chapter 82 given healing potion

The Price of Trickery – Veryon's Suspicion Grows

The alchemy workshop carried the scent of dried herbs and faintly burning charcoal. Small cauldrons bubbled quietly in the background, their contents swirling in deep shades of red and blue. Glass vials lined the wooden shelves, carefully arranged by potency and rarity.

Veryon stretched his arms with a satisfied sigh, dusting off his hands as he gestured toward a sturdy wooden crate.

"Fifty healing potions, freshly brewed," he announced, patting the crate with a sense of pride. "No impurities, extended shelf life, and the highest-grade mixture I've ever made." He smirked. "You won't find better in Greenhaven."

Kaelith barely glanced at the potions before reaching into his pocket and pulling out five gleaming gold coins. Without a word, he casually tossed them onto the table.

Clink. Clink. Clink.

The sharp sound of pure gold hitting wood echoed through the dimly lit room.

Veryon's confident posture froze.

His eyes darted toward the stack of gold, the warm candlelight reflecting off its polished surface. The workshop, which had been alive with the faint crackling of alchemical reactions, suddenly felt too quiet.

Kaelith watched in amusement as Veryon's brain visibly short-circuited.

Slowly, the alchemist tilted his head, his expression blank.

"…Huh?"

Kaelith crossed his arms. "Payment. What? Too little?"

Veryon didn't respond. Instead, he stepped forward and cautiously picked up one of the gold coins, rolling it between his fingers.

It was real. Solid. Heavy. Pure gold.

His fingers tightened around the coin as he narrowed his eyes at Kaelith.

"You're messing with me." His voice was suspicious.

Kaelith smirked. "Am I?"

Veryon let out a short breath, almost a laugh, but there was too much disbelief in his expression. He ran a hand through his hair before leaning onto the table, staring directly at Kaelith.

"…Okay. Tell me the truth." He twirled the coin between his fingers, watching Kaelith's expression carefully. "Who did you scam?"

Kaelith blinked. "Excuse me?"

Veryon exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "There's no way in hell you just 'earned' this fairly. You expect me to believe you pulled five gold out of nowhere? Gold is not that easy to come by, Kaelith."

He lifted one eyebrow before leaning closer, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"You fooled a female NPC, didn't you?"

Kaelith's smirk widened just slightly. He neither confirmed nor denied it—just let the silence linger.

Veryon groaned loudly, rubbing his temples.

"Gods… I knew it. I freaking knew it." He let his hands fall dramatically onto the table. "Who was it? Some merchant? A noble? You didn't try to mess with an aristocrat, did you?"

Kaelith simply shrugged. "Does it matter?"

Veryon dragged a hand down his face. "Of course it matters! If some noble figures out you scammed them, I'm not getting dragged into the aftermath!"

Kaelith chuckled, shaking his head. "Relax. Nobody's coming after us."

Veryon wasn't convinced. He narrowed his eyes, flipping the gold coin one more time before pocketing it.

Then, he exhaled and leaned back, arms crossed.

"…You're going to get me involved in something ridiculous again, aren't you?"

Kaelith's smirk didn't fade. "Probably."

Veryon sighed dramatically, clicking his tongue. "Fine, fine. But if I hear even a whisper about some noble looking for their missing gold, I'm barricading myself in this workshop."

Kaelith laughed under his breath.

Too late.

The Alchemy of Tears – Veryon's Overreaction

The soft glow of candlelight flickered across the wooden shelves, casting long shadows over bubbling cauldrons and neatly arranged glass vials. The workshop smelled of crushed herbs, faintly burnt charcoal, and the unmistakable sweetness of freshly brewed healing potions.

Kaelith carefully examined a vial of bright red liquid, swirling it slightly before placing it back onto the table. "We should try a new design."

Veryon, who had just finished sealing the last batch of potions, perked up. "New design?"

Kaelith nodded, tapping the side of a glass bottle. "Yeah. Maybe a potion that doesn't just restore health but boosts regeneration for a few seconds. Something different."

Veryon wiped his hands on a cloth, tilting his head thoughtfully. "That's… actually a good idea. But finding the right balance will be tricky." He frowned. "You can't just throw extra herbs in and hope for the best, you know."

Kaelith smirked. "Obviously."

He stepped back, stretching his arms before casually adding, "I'll see if I can find any new designs while I'm out."

Silence.

Then, Veryon suddenly dropped the cloth and grabbed Kaelith's shoulders, his eyes wide with exaggerated betrayal.

"Are you having an affair?!"

Kaelith froze. "…What."

Veryon's lips trembled. His hands clutched Kaelith's shoulders as if his world had just shattered.

"You're going to another alchemist, aren't you?" he accused, his voice shaking. "That's why you're suddenly looking for 'new designs.' You're seeing someone else!"

Kaelith stared. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Veryon dramatically wiped at his eyes. "After everything we've been through?! After all the potions I made for you?! You're betraying me just like this?!"

Kaelith sighed, rubbing his temples. "You need help."

Veryon sniffled. "If you're meeting another alchemist… please take me too."

Kaelith sighed even louder. "You really, really need help."

Veryon clutched his chest as if in pain. "You wound me, Kaelith." He sniffled again, pretending to wipe away tears. "At least let me watch… I can handle it."

Kaelith turned away, grabbing a nearby potion and shoving it into Veryon's hands. "Here. Drink this."

Veryon blinked. "…Is this poison?"

"I wish."