Testing My Luck in the New World

After our trip to the tailor, we headed for the next and only place on our itinerary that I really didn't want to go.

The Apothecary's shop seemed to loom over us in its spot in the backend of the Merchant's District. Nothing had changed other than the area being brighter than it was last time we were here due to the time. Though, I suppose it did also lack that distinctly disgusting scent we'd suffered through last time, but that wasn't enough to make me want to be here. With these scant differences likely to appear on everyone else's list of improvements for the location, I couldn't help but feel as though the stairs leading up to the shop had become infinitely longer. Without meaning to, I froze not when I set foot on the first step, but when Yua did.

I knew the reason for this apprehension, of course. It's because I managed to piss off the owner yesterday. I spent most of my life either bullshitting my way through problematic conversations, avoiding them, or taking them much more seriously than the situation required, according to those around me anyways, but it was exceedingly rare for me to have actually pissed someone off.

What I didn't know was how to deal with the Apothecary now that I had. I wasn't any good at dealing with people that were already pissed off at me. And frankly, I didn't know how anyone could be. I noticed early on in our conversation yesterday that her love for her job was a bit out there, but I still went ahead and accidentally insulted her hard work by comparing it to a similar product that was apparently garbage. We parted on what seemed like good terms, but that could have been because she was too tired to deal with me any more than she already had. She certainly looked the part, anyways.

Now how was I supposed to deal with her? We needed to buy more potions, but what if she turned us down because of what happened? She's the only Apothecary in the city, right? Yua said she was. And because my memory of the row of potions available at the general store was oddly clear, I knew they didn't have any Health Potions available.

The image of Yua getting hurt in the boss fight yesterday made me clench my fist and...

"Master," Yua said. "Is something wrong?"

Having already made it up a few steps while I lingered on the sidewalk, my foot still only half-way on the first, Yua stopped and turned back to me. There was not a trace of concern on her face, as if she had forgotten what happened yesterday, which seemed unlikely since she went out of her way to complain about it at the time.

How could she not be worried that...

No. No. Stop worrying. Stop always worrying about everything. Just go. If the tiny witch is still upset, I'll just apologize again.

Yea. Stop being stupid for five seconds and just go talk to her. Debating the issue with myself is only wasting time we don't have.

Goddess... Why do I even have to tell myself this when it seems so obvious?

"I'm fine. Just... hungry, I guess."

"Hmm. Do you want to get breakfast first, then?"

Yua took a step down, towards me, as if she'd already decided that I'd answered in the affirmative.

"No, not yet. The potions are more important right now. She didn't seem to have too many in stock yesterday, so I want to get them before they sell out."

"Well, if Master says so. But I've never seen them sell out before."

With a shrug, Yua turned back and grabbed the door for me. Again, without my asking her to. Considering how I used to be the one to go out of my way to hold the door for random people to try and be pointlessly nice, only to get rebuffed or ignored for my efforts, this was going to take some getting used to.