“Hello, Gail.”
The elf guard sniffed the air as soon as he saw me.
“Sniff sniff. Something smells delicious?”
“You noticed? I prepared a new menu today.”
“A new menu? What is it this time?”
Gail licked his lips eagerly.
“Curious, huh? It’s absolutely delicious. So make sure to come to the plaza later! I’ve got to go now, I’m busy…”
“Wait, hold on!”
Gail hurriedly grabbed me.
“You’re just leaving like that?”
“I’ve got my own stall now, so no more street vending. I’ve got customers waiting.”
“Come on, you know I can’t move an inch during my shift. By the time I’m done, it’ll all be sold out. How am I supposed to try it?”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
“I might faint from dizziness otherwise.”
“No way, dizzy just from that?”
“I’m serious!”
Gail emphasized, pleading for me to believe him.
“When I ate your sherbet, I didn’t feel the heat at all. But on days I don’t, I’m drained all day.”
I felt a bit embarrassed.
“Gail, even if you really want it, you don’t have to exaggerate like that…”
“It’s not an exaggeration! I swear, your food has some kind of ‘heat resistance’ effect.”
“Heat resistance?”
“I’m not the only one saying this. Others have said the same thing. Your sherbet definitely gives heat resistance.”
There were alchemical potions with heat resistance effects.
But I hadn’t used any special herbs, so heat resistance?
Eating cold food could temporarily beat the heat, sure.
I’d felt it myself—after a glass of cool watermelon juice, I barely noticed the heat.
But I thought lasting all day was just a placebo effect. Apparently not.
Could the food made in the Ice Cave have a heat resistance effect?
It was plausible.
The Ice Cave was created by the ancient artifact of the Floating Island, so it wouldn’t be surprising if it had some mysterious properties.
“Good info. But there’s a problem—today’s not sherbet.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s still energizing food. Not getting tired all day is a win. So hurry up and give me one.”
…Wasn’t he just craving it?
“Alright, since you gave me good info, I can’t just walk away.”
I placed a still-warm potato pancake on a leaf and handed it to him. He took a big bite immediately.
Munch munch.
“Oh! The chewy texture is amazing! Is this potato?”
“As expected from someone with a refined palate. It’s a dish from the eastern continent, made by grating potatoes and frying them.”
“Field crops taste better cooked than raw. The flavor changes so much depending on the recipe and ingredients.”
“That’s why I love cooking. I’d better get going before the food gets cold.”
I hurried toward “my shop.”
***
“There he is.”
Murmur murmur.
The plaza was already packed with elves waiting since dawn.
“It’s not sherbet today. I smell savory oil?”
“I prepared something different this time. Disappointed?”
“A bit, since it’s not sherbet, but I’ve been wanting to try something new. I’m sure it’s delicious, right?”
“You won’t be disappointed! Take a look!”
I opened the basket wide.
Inside, golden-brown potato pancakes were neatly stacked.
“It’s an eastern continent dish called potato pancakes!”
“Wow!”
“Crispy and chewy, a true delicacy! Only three saffron coins per piece!”
As expected, the curious elves snapped up the potato pancakes like wildfire.
Crunch.
“Wow, potatoes can be this crispy and chewy?”
“The pepper on top looks so good, doesn’t it? The slight spice cuts through the richness.”
“Who knew potatoes could taste like this? It’s not heavy at all for breakfast.”
Most were satisfied, but a few had minor complaints.
“It’s a bit bland for my taste. It’d be nice with something to pair it with.”
Now that I think about it, the soy sauce Yujin’s mom served went so well with it.
Should I stop by Yujin’s place?
***
After finishing business, I flew straight to the eastern continent.
“Yujin’s mom, I’m here!”
“Oh! Welcome!”
Yujin’s mother greeted me with a bright smile.
“Where’s Yujin?”
“He’s at the river with Yumin.”
I was grateful for her warm welcome, but her formality made me a bit uncomfortable.
“Ma’am, please speak casually. It makes me uneasy otherwise.”
“Alright, I’ll try…”
She seemed a bit awkward with informal speech but adjusted quickly.
“Have you eaten?”
“I ate on the way. Actually, I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
“What is it? Just tell me.”
“Well… could I get some soy sauce? The one we had last time was so good.”
She chuckled.
“Is that all? Of course!”
She grabbed a container from the kitchen and headed to the jars in the yard.
“You keep soy sauce in these?”
“Soy sauce is a fermented food, so it’s stored in jars to mature properly.”
“I see.”
Like aging wine in oak barrels, they age soy sauce in jars.
When she opened the jar, a salty, rich aroma wafted out.
I stared in wonder, eyes sparkling, and she said,
“Want to try some?”
“Yes!”
I dipped my pinky into the soy sauce and tasted it.
Slurp.
“Oh! It’s not just salty—it’s deep and rich!”
“That’s the taste of time-aged soy sauce.”
This is the taste of soy sauce…
The jars in the yard were patiently maturing, each enduring time to develop their flavor.
Thump thump.
My heart raced.
I was captivated by eastern continent cuisine once again.
“And this is doenjang, and this is gochujang.”
She filled containers with soy sauce, doenjang, and gochujang.
The jars held all sorts of fermented goods.
So many types of fermented sauces!
I desperately wanted to learn to make them.
I’d study step by step and master it someday.
“Sit on the platform. I’ll wrap these up for you to take.”
She took the sauces to the kitchen.
I sat comfortably on the platform.
Her warm hospitality made this place feel like home.
I called toward the kitchen.
“Yumin seems much healthier now.”
“They’re eating well and exercising a lot these days.”
She came out with something in her hands.
“Here, take this.”
She handed me a cup of light brown liquid that looked like tea.
“It’s good for you, so drink it up.”
“Thank you.”
Not knowing what it was but trusting it was healthy, I brought it to my lips.
Gulp.
“Whoa?!”
The tartness hit my throat, startling me.
“A bit sour, right? It’s plum juice mixed with water. It helps with digestion.”
“Digestion?”
My eyes widened. This is exactly what I was looking for!
“Ma’am! Can you teach me how to make this plum juice?”
“It’s not hard at all.”
New wonders kept popping up.
Yujin’s house felt like a treasure island to me.
In the afternoon, I headed to Bernard’s apothecary.
“The shop next door is always packed.”
***
As usual, the alchemy shop next door was bustling, with a long line stretching outside.
Murmur murmur.
“It’s so hard to get a vitality drink.”
“This is the place selling vitality drinks, right?”
I caught a familiar phrase among the crowd.
Vitality drinks? Did I mishear?
As I entered Bernard’s shop, he rushed out as if he’d been waiting.
“Fabir, we’ve got a problem!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Every alchemy shop in town is releasing new products called ‘vitality drinks’!”
“Vitality drinks?”
“Yes! Even the shop next door is promoting a vitality drink made with ginseng from the eastern continent!”
I hadn’t misheard.
Alchemy shops were jumping on the vitality drink craze, creating knockoff products.
Ginseng is a cultivated herb.
Its effects are slightly weaker than wild ginseng grown in forests or mountains, but it’s true it boosts vitality.
The downside is its high cost.
“They can’t stand losing customers, even if it means no profit.”
If alchemists couldn’t make a vitality drink that a mere apothecary could, their reputation would take a hit.
They must have imported ginseng at a loss to create their own vitality drinks.
“That’s not all! They’re even claiming they’re the original!”
“The original? Pfft!”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
Bernard tilted his head, confused by my reaction.
“This isn’t a laughing matter.”
“I’m impressed by their quick response. But it makes sense—they wouldn’t survive in Alburton without that kind of effort.”
Adventurers, who risk their lives, are sensitive to potion quality.
If a shop’s products are deemed subpar, they’ll switch to a better one without hesitation.
Potions cost more than a commoner’s monthly wages, so it’s only natural.
“Should we lower our prices?”
“That’d be cutting our own throats. Maintaining the same price is enough for now.”
They’re not making money selling vitality drinks anyway, so there’s no need for us to lower profits first.
“Will that be okay?”
“We’ve got Cayton, our solid promotional model. More customers will recognize the value of our products over time.”
Competition was about to get fiercer, but I was confident.
A new product is coming soon.
This apothecary will become Alburton’s trendsetting hub.
True leaders don’t follow trends—they create them.