Surviving The Fourth Calamity

Chapter 766: Chapter 565: The Long-Awaited Valkin, So He’s Here

Facing Hill, who clearly looked wealthy, the grocery store owner did not hesitate to quote a price for his box of tattered books.

However, his mind wasn’t clouded by greed. In front of him was an Archmage out on a journey; the calm demeanor and terrifying aura told him that although it was fine to ask for a higher price, extortion was definitely out of the question.

The grocery store owner knew what those small orbs of light fluttering around the Mage signified. Dealing with various merchants over the years had broadened his understanding significantly.

He was well aware that if the figure before him wasn’t an Archmage looking for fugitives, then he must be one of those who, overwhelmed by books, yearned to explore the world. Only such a person would want to go further north where the land belonged to barbarians and half-orcs.

Why would any normal person casually head in that direction?

These wandering Mages knew the prices well; though they were not much for bargaining due to their wealth, they certainly wouldn’t be so gentle and cultured. Had he dared to propose a price near extortion, it would have been no different from signing his own death warrant – he might even justify his own murder.

Moreover, the most important thing was, Mages who came to trade in the Ten Towns seemed to possess spells to detect whether others were telling the truth, and those were just ordinary Mages!

He didn’t have anything to combat mind magic on him, so he absolutely dared not lie.

The one before him was not prone to killing like those in Red Robes, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t lift a hand against someone foolish enough to deceive him.

However, something clicked in the grocery store owner’s mind; this Mage seemed to have a liking for books and didn’t care whether they were Magic Books or not. That was a perfect opportunity for him to get involved!

Bending his body and rubbing his hands, he respectfully asked, ”Respected Archmage, sir, if you want to collect such books, why not entrust the task to me?

There are actually many ancient books in the Ten Towns, but their prices are not even comparable to beautifully crafted fish bone carvings; hence, no one buys them, and they mostly end up with Adventurers.

Given your status, you probably wouldn’t want to communicate with those uncouth individuals, which is why you chose to buy these books from me.”

But I, Old Sammer, can definitely serve you devotedly.

Of course, as long as the price is similar to this time, I will traverse the Ten Towns overnight!”

Hill looked at him with interest, showing a smile that carried a strange implication, ”All right, this Samoyed... I’ll be here for only three days, visiting your place every evening.”

”Sammer, you can call me Sammer,” the grocery store owner shivered a bit; he knew his attempt to cash in was seen through, so he didn’t dare correct Hill.

He just nervously repeated his name. After all, if the Mage truly didn’t forgive him, Samoyed or Sammer, it would all be the same.

Hill nodded, turned around, and soared into the sky, disappearing above the clouds.

Sammer’s grocery was quickly filled with people; such an influential figure capable of wielding Ninth Ring Spells had stunned all the Adventurers in the area.

It was the first time this commercial street had been so quiet; normally, loud voices wouldn’t hesitate to rise up.

”Old Sammer! This... what did the Mage come here for?” Baldy, the first one to rush in, retracted his disrespectful words under the intense glare and signaling of Old Sammer.

”He’s going north for a jaunt. While passing by, he remembered there were some unwanted old books here and decided to buy some,” Old Sammer said, bending over, ”All the books in that box he bought.”

”Then, you must have made a fortune, right?” the bookstore owner next door said sourly; he couldn’t forget that look the Mage had given him after glancing at his maps.

”Why aren’t you selling books in your own store, being all sour and stuff?” Baldy yelled back without hesitation.

”Come on... That’s an Archmage who can cast Ninth Ring Spells!” Sammer bent over and pulled out his pipe, ”Every Mage that comes to the Ten Towns carries mind magic.

Lying and deceiving... hehe... I could have made a fortune, but I hold my life dear!

I’ve worked hard for so long to settle down; I’m not planning on risking my life again, and you folks surely haven’t forgotten what happened a few years back.

A magic apprentice who was nothing to speak of nearly wiped out our Ten Towns.

If Burlin Sand hadn’t been completely crippled, Talgoss Town wouldn’t have its peace today.

When dealing with a Mage, it’s better to be honest.”

”I charged the Mage two gold coins per book, selling them all at the price of small antiques, good or bad, all at the same rate.”

Everyone gathered around him and those outside fell silent; they were all survivors of that tumult, and even though later it was said that the Mage had been controlled by an evil Divine Artifact that made him so powerful, at least they understood that what a Divine Artifact could do, a Ninth Ring Mage definitely could too.

”How long does he plan to stay?” a burly man pushed through the crowd and came in, ”Seeing how guilty and out of breath you look, did you try to detain him?”

Old Sammer, under the Mayor’s stern gaze, wiped his sweat and completely ignored the others’ enraged ’how dare you?’, taking a satisfied puff of his pipe, ”He has given me three days to gather the antique books from the Ten Towns, offering two gold per book. He’ll come to collect them every evening. If you’re interested, bring them for me to sell on your behalf! I haven’t missed declaring a single copper coin.

”The Archmage sets his price, and if you guys are interested, you could go buy from other towns. I remember those drunks sell it for just one silver coin!”

The onlookers froze for just a few seconds before dispersing loudly, with their weapons on their backs. The roads between the Ten Towns weren’t too dangerous, so they hurried while only those around them knew.

”My residence has many books,” said the Mayor of Targos Town in a deep voice, ”but I don’t believe this price, Old Sammer. If you weren’t making money, you would have shut your door and rushed off to Burlin Sand yourself.”

”Heh heh... I’m not lying.” Sammer glanced outside sneakily and whispered, ”However... This Archmage, before coming here, must have been in Silvermoon City, and the payment was in Silvermoon gold coins.”

The commonly used gold coins here were from Neverwinter and Deepwater City, and two of those gold coins were equivalent to one Silvermoon coin.

The Mayor nodded with a chuckle, ”I’ll have someone bring them over in a bit. I also want to see what Silvermoon coins look like.”

He turned and walked away, and Old Sammer’s face contorted for a moment.

The big man who cared about him never left, standing by with a frown and silently until the Mayor had left before he couldn’t help but speak, ”Old Sammer, what is Marko implying? I don’t think he’s the type to ask for nothing.”

”Beishmit, don’t worry.

It’s just that the books he sends might not all be antiques.” Old Sammer tapped his pipe, ”No worries, he knows what he’s doing. At most he’ll trick me out of 100 gold coins, consider it protection money.

No one else will believe I didn’t make money, but since Marko has delivered the books, they won’t say much.”

Beishmit nodded, ”Then I’ll stay here today! Just in case someone causes you trouble.”

”You mean that fool next door who turned his bookstore into a thieves’ store?” Old Sammer coughed and laughed due to the joke, ”He might be that foolish, but the Thieves’ Guild backing him certainly isn’t.

Don’t believe those jokes about fooling barbarians. If a wizard really gets killed by a thief, that just proves the thief is of a higher level than the wizard!

An antisocial dagger is not the type of fine thing that low-level thieves could handle.

And the gentleman who came today, even if he were the leader of the Thieves’ Guild, he wouldn’t necessarily dare to make a move.”

”You know who he is?” Beishmit asked, very surprised.

”Heh heh... Born in Silvermoon City, young and handsome, rich and powerful, even daring to fly in the great winds of Icewind Valley; recently, in The North, there’s only one person fitting that description, the City Lord of Agleya City.

I’ve told you so many times, when you have time, chat with those merchants, especially those from Neverwinter!”

Their King is a bit nicer, so the merchants from Neverwinter are much better. When it doesn’t concern themselves, they even tell the truth occasionally.

Not like those from Deepwater City and the Luskans, every sentence with a catch. If you really believed them, seeing that endless moneybag today, they might have dared to make a move.”

”Endless moneybag?” Beishmit exclaimed loudly, earning a whack on the head with Sammer’s pipe before he lowered his voice, ”Is that supposed to be the little bag from which you can draw fifty thousand gold coins?”

”By Tampas!”

”He must be ridiculously wealthy! Even a Giant Dragon might feel embarrassed in his presence?”

”He’s famously rich, even outdid Valkin Temple in a wealth contest!” Sammer’s expression filled with daydreams, ”If I had that much money, who would stay in such a godforsaken place!”

”But Old Sammer, isn’t your absence from the mainland because you are wanted?” asked Beishmit, scratching his head, which made Sammer immediately furious at his blunt truth.

”Get out now! Head to Burlin Sand, where they have enough antique books that a bunch of drunks could use them as toilet paper!” Sammer roared. ”I don’t need your company, go earn your own dowry!”

The burly man who knew Sammer was safe grinned and left, half-barbarian by blood, he always hoped to marry a barbarian wife, which would require a decent tribute to the barbarian tribe.

”Wait.” Sammer suddenly remembered something, calling back Beishmit who was about to depart, ”When you get to Burlin Sand, stay away from the people of the Goddess of Wealth.

His appearance is too conspicuous, those devotees among the merchants’ friends will know immediately, but never let it slip from your mouth, you hear?

Don’t cause trouble for your Tampas!”

Beishmit rubbed his head with the hand holding the large axe and waved the other, ”Don’t worry! Those golden brutes definitely won’t dare trouble Tampas’ Braves!

I won’t bother with them either, Tampas despises Valkin the most!”

Sammer sighed, pressing his eyes, signaling the burly man to get lost quickly.

If it weren’t for his barbarian father being his old teammate, Sammer would definitely not care about this fool’s life!”