The soup tasted better on the second day. Theo knew that while it was stored in his inventory, it didn’t age. That didn’t stop him from enjoying it a lot more the next morning. He sat with Tresk around the fire, finally able to enjoy the comfort of a nice chair, sipping his energizing tea. The effects were nothing like coffee, making it a ritual that he enjoyed. His Marshling companion didn’t show the signs of [Creeping Rot] the next morning. That fact didn’t stifle his urge to make the 200 [Lesser Potion of Purifications]. Vigilance was required when dealing with the wolves baying at the non-existent gates.

The first order of business was to use Tresk’s entire stock of [Monster Cores] on Broken Tusk. Theo inspected it before they did.

[Small Town]

Name: Broken Tusk

Owner: Kingdom of Qavell

Mayor: Miana Kell

Faction: [Qavell]

Level: 2 (50%)

Features:

Alchemy Lab

Blacksmith

Large Farm

Tannery

Tradesmen

Upgrades:

None

Theo’s superior memory allowed him to recall the town’s total experience the last time they were here. It was at 31% into level 2 when the last visited, meaning someone was feeding it cores. He suspected it was Miana, even if the woman would never admit to helping her own people. Tresk added each core individually, resulting in the town gaining varied experience points depending on the level of the core. She nodded her head when she was done, having dumped all 55 of the cores into the town.

“Not bad,” Tresk said. “Level 3 with 35% experience.”

“Agreed… Not bad, but not good. We’re very far off from our goal,” Theo said, knitting his brow. “And I’d still like to see some stone walkways.”

“We might need to hire some laborers from that. Mine the stone from the northern hills, process them into blocks, and set them with mortar along the roads,” Tresk said, frowning. “That sounds expensive.”

“Yeah, it does. Less expensive than a wizard, though,” Theo said.

“Wizards are so expensive,” Tresk scoffed. “That’s what I heard, anyway.”

Luras joined them at the monolith, departing with Tresk shortly after dawn broke. Theo got a glimpse of the would-be adventurers. All but Aarok seemed to be out of place, as though they were pretending to be adventurers. To his delight, none showed the torpor of someone infected with [Creeping Rot], and he considered that a success.

Azrug was waiting for Theo at the shop, leaning against the wall and reading a book. The alchemist couldn’t see the title, and was afraid to ask what the tome was about. The boy seemed eager to get back to work. He even cleaned himself with the [Cleansing Scrub] before arriving for his shift.

“Have you eaten this morning?” Theo asked.

“Sure have, boss,” Azrug said.

“I’ll make sure you have food available if you need it,” Theo said. “Help yourself to the water from the barrels above.”

“Since you built that water tower I’ve had plenty to drink,” Azrug said, beaming. “The copper you gave me yesterday will feed my family for a week.”

“You’re the sole provider?” Theo asked, furrowing his brow.

“Don’t be dramatic,” Azrug said. “Xam has more wolf stew than she knows what to do with and my parents work the fields. I’m just trying to get a head start on things.”

“Well, we should keep issues like that in mind,” Theo said. He said it more for himself than anyone else. “We live and die by the strength of Broken Tusk and its people.”

“You’re a mood today,” Azrug said.

Theo wished he hadn’t been called out by a child, but it was true. He was trying to shoulder the burdens of an entire town, and he didn’t even hold the position of mayor. Miana was doing a horrible job of managing the place, but he didn’t know if he could do any better. The alchemist wasn’t even sure if he had such lofty aspirations. Until now he’d been content to work the lab and sell potions. Just as things were kicking off, he had dangerous thoughts about providing for the people of Broken Tusk.

“Why hasn’t Miana done more for her people?” Theo asked.

“No one wants to be a mayor,” Azrug said, chuckling. “Not in a backwater place like this, anyway. She’s been running this place as long as I can remember, and nothing has changed. Change only came when you showed up.”

“Don’t go putting dangerous thoughts in my head like that,” Theo said, narrowing his eyes.

“What? Everyone’s saying it,” Azrug said. “From the day you arrived, all you’ve done is make everyone’s life better.”

“All of that was a stroke of luck,” Theo said. “I got reincarnated with a lot more than most people in town. Given a core building, an alchemy lab, and the tools to succeed. It would be more amazing if I failed.”

“Whatever you say, boss,” Azrug said. “All I know is you’d be a better pick to steer this ship.”

Theo waved him off, not wanting to entertain the thought any longer. No matter how hard he pushed against the idea, it came back. The problem lay with his understanding of the political structure of the realm, or the lack thereof. Taking the role would distract him from his alchemy, and he couldn’t have that. No, the only thing he wanted to do was sit in his lab and experiment. The shop was hard enough as it was.

“Well, the shop is yours,” Theo said. “I’ll be upstairs making purification potions if you need me.”

“Sounds good,” Azrug said, reclining in his chair and reading his book.

Theo returned to his lab, the sour taste of being mayor still on his tongue. He didn’t want to be the person to do the paperwork, or pay the taxes for the town, but he wanted to steer it. If the town grew, perhaps there’d be a position under the mayor, similar to the mercantile seat he held currently. That was a position he could get behind. None of the problems that came with politics, and all the ability to help those he wanted to help.

The 200 units of [Purifying Essence] Theo crafted yesterday would make 400 individual [Lesser Potion of Purification], an amount that seemed ridiculous in hindsight. He already made and arranged the flat-bottomed glass vials, staged with their stoppers nearby, and planned to set off a 200 unit reaction. The other half, he’d use later. He propped the windows before looking for four 50 unit flasks, coming up short and generating the rest with the [Glassware Artifice]. The smaller reaction size would help with the immense cloud that erupted from the flasks.

50 [Copper Shavings], 25 units of [Purified Water], and 25 units of [Purifying Essence] went in each flask. The moment the flakes dropped into the glass containers, the liquid inside erupted with bubbles and steam, gathering in a cloud that hung in the lab. Theo waved the acrid smoke out the window and repeated the process four times. The [Lesser Potion of Purification] was still at “Great Quality”, no matter how much he tweaked his process. Heat was his biggest culprit, but he suspected that the catalyst he was using may be the limiting factor. “Essential Alchemy” listed a wide range of catalyzing agents, most of which he’d never seen, but those would have to wait.

The reaction part of the alchemy process was the quickest, at least with the base-level recipes. Theo understood that his [Stripping Solution] and [Alchemic Tannin] sat in a middle-ground between entry-level reactions and more advanced reactions. That threshold sat somewhere near level 10, a fact he could determine from observation and his keen intuition. What he really needed was hard facts provided by an alchemist who knew what they were doing. Broken Tusk was lacking in any comprehensive libraries or other sources of information. He’d settle for doing things the painful way, for now.

Theo spent most of his morning on the [Lesser Potions of Purification] in his lab, also going over his books to see if he missed anything. The issue with “Essential Alchemy” was its simplicity, the contents aimed at traditional alchemy. They brewed potions the old-fashioned way by boiling things in cauldrons until they were sludge, and creating salves from the result. Potions were the realm of the distiller, and the topic was sparse in the tome. The notes he took, both mental and physical, were enough to write a book on their own. The alchemist suspected that more comprehensive works existed in the world, just out of his reach.

Midday approached when the shop’s bell finally jingled. Theo heard Azrug’s voice from downstairs, lacking its normal poise as he stammered. Then there came the clattering of footfalls up the stairs, the boy emerging into the lab with panic on his face. “Fancy-pants trader from Rivers and Daub. I recognize those ruffles anywhere.”

Theo’s heart hammered in his chest, adrenaline suddenly dumping in his system. He stared, wide-eyed, at the boy and tried to calm himself.

Trader from Rivers and Daub just came in the shop, Theo said, sending the words to Tresk’s mind.

Stay calm and milk him for every copper! Tresk responded. I’m commanding the adventurer party to a halt—Luras is with me so ask any questions you need.

Theo nodded, gesturing for the boy to descend the stairs. When the shop came into view, he saw what the kid was talking about. The man stood at about his height, the pointy ears sitting under a fluffy hat betraying him as an Elf. The cap he wore had a feather stuck in it, a long sweeping thing mottled with a rainbow of colors. His body was covered in more ruffles and fluff than Theo had ever seen, even on Earth. Something like purple crushed velvet on his chest, a jacket with pauldrons made of fluffy animal hair, and pantaloons that flared out near his pointed shoes. It was hard not to laugh.

Theo managed a smile and approached the counter. “Welcome to the Newt and Demon.”

“Ah, the demon part of the name,” the man said, bowing slightly. “I hardly expected to see a Dronon so far south. My name is Fenian, a trader from Rivers and Daub.”

“I’m Theo, resident alchemist of this backwater mud pit,” Theo said, smiling. “Hopefully, the road wasn’t too dangerous.”

Fenian waved a dismissive hand, his lilting voice coming back to grate against the alchemist’s ears. “Any trader worth anything brings guards. Mine are outside.”

This guy is really haughty, Theo said. He could hear Tresk laughing into his mind.

“Can I interest you in anything? We’ve had a bit of a problem with wolves, so I’m afraid my selection is limited,” Theo said.

Azrug was useless in the situation. He underplayed how intimidated he was at dealing with an outsider. It was one thing to sell something to a resident of Broken Tusk, but when it was an Elf from another city, he was useless. Theo didn’t fault him, seeing it as a learning opportunity for both of them.

“May I browse?” Fenian asked.

“Of course,” Theo said, gesturing. “Oh, I have some more potions to shelf.”

Fenian bowed his head, moving behind the counter and checking the offerings. He remained silent as Theo placed his [Lesser Potions of Purification] on an empty shelf. He only got 50 of them up before he felt the Elf’s eyes on him. His discerning gaze looked him up and down, an eyebrow cocked the entire time.

“Strange,” Fenian said. “We can do business, I assure you, but I have a question. A question that I hope you don’t take offense to.”

Theo shrugged. He was thrown so off balance that he doubted anything could stumble him further. “Ask away.”

“You’re under level 20, right? Perhaps even under 10… This is extremely strange,” Fenian said.

“I am,” Theo said, flushing.

Fenian thought for a moment, cupping his chin in his hand. “Outworlder. Recently transferred. Sent with a gift?”

Theo was wrong. He was suddenly sent further off balance. Fenian was clearly knowledgeable about more than just things regarding trade. He hit the nail on the head with little information. The alchemist tensed, unsure if he was in danger.

“Calm yourself,” Fenian said, holding up a [Lesser Healing Potion]. “If it hasn’t been explained to you, let me do so now. Distillation is a gift honed over years. It’s reserved for alchemists who have done their time brewing potions the slow way. The first [Alchemy Core] ability to distill comes at level 20. Anyone who attempts to distill this before then blows themselves up. Drogramath Dronon don’t exist—not on this continent. You’re too friendly and civilized to be one of his ilk. Therefore, you’re an outworlder with an amazing gift.”

Theo was overwhelmed by the information. He was sent to Broken Tusk with no explanation of his origins. People in the town told him of Dronon and how they weren’t uncommon, but they wouldn’t have known about the different lineages. He was left feeling both exposed and relieved.

“You have me at quite a disadvantage,” Theo said, chuckling nervously. He wondered if the trader could hear his heart hammering in his chest.

“Maybe,” Fenian said. “Only in deductive reasoning. These are truly amazing things. The alchemists over level 20 don’t want to waste their time brewing level 1 potions.”

“Then they’re valuable,” Azrug blurted out, putting his hands over his mouth. “Sorry.”

“An alchemist in Broken Tusk. I just had to see for myself. I expected someone flinging those vile salves that all level 1 alchemists sell,” Fenian said, letting out a wistful sigh. “No, this is a find indeed.”

“Well. Now that you’ve exposed my entire origin, are you interested?” Theo asked, managing a smile.

“Yes,” Fenian said, cocking his head and staring off into the middle-distance.

Theo took the chance to update Tresk on the situation. She wasn’t surprised that an Elf from the fancy city had him pegged for an outworlder. Take him for all he’s worth!

“The [Cleansing Scrub] is as impressive as the potions. You figured it out on your own, didn’t you?” Fenian asked, letting out another sigh. “Gods, you’re such a gem. Right, I’m interested in buying most of your stock.”

Theo was glad that his [Vigor] stat was so high, otherwise he would have had a heart attack. “We’re more than happy to sell them to you.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“25 copper a potion for each [Lesser Healing Potions], the entire stock of that. 70 potions. 30 copper a potion for each [Lesser Barkskin Potion], 20 of those. 15 copper a potion for each [Lesser Potion of Purification], 20 potions,” Fenian said, his eyes going glassy for a moment. “26 silver and 50 copper, if it's agreeable.”

Azrug made a surprised sound, but clamped his mouth shut quickly. Theo mentally sent the totals to Tresk, and she responded by screaming into his mind. He took that as an affirmative, but he tempered his excitement for a moment. Traveling traders weren’t just running around buying things, they also sold stuff.

“Very agreeable,” Theo said, grinning. “I have a question for you, though. I assume you carry a stock of items with you.”

Fenian grinned. “An alchemist. In the middle of nowhere. Of course, you’re short on supplies. I carry a vast array of items with me, is there anything you’re looking for?”

“An artifice that generates fire,” Theo said. “I assume the standard use would be for cooking, but I’d like it to heat my stills.”

Fenian’s grin grew wider. He held his hand out, and an item appeared. The Elf gestured for him to inspect it, which he did.

[Flame Artifice]

[Specialty Artifice]

Rare

Created by Melgar

Feed the artifice motes to produce a steady flame. Each mote provides 6 hours of fire. The intensity of the flames is determined by the dial on the side. Setting the artifice’s power to zero preserves the mote’s stored energy.

“As you assumed, it is a very common item for cookware,” Fenian said. “I’m willing to part with it for 5 silver.”

“Do you have two?” Theo asked, grinning.

Fenian produced another [Flame Artifice] in his other hand and smiled. “Since you’re new, and this is the start of a very profitable relationship, I’ll give you a discount on the equipment. Don’t think for a moment that it isn’t a selfish motivation. 8 silver for the two, and you agree to take work orders from me.”

Theo thought for a moment. He couldn’t think of a better arrangement than to produce a specific amount of potions for the trader. Having someone show up in town randomly was nice, but if he had time to prepare, he could have made more of the precious [Lesser Healing Potions]. He reached out a hand for the Elf to shake, which he did.

“18 silver, 50 copper,” Fenian said, producing the coins and setting them on the counter with the two pieces of equipment. He began collecting his goods.

Theo placed the coins and the [Flame Artifices] in his inventory, surprised when his copper rolled over 100 and added to his silver. He wasn’t sure if he’d need to see someone to change out his money, but was glad that the system took care of it for him. He was also pleased that Fenian was happy with his order. The permanent smile on his face said that he was going to resell the goods at a premium, but it was a massive sum of money by Broken Tusk standards. He now had 23 silver and 39 copper.

“I look forward to working with you,” Theo said as Fenian stored the last of the potions in his inventory.

“This is going to be an extremely profitable relationship,” Fenian said. “Not just because you’re in Broken Tusk, and I say this honestly. You get little honesty from merchants, but I won’t squander this opportunity. You fill a very specific niche in the market, and people are going to fall over themselves to get your goods. This lab is a money-making machine.”

“I appreciate your candor,” Theo said. “I’m aware of the prices in Qavell, and I don’t feel that you were unfair in what you offered.”

“Naturally,” Fenian said. “I’ll be in town for the day, and part of tomorrow. I’ll stop by the shop with a work order tomorrow. You’ll get a list of the potions I want, how much I’ll pay you, and a deadline. Sound good?”

“Sounds perfect,” Theo said.

Fenian shook his hand again and made for the door. “I look forward to working with you.”

The Elf was only a few paces from the store when Azrug erupted. He shouted, pumping his fist in the air and losing his mind. Theo watched the boy’s outburst for a while, finally unable to contain the pressure that was building inside him and joining him. They jumped in the middle of the shop, screaming.

We just made 18 silver, Theo said.

You what? Tresk shouted into his mind.