"Oh my..."
A woman, wearing a surprised expression, covered her mouth with her hand in front of the Hyeminwon [potion shop] gate.
"Welcome. What brings you here, ma'am?"
Meanwhile, a clerk greeted her with a bright smile.
"I've been having headaches lately..."
"Oh, is that so? Then please, come this way."
The clerk quickly moved to the left wall of the store and held up one of the finger-sized potion bottles on display.
"For headaches, I recommend Head-Ease."
"Head-Ease?"
"It's a miraculous cure for headaches, toothaches, and menstrual cramps."
She accepted the bottle the alchemist recommended. The name sounded strange.
Soon, she bought the medicine, left the store, and tilted her head in doubt.
'Could something like this really work?'
But her worries were unnecessary.
As soon as she drank the Head-Ease, her headache disappeared as if it had never been there!
'Incredible...'
The woman stepped back into the store. There was no time to hesitate. Now that she had confirmed its effectiveness firsthand, she had to buy more potions.
***
[Hyeminwon]
Kinemia looked up at the stylishly written signboard in cursive.
'It's bustling with people.'
The story of the alchemists' workshop had spread in an instant, and now people from nearby territories were also coming and going.
"No, I'm telling you, I'm a resident of this territory!"
"Hey, don't lie! Show me your ID!"
"Ah, I'll bring it next time!"
It seemed that there were also customers causing a ruckus, insisting they were territory residents to get a resident discount.
"The store is a bit noisy," Ahyan said in a low voice, and Kinemia firmly shook her head.
"You just stay still and do nothing."
"I was just worried Mia might find it noisy."
He smiled gently.
"Just stay quiet, and I'll be fine." Kinemia swallowed tears silently. Dangerous guy..., she thought.
More than that, if this kind of commotion happens periodically at Hyeminwon, it seems like operations will become difficult.
"Should we station some guards here?"
At Kinemia's question, Shen Tien blew out a puff of smoke.
"No, it's not necessary."
Then, he nodded as if telling her to watch.
"Hey, you jerk-!"
At that moment, the clerk who had been bickering with the man jumped over the counter.
"What! You wanna try something?!"
As the man squared up to him, the clerk reached into his pocket.
"Wh-what is it?"
"What else could it be?! Needles!"
The clerk, with long needles stuck between his fingers, swung his hand.
The long needles flew through the air and pierced the neck and nose of the man causing trouble with a series of sharp jabs!
"……?!"
"Most alchemists dabble in acupuncture."
Whoa! It's like a martial arts movie...! Kinemia's eyes sparkled as she covered her mouth with both hands.
The troublemaker was soon dragged out of the store by the clerk who had stuck the needles in him.
Meanwhile, another clerk took out an ID and wrote down his name and appearance in a black notebook. It seemed they were putting troublemakers on a blacklist.
"Over here—"
"Welcome, Master Shen Tien."
As the alchemist bowed and came out to greet him, Shen Tien leisurely walked inside.
"Oh, isn't this the Baby Fairy? How have you been, Baby Fairy?"
Baby Fairy?! Me?!
"Save the greetings for later. Show us the workshop."
While Kinemia was surprised by the title she was hearing for the first time, Shen Tien nodded, his hands behind his back.
"Yes, yes."
The alchemist quickly moved and guided the group inside.
Kinemia followed behind with a pounding heart.
'The alchemists' workshop!'
In the original work, the alchemists' work wasn't properly described, so I don't know much about it, but since they're alchemists, maybe it's like a scientist's laboratory...
'But why does it smell like herbal medicine?'
Following behind, she sniffed the pervasive herbal medicine smell and looked around.
"This is the workshop."
"……?"
Rows of earthenware pots sat simmering, with alchemists fanning them as they brewed potions.
'Is that how they make them?!'
It looked like something out of a historical drama... Kinemia stared, bewildered.
Shen Tien explained that when brewing potions, they go through a process of slowly infusing magic power into the potions with the breeze from their fans.
"Can't you just inject it directly? Why go through all the trouble of fanning it?"
When Ahyan asked, Shen Tien retorted in a stern voice.
"A rushed potion is a useless potion."
"Ah, Master Shen Tien!"
At that moment, the alchemists who had discovered Shen Tien flocked to his side.
"Is work going well?"
"Of course! Oh, the Baby Fairy has also come."
Baby Fairy again?!
At the alchemist's words, Kinemia's pupils trembled.
'Why did I become a Baby Fairy?'
But whether she was puzzled or not, the alchemists who found the Baby Fairy surrounded the group in a circle.
"Oh my, the Baby Fairy has come."
"Baby Fairy, you look so beautiful today as well."
"Oh my goodness, it's really the Baby Fairy."
"You have a very lucky face."
Why?!
As the alchemists tried to pat Kinemia's head, finding her wide eyes cute, Shen Tien spoke.
"Leave the Baby Fairy alone and get to work quickly. There's a man even crazier than Sing Kakan standing right next to her."
"Than Sing Kakan?"
Kinemia perked up her ears. Sing Kakan? If it's Sing Kakan, isn't he the emperor of the Wei Kingdom? The tyrant, they said.
"Yes. So don't touch her, just give her offerings."
"Yes, yes, Master Shen Tien."
Offerings?!
"Please have some of this. This candy will strengthen your bones."
"P-please try this too."
"Mine too. It's good for fatigue recovery and skin elasticity."
One by one, the alchemists handed her jelly-like things the size of fingernails from inside their sleeves.
Accordingly, candies and jellies began to pile up on Kinemia's palms. They were all for growth, fatigue recovery, and beauty.
'I don't know why they're calling me Baby Fairy, but—'
Anyway, the gifts she received weren't bad.
Kinemia smiled brightly.
"Thank you. I'll enjoy them."
When Kinemia greeted them, the alchemists clasped their hands together, as if in prayer, and bowed deeply.
'Why?!'
***
"Ahyan, come with me."
"Why? What's there?"
"They specialize in treating wounds over there."
"……Is that so?"
External injury treatment… Ahyan leisurely followed behind Kinemia.
He had a pretty good idea why Kinemia had brought him to Hyeminwon.
It must be because of the wound on his side.
'Tch.'
Ahyan clicked his tongue silently and narrowed his eyes.
He had no intention of returning to the boring Magic Tower again now. Even tormenting the mages was starting to bore him.
Besides, he hadn't learned much about Kinemia yet.
That she has no magic power.
That she was a skilled swordswoman.
That she wasn't a morning person.
That she enjoyed bathing and collected scented oils.
That she liked soft and fluffy dolls and animals, and disliked bugs and darkness.
That she couldn't eat hot food well.
And that she was kind and friendly to everyone except him... things like that...
'……?'
Ahyan frowned.
Also, that she smiled kindly at people other than him...things like that...
'……?'
Why was she only cold to him? Ahyan tilted his head, puzzled.
