Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 86 (Part 2)
“Big Brother, isn’t this place too expensive?”
“It’s fine. It’s worth it.”
“Still, I think we should save money.”
“Now you’re worrying about your brother. You’ve grown up.”
After lunch, Rodin immediately left the inn.
The first place he visited was the horse market.
He bought two horses and a carriage to match. He had wanted to get a four-horse carriage, but they wouldn’t sell it to anyone who wasn’t a noble, so he gave up on that idea.
He left the carriage at the inn’s stables and wandered around Harson’s commercial district.
“Hmmm, as expected, jewelry is cheaper in the central continent.”
Unlike the West Continent’s affordable herbs, items that required craftsmanship were much cheaper in the central continent.
The West Continent didn’t treat artisans well. Many countries still had slavery, and it was common to use all sorts of tricks to enslave skilled artisans.
In contrast, the central continent treated artisans well and recognized the value of the goods they made.
As a result, many skilled artisans were produced there, and artisans from both the West and East Continents often moved to the central continent.
“I should have bought the kids’ jewelry here.”
The price was one thing, but the craftsmanship was much prettier. For a girl like Bianca, the finely crafted bracelets sold in Harson would have suited her much better than the clunky ones from the West Continent.
“Maybe I should at least change the necklaces?”
The magic imbued in the necklaces he had made for his siblings was a magic shield. It was a valuable item, even worthy of being sold on the market.
“Should I just get rings from here instead?”
The magic imbued in the rings was Feather Fall, which was a bit of an odd choice. It was suitable for his siblings, but he wasn’t sure how well it would sell in the market.
“Miscellaneous goods… no, that’s not it.”
In the West Continent, general stores sold all sorts of things. You could buy mana stones, potions, and herbs for common ailments like fever or cough at a general store.
But in Harson, every item was sold separately. General stores only sold general goods, while magical items were sold in their own shops.
‘That place looks good.’
He entered a large magic goods shop. Quite a few customers were browsing the items.
‘As expected, potions are really cheap here.’
The price of a healing potion for wounds was listed as 21 gold. It was half the price of the West Continent, where it sold for over 40 gold.
Still, it was much more expensive than the usual price of 10 gold. The wars in the West Continent had clearly had an effect even here.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes, sir. What can I help you with?”
“I’m here to sell some items.”
Rodin took out two necklaces and two rings, each imbued with Magic Shield and Feather Fall, and placed them on the counter.
The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up as they focused on the items. He examined them carefully.
“Hmmm, I can’t quite tell. Could you explain these for me?”
“Of course.”
It wasn’t surprising that the man couldn’t recognize them.
Rodin didn’t like artifacts that leaked magic meaninglessly. He preferred to use all the mana at his disposal to carve the spell into the item as deeply as possible.
This method raised the artifact’s power. Even if it contained the same magic, the actual value was much higher.
Also, because the magic didn’t leak, the item appeared to be a simple accessory to the untrained eye.
Since people couldn’t tell it was an artifact, it became a trump card when used.
‘Still, I’m far from perfect.’
Rodin was used to pouring all his mana into his work, but compared to Frouval’s box, ring, and pocket watch, his skills were still lacking.
Even Rodin, with his extraordinary sensitivity to mana, had difficulty sensing Frouval’s artifacts without focusing intently.
“Could you explain the necklace first?”
“This necklace contains Magic Shield. The activation phrase is ‘Magic Shield.’ You can activate it by injecting mana.”
“Oh! And the rings?”
The shopkeeper’s face brightened noticeably. The necklace contained an activation-type artifact, which was rare.
There were only a few places that could produce activation-type artifacts, and the kinds of artifacts they made were limited.
Even though there were three places capable of making Magic Shield artifacts, their price was high, and the supply was limited to about 20 units annually. Naturally, it was nearly impossible for a shop so far from the magic towers to get their hands on one.
“The rings are imbued with Feather Fall, which slows your fall in case of a drop. The activation phrase is ‘Feather Fall.’ Feel free to test it.”
“The rings are also impressive. Quite rare. Let me check them quickly. It’ll take about 30 minutes, so please wait in the parlor.”
“Understood.”
The shopkeeper took all the necklaces and rings and disappeared into the back.
About 30 minutes later, he returned, visibly excited.
“How many times can these be used?”
“The necklaces can be reused after about five or six hours. The Feather Fall rings take around one hour to recharge.”
“It seems the Magic Shield is stronger than usual.”
“Yes, I maximized its efficiency, increasing the shield’s strength. It should be able to withstand an aura attack from a 4th ranked swordsman.”
The shopkeeper nodded lightly at Rodin’s response.
Current Magic Shield artifacts could block an aura from a 3rd ranked swordsman, and there were some that could block a 4th ranked swordsman’s attack. It wasn’t particularly surprising for high-tier artifacts.
However, the fact that the Magic Shield was contained in a necklace was remarkable.
Currently, most Magic Shield artifacts produced by the magic towers and artifact workshops were embedded in large equipment such as weapons, shields, armor, or belts. There were no known Magic Shield artifacts as small as a necklace, except for ancient relics.
“Is this perhaps a relic…?”
“No way. If it were, I wouldn’t have brought it here. I’d have taken it straight to the magic tower.”
“That’s true.”
The term “relic” referred to ancient items.
Any ancient artifact would be much more expensive, regardless of the magic it contained, due to its value as both an antique and a research material for magic circles.
“I’ll buy it for 1,200 gold.”
“Hmmm.”
“Of course, I know it’s not a satisfying price. But until I can verify it further, this is the limit. The recharge times aren’t fully verified yet either.”
“All right. I’ll sell it.”
Rodin decided to sell the necklace. He resolved to make something prettier for Larry and Bianca next time.
“And as for the Feather Fall rings… well, they don’t hold the same value as the necklaces. However, adventurers traveling through remote areas might be interested. I’ll offer you 600 gold for each.”
“600 gold… Hmm, fine.”
In total, the necklaces and rings earned him 1,800 gold each. With two sets, he made 3,600 gold. Considering that the crafting time had taken less than three hours, it was a huge profit.