Witch Taming System-Chapter 9: Apothecary [2]

"Ah, so firm~ The shape is impressive, too. I imagine you’re quite popular in bed~"

Lancel could only stare.

A woman had appeared behind him without a sound.

She was absurdly tall, easily towering over him by more than a head. Her presence filled the narrow aisle of the shop, and her figure was impossible to ignore.

The curve of her chest alone was... impressive, to say the least.

Lancel blinked once.

Then twice.

Lancel had always been confident about his height. Standing at over 187 centimeters, he was taller than most men he had met during his adventuring days.

But standing in front of this woman, that height suddenly felt meaningless. She made him look small.

It was like standing next to a walking tower.

"How about it?" the woman said with a playful tilt of her head. "A gold coin—no, two gold coins for tonight. Hmm~?"

"I..."

Witches.

Crazy witches.

"Miss Vivian. Could you please stop teasing him?"

Faust stepped forward with a slight frown.

"Ah," the tall woman said, turning her head. "Little Faust."

She smiled as if she had only just noticed her.

"I didn’t see you there."

Her gaze turned back to Lancel, her eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Are you here with this handsome lad?"

"Yes. He’s with me. We’re here to buy a remedy for magic fatigue."

"Magic fatigue?" she repeated, glancing between the two of them. "That’s unusual. You’re not the type to exert yourself with magic, little Faust."

Faust crossed her arms.

"Well, it happened during my lecture last week. My mana suddenly drained for no apparent reason."

"I see."

Vivian turned and walked behind the counter as if she had always been there. She reached out for a small glass vial filled with pale blue liquid.

"This should help," she said, placing the vial on the counter. "Restorative essence. It replenishes lost mana and stabilizes circulation."

"Ah, really?" Faust replied. "How is it any different from mixing Yunari leaves in water and brewing them as tea?"

Vivian clicked her tongue.

"Tsk. You always were too clever for your own good, little Faust." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"...?"

Lancel blinked.

Did she just try to rip her off?

From the way Faust spoke, it sounded like the potion in front of them was simply a refined version of something far cheaper. A ready-made solution for those who either lacked the knowledge or patience to prepare it themselves.

In other words, the same effect could probably be achieved with Yunari leaves and hot water.

The only difference was that this bottle came with a very generous price tag.

The strange part was that Faust seemed to know this tall, busty woman personally. If this had been anyone else, the trick might have worked.

But Faust was not the type to fall for something like that.

"But little Faust," Vivian said with a playful smile. "I always thought you were the asexual type. Hmm... seeing you with a man like this. I never thought I’d live to see the day."

"It’s nothing like what you’re thinking, Miss Vivian," Faust replied calmly. "Could you please stop prying into other people’s personal matters?"

"My, so stern," Vivian chuckled. "Back then, you used to run around saying, ’Miss Vivian, Miss Vivian! Please teach me how to transmute silver into liquid mana!’"

"That was a long time ago."

Vivian rested her chin on her hand as if reminiscing.

"You were barely taller than the counter back then. A fledgling apprentice who kept pestering every witch she met for knowledge."

Faust turned slightly and gestured toward Vivian.

"She used to be one of my mentors," she said to Lancel.

Lancel glanced between the two of them.

"That explains a lot."

"I take pride in that," Vivian said, chuckling. "It isn’t often that someone’s apprentice grows up and joins the Erudition Society."

Lancel’s eyes widened.

He turned to Faust so quickly it was almost jarring.

"You’re an Erudition?!"

Faust looked mildly annoyed that Vivian had brought it up so casually.

Eruditions.

The Erudition Society was not simply a gathering of skilled witches, nor was it some ordinary academic circle that anyone could enter with enough years and persistence. It was a society made up of monsters.

Geniuses.

Witches whose minds had gone so far beyond the common standard that even the most talented of their peers could spend entire lifetimes without ever reaching the same level.

The average witch could study for centuries and still never qualify.

Talent alone was not enough.

Power alone was not enough either.

To be acknowledged by the Erudition Society, a witch had to produce something that changed the very direction of magical thought. Something that made even other great witches stop and rethink what they believed they knew.

Even someone like Lancel, who had only began stepping his foot into the world of witches, knew who they were.

"It isn’t as grand as you’re making it sound."

Vivian immediately laughed at Faust’s words.

"Oh, don’t be modest. You were invited in your 120s. Do you know how absurd that is?"

Lancel blinked. "In your 120s?"

Faust rubbed her temple. "Yes."

Vivian leaned against the counter, clearly enjoying this far too much.

"Most witches spend half their lives trying to publish a single idea worthy of review. Faust submitted a frost transmutation framework so refined that three senior members nearly started arguing over who would claim her under their branch."

Faust glanced away.

"It was only a paper."

Vivian gave her a look, then turned to Lancel.

"Boy, you’re standing next to someone who could walk into most research halls in the world and have the entire room shut up."

Lancel was silent for a moment.

Then he looked at Faust again, this time with a very different expression.

"...Excuse me, Miss Faust—no, Lady Faust."

The honorific had changed. It seemed safer to treat Faust with a little more reverence from now on.

"May I ask how old you are?"

Faust opened her mouth.

"I’m—"

"She’s 322 this year!"

"My god! Shut up!"

Faust slowly turned her head toward Vivian.

She had clearly intended to lie about her age.

But unfortunately, Vivian had not given her the chance.

Still looking slightly grumpy, Faust placed the coins on the counter and paid for the bundle of herbs.

Just as the two were about to leave, Vivian leaned forward and called out to Lancel.

"And boy, my offer still stands." She gave him a slow wink. "Two gold coins for a night."

Faust did not even turn around.

"Let’s go, Lancel."

"Yes, ma’am!"

Lancel immediately followed after her.

Once the door closed behind them, the shop grew quiet again.

Vivian leaned against the counter and hummed thoughtfully to herself.

"Lancel, huh?"

She tapped a finger against the wooden surface, thinking.

"What a shame. I always thought Angelica had her claws buried too deep into that one."

Vivian gave a small shrug.

"Who would’ve guessed she’d let him go that easily?"

After a moment, she chuckled.

"Well... it is Faust. The two of them never got along in the first place."

Then, she smiled.

"No surprise it would be Faust who ended up stealing him away."