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Anlesa watched as the delivery man walked off with the remaining potions and the apothecary’s owner grumbled as she walked back inside her shop.

Before they walked in, they had to make a quick decision. This was something they had thought about before but Luna wanted to confirm their decision.

[How should we do the talking? Our… usual style is not going to work anymore] (Luna)

[Me and Eva will handle the talking.] (Syrus)

[...Okay… I am ready.] (Eva)

[You okay, Eva?] (Syrus)

[Yep! I have been preparing for this.] (Eva)

[Okay, but after this, I want to step up my ‘identity’.] (Luna)

[Sure, do you have any ideas for that?] (Eva)

[Yes.] (Luna)

Their current look, which was meant to be an in-between of Anlesa and Syrus, was going to be controlled primarily by Syrus, backed up by Eva. The hope was that once Eva trained Morph further, she would close the gap between Syrus’s looks. Which was why they were using Syrus’s name at the moment.

Of course, they could create new names, and maybe one day, when they were properly disguising themselves, they would, but for the time being, they still wanted to be called by their proper names.

However, the obvious issue here was that Luna had no part in this identity. She could use her attribute in case of an emergency, but by all accounts, she would be left quietly in the body, and that wasn’t something that was going to be allowed to happen. Eva especially wanted Luna to have time to breathe, and Luna herself had activities she wanted to do around town. It would be the first time she would be free to do so, after all.

Anna entered the shop, and the apothecary placed the potions behind the counter. The shop was small; only a quarter of it was for customers. The large counter blocked people from getting past, and on the other side was the apothecary workshop. Also a small bed for injured people.

Syrus spoke more calmly to match Eva’s. “Hello,” Syrus wasn’t really close to matching Eva’s tone at all, but keeping their voices toned to a default setting was going to help with the disguise.

“Ergh, welcome to mine, Ash Evelen’s store. What do you want to buy?” She replied in a monotone voice with a clearly rehearsed line.

“Nah, here to ask if it is possible to sell you potions and medical supplies?”

Ash spat. “Another bloody wannabe alchemist?”

[...] (Eva)

“Wannabe huh?” Syrus said.

Eva spoke; she tried to copy Syrus' tone, “Amberline flower, Cleraliaty Corn, and Salt.” She wasn’t perfect, but from the perspective of copying each other's voices, she did a better job than Syrus. Of course, their actual voices were the same–same body and all that–but due to the nature of how they articulated words, even small differences with how they moved their mouth to say the same thing it made possible to tell a difference, and that difference was what they were trying to reduce.

Ash recognised the ingredients for a simple painkiller, but it took more than ingredients to make it. “So you know recipes, big deal–” Ash paused, as the beakers and supplies behind the counter floated around for a moment.

Ash had been around a few people with that attribute, and she knew the feeling of it was Manipulation.

“Why the fuck are you even here and not looking for a job anywhere else.”

Syrus shrugged and pointed her thumb over her shoulder to the door behind her. “Why the hell would I want to work with those bastards?”

Ash figured she was referring to the previous guests with that comment. “There are multiple different companies!”

Syrus raised her hands in front of her, like she was surrendering. “What can I say? I don’t feel like it. I do things at my own pace.”

It was Ash‘s turn to give up “...So if you did make me potions, it would just be whenever you felt like it?”

“Pretty much.”

“Argh.” Ash groaned, her head staring at the cracks in the ceiling. “Show me you aren’t just bluffing first.” Ash opened the latch to allow Anna be on her side of the counter. “Do you have any goods or do you want to make something here?”

“You got Elart Weeds and Hormones Nectar on the bench, I’ll make something here.”

“Aren’t you a little too young to drink?”

Eva didn’t respond; she walked to a large bowl lifted up on a metal frame. It wasn’t perfect for the job but it was fine.

[Will you be okay, Lilly?] (Luna)

[Yes… It’s just been a long time.] (Eva)

“Well, if you are really going to go ahead with it, do you want me to get the candle out?”

Eva replied, “No, everything will be fine.”

[Syrus.] (Eva)

[Yes?] (Syrus)

[Can you feel the mana flowing in my hand?] (Eva)

[Course?] (Syrus)

[Okay, on the tips of my fingers, create fire.] Eva began to explain. [Just start off weak and pull more mana there if I want you to increase it.] (Eva)

[Gotcha.] (Syrus)

The brewing process began. On the scale of difficulty, this was by far one of the easiest potions Eva had to make, but like all of them, it was one she had failed many times.

She used Manipulation to mix the ingredients, carefully mixing different amounts of them and filling them with sets of mana in rhythm with the pulsing flame.

After fifteen minutes Eva was finally done.

[...I did it…] (Eva)

The golden bowl shone, reflecting the wall’s candle lights.

“Fuck that shit is strong.” Ash leaned over for a sniff, very impressed with the outcome.

Eva asked, “Is it fine if I come here to make things?”

Ash nodded, “Sure, if you are selling them; I got a tiny room in the back if you want privacy. Can’t help you with the ingredients though.”

“That’s fine.”

They spent some time discussing the terms of the deal, and Ash paid Eva for example. After that successful venture, Anna left the building and left to go find a house.

While walking down the street, Syrus had to ask, [Anway Eva, how do you know how to make that alcoholic potion? Doesn’t seem like something they would teach in school.]

[Oh they did in fact. I mean, it is technically not alcohol, but it is related. Also, it was popular to sell…] Eva remembered the times when it was only thanks to that potion she paid rent for the month.

[Okay, does it taste any good?] (Syrus)

[How should I know?] (Eva)

[You made it before?] (Syrus)

[And?] (Eva)

[You had the ability to make your own alcohol, and you never drank it?] (Syrus)

[Yes? I don’t see what the problem is.] (Eva)

[Luna, back me up.] (Syrus)

[Eh, alcohol is overrated. The amount I was forced to drink for events was ludicrous.] (Luna)

[What the hell is wrong with you two?] (Syrus)