Chapter 32: Verdant Sigil Pavilion

  Damon and Igor walked side by side through the streets as they discussed their recent events.

  “Hahaha, wow! You’ve only been in the Academy for a week or two, and you’ve already been in multiple fights? I’m impressed, Damon. I thought you were a scholarly individual. Turns out you are a bloodthirsty savage!” Igor laughed so hard he began slapping his own belly.

  Damon smiled wryly in response, not even trying to convince Igor that he had no intentions of fighting; things just happened that way.

  As they talked, they arrived in front of an enormous building. This was the home base of the Verdant Sigil Pavilion. It looked similar to the Trade Hall, just on a much grander scale. Golden ornaments were dangling from the cornices of the roof with golden tiles. The walls were verdant in color, but they looked almost translucent and seamless, as though they were carved from a single block of green jadeite. The wooden windows and doors were inlaid with gold, making the entire building dazzle with an ornate light.

  As Damon stared, he could not help but wonder how such a grandiose building came to be. No matter how affluent the Pavilion was, this seemed too extreme.

  “Come, follow me in. Usually, you’d have to wait at the door and wait for an attendant to guide you through the browsing floors. They might bring you directly to a private room if you’re a higher realm cultivator or a prolific spender, though. But with me here, you can just follow and see everything! Just trust this Older Brother. Hahahaha!” Igor confidently walked through the front door, striding past the early stage Initiate attendants showing around the guests. None of them moved to stop them.

  Upon entering, Damon saw numerous counters and display cabinets filled with wares. However, similar to the Trade Hall, he knew that most of these items were not very valuable. The truly valuable items required by Disciples and above were stored separately and only shown in private rooms. Igor was taking them to such a private room.

  They climbed several sets of stairs before they reached the fourth floor. They were walking down a corridor to a specific room Igor had reserved. When they arrived, the door opened up, and two people exited. They both exuded the power of a Disciple. One was a skinny man in golden robes, sporting something similar to a straw hat but made of a luxurious black material. The other was someone Damon knew. It was Senior Apprentice James from the Runeology department.

  “Oh, Senior Apprentice James, what brings you here?” Damon called out. He did not get the chance to interact with this senior from the same department during his test, and was unclear about his temperament.

  “It’s you. What are you doing here? Are you selling something? Buying something? What is it?” The moment James saw Damon, his eyes began to become bloodshot, and his head swelled with unimpeded rage. He desired to know everything about Damon. He wanted to grab him right now and rip the secrets out of his mouth. However, they were currently in the Verdant Sigil Pavilion, and there was no way he would be able to do so without causing a commotion. This logic brought him back to his senses.

  “No, never mind. Go about your business. I have a meeting to attend. I’ll see you around the Runeology hall. Oh, by the way, where are you staying in the Academy?” James asked casually.

  Damon noticed the sudden changes in James’s mood, unsure if he had offended him in some way to cause such a reaction. Why is he asking about my accommodations? What is he after? Did he discover something about me? No way… I haven’t revealed anything in front of him…

  Although Damon was slightly suspicious and confused about the last question, he still answered as James was his senior.

  “I am staying in building G-6, Senior Apprentice.”

  “Ah, the dorms on the East side? That’s a nice place… Anyway, I’d best be off then. I hope your business with the Pavilion is successful.” James responded and quickly walked away, as though he were being chased.

  “Who was that?” Igor asked.

  “That’s a senior of mine from the Runeology department. He’s strange but I don’t think he’s a bad person. It’s only my second time seeing him and my first time talking to him so I don’t have a grasp on his personality yet.” Damon replied.

  “I see. Anyway, this here is MY senior from the Pavilion. Say hello, Damon. This is Junior Manager Brian. He’s my direct superior.” Igor introduced the man in the golden robes.

  “Hello. You must be Damon, correct? Igor reserved this room specifically for your use today. It’s the first time he’s done so, so you must be close with him. Come now, let’s get on with business! As they say; time is money!” Brian gave a warm and polite smile while inviting them into the private room with grace. His every movement seemed genuine and conveyed goodwill. However, deep within his eyes was a strong avarice that could not be hidden, no matter how hard he tried.

  This is a dangerous man. I must be wary of him, lest I allow him to swindle me. Damon thought.

  They entered a plainly furnished private room, presenting a bizarre disparity to the luxurious furnishings and exterior of the rest of the building. It only contained a simple wooden table and chairs.

  “Here, have a seat. I will call for someone to bring us some tea,” Brian spoke, before withdrawing a small communication orb and whispering into it. “In the meantime, why don’t you tell me what you’re after?

  “Yes, Manager Brian. I need more Arcane Rejuvenation Potions as I have a persistent injury to my Arcane Node. I am also looking for an artifact bow and arrow set, made from strong materials. Lastly, I need a lot of materials for inscription and enchanting, as I plan on practicing my Runecraft. Please have them be mainly first-tier, with 10 sets of second-tier. Do you know the estimated prices for all these items?” Damon asked, unsure if he would be able to afford the price.

  Damon still did not have a solid understanding of market prices for items in the cultivation world. He also only had a few dozen first-tier essence stones currently available in his possession. He still had the storage pouch he had obtained from the Disciple from the Tower, but he had yet to practice a purification spell to unseal it.

  “Hmmm… Let’s see… The Inferior Arcane Rejuvenation Potions are 15 essence stones each. One hundred first-tier parchments and enough ink to go with them will cost 10 essence stones. Ten sets of second-tier materials will cost 50 essence stones. If you require a first-tier quill artifact along with it, it is five additional essence stones, and the second-tier quill will cost 500 essence stones. For enchanting, you would need a chisel artifact, the prices being the same as the quill for each tier. The materials for enchanting are specific to each enchantment and also the artifact being enchanted, so I will need more specific details to provide you with a price.”

  Brian paused here for a second, shooting an intrigued glance at Damon, before continuing.

  “For the bow and arrows, I believe we do have a set. They are made of second-tier materials and would usually cost a lot more, but they have been sitting around for a long time due to the rarity of Auron using bows and arrows. The entire set comes with 50 arrows, and the total price is 500 essence stones. Tell me which of these items you want.”

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  Brian found it peculiar that an Arcon was looking for artifact weapons instead of something like a staff or wand, but he did not question Damon in accordance with his personal business principles.

  Damon paused to think and calculate inwardly. The prices of all these items are insane! Even just the inferior version of the potion is 15 stones each! I should get at least three more potions to accelerate the healing… Even if I waste some of the effects, I need to take the potions more frequently so I can continue my arcane cultivation. That’s 45 essence stones… If I add two sets of the first-tier inscription materials, that makes it 65… Thankfully, I already received a quill artifact for free… I guess that’s all I can afford. Right now I have… 72 stones. I am completely broke after this.

  Damon sighed with resignation and said in a dispirited tone, “Manager Brian, I would like just three of the potions and two sets of first-tier inscription materials. No need for the quill.”

  Before Brian could respond, Igor spoke first. “Damon, are you short on essence stones? I can lend you some for the time being. Buying the second-tier materials is a waste, as you haven’t reached that stage yet. How about I lend you the 500 stones needed to buy the bow and arrow set? Just to be clear, I am not giving you these stones for free. I expect you to pay me back, along with a lot of drinks, as interest. How does that sound?” Igor smiled and winked at Damon at the end of speaking.

  Damon’s chest and throat became tight, and he looked at Igor with gleaming eyes. The corners of his eyes crinkled as a gentle and warm smile appeared on his face. They had not known each other for long, yet Igor was willing to lend such a large sum of essence stones to him. Though Damon did not want to owe him a debt, he desperately needed new weapons in his arsenal and found it difficult to refuse.

  “Thank you, Brother Igor. I will be forever grateful to you.” Damon stood up and gave a deep bow towards Igor.

  “Haha, Damon! That’s enough, that’s enough. Stop bowing and sit down! Manager Brian, here are the essence stones.” Igor smiled and pulled Damon up from his bent posture. He then grabbed a storage pouch out of his robes, briefly stopping to transfer the other items into his other pouches, before handing it over to Brian.

  Brian’s eyes gleamed with a crafty light as he quickly inspected the contents of the pouch and said, “Igor, I offered that price to Mr Damon here as I could tell he was short on essence stones. If I were selling it to you, I’d sell it for 1,500 stones!”

  Igor’s genial smile froze before it turned into a frown. With his moustache and beard quivering in anger, his face growing red, he turned to Brian and opened his mouth. However, no words came out.

  “I’m just joking, Igor. No need to get so angry at your superior. Remember, I AM your superior. I’ll be happy with just 500 more. How about that? It’s a pittance compared to what we pay you for your duties, is it not?” Brian finally showed his greed as his lips stretched in a wide grin.

  Igor’s face remained beet red, and he opened and closed his mouth several times before finally closing it and handing over a storage pouch. He then looked down in grievance at his palms as they lay on top of his thighs.

  Damon remained silent. Intervening in this discussion between Igor and his boss would only humiliate him further. He inwardly noted: 1,000 stones and many drinks owed to soothe a bruised ego. He followed suit, handing over the majority of his essence stones in an otherwise empty pouch.

  Brian happily accepted the pouches, gave them a quick glance through, then whispered another order into his communication orb. Afterward, they made some small talk as they waited for the arrival of the items. A servant entered the room and laid down tea in front of the three men before withdrawing.

  “By the way, Manager Brian, could I inquire about how the Pavilion purchases items? Specifically, first-tier spell scrolls?” Damon asked.

  Brian’s eyes began to shine again upon hearing Damon’s question. “Ah, you’re planning on selling the scrolls you create? Well, the Pavilion usually buys items at 60% of the market price, unless it is a precious or rare item. A first-tier spell scroll is around 5 essence stones, depending on the spell. So we would pay 3 stones for each one, and we’d expect to buy in bulk, at least 10 at a time.”

  “Ah, right… If I can get 100 sets of inscription materials for 10 stones, can I make a profit of 290 stones?” At this thought, Damon’s pupils dilated until they almost covered his deep blue irises. Saliva began to pool in his mouth, causing him to continuously swallow until his stomach hurt.

  “No, that’s incorrect. For a beginner Runemaster, the chance of successfully creating a scroll is only around one in 10. This is for the most basic fireball spell. More complicated spells will have an even lower rate of success. That means your profit will only be 20 stones at the very most, sometimes even losing out if you’re unlucky.” Brian replied.

  That’s how it usually is, but… With my Truesight, I can copy any rune I see. Damon’s excitement was unwavering. He imagined the mountain of essence stones about to enter his grasp and struggled to remain patient.

  “Manager Brian, what are the most expensive first-tier scrolls?” Damon asked, planning out his money-generating strategy.

  “The most expensive… They’ll be obscure spells like Rockfall or Tidal Wave. They’re expensive because they require specific environmental conditions to use, so fewer cultivators master them, and even fewer Runemasters learn them. They usually don’t sell very well. What I can tell you are the best-selling ones. Though they are priced at five essence stones each, they are always in high demand. Barriers of all elemental types, Flash, Shadow Spike, Lightning Spear, Wind Blade, Flame Barrage, Ice spears, Entomb, Entangle and Hydrosphere. There are more; I just listed one of each element.” Brian began reciting the list as he stroked his short beard.

  A knock rang out at the door, upon which three attendants entered, holding a tray each. On the first tray was a large black recurve bow, shining with a metallic sheen. The second held a quiver made of a metal frame covered in thick black leather. Within the quiver were dozens of sleek, black arrows made of a similar metal to the bow. The third tray held a simple storage pouch. The attendants bowed and placed the trays upon the table with both their hands and then promptly departed.

  Damon stared at the bow and arrows in awe. They looked powerful at first glance, causing him to wonder if he could actually draw the bow. However, his main goal was the arrows, rather than the bow.

  “What do you think? It’s pretty impressive, isn’t it?” Brian said with a knowing smile.

  “Yes, Manager Brian. It really is quite extraordinary. I am quite satisfied. Thank you so much, Brother Igor.” Damon nodded repeatedly, unable to take his eyes off his new weapons.

  “So, what are you waiting for then? Go ahead and grab it for a closer look!” Igor laughed and encouraged Damon as he pushed his shoulder.

  Damon leaned forward and ran his hand along the smooth spine of the bow. It felt cool under his palm, hard but with an elasticity that was unexpected from its metallic nature. He lifted it up and slowly pulled the bowstring back. It seemed to be made of a soft metal, allowing for increased strength without compromising its flexibility and durability.

  The arrows were extremely hard and unbending. The tips were thin as they were a field point arrowhead, but they were so sharp that his finger began bleeding upon the lightest touch. The back end of the arrow only had a small nock and no fletching. It was designed for pure speed and power in return for the reduced accuracy. These attributes were further compounded by the tiny grooves carved into them in a spiral pattern.

  “This… It is beautiful.” Damon stroked the bow in his hands with a loving gaze.

  Damon and Igor had finished their transaction with Brian and had left the Pavilion. They were currently heading towards their final destination. A tavern frequented by Igor called The Pretty Maiden.

  “Haha, don’t worry, kid. Although it is called The Pretty Maiden… You know what? You’ll find out soon enough.” Igor was enjoying himself as he spoke with Damon. He was eagerly anticipating the look on Damon’s face when he saw the staff at the tavern.

  Damon did not mind Igor's playfulness and was just jubilant about his new bow. They soon arrived at a large, brightly lit tavern. The chatter of many people and the boisterous laughter of drunken men rang out from within. The aroma of freshly baked bread, the savoury smell of onion soup, and the rich fragrance of cooking meat drifted out as well. He looked at Igor, who was grinning back at him with mischief, and laughed out in glee. He hadn’t felt this joyful in a very long time.

  A few blocks away from the tavern, a hooded and masked man was hiding behind a wall, sneaking glances in the direction of Damon and Igor. He watched closely with eyes glowing a bright blue light as they entered the building. Afterward, he withdrew a communication orb and whispered into it.

  “I found him.”