Lira's eyes caught a cluster of bottles and gourds displayed on a nearby stall. They gleamed in the morning light, filled with liquids of deep purple, emerald green, and fiery red. The scents—herbs, minerals, something faintly electric—wafted through the air, drawing her closer.
"They look… potent," she murmured, her fingers twitching as if to reach for them. "Renkai… maybe I could sell some of my own. But we'd have to be close enough to see what they're selling."
Renkai glanced at the stall with a sharp, assessing look. "Do it carefully. Observe first. Don't draw attention."
Lira stepped forward, pretending to examine the bottles. She picked up a small gourd of amber liquid, tilting it to catch the sunlight. "Excuse me," she asked casually, "where do these come from? They smell… unusual."
