Chapter 15: Hidal's Magical Artifacts Shop

  "You can share these two bandits' valuables as you please. Their axes and bows may not be Enchanted or Engraved artifacts, but the quality of the materials used is quite good." Injan said, pointing to the giant silver axe, a dual axes, and the bow.

  "Nitaan, you choose first," Arun said.

  Nitaan nodded slightly. Apart from Elder Grai, he truly deserved to choose first.

  "I'll take that bow," Nitaan said, pointing to the large bow of the archer bandit.

  Nitaan usually carried a knife at all times, but when it came to weapons he was comfortable with, he didn't have a particular favorite. He could handle most but wasn't an expert in any one.

  The bow was one of his favorite weapons. His Fade and Link, which made him difficult to notice and allowed him to slightly manipulate the arrow's trajectory, made long-range weapons ideal for him. The bow was also easy to use and possessed high destructive power.

  Although Link should be able to change projectile trajectory, he couldn't completely control it due to his limitations as a mere Learner. However, Nitaan anticipated that if he truly comprehended Link, he might be able to use it to create homing arrows.

  “Then we’ll take dual axes and a giant axe.” Prai grinned.

  The return journey was much easier. Nitaan and Kiita surveyed the area for a safe route. Kiita walked ahead, sniffing the air, sometimes bringing back twigs, hoping Nitaan would throw him some during breaks.

  Their cute interactions brought smiles to the adventurers' faces, but the image of Kiita stabbing Engraver in the neck still sent shivers down their spines.

  Even though Nitaan had taught Kiita proper etiquette in the forest, he couldn't resist the sparkling gaze Kiita directed at him during breaks, that’s why he always ended up playing fetch with Kiita.

  The group safely returned to the Silalai town in the following afternoon. Everyone said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. The adventurers headed towards the town’s recovery center.

  Fortunately, despite the serious injuries, no one was permanently disabled. Injan and Elder Grai returned to their quarters to write a report on this mission and its success.

  Everyone had their own business to attend to, so they arranged to meet again the following morning to distribute rewards.

  “The reward and bonuses have been deposited at the Adventurer’s Guild. P’ Nitaan’s share is with the patrol unit headquarters. You can collect it anytime.” Injan said after leaving the Adventurer’s Guild.

  “Despite the unexpected events, overall, this mission was a huge success. Two 3-word Learner devil beasts and one 4-word Learner devil beast, not to mention two First word Engravers.” Injan smiled.

  “Although we hardly did anything for the latter,” Fah giggled.

  “I’ve finished all my business here and plan to return to the capital tomorrow. If any of you have the opportunity to visit the capital, please feel free to visit me at the Uthumpohn family residence. I am always ready to welcome everyone.”

  “Judging by everyone’s condition, the banquet will have to be postponed,” Looking at each member’s injuries, there’s no way they can have a hearty meal together.

  “Also, the Adventurer’s Guild in the capital has received the news I sent. Everyone will get extra special services from the guild," Injan added.

  "Looks like we're finally getting some connections, like some big shot," Arun chuckled.

  "P’ Nitaan, if you ever come to the capital and want a job other than adventurer work, you can always come to me. I know people in the army who can give you a suitable position. And of course, Kiita too," Injan said, stroking Kiita's head, who sat beside Nitaan with his tongue hanging out.

  "Woof!"

  "I think it'll be a while before I get to the capital. I still have some things I want to do here, but it won't be long," Nitaan replied.

  Nitaan's current goal is to become a First word Engraver. His limit is currently the Third word. To say that Nitaan has given up on climbing to a higher level in Fate Scripting would be a lie. But since he hasn't even reached his limit yet, he'd rather think about it later.

  "Then we'll part ways here. Thank you all very much for the past few days," Injan bowed politely.

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  Nitaan bid farewell to everyone before leaving. He headed to the patrol unit headquarters to receive his reward. Once Auntie Phen had handled the paperwork, he finally received a large bag of money.

  Nitaan had roughly calculated that he got over 60,000 Gaia, equivalent to three months' salary.

  The sparkle of money always brought a smile to Nitaan's face. He calculated in his head before a grin spread across his face.

  It’s finally enough …

  “Kiita, let’s go shopping!”

  “Woof!”

  A walk! A walk!

  “Yeah, a walk for revenge,” Nitaan grinned.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Nitaan walked past numerous shops in the city, heading towards the central shopping district. A building stood on one side of the street, its roof decorated to resemble a wizard's or witch's tall hat, a striking landmark for the shop.

  A sign with faintly glowing letters adorned the door:

  Hidal's Magical Artifacts Shop.

  This was Nitaan's destination for today. He pushed the door open. The bell hanging inside the door jingles sweetly.

  Inside, the atmosphere was quiet. There were no other customers besides Nitaan. There was no sign of the store clerk, yet there was a doll sitting behind the cash register.

  Numerous shelves surrounded the shop, displaying everything from old rag dolls to large grandfather clocks. The price of each item far exceeds its normal appearance, mostly starting from a few hundred Gaia up to tens of thousands.

  Typically, a family of four would have an average monthly expense of around 10,000 Gaia. A few wealthier families might have expenses as high as 30,000 Gaia.

  The cost of living in the Firegan Kingdom isn't considered high compared to other major cities on the Grand Continent, such as Fable City, home to the Temple of Saint Vibian, the main temple of the First Knowledge, or Runic City, where the main branch of the Library is located.

  Grand Continent's main currency is determined by treaties between major powers. Even the Tsubas race, who live in Etherum, and the Rubius race, who live in Baratrum, also use Gaia currency.

  10 Reedus equals 1 Gaia. It's a short, simple, and easy-to-understand unit of currency.

  For comparison, a skewer of grilled pork costing 5 Reedus in Silalai town might require 2 Gaia in the Etherum, and a comfortable monthly salary of over 20,000 Gaia for a person living in the Firegan kingdom might not be enough to pay a monthly rent in Fable city.

  While the Gaia currency is widespread, there are also things that cannot be purchased with it. High-level artifacts are often one of them. Many high-level artifacts are often exchanged through agreements or traded between artifacts themselves.

  Treasures are broadly categorized into three types: Engraved artifacts, Enchanted artifacts, and Nature’s Treasures.

  Engraved artifacts are items directly engraved with Word of Power. These Words of Power can be used by the artifact wielder. They are considered higher-level than Enchanted artifacts. The Thunderclap Lamp mentioned by Injan falls into this category.

  Enchanted artifacts are items that only have power infused into them, they have no Word of Power Engraved into them like Engraved artifacts. They usually have a limited number of uses. Injan's Golden Wall is an example of this type.

  Nature’s Treasures are magical objects that occur naturally. They can possess many unique properties related or unrelated to Word of Power. Some can be controlled, while others are immensely dangerous. Injan's Azure Leaf Tree is an example of this type.

  Low- to mid-level artifacts that can be purchased with money are often too expensive for ordinary Learners. They are considered high-class items that many Learners and adventurers yearn for, yet they are not excessively rare.

  Many artifacts are created by Craftsmiths, people who have crafting-related Word of Power. Things can be bought if you have the funds and know a reliable source.

  And Hidal's magic shop was just that reliable source in Silalai town.

  "Hidal, are you there? A customer's here." Nitaan bent down to talk to the doll sitting at the cash register.

  A moment passed, and nothing happened.

  "Hidal, if you don't come out soon, I'll use this doll as Kiita's chew toy."

  A few moments later, a loud crash came from the back of the shop. A tall man emerged from the slightly crooked door.

  The man was tall and skinny to the point of being almost skin and bones, with a haggard face, thick glasses, and skin as pale as if he had never seen sunlight.

  "You're so impatient," Hidal said with a frustrated expression.

  "A customer's here, and you're still complaining?" Nitaan retorted.

  "Kiita...why are you even bigger than last time?" Hidal reached out and lightly patted Kiita's back.

  "Are you out of the glow stones and the Pipi flower potion? You just bought them last month, didn't you?" With no answer from Kiita, Hidal turns to Nitaan with an annoyed face.

  "This time I came for something else. Do you still have that? Those gloves that are made of the leather of an electric wasp,"

  "Those gloves? They're still here, but what are you going to do with them? They're only electric resistant. There aren't any creatures in that damn forest that can release high-powered electricity," Hidal said, puzzled.

  "I'm going to pay you to improve them. I just found this."

  Nitaan pulled out a sharp purple needle from his pocket. The object was about the size of a palm, completely purple, with a stinging electric current at its tip.

  "The tip of a Purple Cloud Scorpion's tail? How did you get that? You and Kiita probably couldn't hunt that thing," Hidal said, examining it.

  "The last mission was a little unusual," Nitaan shrugged.

  "It might not be able to create an electric explosion like the Purple Cloud Scorpion. Even if it could, it would only be able to be used once before breaking," Hidal shook his head.

  "I just need it to be able to release electricity from the gloves. It doesn't need to create a concentrated electric current like the scorpion."

  "Then no problem."

  "I want it to be usable at least five times before entering the recovery phase."

  "I might need to embed some lightning crystals into the gloves. I have some of those crystals, but you'll have to pay extra. Including the production cost, it's 30,000 Gaia."

  What the hell are those prices!?

  Nitaan's face contorted. Even though he'd received tens of thousands of Gaia as a reward, he wasn't happy about having to spend more than half of it in a single day!

  "Can't you lower the price? I'm a regular customer," Nitaan grumbled.

  "Because you're a regular customer, that's why it's 30,000 Gaia. Do you think skilled Craftsmith who can create this level of Enchanted artifacts are easy to find? Especially in a border town like this, having me here is a godsend for townsmen!" Hidal argued.

  "Okay, 30,000 Gaia, but you have to include the Frost Toad Poison."

  "That alone costs 500 Gaia per bottle! No way!"

  The bargaining continued for several more minutes, finally settling on 30,000 Gaia, with Hidal also including a set of high-quality arrows for Nitaan.

  “You’re still as stingy as ever,” Hidal sighed at the beaming Nitaan.

  “Go wherever you want. Come back in three days to pick up your things.” Hidal waved him away.

  Nitaan laughed heartily as he and Kiita left the shop. After finishing their errands, they headed back to their little house.

  “Do you remember our old friend we met in the forest?”

  Kiita tilted his head, looking curious.

  “That giant green bear. After we’re all ready, let’s go visit it.”

  Kiita bared his teeth and growled at the thought of that Emerald-fur bear.

  “It’s been so many years. I hope it hasn’t forgotten us.” Nitaan smirked.