"What?! Ilgor, you're not lying are you?"
"Of course not? I never lie about my master's intentions. They'll be there soon, so please prepare for their arrival. Also, he's with Argyle from the Fat Goose," stated Ilgor.
"Argyle is with him?! But he's not a guild member!"
"I believe he's been hired to help the guild master. There's another man with them, but I'm not sure who he is or what level he is," explained Ilgor. "All I know is that they'll be at your store soon, so please be ready to receive them."
"Of course! We'll be more than ready. Thank you for the heads up, Ilgor."
The woman ended her conversation with Ilgor, but she didn't put her contact crystal away. Instead, she called someone else. "Lord Quallace, I have some important news!"
"Milda, it better be good. I'm not in the mood for bad news," groaned Quallace.
"It's great news! So great, that I had to inform you immediately. Tralon will be opening the storehouse."
"WHAT?!" Quallace crushed his calming cup of tea in shock. "Say that again, and you'd better not be lying to me!"
"Lord Quallace, Ilgor just called me and informed me that Tralon, along with Argyle and another unknown man, is on his way to gather supplies at your Potion House," Milda informed her boss. "Also, they'll be visiting Steel Works, so I imagine that Lord Bikkem will also be informed about this."
"So that's why Argyle's back in town…" A devilish smile crept onto Quallace's face. "It makes sense now… I'll be informing the other council members. Try and stall them for as long as possible while we start making preparations."
"Of course, Lord--"
"Hello! Where's the attendant?!"
Startled, Milda stated, "They're here, sir. I'll stall as long as I can."
"Good, You're services are greatly appreciated, Milda."
Milda fixed her hair and made sure her dress was properly attended to before she emerged from the back room of the Potion House. "Tralon, thank you for choosing Potion House. I've been told you're going on quite an endeavor. Are you really opening up the storehouse?"
"Of course we are, why else would we have Ilgor spread the word," in place of Tralon, Jack answered. "Now, we're in a hurry so please gather ten high potions, twenty high health potions, and twenty high elixirs."
"S-so many high-quality potions? Is the storehouse that dangerous?" Using her shock to her advantage, Milda put on an act in order to stall.
"Yes, now quickly gather the order or we'll be forced to not choose the Potion House," Jack added with a smile.
Thrown off by Jack's bluntness, Milda asked, "Tralon, who is--"
"He's my son-in-law," Argyle answered, "And we're both in a hurry, so please make haste. Otherwise, we'll go elsewhere."
"N-no worries. I'll be right back with your order."
"If you're not back here in one minute, we walk out," Jack shouted as Milda turned to enter the back room.
"B-but sir--"
"59… 58…" Argyle began to count, thoroughly enjoying Jack's way of doing things.
"Y-yes, sir!"
Milda dashed into the back room, not daring to act any longer. Such an order was monumental to the Potion House. Even if Quallace was the owner and her boss, the commission Milda would make off such an order would almost be equal to a year's salary.
"10… 9…" Jack had joined Argyle in counting while Tralon hid his laughter behind a straight face.
"Here you are, sirs!" Milda rushed out of the backroom, not daring to let this sale slip through her fingers. Now at the counter, she waved her hand and placed fifty bottles in front of the three men. "Here are your ten high potions, twenty high health potions, and twenty high elixirs. Will that be all?"
"Yes, that will be all. Thank you for your great service. Keep the tip!" Jack replaced the fifty potions with a heavy coin purse, making Milda's eyes shine as the three men exited the potion house.
"Thank you! Come again next time!"
She eagerly started counting, enthusiastic to find that Jack was such a great tipper.
"Milda… Milda!"
"Y-yes, Lord Quallace?" Milda took out her contact crystal, forgetting that she had to report back to the owner.
"Why are they already at Steel Works? We're you supposed to stall them?!" Quallace shouted.
"B-but, sir, they were about to walk out. I could either fill the order quickly or they would leave without buying the fifty potions."
"F-fifty potions?!" Even Quallace was caught off guard by such a high number. "What did they order?"
"They ordered ten high potions, twenty high health potions, and twenty high elixirs."
"That much?!" Startled, Quallace wasn't sure how to handle this. "But… That's practically our entire stock?! How could Tralon afford that?"
"We'll just make more. We don't get many orders for high-quality potions that often."
"But, Milda, we'll need some potions as well!"
"What?! You never told me that!"
"I… Either way, I'll need the remaining high-quality potions. What's left?"
Milda sighed, "We've got one high potion, three high health potions, and two high elixirs."
"That's it? That's all?"
"That's all we have left till I finish another batch, but that will take a month or so," Milda explained. "And don't you dare blame me for not having enough! It's not my fault, and I'll quit before I take your abuse."
She was more willing to stand up for herself now that she had earned a year's worth of gold in a single day. Milda was confident that her potion skills would find her another job by the time she needed money again.
"Y-you… Fine… Just start making the next batch, and double it this time."
"Okay, but don't get mad at me when I come back from buying all the extra ingredients, Lord Quallace." Milda smiled and put her contact crystal away. Her day had taken a turn for the better.
*****
"Wait! Come back! Please, sir, we'll--"
"I gave you two minutes and you failed miserably!" Jack shouted. "I'm a man of my word, so we're leaving and that's that."
"But--"
"But what?" Argyle turned around and stared the clerk in the eye.
Feeling Argyle's invisible pressure the clerk whimpered, "P-please sir! If you leave now, then--"
"I don't care what happens to you or the shop," Argyle stated. "I'm always prepared for adventures, so we can make do without you this time. But don't expect us to come back based on your poor service toward high-paying clients."
"Wait! Sir, please come back! Wait!"
The clerk at Steel Works was groveling at the front steps of the large storefront, watching the biggest order of his life slip through his fingers. And it was all because of the command he had received from the owner, Lord Bikkem.
If Lord Bikkem hadn't demanded the clerk to take at least five minutes to complete the order, the clerk would've become a rich man. It was either he lost his job or he lost the biggest sale he'd ever receive. Either choice was terrible, but the clerk felt he had chosen incorrectly in the end.
"That was quite cold, Jack. Are you sure I should've done that?" Argyle whispered.
"Don't lie. You enjoyed it, didn't you?"
"Sure, but that doesn't mean it was the right thing to do. I've heard great things about Steel Works."
Jack laughed, "So what? We only did that to grab the attention of the council members. But we did get lucky that the lady finished our order so quickly. I imagine that the council members won't have that many potions left for themselves."
"But wouldn't they have some on hand?" asked Argyle.
"No, I doubt they have more than two high health potions on their person, if that," added Tralon. "Unlike you, after they attained their high levels the other council members have been living a lush lifestyle without any practice or training for years."
"Whaaat?! Are they crazy?!"
"I would say yes, but that just shows you why they don't take the war effort seriously. They're so focused on making more money or gaining more influence that they ignore Trodar's flaws and needs."
"We'll change that soon," Jack stated. "But for now, let's make our way to the storehouse."