"Hi Uncle Toto, how's your day?"
"Great, little one. Are things ready?"
"Yep. The cords are in the store room as usual."
"Alright. You get ready, uncle will load them in the cart."
Bowen got seated on the cart driven by a bull horse, where Uncle Toto is the coachman. Ten days before, when he first wanted to hire a cart to sell his wooden logs, everyone refused to drive for him as they doubted the words of a small kid who was less than 7 years old. They strictly declined Bowen’s offer when they knew he was an orphan. They doubted Bowen’s capability to pay for the cart. Moreover, they didn’t know if Bowen was serious or joking around. It was only Uncle Toto, a man in his 40s, who decided to help Bowen. When Bowen asked why he decided to help him, Toto said, "I first started working when I was your age. I know how cruel this world can be when you are an orphan." Toto even lowered the cart wages from 50 coppers to 40 coppers for Bowen’s sake. But Bowen decided to pay him 55 coppers on condition Toto would help him load and unload the log bundle, which was a troublesome job for Bowen with his young body.
Talking about money, he had amassed 3 small silver coins, 58 bronze coins, and 21 coppers from the space rings of Theodore, Bale, and the rogues. Most of it was from Bale and his father. He also got 30 bronze coins in his house locker. It seemed like Felina had been secretly saving for their future. Apart from paying for the cart, his profit from one-time selling the logs is 2 bronze for one trip. Of course, he had trouble finding customers at first, but the evenly cut firewoods soon found their buyers with the help of Bowen’s eloquent speech that he had trained a little in his previous life. He would not call himself a good merchant, but he knows his stuff and how to sell them.
Now he is on a trip to the town of Lamport, which is 16 km from Barn. He has already completed the quota of cutting 2500 logs today and got a one-point increase in strength. Once he returns in the evening after selling those logs, he will do running and at the same time deplete his mana. Within 2 hours, they reached the workshop of blacksmith Rephal by letting the bull horse run at full speed.
“On time again. Applause to you, young one,” said Rephal, laughing, standing outside his workshop.
“Of course, you are my VIP customer. How can I make you wait?”
"Hahaha..you really have a sweet tongue, kid."
"Same as always, unload all the bundles in the backyard. And next time, can I request extra?"
"How much?" asked Bowen.
"Twenty."
"I will give you a 5% discount if you buy 40."
"Haha, you really know how to sell, huh? Fine then. My job never lacks wood, so bring them on."
“Great!” Bowen finished the deal happily.
“Uncle Rephal, need your help again.” Bowen turned to see a familiar handicapped girl walking with jerky movements. She held a stick to support her body on one hand and on her other hand held something like a sword covered in a halberd.
"Ruby? You again. Don’t tell me you want to sell that too," said Rephal, looking at her hand.
"Yes. Please help me sell it."
"Oh no! Are you kidding me? Should she go to the lengths of selling this precious sword?" Uncle Rephal said
"Master said that you can take this for a few silvers, like 10 or 12 coins."
"10 or 12? Is she in her right mind? This sword is worth at least 60 silvers if you go to a city, you know. What a waste, what a waste!" said Rephal, shaking his head in disapproval.
The handicapped girl kept looking at the ground without saying anything.
"Fuu...fine. The most I can give you is 15 silvers. But I don't have much now. I will give 7 small coins today and the rest when I sell the sword. Is that fine with you?" said Rephal, feeling bad for Ruby.
"If I may ask, what is the problem that one goes to lengths of selling a heirloom?" Bowen interjected. Only then did Ruby turn to notice a boy, shorter than her, standing there.
"Oh! Let me introduce you both. Bowen, this is Ruby, a slave of Lady Emma Grace. And Ruby, this is Bowen. He is a very good businessman," Rephal said, giving a wink to Bowen.
Ruby was shocked when Rephal introduced Bowen as a businessman. At first, she thought Bowen was some average kid who had accompanied their parents to meet Rephal. But to think this young boy could do business himself, and with Rephal, an esteemed blacksmith of Lamport, she must improve her judgment of others.
"I am just an occasional seller. Not much. So, what about the heirloom?" asked Bowen.
"What do I say? This Grace family was once a prestigious family of knights. The story is that they were, for some reason, marked as traitors, and their family members were beheaded, except for the current head, Lady Emma Grace, for her merits in the military. But she was sent to some vicious place full of diseases for a mission that caused her incurable illness. Now she is retired and spends her last days drinking, willing to pursue her death soon. Now and then, she sells some valuables of hers to me for money for her painkillers and alcohol. Now she must not have been left with many that she decided to sell the sword, the treasured heirloom of once glorious Grace family," Rephal said, recounting the unfortunate story of the Grace family.
"Oh, that makes sense. If you don't mind, can I take a look at the sword?" asked Bowen.
"No problem. But be careful, it must be too sharp," said Rephal. Ruby handed the sword to Bowen with hesitation.
"System, can you evaluate this sword?" Bowen said on taking the finely decorated thin sword from its green halberd. The sharp sword blade reflected and glimmered in the sunlight.
"Yes, host. Wait a minute... Scanning... Evaluation successful," the system replied.
"Treasure of Grace family - bestowed to the ancestor of the Grace family 400 years ago by the King of Kestryl. (Rank unique - by the standards of Grime Sphere). Special feature - the more pure mana imbued, the stronger and sharper the blade becomes."
"Good one. Can you tell me its worth when it can unleash its full capacity?" Bowen asked.
"When unleashed at full capacity, it has a chance of slaying a C-ranker in a single hit. It can severely injure a B-ranker but is not effective against an A-ranker. In today’s standard economical condition of the Grime Sphere, it can sell for an average of 5 golds," the system replied.
Bowen widened his eyes in amazement at the system's explanation. "Then why did Rephal say it could cost only 60 small silvers?"
"It's just that there are not enough people who can wield it to its full capacity, host. It seems even the sword's first owner only activated it to 50% of its full power," the system explained.
"Really? Then what about me? Can I activate it to its full capacity?" Bowen asked.
"Sure, host. As you have a celestial mana vessel, you can unleash its full capacity in the future. But you must try to increase the storage capacity of your mana vessel first," the system replied.
Rephal and Ruby watched as Bowen stared at the sword without saying a word, making occasional facial expressions that they couldn't understand.
"Boy, have you seen enough?" asked Rephal.
"Mr. Rephal, if you don't mind, can I buy this sword?" Bowen asked out of nowhere.
Both Ruby and Rephal were startled by Bowen's sudden request. "Don't joke around. Let me tell you the truth. Even if I buy it for 15 silvers, I will sell it for a lot of profit later. I cannot let go of a good chance like this," Rephal said.
"How much can you sell it for?" Bowen asked.
"How much do you ask? Hmm... it will at most go for 40 silvers if I sell it with the name of Grace Family," Rephal replied.
"How about 50 small silver coins?" Bowen asked casually.
"Fif... fifty?!" Ruby exclaimed in a broken voice.
"Yes, you both can share your part as you like," Bowen said.
Rephal started contemplating. "Fine, I can give you three days. But during this time, I will put the sword on display in my shop. If some other customer bids higher than you, I cannot do anything," he said with a serious face.
"Can you get that much money in three short days?" Ruby asked Bowen.
Of course, Bowen didn't have that much money. At most, his savings totaled to four silvers. He had ways to acquire them in three days, but it was unnecessary for him. He couldn't risk such a valuable item by delaying the time.
"No need. I can pay in full now," Bowen said confidently.
"Now?" Ruby and Rephal asked in chorus.
"Yes, what do you say?"
"Of course, if you can pay in full, you can take the sword immediately," Rephal said.
"Nice," Bowen said with a smile.
"System, convert 1 dp to 1 gold coin," he ordered.
"Note: (Dp: gold ratio 1:1, Dp can be converted to gold but vice versa is impossible)," the system replied.
"Yes, host, as you wish."
Ting 1 dp converted to 1 gold successfully.
Ting Congratulations, host, on completing a hidden mission - FIRST EXCHANGE. Host has successfully converted dp to gold for the first time. Reward: +5 DP.
Bowen couldn't believe his own eyes. "There was such an unexpected hidden mission?" Truthfully, Bowen never intended to convert dp to gold, as dp was harder to earn than gold for him. It was because of the urgent situation that he resorted to such extreme measures, but he didn't expect such a reward.
"What are you thinking, boy? If it's so hard for you, take your time..." Before Rephal could finish, Bowen tossed a gold coin to him.
Rephal caught the coin in time, but when he realized what he had caught was not a silver coin but gold, his mouth went wide open. "Go...gold? A gold coin? This is Repeal's first time seeing a gold coin, not to mention touching it. He wanted to treasure it by locking it deep in his locker. For even a famous blacksmith like him, earning one gold in a lifetime was an unattainable case." Near Repeal, Ruby's eyes seemed to pop out and fall down at any minute. "Do you have change?" asked Bowen casually, without reading the atmosphere.
Author’s Rambling Corner
Hey there, my dear readers! If you can't recall who Ruby is, then please go back and refresh your memory by reading the chapter 'Seekers and Attribute'. Okay, folks, now for the main event. If you want a bonus chapter, just type 'YES' in the comments section below, along with your thoughts on the story. HappyReading!:)
"Hi Uncle Toto, how's your day?"
"Great, little one. Are things ready?"
"Yep. The cords are in the store room as usual."
"Alright. You get ready, uncle will load them in the cart."
Bowen got seated on the cart driven by a bull horse, where Uncle Toto is the coachman. Ten days before, when he first wanted to hire a cart to sell his wooden logs, everyone refused to drive for him as they doubted the words of a small kid who was less than 7 years old. They strictly declined Bowen’s offer when they knew he was an orphan. They doubted Bowen’s capability to pay for the cart. Moreover, they didn’t know if Bowen was serious or joking around. It was only Uncle Toto, a man in his 40s, who decided to help Bowen. When Bowen asked why he decided to help him, Toto said, "I first started working when I was your age. I know how cruel this world can be when you are an orphan." Toto even lowered the cart wages from 50 coppers to 40 coppers for Bowen’s sake. But Bowen decided to pay him 55 coppers on condition Toto would help him load and unload the log bundle, which was a troublesome job for Bowen with his young body.
Talking about money, he had amassed 3 small silver coins, 58 bronze coins, and 21 coppers from the space rings of Theodore, Bale, and the rogues. Most of it was from Bale and his father. He also got 30 bronze coins in his house locker. It seemed like Felina had been secretly saving for their future. Apart from paying for the cart, his profit from one-time selling the logs is 2 bronze for one trip. Of course, he had trouble finding customers at first, but the evenly cut firewoods soon found their buyers with the help of Bowen’s eloquent speech that he had trained a little in his previous life. He would not call himself a good merchant, but he knows his stuff and how to sell them.
Now he is on a trip to the town of Lamport, which is 16 km from Barn. He has already completed the quota of cutting 2500 logs today and got a one-point increase in strength. Once he returns in the evening after selling those logs, he will do running and at the same time deplete his mana. Within 2 hours, they reached the workshop of blacksmith Rephal by letting the bull horse run at full speed.
“On time again. Applause to you, young one,” said Rephal, laughing, standing outside his workshop.
“Of course, you are my VIP customer. How can I make you wait?”
"Hahaha..you really have a sweet tongue, kid."
"Same as always, unload all the bundles in the backyard. And next time, can I request extra?"
"How much?" asked Bowen.
"Twenty."
"I will give you a 5% discount if you buy 40."
"Haha, you really know how to sell, huh? Fine then. My job never lacks wood, so bring them on."
“Great!” Bowen finished the deal happily.
“Uncle Rephal, need your help again.” Bowen turned to see a familiar handicapped girl walking with jerky movements. She held a stick to support her body on one hand and on her other hand held something like a sword covered in a halberd.
"Ruby? You again. Don’t tell me you want to sell that too," said Rephal, looking at her hand.
"Yes. Please help me sell it."
"Oh no! Are you kidding me? Should she go to the lengths of selling this precious sword?" Uncle Rephal said
"Master said that you can take this for a few silvers, like 10 or 12 coins."
"10 or 12? Is she in her right mind? This sword is worth at least 60 silvers if you go to a city, you know. What a waste, what a waste!" said Rephal, shaking his head in disapproval.
The handicapped girl kept looking at the ground without saying anything.
"Fuu...fine. The most I can give you is 15 silvers. But I don't have much now. I will give 7 small coins today and the rest when I sell the sword. Is that fine with you?" said Rephal, feeling bad for Ruby.
"If I may ask, what is the problem that one goes to lengths of selling a heirloom?" Bowen interjected. Only then did Ruby turn to notice a boy, shorter than her, standing there.
"Oh! Let me introduce you both. Bowen, this is Ruby, a slave of Lady Emma Grace. And Ruby, this is Bowen. He is a very good businessman," Rephal said, giving a wink to Bowen.
Ruby was shocked when Rephal introduced Bowen as a businessman. At first, she thought Bowen was some average kid who had accompanied their parents to meet Rephal. But to think this young boy could do business himself, and with Rephal, an esteemed blacksmith of Lamport, she must improve her judgment of others.
"I am just an occasional seller. Not much. So, what about the heirloom?" asked Bowen.
"What do I say? This Grace family was once a prestigious family of knights. The story is that they were, for some reason, marked as traitors, and their family members were beheaded, except for the current head, Lady Emma Grace, for her merits in the military. But she was sent to some vicious place full of diseases for a mission that caused her incurable illness. Now she is retired and spends her last days drinking, willing to pursue her death soon. Now and then, she sells some valuables of hers to me for money for her painkillers and alcohol. Now she must not have been left with many that she decided to sell the sword, the treasured heirloom of once glorious Grace family," Rephal said, recounting the unfortunate story of the Grace family.
"Oh, that makes sense. If you don't mind, can I take a look at the sword?" asked Bowen.
"No problem. But be careful, it must be too sharp," said Rephal. Ruby handed the sword to Bowen with hesitation.
"System, can you evaluate this sword?" Bowen said on taking the finely decorated thin sword from its green halberd. The sharp sword blade reflected and glimmered in the sunlight.
"Yes, host. Wait a minute... Scanning... Evaluation successful," the system replied.
"Treasure of Grace family - bestowed to the ancestor of the Grace family 400 years ago by the King of Kestryl. (Rank unique - by the standards of Grime Sphere). Special feature - the more pure mana imbued, the stronger and sharper the blade becomes."
"Good one. Can you tell me its worth when it can unleash its full capacity?" Bowen asked.
"When unleashed at full capacity, it has a chance of slaying a C-ranker in a single hit. It can severely injure a B-ranker but is not effective against an A-ranker. In today’s standard economical condition of the Grime Sphere, it can sell for an average of 5 golds," the system replied.
Bowen widened his eyes in amazement at the system's explanation. "Then why did Rephal say it could cost only 60 small silvers?"
"It's just that there are not enough people who can wield it to its full capacity, host. It seems even the sword's first owner only activated it to 50% of its full power," the system explained.
"Really? Then what about me? Can I activate it to its full capacity?" Bowen asked.
"Sure, host. As you have a celestial mana vessel, you can unleash its full capacity in the future. But you must try to increase the storage capacity of your mana vessel first," the system replied.
Rephal and Ruby watched as Bowen stared at the sword without saying a word, making occasional facial expressions that they couldn't understand.
"Boy, have you seen enough?" asked Rephal.
"Mr. Rephal, if you don't mind, can I buy this sword?" Bowen asked out of nowhere.
Both Ruby and Rephal were startled by Bowen's sudden request. "Don't joke around. Let me tell you the truth. Even if I buy it for 15 silvers, I will sell it for a lot of profit later. I cannot let go of a good chance like this," Rephal said.
"How much can you sell it for?" Bowen asked.
"How much do you ask? Hmm... it will at most go for 40 silvers if I sell it with the name of Grace Family," Rephal replied.
"How about 50 small silver coins?" Bowen asked casually.
"Fif... fifty?!" Ruby exclaimed in a broken voice.
"Yes, you both can share your part as you like," Bowen said.
Rephal started contemplating. "Fine, I can give you three days. But during this time, I will put the sword on display in my shop. If some other customer bids higher than you, I cannot do anything," he said with a serious face.
"Can you get that much money in three short days?" Ruby asked Bowen.
Of course, Bowen didn't have that much money. At most, his savings totaled to four silvers. He had ways to acquire them in three days, but it was unnecessary for him. He couldn't risk such a valuable item by delaying the time.
"No need. I can pay in full now," Bowen said confidently.
"Now?" Ruby and Rephal asked in chorus.
"Yes, what do you say?"
"Of course, if you can pay in full, you can take the sword immediately," Rephal said.
"Nice," Bowen said with a smile.
"System, convert 1 dp to 1 gold coin," he ordered.
"Note: (Dp: gold ratio 1:1, Dp can be converted to gold but vice versa is impossible)," the system replied.
"Yes, host, as you wish."
Ting 1 dp converted to 1 gold successfully.
Ting Congratulations, host, on completing a hidden mission - FIRST EXCHANGE. Host has successfully converted dp to gold for the first time. Reward: +5 DP.
Bowen couldn't believe his own eyes. "There was such an unexpected hidden mission?" Truthfully, Bowen never intended to convert dp to gold, as dp was harder to earn than gold for him. It was because of the urgent situation that he resorted to such extreme measures, but he didn't expect such a reward.
"What are you thinking, boy? If it's so hard for you, take your time..." Before Rephal could finish, Bowen tossed a gold coin to him.
Rephal caught the coin in time, but when he realized what he had caught was not a silver coin but gold, his mouth went wide open. "Go...gold? A gold coin? This is Repeal's first time seeing a gold coin, not to mention touching it. He wanted to treasure it by locking it deep in his locker. For even a famous blacksmith like him, earning one gold in a lifetime was an unattainable case." Near Repeal, Ruby's eyes seemed to pop out and fall down at any minute. "Do you have change?" asked Bowen casually, without reading the atmosphere.
Author’s Rambling Corner
Hey there, my dear readers! If you can't recall who Ruby is, then please go back and refresh your memory by reading the chapter 'Seekers and Attribute'. Okay, folks, now for the main event. If you want a bonus chapter, just type 'YES' in the comments section below, along with your thoughts on the story. HappyReading!:)
