This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist
Chapter 756 - 756: 756: Divine Game – Card Swap 5

Rita introduced the two bottles one by one.

"Basic Healing Potion. As long as you're not dead, drinking this will close up your wounds. If the injury's serious, just chug a few more bottles and you'll be fine."

"Basic Agility Potion. Drink it and your speed doubles for thirty minutes."

With limited ingredients nearby, these were all she'd managed to brew so far.

Seeing the look of amazement on her two teammates' faces, Rita let out a huge breath of relief in her heart.

Her ability slightly overlapped with Fat Goose's. Each had pros and cons. He could only enchant food once an hour, but she needed ingredients to brew potions. Still, she clearly had the edge—magic food didn't fetch nearly as high a price as potions. That was something Rita had picked up during her job-hunting trips.

After a few seconds, she decided to throw in one more trump card.

"And I can fly!"

Mistblade and Fat Goose nodded eagerly. That was definitely a strength they didn't have. Being able to fly meant she could reach places they couldn't even dream of.

The three of them quickly sketched out a basic money-making plan: brew potions and make magic food, then sell them to hunters and merchants in town.

The date was 15/15—a date they'd remember.

They split up at the southeast gate of the town. As they walked off, each of them glanced back at the others' retreating figures and thought the same thing.

Worth it.

And… so Fat Goose had a home too!

So turns out… Rita was the only one truly homeless.

After parting ways, Rita skipped back to her hideout. Her bag was full of magic food from Fat Goose—she wouldn't have to worry about meals for the next few days.

Tomorrow, Fat Goose and Mistblade would come help her hunt for herbs. Once they brewed up some potions, they'd sell them together.

That night, she lay down with her head resting on the ship's wheel and told the lantern in her arms a fairy tale—just like she had every night.

Be kind. Take good care of your golden finger.

It was her seventh day in this world. For the first six, she had cried herself to sleep every night.

But tonight—maybe because she'd found kindred spirits—Rita fell asleep peacefully for the first time.

...

Maple Syrup stood on her tiptoes and pulled today's MooMoo milk out of the delivery box beside the gem shop. As she shut the lid, she saw three small figures appear at the far end of the commercial street.

Glowing wings. A fluffy white tail. A fiery black-tipped ponytail.

It was the trio of kids trying to earn money for school.

They stood there with their bags—worn, but neat and clean—slumped with defeat.

She hadn't seen them for five days. Tomorrow was the new moon of Kasilanar. Tonight, all residents would be home with their families to celebrate Winterveil.

But Winterveil was also the busiest day of the year in Kasilanar. The streets would be packed with people shopping and playing.

Hugging her milk bottle, Maple Syrup watched them. Maybe it was that gaze that drew the three kids to her—they ran over.

Maple Syrup asked with interest, "So, what are you up to?"

The winged girl spoke first. "Do you want to buy some potions?"

Maple Syrup raised an eyebrow. "Who brewed them? Do you have a license?"

And there it was—the problem.

They'd started looking for buyers at 5 a.m. Their first stop had been the potion shop. As soon as the owner saw the potions, he'd asked the same question.

They claimed Rita brewed them under a teacher's guidance. The shopkeeper pressed for the teacher's name.

The kids dodged the question and got turned away.

Worse, even though he said he wouldn't accept unlicensed, unverified products, the shopkeeper still confiscated the three sample potions they had brought.

Fat Goose cried for five minutes. Mistblade's tail fluffed up so hard it was still swishing furiously now.

Only Rita—the one who had the most reason to be angry—had shrugged it off the fastest.

Fat Goose asked how she managed that.

Rita looked genuinely confused. "What else can we do?"

Mistblade and Fat Goose somehow felt even angrier.

Rita regretted that her friends couldn't appreciate her optimism and emotional resilience.

After leaving the potion shop, they tried their luck with passing hunters and merchants.

But every potential customer who showed interest in the potions asked the same question.

Even this milk-guzzling peer was asking it now.

Rita gave up.

Fat Goose pulled out a loaf of bread. "What about magic food? Want to try a sample? Just 20 copper."

Maple Syrup looked at the bread, which cost 8 copper at the bakery. The date printed on the wrapper was three days ago.

She gave them a strange look. "You're selling this… and you haven't been beaten up yet?"

Fat Goose sniffled and, under Maple Syrup's disgusted gaze, wiped his nose with his hand. "Almost. But we're fast."

He glanced at the snot on his hand, looked around, and moved to wipe it on the gem shop wall. His hand was halfway there when he caught sight of Maple Syrup's fist cocked and pulled back, ready to strike.

He swerved and wiped it on his pants instead.

Rita and Mistblade both stepped left in sync.

Maple Syrup slowly lowered her fist and flicked her bangs aside.

Fat Goose, completely unfazed, pointed at Rita's pants. "These used to belong to Little Jenny from Aunt Mary's place. They threw them out because Jenny pooped in them. Even after washing a few times, they still smelled. So Aunt Mary didn't want them anymore."

Smack.

Fat Goose's head snapped back. He still got punched.

Rita pulled her fist back and blew on her knuckles with a scowl.

Fat Goose clutched his nose and whimpered. Rita turned to Mistblade—who'd taken another step away after hearing the story—and demanded to know if she was planning to bail on their team.

Maple Syrup popped open her MooMoo milk and took a swig, watching the chaotic trio with great amusement.

Realizing Maple Syrup wasn't a potential customer, the three kids bickered their way down the street and disappeared.

Maple Syrup turned to head back inside when a gust of wind and snow blew past her. She looked back.

Someone was walking by—a treasure hunter with a hunting bow slung over her back and a long sword at her waist.

Pale skin. Long silver-gray hair. A pair of pointed ears peeked through her hair.

An elf.

And tall—insanely tall. Maple Syrup had never seen an elf that tall. She was nearly the same height as the lamp post in front of the gem shop. That thing stood at least two meters high.

As she passed, the elf glanced at Maple Syrup out of the corner of her cold, steely gray-blue eyes.

Maple Syrup flinched, clutching her milk bottle like a life preserver. "Maple Asha! What's for lunch? Maple Asha! Maple Asha!" she yelled, bolting up the stairs.

Her heart only started to calm down once she reached the warm safety of the gem shop and spotted the familiar figures of Maple Asha and Maple Roll.

She rushed to the window and peered outside, catching one last glimpse of the treasure hunter's tall silhouette striding away.

She was following the three little kids.