Theo returned to the shop to find a short Half-Ogre waiting patiently by the door. He looked a lot like Xam, with the same dark red skin and soft expression. The kid perked up when the alchemist approached as though he were standing at attention. Eagerness was good, and whoever watched the shop didn’t need to be a master negotiator.

“Azrug?” Theo asked, noting the boy’s mud-stained clothes. He would have spent most of his life working the fields.

“My sister sent me,” he said, shuffling his feet awkwardly. “Said you had some work.”

Theo unlocked the shop and entered, gesturing for the boy to wait by the counter. He retrieved a bottle of [Cleansing Scrub] and handed it to Azrug, quickly explaining its use. The boy stood there for a moment before the alchemist encouraged him to use it, which he did. The effect startled him, but the cleansing effect of the potion washed away all the dirt from the fields, leaving him in pristine order.

“Now that you don’t smell like manure,” Theo said, taking a spot behind the counter. “It’s a simple job. I’ll give you a price list on the potions, and you sell them.”

“So, I stand behind the counter? For how long?”

“From an hour after sunrise to noon, if that’s agreeable,” Theo said.

He didn’t see a need for the boy to man the shop all day. The alchemist simply needed a few hours to get his other duties done, then he could take customers as they came. With Tresk off adventuring, where she belonged, he just needed someone to hawk his potions in the morning.

“What’s the pay?” Azrug asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Two copper a day,” Theo said. It was more than the laborers in the fields earned, most of the time.

“Seems suspicious,” Azrug said. “I won’t end up in some alchemist’s cauldron, am I?”

“I honestly don’t know if Half-Ogres are useful for potion making,” Theo said. “If you have an issue with the arrangement, I can pluck another laborer from the fields.”

Theo was feigning confidence. He wanted nothing more than to have the matter sorted. He couldn’t tell if Azrug was reluctant to accept because the deal was too good, or that he was a Dronon. It was easy to rule out the second option when he considered the good nature of the Half-Ogres. They were the most welcoming bunch of people he’d ever met.

“Sit behind the counter and sell potions,” Azrug said, knitting his brow. “Pay me up front for today so I know this isn’t a ruse.”

Theo produced two copper coins from his inventory and placed them on the table. “Going forward you’ll be paid at the end of the day. If I’m not here to, simply take the money from the day’s earnings and leave the rest under the counter.”

“You trust me that much?”

Theo pressed his index finger into the [Perpetual Ledger] and grinned. “Anything you sell in the shop will be logged here. It has the date, what you sold, and how much you sold it for.”

“Fine,” Azrug said, nodding. “I’ll try it.”

“Good. Perch yourself behind the counter,” Theo said. “I’m going to work in the lab upstairs. Flip the sign outside and wait around. You’re free to… Bring a book, or whatever it is people do in this world to pass the time.”

“Really?” Azrug said. “Could I have a chair, too?”

The alchemist looked around the room. While the upgrade provided shelves and a counter, there was no chair for the boy to sit on during the long day. He furrowed his brow and sighed. “I don’t have any chairs.”

“You should get some chairs. There’s a woodworker near the foot of the farmer’s mound.”

“Care to run an errand?”

“Sure.”

Theo produced five copper coins from his inventory and handed it to the boy. There’s no way five chairs would cost over five copper. If they did, it was robbery. “Five chairs.”

Azrug took two of the coins and smiled. “He sells them two for a copper, but I can talk him down.”

The alchemist raised an eyebrow as the kid bound through the front door and up the street. If he wasn’t lying about his ability to talk the carpenter down, that was a good sign for running the store. Theo went upstairs to tend to the stills, cleaning them out before he heard the bell tinkle downstairs. When he went back to the first floor, he was surprised to see the small Half-Ogre with five hardwood chairs, tastefully carved and decorated. Azrug had a beaming smile on his face, setting more chairs than a boy should be able to carry down with a clatter.

“Two copper,” Azrug said, producing the remaining three copper. “Like I said.”

“Well, you’ve earned your seat, then. Let me write a few things down for you,” Theo said. He wrote a detailed list of the prices, highlighting the fact that new adventurers got a discount. The prices were set at what was fair for a local to pay, 5 copper for a [Lesser Healing Potion], the [Lesser Barkskin Potion] at 8, and the [Cleansing Scrub] at 1. He left instructions to find him if someone from out of town arrived.

“Looks good, boss,” Azrug said, reclining in his chair.

Theo scoffed, taking the remaining four chairs in his inventory and ascending the staircase. Tresk updated him on the situation with the adventurers. Ten of them arrived for the training session in dire need of help. It was going well after a few missteps by the new fighters, leading to a few close calls. He told her to be careful before depositing his new chairs in the lab. The alchemist sat there for some time, appreciating being off the ground for once.

The stills were a mess from the morning run. Theo used his new technique of shoving a table against the window to clean everything, dumping the fouled water into the gravel yard below. He placed them back in their spots, and considered doing more experimentation. He cast those thoughts away, focusing his mind on ‌curing the inevitable plague of [Creeping Rot] that would come. Today was another false start though as his water barrel barely had enough [Purified Water] to make a 10 unit run. He placed it in his inventory and made to leave the shop, hearing the tinkle of the front door’s bell.

“Welcome to the Newt and Demon,” Azrug said, holding his arms out and beaming at the customer.

The man that stood at the threshold was a meek-looking Half-Ogre, casting his gaze over the shop in awe. Theo realized immediately that Azrug was good.

“I take it from that pig-sticker on your hip that you’re a new adventurer,” Azrug said. “We’re running a special today.” He glanced down at the parchment Theo left him for only a moment, making the action look natural. “Five potions for ten copper. You won’t find a better deal anywhere.”

“Of course,” the man said, nodding. “Just can’t resist that bounty.”

“Who can? But you know—just for you—I’ll add a [Lesser Barkskin Potion] and a [Cleansing Scrub] for five copper. What do you say?”

“Alright. Not looking to die out there,” the man said, fishing the money out of his pocket.

Azrug smiled, moving to collect the goods and set them on the counter. He counted out the coins that the man set down, clamping one between his teeth, before smiling again. “A pleasure doing business with you, sir. Tell all your friends that the Newt and Demon is open for business!”

The man left, a wide smile on his face. Theo scoffed, descending the last of the stairs and placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Yeah, I have nothing to teach you. I might sit in on your sales and get a few pointers for myself.”

“I’ve been hawking garbage to the fine folks of Broken Tusk since I could walk,” Azrug said, waving Theo away. “Not that it’s hard to sell stuff that actually does something.”

In a short time, Azrug went from a nervous boy to a master salesman. Theo was amazed at the level of poise the boy showed. The way he upsold the additional potion was perfect, reminding him of those annoying people back on Earth. He remembered going into the electronics store looking for something, and leaving with an armful of useless junk. The difference here was that all the potions they sold were life-saving things. They were the razor's edge that protected these people for certain death out in the swamp.

“Right. Be on your toes if there’s someone from outside of Broken Tusk,” Theo said. “That [Lesser Healing Potion] you sold for two copper goes for fifty in the capital.”

Azrug nodded, knitting his brow as though committing the information to memory. “The traveling merchants might be out of my league, but I’ll do my best.”

“You’re a natural, kid,” Theo said. “I need to run errands. Keep being awesome.”

Theo saw the wide smile on the kid’s face as he left, feeling warmth bloom through his chest. He’d leave the money with Azrug ‌to test his loyalty. 15 copper was a tempting amount for a person used to working the fiends and scraping by. It seemed like a cruel thing to do, but if they were going to have a long-term relationship, it was necessary.

The alchemist made his way to Throk’s blacksmith, finding the Marshling banging away on something in his workshop. He got a good deal on four water barrels, only paying two copper for them. He stuffed them in his inventory and made his way to Miana’s house, finding her leering through the window. She threw the door open and cast him a scowl.

“Rent is due,” she said, stone-faced as always.

Theo produced 25 copper, handing it to her. He wanted to clear out some of the lower-cost items on his [Pay your debts] quest while he was there. She seemed to understand the gesture, snatching the coins out of his hand and slamming the door in his face. He inspected the quest before departing for the river.

[Pay your debts]

Quest

Miana Kell has overseen your transition into your new world, and you owe her a lot of money!

Objectives:

Pay the following debts:

[Medical Services Rendered] : 1 Silver (DONE)

[Room and Board (1 week)]: 10 Copper (DONE)

[Alchemy lab (to be paid in installments)]: 1 Gold

[Equipment therein (to be paid in installments]: 1 Gold

[Service Charge]: 5 Copper (DONE)

Two gold seemed like an absurd fortune to him. The long road that stretched ahead seemed daunting, but at least he could pay it in installments. Theo found the river, and the fishermen that patrolled its shores. He filled all five of his barrels before returning to the shop. Azrug found a book from somewhere and was reading it when he returned. The boy barely looked up at him when he entered, but the alchemist didn’t mind. He didn’t hire the Half-Ogre for idle chatter.

Theo placed all five barrels along the northern wall of the lab, purifying each one in turn. With the window still propped open, he wafted the disparate fumes outside, although he didn’t mind the smell of that reaction. The thing he appreciated most about the day was the comfort that the chair brought when processing the [Ogre Cypress Bark]. His back didn’t hurt as much in this world as it did on Earth, but spending hours hunched over a barrel still took its toll. Seated in the fine wooden chair made the task simple, and he spent the next hour processing 200 units of the bark, cutting it into smaller pieces and mashing it with his stick.

The fire crackled under the still, and Theo heard ‌the bell downstairs. Azrug’s boisterous voice, far too commanding for a boy so young, came from downstairs. The alchemist reclined in his chair, kicking his feet up onto the table as he tried to follow the conversation. Even with the door opened, it was too muffled to hear the exchange, but he listened anyway. The bell tinkled again after a few minutes, and the shop was silent again.

The [Ogre Cypress Bark] took over an hour to distill. While Throk’s invention was extremely efficient, it struggled to churn through the huge load he put on it. The bell tinkled several times during the run. Theo had to swap out the flasks several times, unwilling to deal with the barrel-sized glassware and favoring ones that could hold 50 units. The end of the run resulted in 200 units of [Purifying Essence], and Theo’s new shopkeeper poking his head into the lab.

“It’s quitting time, boss,” Azrug said. “Got some fancy equipment in here.”

“I manage,” Theo said. “Let’s go see what you've sold.”

The pair descended the stairs, and Theo immediately spotted the pile of copper underneath the counter. Azrug stood by the [Perpetual Ledger], running his finger over the log and nodding to himself. “All new adventurer sales. Some of them went for the additional potions, and others refused.”

“You made five sales today,” Theo said, scoffing. “People are starting to learn about the shop, aren’t they?”

At the end of his short workday, Azrug sold 25 [Lesser Healing Potions],3 [Lesser Barkskin Potions], and 3 of the scrub. Theo counted out the pile of copper coins, cross-referencing the ledger to find that the amount was accurate. The shop made 65 copper coins under the young Half-Ogre’s watch.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Azrug said, waving and leaving out the front door.

Theo added the copper coins to his inventory, shaking his head in disbelief. He mentally informed Tresk about his new shopkeeper, and how much of a burden it had lifted. She was wrapping up the day in the swamp, eager to return to the shop after a long day fighting. He kept the shop open until his companion returned, heading back up to the lab to create vials. The single downside of the [Glassware Artifice] was its inability to generate more than one vial at a time. He’d overlook that problem, unsure of where he’d source glassware otherwise.

The bell rang downstairs, just after Theo completed 200 flat-bottomed vials for the [Lesser Potion of Purification] run, but it was Tresk. She was filthy from the swamp and applied some [Cleansing Scrub] to herself before pressing her forehead against his.

“Luras donated all the cores he found to the cause. So did the other adventurers, ‌but that was part of the agreement,” Tresk said. “55 cores, all around level 5, should be enough for a level or two.”

“Makes sense. The town is a much bigger thing than our shop,” Theo said.

“More good news. I have more wolf parts, and we stumbled on some wild [Swamp Onions],” Tresk said, removing a small vegetable from her inventory. It looked like a tiny version of a regular onion with gnarled roots coming out of the bottom. Theo inspected it.

[Swamp Onion]

[Alchemy Ingredient] [Food]

Uncommon

Swamp Onions grow near the mossy embankments common in the marsh. They blend in with local flora, and can be extremely difficult to spot.

Properties:

???? ???? ????

It was the first item lacking at least one property description. Without asking for permission, he took a bite out of the side. Tresk grimaced. The flavor reflected her expression. It was as though someone condensed the essence of a large red onion into a tiny package, unleashing all the flavor in a small package.

[Properties Discovery!]

You’ve discovered an additional effect from the [Swamp Onion] by eating it.

[Stench] discovered.

“It has the [Stench] property,” Theo said, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

“Yeah, those are potent things. You don’t see them that often,” Tresk said. “We found an entire bed of them near a peat bog in the middle of the swamp. I picked a lot.”

The flavor lingered in Theo’s mouth, refusing to go away for a long time. He flipped the sign to “closed” before locking up for the day. The pair retreated upstairs to make their dinner. Dusk was a way off, but they were both exhausted from the day. Theo knew Tresk was significantly more tired than he was and wanted to make sure she had something to eat before sleeping. He checked her forehead, causing her to giggle, and dumped the contents of their old stew out the window. It seemed like a waste of food, but he got over it.

“Chairs!” Tresk shouted, hopping into a chair. “You bought chairs!”

“That was Azrug’s idea,” Theo said.

They settled in, stoking one fire to life and placing the cauldron over it. Tresk prepared the onions, using them sparingly, while Theo got the cauldron ready.

“More barrels,” Tresk said, nodding to the north-facing wall of the lab. “That’s a great idea.”

“Your father sold them to me,” Theo said, laughing. “I felt like I went on a spending spree today, then we made a ton of money.”

“Maybe not a ton of money,” Tresk said. “But it was a good amount. Luras and I made half a silver killing wolves.”

“You’re sure you don’t have creeping rot, again?” Theo asked.

“I’m sure. Anyway, I see you’re setting up to combat that problem,” Tresk said. “What should we price those potions at?”

“Free if someone has the rot,” Theo said. “Otherwise, a copper? I really don’t care.”

“You’re too generous. If some haughty northlander comes down here, you better gouge them,” Tresk said.

“Absolutely. I even gave our new shopkeeper instructions to do exactly that,” Theo said.

Theo added the onions first, quickly understanding the [Stench] property on the vegetable. The smell filled the air, and he was immediately glad Tresk only cut one of them up. Any more than that and they’d need to evacuate the room. It cooked down quickly, caramelizing in the cauldron and crackling among the dancing wolf fat. Tresk cleaned the cuts of meat she brought this time, minimizing the amount of fat sitting on the strips. They added the bones and water before letting that boil away for a while.

“Future plans?” Tresk said, stirring the mixture.

“Our immediate goal is to upgrade the town,” Theo said. “How long before the wolves get into town?”

“Not long,” Tresk said. “They’re edging closer to Broken Tusk by the day. Even with the new adventurers, it’s going to be rough.”

“Right. Make money and collect cores,” Theo said. “We owe 2 gold on this place.”

Tresk grimaced. They hadn’t spoken about the debt that he owed at length. “Small steps.”

Theo would have preferred to sear the wolf meat before placing it in the stew, but this worked last time. They cut the strips of meat into little chunks, adding more than they needed, and let it simmer for some time. It smelled far better than the last time they made it. [Swamp Onions] were the key to making a wonderful stew, as far as he was concerned. As if on cue, a knock came at the front door. The alchemist wasn’t surprised to see Luras, craning his head to see inside.

“I smelled the soup,” Luras said.

“Is it soup, or stew?” Theo asked.

“Beats me. Can I have some?” Luras asked, grinning.

Theo invited him in, leading him upstairs. The Half-Ogre was surprised to see the chairs arranged around a table. He gladly took a seat and smiled at his companions. He was in better spirits than he was the other day. Either the news of war had faded, or the weariness from travel. Luras took a bowl of the soup when it was ready and helped himself, making satisfied sounds with every bite.

“This is so much better than last time,” Luras said. “The onion is the key.”

“Agreed,” Theo said, nodding. He took his first bite of the soup and couldn’t disagree with the Half-Ogre’s words. Something about the potent [Swamp Onion] brought out the best flavors of the wolf meat. Even the broth seemed richer than last time, elevating it beyond anything he thought possible. Xam’s stew seemed like a distant memory, overshadowed by their new recipe.

“No offense to Xam, but her soup sucks,” Tresk said.

“She makes a perpetual stew,” Luras said. “It boils away for weeks at a time.”

Theo grimaced, his brow knitting tight. That sounded disgusting. “That’s vile.”

“It’s pretty common in poorer areas,” Luras said. “The wolf population was low when you got here. Now that we have a steady supply, everyone is getting fat.”

“I’d rather get fat on coin,” Theo said.

Luras poked him in the stomach, grinning. “I don’t think you’ll ever get fat. You’re like a twig.”

Tresk grabbed Theo’s thin arm and shook it around. “Look at these noodles.”

Theo cast a glare over the pair, feigning anger. “You’re lucky I don’t collapse under a stiff breeze, Tresk.”

The Marshling erupted in laughter, almost spilling her soup in her lap. The conversation switched between topics, never lingering on anything long enough to produce depth. Tresk intended to use every [Monster Core] in her possession tomorrow, but Luras doubted it was enough to get to level 5. They planned ongoing out again in the morning, Theo insisting they take as many [Lesser Potion of Purifications] as they could carry.

Luras left when dusk threatened outside, bidding them farewell and patting his newly rounded belly. Theo stowed the cauldron in his inventory and shoved Tresk toward the bedroom. She might not have been acting tired, but he knew it was catching up with her. His own stamina bar was nearly drained, and he didn’t spend the entire day out in the fetid swamp. She objected the entire way, but the moment he pulled the blanket up over her in the bedroll she was out cold.

Theo was left with his thoughts for a while before sleep came. There was a lot of progress that happened in Broken Tusk during his first week, but it paled compared to what was to come. Word was out about the new alchemist and the swamp dungeon. Rivers and Daub was a day’s journey north. Traders would arrive soon, and he could finally start checking things off of his wishlist. On the top of the list was some manner of fire artifice. Managing the flames for the stills was his biggest weakness. His intuition told him that temperature control was going to become necessary the higher he got in alchemy.

All of those worries washed, stolen by the inevitability of sleep.