Aina's trials continue

"Right…" While Lassla reaction, to a degree, was to be expected, this female still managed to catch Aina off-guard. Unsure how she was supposed to react, she could only mutter weakly in response.

"There should be eighteen grade two stones and roughly three more in smaller bids. I hope this amount satisfies you…" Lassla's eyes suddenly filled with worry. Knowing what was actually going on, Aina could easily understand the state of her mind.

'Still, to dish out twenty grade two stones like that… People from the big sects surely earn big!' Amazed by the insane wealth, Aina only nodded her head.

"Actually, I have something really urgent to take care of right now. I hope you won't mind if I leave for a moment?" Forcing the hesitation and anxiety out of her voice, Lassla informed before asking. "I happen to have a friend in a dire need of tho… Kubian pill." A clear wave of annoyance washed through the girl's face when her tongue slipped once again. She was giving too many clues about the insane opportunity that this stall offered! "If he will be satisfied with the results, I will soon return."

Backing out a few steps, Lassla clutched the box to her chest with a stiff expression all over her face, before turning around and quietly leaving. For a moment, the entire hall was stunned by the unexpected course of events. Then, it all returned to its usual noise.

'What was that…' Now that Aina thought, she noticed that with the female leaving, she was once again left at the mercy of the female's rival.

"So people from my sect are forbidden from buying stuff here, right?" Instead of ignoring what Lassla told him about earlier, Zen only sought confirmation directly from Aina's lips.

"That seems to be the case, sir." Despite the man's attitude being as amiable as the rumours said, Aina still felt uneasy about the entire matter. After all, she was just a follower of some random troublemaker, while the other party was the elder of an established sect!

"Well, nothing can be done then. But if I may ask, what made Lassla act the way she did? Are those pills of superior grade?" Just like with the stones, there were various levels of quality that a pill or potion could have. Depending on the mastery of one's craft while making it, a precise concocting, perfect ratio of materials and many other elements, one's product could range from utter garbage to a heavenly treasure.

"To be honest, I'm not quite sure either. I'm just following orders." Aina lied without batting an eye. Since Sebian explicitly told her not to write the number of pills anywhere near their price, it was clear that he didn't want the news about it to spread. 'Since I already burned all those bridges… I might as well go all in!'

Encouraging herself, Aina graced the elder with some small talk before the man timely excused himself and left the place. Given his initial intent to buy the pills, every second that he stood before the stall was an insult to the Gloryhouse sect.

"Finally…" Breathing out a sigh of relief, Aina only had a moment to rest before she noticed the small commotion further down the alley. While the distance was too great for her to hear what the people were talking about, from the looks they were sending towards the stall she quickly grew quite expectant towards their approach.

After all, she was tasked with managing the stall. If Sebian were to come back and ask for sales, how could she tell him that only a single package got liquidated? But what was even worse, what kind of face would she make if Sebian came acting all jolly and confident only to learn that she only managed to sell a single pack?

And as if her worst nightmares had a tendency of turning into reality, her recently obtained master strolled right into the shop.

Only for the female from before to shove him away right at the doors, rushing towards the stall. Using the corridor made by the girl, an elder stepped forward. But contrary to her worst fears, after regaining his stability, Sebian only smiled gently before moving aside.

"Hey, I hope we are not late." Resting her hands on the edge of the counter, Lassla panted heavily. From the fat beads of sweat frolicking down her face, Aina's eyes twitched. 'I know this is a killer price, but to go as far as to run?' Puzzled by the sight, Aina shook her head in response to the female's inquiry.

"No, you are not late at all, miss." Politely responding, Aina cast another glance towards her master. Standing right in the middle of the crowd, he had such an unassuming aura to him that it became no wonder why no one else noticed him. Clearly enjoying the show, he even went as far as to send the girl a joyous and encouraging wink!

"Great." Almost jumping in joy, Lassla twister her body around to look at her older male companion. "Master, this is the place I told you about."

If Aina still had some hopes that the rest of the day would pass peacefully, this one sentence crushed it all. For a nominated teacher to call someone a master… 'Just how high is that fart's standing?!' Despairing in her thoughts, Aina forced a smile on her face. "Respectable elder, how may I help you?"

Despite his clearly insane social standing, the old man didn't bother to be annoying. With a kind smile, he pulled out a small bag before looking at the girl. "In here, there are two grade three stones. With such a huge purchase, I believe there will be some kind of discount, am I right?"

What the elder said was perfectly reasonable. Given twenty grade two stones price for a single bundle of Kubian pills, a single grade three stone would allow the man to buy as much as fifty bundles! With three stones, the sale would reach the level of a hundred and fifty bundles at once.

'Master…?' Directing her eyes towards the creator of those pills, Aina slightly shivered when she noticed that Sebian finally approached the stall. Passing by the unsuspecting customers, he moved behind the counter before smiling lovingly towards the female that pushed him away just a moment ago.

"I'm sorry, but it seems that we ran out of Kubian pills for now." Gracing the duo with a charming smile, Sebian moved his hand up only to pat Aina on her head. "You did well. Get some rest, you did enough for today."