"Why are there two different batches?" Liora asked when she noticed the wall standing between the two groups of crates inside the wagon. She stopped inspecting Thariel's recent delivery and faced the Damphir, "they're the same potions aren't they?"

  "One is made by me and the other is by someone else," Thariel expined, she pointed to the other hooded figure standing next to her. "Sylka is learning how to make potions with me, this is her first batch so I thought it was better to separate them,"

  She took the bme for this one, in truth, Sylka wanted to separate the batches because she didn't feel that what she made was up to Thariel's- whatever that is in her own feelings, - standard.

  Thariel agreed with it, but not for the same reason. She wanted Sylka to have profits of her own and this was a good way of doing that.

  She'd tell the Kobold about buying her own stuff after this and see what Sylka comes up with.

  She's also curious if Sylka would buy different materials for the same potions, and if that's the case, would what she buys be different from what Thariel usually gets? And are they going to be more efficient/cost effective?

  It was a good way to see if she could make her own potions cheaper to make without losing quality. But that's assuming Sylka deviates from what Thariel taught her, which Thariel felt is unlikely given Sylka's personality.

  She's been with Sylka for a week now, and during that time they've talked and learned more about each other. Thariel, at first, thought that her suspicion of Sylka idolizing her were just that- suspicions.

  Over time though, she realized that the Kobold was actually hanging onto her every word like it was a lifeline. Everything Thariel says would be followed exactly the way she said it by Sylka. She's been careful when talking to the Kobold ever since.

  Eventually, Sylka asked Thariel to teach her how to make potions since she wanted to be useful and Thariel decided that it wouldn't hurt to do so.

  It was during their lessons that she learned Sylka is a compulsive perfectionist when it comes to following instructions.

  She'd do exactly what she was told. Like how much she needed to stir, or how many cups, grams, and pinches of ingredients she needed to use.

  It was strange but also fascinating because Sylka and her compulsory habit got her to learn how to make high quality potions in less than a week.

  And now they are here.

  "You made potions before?" Liora addressed Sylka.

  Thariel understood the confusion that the merchant felt, because there wasn't a single difference in quality when it comes to both batches and without the wooden pnk separating them, no one would be able to tell that they were made by two different people.

  Her saying that she was teaching Sylka probably made Liora's confusion worse.

  "Yes, I know how to make potions- I have made them before," Sylka answered amidst Thariel's internal ramblings, "I have learned under the shaman of my tribe in the past,"

  "That makes sense," hummed Liora. The answer must have been satisfactory because she nodded and went back to inspecting the product. "These aren't bad," she complimented, "they're almost as good as Thariel's."

  Almost? Thariel stopped her musings and focused on Liora. She's sure that what Sylka made are as good as hers though?

  "I'll buy and sell them at the same price, as always," Liora turned away from the wagon and started counting gold coins from her pouch. She handed it to Thariel moments ter, "here,"

  Thariel took the coin with a smile, "I'll be back here in three days for another batch,"

  "I hope so, I've gotten a lot of sales tely," Liora replied before facing Sylka. "Keep making potions, you're good at it."

  Sylka silently nodded.

  Thariel let the interaction pass before saying, "we'll take our leave now I think. We still have one more thing left to do around here,"

  "Of course," Liora gestured to the side. She looked at her left, where a stack of items that Thariel ordered for Sylka as well as their ingredients sat idle. "I'll load your items into your wagon after I take out the potions,"

  "Thank you," Thariel gratefully said, "we'll be back immediately, we just have to do one st thing."

  Thariel noticed Sylka taking in the scenery as they walked around town. It most likely felt new to her so Thariel let her be. She did have to speak up after a bit though.

  "Remember that gift I told you about?" Thariel started.

  "Yes?" Sylka looked around curiously, "is it here?"

  "Yep," She had ask to prepare this particur gift ever since she came back to Streamwise so it should be done by now.

  After she got her bow, she realized that she didn't really need a gun anymore but she still put a lot of thought into it so instead of scrapping the project entirely, she decided to get the local bcksmith to make it on his own and the resulting weapon would be given to Sylka.

  She did modify a few things though.

  Flintlocks were rare to see, but they're not non-existent so the bcksmith should know how to make one. He seemed confident enough to do so a week ago.

  They arrived at the smithy and got greeted by Terrik.

  The smith nodded at the Damphir in greeting first and then towards Sylka. Seeing her made him pause and quirk an eyebrow. He looked at Thariel in barely hidden shock, "is she your child?"

  What? No!

  "No, she's a friend." Thariel denied vehemently, "she's the one I'm giving the gun to as well," she expined and eyed the bundle of cloth the smith is holding, "is that it?"

  "Yes, I knew you came to town every three days and today was one of your scheduled deliveries so I prepared it as quickly as I can," the smith unwrapped the bundle and showed the finished product to Thariel.

  She wasn't good at eyeing the quality of guns but it looked pretty good. She threw Sylka a side gnce to see how the Kobold felt about it but didn't get anything from her expression.

  "That looks good," Thariel said, she took the gun from the smith and then handed him the rest of the payment.

  As they left, Sylka asked her a question, "what is this?" She looked at Thariel with an incomprehensible expression, "some kind of strange contraption?"

  "A gun- a weapon." Thariel corrected, "it's like a bow, but you don't need to learn how to use it, or train to be able to. You just need to press the trigger and it'll shoot out a circur ball of iron at anyone in front of it."

  "Isn't that wasteful?" Sylka asked.

  "We'll dig the corpses for bullets if you want." Thariel didn't want to but the determined nod that Sylka replied with obviously meant that they will.

  "Is this the trigger? It's not shooting anything." Sylka commented while repeatedly pressing said trigger.

  "It's not loaded yet, I'll tell you how to do it when we get back," Thariel expined, "you'll also start to learn how to use it back home since we can't practice here, it's too dangerous."

  And also illegal enough to get them imprisoned.

  "I thought I didn't need to train to use this?" Sylka asked.

  "Well... you still do, you can't miraculously aim perfectly when you first fire it after all." Thariel answered, "that's what you'll be practicing when we get back your aim."

  "I see. Why?" Sylka asked, Thariel looked at her, asking to eborate. "Why do I need to learn how to use this?"

  Thariel grinned, "Because we're gonna register ourselves as adventurers."

  "We'll leave?" Sylka sounded disheartened.

  "What? No." That would be stupid, the viliness would come here soon. "We'll only be taking quests locally, or on the nearby towns and vilges- actually, the ones at the vilges will end up here."

  "So, what do you say? Do you wanna become an adventurer?" Thariel asked.

  "Can I ask what that is? I think I misinterpreted it the first time."

  Thariel inhaled, well this is going to be a lengthy expnation.