"How are you able to use Lightning spells?!" shouted Lily.
As I thought. I was bombarded with questions as soon as we made it back into the city. We were all hanging out in one of the taverns to celebrate. It would seemed like Lily was holding back in asking her questions until now. I was seated with John, Rose and Lily. As soon as she asked that question, members of the Elemental guild came up and joined her. Am I going to get stripped and dissected?
"Um.. my gauntlets gave me that spell. You're not going to confiscate it, are you?" I asked.
All of them were speechless. I suppose none of them even thought that it was possible. It was my most hidden secret and I was not about to babble to everyone I know.
"I... see. Lightning are the Elemental guild's most favoured and exclusive spell. We take pride in being able to use fire and lightning to ourselves. To think that there was an item that can give you lightning capabilities. Not to mention superior to our own," said an Elemental member.
"You guys are not going to tell me to stop using it, are you? I put years into being able to use this," I said.
"We won't stop you, Zen. Just that we will be informing our guildmaster about this discovery. I take it that he will want to speak with you after that," said Lily.
Sigh. I can't catch a break, can I? Is that the warning the Underwater Dragon King was telling me about?
"You really surprised me, onii-chan. I stayed with you for so long and I did not even know about this," said Rose.
"Oh, right. Rose, how's your wound? I am really sorry you had to block that beam with your body. I was so worried that you might be toasted after that," I asked Rose.
"It's healing. It's not too bad, really. Only my right arm that took the brunt hurt the most but it's alright," said Rose as she showed me.
It was seared but it's healing. I guess the green dragon's hide is not strong enough to mitigate all the damage from the beam.
"I'm sorry, Zen. But.. is this your sister? You never told us about her before," asked Lily.
I wanted to tell her about Rose but John whispered something to Lily. She even made an "Ehhhh?!" loudly at some point. They whispered for some time and the conversation ended with Lily squinting at me.
"W.. what?" I asked.
"Nothing," said Lily while she continued to squint at me.
"Well, I was surprised that you were even able to make a potion that can breathe underwater. What are you planning to do with that, Zen?" asked John.
"Truth be told, I don't even know. I am wondering whether I should even sell these in the first place. I don't feel like giving a monopoly to one shop if possible," I said with a thinking face.
"In that case, why don't you meet the founder of this place? I am sure he is interested in knowing the existence of this potion," said Lily.
"Are you familiar with him? Can he be trusted?" I asked.
"Hm, why don't we pay him a visit? His doors is always open to visitors," said Lily. She seems to be quite knowledgable about this place.
"Sure, why not? We can head over after we are done eating," I said.
"So, Rose. Have you seen the place around here? Why don't we take a walk?" said John.
"Huh? We did walk around a little before heading to find you," said Rose.
"There's plenty more to see. C’mon, let’s go," John said while pulling Rose by the arm.
She was kind of reluctant but John dragged her along with some of the Viking members. I thought about helping her but I understood John's intention. He was giving me some alone time with Lily. He knew that we won't be able to talk properly with Rose interjecting in between.
Silence grew between us. I didn't know how to start the conversation with her after we have not met in such a long time. I pondered on what topic to even start with.
"So.. how you been? Were you having fun with your little sister?" asked Lily.
Woah.. I sense a trick question in that. I should answer carefully indeed.
"I'm doing great. Thanks for asking. Still stuck as a Shadow Knight though. Everything's normal with Rose," I said. Did I dodge the arrow there?
"Hm.. to think that you would adopt a little sister out of the blue. Were you that lonely without me around?" said Lily.
"Well, "someone" refused to meet me after such a long time. I even went to the Elemental guild to find you but you weren't there," I said while sulking.
"Haha.. sorry about that. I was transferred to another location to train for the Elemental guild. It was something all the members have to go through. And when I finally came back, I was selected to be the shieldmaiden for the previous Viking Lord. From then on, I was busy for quite some time," said Lily.
"Really? Are you sure you weren't avoiding me instead? Last I recall, someone had a crush on me after saving her life," I said while giggling.
"T.. that was a long time ago!" shouted Lily.
I laughed at her response to which she laughed as well. After meeting her in such a long time, I am glad that we can converse normally now.
"Hey, thanks for saving me again. I really thought I was dead when I couldn't get out of the rubble. I did not even noticed that you were trying to save me from behind. All I remembered was reaching out to John when he was still so far away. I really thought that was it. I guess am fated to always be saved by you, huh?" said Lily.
I didn't really know what to say so I played with my liquid in my cup.
"So.. what was your impression of me after seeing me again in such a long time?" she asked while looking at me.
She is giving off a sexy vibe right now. And she combed her hair behind her ears! I was so enchanted by her action that I almost forgot to answer her.
Beautiful is not even the right word to describe her. She most certainly made my heart thump like crazy when I saw her. And I did not even know that it was her at that time. She has matured significantly and don’t get me started on describing her body right now.
"Truth be told, I did not even realised that I was saving you, Lily. And I certainly did not recognised you as you weren't wearing your glasses. But you have grown beautiful indeed, Lily. You changed so much in just five years," I said to her.
I can see that she is blushing. She probably forgot how direct I was. I always felt I can be honest with Lily. She is always made me feel at ease. Oh right, I almost forgot about this. I reached into my back pocket to find the bracelet that I bought. Glad that it is still there. I pondered on whether I should give it to her but what the heck, right? I've got nothing to lose anyway.
"Lily, I've got something for you. I sort of bought this bracelet on impulse when I saw it because it reminded me of you. This should suit you if you wear this," I said.
Lily was taken aback by my sudden gift. She was hesitating to even accept it as she knew it was expensive. I pulled her right hand closer and wore it on her wrist. It fits perfectly somehow. Glad I followed my instincts in buying it.
“Y.. you’re seriously giving this to me? W.. why? What about Rose?” she asked.
“Huh? What about her?” I asked her curiously.
“You don’t give trinkets to friends, Zen. You give them to someone special,” said Lily.
“Well, you are special to me which is why I am giving it to you. Just consider it as a reunion gift or something,” I said while smiling to her.
Lily stayed silent for a while as though she was pondering on a thought. She suddenly stood up and pulled me towards the back of the tavern. Where is she bringing me to?
We were at an area where there was little foot traffic. She placed both of her hands on my face and looked at me. Hang on, I just realised something. Lily is taller than me! Damn it, I really am the shortest in the group now. I started crying internally after knowing that fact.
Lily continued to stare at me with sparkling eyes. What is going in her mind by staring at me so intensely?
"Lily, what are you doing?" I asked her.
“Are you really not dating Rose? Do you really have no interest in her?” she asked.
“No, I am not dating her. And she is my little sister,” I assured her while looking at her eyes.
There was a short moment of silence before Lily started talking.
"When I thought I was about to die, what came to my mind was not my parents or anyone else. I thought of you and how I regretted in not meeting you because I was afraid that I might fall for you again. But then you saved me again and I felt over the moon. You were really cool and I instantly knew that it was you who saved me. Not to mention you were even carrying me princess style," Lily said.
I looked her in the eyes as she did mine. It was as though we were staring into each other’s soul. I can hear my heart thumping loudly in my ears. It is usually at times like this where you take notice of things that you normally wouldn’t realised. Like how I noticed that she had a mole hidden on her left eyebrow or some imperfection on her skin. But none of this took away her beauty from me. Like what she said before, no one is born perfect.
“I… don’t want to lie to myself anymore,” she said.
What does she mean by that? Wait.. is she.. going for a kiss?! Woah hey, I am not ready!
***
My daughter was covering her mouth with her hands while being in shock. I was so absorbed in my story that I completely forgot that I was telling it to her. Glad she didn't started calling her mom over at this point.
***
We kissed for a couple of seconds but it felt longer than that. Her lips were so soft. I cannot believe that Lily would be so daring to suddenly kiss me. We are not even dating yet! I can see that she was blushing when she looked away after we kissed. Her soft body was touching against me. Oh lord help me, she smells so pleasant as well. I wanted more. I placed my hands on her chin and guided her so we can kiss once more. Our lips was about to touch again when I heard Rose suddenly calling out to me.
“Onii-chan? Where did you go? We should be heading towards the founder now if you wish to speak with him," said Rose.
I looked at Lily and sighed. I lost myself in the moment and almost made a mistake. We are not even dating and I was asking for more. I told Lily that I will be heading out first while she follow after. She tugged at my cloak refusing to let me go but I told her that we can talk again another time.
"You won't be avoiding me anymore, right?" I asked her. She nodded.
I headed out to meet Rose to which she wondered where I went. I told her I went to the washroom and we can start heading out now. All the while my heart was still thumping like crazy. I am sure that Lily was feeling the same. I cannot believe that she was so bold as to kiss me out of the blue. What is going to happen between us now? Are we even going out now?
We were waiting outside the tavern when Lily came out. She probably freshen up herself seeing as she was back to normal. Oh, she is still wearing my bracelet. Shoot, Rose is quick to notice things.
"That is a nice bracelet, Lily. You weren't wearing it earlier," said Rose.
As usual Rose is always perceptive. She seems to be amazed by the beauty of the bracelet.
"Oh, a friend of mine gave it to me as a gift. I.. really like it so I decided to wear it," said Lily.
"A friend?" Rose asked and then squinted at me.
I pretended I didn't hear or see anything. I just continued walking next to John.
Rose came over and hugged my arm like she usually do. I don't take notice of this much as I was used to it. But it seems like a certain someone is definitely taking notice on this.
"Rose, do you really need to hug your brother while you are walking? He don't seems to be comfortable with it," said Lily.
"Hm? Oh, onii-chan is used to it. And besides, it's not like he thinks of me anyway," said Rose.
"What you are doing should be reserved for his lover, specifically. You are showing off the wrong message to other people," said Lily.
I looked at John with a face that screams HELP ME! but John replied with a face that can only be described as I don't know how!.
"Oh, that is fine. I belonged to onii-chan anyway. And besides, since he bought me, I am practically his slave," said Rose.
"S... slave?!" shouted Lily.
I gave Rose a bump on the head.
"What the hell, Rose? I never treated you as such before. I only treated you as my little sister. Don't go telling people something I never did to you before," I said to her.
She pouted and started sulking but continued to follow behind. Lily came up to my side and gave Rose her signature fu fu smile. I can see that, Lily, even though I wished I didn't.
We finally reached the founder's building. It was pretty modest to be honest. It was just a two-storey wooden building that looks very homey from the outside. But this should be an office building rather than a home.
I knocked on the door to which a voice can be heard that calls me to come in. Upon opening the door, a receptionist was seated there. She bowed as I approached her and asked on how she can help me. I told her that I would like to speak to the founder of this place to show him something extremely valuable. She told me that any direct selling is not allowed in this place and should be done with a merchant and such.
I told her she got the wrong message. What I want to talk to him is about venturing on a business prospect about a potion. Should he wish to venture in that prospect, then we can proceed further. Otherwise, I'll just be on my merry way.
I showed the receptionist the potion in question and she brought it to another room. We waited for a short while and was granted permission to meet with the founder. He was an elf but he looked matured. How old is he to even start looking like this? We greeted him in our language while Lily greeted him in elven language. She seems familiar with him. Turns out he is part of the Moonshine family. Just how large is the Moonshine family anyway?
“Now, is this the rumoured potion that I was hearing about? I heard reports that some people said they saw people fighting the Underwater Dragon King without wearing any helmet," said the founder while seating on this chair.
"That is right. Behold, the potion of mermaid's breath that allows you to breath underwater for around thirty minutes along with removing all restrictions of walking underwater," I said to the founder.
"Colour me intrigued but where did you get this?" asked the founder.
"I made it myself. I am quite versed in Alchemy actually and I completed it after knowing that I'll be coming here," I said.
"And how long did it took you to make this breakthrough," he asked.
"Around a month, I suppose?" I said.
"Sigh.. you made this alone in a month? I have an entire team in research and development that have been trying to create something like this for years and yet you made this in just a month" he said while feeling depressed.
"I... don't really know what to say," I said.
"Let's cut to the chase, you want to sell your recipe to me, right? Yes, I am interested. What say around.. a hundred gold coins, your currency?" said the founder.
To your average person, that might sound like a lot. But until date, I still have at least a hundred gold coins myself thanks to grandfather. You can't sway me with such small amount. Heh heh.
I gave him a thinking face while pretending to consider the offer. But I had already made up my mind on what I wanted to do with my potion recipe.
"How about hundred fifty gold coins? Or hundred seventy five? You won't get a better offer out there," said the founder.
I can see the other three drooling at the sound of such an amount offered. I, on the other hand, was unfazed.
Is he starting to panic? I did not even say anything. Or maybe he is afraid that I would rather sell it to someone else which would make that person the sole seller for selling the potion.
"Let me tell you what I have in mind. I will give you the recipe, for free," I said.
I can see the look on their faces of the three person behind me. What am I even talking about? Why should I give the recipe for free?
"But in return, no one will be able to have complete monopoly in selling my product here. Instead, I want to collect money in the form of royalty instead. For every bottle sold, I want 30% of the profit," I said to the founder.
He was taken aback by my proposal. I am sure that 30% is quite a lot as he will also want a cut of his own when selling the potions to all the merchants. But I can foresee that this will be a hot selling item. Seeing the underwater with your eyes directly is nothing short of amazing. I am sure the elves will have the money to buy it.
"How about.. 15% instead?" he said.
"Well.. maybe I'll just sell this to someone else instead then," I said while walking out the door.
"Wait, wait!" he shouted.
He brought out his calculating tool which looks foreign to me. I do not even know how to use it even if you passed it to me. After a short while of calculating, he nodded his head.
"Alright, 30% is a deal. It will be a monthly profit for you and it will be sent directly to your account on the surface. Would that suffice?" he asked while sweats were dripping on his forehead.
"Deal," I said while extending my hand towards him. We shook on it.
But of course a deal is nothing without proper paperwork. A contract must be established in order to guarantee that both sides honour their side of the deal. A person of high ranking was present when we signed three copies of the contract. One for the founder, another for me, while the last is for the city councils where all the contracts are kept safely. If they do not have a copy, your contract is either invalid or declared as fake.
But what if the city officials lose your contract? They have also recorded down in their book of records on this official date. It will take much longer for them to confirm your contract legitimacy using this method but better than outright declared as invalid.
After giving the recipe to the founder, he was stumped that the ingredients were actually cheap and the process to make was easy. But he understood why they could not create this potion. All of the ingredients listed are not things that one would like to touch voluntarily.
According to the city council, I am to stay in this city for around two days in order for them to make sure that the recipe is in fact real and the potion tested.
Two days in this city, huh? Nothing to worry about as there is so many attractions here. I am certain Rose would be very happy after hearing that.
When all is done, the three of them asked me on why I chose this method rather than outright selling. I told them that the potion will most certainly be a hit. It is something completely new to everyone and I am certain there is many rich elves that will take advantage of this. I bet there will be some filthy rich elves that will purchase the potions in bulk and sell them at a higher price. Works for me as all I want is the 30% profit. Doesn't matter who purchased it as long someone make the purchase.
It was getting late now and we had our dinner in the tavern that we first arrived here. I've already booked a night here and it would be a total waste as to not stay the night. Lily was shocked that Rose and I will be staying in a single room. She immediately asked the innkeep on whether there was another room available. Surprisingly there was another single room with two beds. I guess I'll be staying in the same room as John then.
Once we checked-in our rooms, I was actually dreading to go to bed. I can already predict what is going to happen. Kirin will be angry while Byakko will be laughing his ass off. I tried staying awake the best I could but fatigue overcame me. John was already snoring when I decided to blow off my bedside candle and prayed for a peaceful night.
***
I was sitting on the floor seiza style while Kirin was staring at me. Byakko was sitting on a rock yawning.
What the hell? Am I being convicted here?
“For you to actually use Tengu-kaze over me. I am disappointed in you,” said Kirin.
“What can I say? Like I said, I am better,” said Byakko.
“Quiet, I am talking to the boy,” said Kirin.
“It was not like I can exclusively use only Inazuma, right? I should be allowed to have the option to use a weapon depending on the situation, isn’t it?” I asked.
“And you think using Tengu-kaze was any better?” said Kirin.
“Well, he did manage to slice up the water pressure with wind pressure. Inazuma doesn’t have any specialty aside from being light-weighted,” I said.
Silence engulfs us. Byakko broke the silence by laughing out loudly.
“That’s a good one, boy!” said Byakko while he continued laughing. I didn’t think what I said was that funny.
“D.. did I say something wrong?” I asked genuinely.
“Nothing at all, boy. The reason you can use wind pressure from Tengu-kaze is because I was willing to share some of my powers with you. As to why Inazuma does not feel special to you is because Kirin deemed you as not worthy to use his powers,” said Byakko.
“I.. did not say that. I just thought that he should earn the rights before I started lending him my powers,” said Kirin.
“And when would that be? I almost died a couple of times while fighting with the Underwater Dragon King today. If it was not for the Hand of the Lightning God, who knows what would have happened,” I said while squinting at Kirin.
“And it was because of me that you found that very gauntlets which saved your life,” he said.
“Excuse me? All you did was pointed out the location of the gauntlets. You weren’t there to help me dig it which took a year, and then I had to increase my skill stats to use that which took like another three years. If anything, it was more like my own efforts that I survived today,” I said to him.
He wanted to say something but he stopped. I’m guessing he had nothing to retaliate with.
“You know what, if you’re unwilling to lend your powers, maybe I should make Tengu-kaze as my main weapon seeing that he is more generous,” I said.
“Oh ho, I am liking the sound of that,” said Byakko while smiling.
“Now wait just a moment, you shouldn’t act so rashly. You are more used to wielding Inazuma over any other weapon,” said Kirin.
“I can use either weapons just fine. If anything, I was getting the hang of using Tengu-kaze on my right hand,” I said while shrugging.
If you are going to act like that, then I should be the same. I have the right to choose a legendary weapon that is willing to lend me their powers.
“Byakko-sama, I shall officially make Tengu-kaze as my main weapon starting today,” I said to Byakko.
“OSSU!” Byakko shouted while saluting with his paw.
“Wait, WAIT!” shouted Kirin.
"Ahem.. alright. I'll start lending you some of my powers from now on," he said softly while looking to the side.
Just how much of a Tsundere can you get?
"Are you sure? You're not just saying that, right?" I said while squinting at him.
"I don't go back on my word. Although you won't be able to fully use our powers immediately. You need some time to get acclimated in using our powers," said Kirin.
I looked towards Byakko and he nodded. Seems like what he said is true.
"Alright then, I look forward to using the both of you then," I said while giving the peace sign.
I can feel myself waking up now hence my vision is turning white now.
"Hey.. wait!" shouted Kirin.
***
I opened my eyes and smiled. Never in my life did I ever thought that I can win an argument with Kirin. Feels oddly unsettling. But that did not last long.
Happiness turned to horror immediately. After turning my head, I saw Lily's face in front of me with her eyes closed. She was sleeping right next to me. What the hell happened last night when I was sleeping?!
"How are you able to use Lightning spells?!" shouted Lily.
As I thought. I was bombarded with questions as soon as we made it back into the city. We were all hanging out in one of the taverns to celebrate. It would seemed like Lily was holding back in asking her questions until now. I was seated with John, Rose and Lily. As soon as she asked that question, members of the Elemental guild came up and joined her. Am I going to get stripped and dissected?
"Um.. my gauntlets gave me that spell. You're not going to confiscate it, are you?" I asked.
All of them were speechless. I suppose none of them even thought that it was possible. It was my most hidden secret and I was not about to babble to everyone I know.
"I... see. Lightning are the Elemental guild's most favoured and exclusive spell. We take pride in being able to use fire and lightning to ourselves. To think that there was an item that can give you lightning capabilities. Not to mention superior to our own," said an Elemental member.
"You guys are not going to tell me to stop using it, are you? I put years into being able to use this," I said.
"We won't stop you, Zen. Just that we will be informing our guildmaster about this discovery. I take it that he will want to speak with you after that," said Lily.
Sigh. I can't catch a break, can I? Is that the warning the Underwater Dragon King was telling me about?
"You really surprised me, onii-chan. I stayed with you for so long and I did not even know about this," said Rose.
"Oh, right. Rose, how's your wound? I am really sorry you had to block that beam with your body. I was so worried that you might be toasted after that," I asked Rose.
"It's healing. It's not too bad, really. Only my right arm that took the brunt hurt the most but it's alright," said Rose as she showed me.
It was seared but it's healing. I guess the green dragon's hide is not strong enough to mitigate all the damage from the beam.
"I'm sorry, Zen. But.. is this your sister? You never told us about her before," asked Lily.
I wanted to tell her about Rose but John whispered something to Lily. She even made an "Ehhhh?!" loudly at some point. They whispered for some time and the conversation ended with Lily squinting at me.
"W.. what?" I asked.
"Nothing," said Lily while she continued to squint at me.
"Well, I was surprised that you were even able to make a potion that can breathe underwater. What are you planning to do with that, Zen?" asked John.
"Truth be told, I don't even know. I am wondering whether I should even sell these in the first place. I don't feel like giving a monopoly to one shop if possible," I said with a thinking face.
"In that case, why don't you meet the founder of this place? I am sure he is interested in knowing the existence of this potion," said Lily.
"Are you familiar with him? Can he be trusted?" I asked.
"Hm, why don't we pay him a visit? His doors is always open to visitors," said Lily. She seems to be quite knowledgable about this place.
"Sure, why not? We can head over after we are done eating," I said.
"So, Rose. Have you seen the place around here? Why don't we take a walk?" said John.
"Huh? We did walk around a little before heading to find you," said Rose.
"There's plenty more to see. C’mon, let’s go," John said while pulling Rose by the arm.
She was kind of reluctant but John dragged her along with some of the Viking members. I thought about helping her but I understood John's intention. He was giving me some alone time with Lily. He knew that we won't be able to talk properly with Rose interjecting in between.
Silence grew between us. I didn't know how to start the conversation with her after we have not met in such a long time. I pondered on what topic to even start with.
"So.. how you been? Were you having fun with your little sister?" asked Lily.
Woah.. I sense a trick question in that. I should answer carefully indeed.
"I'm doing great. Thanks for asking. Still stuck as a Shadow Knight though. Everything's normal with Rose," I said. Did I dodge the arrow there?
"Hm.. to think that you would adopt a little sister out of the blue. Were you that lonely without me around?" said Lily.
"Well, "someone" refused to meet me after such a long time. I even went to the Elemental guild to find you but you weren't there," I said while sulking.
"Haha.. sorry about that. I was transferred to another location to train for the Elemental guild. It was something all the members have to go through. And when I finally came back, I was selected to be the shieldmaiden for the previous Viking Lord. From then on, I was busy for quite some time," said Lily.
"Really? Are you sure you weren't avoiding me instead? Last I recall, someone had a crush on me after saving her life," I said while giggling.
"T.. that was a long time ago!" shouted Lily.
I laughed at her response to which she laughed as well. After meeting her in such a long time, I am glad that we can converse normally now.
"Hey, thanks for saving me again. I really thought I was dead when I couldn't get out of the rubble. I did not even noticed that you were trying to save me from behind. All I remembered was reaching out to John when he was still so far away. I really thought that was it. I guess am fated to always be saved by you, huh?" said Lily.
I didn't really know what to say so I played with my liquid in my cup.
"So.. what was your impression of me after seeing me again in such a long time?" she asked while looking at me.
She is giving off a sexy vibe right now. And she combed her hair behind her ears! I was so enchanted by her action that I almost forgot to answer her.
Beautiful is not even the right word to describe her. She most certainly made my heart thump like crazy when I saw her. And I did not even know that it was her at that time. She has matured significantly and don’t get me started on describing her body right now.
"Truth be told, I did not even realised that I was saving you, Lily. And I certainly did not recognised you as you weren't wearing your glasses. But you have grown beautiful indeed, Lily. You changed so much in just five years," I said to her.
I can see that she is blushing. She probably forgot how direct I was. I always felt I can be honest with Lily. She is always made me feel at ease. Oh right, I almost forgot about this. I reached into my back pocket to find the bracelet that I bought. Glad that it is still there. I pondered on whether I should give it to her but what the heck, right? I've got nothing to lose anyway.
"Lily, I've got something for you. I sort of bought this bracelet on impulse when I saw it because it reminded me of you. This should suit you if you wear this," I said.
Lily was taken aback by my sudden gift. She was hesitating to even accept it as she knew it was expensive. I pulled her right hand closer and wore it on her wrist. It fits perfectly somehow. Glad I followed my instincts in buying it.
“Y.. you’re seriously giving this to me? W.. why? What about Rose?” she asked.
“Huh? What about her?” I asked her curiously.
“You don’t give trinkets to friends, Zen. You give them to someone special,” said Lily.
“Well, you are special to me which is why I am giving it to you. Just consider it as a reunion gift or something,” I said while smiling to her.
Lily stayed silent for a while as though she was pondering on a thought. She suddenly stood up and pulled me towards the back of the tavern. Where is she bringing me to?
We were at an area where there was little foot traffic. She placed both of her hands on my face and looked at me. Hang on, I just realised something. Lily is taller than me! Damn it, I really am the shortest in the group now. I started crying internally after knowing that fact.
Lily continued to stare at me with sparkling eyes. What is going in her mind by staring at me so intensely?
"Lily, what are you doing?" I asked her.
“Are you really not dating Rose? Do you really have no interest in her?” she asked.
“No, I am not dating her. And she is my little sister,” I assured her while looking at her eyes.
There was a short moment of silence before Lily started talking.
"When I thought I was about to die, what came to my mind was not my parents or anyone else. I thought of you and how I regretted in not meeting you because I was afraid that I might fall for you again. But then you saved me again and I felt over the moon. You were really cool and I instantly knew that it was you who saved me. Not to mention you were even carrying me princess style," Lily said.
I looked her in the eyes as she did mine. It was as though we were staring into each other’s soul. I can hear my heart thumping loudly in my ears. It is usually at times like this where you take notice of things that you normally wouldn’t realised. Like how I noticed that she had a mole hidden on her left eyebrow or some imperfection on her skin. But none of this took away her beauty from me. Like what she said before, no one is born perfect.
“I… don’t want to lie to myself anymore,” she said.
What does she mean by that? Wait.. is she.. going for a kiss?! Woah hey, I am not ready!
***
My daughter was covering her mouth with her hands while being in shock. I was so absorbed in my story that I completely forgot that I was telling it to her. Glad she didn't started calling her mom over at this point.
***
We kissed for a couple of seconds but it felt longer than that. Her lips were so soft. I cannot believe that Lily would be so daring to suddenly kiss me. We are not even dating yet! I can see that she was blushing when she looked away after we kissed. Her soft body was touching against me. Oh lord help me, she smells so pleasant as well. I wanted more. I placed my hands on her chin and guided her so we can kiss once more. Our lips was about to touch again when I heard Rose suddenly calling out to me.
“Onii-chan? Where did you go? We should be heading towards the founder now if you wish to speak with him," said Rose.
I looked at Lily and sighed. I lost myself in the moment and almost made a mistake. We are not even dating and I was asking for more. I told Lily that I will be heading out first while she follow after. She tugged at my cloak refusing to let me go but I told her that we can talk again another time.
"You won't be avoiding me anymore, right?" I asked her. She nodded.
I headed out to meet Rose to which she wondered where I went. I told her I went to the washroom and we can start heading out now. All the while my heart was still thumping like crazy. I am sure that Lily was feeling the same. I cannot believe that she was so bold as to kiss me out of the blue. What is going to happen between us now? Are we even going out now?
We were waiting outside the tavern when Lily came out. She probably freshen up herself seeing as she was back to normal. Oh, she is still wearing my bracelet. Shoot, Rose is quick to notice things.
"That is a nice bracelet, Lily. You weren't wearing it earlier," said Rose.
As usual Rose is always perceptive. She seems to be amazed by the beauty of the bracelet.
"Oh, a friend of mine gave it to me as a gift. I.. really like it so I decided to wear it," said Lily.
"A friend?" Rose asked and then squinted at me.
I pretended I didn't hear or see anything. I just continued walking next to John.
Rose came over and hugged my arm like she usually do. I don't take notice of this much as I was used to it. But it seems like a certain someone is definitely taking notice on this.
"Rose, do you really need to hug your brother while you are walking? He don't seems to be comfortable with it," said Lily.
"Hm? Oh, onii-chan is used to it. And besides, it's not like he thinks of me anyway," said Rose.
"What you are doing should be reserved for his lover, specifically. You are showing off the wrong message to other people," said Lily.
I looked at John with a face that screams HELP ME! but John replied with a face that can only be described as I don't know how!.
"Oh, that is fine. I belonged to onii-chan anyway. And besides, since he bought me, I am practically his slave," said Rose.
"S... slave?!" shouted Lily.
I gave Rose a bump on the head.
"What the hell, Rose? I never treated you as such before. I only treated you as my little sister. Don't go telling people something I never did to you before," I said to her.
She pouted and started sulking but continued to follow behind. Lily came up to my side and gave Rose her signature fu fu smile. I can see that, Lily, even though I wished I didn't.
We finally reached the founder's building. It was pretty modest to be honest. It was just a two-storey wooden building that looks very homey from the outside. But this should be an office building rather than a home.
I knocked on the door to which a voice can be heard that calls me to come in. Upon opening the door, a receptionist was seated there. She bowed as I approached her and asked on how she can help me. I told her that I would like to speak to the founder of this place to show him something extremely valuable. She told me that any direct selling is not allowed in this place and should be done with a merchant and such.
I told her she got the wrong message. What I want to talk to him is about venturing on a business prospect about a potion. Should he wish to venture in that prospect, then we can proceed further. Otherwise, I'll just be on my merry way.
I showed the receptionist the potion in question and she brought it to another room. We waited for a short while and was granted permission to meet with the founder. He was an elf but he looked matured. How old is he to even start looking like this? We greeted him in our language while Lily greeted him in elven language. She seems familiar with him. Turns out he is part of the Moonshine family. Just how large is the Moonshine family anyway?
“Now, is this the rumoured potion that I was hearing about? I heard reports that some people said they saw people fighting the Underwater Dragon King without wearing any helmet," said the founder while seating on this chair.
"That is right. Behold, the potion of mermaid's breath that allows you to breath underwater for around thirty minutes along with removing all restrictions of walking underwater," I said to the founder.
"Colour me intrigued but where did you get this?" asked the founder.
"I made it myself. I am quite versed in Alchemy actually and I completed it after knowing that I'll be coming here," I said.
"And how long did it took you to make this breakthrough," he asked.
"Around a month, I suppose?" I said.
"Sigh.. you made this alone in a month? I have an entire team in research and development that have been trying to create something like this for years and yet you made this in just a month" he said while feeling depressed.
"I... don't really know what to say," I said.
"Let's cut to the chase, you want to sell your recipe to me, right? Yes, I am interested. What say around.. a hundred gold coins, your currency?" said the founder.
To your average person, that might sound like a lot. But until date, I still have at least a hundred gold coins myself thanks to grandfather. You can't sway me with such small amount. Heh heh.
I gave him a thinking face while pretending to consider the offer. But I had already made up my mind on what I wanted to do with my potion recipe.
"How about hundred fifty gold coins? Or hundred seventy five? You won't get a better offer out there," said the founder.
I can see the other three drooling at the sound of such an amount offered. I, on the other hand, was unfazed.
Is he starting to panic? I did not even say anything. Or maybe he is afraid that I would rather sell it to someone else which would make that person the sole seller for selling the potion.
"Let me tell you what I have in mind. I will give you the recipe, for free," I said.
I can see the look on their faces of the three person behind me. What am I even talking about? Why should I give the recipe for free?
"But in return, no one will be able to have complete monopoly in selling my product here. Instead, I want to collect money in the form of royalty instead. For every bottle sold, I want 30% of the profit," I said to the founder.
He was taken aback by my proposal. I am sure that 30% is quite a lot as he will also want a cut of his own when selling the potions to all the merchants. But I can foresee that this will be a hot selling item. Seeing the underwater with your eyes directly is nothing short of amazing. I am sure the elves will have the money to buy it.
"How about.. 15% instead?" he said.
"Well.. maybe I'll just sell this to someone else instead then," I said while walking out the door.
"Wait, wait!" he shouted.
He brought out his calculating tool which looks foreign to me. I do not even know how to use it even if you passed it to me. After a short while of calculating, he nodded his head.
"Alright, 30% is a deal. It will be a monthly profit for you and it will be sent directly to your account on the surface. Would that suffice?" he asked while sweats were dripping on his forehead.
"Deal," I said while extending my hand towards him. We shook on it.
But of course a deal is nothing without proper paperwork. A contract must be established in order to guarantee that both sides honour their side of the deal. A person of high ranking was present when we signed three copies of the contract. One for the founder, another for me, while the last is for the city councils where all the contracts are kept safely. If they do not have a copy, your contract is either invalid or declared as fake.
But what if the city officials lose your contract? They have also recorded down in their book of records on this official date. It will take much longer for them to confirm your contract legitimacy using this method but better than outright declared as invalid.
After giving the recipe to the founder, he was stumped that the ingredients were actually cheap and the process to make was easy. But he understood why they could not create this potion. All of the ingredients listed are not things that one would like to touch voluntarily.
According to the city council, I am to stay in this city for around two days in order for them to make sure that the recipe is in fact real and the potion tested.
Two days in this city, huh? Nothing to worry about as there is so many attractions here. I am certain Rose would be very happy after hearing that.
When all is done, the three of them asked me on why I chose this method rather than outright selling. I told them that the potion will most certainly be a hit. It is something completely new to everyone and I am certain there is many rich elves that will take advantage of this. I bet there will be some filthy rich elves that will purchase the potions in bulk and sell them at a higher price. Works for me as all I want is the 30% profit. Doesn't matter who purchased it as long someone make the purchase.
It was getting late now and we had our dinner in the tavern that we first arrived here. I've already booked a night here and it would be a total waste as to not stay the night. Lily was shocked that Rose and I will be staying in a single room. She immediately asked the innkeep on whether there was another room available. Surprisingly there was another single room with two beds. I guess I'll be staying in the same room as John then.
Once we checked-in our rooms, I was actually dreading to go to bed. I can already predict what is going to happen. Kirin will be angry while Byakko will be laughing his ass off. I tried staying awake the best I could but fatigue overcame me. John was already snoring when I decided to blow off my bedside candle and prayed for a peaceful night.
***
I was sitting on the floor seiza style while Kirin was staring at me. Byakko was sitting on a rock yawning.
What the hell? Am I being convicted here?
“For you to actually use Tengu-kaze over me. I am disappointed in you,” said Kirin.
“What can I say? Like I said, I am better,” said Byakko.
“Quiet, I am talking to the boy,” said Kirin.
“It was not like I can exclusively use only Inazuma, right? I should be allowed to have the option to use a weapon depending on the situation, isn’t it?” I asked.
“And you think using Tengu-kaze was any better?” said Kirin.
“Well, he did manage to slice up the water pressure with wind pressure. Inazuma doesn’t have any specialty aside from being light-weighted,” I said.
Silence engulfs us. Byakko broke the silence by laughing out loudly.
“That’s a good one, boy!” said Byakko while he continued laughing. I didn’t think what I said was that funny.
“D.. did I say something wrong?” I asked genuinely.
“Nothing at all, boy. The reason you can use wind pressure from Tengu-kaze is because I was willing to share some of my powers with you. As to why Inazuma does not feel special to you is because Kirin deemed you as not worthy to use his powers,” said Byakko.
“I.. did not say that. I just thought that he should earn the rights before I started lending him my powers,” said Kirin.
“And when would that be? I almost died a couple of times while fighting with the Underwater Dragon King today. If it was not for the Hand of the Lightning God, who knows what would have happened,” I said while squinting at Kirin.
“And it was because of me that you found that very gauntlets which saved your life,” he said.
“Excuse me? All you did was pointed out the location of the gauntlets. You weren’t there to help me dig it which took a year, and then I had to increase my skill stats to use that which took like another three years. If anything, it was more like my own efforts that I survived today,” I said to him.
He wanted to say something but he stopped. I’m guessing he had nothing to retaliate with.
“You know what, if you’re unwilling to lend your powers, maybe I should make Tengu-kaze as my main weapon seeing that he is more generous,” I said.
“Oh ho, I am liking the sound of that,” said Byakko while smiling.
“Now wait just a moment, you shouldn’t act so rashly. You are more used to wielding Inazuma over any other weapon,” said Kirin.
“I can use either weapons just fine. If anything, I was getting the hang of using Tengu-kaze on my right hand,” I said while shrugging.
If you are going to act like that, then I should be the same. I have the right to choose a legendary weapon that is willing to lend me their powers.
“Byakko-sama, I shall officially make Tengu-kaze as my main weapon starting today,” I said to Byakko.
“OSSU!” Byakko shouted while saluting with his paw.
“Wait, WAIT!” shouted Kirin.
"Ahem.. alright. I'll start lending you some of my powers from now on," he said softly while looking to the side.
Just how much of a Tsundere can you get?
"Are you sure? You're not just saying that, right?" I said while squinting at him.
"I don't go back on my word. Although you won't be able to fully use our powers immediately. You need some time to get acclimated in using our powers," said Kirin.
I looked towards Byakko and he nodded. Seems like what he said is true.
"Alright then, I look forward to using the both of you then," I said while giving the peace sign.
I can feel myself waking up now hence my vision is turning white now.
"Hey.. wait!" shouted Kirin.
***
I opened my eyes and smiled. Never in my life did I ever thought that I can win an argument with Kirin. Feels oddly unsettling. But that did not last long.
Happiness turned to horror immediately. After turning my head, I saw Lily's face in front of me with her eyes closed. She was sleeping right next to me. What the hell happened last night when I was sleeping?!
