Cough!
Kirin started coughing a bit in a low voice when she was exposed to Eren's passive smoke. Levine looked at Eren as if he had done something terrible.
"Why are you keeping this girl hidden all the time? Kirin, is it? Please join us at the table, dear."
Eren pursed his lips and looked behind him. He extinguished his smoke and put it back in his storage. The scrooge in him wasn't willing to throw the half-finished smoke away.
Smiling mildly, he spoke. "Kirin darling, you can come out."
A gorgeous elf appeared on the chair beside Eren and bowed in front of Levine. She smiled at Kirin and poured her a cup of tea that she had brewed for herself.
The two ladies started talking with each other while Eren focused on Alto's speech.
"My friends, these three potions are not the only things that are getting launched today. Hehe. I humbly request attention from my ale connoisseurs for this special product."
Alto spoke in a jolly tone. He suddenly found himself trapped inside a circle of hovering, runic bottles of ale. Spreading his hands, he spoke further.
"Imagine an ale that has a flavor so sharp and crisp that it contributes to elevating your mood for the better. The smell of robust minerals, the balanced acidity of ranked fruits, the fullness of the concoction, and lastly a finishing taste. Something that leaves a delectable and spicy finish on the tongue. These sought-after attributes come together to make this ale come into existence.
White Raven ale is just like the mascot it comes branded with. The mythical bird in legends is the only representative the revolutionary concoction could ask for."
The ale bottles around Alto started spinning around themselves. An aroma of fresh and zesty ale filled the air. Audience members stopped murmuring and inhaled the alcoholic fragrance to understand the complexities within it.
Alto chuckled before continuing further.
"However, the taste is not the only thing this ale packs. And why should it?
The White Raven guild has successfully managed to achieve a huge leap in ale concoction, thanks to its leading team of potioners. Say goodbye to bottlenecks in the way of the elements. This ale is designed to help you overcome your obstacles and reach new heights in your elemental attainments.
The White Raven guild officially claims that this brew is as good as any elven ale. And you know what's the coolest thing? It will be available to you at half the price of a regular elven concoction. Plus, we don't have to deal with the side effects that the elven ales come with.
This ale is going to be a game-changer leisure activity for all of us. And it is officially available today. The guild plans to open ale houses in various parts of the kingdom in the future. For now, the shops under my name will sell a limited quantity of these bottles each month."
When the rankers heard that the ale that stimulated one's elemental attainments could be purchased so cheaply, they were shocked. After hearing the price, they refused to believe that it could perform as well as it was advertised.
Levine looked him in the eye when Alto brought forth White Raven ale. She had played a significant role in the concoction of the ale. However, her early assessments had suggested that the ale would just be another counterfeit.
There were a lot of counterfeits of Elven ales available on the market. But they were all just that– counterfeits. That's why people weren't as thrilled about the ale as they were about the three concoctions Alto had presented to them beforehand.
But she had tasted the sample Eren had provided her after he miraculously perfected the blend one day. And she knew the ale he had come up with was the real deal. She didn't know which component Eren had used to make this ale a reality. But she was impressed with her student nonetheless.
"You took Marie's help, didn't you?"
Levine asked finally. The question was akin to her admitting that another one of her students was better than her. Particularly the one she rejected further tutoring for.
Eren smiled at Levine before answering.
"You can say that. Her research helped me a lot in expediting the process. But I would have found a way around eventually anyway. I can always count on myself to achieve my goals."
Eren tapped his fingers over the dining table as he said it. Levine took another dramatic sigh and seemingly said to herself.
"I hope we don't ruin an entire generation of rankers with our products. Not because these concoctions would be seen as a questionable lifestyle choice. But because the upcoming generation of rankers will come to depend on them. So much so that half of them won't try to find their way in life without your products."
Eren chuckled when he found a compliment hidden in Levine's worry. She told him that the products would eventually become a part of life for most rankers because of the price-to-effects ratio they offered.
He smiled and said casually.
"Sex and alcohol can be seen as pervasive facts of life. But they are also extraordinary in their own right. They are as real as they are addictive.
Destructive and pleasurable, with or without overindulgence. Adulated and anathematized, they can replace mana and create the magic of their own.
Magic that stays inside the head. Forever. Everlasting magic.
I am in the business of selling magic. If they get addicted, they can only blame the magic's hold on them. Not the magician himself."
Kirin looked at Eren thoughtfully when Eren spoke of his philosophical bullshittery to shirk away the potential responsibilities coming his way. Eren noticed her gaze on him and nodded and smiled, letting her know that they would consummate their marriage soon.
'Heh! Who knows the hold alcohol has on its most loyal patrons better than me? I'm hoping my ale will help some rankers progress in their ranking journeys. At least for the word-of-mouth publicity, I'd receive. I don't care if they become dependent on it for that later on.
From being addicted to alcohol to selling it myself, I have indeed come a long way. My only regret is that it took this long to get here.'
Eren sighed in his mind as he watched Alto take charge of his audience once again.
