The Newt and Demon

Theo vowed never to rely on the stimulating properties of his [Lesser Stamina Potions] unless absolutely necessary. He made an exception in his mind regarding the tea he brewed from the moss. He rose from his soft bed and stretched. The storm was gone, and he sat on the edge of his bed for a long time before getting up. Light filtered through the window, pale orange sun shafts cutting through the bedroom and signaling the dawn. The sound of clanging cookware issued from the lab.

The alchemist emerged to find Tresk cooking more wolf steaks on her new pan. She must have just plopped the considerable strips of meat down as the smell wafted his way. He made his way to the table, sitting down and sipping on the tea she’d provided. Long moments passed before he said anything to his companion.

“No more stamina potions,” he said, shaking his head. “Feels like I have a hangover.”

“You just need to be tired like the rest of us. Or put some points in [Vigor],” Tresk said.

“Find anything in your dungeon with [Vigor]? Maybe a ring?” Theo asked, grinning.

Tresk waved him off, flipping the steaks with another satisfying sizzle. “That necklace of yours is high-level stuff. We won’t find anything like that in the first few floors of the dungeon.”

Theo leaned back in his chair, looking out the window at their impressive backyard. He would have to confront the reality of establishing his stone working venture today and feared that it might be too much for him to take on. With the town leveled enough for a wall, he saw no need to feed [Monster Cores] into it, anymore. He hoped Fenian would pay him in coin, alongside the cores he requested. If he was lucky, the Elven trader would have seed cores for the quarry and workshop.

There was also the promise he made to Tresk to find more [Rogue Cores], so she could upgrade her crummy one to a better quality. Theo often forgot that not everyone was running around with two legendary cores inside them. He also didn’t know how to remove a core from himself, not that he wanted to. They seemed like rare things that cost a lot of money, and he was already up to his eyeballs with investments and debt.

“Fenian should be here today,” Theo said. “The quest claims that I have zero days left until he returns. I’m guessing he has a magical way of transportation now.”

“Or some mount,” Tresk said, shrugging. “It takes 7 days to get to Qavell, or so I’m told—I’ve never been. I’ve heard of magic carriages that can zip across the countryside. If he’s rich enough, he could have one of those.”

“Well, I’m thinking of changing my deal with him. We don’t need as many [Monster Cores], and I was going to ‌get you some [Rogue Cores],” Theo said.

“That would be lovely,” Tresk said, nodding to herself and smiling. She flipped the steaks one last time, moving to prepare some plates. “How much money do you still owe?”

“Well, I’ve promised a few gold in investments,” Theo said, shrugging. “I owe two gold to Miana for this place, maybe two more gold for the stone operation, and another for Luras’ leatherworking operation.”

“So, you’re going to spend all your money as soon as you get it,” Tresk said, nodding. “Gotcha.”

“Honestly, I’m going to ‌work out a deal with Fenian,” Theo said. “Buy a bulk of things from him, hoping for a discount.”

“What’s your budget, and what’s on your shopping list?”

“I’ll get five gold from Fenian for his order. I need a stonecutter’s seed core, quarry seed core, and leather worker’s seed core. If I can get those seed cores for around a gold, I’ll be in good shape. Then I need your [Rogue Cores], some artifices, and [Monster Cores],” Theo said. “How many [Rogue Cores] do you need to get a legendary one?”

Tresk pushed the steaks onto their respective plates, squinting her eyes and staring up the ceiling for a moment. “36? 24? 16?” she asked, screwing up her face. “I really don’t know.”

“Well, how does it work?”

“You feed your current core like a building core,” Tresk said, taking a seat at the table and handing a plate over to Theo. “So, I don’t really know the experience drop off.”

“It’s problematic to go into a negotiation without knowing what you need,” Theo said, grimacing. “Well, I’ll do my best.”

Theo learned that morning that steak was an excellent option for breakfast. With a swamp filled to the brim with wolves, it was a viable option. It wasn’t as tender as the Karatan steak, but it was still delicious. By the time he finished his tea, he was feeling much more like himself. The grogginess faded away, and he found himself ready to complete Perg’s order. The companions talked as he prepared the stills, aiming to run a double batch of [Ogre Cypress Bark] for the essences required to make [Stripping Solution].

Tresk tried to hide her excitement, but failed. She chomped at her steak with abandon, tearing large chunks off and talking with a mouth full. “That’s the thing. These traders can be a real boon to small people in trades. Fenian likely wants something from you. A long-term deal.”

Theo had the stills prepared, and the [Ogre Cypress Bark] mashed. He planned to run 400 units total, 200 in each still, focusing the first still on the [Cure Ailment] property, and the other on the [Cleanse] property. He dumped the last of the mash in and thought about it, unable to find where he landed on the subject. A deal with Fenian would be great. He didn’t mind the absurd production quotas, and the gold was good.

“Is this a negative thing?” Theo asked. “Should I be cautious?”

“You should always watch your coin purse around a trader, but I think I know this guy’s angle,” Tresk said, wiping her mouth off with the sleeve of her leather jacket.

“What’s that?” Theo asked, starting the [Flame Artifices] and stepping back.

“Imagine you’re an upstart trader in the northlands. Most of the trade routes are claimed, and every alchemist in Qavell has century-long deals with the established merchants. You find a diamond in the middle of the swamp. Do you milk him for all he’s worth, or do you entice him to strike a pact?” Tresk asked.

“You think he wants to be my merchant?” Theo asked.

“Yep. He wants you to keep bulk orders with him,” Tresk said. “Before the big trade guilds pick up on it. They’re usually slow to respond. Or so I hear.”

“I see absolutely no downside for us,” Theo said, shrugging. “That would be an enormous win.”

“Agreed. In this case, it works well for us because he’s desperate,” Tresk said. “But, my bet is that he took those potions to the big city and blew everyone’s minds. He didn’t tell them where this new alchemist was, but made a tidy profit. You sell him a potion for 20 copper, and he resells it for 50 copper. Maybe more.”

“And he can do it, because he’s a traveling merchant with all the connections,” Theo said. The Marshling’s logic made sense, and he wondered why he hadn’t thought of it. He knew that Fenian was reselling the potions, but didn’t think that the Elf thought of him as a resource, rather than a simple supplier.

Theo looked over his lab, the glaring flaws of inefficiency fouling the scene. What he needed was better equipment that cut out the grunt-work of the process.

“So, my point is that Fenian is going to make you a deal. You’ll agree to take his bulk orders over everyone else, and he’ll give you a break on supplies.”

“That sounds like a sweet deal to me,” Theo said.

“I agree. I think you should take it,” Tresk said.

A knock came from the door downstairs. It was Azrug, waiting to do his shift at the shop. Theo got his attention before the boy sat down. “Fenian is going to be here today. Let me know when he arrives.”

Azrug went pale, swallowing hard. “Yes, sir.”

Theo returned to the lab, leaving the Half-Ogre boy to deal with his fear of outsiders. Tresk passed him on the stairs, pressing her forehead against his before departing for the day. She planned on prodding Luras into action, trying to get his head back in the adventuring game. The alchemist suggested that she find another adventuring partner, a suggestion that only drew exasperated sputtering from the Marshling.

The condensers were doing their job, slowly filling the flasks up. Theo’s nerves were getting to him while he waited for the Elven trader. If Tresk was right, the deal he had to offer would be irresistible. He took stock of the equipment he had, focusing with his high [Wisdom] stat and determining what the best artifice would be. The mashing process took far too long and something that ground the reagents for him would be amazing. He had a feeling that the stills weren’t as optimal as they could be, either in production volume or capacity. There were no simple solutions for that problem, though. The distillation process was delicate.

Just as he was swapping out the flasks for the second step of the run, the bell on the door tinkled downstairs. Azrug’s hurried steps up the stairs came next, then the boy poked his head into the lab. “He’s here!”

Theo calmed himself for a moment, taking a few steadying breaths. He double-checked that all the required potions were in his inventory before going downstairs with the Half-Ogre boy. As expected, Fenian stood behind the counter with a massive grin on his face. His clothes were like the ones he wore before, more ruffles than seemingly possible, with a new wide-brimmed hat on his head. The feather was still sticking out, long and ostentatious, like a peacock’s tail feather.

“Theo,” Fenian said, holding his arms wide. “Let me tell you something. Your potions were a hit in Qavell. The wholesalers could hardly contain themselves.”

Theo approached the counter, reaching his hand out for the Elf to shake, which he did. “Glad to hear.”

“They paid over what I planned to ask. Low-level potion distillation is usually left to the apprentices, resulting in shoddy quality. Your stuff is top-shelf,” Fenian said, punctuating his statement with something that looked suspiciously like a chef’s kiss.

“I’m glad to hear it, Fenian,” Theo said, nodding. “If you thought the old stuff was good, wait until you see this.”

Theo withdrew a single [Lesser Healing Potion] from his inventory. Unlike the old batch that was “Great” quality, this batch was “Excellent” quality. Fenian sputtered, dramatically swaying on the spot and exclaiming. “You never cease to amaze me, sir. Was it the [Flame Artifice] that did the trick?”

“It was. The low-temperature heating was the key,” Theo said.

“Glad to hear it. Before we get started, I have a few gifts to establish our new relationship,” Fenian said, gesturing to reveal a book from his inventory. The cover was bound in some kind of leather, and the words on the front weren’t in the standard language he’d been reading. The characters were sharp, dagger-like things that ran together in a jagged script.

“‘Basic Drogramathi Alchemy’. Where did you find this?” Theo asked, pressing his fingers into the cover, feeling the grain of the leather.

“Hah! I knew you’d be able to read it,” Fenian said, beaming. “Your outworlder powers, or your heritage to the demon lord, allow you to read the text. A trader promised me it was related to Drogramath’s art.”

Theo wanted nothing more than to thumb through the pages, discovering the secrets of his art. He held himself back, trying to put up a strong front against the Elf’s overt advances towards an exclusivity deal. The alchemist wanted the deal, but negotiations were about subterfuge. “Shall we get down to business?” Theo asked, smiling.

“Ah, yes. Business,” Fenian said, waving a dismissive hand. “I have a few more gifts for you, but we’ll take care of the transaction first.”

“One thing, first,” Theo said. “If you have the coin on you, I’d like half of the stat potions in coin, or other goods.”

“Well, let’s settle up. What goods are you interested in?”

“Seed cores, first,” Theo said.

“My specialty,” Fenian said, raising an eyebrow. “That tannery woman, Perg, must have told you I sold her a seed core. You may be unaware, but those with legendary [Trader Cores] get a generous inventory. I have almost every production building available.”

“I need a leatherworker’s shop, stone worker’s shop, and a quarry,” Theo said.

“I have them,” Fenian said, nodding with a smile. “I have regular house seed cores, too. If you’re interested.”

“I might be,” Theo said, trying not to sound too eager.

“I normally sell the seed cores for a gold coin,” Fenian said.

“What about your favorite alchemist? Does he get a deal?” Theo asked, grinning.

Azrug let out an audible gasp behind them, quickly covering his mouth.

Fenian leaned in, placing his elbows on the counter. He gestured, producing a piece of parchment before placing it down on the counter. Theo glanced over it, finding the entire thing to be a fairly concise contract between the two parties. As Tresk predicted, it gave the Elf rights over everyone else to commission batches of potions, within reason. It promised better rates than the alchemist was currently getting from their arrangement, and access to the merchant’s stock at a discount. It was incredibly generous.

“Enter into this contract with me, and I’ll give you a generous discount on all my wares. Within reason,” Fenian said.

Theo hesitated for a moment, even after reading and agreeing with everything it said. He tilted his head, mentally informing Tresk that she was right. After pretending to consider the deal for a while longer, he rose and smiled.

“I’ll agree to this,” Theo said, nodding.

[Fenian Faintleaf] is attempting to enter [The Newt and Demon] into a contract.

You have already read the contract. Do you agree to its terms? [YES/NO]

Theo mentally accepted, feeling a rush flow through his chest.

“A wise decision,” Fenian said. “I’m altering our current deal. I have no intention of bleeding you dry out here in the swamp, and I have a very specific clientele—namely noble-born whelps—interested in excellent quality potions. 25 copper a potion for the restoration ones, and 60 for the stat potions.”

“That’s very generous,” Theo said.

“Right. So, you’re the first person I’m testing this new ability with, so bear with me. You should see something pop up here in a moment,” Fenian said.

[Trade with Fenian Faintleaf?] [YES/NO]

Theo accepted, and a window appeared in the middle of his vision. It had two sections on either side with each person’s name above the areas. At the bottom, there was a section for coins. Both were currently empty.

“Mentally add all your potions. I’ll do the math in my head. This ability only works if the other person has an inventory. I’m very glad you chose that power—not interested in shoving thousands of potions into my inventory.”

Theo mentally added all the potions. 500 [Lesser Healing Potions], 500 [Lesser Stamina Potions], 500 [Lesser Mana Potions], 100 [Lesser Potions of Vigor], 200 [Lesser Potions of Wisdom], and 100 [Lesser Potions of Strength] appeared on the alchemist’s side.

Fenian let out a long whistle. “You’ve been a busy little demon.”

After a moment, a number appeared under the gold counter on Fenian’s side that almost stopped Theo’s heart. 6 gold 15 silver appeared, flashing with a glowing gold border. The alchemist clicked the small green “accept” box and waited for the trader to do the same. The window made a satisfying beeping sound before disappearing.

[Fenian’s Request] Completed.

Theo would check what rewards he got from the quest later, focusing on the trade at hand.

“We’ll just do it this way, and you can buy however many other things you want,” Fenian said. “For the seed cores, I’ll give you the three you want for 1 gold, 50 silver.”

“That sounds like a deal to me,” Theo said, nodding. “What do you have in terms of [Rogue Cores]? I need 30 of them, or something.”

“Looking to upgrade your Tara’hek’s core? Smart move,” Fenian said. A grin spread across his face as he withdrew something from his inventory, holding it out for the alchemist to inspect.

[Assassin’s Core]

Legendary

Assassin Core

Unbound

2 Slots

Level 1 (0%)

A specialized [Rogue Core] which focuses on assassination techniques. Can slot either [Rogue] or [Assassin] skills. Equipping this core unlocks the [Assassin] class. Equipping this core over an existing [Rogue] core will consume the [Rogue] core, setting this core to its current level.

Effect:

Increases the effect of all [Rogue] and [Assassin] skills.

+2 Dexterity.

Theo’s eyes glittered. It was an absurdly nice core, but he had a feeling that it was unapproachable, in terms of cost. He narrowed his eyes on the Elf and feigned a smile. “How much?”

“Oh, about 10 gold on the open market,” Fenian said, shrugging. “But for your Tara’hek, and the strength of our relationship, a gift at 1 gold 50 silver.”

Azrug let out a yelp, clasping his hands over his mouth again. Fenian smiled at that.

“Done,” Theo said. “That’s not even a question.”

“You owe me 3 gold, so far,” Fenian said. “Anything else?”

“What kind of [Monster Cores] do you have?”

“Level 30, mostly,” Fenian said. “A gold for four—they should give you five levels apiece at your [Alchemy Lab’s] current level.”

“I’ll take four,” Theo said. “Any interesting alchemy artifices?”

“Ah, my other gift,” Fenian said, withdrawing four items from his inventory. The first three were the same, large discs with clasps on the side. There was a slot on the side to feed motes, and an ominous-looking grinder on top. The other item was another [Flame Artifice]. “[Alchemical Grinder Artifice]. This will allow you to grind your reagents directly into your stills.”

Fenian gestured again, withdrawing a small mote from his inventory. “But wait, there’s more.”

Theo inspected the mote, shocked at what he saw.

[Glassware Artifice Upgrade Mote]

[Upgrade Mote]

Uncommon

Feed this into a [Glassware Artifice] to expand its features. Allows for the production of multiple glassware items at a reduced cost directly into your inventory.

The alchemist was at a loss for words. Fenian must have been making a killing off of the potions if he would part with so much valuable stuff.

“This is incredibly generous,” Theo said, scoffing.

“Everything I’ve provided you increases your output,” Fenian said, shrugging. “It’s a self-interested move. Ah, one more thing.”

Fenian produced one last item from his inventory. It was a small, purple communication crystal like the one in Miana’s house.

“So we can stay in contact?” Theo asked.

“Exactly,” Fenian said. “If I’m honest, you’re my one hope for greatness. Well, is there anything else?”

“How much for the house seeds?” Theo asked.

Fenian waved a dismissive hand. “Six for a gold.”

“Then that’s the last thing I’ll buy. Six of those,” Theo said. A plan was forming in his mind about selling, or renting houses. It wasn’t fully formed yet, but it was getting there.

“Right. The [Assassin Core], the workshop seed cores, four [Monster Cores], and six house seed cores,” Fenian said, opening the trade window and placing the items inside. “The total is 5 gold.”

Theo happily put the gold into the window, accepting the trade and flooding his inventory with new things. The excitement was overwhelming and exhausting. He was left with 1 gold, 23 silver, and 31 copper after the deal.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to head back to Qavell,” Fenian said, straightening the ruffles on his coat. “I’ll contact you with a new order when I arrive.”

The Elven trader turned on the spot and departed, leaving the pile of articles on the counter. The bell jingled and Azrug shouted, jumping on the spot repeatedly.

“You just made more money than I’ve ever seen in my entire life—then spent it!” Azrug shouted.