Ch 34: Guide to Running a Shop in Another World

Si Jin walked in with a dark expression. “Harold, who said my nails were ugly last night? And who said we’d go to Dragon Valley together this morning?”

Harold: “…”

His mind was full of sparkling nail art, and he had completely forgotten about it.

Si Jin’s gaze landed on a basket of gold coins on the floor and the unused gems on the table. This guy sure was generous, but remembering the broken nails from yesterday made him furious. “Let’s fight!”

At first, Harold felt a bit embarrassed, but when he heard the challenge, he immediately knew Si Jin wanted revenge. He quickly suppressed his urge to show off, covered his hands, and retreated, pretending to be mature as he said, “Si Jin, fighting every day… aren’t you tired of it?”

Si Jin: “…”

So close to losing it. Harold, of all the dragons in Dragon Valley, you’re the least qualified to say that, got it?

Lu Yao, not wanting two dragons to fight in the store, got up and tried to mediate, “Harold’s nails are already done. You two can leave together. No fighting, okay?”

Hearing this, Si Jin cracked his knuckles, making sharp popping sounds. “Harold, time to head to Dragon Valley.”

Harold, however, sat down and shoved the basket of gold coins towards Lu Yao. “I like it here. I’m staying.”

Looking at the glittering gold coins, Lu Yao found herself unable to refuse.

Gold coins from this world couldn’t be converted into currency in her world. Her world didn’t have interdimensional spaces, so these things couldn’t be retrieved from storage there, but she could use them to buy things here.

With this large basket of gold coins, she could buy tons of meat, vegetables, eggs, and milk to take home.

She wanted to try bringing some food to the snack shop to relieve her financial stress.

Si Jin could sense that Lu Yao was about to cave under the allure of the treasure. He understood, after all, who could resist shiny treasures?

But he couldn’t let Harold stay. Si Jin pulled out a book from his coat and handed it to Lu Yao. “Shopkeeper, I’d like to give you this magic book. It covers all types of magic on the Alexander Continent. It’s simple and easy to understand, perfect for beginners.”

Lu Yao, who had been reaching for the treasure, paused. She wanted the magic book too, especially after seeing Harold use magic to shrink the gems. Her interest in magic had skyrocketed.

A dragon’s magic book must be a treasure.

Lu Yao made her decision quickly, pushing aside the gold coins and accepting the book. Casually, she asked, “Just now, Harold used a magic circle to shrink gems. Does this book have similar content?”

Si Jin nodded.

This was the magic book Dragon Valley’s young dragons used from kindergarten to elementary school, with various practical magic circles, potion formulas, and alchemy techniques all presented in simple and fun illustrations.

Thinking of this, Si Jin took out a white crystal stone. “Before learning, would you like to test your attributes first?”

The white crystal was called a “color crystal,” which reacted differently depending on the type of magic power it absorbed.

When magic was infused, a crescent-shaped blade crack on the crystal indicated wind attribute; if the crystal became hot and red, it was fire attribute; if purple lightning surrounded it, it was thunder attribute; if layers of earth formed around the crystal, it was earth attribute; and for wood attribute, a plant seedling would appear inside the crystal, symbolizing healing.

Magic schools generally used these crystals to test students’ magical attributes and talents.

Following Si Jin’s instructions, Lu Yao held the crystal and infused it with a thread of black magic. The crystal turned black, cracked, and shattered into pieces.

Si Jin was a bit surprised. “Dark attribute.”

Dark and light attributes were special and independent of the five natural elements. Dark magic had the strongest destructive power, while light magic excelled at dispelling and healing, making it a strong counter to dark magic.

These two attributes were rarer than the other five and required more talent to master.

This shopkeeper, with her gentle and mild demeanor, full of harmlessness, had made Si Jin think she would have the wood attribute.

Harold saw the result of the test and suddenly felt a bit pleased. He leaned towards Lu Yao with his hands behind his back and said, “I have the dark attribute too. We’re the same.”

Si Jin’s golden eyes flickered slightly as he watched Harold move closer to Lu Yao.

Dragons were naturally stronger than any other creatures on this continent, and it was rare for a dragon to have the dark attribute.

According to prophecy, a dragon with the dark attribute would inevitably bring about a world-ending catastrophe.

Harold was the only dark-attribute dragon born in nearly a thousand years, carrying an aura of misfortune.

Even the dragon clan rejected him, so how would this human react?

Lu Yao was instantly excited, feeling like she had found a mentor. She said to Harold, “I’m planning to teach myself magic. If I run into any problems, can you help me?”

A sense of responsibility suddenly weighed heavily on the little black dragon’s shoulders. He puffed up and patted his chest. “No problem! You can come to me for anything you want to learn.”

Lu Yao nodded and crouched down to clean up the crystal fragments that had fallen to the ground.

She gathered the pieces together, preparing to throw them into the trash. But the fragments suddenly emitted a warm golden light and began to merge.

In a moment, a fully restored white crystal lay in Lu Yao’s palm.

Harold’s eyes widened, his pupils narrowing into slits. “Restorative power—this is a light attribute.”

Si Jin was speechless. It wasn’t uncommon for someone to have dual attributes, whether human or magical creatures. There were even cases of individuals possessing three magical attributes.

But for two opposing attributes to exist in one person was extremely rare. Such talent was terrifying.

Even dragons would feel envious.

Lu Yao didn’t understand why they were so surprised. She was simply happy, because discovering her magical attribute meant she had magic and could start learning and researching it.

Now that she had the magic book, she wanted to try out some ideas right away.

Si Jin dragged Harold out of the shop, and the place quieted down. Lu Yao poured herself a cup of hot water and sat by the window to begin reading the magic book Si Jin had given her.

The little black dragon didn’t take his treasure with him when he left. The whole basket of gold coins was still sitting under the table.

On the way to Dragon Valley, Si Jin sternly told Harold, “Don’t go back to that nail salon.”

The shopkeeper had a high level of magical talent, and she possessed the light attribute, which countered dark magic. Humans were complicated, and he feared Harold might get hurt.

Harold was still a young dragon, not even a hundred years old, and didn’t understand many things.

At his age, he should still be in Dragon Valley, learning and making friends, only leaving to become independent at around one hundred and fifty.

But because of his dark attribute and the fact that he was a black dragon, he had left Dragon Valley early.

Even so, Harold was extremely powerful. His magical studies and combat skills far surpassed other young dragons his age, and he had a fiery temper. Every now and then, he’d return to Dragon Valley to stir up trouble, bullying his old classmates and teachers.

Since Si Jin got to know him, he usually accompanied Harold to prevent him from going too far.

Harold thought Si Jin was being too naggy. He suddenly stopped, spread out the claws he had been hiding, and proudly said, “The starry nails she did for me are even shinier and brighter than yours!”

Si Jin was stunned. He had never seen such beautiful dragon claws before. The gemstones on Harold’s nails sparkled like stars, dazzling and brilliant.

They were all real gems, Harold’s most prized possessions, and after Lu Yao’s touch, they perfectly matched the dragons’ aesthetic from every angle.

Si Jin couldn’t bear the thought of having Harold remove the nails. He suddenly suggested, “How about we don’t go to Dragon Valley today?”

Harold: “?”

Si Jin: “I’ll go back and pick out some gems and have the shopkeeper do my nails too.”

He wanted those shiny, real gemstone nails as well.

Harold: “Didn’t you just say not to go?”

Si Jin: “…I thought about it again. We’re dragons. Why should we avoid a mere human?”

Harold had thick skin, so getting hit by a couple of light magic attacks wouldn’t be a big deal.

…

Lixiu and Elvi arrived in Onorton City by dawn the next day. After traveling for a day and a night, they checked into a familiar inn as usual.

They slept until the afternoon. When Lixiu woke up, Elvi was still asleep.

Lixiu didn’t wake her up and went downstairs with the potions she planned to sell.

The innkeeper had prepared lunch, and after feeling her stomach, Lixiu decided to have a bite before heading out.

The server who brought the meal was about to leave when they caught a glimpse of a soft pink color. Out of curiosity, they glanced again and exclaimed in surprise, “Excuse me, may I ask, did you dye your nails yourself?”

Lixiu paused slightly, just as she was about to pick up her spoon, and smiled, shaking her head. “No, I had them done at a nail salon in our town. Pretty, right?”

The server nodded. “I’ve never seen nails dyed so beautifully. The color is so gentle.”

That afternoon, even after finishing work, the server couldn’t stop thinking about Lixiu’s nails. The peachy pink hue seemed to have cast a spell, lingering in her mind.

Later, she bought some Fogwood Dye from a nearby witch’s shop and tried to recreate Lixiu’s nails at home. But after several attempts, all ten fingers turned an unsightly black, far from what she wanted.

…

After eating, Lixiu went to Sasa’s Potion Shop, where she sold her high-level potions.

It was the afternoon, and there weren’t many customers at the shop.

Lixiu walked in. “Fisa, are you busy?”

Fisa, the owner of Sasa’s Potion Shop, was an elf. Her golden hair was braided, her pointed ears stood out, and her beautiful face was expressionless as usual. With a somewhat cold tone, she shook her head. “Not busy.”

Elves, due to their long lifespan and individualistic nature, were often quite unique in character.

Lixiu was already used to Fisa’s aloof and calm demeanor. Carefully, she took out the high-level potions she had made that month.

Fisa inspected each bottle one by one. The quality was good, and she accepted them all into her inventory. “Ten high-level potions, ten gold coins.”

As Lixiu reached out to collect the coins, Fisa’s gaze fell on her soft pink nails, and her tone suddenly grew excited. “How did you dye your nails like this?”

The color was so beautiful—light and delicate like mist, soft and pink, resembling the wild cherry blossoms deep in the spring forest. It didn’t seem like it was dyed with Fogwood; Fogwood couldn’t produce such light and soft hues.

Fisa, usually composed, showing such a burst of emotion was something Lixiu wasn’t used to.

When Lixiu didn’t reply immediately, Fisa grabbed her hand and studied the nails closely, even touching them.

They were smooth like porcelain, completely different from the rough texture of Fogwood-dyed nails.

“Did you dye these yourself?” Fisa rubbed Lixiu’s nails, asking again, her tone more urgent than before.

Lixiu shook her head. “There’s a nail salon in our town. I got them done there.”

Fisa looked puzzled. “What is a nail salon?”

Lixiu repeated everything Lu Yao had explained to her about the nail salon, and they ended up chatting for a long time about the novelty and styles offered there.

Fisa’s eyes grew brighter as they talked. When Lixiu was about to leave, Fisa actually closed up shop, saying she wanted to accompany Lixiu on a trip to Emeraldstone Town.

She wanted to get her nails done too.

Lixiu was a little surprised. As far as she knew, Fisa had been living in Onorton City and hadn’t left for almost ten years.

But Lixiu was also quite pleased. She hadn’t expected that just by getting her nails done, so many interesting things would happen along the way, and even Fisa wanted to join her now.

Lixiu told Fisa to wait for her at the inn. Then, she took three gold coins and headed to Onorton City’s largest Sid Herb Shop to buy the ingredients she needed.

When she came out, she ran into Mrs. Sid, the herb shop’s owner. This aristocratic lady walked with her eyes half-closed, her gaze sweeping upward as if she didn’t care about anyone.

Carrying a large bag of herbs, Lixiu instinctively stepped aside.

Mrs. Sid held a feather fan, strolling past Lixiu with a casual air.

After taking a few steps, Mrs. Sid suddenly stopped, turned back with a suspicious look, and gave Lixiu a thorough once-over. Fixing her gaze on Lixiu’s fingers, her eyes lit up. “Your nails are dyed so uniquely.”

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