“Hello, Mister, could you help me take a look at these mana crystals? I can sell them at a fair price.”
Alice was trying to find a way to sell the high-quality mana crystals that had dropped after the subjugation of the Treant King. In truth, the two sisters shared a secret: there were still a large number of uncollected mana crystals back in the Treant King’s cave!
They couldn’t possibly use that many to improve themselves. Even if they factored in Alice’s alchemy expenses, it was more than enough.
It couldn’t be helped; the great Treant King of the jungle had simply given them too much!
“Eh? Little girl, how did you get so many high-quality mana crystals? Can you tell me your source?”
The middle-aged man, his face masked with greed, was clearly trying to fish for information.
“I’m sorry, Mister, but I’m afraid I have nothing to say. My supplier would be very upset if I did that. If you ask too many questions, I won’t sell them at all.” The black-haired girl wasn’t falling for it. After all, the items in her hand were in high demand and short supply. As for the supplier, the Great Treant King, he had long since passed away.
“Oh, little girl, just consider it my mistake for prying. I’ll buy them at double the price, so don’t go anywhere else…” the shopkeeper said helplessly.
“I mean this.” The black-haired girl held up three fingers.
“Sigh, fine… fine, I’ll do it your way. It’s a deal…” The man failed to get the better of her.
“Great, Mister. It’s a deal, then. I feel like we could have a long-term partnership! For these 100 mana crystals, at 3 gold coins each—sold!”
In this world, 300 gold coins was roughly equivalent to 300,000 dollars in her previous world. ‘Ah, how refreshing!’
But truthfully, it wasn’t that much. She had seen the data books during the closed beta. To the hereditary high nobles of the Disorian continent, 300 gold coins was nothing more than pocket change.
While the rich feasted, the poor starved in the streets.
‘Forget it, I shouldn’t dwell on those thoughts. It’s time to get down to business.’
The witch sisters prioritized gathering flour and then, following the request of their little chef, Sophia, they purchased various seasonings she liked. After all, cooking was one of the greatest joys of her life.
Passing by a pastry restaurant in the center of Northen Town, Alice was deeply attracted by the aroma. She couldn’t help but swallow her saliva.
Seeing this, Sophia burst out laughing. “Pffft! Alice, if you want afternoon tea, let’s go in together.”
“Welcome, young ladies. Please take a seat over here. This is the menu; please have a look.” As soon as they entered, an elegant maid greeted the sisters warmly.
“Two orders of scones, one macaron set, one caramel pudding, one red velvet cupcake, and two of your signature steaks for the main course. Oh, and two cups of black tea.”
Alice’s eyes sparkled. She couldn’t care less about anything else right now; sweets belonged in a second stomach. Eating the steak after the dessert wouldn’t be a problem at all. Besides, the scones were for Sophia.
In her past life, she hadn’t really liked sweets much, but Alice’s current body had absolutely no resistance to them.
‘Wait, am I getting weirder and weirder?’
‘No! A man should treat himself better! I need to make up for all the sweets I missed out on over the last few years.’
“Wow, Sophie! The combination of jam and cream on these scones is amazing! And these macarons—the texture is so delicate it just melts in my mouth!” Completely immersed in the world of desserts, Alice shed tears of pure happiness.
“Mmm! This layer of crunchy caramel on the surface of the pudding is really appetizing! And finally, this red velvet cake with the cream cheese frosting inside… Wow, it’s so delicious!”
“Eat slowly, Alice. You have cream all over your mouth. Try to maintain your image a bit in public,” Sophia said as she took out a handkerchief to gently wipe her mouth.
“Sophie, let’s just have afternoon tea for dinner! I don’t mind! Neither the steak nor the desserts shall leave this place alive today!” Alice spoke in strange terms—leftovers from her past life’s gaming slang. After a moment of awkwardness, Sophia looked at Alice, and both of them burst into laughter.
A maid nearby was touched by the warm daily life of the two sisters, envying their harmonious relationship from the bottom of her heart.
“Oh, by the way, Miss Maid, the quality of the desserts in your shop is really good. I bet if your chef went to the capital, Karenpolis, he would definitely make a fortune!” Alice praised without holding back.
“Sigh… young lady, truth be told, we actually moved back here to the countryside from Karenpolis,” the maid explained helplessly. “The chef in the kitchen is my husband. His skills are naturally recognized by the people of Northen Town.”
“Our small shop struggled in the capital. It was completely unable to compete with the catering monopoly of the high noble, Campbell. Campbell has favors provided by the Pope, and even his taxes are lower than ours…”
‘Hmm… as expected, the usual routine of Western nobles using their power to amass wealth and suppressing competitors through monopolies.’
‘And this guy named Campbell… according to the records, the Tanazk Great Mine beneath the Peak of Phantoms is his primary source of income. It’s also the destination Mother told us to head toward in that dream.’
‘He’s involved in everything: mining, finance, and dining… He certainly isn’t a good person. He must have some shady dealings with Pope Dussel.’
The questions were piling up. Alice rested her chin on her hand in thought, while Sophia tilted her head at her sister as if a question mark was about to appear over her head.
“Miss Maid, thank you for the wonderful food. We’ve finished every bit. Your kindness is written all over these dishes. I firmly believe you will be able to return to the capital and establish yourselves there. I’m certain of it.”
Alice gave the maid a satisfied smile. The maid responded with a kind smile of her own. Then, the sisters paid 20 gold coins and left the pastry restaurant.
“Will we really? I have a feeling that what that black-haired girl said might actually come true in the future…”
—
In the blink of an eye, the sky was turning dark. It wouldn’t be safe for them to travel back at night, so they decided to find an inn in Northen Town to stay for the night.
Actually, there was one more important thing they hadn’t finished: buying new clothes!
The traveling clothes of the witch sisters were covered in patches of all sizes. If people hadn’t seen them spending money, they would have probably thought two stinky beggars had wandered into town.
‘So this is how it is. Money makes the world go ’round.’
Alice’s male and female perspectives were currently battling for the high ground, but she finally reached a conclusion.
Even if it meant suffering for her past self, she couldn’t let Sophia or the current Alice suffer.
After all, if they really became the beggar witch sisters, what would that look like?
“Sophie, let’s rest for the night. Tomorrow, we must remember to buy some pretty clothes.”
“Mhm! Let’s get some good rest. Tomorrow, the sisters’ shopping spree continues! I’m definitely going to dress my Alice up like a little princess! Hehe.”
“You… that’s enough…” Alice had a bad feeling about this.
Unbeknownst to them, just as they entered the inn, a small head peeked out from a street corner. It was a young girl about the same height as Alice.
In the dark, unlit area, it was impossible to make out her features clearly.
The girl let out a devious smirk and whispered, “Heh, it’s a small world. To think I’d run into an old acquaintance in a backwater place like this.”