It took Elpis some time, changing his route several times, to finally find the building he was looking for within Bastion. The city was large, and due to his small body, it took him time to get from one place to another, especially when he was constantly being followed.
Children in Bastion were rare and coveted, fetching a good price when sold. People would approach them with promises of protection, and when their guard was down, they'd be sold in the slave market.
Elpis sighed. If someone had told him he'd be transmigrated into his own web novel, he would have laughed heartily. Yet here he was, a slave destined to die or be sold.
Stopping, he observed the establishment across the street. It was a simple two-story building; above it hung a sign written in runes that read: "Apothecary and Potions."
It was an establishment without much recognition, largely unknown due to competition from bigger shops in the city, whose prices were exorbitantly high.
Elpis tilted his head thoughtfully. Inside this building would be one of the characters he had created: a herbalist who would develop a cure for an epidemic that would occur in a few years, a result of the miasma that would permeate Bastion.
But he didn't have to worry about the miasma. The reason he came to this place was, of course, to secure protection in exchange for work. This apothecary would serve as a future nexus point when the hero, midway through his journey, arrived at this prison-city. The shop's owner would be of incredible help to him then.
Elpis crossed the street to the building. Climbing the small wooden steps, he reached the door, where he read a sign stating that new employees were needed.
Finally entering the building, the sound of a small bell resonated throughout the place. Elpis looked around curiously. There were several potions arranged in jars, as well as books on herbs and alchemy.
It was rustic but had a very good layout.
Approaching the counter, he rang the service bell and waited a few seconds. Hearing the sound of quick footsteps, he watched the figure approaching.
Elpis saw a woman. She was tall—well, much taller than a child, in reality. She had short, light-green hair that reached her neck, and her eyes were an onyx-black color. Her attire was a green tunic, tailored to her body to ensure great mobility; to complete the look, she wore a pair of square glasses.
This was Saphira, the owner of the establishment and a second-rank magic user, a mage.
Elpis recalled Saphira's profile. In the novel, he had made her personality somewhat distant, cold, intelligent, and serious. Someone who assessed profit or loss with a cold method. However, she was also someone who loved creating new drugs with unorthodox effects, if he had to say.
"What do you want, child?" asked Saphira, adjusting her glasses, looking Elpis up and down.
"I'm Elpis. I'm here about the job you're offering," said Elpis in an animated voice.
Saphira shot him an angry look, as if it were a mockery.
"You'd better leave, brat. I can't stand clowns like you."
Elpis frowned.
"I'm not a jester. I'm serious, I want to work here," he stated seriously.
Saphira looked at Elpis. He was thin, fragile-looking; however, his blue eyes shone with an overwhelming intensity for a boy his age.
Saphira wasn't someone led by her emotions or feelings. In a prison-city like Bastion, every person had their own agenda. Some used other people to get close and obtain information.
However, she doubted this boy was sent by anyone else, as no one would care about a mere, unrecognized shop like hers.
"You're new, aren't you?" she asked.
Elpis nodded his head.
"I just arrived a few hours ago. As you can see, I'm small. If I join the battle directly, I'll die fighting the first monster that sees me. So I want to survive, and to do that, I'll have to work to create medicine and potions," he explained.
"What do you know about herbalism? If you really want to work, you should at least be able to tell me what results from mixing: black wolf saliva, moonflower petals, and ginger essence."
Elpis remained silent for a few seconds before answering.
"You get a potion known as 'Moonsleep,' a potion which, if thrown in a closed area like a cave or a narrow space, will cause its scent to make targets fall into a deep sleep for an entire day," replied Elpis, surprising Saphira a little.
"Hmm, not bad. But what do you get by mixing goblin fangs with the pituitary gland of an emerald serpent?"
"That depends," he said, catching Saphira's attention.
"If you add beast blood to the fang and the gland, you get a detoxification potion capable of curing the venom of a steel spider. But if instead of adding beast blood, you add a twisted root, you get a potion that increases a person's sexual drive..." Elpis paused, then continued. "So it depends on which specific case you're creating the potion for."
Saphira wouldn't admit it aloud, but she was surprised by the knowledge the boy had demonstrated. She wondered if he was some kind of genius destined to change the world with his potions. For someone as young as him to know about potions meant he had made them before.
"Well, your silence makes me think you don't want me, so I guess I'll try my luck elsewhere," Elpis said, turning to leave.
Saphira snapped out of her thoughts, stopping Elpis. She couldn't let someone with his talent be taken by another apothecary. She would train him in the path of potions to create the perfect concoction.
"Wait, I never said whether you were hired or not."
Elpis stopped. Without turning around, a smile spread across his face. "So, am I hired?" he asked.
Saphira nodded. "Yes. Call me Master. You'll work here," she finally said, much to Elpis's delight.
Now that he had a job and the protection of a mage, the gang members couldn't approach him, unless he became a target of a warrior belonging to one of the city's clans—but he doubted they'd even bother with someone like him.
"When do I start?" asked Elpis, looking at Saphira.
"Now. You'll start by cleaning the potions on the shelf and organizing them."
"Okay, Master," replied Elpis, grabbing a small cloth to calmly clean the potions.