This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Considering that Apache might get overwhelmed by the conversation, Rita made sure to pack plenty of alcohol, snacks, and cigarettes before leaving her house, including many rare items she'd specifically arranged for people around the world to buy and ship to her.

Nivalis, naturally, threw a bit of a fit when Rita tried to leave, so Rita had to calm her down by shopping online and purchasing half the store's stock of snacks and alcohol. The shop owner would pack everything up and send it directly to Rita in-game, and when it arrived, Nivalis could go pick it up herself.

When Rita entered the alchemy shop, she found Apache in her usual spot, standing in the corner, brewing potions while wearing a robe embroidered with magical runes.

Rita had always wondered about one thing—wasn't alchemy supposed to be done in a controlled environment? Why did Apache always brew potions in the open space of the first floor?

Now that their relationship was more than friendly, Rita finally dared to ask the question.

Without even looking up, Apache continued stirring her cauldron, her eyes low, and replied, "There are seven alchemy shops in Dark City. Why did you choose to walk into mine?"

Rita: …

Could she admit that she had just happened to pass by?

No, she couldn't.

Rita had a sudden epiphany. "Ah, so it's part of your strategy to attract customers!"

Apache: "…"

The expression and tone from the disguised goblin didn't reveal anything, but for some reason, Apache's hand involuntarily clenched into a fist.

However, her attention was quickly drawn away when she saw the "tuition" Rita had brought for her.

Since Lania Kaia had begun planning the invasion of Earth, it wasn't uncommon for Earthlings to bring gifts to this little shop, but everything came down to fate.

For Apache, having one Earthling like Rita was more than enough. Teaching any more would make her a traitor to Lania Kaia.

Besides, Rita never just brought things based on her own preferences. Apache had noticed more than once that some of the food and drinks Rita brought weren't things she'd enjoy herself—not that she'd think it was poisoned. Trying to poison a master alchemist would just speed up one's demise.

This showed that Rita wasn't self-centered when selecting gifts. She always brought a variety of items, allowing Apache to explore new things on her own and decide what she liked best. This level of attentiveness wasn't something everyone had.

Sometimes, Rita would even manage to obtain special rice reserved for Lania Kaia's royal family and gift it to Apache. For someone of Apache's status, getting such things wasn't hard, but for an Earthling, it must've taken a great deal of effort and cost.

These little gestures added up. Apache appreciated Rita's generosity, ability to transform into a cat, intelligence, humility, diligence, and—of course—how cute she looked when she turned into a cat.

If Rita weren't from Earth, Apache would've already made her her official alchemy apprentice.

A pity…

Suppressing these thoughts, Apache gave the things Rita brought to Kayden to sort, then began the lesson for the day.

Rita listened attentively throughout. Once her disguise ended, she turned into a small cat to continue listening until the two-hour lesson was over. Then, as she was leaving the shop, she looked seriously at Kayden behind the counter and meowed, "Meow~ meow meow?"

—Kayden, do you know how the sun of Lania Kaia was born?

The moment she finished, she caught a glimpse of Apache's hand pausing mid-motion as she picked up a bottle of alcohol. Her normally pale face flushed slightly, and her toes—visible in her comfortable sandals—curled as if scratching at something invisible.

Kayden, intrigued, asked, "How was it born?"

Rita: "Meow meow… meow aww… meow—!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

—The day Apache first touched alchemy, the sun of Lania Kaia began to rise!

Apache: *Enough… enough…*

Kayden's face lit up with awe. "Wow! How did people live before that? Apache saved Lania Kaia!"

Apache slowly raised her eyes, full of murderous intent, and fixed them on the fat orange cat standing at the door.

Rita: *Danger!*

The chubby orange cat spun around and bolted, her fat little legs kicking up dust in her wake.

Apache: *Hmph, don't come back for class if you've got the guts to keep running.*

Once the chubby cat's fluffy bottom disappeared from view, Apache turned to look at Kayden, who had just played dumb and helped Rita out.

Kayden: *I'm done for…*

…

After fleeing from Lania Kaia, Rita took some time to process two more orders before heading to the Special Affairs Bureau's training camp for her lessons.

As expected, she couldn't avoid questions about her dragon. No matter how cool and independent some people tried to act, when the owner of a dragon appeared in front of them, their curiosity would get the better of them, and they couldn't help but ask a few things.

Nivalis was still trending on social media, and Scarlett had practically turned into an influencer by posting dragon pictures everywhere.

Rita didn't mind. After all, it wasn't like she could keep Nivalis's existence a secret forever, not with her on the top of the pet leaderboard. And she didn't care if pictures of herself ended up online either. After so many years as a celebrity, her face was already all over the internet.

In fact, she had never stopped people from taking pictures. Everything could be used to her advantage. Being caught by someone's camera could later provide her with an alibi if she ever needed one.

Avoiding attention at all costs would only backfire when she needed to be seen. In contrast, making it seem natural and unintentional was much more effective.

If she ever needed to do something shady, she'd just use her Disguise skill. Whether or not she got caught was completely in her control.

When they found out Rita hadn't brought the dragon to class, people were a little disappointed, but no one complained. Instead, the conversation naturally shifted to how to contract with beasts and which ones were the most powerful.

Rita didn't know much herself. In her previous life, she had little access to reliable sources of information. However, since encountering Nivalis, she had made a point of researching beast contracts, so she could share some useful tips.

Everyone present was a lone wolf with skill and connections. While Rita shared what she knew, she also picked up new information she hadn't heard before:

—"There's this old tailor who became a high-level tailor after the game invaded. He can now custom-make blue-grade gear, though it's expensive. If you have the connections, it's better to buy from Lania Kaia… but the travel costs are outrageous!"

—"The leader of that club—'Bunny Ears,' or whatever it's called—has an S-rank Gift related to defense. Their club is definitely going to grow; they just need a good healer. With a strong tank like that, they're set for boss fights."

—"Now, so many shops are only accepting copper coins… and loads of businesses have moved to the auction house. I even bought some late-night snacks through the auction house once, and they arrived instantly—faster than delivery."

—"If you've got dungeons to run, life's not bad. One run can cover living expenses for several days, but of course, that's risking your life."

—"Tell me about it. My cousin wants to go, but he doesn't have a good Gift. I told him to start small and save up to buy better gear and skills first."

—"Yeah, but it's not like dungeons are always available. You sometimes have to wait in line forever. Some people can only run once a day, but if you have connections or a private dungeon, you can grind all day and get way ahead."

That topic quickly grew too big for lone wolves like them to handle, so everyone silently agreed to change the subject.