The Frugal Mage

A couple of days passed quite quickly.

Rayven didn't rush into purchasing new spells or upgrades. Instead, he focused on what mattered most, gathering gold coins.

The system upgrades could wait, but his business couldn't. He needed a much stable source of income since the Eterna Script Trading's earnings would soon slow down. After all, it wouldn't take long before everyone would have their Fountain Pens. The only thing they'd purchase from him would be his ink…

He could only rely on the bulk orders of those travelling merchants once that happened.

Nonetheless, Rayven was looking forward to this day…

Today marked the official launch of his second store.

Eterna Mayonnaise.

The shop stood right beside Eterna Script, his original storefront where he sold fountain pens and ink.

The signage was modest, the layout was clean to ensure that it would be easy to read, and the scent was filled with warm bread and tangy cream… It already drifted into the street even before the shop was opened.

'I hope it goes well…' Rayven nervously thought as he walked towards the shop.

Thankfully, the one-week promotion had done its job.

Word had spread.

It was still quite early, but a crowd had already gathered outside. Some were curious, others skeptical, but most were drawn by the promise of free tasting.

Yes, they had promoted the free tasting that he had thought of. He would lose some money on this, but it didn't matter.

At this time, the shop wasn't open yet.

Rayven just stood near the entrance, just watching the flow of foot traffic with satisfaction. He had prepared for this.

Gene and Hannah were still managing Eterna Script, so he'd hired two new assistants to handle the mayonnaise shop.

Both were recommended by his uncle, and while Rayven hadn't interviewed them personally, he trusted the referral as Gene had also trained them on what to do...

It was enough to know that they were punctual, well-mannered, and followed instructions without complaint.

Inside the shop, everything was already in place… or so he thought.

'I guess I should add a few more…' Rayven mused as he realized that the prepared free samples may not be enough at this rate.

Well, ten jars of mayonnaise had been set aside exclusively for sampling. These weren't for sal… they were for tasting only.

Each jar sat on a counter, surrounded by trays of sliced bread. The bread was fresh, lightly toasted, and sourced from one of the best bakeries in the district.

Rayven had insisted on quality, and Gene did quite well sourcing this bread.

But he hadn't stopped at bread.

They had prepared boiled potatoes, sliced into bite-sized pieces, and lightly salted.

Thin vegetable sticks like carrots, cucumbers, and radishes, to be served with a spoonful of mayo.

Even small cuts of grilled meat, brushed with a thin layer of the creamy spread, were laid out on ceramic plates. There wasn't a lot of it, but Rayven planned to serve it to those who seemed

It was a full tasting experience, designed to appeal to every palate.

Rayven had done the math.

Each tub of mayonnaise costs only 29 copper coins to produce.

But between labor, rent, and quality control, he couldn't afford to sell it cheap. He set the regular price at 9 silver coins and 50 copper coins per tub.

It was steep.

But he believed in the product.

Still, for the first two days, they would run a launch sale of 7 silver coins per tub. A generous discount to build momentum.

They had prepared 540 tubs as well since their warehouse isn't that big yet...

Soon, Rayven checked the time and looked at his assistants.

They were both young, around 18 years old. They were both dressed in clean aprons and both were visibly nervous.

"Ready?" Rayven asked.

One of them, a short-haired girl, nodded quickly. "Yes, sir. Everything's in place."

The other, a boy with a quiet demeanor, gave a thumbs-up. "We've got the trays loaded and the jars set. We'll rotate the samples every hour. We can do this."

Rayven gave a nod. "Good. Just keep the flow smooth. Don't rush anyone. Let them taste, ask questions, and decide."

He then stepped forward and unlocked the door.

The latch clicked.

The crowd outside finally moved, and the first few customers stepped in.

"Welcome to Eterna Mayonnaise…" the girl said brightly, offering a tray of sliced bread. "Please feel free to try our samples. Everything is fresh and made in-house."

"Good morning…" Rayven added.

The other customers greeted him since they already knew Rayven in his other shop.

"We're running a launch sale today. Seven silver coins per tub. Samples are free… Just ask if you have questions."

The first wave of customers entered with excitement since it was marketed really well over the past few days.

A middle-aged woman sniffed the air and smiled. "Smells better than I expected."

A young man beside her took a slice of bread, dipped it into the small plate, and chewed slowly. "Creamy… but not greasy. What's in this?"

"Egg yolk, oil, vinegar, and a few herbs…" the assistant replied. "No preservatives, but it's shelf-stable for over a month."

"Really? That's impressive."

Rayven watched quietly as more people entered.

After having some taste of mayonnaise, it didn't take long before the customers started purchasing jars of mayonnaise…

Some were locals from the district, others were passersby drawn by the scent and the crowd.

A few merchants he recognized from Eterna Script also stopped by to offer congratulations and try the samples…

Then came the adventurers.

They didn't arrive in a group, but their presence was unmistakable… They had dusty boots, travel cloaks, and an aura that told the others that they had killed before.

A pair of them entered first. They just glanced, tasted a sample of vegetables dipped in mayonnaise, before approaching the counter.

"You're the owner?" one of them asked. It was a tall man with a scar across his cheek.

Rayven nodded. "Yes."

"We heard this stuff lasts. Doesn't spoil easily?"

"That's correct…" Rayven replied. "It holds for over a month, even without cooling. Longer if sealed properly."