Horizon of Darkness

"I wonder why the prices of these potions vary so much," Zeikin frowned, staring at the shelf of stat-boosting drinks. "Let's say a strength potion might be in demand among peasants, workers, loaders, and other laborers. An affordable price increases the appeal of this performance-enhancing drug for performing laborious tasks, and the final profit from the number sold will noticeably exceed the benefit lost by lowering the price. But who and for what purpose in everyday life would need a potion of evasion? It's unclear. A bottle of speed, on the other hand, might be useful for a messenger or postman, and a potion of perception for a hunter or gatherer. There's really no particular point to a magic potion, except in specialized cases – and I think those who need it can afford to spend more; you can't make up for the cost with volume. And besides, the markup on the more expensive drinks is fixed. What's the strategy behind this pricing? Could it really be solely about the ingredients used?" As he pondered all this, the mercenary stood motionless near the cabinet for quite some time – from the outside, it might seem as if he had fallen asleep with his eyes open.