Chapter 041
Why is this guy selling fake potions here?
“Ah, see? Since it’s made by a real magician, you don’t have to doubt it anymore.”
“Really? You’re a real magician.”
“Of course! But you shouldn’t go spreading rumors, okay? If too many people come, that would be a problem. If that happens, I won’t be able to do business here anymore.”
At my words, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and then began to negotiate.
“Now, all that’s left is the payment. Just 1 gold for everything, please.”
Hearing him say “1 gold,” I furrowed my brow again.
Whether this potion was real or fake didn’t matter much.
‘A person who can actually use real magic is selling a potion for just 1 gold in such a remote mountain area?’
I felt a genuine curiosity about why this guy was doing this.
“It’s a bit expensive, but the effects are definitely real.”
As I silently stared at the potion, the man raised his voice even more, eagerly listing the potion’s effects.
He probably thought I was hesitating to buy because of the high price.
And it made sense; the regular potions sold in the territory were 10 silver.
‘He’s selling it for ten times more. But still, it’s just 1 gold.’
From the commoners’ perspective, it was indeed a burdensome price to pay, but this wasn’t something the man in front of me should be selling.
Given his skills, if he went to the capital, he could easily sit on a pile of money without having to sell such potions.
“Alright. Here’s the money.”
After a moment of thought, I decided to back off for now.
What he had said earlier about rumors causing him to disappear kept bothering me.
“Ah, thank you! May you conquer love!”
“…….”
As I left the tower, the man shouted behind me, clenching his fist as if to encourage me.
I muttered to myself, “He’s not only skilled in magic, but also has great customer service,” and headed towards the castle.
***
Back at the castle, I entered my office and examined the potion the man had given me.
“A love potion, huh…”
True to its name, the potion had a subtle reddish hue.
“What a grand name.”
As I inspected the potion from various angles, I cautiously opened the lid.
Soon, a familiar fragrance wafted to my nose.
“Huh? This is real…”
This potion was indeed a genuine magical potion.
Magical potions have a distinct bitter scent, and the same aroma emanated from the potion made by the man.
In the past, having suffered from chronic sleep deprivation, I had relied on calming potions daily, so I could recognize it instantly.
However, even if this was a real magical potion, it wouldn’t have the absurd effect of making the person who took it see the other person as charming.
I guessed it would only have a calming effect at best.
Continuing to examine the potion, I eventually took a sip.
“Is it a calming potion?”
Since calming potions are the most commonly made magical potions, I expected this one to be of that kind as well.
After taking a few more sips, I set the bottle down on the desk.
Calming potions can uplift your mood if consumed in moderation, but if you drink too much, you might fall asleep immediately.
“What should I do now…”
I let out a low sigh and leaned back in my chair.
It was a stroke of luck to encounter such a skilled magician in this remote mountain area.
If I could draw him in properly, he would be a tremendous help in rebuilding the territory.
‘For now, it would be best to consult with Evan.’
Since I had decided to actively help in the reconstruction of the territory, I needed to know what was most needed at the moment.
Having finished my thoughts, I stood up from my seat to go meet Evan.
As I strolled down the corridor, I spotted Nora walking toward me from the opposite direction.
Nora was dressed perfectly, as usual, leaving no room for error.
“Hello, Madam.”
“Ah, Nora. Where are you headed?”
“I’ve come to speak with you, madam.”
Her words made me widen my eyes and ask back.
“What do you want to talk about? Oh, would you like to come in first?”
“No, that’s not necessary. It’s a brief matter.”
After finishing her sentence, Nora handed me the documents she had been holding and began to speak.
“It seems there was a mistake in the budget distribution for the duchy. It looks like half of the allowance allocated for you has been omitted, so I’ve rewritten it and brought it back.”
As I skimmed through the documents she handed me, I replied in a calm tone.
“It wasn’t a mistake by the administration; I actually instructed them to do that.”
“Excuse me? Why would you do that…?”
At that moment, Nora’s usual expressionless demeanor faltered.
“Why, you ask? It was too much to use one-third of the duchy’s annual budget as my allowance. Instead, I instructed them to increase the budget for the territory’s reconstruction, but it seems that message didn’t get through.”
I recalled the day I arrived at the duchy, surprised by the amount allocated for my allowance.
No matter how I looked at it, the number seemed to have an extra zero attached.
At that moment, since the person in charge of the budget was Roman, I immediately instructed him to reduce my budget and increase the one for reconstruction.
“Still, thank you for bringing it to me.”
As I handed the documents back, she hesitated before accepting them.
It seemed she found it quite difficult to understand why I had acted that way.
‘Do I look like someone who would indulge in luxury?’
I wanted to jokingly ask her, but since we weren’t close enough for that kind of banter, I kept it to myself.
Instead, I decided to ask her something I had been meaning to.
“Nora, do you know where Evan is right now?”
“The duke is in his office at the moment.”
“Ah, I figured he would be there. Thank you for letting me know.”
I hurriedly turned and made my way toward Evan’s office.
“Wait a moment, madam.”
At that moment, I heard Nora’s voice calling me from behind.
Turning my head to look at her, I saw her with her usual businesslike expression, asking me a question.
“I hope the twins haven’t been rude or anything. I assigned them as your personal maids because they’re quite capable, but their personalities can be a bit overwhelming.”
I was genuinely surprised since Nora never initiated conversations outside of work-related topics.
I shook my head and responded to her.
“Not at all. Just as you said, they’re quite capable and not boring to be around, so it’s actually fun. They must have grown up in a very harmonious household.”
“…I’m glad to hear there are no inconveniences.”
At that moment, I noticed the corners of Nora’s lips curling up into a smile as she listened to me.
“Then I will take my leave. If you encounter any inconveniences, please feel free to call me at any time.”
Nora quickly returned to her original demeanor and went back to where she was before.
I recalled Nora’s face when she talked about the twins a moment ago.
‘Even though she seems cold, she does care about the people of the castle.’
After spending a few days here, I felt I understood that.
They say people are naturally drawn to those who are similar to them.
I was glad to see that there were many people like Evan around him.
On my way to Evan’s office, I pondered,
‘What does it feel like to have someone to rely on?’
Lost in such trivial thoughts, I soon arrived at his office.
“Evan, it’s me.”
“Come in.”
As I knocked on the door, his voice came from inside.
I stepped in to find Evan surrounded by piles of documents on both sides.
“Are you busy?”
“Not really. What brings you here?”
Even though I knew he was busy every day inspecting the territory and receiving reports, he never showed any signs of being overwhelmed.
