Chapter 204: Opening An Alchemy Shop
"Isn't this too much?" Mina asked Edwin, looking at the brunette like he lost his mind.
"Why? It's the best place to set up a shop. After all, the nearest street have one of the heaviest food traffic, not to mention there are many other shop in vicinity. An alchemy shop here would bound to get attention," the man exclaimed, saying all the good point of the location.
Mina admit what he said make sense. However, there is one small problem.
"How can we hope to afford the rent?!" she asked, almost yelling. However, she could not find it in herself to care. After all, he doubt Edwin possess the amount of money needed to rent the store.
"It just a measly 10 000 gold coins. And that is if I rent it. But I don't" the woman let out a sigh of relief. "I bought it," and now the urge to strangle the man in front of her intensify.
She only had one question before she strangle the man who take her first time.
"Why?" if he gave her a good enough of an answer, she might not be inclined to strangle him.
"Because it is the best place, and only the best place is good enough for the best alchemist in the Duchy," this time, she did strangle him, but more out of embarrassment than anger.
-x-
"Do you think anyone would come?" Mina asked.
"It's already noon but no people are coming inside, only looking from the window," she continued. Indeed, it had been happening as she had said, with people only looking at the store, but no one coming in as of yet.
"Be patience my dear. We have to be patient. Besides, I have several trick up my sleeve," Mina did not know why, but for some reason, she believe the man completely.
Sure enough, the bell ring as someone entered the store.
"Excuse me... wait, aren't you the one who let me take a potion for free sampling?" a man asked, casting an accusing finger on Edwin. Mina could only look at the man beside him in shock. Just when did he do such thing?
"Yes, and how is the effect?" Edwin asked, ignoring the man's question.
"It work good, better I said than some of the other potion sold in the more famous shop, and at a much cheaper price too. I have to say, if you continue to deliver, I will buy more potions," the man said, looking at the potions in the display with interest.
"Of course. Though, aside from the standard potions, we also sell some rather exotic one. If I remember correctly, you should be a miner, from the cloth you had last night," Edwin guessed.
"Yes, I am a miner. Is there a reason to ask of my occupation?" the man asked.
"Well, then I believe this potion would be good for you," he put an explosion potion in the man's hand.
"An explosion potion," the man immediately look at the potion in his hand like a ticking time bomb.
"Don't worry," the man look plenty of worry, "It would not be activate by just anything. The only way for it to blow up is pressing this little thing. Then it would be volatile that smashing it against a rock would make it go boom!" Ryker explained while pointing at the special mechanism of the explosion potion's bottle.
It is something he suggest, in hope of preventing an accident from happening. Mina had easily accept his suggestion. Then again, he technically hold the largest, and only share of the store, as he is the one who fund the entire thing, with Mina being more like his employee.
"I.. see. Very well, I should test it first. Do you mind-"
"Of course, I will let you take it for half the price. But remember, the next time it would be the normal prize," the man nodded before confirming his purchase.
As he walked away, Alros looked at Mina with a smile. "We just ha-" another bell rang as another person entered. He could see from the corner of his eyes that the alchemist is grinning wildly, clearly happy by the turn of event, especially after her shitty time in Furim City.
Alros immediately went towards the new customer, ready to do another sell pitch.
-x-
"I can't believe how much people come in the first day," Mina exclaimed, exhausted. While most of her work is in the back, making potions for the customer, she also have to spend some time at the counter, helping in dealing with the customer when even Edwin struggling against the tide of the masses.
"Well, I did promote to a lot of people. I am just surprise it get widely accepted though," Alros confessed. Though it is not the whole truth. The demon-in-disguise had hired several people to promote the stores, as well as hiring several others to go to the stores and acting as customers, with their purchase being paid by him, along with the money he gave them.
However, he did not expect both strategies to be so effective, with the amount of customers in the first day almost reaching triple digit.
"Well, lets get ready for another busy day, though hopefully, it won't as busy as yesterday," Edwin said, though Mina wondered if he just jinx them.
Well, not like jinx is real.
-x-
"This is too much for two people to handle," Mina groan. The amount of customers they get both raise her confidence and self-esteem, while at the same time leaving her tired, with even her bone screaming in pain.
"Yeah, I have to agree. We have to hire some helpers around here," Edwin nodded, seeing how overwhelm they are.
"How many should we hire? After all, we would no doubt get a lot of people wanting to work here after our two days success," she said.
"Hhmm, let me crunch the number and see how many people we can hire without losing a lot of profit," Edwin said as he took a paper and begin to write down several thing.
"Also, do you want an assistance in alchemy? After all, you might not want more people to learn your recipe. In fact, some of our competitors might send some people to be hired as alchemist in hope of stealing the recipe,"
Mina thought about and shook her head. While she know she will need help, she just did not want to give them the recipe she work painstakingly hard for.
Though, as she deeply think of it, an idea struck her.
"Edwin," she suddenly said, "How about you become my assistant?"