Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Karadun Kingdom
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The Dwarves' Black Fortress appeared, at first glance, to be a chaotic cluster of buildings jutting up haphazardly. However, when the sunset glow cascading down from the mountain ridge blanketed the entire fortress, it became clear that wasn't the case.
The light refracted brilliantly. The way the radiant sunset wove between buildings, illuminating the whole city, was proof that the seemingly disorderly layout had been designed with light reflection in mind.
The moment just before sunset was when the city shone most brilliantly. There was a profound charm to the evening glow viewed from the Black Fortress. I gazed out the window at the scenery and lightly sipped from the beer mug in my right hand.
After sending my two disciples on errands, I'd come down to the first floor of the inn and ordered some food and beer. I hadn't ordered ice to keep the beer cold—it was ridiculously expensive, and I could chill it instantly with magic anyway.
"Teacher!"
Durel returned right on cue. He carried a large sack in his arms, and as he approached and set it down, several swords and assorted accessories peeked out from inside.
"We're back!"
"Good work. Sit there and rest."
I seated Durel at the table and inspected the items in the sack. Plain iron swords and a few fairly ornate-looking accessories. Of course, they were flashy only on the surface—the materials used weren't anything special.
I hadn't given Durel much money to begin with. Divided up for these purchases, there was no way he'd bring back anything pricey. But soon enough, these items would transform into valuables.
Because I'd make them that way.
"We're back!"
My second disciple, Simo, returned shortly after. For some reason, he was alone. As I tilted my head in puzzlement, he quickly spoke up.
"Mr. Mangor said he'd finish up his business and come."
"Sounds like he's busy. Good work anyway. You looked into that, right?"
"Yes!"
Simo began explaining the information he'd gathered.
"The most expensive items were weapons and armor. Things engraved with about four runes sold for around thirty gold, and the price doubled with each additional rune. Of course, the actual cost varied wildly depending on the materials used..."
"What about accessories?"
"Those were cheaper, actually. And hardly any had runes engraved on them."
"Hm..."
I nodded at Simo's report. Runes grew more powerful the larger they were.
Sure enough, engraving runes on ordinary accessories wouldn't yield much power. Plus, only those who could handle mana could use rune-engraved tools effectively. Items that couldn't deliver great results for such users simply weren't appealing. That explained the low prices and scarcity.
"How much of a price difference was there between rune-engraved items and regular ones?"
"Using a tool with three runes as a baseline, it was about five gold."
"Not as much markup as I thought."
"Still, the price rose exponentially with the number of runes—the variety of spells they could cast. If you enchant things like you did Durel's sword, Teacher... wouldn't gold from all over the world come pouring in at your feet?"
"I don't plan on making that much... Besides, too much money just gets in the way of traveling. We only need a moderate amount."
"That's... true."
Mangor arrived just as the sunset faded and thick darkness began to envelop the streets. He walked in the door, spotted the beer and food on the table, and grinned like a child.
"It's been ages! Wait, no—we saw each other yesterday, so not ages! Anyway, good to see you!"
"Good to see you too, Mr. Mangor. Have a seat here."
I welcomed Mangor warmly and offered him a Dwarf-sized chair—one with a ladder to climb up, featuring extremely long legs and considerable height. I sat in one myself.
"Hrm... the beer's lukewarm, but... what of it...!"
I figured he'd comment on the tepid beer. Chuckling lightly, I snapped my fingers. A book emerged from my inner world, and I cast a new spell.
'Frost Breath.'
A whirlwind of frigid wind instantly swept through the mugs. The warmed beer chilled in a flash, leaving Mangor wide-eyed in surprise.
"Well now... magic sure is convenient. Can all mages do this?"
"Not all of them."
"Ha ha! You'd make a fortune running a tavern!"
Buoyed by the refreshing beer, Mangor beamed as he dug into the food and drink. He drank so fast that our prepared supply started running low. I gave Durel a subtle glance.
"I'll be right back."
Quick on the uptake, as expected. Without a word from me, he grasped the need and slipped out with the empty kegs.
Mangor's eating pace was finally slowing. Arms crossed, I broached the main topic.
"Mr. Mangor, I have a question."
"Ask away! I'll tell you everything I know!"
"I'm looking to sell something."
"Sell something...? What kind?"
"Items engraved with runes."
"Whoa... rune-engraved items... that's tricky."
"So just selling them outright won't work?"
"Offloading used goods cheaply is usually fine. But producing and selling them officially? That's problematic. You'd need verified identity, registration as an official enchanter with the kingdom, and that's not even touching the business permit..."
"I see. Good thing I checked."
"Hrm... short on funds, eh? Thinking of selling magic tools... In that case, I can introduce you to a decent fellow. He's honest—should get you a better price than elsewhere."
Mangor said this, pulled a notepad from his pocket, jotted something down, tore off the sheet, and handed it over. The torn page bore an address—likely a merchant dealing in used goods.
"Thanks for the delicious dinner! I can't remember the last time I had such a fun meal...!"
"Glad you enjoyed it. Take this with you?"
"This is..."
I handed the thoroughly tipsy Mangor a large oak keg. While he'd been distracted by the beer, I'd secretly engraved it with runes.
The prominent rune on the outside was for 'Chill,' packed with a massive amount of mana. It would keep the contents cold for about a week without any more mana.
"A rune-engraved oak keg. Should keep the contents chilled for a week without mana."
"O-oh...! For real?!"
"Hope it suits you."
"It's... exactly what I needed most...! Perfectly satisfying!"
Bouncing in place, Mangor hugged the keg exuding cold air and danced around. After a wild frenzy, he shook his head as if coming to his senses and turned back.
"Look at me... Well, time to go. If you stick around, I'd love to see you more~"
Once Mangor left, I fell into thought. Selling magic tools came with heavy restrictions. Even passing them off as used goods, doing it too often would likely cause issues.
'Guess I'll sell a couple moderately priced ones and call it quits...'
I stood and glanced at the bed. My two disciples, who'd been chugging beer with Mangor, were already out cold, snoring away. No signs of waking soon.
'Time to make some magic tools.'
Sighing, I pulled out the two swords Durel had bought and set them on the desk.
I activated Engraving Magic and lightly ran my hand along the blades. The feel under my fingertips told me how many runes they could hold.
'Three...'
Several rune candidates surfaced among those I could use.
'Sharpness and Absorption are fixed. The last one's the key...'
The third rune had to connect to Sharpness or Absorption for maximum value.
I pondered: if I were a swordsman using this blade, what spell would I want?
'Definitely something for range... that'd be a huge regret without it.'
After long deliberation, two runes were selected: one for 'Wind,' one for 'Flame.' All runes chosen. Now, just start the work.
I gazed out the pitch-black window, then turned away. By the time I finished, morning would surely have dawned.
'Let the boys handle the selling... then crash for sleep...'
My growing body felt overworked. Rubbing my stiff shoulders, I focused mana at my fingertips.