In a shabby hut in the Dock District, Renato sat on a stone stool.
Years of damp had blackened its seat, and its edges had been worn smooth and shiny, yet it proved surprisingly steady beneath him.
The room held very little furniture. Two layers of coarse burlap covered the window, and the scant light leaking through the gaps left the interior deeply shadowed.
Renato leaned against the stone stool's backrest, holding a brown glass wine bottle in his right hand. The wine inside was blood-red. He took a sip and let it linger on his tongue, savoring the initial burn that gave way to sweetness, followed by a sharp finish that tightened his throat.
Including the bottle in his hand, he had two bottles of Bloody Marilith left. Once he finished the last one tomorrow, he would have drunk all twelve and gained the potion's permanent enhancement.
Renato swirled the remaining wine in his cup, his feelings mixed. He was eager to gain this new power, the permanent agility enhancement granted by Marilith essence, yet at the same time, he was reluctant to let it go.
The fine wine itself was already worth far more than an ordinary magic potion. Once he had finished all twelve bottles, he would probably struggle to find another wine like Bloody Marilith, one capable of making even someone with his powerful constitution feel slightly tipsy.
He drained it in one gulp and set the empty bottle on the table.
Bored as he waited for Crooked Mouth to arrive with his report, Renato opened the [Adventurer's Guide] with a thought and reviewed the new [Quest] he had accepted earlier at the Governor's Mansion.
``` [Quest]
Discover the truth behind the crisis in White Harbor and report to Governor De Sousa for a reward of