Chapter 37: The Incense Deal and Air’s Unexpected Visit

This situation demanded attention. While I genuinely felt Senior Sister Mu Shibai wouldn’t stoop to such tactics, it was always wise to prepare for the unexpected.

My connection with her was superficial, built solely on her recognition of my talent and her desire to invest in me, thereby earning my goodwill.

Such a relationship was inherently fragile.

However, having now delved into alchemy, I possessed the basic understanding to differentiate between mundane incense and that infused with extraordinary properties. It seemed highly improbable that anyone would be so foolish as to employ rare, extraordinary materials for a mere counterfeit aimed at deceiving new students; such an act would contradict their core principle of profit maximization.

In essence, the likelihood of them using extraordinary materials to create fakes was exceedingly slim.

Ren: “Today, I had my first exposure to alchemy at Granny Dou’s shop. While I haven’t formally begun my studies, I’ve already learned how to discern the difference between mundane and extraordinary incense.”

Ren: “Unless, of course, they resort to using extraordinary materials to counterfeit the incense, but that possibility remains incredibly remote…”

Air: “Is that true? Excellent! I’ll come find you immediately. Where are you located?”

Ren: “I’m in my dorm room.”

Air: “Alright, I’m on my way. Which building are you in, and what’s your room number?”

Ren: “?”

Air: “Is something amiss?”

Ren: “No, I’m not. I’m in Building Two, Room 203.”

My brow furrowed as I reread the chat messages. Was she truly coming to my dorm? Did she have so much free time that she would bother visiting? It was merely two hundred portions of incense; even if distributed among the entire class, each person would only have enough for a few hours.

Hold on… that actually seemed like quite a significant amount.

Evidently, I had severely underestimated the true value of this particular batch of incense.

Given that my class monitor was on her way, tidying the dorm became an immediate priority. Above all, the two pieces of women’s clothing tucked away in my wardrobe absolutely could not be discovered.

I would need to neaten the rest of the room as well; leaving a slovenly impression would be far from ideal.

After a quick tidying, I realized there was surprisingly little to organize. The dorm’s furnishings were all standard issue, and my personal possessions… seemed to consist solely of those two outfits of women’s clothing.

Before long, a knock echoed at my dorm room door. I was genuinely astonished; had she arrived so swiftly? Had she flown?

Despite the urge to quip, I still moved to open the door.

Standing beyond the threshold was, as expected, Air, our class monitor.

“Are you just going to stand there, or will you welcome me inside?” Air inquired with a radiant smile, her mood seemingly exceptionally bright.

My eyes were drawn to the Witch’s Heart at her waist. She, too, had crafted hers into an adornment, wearing it openly, and it had already resonated, radiating a sacred, golden light.

Good heavens, how little time had passed, yet she had already achieved resonance?

This implied that an inner resistance to becoming a witch genuinely hindered the resonance process, didn’t it?

I offered a silent moment of commiseration for the boys in our class.

“Welcome, of course, please come in,” I quickly stated. After all, she had arrived right at my dorm door; it would be unthinkable to refuse her entry.

Yet, the dorm room lacked a second chair. Were we expected to sit on the bed?

On the bed… that hardly seemed appropriate, did it?

While I pondered these matters, Air, it seemed, was not one to overthink. Once the Witch’s Heart resonated, its influence extended far beyond a mere physical transformation into a witch.

“It’s rather presumptuous of me to come straight here, but I just realized I’m also in Building Two, so I decided to come over directly. I hope you don’t mind. Since this concerns the incense, could you perhaps elaborate on the situation?”

“Ah, yes, the incense. I happen to know a senior sister who works at the Witch Alchemy Shop; I met her when I was purchasing incense before. She’s willing to offer me a discounted price for up to two hundred standard portions.” I carefully chose my words, explaining concisely. Even though I hadn’t actually bought incense from her previously, Air surely wouldn’t go directly to the senior sister for a confrontation, would she?

“Two hundred portions of incense is indeed a considerable amount. So, regarding this discount you mentioned, what exactly is the extent of it?” Air cut straight to the most critical inquiry, understanding that at this juncture, price was the sole measure of value.

“Approximately… I believe I can get it for under four hundred credits? There might still be room for negotiation,” I stated tactfully. My initial thought had been to quote three hundred credits, but a touch of greed prompted me to try four hundred first, just to gauge the situation. After all, incense prices were notoriously inflated; who knew what kind of ‘discounts’ they might offer to make a sale seem irresistible?

“Four hundred credits?” Air’s voice rose slightly in surprise.

“Uh… mhm.” I flinched at her reaction, my first thought being that I had overbid and was about to face an awkward situation. Yet, a flicker of genuine surprise in her expression prevented me from retracting my statement.

“Only four hundred credits? Can you possibly acquire a larger quantity?” Air pressed, her tone urgent.

“That… I’m afraid that might not be possible,” I replied, shaking my head.

“In that case, could you perhaps introduce me to this senior sister? I’ll negotiate with her directly,” Air proposed.

“About that…” I began, then trailed off, a sudden thought striking me that our class monitor seemed rather dense at times. Where was her emotional intelligence? Did she truly believe she could simply walk in and secure the same deal? What reason would the senior sister have to offer *her* such a price? What talent or connection did she possess that would command such a favor?

“Is there some sort of issue?” Air queried, a hint of doubt in her voice.

“Indeed. Two hundred portions represents the absolute limit of my relationship with her. If you were to approach her, I fear it would likely…”

“I understand. Two hundred portions it is, then.” Air recognized that pushing the matter further would be fruitless, and might even jeopardize the existing rapport. Moreover, two hundred portions was hardly a negligible amount. At four hundred credits per portion, she found it acceptable. Current market reports indicated prices had skyrocketed to seven hundred credits; though she suspected this figure was artificially inflated, she was powerless to change it. Even skilled negotiators could only manage to drive the price down to around five hundred, a sum that barely allowed new students to purchase two portions.

Regardless, two hundred portions would suffice for the entire class for approximately two hours, a duration comparable to their initial meditation practice sessions.

“So, four hundred credits per portion? I’ll notify our classmates and encourage them to gather the credits,” Air affirmed. Then, she suddenly leaned closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “Tell me, four hundred credits isn’t *truly* the lowest price, is it?”

“Eh?” I feigned ignorance, yet deliberately allowed a tell-tale flicker of guilt to cross my features.

This was merely a spontaneous attempt to flesh out my persona. Ideally, the conversation would unfold precisely as I envisioned; at worst, the price would drop, but I would still make a profit. I gambled on Air’s emotional intelligence not being so lacking.

“Rest assured,” Air whispered again, “I will still acquire them at four hundred credits. I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone.”

“Well… truthfully, I’m in a difficult position myself. I’m burdened by a substantial debt…” I struggled to maintain a pitiful facade, and indeed, the narrative was unfolding exactly as I had predicted.

“I understand. Then it’s settled,” Air stated, a look of comprehension dawning on her face. She recalled that Ren had taken out a loan to procure a substantial amount of incense, and was undoubtedly under immense financial strain. This explained why he had suddenly inquired about the incense; he likely saw an opportunity to earn a profit at this critical moment.

“Oh, and one more thing,” I added, “try to arrange it by tomorrow. I’ve scheduled to meet her then, and if we miss that window, things might become complicated.”

“I’ll do my utmost,” she assured me. “Just remember to inspect the goods thoroughly tomorrow. If there’s any issue with the incense, the consequences could be severe.”

“Understood. I will. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”