Chapter 23: From Fame to Flavor

“It’s not medicine, it’s a health juice? Does that even make sense?”  

“I’ve passed by that apothecary before. It’s that rundown place, right?”  

“That shop’s been there since I was a kid. If they were selling something that amazing, we locals would’ve known about it.”  

As expected, they couldn’t believe it.  

“Ha, you’re joking, right? I almost thought you were serious. No way you’d just reveal such an important secret.”  

“Why would I need to joke?”  

“What?”  

The adventurer’s eyes widened in shock.  

“You’ll have a hard time getting it later. The price will probably go up too.”  

“Are you… serious?”  

“If you don’t believe me, I can’t help it, but I’d advise you to buy it before it gets famous.”  

Cayton, who had been quiet, chimed in.  

“It’s hard to believe without experiencing it. I was the same way.”  

Murmur murmur.  

“It sounds like it’s for real.”  

“Is there really something called a vitality drink?”  

Cayton’s words turned the situation around. Because he proved it with his actions, not just words, it carried more weight.  

Choosing Cayton as our promotional model was definitely the right call.  

People started exchanging glances. Some began to subtly stand up.  

“Oh, shoot! I forgot I had somewhere to be.”  

“You’re not trying to sneak off to the apothecary first, are you?”  

“No way! I just have some errands nearby, so I thought I’d stop by.”  

At that moment—  

Dada dada.  

Suddenly, one person bolted off.  

“That guy! He’s getting a head start!”  

“That’s unfair!”  

In an instant, everyone started running, as if racing each other. It was obvious they were headed to the apothecary.  

Cayton’s mouth dropped open.  

“They’re all rushing to the apothecary, right? Won’t Bernard be overwhelmed if they all barge in at once? Shouldn’t you go check?”  

“He’s a third-generation merchant. A few extra customers won’t faze him. Even if it does, he’ll have to get used to it.”  

They’ll be lining up even longer in the future.  

“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”  

“Still, I should head back to the shop soon.”  

After parting with Cayton, I leisurely made my way back. By the time I arrived, the rush of customers had already come and gone.  

Bernard was at the counter, looking exhausted.  

“You look worn out.”  

“A ton of customers flooded in out of nowhere, and I was swamped handling them alone. If you’d come a bit earlier, you’d have seen the chaos.”  

Despite his words, a smile played on his face. He seemed thrilled to have served so many customers after a long time.  

“I know.”  

“What?”  

“I saw them running from the training field.”  

“Oh… I was wondering what was going on. So it was you who sent them? No wonder they all came straight for the vitality drink.”  

“It’s more thanks to Cayton. His hard training caught the other adventurers’ attention.”  

“At this rate, the shop will be packed with customers in no time. Just now, people were buying two or three bottles of vitality drink at a time, and we’re already sold out.”  

“Speaking of which, I’d like you to limit purchases to one per person for all my products, not just the incense.”  

“You’re worried about people hoarding and reselling, right?”  

“Exactly.”  

I can’t let someone else profit off my hard work by reselling at a markup.  

“And if a crowd rushes in like today, someone could get hurt. Let’s limit the number of customers inside the shop to five at a time.”  

“I’ll put up a sign out front.”  

“Thanks. By the way, how’s the citronella incense doing?”  

“It’s doing pretty well. Some are skeptical about its effects, but others bought it for the pleasant scent.”  

“That’s good to hear.”  

“They’ll be amazed once they try it. By tomorrow, they’ll probably come running back with wide eyes, raving about it.”  

Bernard laughed, clearly amused. He seemed to enjoy seeing people’s surprised reactions.  

“It feels like just yesterday I was waiting alone at the counter for customers who might never show up. I can hardly believe the shop is bustling with energy now.”  

“Don’t get too excited yet. It’s going to get even busier. You’d better brace yourself—it might get so hectic you’ll feel dizzy.”  

“Yes! I’ll stay sharp!”  

Before heading back to the Floating Island, I stopped by the market to buy ingredients for dinner.  

I’m in a good mood today. Maybe I’ll make something tasty.  

As I pondered what to make, a noodle shop caught my eye.  

Yeah, pasta sounds good.  

I bought pasta noodles from the shop and picked up high-quality cheese, eggs, and fresh milk from the store next door. I didn’t forget a bottle of olive oil either.  

As soon as I got back to the Floating Island, I started preparing dinner.  

I lit the stove, boiled water, added a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil, then put in the pasta noodles to cook.  

While the noodles boiled, I sautéed onions in a pan with a bit of olive oil.  

“Just frying them fills the air with a delicious aroma.”  

“Frying onions like this brings out their sweetness. I’ll make you some stir-fried vegetables next time.”  

“That’s a great idea!”  

“Piiit!”  

I added milk and the cooked noodles to the fried onions, stirring them together. When the milk started to simmer, I plated the dish.  

I cracked an egg, separated the yolk, and placed it on top, then sprinkled cheese over it to complete a mouthwatering meal.  

“My mouth’s watering! Let’s eat!”  

“Piiit!”  

The two, who had been eagerly waiting for the dish to be finished, cheered loudly.  

Pop.  

I gently pierced the yolk with a fork, and the yellow contents spread over the white pasta. I mixed it well to blend the yolk, then twirled the noodles around my fork.  

Slurp.  

I sucked up even the strands that didn’t make it into my mouth.  

The combination of milk, cheese, and yolk created a symphony of creaminess.  

“The onions add flavor and balance out the richness.”  

Elenia, with cream smeared around her mouth, gave a satisfied smile.  

Dorori was too busy eating to notice anything else.  

Hmm, the food’s delicious, but…  

“Ouch.”  

“What’s wrong?”  

“I must’ve overworked myself these past few days. I think I’ve got a mouth ulcer.”  

My mouth stung. I’d always been prone to ulcers when tired.  

“That must hurt a lot.”  

“It’s fine. It’ll heal in a few days.”  

I said it was fine, but sometimes these ulcers could last nearly a month.  

Mouth ulcers made eating uncomfortable, especially sour fruits, which stung just by touching them.  

“It’s a shame, but I won’t be able to eat raspberries for a while.”  

“Don’t say that. Go to the Elf Forest and get some herbs. Basil should help.”  

“There’s an herb like that?”  

“It helps with inflammation. Plus, it’s a spice that adds flavor to food. Getting some would be useful in many ways.”  

“Thanks for letting me know.”  

Early in the morning, I busied myself preparing for trade.  

“You’ve got quite a load today.”  

“There were a lot of disappointed elves last time. So today, I’m bringing 200 servings of just watermelon sherbet.”  

Even after cutting out miscellaneous items, the load was still substantial.  

“Is that the new basket you ordered?”  

“Yup. I designed it myself and had the workshop make it so Dorori can carry it with both feet.”  

Since there was a limit to what I could carry in bags, I came up with a large basket that Dorori could hold with both feet. It tripled the carrying capacity compared to bags.  

“Dorori, are you sure you’re okay with this?”  

“Piiit!”  

I was worried it might be too heavy, but Dorori confidently assured me it was no problem. Apparently, living on the Floating Island had made Dorori much stronger.  

“I’ll be back.”  

Dorori hopped up, grabbed the basket’s handle, and took off.  

Flap.  

With powerful wingbeats, it soared effortlessly into the sky.  

“Amazing, Dorori!”  

“Piiit!”  

Dorori said it was as easy as eating cold porridge.  

There were more people than usual at the Elf Village entrance today.  

“Is something going on?”  

Gail’s face looked quite serious.  

“There was a thief in the forest.”  

“A thief?”  

“Here he comes now.”  

I followed the guard’s gaze.  

“Let me go! What are you going to do with me?”  

“Be quiet!”  

The thief, caught by the elf guard, was none other than a human youth.  

His arms were tied behind his back, and his eyes were covered with a black cloth as he was dragged by the elf.  

The elves made him sit roughly at the village entrance.  

The youth shouted, sounding wronged.  

“I didn’t steal anything! I just gathered some herbs in the forest!”  

“Shut up! This is elf land. Entering without permission and taking herbs is theft!”  

The guard pressed down on the youth’s shoulders to stop him from struggling, but he didn’t stop.  

“Taking a few herbs doesn’t hurt you elves! I needed those herbs!”  

“Instead of repenting, you’re raising your voice? If you commit a crime, you must face the consequences.”  

The guard rummaged through the youth’s pockets.  

“No, not that!”  

The youth thrashed in resistance, but in the end, a root-upturned herb was pulled from his pocket.  

“As expected, you stole ginseng.”  

I thought I misheard for a moment.  

“Is that ginseng?”  

“You know it? People from the western continent don’t usually know about ginseng. It only grows wild in the eastern part of the Elf Forest.”  

“I’ve heard of it, but this is my first time seeing it.”  

Once, Bernard had asked if ginseng was in the vitality drink.  

Known for its remarkable ability to restore energy, even said to revive the dying, it was considered a panacea in the eastern regions.  

Could he be from the eastern continent?  

In the dim dawn light, I hadn’t noticed, but looking again, his appearance and clothing were quite different from mine.  

He was likely from beyond the eastern part of the Elf Forest.  

“What are you going to do with him?”  

“He stole ginseng, so we’ll make sure he never comes near here again.”  

“I told you, I need those herbs! The forest is full of them—what’s wrong with taking one ginseng?”  

Though his eyes were covered, I couldn’t see his tears, but he was definitely sobbing.  

Even though he was the one who stole, he seemed to feel this situation was unfair.  

Looking at him, I was somehow reminded of my first time in the Elf Forest.  

His desperation tugged at my heart.  

“Let me try talking to him.”  

I approached the youth.