The Former Poor Elf’s Alchemy and Potion Shop - 6: The Effect of the Potion

6: The Effect of the Potion 

I somehow managed to finish my morning live potion-making demonstration. I then took a lunch break after the crowd dispersed. 

After buying herbs in the morning, I barely had enough left to buy lunch. 

I was totally living paycheck to paycheck. 

I searched the food stalls and bought something to eat. 

Today, I got a lettuce and tomato sandwich. 

I bought two and gave one to Pom. 

“Pom, is it tasty?” 

“Kyuu!” 

“Oh, good!” 

The saltiness of the tomato and the crisp lettuce leaves were delicious. 

This was definitely a good pick. 

I splurged a little, but it was worth it. 

“This tomato is so good! I could eat this every day.” 

My paycheck-to-paycheck cycle continues. 

I’ve earned enough for tonight’s inn stay. But if it rains tomorrow and I can’t set up my stall, I won’t be able to pay for lodging. 

That would be bad. 

No rest for the poor. 

Time to keep grinding. 

I used the remaining herbs to make more potions in the alchemy cauldron. 

People gathered again to watch. 

Among them, I noticed someone with a wounded left hand. 

It was swollen and red around the cut. 

“One potion, please.” 

“Here you go.” 

The man immediately used the potion right in front of me. 

First, he took a sip, then poured the rest over his wounded hand. 

“Ugh… it stings a little.” 

I watched as, little by little, the swelling went down and the wound started closing up. 

It happened just fast enough to notice. 

“What the hell?! This potion works insanely well! Hey, guys, look at my hand!” 

“No way… That cut is already healing?” 

“This is incredible. Normal potions don’t work this fast! Aren’t they supposed to take effect more slowly?” 

“If just one bottle works this well, it’s a steal! At this price?! Unbelievable. Super worth it!” 

A-A-Ahh! 

I’ve been doing live potion-making demos, but I never planned on live effectiveness testing! 

And yet, this guy just went ahead and did it on his own! 

Of course, it’s not like my potions instantly started flying off the shelves. But people who actually needed them bought some. 

Since fresh potions only last ten days, it’d be a waste to stock up on them like regular medicine. 

With clear proof of effectiveness, I expected sales to go up. 

People who saw the results firsthand would understand. 

And they’d probably tell others. 

But the royal capital is huge. 

It’s not a tiny village where rumors spread instantly. 

I wouldn’t become famous overnight or anything. 

Makes sense. 

This isn’t Hashiyuri Village. 

Still, based on what I’ve heard, even the potions sold in actual shops aren’t that effective. 

It’s not just the low-quality flea market stuff. 

Does that mean… 

Potion-making technology in the royal capital isn’t very advanced? 

The mystery only deepens. 

Even though my potions are cheap, I’m selling them at royal capital prices. It was adjusted to match the other stalls. 

For me, they still feel a bit expensive. 

If I had sold them at village prices, they would’ve been way too cheap and ridiculously overpowered. 

People would think they were sketchy as hell. 

Dodged a bullet there. 

The crowd kept changing, so the people who saw the potion’s effects were gone. 

With only a few bottles left, I decided to start my second afternoon session. 

“I’ll now begin the second live potion-making demonstration of the afternoon!” 

Nobody was really listening, but I announced it anyway. 

Some people glanced my way. They were wondering what was happening. 

I blushed a little but reminded myself: 

Ignore them. Focus on the work. 

First, I finely chopped the herbs with a knife. 

The rest was the same as before— 

Mix, boil, add Miruru fruit, simmer once more, infuse healing magic, let it glow, and… 

Done. 

Once completed, the glow faded. 

It would’ve been cool if the potion stayed glowing the whole time. 

It’d make it instantly recognizable as a potion. 

But alchemy isn’t that convenient. 

“Whoa! That’s amazing!” 

“So this is how it’s made.” 

“She must be an alchemist. Why is someone like her selling at a flea market stall?” 

Reactions were mixed. But overall, people seemed impressed. 

That made me pretty happy. 

I felt like… 

I was finally being acknowledged. 

Well, the rest of the process was the same, so let’s skip ahead. 

I even did a third round of potion-making today. 

And in the end… 

I made a decent amount of money.