Chronicles of Legends

Volume 4 Chapter 1 - Windsom's Potions and Medicines

Suddenly, a haggard voice startled me out of my stupor. "Spare some change, young lad?" Beside me sat a pale, old man with a hand outstretched, palms up.

I took a step back in surprise, instinctively layering my body with mana. How did I not sense this old man, who was almost right next to me?

"You look like you've seen a ghost, young lad. I'm just a mere aged man asking for some change," the old man said with a pearly white smile that didn't match his ragged state.

"Ah, sure," I replied, reaching into my pocket for a copper coin. I took the opportunity to take a closer look at the old man's face.

The old man's thick, uncombed bed of pepper-tinted hair fell down to his slightly hunched shoulders as he looked up at me with milky eyes. Despite his ragged appearance, his wizened face didn't come off as weak and weary to me, but rather intelligent and bright for some reason. It was easy to imagine that this man was probably very handsome in his youth, which made me feel a bit disheartened seeing him end up like this.

"Many thanks, young lad," he said as his gnarled hands nimbly grabbed the coin out of my hand with a speed that surprised me.

As he held the coin between his middle and index fingers, I noticed that it was silver instead of copper. I had given him a hundred copper coins by mistake!

"Wait... I meant to give you this..." I quickly reached into my pocket again, making sure that this time, the coin in my hand was indeed copper. But when I looked back up, the old man was nowhere to be found.

"What the f..." I stood there, bewildered for the third time in the last five minutes. It was clear that I had just been scammed, and I couldn't help but feel frustrated at my own carelessness.

As I approached the entrance to Windsom's potion shack, I hesitated before grasping the handle of the weathered wooden door. The texture of the knob was rough and splintered, and I could sense an unusual concentration of mana emanating from it. As a precaution, I summoned my own mana and enveloped my hand before attempting to turn the knob.

A sharp jolt of energy surged through my arm as I twisted the knob, but I managed to maintain my grip and push open the door. As I stepped inside, I was immediately assaulted by an overwhelming stench that made me cough and gag.

"Ah, a customer!" a voice called out from the back of the dimly lit room. "What can I do for you?"

I recognized the voice instantly and whirled around to face the source. To my surprise, it was the same old man who had disappeared after I mistakenly gave him a silver coin.

"You!" I exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him. 

"What brings you in here?" He looked at me with an innocent expression.

I let out an exasperated sigh as I faced the old man, my hand still extended towards him. "Look, I really just need my coin back. I can't afford to be handing out silver pieces like it's nothing."

The old man's expression shifted from innocent to indignant. "I assure you, young man, that I am not some beggar on the street. I am but a humble old man trying to make a living."

I pulled my hand back, realizing I was getting nowhere with this argument. "Fine, but can you at least give me something worth the value of that coin? I need it for important things."

The old man's face brightened up at my suggestion. "Ah, I see. Well then, I'm sure we can find something here that will suit your needs."

I raised an eyebrow skeptically. The store was filled with dusty shelves and half-open boxes, and the air was thick with a pungent odor that made me want to gag.