As for the always-intense "business negotiations" between Tione and Airmid, Lumine, Tiona, Lefiya, and Ais showed absolutely no interest in them.
Clearly, they were all the type who felt that haggling was mentally exhausting and a huge waste of time. As long as they weren't being outright ripped off, their usual philosophy was simple—instead of arguing back and forth, just pay and be done with it.
Thus, as the hot-headed older sister and the gentle beauty faced off at the counter—one clutching the "good goods" and shamelessly hiking up the price like a street hawker, the other calm and steady as she relentlessly bargained it down—what should have been a high-class apothecary was forcibly transformed into a vegetable market where two middle-aged aunties were locked in a master-level duel.
Even though both were stunning young women, the atmosphere was downright terrifying.
Unable to bear it, the four of them subconsciously retreated to a corner at the side, watching from afar.
Too scary.
For a moment—aside from the clueless Ais—the other three stared at the hellish tableau that looked like fire and ice colliding, their lips twitching as they let out helpless, awkward smiles.
"J-just… really amazing, in a way… yeah…"
Even though Lumine had seen scenes like this more than once before, she was still thoroughly shaken. So much so that, as she sighed in amazement, even her sentence structure began to fall apart.
Meanwhile, beside her—
"Lefiya, I remember you come here pretty often with Tione."
Tiona pointed toward the "battlefield" and couldn't help asking, "Are they like this every single time?"
"Uh~ haha↑ hahaha↑"
The elf girl genuinely had no idea how to answer that.
Just smile.
Fortunately, it didn't take long—
"This time, we'll settle at eight million nine hundred thousand. We're friends, after all."
"Fine. Let's do that."
"Phew~"
The clash between two strong women finally came to an end. With Airmid narrowly claiming victory, the farce at last drew to a close.
Airmid handed Tione a check bearing the emblem of the Dian Cecht Familia, while calmly putting away the unicorn horn.
Then—
"Miss Lumine, it seems you have something you wanted to discuss with me as well?"
"Yes."
At last, the slightly airheaded younger sister got her chance to speak. She stepped forward a few paces and said, "Miss Airmid, may I ask which day you've scheduled as your rest day recently?"
In Orario—or rather, in this fantasy world currently within the Age of the Gods—although the concept of a week existed, most people didn't rigidly adhere to fixed weekends.
Many adventurers might not rest even once in half a month.
The Loki Familia, which frequently went on expeditions, had an even more chaotic rest schedule.
As for Airmid—
"I should be resting the day after tomorrow."
The silver-haired, violet-eyed beauty replied at an unhurried pace. "However, there have been many injured patients lately. I may not be able to leave then… Why do you ask?"
Hearing this—
"Didn't we agree earlier to study the effectiveness limits and composition of my special cooking together? I'm quite interested in it myself."
Lumine answered frankly. "Also, I have a friend who's dealing with some issues and wanted to seek your opinion."
"Oh?"
Airmid didn't suspect anything. Tione, however, immediately sensed something amiss.
"Lumine, don't tell me…"
She thought of that young adventurer she had once seen from afar—the one rumored to be able to learn any magic.
"That's exactly it."
Lumine had no intention of hiding this matter from the Loki Familia. Still, some things weren't suitable to discuss here, so—
"Renjiro simply asked me to help inquire. He'll respect Miss Airmid's decision."
Tione got the answer she wanted and felt enlightened.
As for Airmid—
"What riddle are you two speaking in?"
Her curiosity was piqued, and she asked directly.
However… perhaps due to Riveria's prior warnings, Tione didn't say anything more.
She merely shrugged and looked at Lumine, who immediately followed up, "The details can wait until your rest day, Miss Airmid—if you have time to meet then, we can discuss it properly."
"We won't take up any more of your work time for now. We should be leaving—"
"Ee—"
The apothecary's door suddenly swung open without warning.
But whoever had intended to enter seemed to freeze at the doorway. After letting out a small, startled yelp, they panicked and hurriedly retreated outside.
When everyone instinctively turned to look, all they saw through the narrowing crack of the door was the fleeting back of a white-haired sprinting away.
"Ahhh—idiot, idiot, idiot! Why did I run away again?!"
The simple-minded white rabbit boy leaned against the wall at a street corner, his heart thump-thump-thumping, chest heaving as he gasped for air.
His expression was filled with frustration.
Today alone, the fourteen-year-old boy named Bell Cranel had already been rejected by more than ten familias.
There had even been one time when, right after he was mocked and chased off by members of a certain familia, a male elf came to visit that same familia.
In an instant, those once-arrogant Lv.1 adventurers began bowing and scraping, rubbing their hands as they eagerly tried to recruit him.
At that moment, the boy truly understood what racial disparity meant.
It couldn't be helped.
Compared to elves, most of whom possessed magical talent; dwarves, who could hunt monsters with sheer strength even without falna; beastmen with heightened senses; and Amazons brimming with fighting spirit…
He, a human from the countryside, had almost no distinguishing traits.
Honestly, if the Pallum race hadn't lost their former faith and fallen into long-term low morale, then among the intelligent races at the very bottom of the lower world, humans would unquestionably rank last.
In short, the lost boy still hadn't found a place he could belong to.
And it was precisely when he felt utterly dejected that—
By chance, near the Dian Cecht Familia's base, the white rabbit boy once again saw that girl.
Though unfamiliar—no, not even acquainted, having never exchanged a single word—she had already etched an incredibly deep impression into his heart.
Golden hair, golden eyes, dressed in white. Even standing inside a luxuriously decorated high-end shop, she was the one who naturally drew all attention.
She was the hero he longed for.
She was the existence who had granted him a fateful encounter.
He wanted to approach her… if possible, to be braver, to step into the world reflected in her eyes.
Even if he could only be a background character lurking in the corner—like those nameless figures in countless heroic tales… no, he still wanted a name. Even if he appeared only once, just a passing extra—
To be honest, after suffering repeated failures over the past two days, the boy whose talent had yet to awaken had begun to feel deeply inferior.
He subconsciously believed that his current self was utterly unworthy of deliberately approaching someone so radiant.
His own weakness might very well stain the hero's otherwise perfect journey.
And yet—
"How interesting~ Clearly a human, not a rabbit-folk, so why do you give off such a little white rabbit vibe?"
The boy jolted violently.
His stiff neck slowly turned.
Within his field of vision—
A pair of pale golden eyes.
And lips curved ever so slightly upward, forming a playful, mischievous smile.
Still dazzling.
=============
100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
140+ advance chapters available on P@treon(.)com/Veltoria