Chapter 58: Shopping in Serenia
"I think it might rain," Weiss murmured; the skies were cloudy and overcast, and
it made for a beautiful look for the city. Our odd group of five was now out and
about on the streets.
People were still enjoying the festival’s next morning. Our first stop,
naturally, was the city’s administrative block. Near the Ring Road where another
whole dozen people were drunk and fallen, we passed by and entered the Kafka
Adventurer Guild.
It was one of the four places most famous on the continent, and had become a
large force in its own right across the countries. Adventurers were a key part.
In the North of the Empire, the Kafka Guild was the most affluent, and so we
went there.
"Oh! It’s Miss Weiss and Axel."
"Woah, hey, Treska kid."
Here, too, adventurers knew us after last night’s wild drinking and partying.
Weiss and I rushed ahead first to the reception.
"Wassup, Hillary," I said. "Doing good! Both of you are looking great too, nice
night?"
Weiss looked at the girl and then at me. Believe it or not, Miss Witch, I had
met her only yesterday.
"Miss Weiss, thank you so much for last night by the way!" Hillary’s colleague,
another receptionist, leaned forward and joined her hands together.
"Oh...?" Weiss looked at me again. Seriously, can you stop playing shy for no
reason?
"You don’t remember? When those bastards had cornered me and my friends near the
pub, you whacked their heads!"
"Oh! She was really cool," Hillary nodded. "Many people told me about it. ’Ye
bastard, you dare bother a girl on my watch?’ and then BAM!"
Weiss pulled her shoulder back.
"Y-yeah. Fuck that bitch."
"Pfft. It’s crazy to see such a pretty girl with a foul mouth." "Yes, Miss
Weiss, you look like a noble. Oh, Axel, what did you want by the way?"
I shook a bag in front of her.
"Mana stones, remember?"
"Yup, yup, I have called an appraiser. You can go in the room back there."
"Miss Weiss, be honest, you got all those stones he’s trying to sell, right?"
"What honesty," I said loudly while walking away from the three ladies. Weiss
seemed to be about to follow, but I gestured at her and told her it was fine if
she wanted to stay. "I am telling you, she did it all."
"Hahah!" "Miss Weiss, come, let’s have some coffee there. We’ll mix whiskey in."
"In the morning...?"
I left the three. Delka went along with Weiss and Treska, and the Gnome and I
went to that room.
"You’ve made some friends too, huh?"
"People here are nice," Treska said. "People in Kroma were not kind at all."
"That’s how it is with cities here. Kroma was just an outdated village."
Treska smiled and we sat down. Since we were here anyway, should I get him
registered as an adventurer? The thought did enter my mind, but I decided
against it for now. We went into the room, and the Guild Master, along with the
Appraiser and the Treasurer, came to meet us.
The Guild Master himself was someone we had met yesterday too.
"Mr. Goldberg?" I said. "You were the Guild Master?"
"Haha! I didn’t want to put any pressure on young’uns, so I didn’t say
anything."
The old man with a long, white beard sat down and stretched his hands. We handed
him the magic stones, all of them of super high quality.
His old hands started to tremble...
"Uh... How did you guys get stones like this?"
He and the Appraiser looked at each other.
"This will all go for about 17 gold Ders. So that’s 170,000 Ders. Is that good?"
Treska covered his mouth at that amount. Hah. Little kid.
I leaned back and crossed my legs.
"Mr. Goldberg, can I get some tea?"
"Ahaha... Why, certainly."
It was time for some negotiations.
We left the Kafka Adventurer Guild behind. The two receptionists and some of the
adventurers were waving at us, while the Guild Master sat at the back holding
his head.
"We have a good 300,000 Ders now. Alongside all the magic stones we already
have. This much is good for renovations."
"Isn’t that a lot? Can we buy some cake with that money?"
"Cake?"
"Mm! Miss! Cake would be delicious."
"Right? Even Delka is saying it. Butler, get us to a cake shop."
"Hah... Alright, but after that we get to work, okay?"
Cake with 300k. Way to go. We did get some cake, and right after that we got a
good lunch as well. I was quite hungry after drinking, and Treska and Delka were
growing. When all of that was done, we really had to pick up the slack.
"Okay, let’s rush to get our materials in. Gnomey, you take this cheque and cash
it in, please."
"..."
An existential dread was reflected on my dear gnome’s face as it pointed at
itself, asking ’me?’ in a way. I nodded. Absolutely you, who else but you?
Please go.
The Guild Master had given us half the payment in cash and the rest was to be
withdrawn; the Gnome would handle all that paperwork. The rest of us left for
the marketplace in Serenia.
First, we stopped at a weapons shop. A blacksmith’s workshop displayed various
kinds of magical and non-magical tools around.
There were stacks of swords and different items lined up.
Treska lifted one of them up and swung it in his arms. It was a large blade. It
was made of an aluminum alloy and had a particularly sharp edge.
"Aluminum conducts mana really well," I said, observing the sword. Lightweight,
yet big and heavy. Something like Treska himself. "Do you want this?"
"A sword? I still have a lot to learn!"
Weiss also peered at the blade, and then looked at Treska.
"Butler," she said. "Buy this for the kid."
"Haha! Understood."
"You, Treska," Weiss called out to him. Treska immediately straightened his
back. "Don’t be shy when it comes to these things. Don’t be too humble about
your strength either. You’ll swing it and learn if you’re not as good yet."
"R-right!"
"Loosen up."
That sword was in. We also took a few barrels, and I ordered a specific few
types of mechanical traps as well as a barrel for the guns we were going to
make.
The blacksmith handed me a book to write in; the book opened up, and words
formed on it on their own.
[Missed me?]
"Not at all. Were you getting drunk yesterday?"
[Oh. Wasted]
It was the grimoire. How could it drink? At this point, I had stopped
questioning it.
[On the third column to your right. Take that.]
Now what...
