Chapter 12: Success for once

Ethan let out a blood-curdling scream as Charlotte healed his sunburn. His face contorted in agony, tears streaming down his face as he begged for mercy.

"OH MY GOD, IT HURTS SO BAD!" he wailed, thrashing about on the ground like a fish out of water.

Charlotte rolled her eyes at Ethan's dramatics but continued to focus on the healing spell. She shook her head at the sight of Ethan's bright red skin, which was now starting to fade as the sunburn disappeared.

"Stop acting like a child and take the pain like a man," Charlotte said.

After 7 minutes the pain Ethan felt faded.

Blake then mixed the ingredients in the wooden bowl and after he was finished Lucy froze the mixture until it became solid. They had successfully made three batches of chocolate.

Lucy went to grab a piece of chocolate but Ethan slapped her hand.

"We need this Lucy. You can eat some later but for now, we have to make a profit."

"Speaking of profit Ethan we should low-key charge 3 bronze coins for chocolate."

Ethan nodded eagerly, his eyes bulging out of his head as he thought about all the money they could make from selling chocolate. He was practically drooling at the thought, his mouth hanging open as he imagined all the coins flowing into his pockets.

"Deadass, we'll be rich. Blake this could be the opportunity to finally create my harem!" he exclaimed, his voice dripping with greed.

"That is such a generic thing to want but sure," Blake responded

"Let's go to the marketplace and sell these before you guys go insane with greed," Charlotte said.

The group advertised their chocolates in the marketplace with enthusiastic shouts and grand gestures. They offered free samples to passing customers, hoping to lure them in with the promise of delicious chocolate.

It took a while, but finally, a woman stopped to buy one.

"3 bronze coins for something so small? That's overpriced but I haven't seen this before."

She took one bite, and her eyes went wide with delight.

The woman eagerly threw 12 more bronze coins at the group, her eyes shining with excitement. "I'll take four more! I have to let my children and my husband try these" she exclaimed, practically bouncing on her toes with excitement.

They handed the woman the chocolate and she thanked them.

"Ethan, did you put any illegal substances in this?" Blake asked.

"Bro you literally mixed it. I think people in this world are just weird like that."

After a little while the group had found success. They had a line of customers who were eager to try the food.

As the group watched the line of customers, they couldn't believe their eyes. Some were practically worshipping the chocolate, bowing their heads in reverence as they took a bite. Others were practically sobbing with joy, tears streaming down their faces as they savored the flavor. One person even went so far as to actually vomit after eating the chocolate, only to immediately shovel the vomit back into their mouths with glee. It was a sight to behold.

After 30 minutes they had sold out.

Ethan and Blake's eyes lit up with excitement as they counted the coins. Lucy and Charlotte high-fived each other, laughing at their friends' reactions.

"We did it! We're rich!" Ethan exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Well, we're not exactly rich," Charlotte pointed out. "But it's a good start."

"We can get our own rooms at the inn now," Lucy said.

"That'd be 40 bronze coins. We also have to get lunch and dinner. If we repeated that then we would never make a profit. So the best thing to do is to get two rooms again and use whatever we have left on buying more chocolate. If we have a tough time with meeting the demand then we can just up the price." Ethan said.

They ignored him.

"Guys?"

"Ethan I'm not going to lie. I don't think anybody cares about what you said."

Ethan sighed and they went back to the adventurers guild after getting their stew.

They were approached by a group of adventurers that tried their chocolate before.

"So do you guys still have any of those treats?"

"No we sold out sir," Charlotte responded.

The group of adventurers walked away sadly, their shoulders slumped and their faces drooping in disappointment.

"You know pervert you're starting to make yourself useful."

"Thank yo- wait..."

Charlotte chuckled and went back to eating her stew.

"You two should buy better swords for quests," Lucy said

"Why? We already have a money-making method." Ethan responded

"Ethan I think she means that if we want to become stronger we need better gear because we can't just buy power we gotta earn it through experience and that," Blake said.

Ethan shivered and cringed as he looked at Lucy and her wand, then at Charlotte. He remembered how they had burned him and the pain he had experienced.

He looked like a deflated balloon, his eyes wide and sad, his mouth turned down at the corners in a pitiful expression. His body seemed to shrink in on itself as he sat at the table, lost in thought and regret. It was an exaggerated depiction of despair.

Ethan knew that Blake was right and he had to mentally prepare himself for what was to come.

"So I noticed that you guys kept saying things like our time. What did you mean by that?" Lucy asked curiously.

Ethan and Blake glanced at each other unsure how to respond.

"Uhh." They both said.

"It's just a saying, like back in my day and stuff," Ethan said pulling whatever he could out of his ass.

"Oh alright."

Ethan and Blake were shocked. They didn't think that that would work but it did. Blake then gave him a thumbs up and smirked.

"How did you guys meet? I mean it seems like you two knew each other before we joined," Charlotte said.

"We met in scho- academy in the south," Blake said trying to sound genuine.

"Oh, what was the academy?"

"Harvard."

"Ain't no way you just say Harvard we way too dumb for that bro." Ethan chimed in.

"You idiot." Where what Blake said to Ethan through his gaze.

Ethan understood he messed up and knew he had to change the subject.

"So Charlotte have you changed your mind about dati-"

"No."

"You could at least hesitate."

"No need."

As the day was ending the party had gotten two rooms at the same inn again. Lucy and Charlotte shared a room and Ethan and Blake shared a room.

"So why can't you sleep on the floor, Blake?"

"Because I ain't tryna get dirty bro."

"Can I at least get the blanket?"

"Who do you think I am?"

Ethan remembered that they were in the same room they had the previous night. He saw the dead body of the spider he had killed. He took off his shoe and put his sock on his hand. He grabbed the spider with his sock.

Ethan grinned maniacally as he approached Blake with the dead spider on his sock-covered hand. Blake's eyes widened in horror as he realized what was about to happen, and he let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the small inn room.

As Ethan threw the spider at Blake, he ducked and covered his head with his arms, trying to protect himself from the flying arachnid. The spider landed on the ground with a soft thud, and Blake let out a sigh of relief as he realized he had narrowly avoided being pelted by a dead spider.

Ethan chuckled to himself, enjoying the look of pure terror on Blake's face. "Oh come on, it's just a little spider," he said, trying to reassure his friend. But Blake was having none of it, and he punched Ethan.

"Why did you punch me?"

"No way you asked that."

"It's just a spider bro."

"Nah bro you can't do that. You act like a child sometimes."

"I mean how else do I have fun? We don't have any of the things we had in our world."

"This is why you don't have a girlfriend."

Ethan sighed.

"I miss my family bro. And my friends, man. We used to play video games and hang out at the mall all the time."

Blake nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. I miss my dog and my parents."

Ethan nodded. "Yeah this world isn't that cool if I'm being honest. We are not strong- but who knows how strong our magic abilities are."

I can't believe I have to get a new hoodie," Blake said, shaking his head as he looked at the charred remains of his old one. "I guess it's time to get some badass medieval clothes."

Ethan chuckled. "Yeah, maybe you'll finally stop looking like a total loser," he teased.

"Yeah. But hopefully, it isn't too expensive." Blake said as he drifted asleep.