Chapter 182: Light and Darkness 3
In the bustling, wintry streets of the academy’s commercial district near the central square, two students walked side by side, their breath visible in the cold air as they surveyed the various stalls and shops lining the streets.
Despite the biting chill of winter, the academy’s commercial life remained lively, with vendors selling everything from hot food to daily necessities, their booths surrounded by the warm glow of lanterns.
The sound of chatter, haggling, and the occasional clink of coins filled the air as students and townspeople alike braved the cold for their errands.
The two students strolled casually, their eyes scanning the products on display.
Warm pastries, enchanted books, potions, and other magical trinkets were offered by open vendors, drawing the attention of passersby.
Despite the frigid temperatures, the marketplace had an energy that made it seem alive—people huddling by fire-lit stalls, warming their hands as they bartered over goods.
Finally, the pair reached their destination.
Stopping at a small, rather humble setup on the side of the street, they found an elderly man sitting cross-legged on a large, worn-out carpet.
He had a collection of enchanted stones, rare metals, and other crafting materials spread before him.
His small shop, if it could be called that, was minimalistic, but his wares were highly sought after for those who knew the value of quality materials for enchantment.
“Tsk, why does it feel like you keep increasing the price whenever I visit?” the young woman with bright red hair muttered, her tone thick with annoyance.
She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring down at the materials laid out in front of her.
Her eyes flicked back and forth between the products and the old man, clearly irritated.
Her companion, a tall young man with a calm expression, observed the scene with mild amusement, his hands tucked into the pockets of his long winter coat.
He didn’t speak, allowing the redhead to do the talking, as was typical in these situations.
The old man, undeterred by her accusatory tone, simply chuckled softly.
His weathered face remained calm as he shuffled some of the enchanted stones around.
“Supply and demand, miss,” he replied in a gravelly voice, his wrinkled hands moving deliberately as he adjusted the wares. “Prices fluctuate. You know how it is—materials like these aren’t easy to come by, especially in winter.”
The young woman clicked her tongue in frustration, her bright red hair almost seeming to flare like a fire in the cold air.
“I came here just last week, and the prices were already ridiculous. Now they’re even worse.”
She glanced at her companion, as if expecting him to back her up, but he simply raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
“I’m afraid that’s the way it is,” the old man said, his tone a little more serious now. “Rare materials become even rarer when the snow starts piling up. Most merchants can’t even make it through the pass this time of year. Consider it a seasonal adjustment.”
She scowled, her eyes narrowing as she leaned in slightly, inspecting the enchanted stones. “Seasonal adjustment, my ass. You’re gouging us,” she muttered under her breath, though she was careful not to be too loud.
“Perhaps,” the old man said with a slow smile. “But if you find a better price anywhere else, be my guest. Though I reckon you won’t.”
The young woman sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat as she scanned the rows of enchanted stones and metals once again.
Despite her irritation, she knew the old man was right.
His wares were some of the best in the district, especially for those looking to craft serious enchanted items.
The quality was undeniable, and with the scarcity of supplies during winter, there was little choice but to pay the price if she wanted the materials.
“Can’t you adjust the price a little bit? It’s not like you’ll actually sell anything at this price point, right?” Janica’s voice was filled with irritation, her arms crossed as she glared down at the elderly merchant.
Her bright red hair swayed in the cold breeze, the chill only intensifying her frustration.
The old man chuckled softly, a low, raspy sound that seemed to match his weathered appearance.
He stroked his greyish beard, the three golden earrings on each of his ears clinking together as he did so.
“Hohoho, no can do, young miss,” he replied, shaking his head with a smile. His eyes, sharp with age and experience, twinkled beneath his thick eyebrows.
“You know we can’t exactly keep the prices any lower than they are. Taxes and academy fees aside, you do realize that magic stones are hard to properly harvest in the winter, right?” He continued, his tone patient, as if explaining the obvious.
“With almost all the low-ranking monsters hibernating, only the high-ranking ones are available for the taking. Sure, the quality of mana stones they drop is nice, but the supply can’t meet the demand. And let’s not forget, most adventurers and hunters tend to avoid dealing with high-ranking monsters unless absolutely necessary.”
Janica’s frustration mounted as she listened, her green eyes narrowing with growing tension. He had a point—she knew the difficulties of harvesting mana stones in winter, especially the high-grade ones—but that didn’t mean she could accept the exorbitant prices he was asking. She sighed heavily, her breath misting in the cold air.
“I understand your situation, but what you’re doing is clearly a scam right now,” she snapped, gesturing toward the small enchanted stone in front of her. “I mean, what kind of low-grade enchantment stone costs 50,000 Gems?”
The old man didn’t flinch, his wrinkled face remaining calm as ever. “It’s a reasonable price for its rarity,” he said simply, leaning back a little on his makeshift seat. “You won’t find stones like these just lying around, especially this time of year.”
“Reasonable?” Janica muttered under her breath, clenching her fists. “These greedy bastards…”
Lucas her companion, who had been silent up until this point, finally spoke up, placing a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.
“Janica, let’s not make a scene. We need these materials, remember?” His voice was calm and measured, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he watched her fume.
Janica shot him a glare but sighed again, her frustration simmering beneath the surface. She knew he was right, but that didn’t make the situation any less aggravating. She hated being taken advantage of, and right now, that’s exactly how it felt.
“Fine,” she muttered, her voice laced with defeat. “But you’d better not raise these prices any higher, or I swear I’ll go hunt the damn monsters myself.”
The old merchant chuckled again, clearly amused by her fiery attitude. “I’d like to see that, young miss. But trust me, the prices are fair. You’ll get your money’s worth.”
Janica grumbled something incoherent under her breath, finally pulling out a small pouch of Gems.
As she handed over the payment, she couldn’t help but feel like she was being swindled, even though she knew the old man had a point.
The merchant carefully wrapped the enchanted stones, handing them over with a smile. “Pleasure doing business with you,” he said, his tone polite, though Janica could hear the smirk beneath it.
She took the stones and shoved them into her bag, turning sharply on her heel and walking away from the stall, her companion close behind.
“I can’t believe this,” she muttered, her frustration still boiling.
“I swear, one day I’m going to find a way to make my own enchantment stones,” Janica grumbled, her frustration still simmering as they walked away from the vendor.
Lucas, walking beside her, couldn’t help but chuckle softly at her antics.
There was something endearing about the way she got so worked up over things like this. He glanced at her with amusement in his eyes. “Although you say that, you still bought it anyway.”
Janica huffed, crossing her arms as they continued through the bustling streets.
“It can’t be helped, right? We need enchantment stones to upgrade our weapons. My rapier, in particular, has been feeling a bit dull lately,” she said, gesturing to the elegantly crafted blade strapped to her left side.
Lucas stifled another laugh, knowing full well that wasn’t the case.
The rapier Janica wielded wasn’t just any ordinary weapon—it was forged from a rare combination of golden mithril alloy and darksteel enchantments.
There was no way a weapon of that caliber would ever become dull, nor would it rust.
He could tell she was just using it as an excuse to justify her purchase.
“Is that so?” Lucas teased, his tone light as he raised an eyebrow. “I thought the famed golden mithril alloy didn’t lose its edge. But I guess even legendary weapons have their off days, huh?”
Janica shot him a sharp look, her green eyes narrowing, though the corners of her lips twitched with amusement. “Oh, shut up. Maybe I just wanted an excuse to get something new.”
“You really are kind, Janica,” Lucas commented, his voice soft with sincerity.
Janica blinked, clearly caught off guard. For all her bluster, she wasn’t used to being called out on her kindness.
She was the type to be quite dishonest about her true feelings, often hiding behind sharp retorts and a tough exterior.
But Lucas had known her long enough to see through all that.
He knew her real personality always shone through when it came to doing something good, even if she wouldn’t admit it.
