1 Arrested
"… and the 6 winning numbers of the 999 Lottery Jackpot are 9, 36, 40, 56, 73– 89!"
In a small apartment in Luminaris City, a 19 year old young man was lying on his couch as he stared intently towards the small paper that will define his fate.
'What did the presenter just say?'
Eirik cleared his ears with his small finger as soon as the presenter finished announcing the lottery numbers. He wanted to be sure that he didn't hear it wrong due to blockage in his ears.
No matter how much he cleared his ears, as soon as the numbers took over the whole screen of his TV, his eyes weren't hallucinating either.
Looking back and forth toward the old TV and the piece of paper at his hand, Eirik still couldn't believe that the numbers were both matching.
"I- I am going to be rich!"
Realizing that fact, he stood up from the couch and started jumping with joy.
Confirming once again that the number matched, his heart raced at the surge of Euphoric feelings. He was so overwhelmed with emotions that soon his joy turned into tears.
"Fck, I can now go to college…"
***
Eirik woke up with red eyes. Even though he wanted to claim his winnings as soon as possible, he recalled his current situation.
He was currently living together with his uncle since his parents died due to a dungeon break. If his uncle came to know that he won the lottery, he would snatch it from Eirik due to him being his guardian.
Eirik didn't want to happen, otherwise his dream to go to college after coming of age would be out of his reach.
After all, Eldoria, the country where he lived, stipulated that those under 20 years old are required to be with a guardian protecting them.
He should wait for his birthday to come in a few days' time. When he becomes 20 years old, he could claim the money by then.
Having decided so, Eirik decided to change his pajamas to his working clothes. His working clothes are just simple jeans and a t-shirt with a brown apron. In order to be comfortable working, he wore a black leather ankle boots.
Currently, he was a worker under his uncle. He was a potion seller– no, a poison seller.
His uncle owned an Alchemy Store that sells potions in papers, but they are actually poison.
The government couldn't watch all the Alchemy Store at all times, that's why stores like his uncle's can go selling poison in the Alchemy Store without any authorization from the Government and the Alchemy Association.
He had some thoughts about snitching his uncle selling poison to the authorities, but he never had the courage to do so. Imagining about the aftermath terrified him. He might even get jailed because he was an accomplice!
In the end, among his relatives his uncle was the most bearable among them.
Other than being nagged at and ordered to sell poisons, his uncle never did out of the line like beating him up or being a poison tester.
Arriving in front of 'Grimhawk Alchemy Store' by walking, Eirik opened the store and started cleaning. The store was situated in one of the commercial spaces of the bustling business street of Luminaris City. This store was the property of his grandfather before and his uncle got it as an inheritance.
Looking around the store, there were spider webs forming in the corners of the store. He started cleaning by taking those spider webs with his vacuum cleaner.
Soon, a customer dressed with casual pants and t-shirt came in.
"Good morning!"
After greeting, Eirik just let the customer roam around the store. Although most of the income of the store is from selling poisons, they still sell common potions. This is so the shop have something to show for the Internal Revenue Service when they come and collect taxes.
"Do you have something strong and special? I heard from someone that you sell it here."
Hearing those words, Eirik stopped cleaning and went directly to the counter.
The secret words that the customer said when they wanted poison was 'strong and special'.
"Oh, one of our regulars must have recommended our shop to you. This is my first time seeing your face." Eirik took off the big painting behind him and a new door appeared. "Come here so we can discuss more about a strong and special potion."
When the new customer went inside the door, Eirik pushed a button that automatically closed all the drawers and compartment of all the potions. After all, he didn't want the store to be robbed when he was not there to watch.
Coming to the hidden room, there was a table and two chairs. The ambience around was comfy and serene whilst surrounded by locked cabinets. If normal people came, they wouldn't think that this was a room used for dealing with poison.
"Dear customer, please sit down there." The new customer went and sat down on one of the chairs. "Here's our whole catalog for strong and special potions."
Eirik handed the customer a tablet with the catalog of the ordinary poison, something that they are allowed to sell but out of the public's eye according to the law.
"These potions are too simple, I want something stronger!"
When the customer finished talking, Eirik changed his attitude. The secret words for the 'real' poison was not this.
This customer must be an undercover agent, fortunately their regular customer didn't snitch them yet.
"I'm sorry. But this is the only thing that we sell. If they are not to your liking, please go to another shop."
When the customer/undercover agent couldn't get hold of the true face of the Store he left immediately.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Eirik went and closed the door of the hidden room.
"Fortunately, uncle is intelligent about making different secret words."
While waiting for customers, Eirik started browsing the internet on his cheap old smartphone.
"Hmm, let's see how to claim the lottery win."
As soon as he searched it on the internet, there was an article about the steps needed in order to claim it.
"To claim the jackpot here are the steps:
Step 1: Verify the Lottery Ticket;
Step 2: Go to the lottery office;
Step 3: Receive the money
Step 4: Pay the taxes and step 5: put it in the bank… This is quite easy."
During his busy time browsing the internet, another customer came in.
"Good morning!" Eirik put down his phone and looked at the new customer. He was dressed with a suit and tie, paired with his haggard face and under eye bags he was a perfect example of someone working for a company overtime.
"My boss told me to receive his new sweet and spicy order."
Hearing those words, Eirik knew he was working for someone who ordered a custom poison from his uncle.
Like earlier, Eirik opened the hidden room and invited the customer in.
"Let's see, sweet and spicy…" Eirik walked around the room in order to find the cabinet where his uncle put the 'sweet and spicy' custom poison order for the client. "Here it is!"
Eirik put his thumb towards the fingerprint identifier and the cabinet opened. Inside there was a flask with a cork stopper. What the flask contained was a violet glowing liquid.
This was a Nocturna Toxin. A poison frequently used by Awakened ones in the dungeon against monsters with Dark Attributes. But if this was used outside the world, it could cause a great catastrophe in the atmosphere. Making the surroundings of where the poison used be unbreathable.
"This is your sweet and spicy order. That will be 100,000 gold coins. We accept debit and credit if you don't have that amount with you right now."
When the customer heard the amount, he started searching for his wallet in order to take his debit card out.
"Here's my boss' debit card."
However, before his hands could reach the debit card something cold was put in Eirik's wrist. "Huh?"
"Lorcan Grimhawk, you are under arrest for selling poison without any authorization and license. This 'sweet and spicy' poison will be solid evidence for your crime."
"What the heck! I'm not Lorcan Grimhawk!"
