Chapter 276: Two Hearts, One Flask
Martin read the last two words again.
"Registered couples."
The clerk’s smile turned even brighter. "Crucible Concord specializes in paired brewing. Our alchemists stabilize a single formula and divide it into linked doses instead of preparing two separate potions from the same recipe. The circuit lets visitors try several examples before choosing a specialist for a restricted consultation."
She tapped the notice. Gold light filled the two heart-shaped flasks, and a list of participating stores opened beneath them.
"Registration includes the full tasting circuit, relief from most of Mountain Risen’s outsider levy, and one consultation after you complete the route. Ingredient handling and laboratory work still require separate approval."
Martin compared the new total with the original one. "Why does saying we’re a couple knock that much off the price?"
"The circuit is one of the quarter’s public promotions. Crucible Concord shares anonymous reaction records with the participating shops, and Mountain Risen reduces the levy because visitors spend money throughout the district." The clerk gestured to the linked flasks. "Paired formulas also require two registered mana signatures. Couples usually complete the route instead of visiting one shop after another for free samples."
Rias’s gaze stayed on the fee window. "What exactly does couple registration allow Crucible Concord to record?"
"Your mana signatures, the distance between your visitor tokens, the doses served to you, and any physical or magical reactions during the circuit. We license those records for safety reviews and formula quality control. If either taster reports an undeclared reaction, the source trace for that batch becomes available to both registered visitors. Registration does not transfer ownership of an ingredient, grant supply rights, or authorize independent testing."
"What does the consultation cover?"
"Discussion only, unless you separately approve material handling or supervised work."
"How do you verify the relationship?"
"We don’t investigate anyone’s private life. Both visitors declare themselves a couple for the duration of the circuit and agree to the paired-service rules. Either person can withdraw at any time. That ends the linked pass, and ordinary outsider rates will apply to any services requested afterward."
Rias opened Cassandra’s authorization beside the two price windows and went through the charges again.
Two individual licenses would eat up most of their approved budget before anyone even examined the blue crystal. Walking from store to store on separate tasting licenses, with Night Espresso displayed over their heads, would make them look like guild representatives trying to copy whatever Crucible Concord was willing to show outsiders.
The couples circuit made them look like tourists with more money than caution.
Rias closed the price windows and opened a private voice channel between them. "Can you act like my boyfriend for one afternoon?"
Martin looked at her, then at the smiling flasks. "Yeah. If it gets us into the stores without burning through the budget, I can do it."
"Then we set the limits first," Rias said over the private channel. "This is cover for the circuit, and it ends when the tokens come off. You don’t get to bring it up later and claim I changed my answer about your harem. If Elisebeth tries to use it as proof that anything changed, I’ll correct her too."
"You already told me you weren’t joining. A cheap visitor pass doesn’t change that."
"No, it doesn’t." Rias tapped two fingers against the closed price window. "We can touch for the cover, but either of us can stop whenever we want. We don’t make promises about the crystals or sign a commercial agreement. If a shop wants exclusivity or future access, we walk away."
"Got it. We’re dating until the pass comes off, but outside the circuit, nothing changes."
Rias ended the private channel and turned back to the clerk. "We’ll take the couples circuit. Before we pay, confirm that registration creates no purchase obligation, sponsorship, exclusivity, or commercial relationship with Crucible Concord."
"Correct. It registers you under the quarter’s existing visitor rules and activates the promotion. Any commercial agreement would require a separate contract and authorization outside the visitor circuit."
Rias approved only the visitor-service charge. After the payment came out of Cassandra’s budget, they still had enough left for material handling if the circuit gave them a reason to request it.
The clerk took two matching wrist straps from beneath the counter and set them side by side. Each dark leather strap held an oval brass token with half of a red glass flask set into its face. Together, the two halves formed the same heart-shaped design shown on the notice.
She kept one hand over the straps. "Mountain Risen requires every participant in licensed alchemy to hear the lineage clause before registration. Any player account used to author, sponsor, commission, or materially contribute to an alchemical lineage receives the corresponding craft credit. Prohibited development and any violations that follow stay with that account, not just the active character used for the work. Changing characters, guilds, or academies does not sever lineage responsibility."
A system notice opened in front of each of them.
[Alchemical Lineage and Liability Notice]
[Formula credit, sponsorship records, restricted-development violations, and resulting sanctions attach to the participating player account.]
[Changing characters does not sever alchemical lineage.]
Martin tapped the final line. "So if someone develops a forbidden potion on an alternate character, the punishment reaches their main character too?"
"It reaches every other character tied to that account," the clerk said. "The same record also protects legitimate work. If you develop a formula on one character, using another character on the same account does not erase your credit."
Rias kept the notice open. "Simply tasting a potion doesn’t make us contributors to every formula we consume."
"No. Your reaction records count as batch data, not authorship or sponsorship. The lineage rule matters only if you later participate in development, provide material support, or authorize the work."
Rias went over the notice once more, then accepted it. Martin did the same, and the clerk fastened one token around Rias’s gloved left wrist and the other around Martin’s right wrist.
[Two Hearts, One Flask Visitor Pass issued.]
[Registered Partners: Emperoar / Flash Fang]
[Functions active: Tasting Circuit Access, Paired Reaction Log, Partner Direction and Distance.]
[Either partner may suspend the link. Circuit benefits will remain inactive until both partners restore it.]
A thin red line came alive inside Martin’s token and angled toward Rias. The line in her token pointed back at him, and a small distance reading changed whenever either of them moved. When they brought their wrists closer, the two halves of the glass flask glowed evenly.