"Loki Brand Elixirs, affordable prices, wide variety! In response to the Guild of Orario's war call, our shop is now offering 20% off all items for the next seven days! What are you still waiting for? Limited stock, first come first served! Grab it while you can, or miss out!"
Not long after, Fron spread a clean linen cloth on the ground. He neatly arranged piles of bottles and jars of all shapes, sizes, and colors, labeling and tagging them before displaying them.
Just like a street vendor, he didn't care about his world-famous reputation, nor the dignity of a level 6. Sitting on a small folding stool, he shouted his sales pitch, and with the bizarre advertisement blasting in people's ears, he quickly attracted plenty of attention.
Adventurers and soldiers who had been browsing other goods on the makeshift marketplace began gathering out of curiosity. Their gazes were one-third skeptical, seven-tenths curious, as they eyed the so-called elixirs.
Fron had long expected such a reaction. After all, when it comes to elixirs, matters of life and death, people are always wary and suspicious of unfamiliar remedies.
"Hey, isn't that the [Night Weaver] from the Loki Familia? A level 6, why is he lowering himself to petty street business? Is the sun rising from the west today!?"
A nearby stall owner sneered at his puzzled colleague.
"What's the use of being level 6? We're selling products here. It's all about the goods and the prices, commerce has its own rules. Otherwise, someone would've just stabbed him dead by now."
"…That's true. But I heard this guy is a bit unusual. 'Mystery' and 'Blacksmithing', he's the only one in all of Orario who has both development abilities, completely unique!"
"But he's selling elixirs!?"
"…What if he also knows alchemy?"
"You gotta be kidding me, " Before their gossip could continue, Fron was already in action.
"Come, you there, young man! You look drained, must be a defeated prisoner, eh? Tsk tsk, clearly crushed both physically and mentally by a high-level adventurer. Hm, I recommend these two, my own special blend, the Dual-Attribute Recovery Elixir."
"Works instantly, especially effective for lower-level adventurers. And since you're my first customer, I'll give you a 90% discount. Only 2,000 valis, what do you say!?"
The pale, worn-out but faintly handsome knight in ragged armor wavered under Fron's warm sales pitch. But that price…
2,000 valis. To Fron and his circle, it was nothing.
But that was because everyone Fron knew were adventurers, no, high-level adventurers. Their cash flow was always in big numbers: hundreds of thousands, millions, even tens of millions of valis.
But that was all circulating capital to fund adventures, not fixed assets.
At best, their liquid funds might be a million or so, unless it was someone like Riveria, who kept some cash saved for emergencies.
For Orario's common citizens, a monthly income might only be tens of thousands of valis. And though Orario was the center of the world, economically, and industrially advanced, drawing merchants, from everywhere, high incomes also meant high expenses.
In contrast, in the [Rakia Kingdom], ordinary folk might only earn 10,000 valis a month. These low-ranked knights heading to war probably earned a bit more, but not by much. That was why Fron offered the 90% discount: 2,000 valis wasn't too much, even if the gamble failed.
"…Alright, I'll buy it!" Fron beamed, took the gold, and handed him a vial of purple elixir.
The knight didn't hesitate, uncorking it in full view, he downed it in one go.
"Gulp gulp gulp…" His throat worked as he swallowed every drop.
The onlookers leaned closer, curious to see if the elixir from a big name, who'd never shown up in the business world before, was actually effective.
And then, to their surprise, the knight's pale cheeks visibly flushed with color, his eyes no longer dull but full of life.
"A-amazing! I feel revived instantly. It's like… like walking ten days and nights in the desert, and suddenly finding an oasis!"
"Give me one Dual-Attribute Recovery Elixir!"
"One Recovery Potion!"
"One Mana Recovery Potion!"
"One Antidote!"
"…"
Seeing the dramatic results, the crowd went wild. In the blink of an eye, Fron's little stall was surrounded, jam-packed with shouting, red-eyed customers jostling and even cursing at each other to grab something.
Elixirs, priceless treasures even in Orario, and in the Rakia Kingdom they were considered strategic resources. Usually only nobles or wealthy merchants could afford them.
Yet now, even these defeated soldiers could buy them, at prices within reach. How could they not go crazy!?
Faced with the surging crowd, Fron didn't panic at all. Maintaining his professional smile, he swiftly and precisely took payments, handed over goods, and moved to the next buyer.
He had brought along all the low-grade elixirs he'd brewed for practice, he had no shortage of stock.
The entire day, business boomed. Countless fellow merchants grew envious, but there was nothing they could do.
Fron wasn't hiding his identity, who didn't recognize him? If it had been a small-time familia like the Miach Familia, others might've sabotaged them. But against Fron? They were just praying he wouldn't cause them trouble, let alone dare interfere.
So Fron's mood was sky-high. Especially as the clinking of coins in his bag grew louder and heavier, the excitement of earning money needed no words.
Gold coins, nobody dislikes them, nobody thinks there are too many.
And for Fron, this money was even more important, tied directly to whether his abilities could grow further.
...
Night fell. Stars studded the dark sky like gems.
In the open space ringed by rows of tents, a grand bonfire banquet was being held.
The various familias responsible for this war all attended the celebration…