How to cause a mess

'What the hell does he think to say such words out loud!' Riled by her new master's parting message, Aina stood frozen in place. Ever since the man uttered those words, the entire shopping hall came to a stop. Only after a long while some murmurs started to go around the place. 'Heavens, have mercy on me…' With nothing else to do, Aina obediently moved behind the counter of her new workplace.

No stranger to this kind of job, Aina quickly sorted through her wares before taking up her goose's feather again. Pulling one of the pieces of paper from behind the counter, she then started to gently stroke her brush, leaving a trail of deep, black ink on the sheet.

'Kubian Pills… 20x G2' Even though Aina knew how to read and write, she wasn't fast with it. Without any formal education, she could only rely on the limited opportunities she had in life to learn this skill on her own. Nevertheless, this slow, mundane action allowed the girl to calm down and relax. By the time Aina's head shoots up as she noticed she fell into a daze, the shopping hall was already back to its normal state.

'But seriously… Isn't he just doing everything he can to cause trouble?' Suddenly shaken by the thought, Aina tensed up. Without any chair to sit on, courtesy of the annoying attendant, she only had her desk to rest her hands on.

'What if… That's actually the way?' Aina was no stupid. While the mysteries of alchemy were beyond her ability to understand, she could still tell just how insanely expensive those pills were. And taking their numbers into account, she could tell just how insane value was behind this single box under her counter. 'To think that he would keep his pills, something that others treat with care and utmost attention, just stashed away en masse in a damned box!'

Before long, Sebian returned.

But not to oversee the sales. There were no sales at all. He came in, carrying another box of pills, while followed by a group of three apothecary apprentices Aina saw back in the shop.

"Master…" Calling out, the girl suddenly shivered when a strange warmth spilt all over her insides.

"Hey, that's the second batch. For now, you should just do with what you have." Placing the box behind the counter, Sebian stood up, resting his back against the table. "Sometimes, limiting the stock also has its benefits." Acting as if this stall already turned into a centre of the universe, Sebian didn't seem to notice that not even a single bundle, not a single pill turned into money. Watching how the helpers stashed the rest of the boxes in the back of the stall, Sebian smiled.

"Well, I have to be going now. Just make sure not to exhaust yourself." Sending an amused wink to the girl, the alchemist stretched his arms before looking around. "Or maybe not." Hearing those words, Aina shivered in terror. 'Didn't you cause enough problems for today?! Half of the place was starring daggers at me after what you said before already!' Screaming in her mind, Aina somehow forced herself to keep her calm appearance.

"You, there!" Pointing his hand at the nearest customer, Sebian reached to his pocket. Pulling out a huge stone, he flashed it in the face of the random stranger. "This is grade three stone. You have fifteen minutes to bring back a comfortable chair, sea of snacks and enough wine to turn half of the city dead-drunk." Smiling at the man, Sebian moved back to the counter before placing the damned stone on it.

If a grade one stone was comparable to a good day worth of earnings, a grade two stone reached the level of a monthly income of a middle-class citizen. Be it a craftsman, scholar or mercenary, a grade two stone was regarded as their monthly wage. And just like that, grade three stone was worth about as much as a combined wealth of such middle-class citizen. Ranging between his house, all private possessions and savings, it was a level that basically defined when one reached the threshold of middle-class.

That's how it worked back in Sebian's homeworld. And given how the differences of energy and purity between the stones were roughly the same in this world, their local worth was bound to be around the same margins. Meaning…

'Did he just offer a grade three… For something like that?!' With her pupils exploding outwards, Aina reached the limit of how far her eyes could widen.

"Sir, with pleasure!" After the initial shock, the random guy chosen by the fortune dashed out of the hall. Crashing into someone who attempted to enter, the man only bothered to apologize on the go, before rushing away. With the victim instantly chasing after the fortunate guy, the entire situation turned slightly weird.

"Okay then, I really have to go. I will come in a few hours to resupply, do your best!" Smiling towards the girl, Sebian moved towards the doors. Right as he reached the entrance, his eyes were drawn towards the commotion. Noticing a certain detail, the alchemist suddenly pursed his lips, refusing to show that he saw anything. Holding his smile back, he moved back towards the workshop. 'Dang, I wish I could see it. Either way, it will be a good test for her!'

Back in the shopping hall, Aina stood frozen once again, unable to find any reason behind the other party behaviour. 'Aren't you just making things hard for me?' Despairing over her fate, Aina could no longer ignore the constant stares from the crowd. Grabbing the stone from the counter to hide it underneath, she took her time hidden behind the massive counter. Only when the girl managed to somehow regain her calm, did she raise her head back towards the world.

Only to see a face that was depressingly familiar.

"Aren't you… So this is that guy's shop!" His robes slightly dirty from his unfortunate encounter at the doors, Zan looked at the girl with surprise in his eyes and an accomplished smile creeping on his lips.