Chapter 23 Ascent Paradise

I was in a much better mood the next day. Helping out Hephaestus in the forge let my mind cool, as well as giving me some extra motivation for my craft.

I guess I was expecting something grand from my first day in the Dungeon, but then again that could have meant half my team getting killed.

Early in the morning I had met with Rose, she had wanted to go over my experiences in the Dungeon so that she could help improve any flaws I had done. Like one thing was, she said I could adjust my supporter bag to have a slip knot or clip so that I could drop it in a moment so as not to impede my movement. Or to always make sure my party was covering me while I gathered magic stones and drop items so a monster didn't literally get the drop on me. There were a few other things like making sure my party knew my limits and would let us stop to rest more often.

Hephaestus had told me I wasn't allowed to go to the Dungeon solo yet, I'd have to be in a party with John for at least the next month.

She told me it would be better if I found others and made an official party. Unlike pure Dungeon crawling Familias, Hephaestus members would often make parties with other Familias, trading that for first pick in drop items and making/maintaining weapons for the rest.

I was in my Smithy that now doubled as an Alchemy room. With one wall being dominated by scales bottles and even two magic bunsen burners. The few herbs and other chemical ingredients I had were properly stored in shelves with labels and measurements.

Back on earth I was never the OCD type, but I found that with two professions dominating my time and space I needed to be organized. I had also gotten a little bed roll so I could sleep in my forge when needed.

A knock came from the door.

"Come on in!"

John entered looking around curiously. I was gently washing some herbs in a basin of water.

"Hey Kova, this place really doesn't look like any of the others."

"Well most of them are not herbalists. How are you holding up?"

"What do you mean?" John asked with confusion.

"I mean, the captain of the Astrea Familia rejected you in front of a bunch of people, it must have hurt to have your heart broken like that."

I began to dry the washed herbs with soft towels.

"I was just trying to shake her hand…"

I gave him a look that said I didn't believe him, even though I was sure he was telling the truth.

"Sure Jamie. Well I wanted your help with something."

I put the herbs away into their designated shelf.

"It's John and I thought you were going to give me something."

"I am, it's more of a give and take scenario. Follow me."

Grabbing a vial of Ascent Paradise I walked out of the smithy with John following. I headed through the back streets of Orario heading south.

"You know Kova I've noticed something."

"Hmm?"

"Every time there is a Deity in sight you go the opposite way."

Damn, background characters shouldn't be that observant.

"Well I wouldn't want them to fall in love with me and cause trouble for Hephaestus."

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to. Where are we going?"

I wasn't technically lying.

"You'll see."

Eventually we arrived just outside the Entertainment District, or also known as the Red-light District where the Ishtar Familia reigned.

"No no no no no, you can't be here!" John said.

"Well I'm not going to be the one going in. When I was reading a book on common potions, I ran across something called an aphrodisiac," I said, pulling out one of the Ascent Paradise vials. "And I was surprised to find out it acted as an almost psychedelic drug, making the recipient unable to control their desires."

"There is no way I'm taking that," John said, stepping away.

"Oh don't worry this isn't an aphrodisiac, it's something else. Unlike an aphrodisiac this only targets the blood flow to the di -cough- male genitalia. I decided that because of how down in the dumps you are about Alise's rejection that you should have a fun night out."

"How do you even know about this stuff?" John asked, still not convinced.

"My old house had thin walls, and like I said I read about it in a book," I placed the vial in John's hands as well as a decent amount of Valis to get him a girl for the night. "Do you expect me to take this? I shouldn't, but of course if there is no one willing I would be the only option."

John's duty to his Familia was too much, so he finally accepted, or maybe it had just been a while for him and he wanted to have some fun.

Either way my first subject was acquired.

The next day I was waiting for John in the main shop, we were supposed to head into the Dungeon earlier but he was running late. I was sitting behind the front desk reading a book on metal alloys when he finally came in.

"Sorry! Damn, okay I'm here."

I just stood up and put on my pack.

"Yeah yeah, let's go."

As we headed to Babel I questioned him on it.

He had apparently never gotten so many compliments from a girl before, but the main thing I wanted to know was about side effects. There was a bit of dizziness after first taking it, but he said that he never lost his reasoning and there was no pain. Good now I just needed to check if it was addictive, not that I was going to mention that fact to John.

…

My days fell into a steady rhythm of forging and alchemy dominating one day and Dungeon diving on the next. The gear I was selling at Babel was doing well, though no one had asked to make a direct contract with me yet.

I got John to distribute Ascent Paradise to a few other Familia members of different races to see if there were any differences, and once finishing a few tweaks I was ready to approach a shop to sell the potions to. Originally I was going to approach the Miach or Dian Chet Familias to sell my products recipe too in exchange for a percentage of the profits, but my parents had joined the Miach Familia and I didn't want to deal with that, and the Dian Chet Familias God was a money grubber apparently, so I gave even odds that I'd be scammed.

A shop just outside the Entertainment district that sold everything from coats and masks to hide identities to colognes. There were even a few aphrodisiacs, but they were expensive.

"What's a boy your age doing here?" An older woman said.

She was an elf, so that meant she was at least in her third century. She still had a refined beauty about her, only the gray in her black hair and the wrinkles around her eyes showing her age.

"Uhm yes, I would like to put a product I have up for sale here."

She looked amused. "Do you know where you are?"

"Yes ma'am," I was expecting the ara ara at any moment. "The product is known as Ascent Paradise."

I explained it to her like I did John, and she had the same, why the fuck is a seven year old kid making this sort of stuff, but she was also a business woman. It didn't take long for her to agree to a deal.

"I'll bring the first crate in later this evening.

"Ara ara." I fuckin knew it. "Well thanks for the business boy. If you have anything else like that you're always welcome."