Chapter 117: Earning Money

The effects of the slimming potion lasted for over an hour, until the greasy, murky substance finally ceased to flow. Exhausted and battered, Maler struggled to climb out of the bathtub. After turning on the faucet again to rinse his body repeatedly, he wearily approached the full-length mirror, preparing to put on his clothes.

But the instant he saw his reflection, his drooping eyelids snapped wide open with disbelief. He scrutinized the figure in the mirror once more, unable to contain a deafening howl before dashing into the bedroom.

“Second brother, Third brother, Fourth brother, look! Look at my body! Is this really my body?” Maler asked repeatedly, barely able to believe it himself.

Gepaz and the others stared at him in shock. Were it not for the unmistakable face of their leader, they might not have recognized him at all. Maler’s body had slimmed down by at least two full sizes. Normally, such sudden weight loss would leave the skin loose and sagging, but astonishingly, his skin had tightened along with his figure. Though still heavier than the average person, his new physique was dramatically more slender compared to before.

Roland had not expected the slimming potion to be so effective. After a moment’s thought, he understood why Maler’s transformation had been so rapid: the formula crafted by Mithus was truly extraordinary. The potion was most potent on the first use, and since Maler’s body was originally severely overweight and he had consumed three times the normal dose at once, these factors combined to create this miraculous effect.

“Boss, you must have lost at least twenty or thirty jin!” Bill swallowed nervously.

“Twenty or thirty jin? I’d say at least forty!” Gepaz corrected.

Maler anxiously glanced at Roland and the others. “I’m telling you, you still haven’t told me—Is this really my body?”

“No problem, boss. I’ll prove it to you right now!” Gepaz winked, stepped up to Maler, reached out, and pinched the soft flesh on his waist. Then, with a swift motion, he twisted it a full 360 degrees.

A scream pierced the air, so agonizing it nearly lifted the roof off Dormitory 2015.

After exacting a little revenge for past bullying, Gepaz quickly jumped back, laughing. “So, Boss Maler, how about now? Still doubt that’s your body?”

Roland and Bill burst into laughter at Gepaz’s antics and words.

Maler, tears nearly streaming from the pain, was too stunned to notice Gepaz’s cheeky move. At that moment, he was utterly convinced that this slender body was indeed his own. Without hesitation, he leapt up and began dancing wildly and awkwardly, his movements so ungainly they were almost comical.

“Uh… Boss, could you maybe put on some clothes first?” Roland, unable to restrain himself any longer, pleaded. Maler’s hefty hips swayed with each twist, and the front, resembling a grenade, bounced alarmingly, causing the three men to feel faintly nauseated.

...

Following the sensational news of Victoria becoming a level six mage and re-entering the Maya Mountains, Potter Academy was rocked by another equally momentous announcement: Maler had successfully lost weight!

Once the academy’s heaviest student, Maler had shed several weight categories at once. Though still somewhat overweight by typical standards, his new figure was a world apart from his former self. Suddenly, other chubby students—and even those just slightly plump—came flocking to him, eager to learn his secret.

Many female mages, who could hardly be considered fat, clung to Maler daily, pestering him for the formula. Heeding Roland’s advice, Maler refrained from naming him, instead claiming he had simply drunk a miraculous potion obtained through a mysterious channel.

News of this only made visitors’ eyes shine brighter, as they begged to buy the slimming potion. Maler feigned reluctance, saying the potion was difficult to acquire, but the demand was so frenzied he was forced to produce three bottles—the last remaining from the nine Roland had brewed for him.

With so many buyers, Maler had no choice but to auction them off to the highest bidders. Astonishingly, the three bottles fetched a total of ten thousand gold coins.

Those who lost the auction were crestfallen, but Maler’s next words revived their spirits: “If everyone wants this potion, I can get more, but because it’s so rare, I’ll only be able to supply a few bottles every six months!”

Even with a half-year wait, the crowd was ecstatic. Just as they prepared to leave, Maler dropped another bombshell: “The reason Gepaz and Bill became so handsome in such a short time is also thanks to potions I acquired through that same mysterious channel!”

The crowd erupted again. When Gepaz and Bill had suddenly become more attractive six months prior, it had caused a stir—but their transformations paled compared to Maler’s dramatic weight loss and had not drawn enough attention. Now, with Maler’s revelation, everyone took notice.

Consequently, the few remaining beauty potions Gepaz and Bill possessed were auctioned off one by one for five thousand gold coins each.

Maler also told those who hadn’t won the beauty potions that he planned to acquire more alongside the slimming potions, with auctions held every six months for both.

Only then did the fervent mages finally leave the dormitory.

That evening, when Roland returned from training, Maler, Gepaz, and Bill excitedly recounted the day’s auction. Roland was astonished—he had never expected his brewed potions to fetch such sums.

In truth, the reason these potions commanded such high prices was scarcity. Mithus’s unique formula was exclusive to Roland on the entire continent, which explained the exorbitant value.

“Fourth brother, here’s five thousand gold coins—half the proceeds from today’s slimming potion auction. Keep it safe!” Maler handed a magic crystal card to Roland, while Gepaz and Bill each gave him two thousand five hundred gold coins.

“I can’t just take half and not cover the material costs—that wouldn’t be right,” Roland protested shyly.

Maler waved him off. “Fourth brother, didn’t we agree? Even though we got the materials, without your formula and brewing skills, those ingredients wouldn’t be worth a penny. Sharing half the gold with you is already us doing you a big favor. Why are you being so stubborn?”

Gepaz and Bill quickly chimed in, “Yeah, Fourth brother, if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have earned a single gold coin. Compared to the potion’s huge profits, the material costs are negligible!”

After Maler’s dramatic weight loss, as the son of the treasurer, he naturally recognized this as a highly lucrative business opportunity. After discussing with Roland and the others, they deliberately publicized Maler’s success. With Maler himself as a living advertisement, news spread quickly throughout the academy. What followed was a well-planned marketing campaign.

Seeing Roland still hesitant, Maler reminded him, “Don’t forget, every year you have to pay a hundred thousand gold coins for your brother’s remedial surgery!”

With that, Roland had no choice but to accept.