my free time remained the same, so I had to return in an hour and clean the potion shop.
To save even a little time, I squeezed between people and walked quickly.
My heart was impatient at the thought of getting a clue about my younger sister.
I came straight to the place that sold information like that, but....
The line stretched long like a snake, and it shrank as slowly as a grub crawling.
"Judging by how slowly the line is moving, it looks like it'll take another hour."
Had the prince known it would take an hour just to wait in line, and deliberately given me exactly one hour of free time?
To see my despairing face when time ran out while I was still in line?
It might be an overinterpretation, but for that scoundrel of a prince, it was entirely possible.
'Maybe there's special information available only today, so people are crowding in.'
Thinking that, I asked a person standing nearby.
"Why are there so many people even at this early hour?"
"You want to know? Hmm..., I'll tell you in ten minutes."
"It's not like you're trying to annoy me, but you'll tell me in ten minutes something you could tell me now?"
"Haha, can't you tell just from how you looked a second ago? You can't even wait ten minutes because you're curious about a question like this. What about people who want to know more important facts?"
Meaning everyone wanted to resolve their curiosity quickly, so they lined up as soon as they arrived at the black market.
"If you really hate waiting, come after four. It's so empty then you'll hardly find anyone."
Four o'clock.
Exactly the time the prince had mentioned.
Had Leoport told me that knowing the line would be relaxed after four?
The prince had changed recently.
He suddenly recited strange herb names and told me to boil soup.
He made potions without ever having learned alchemy.
He brought me to a black market I hadn't even known existed.
They say people change when they stand before death.
Had Leoport also changed at death's door?
There’d be time to think about that later.
Only ten minutes had passed since I got my free time.
'If I go back now and ask, maybe I can use the remaining fifty minutes of free time after four.'
But before going back.
"Have you been tailing me this whole time?"
I quietly released killing intent toward someone hiding among the crowd.
Then the tail pushed through the crowd and came forward.
"You're the one from in front of Potion Street earlier. Was your name Sori?"
"Whoa, whoa. I didn't come to fight you. I mean, I wouldn't mind fighting, but I didn't come to fight. But if you want to fight, I'm fine with that too. Anyway, I didn't come to fight you—."
It didn't seem like provocation or wordplay; the expressions that changed with every shift in her words were too serious.
Setting aside whether she was sincere or not, if I kept listening, we'd be here until the black market closed, so I cut her off.
"So what's your business?"
"Oh, right. I want to scout you. For our black market."
"I'll decline. I have a contract with good terms somewhere else."
"You’re one of our kind, aren’t you? Right? I can sense the powerful aura of a predator about you."
One of our kind?
Was she beastfolk?
"The reason you stick around a human is obvious. You need money, right?"
"You're saying you can pay me more if I work here?"
"You think it'd only be money? You're looking for something, aren't you? I can help with that."
Did she know about my past?
No, she probably guessed after seeing me head straight to the information shop the moment I parted from the prince.
If I accepted the offer, I wouldn't have to waste four hours guarding the prince, and I could get quality information with the black market's help.
"I'll still decline."
A flower had just bloomed on the tree called Leoport.
If I waited a little, it would bear fruit.
Whether that fruit was death or an unexpected harvest, I wanted to confirm it with my own eyes.
"Yeah? That's a shame. Oh, right, take this."
Sori tossed a rolled-up piece of paper.
"Shops with circles are good shops. Shops with X's are bad shops."
When I unfolded the paper, it was a map of the entire black market.
As Sori said, marks were drawn here and there.
"They spread rumors that trash shops selling drugs to deceive humans are good, so don't go by rumors—use this as a reference."
"Why give me this?"
"I give it to all beastfolk, so don't be moved."
What an odd beastfolk.
Before closing the map, my gaze went to one spot.
To where the prince's potion shop was.
Leoport's shop had a thick circle drawn around it—two layers, even.