"Thank you," Alissa said politely, unwrapping her bar.
Kip followed suit, examining the unusual texture and subtle glow before taking his first bite.
The effects hit both siblings as they simultaneously gulped down the bites.
Their eyes widened in shock as power flooded through their systems like liquid lightning. The strength stored inside the bar multiplied their existing strength. Their attributes increased, adjusting to accommodate the improvement.
The protein bars are working exactly as intended.
"What... what is this?" Alissa gasped, staring at her hands as if they belonged to someone else.
"I feel incredible," Kip breathed, his young voice carrying awe.
Lola stepped forward with a soft, satisfied smile on her face, clearly enjoying their shocked expressions. "Those are protein bars that provide permanent strength enhancement plus temporary fifty percent improvement. Each one is worth approximately one thousand golden coins."
Here comes the price reveal. This should be entertaining. Lola thought, a soft smile on her face.
Both siblings froze as the astronomical figure registered. Kip’s face went pale while Alissa’s mouth fell open with horror.
"A THOUSAND GOLDEN COINS?" Kip shrieked, immediately sticking his finger down his throat. "I need to vomit this up! There’s a fortune in my stomach!"
Noah stepped forward with gentle laughter, stopping Kip’s desperate attempts at regurgitation. "It’s fine! Don’t worry about the cost. I have more coming. Besides, if you vomit it out, it will only mess up the store floor. It’s not like I will be able to sell it after that, haha."
Both siblings stared at him with expressions that cycled through gratitude and amazement.
"Noah," Alissa whispered, her usual confidence replaced by shy appreciation. "We... we can’t accept gifts this valuable."
Everything they’ve achieved could be attributed to Noah’s help.
Kip nodded frantically. "You saved our lives, introduced us to Princess Elara and Valeria, gave us opportunities we never could have earned alone, and now this..."
Recognition of compound generosity. Some friendships involve serious investment.
"You’ve changed our entire lives," Alissa continued, her voice carrying emotion that made her composure crack completely. "We owe you everything."
"Thank you," she said shyly, the words carrying weight that transcended simple gratitude.
Noah nodded with a soft smile before walking to the twins and rubbing their heads with each hand. "You guys deserve that much, you’ve suffered a lot."
Alissa and Kipp lowered their heads, fighting back tears. Noah was right, they had suffered a lot since they were young.
Some investments pay dividends in human development rather than monetary returns.
Lola observed this exchange with a growing understanding of Noah’s character. His generosity toward allies revealed principles that transcended simple profit maximization.
Suddenly the shop door opened with familiar energy that made Noah’s face brighten with genuine joy. Valeria and Princess Elara entered together, their expressions carrying urgency mixed with relief.
"Noah! You’re back!" Elara’s voice carried the excitement of someone who’d missed a valued friend.
Noah smiled warmly at their arrival. "Good to see you both again."
My first friends in this world. It feels good to have them here.
But their expressions shifted immediately as they noticed Lola’s presence. The succubus sat casually beside Noah, her ruby eyes sparkling with amusement at the humans’ obvious discomfort.
Valeria’s hand drifted toward her sword hilt with wariness. "Noah, who is—"
"It’s complicated," Noah interrupted gently.
Lola sighed at the predictable encounter, her usual confidence dimmed by recognition of the problems her presence created.
"I’m causing you a lot of trouble, aren’t I?" She glanced toward Noah. "Maybe I should’ve stayed on the second floor."
Noah shook his head firmly. "It’s fine. This is a misunderstanding that needs clearing up anyway."
Time to explain everything. Hope they can handle the truth.
"This is Lola," Noah began carefully. "She’s a master-level succubus who’s been helping me in the demon kingdom. She taught many things about magic, combat, and the conflict between our kingdoms. It isn’t what we think it is."
Elara kept her expression neutral despite obvious shock. "What do you mean? Can you explain?"
"The demons aren’t our true enemies," Noah continued, watching their faces carefully.
"How can they not be our enemies? They are literally attacking our kingdom as we speak." Elara frowned.
Noah nodded. "I haven’t finished explaining. What I wanted to say is, there is a radical faction called extremists attacking both sides to maintain permanent warfare. Someone’s profiting from the conflict while both kingdoms suffer."
Princess Elara’s composure cracked as the implications hit her. As heir to the throne, she’d witnessed her father’s frustrated peace attempts and growing desperation to end the bloodshed.
"Extremists manipulating both sides," Elara repeated slowly. "That would explain why every peace initiative fails. But how do you know this?"
"I’ve encountered them personally. They attacked me and Lola during a trip outside the city. They’re powerful, organised, and completely hostile to both humans and demons that do not follow their ideals.
They think that humans are a lesser species and that they should be enslaved or killed. Fortunately, the demons didn’t agree with their ideologies. This led to their banishment from the demon kingdom, and ever since then, they’ve been attacking both sides."
Valeria’s mind immediately grasped the truth behind Noah’s words. "If this is accurate, it means some of our noble families might be benefiting from continued warfare."
"Precisely what I’m thinking," Noah confirmed. "Someone’s making money while people die needlessly."
Elara nodded in understanding, although she was still curious about something. "How come she speaks the human tongue? Demons were known to be unable to learn our language."
Good question. Language barriers were supposed to be absolute.
"She’s a master-level mage," Noah explained with a casual shrug. "She learned from listening to me speak. Something about mana signatures making language comprehension possible."
Elara nodded with acceptance. Master-level practitioners operated beyond normal limitations in most areas.
But her attention shifted as she spotted the abundant iced tea display. Her expression brightened with obvious recognition and anticipation.
Her favourite product. Some things never change.