The Dian Cecht Pharmacy.
Lucas left his umbrella at the entrance, pushed open the heavy wooden door, and stepped inside.
"Welcome to the Dian Cecht—oh, Lucas! It's you!"
As a regular, he'd long since become familiar with Airmid.
And since he always paid promptly when purchasing potions, her impression of him was quite good.
"Long time no see, Airmid."
Lucas nodded, then got straight to the point.
"I'm here to sell something. Materials. You take those, right?"
Airmid's eyes brightened immediately, her whole face lighting up with anticipation.
"Of course we do! You know about the long-term commission our Dian Cecht Familia placed at the Guild Headquarters, right?"
"So you all must get plenty of materials then?"
Lucas asked the question casually, hiding his real aim.
Airmid didn't notice. She shook her head with a touch of helplessness.
"Unfortunately, materials for potion-making aren't common. Aside from the herbs we buy from the Demeter Familia, Dungeon-derived materials have always been scarce. Especially rare-species drop items. We get maybe one or two every now and then."
Everyone knew rare-species monsters were purely a matter of luck.
On the upper floors, something like the drop item from an Infant Dragon was already considered top tier.
Lucas grinned. He removed the carefully wrapped bundle from his bag and placed it gently on the counter.
Then he simply looked at Airmid with a contented smile.
Her fingers tightened nervously around her skirt.
Her expression froze.
The city had been in turmoil lately. Evilus wasn't the only group making trouble. Other outsiders, shady organizations, and vagrants were exploiting the chaos. Frequent battles and skirmishes had skyrocketed potion consumption far beyond production.
If not for the Freya Familia's healer unit, stepping in to help, Apothecaries across Orario would have already been overwhelmed. Even so, the stock of potions was nearly depleted.
To Airmid, any potion material—especially a rare-species one—was a lifesaver.
"Twenty…" Airmid tried, voice tentative.
Lucas immediately reached for the bundle to take it back.
"Wait! Twenty-five!"
Lucas didn't stop.
Airmid stared at him, her face turning red with frustration and panic, until she finally snapped out the number through clenched teeth:
"Thirty!"
As the number left her mouth, she slumped like a deflated balloon.
This round, she'd lost spectacularly.
Lucas gave her a victory smirk.
"Congrats, Airmid. You just acquired the material you desperately needed."
This man…!
Airmid glared at him fiercely, cheeks puffed in powerless anger. She made a silent vow: she would absolutely get revenge someday.
The deal finished.
"See you, Airmid. If I get more good stuff, I'll come to you first."
Whistling, Lucas gave the money pouch a satisfied shake, turned around, and left with a swagger that made Airmid want to scream.
"That awful man! Stingy! Shameless! Taking advantage of a crisis! Aaaaaghhh!"
She grabbed the pillow behind the counter and slammed it repeatedly, imagining Lucas's face under every strike.
"Hmph! Lucas, just you wait!"
---
Airmid's reaction was completely within Lucas's expectations.
As a healer, her place in Orario's ecosystem sat at the absolute top. After all, what adventurer could guarantee they'd never get hurt?
There was a saying among adventurers: Offend any god if you must, but never offend a healer.
As one of the strongest healers in the city, getting outmaneuvered by Lucas today was an insult she definitely wouldn't forget.
Just imagining her steaming with frustration made Lucas chuckle.
After dealing with his loot, he headed home with a clear schedule.
---
Home.
The living room.
Lorie was curled up cross-legged on the sofa, pen between her teeth, brows scrunched so tightly her whole face looked like a wrinkled dumpling.
The book on her lap might as well have been an execution notice.
Compared to her, Aura was doing far better.
Her loose loungewear couldn't hide the straight posture and refined manners of an elf. She flipped through her book calmly, absorbing information at remarkable speed.
From the single-seat sofa across from them, Jeanne watched Lorie with a mixture of pity and sympathy. She understood the agony of studying all too well.
Just then, the door opened. Lucas shook the water off his umbrella.
"I'm back."
Lorie's eyes lit up instantly. She shot off the sofa like a spring.
"Lucas, I don't want to study anymore! I don't understand anything, my head hurts, it's torture!"
"That won't do," Lucas said, shaking his head. "Dungeon knowledge decides whether you live or die. You don't want to end up getting shredded by monsters because you lacked basic information, right?"
"…"
Lorie deflated like a punctured balloon and slid weakly back onto the sofa.
Seeing her like this, Lucas remembered a trick from his previous life and decided to try it.
"Alright, Lorie. If you finish all the basics and pass the exam, I'll reward you with a weapon worth up to one hundred thousand Valis. Deal?"
"For real!?"
Lorie sprang to life instantly, eyes sparkling.
Lucas hid his astonishment.
Her mood swings are something else. Too easy to bribe.
"Of course it's real. Jeanne's weapons are around that price. Pretty generous reward, right? Aura, same goes for you."
Aura nodded calmly, as though the promise of a one hundred thousand Valis weapon barely mattered to her.
"Yes! You'd better keep your word, Lucas!" Lorie cheered, practically hopping. "Hehe, a one hundred thousand Valis weapon! That's top-tier gear for a Level 4!"
Lucas exchanged a look with Jeanne, both of them struggling not to laugh.
"You're focused on the reward now, but maybe start with passing Jeanne's exam first."
"It's just a test! A mere test could never stop Lorie the Great!"
"Right, right, Lorie's the smartest."
---
With the carrot firmly in place, Lucas had temporarily solved the studying problem.
He stepped out to the covered porch, settled into the rocking chair, and opened his own learning material.
He took out an ancient grimoire, its leather cover aged but incredibly sturdy. His fingers brushed the surface with reverence before opening it.
[Name]: Grimoire: Fireball
[Origin]: World of Warcraft
[Type]: Knowledge
[Effect]: Ignites and expands to form a fireball, which is then projected at a target from a distance, causing an explosion of 157 units of roaring flames.
[Description]: Greatness, needs no explanation!
Lucas smoothed the old cover again, then carefully began reading.
As he focused, Heart of a Scholar activated.
His Falna shimmered faintly, enhancing his learning speed.
Inside the house, silence settled.
Only the soft flipping of pages and occasional scribbling broke the stillness.
---
The peaceful quiet lasted all the way until dinnertime—
"BOOM!"
A violent blast tore through the rainy evening.
The deafening roar jolted all three girls upright in an instant.
"What was that!?"
"Something exploded!"
Aura and Lorie reacted on instinct, their expressions sharpening as they moved into defensive stances.
Jeanne, however, looked strangely calm. She glanced toward the window and raised both hands in a soothing gesture.
"Relax. That was Lucas testing a new magic."
"Ah? A new magic?"
Their fear evaporated instantly, replaced with intense curiosity.
Elves had a natural affinity for magic.
Even without that, what adventurer wouldn't be fascinated by a power capable of reshaping the battlefield and turning despair into hope?
A strong spell was an adventurer's greatest trump card, the blade that could cut through life-or-death crises.
The two girls stared toward the porch, eyes gleaming with anticipation.