Big G, Coffee Machine and Goblin

Chapter 17 A Wonderful Experience: The Potion Shop

As the two were leaving, they ran into the innkeeper, who was leaning against the door watching people arguing on the street. When she saw them, she said, "You're leaving, why don't you try some of the free ale?"

Charles's stomach churned at the mere mention of ale, and he quickly waved his hand, saying, "No, no, I can't drink anymore."

"And what about him?" The proprietress looked at Ma Li again.

"He only drinks the water from his little tin cup." The half-elf girl paused, then asked hopefully, "If he doesn't drink it, can he get money for it?"

"No."

"Uh, okay."

Charles then inquired with the proprietress about the potion shops in the city.

I learned that there are three potion shops in Eagle's Beak City, or rather two. One is a general store that sells everything, with potions making up only a small portion, and that it gets its stock from the other shop, essentially acting as a distributor.

The two first went to the nearest shop, Giant Bear's Power, a potion shop mainly catering to adventurers. Most of the magic potions sold there were combat-related, with their basic strength potions being the most famous and highly praised among adventurers.

Unfortunately, they didn't find the potion that Mali needed there, so they went to the nearby Dulin General Store, but found nothing there either.

The two eventually arrived at a wonderful experience located in the old town.

Unlike the Power of the Bear, the customers of Wonderful Experience are more inclined to be nobles and the wealthy. It has the most complete selection of potions, not only for combat but also for selling many strange and wonderful auxiliary potions.

The storefront was also the most elaborate of the three. When Ma Li and Xia Er arrived outside, the copper-framed doors automatically opened to both sides, and an iron owl peeked out from the roof, calling out, "Distinguished guests have arrived! Distinguished guests have arrived!"

Perhaps because it was still early morning, there were no other customers in the store at this time, making the spacious front hall seem a little deserted.

Only one young clerk was taking inventory. Behind him was a row of huge cabinets with hundreds of drawers. He had to stand on scaffolding to open the top drawer.

Hearing footsteps, he carefully placed a small, fluorescent purple bottle back in its place before turning around.

Upon seeing Charles, his initially enthusiastic expression immediately turned cold. However, when his gaze shifted to Mario, it turned to confusion.

He found that he couldn't tell the other person's identity from their clothing and demeanor.

The man before him was unlike anyone he had ever met before; he looked neither like a nobleman nor an ordinary commoner.

Moreover, compared to the half-elf girl's reserved demeanor upon entering the store, Ma Li, though also curiously looking around, acted and appeared very natural, without any intention of concealing anything.

The young shop assistant, unsure of who was coming from, showed considerable respect as a precaution, climbing down from the scaffolding and bowing.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

“We are looking for a magic potion,” the half-elf girl interjected, “that can allow someone to quickly learn a foreign language.”

"A potion that can grant the ability to speak?" The young shopkeeper thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I've never heard of such a potion, at least not in Eagle's Beak City."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, let me put it this way: the potions you can't find in Wonderful Experience, you definitely can't buy in any other shop either," the young shop assistant said proudly. "No one has a more complete selection than us."

"wait."

Charles pulled Mali aside, muttered something to himself for a moment, then turned back and said, "Then we need the animal communication potion."

"We do have animal communication drugs."

“Twenty bottles,” Charles added.

"How much?" The young shop assistant was taken aback. "Although the Animal Communication Potion is only a basic magic potion, it's relatively uncommon. There aren't many alchemists who can make it. One bottle costs five gold eagles, so twenty bottles would cost one hundred gold eagles." "What? The Animal Communication Potion is so expensive?" The half-elf girl jumped up in surprise.

The two bottles of potions in her hand were left to her by her father, and she didn't know their exact price. If she had known that the animal communication potion was so valuable, she might not have been so decisive when she drank it.

Fortunately, there was still one bottle left, so Charles hurriedly asked, "What about the highly poisonous potion?"

"The highly toxic potion is cheaper, one Golden Eagle." The young shop assistant's tone was already starting to show impatience. He had been so polite because he couldn't figure out Ma Li's background, but now he realized that the two of them didn't seem to be very wealthy.

"How much money did you bring?"

"Let me think... there are probably about eighteen silver shields in total."

The young shop assistant's face changed instantly. "Eighteen silver shields for twenty bottles of animal communication potion? Are you here to cause trouble?"

“No, we also have this.” The half-elf girl said, holding out her palm, in which was a small trinket.

The young shop assistant took a few steps closer, took the item from her hand, and examined it closely.

It has a semi-metallic outer shell, but underneath is some unknown, mysterious, translucent material, and its surface is engraved with a string of strange and mysterious symbols.

"This is... an alchemical creation?"

The young shop assistant hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Yes."

"What does it do?"

"Turn the gears on it and it will shoot out flames," Charles said, pointing to a disposable lighter with a hotel advertisement printed on it.

The young shop assistant tried it as she instructed, but unfortunately he was too slow to light it and only saw a few sparks. It wasn't until he tried again that he finally saw a flame shoot out.

Seeing the startled young shop assistant, the half-elf girl became smug.

"How about that? Amazing, isn't it? That's more than enough to exchange for twenty bottles of animal communication potion."

“I don’t know,” the young shop assistant said, momentarily at a loss. “I don’t know much about alchemy and creation, and I can’t make decisions on such a big business.”

"Then what are you waiting for? Go find someone who can make the decision!"

The young shop assistant stamped his foot. "You wait here, I'll go get Mr. Balta. Don't touch anything in the shop, it'll trigger the magic circle."

After saying that, he ran upstairs. A moment later, a middle-aged man with a hooked nose, a slightly overweight figure, wearing a tight vest and a gold brooch on his chest came down from upstairs.

His gaze swept over Mali and Charles before he asked, "Do you two gentlemen wish to sell alchemical artifacts?"

"I'm not selling it, I'm going to exchange it for the magic potions in your shop," the half-elf girl corrected.

However, after she finished speaking, Balta returned the lighter to her, saying, "No, this thing is interesting, but it's not worth twenty bottles of animal communication potion."

"So how much do you think it's worth?"

Balta held up four fingers.

"Four bottles? That's far too few," Charles complained.

(End of this chapter)