Chapter 26: Mr. Mapan
It must be noted that what was mentioned on the sign was Magic Weapon and not just a Magic Equipment!
Although the two were both crafted by the Arcanists, the Magic Weapons weren't so simple as they were all used for battle and frequently requires maintenance. It was harder to get a Magic Weapon than a Magic Equipment so Diether was a bit surprised to see this.
'Mr. Mapan must be a strong individual or he has someone he can trust to protect his goods.'
Traveling to many cities and villages would never be smooth. There will always be problems like the appearance of evil beasts, wild beasts, bandits, and natural disasters.
Possessing such valuable material not only requires courage but also the strength to do so. Even if the Magic Weapons were useless to the bandits, they can easily sell it to many underground channels. After all, many individuals would like to purchase inexpensive weapons.
The prices in an authorized dealer of Magic Weapons or Equipments would always be higher compared to the product sold with uncertain origins. What they only need was the courage to purchase one.
"Come in!"
A gentle voice from a middle-aged man was suddenly heard. It seems that the man recognized Yasmin's voice from the outside...
"Are you her friend who wanted to sell an evil beast core?"
Diether saw the middle-aged man after stepping inside the small stall that was built to showcase his products.
He has a brown, curly hair that awkwardly hangs over his long and lively face. He can easily be recognized with his scar stretching from the left side of the forehead, running across the nose and ending under his right eye. It certainly leaves a bittersweet memory of his honor.
The young man felt a familiar aura from this man. He definitely possesses powerful spiritual energy. He wasn't just a simple merchant!
"Yes! I'm Diether Luxford. Nice to meet you, Sir Mapan..."
"Mhmm... Luxford? Well, nice meeting you..."
Mapan squinted his eyes before smiling again.
"Right, you guys are my first customer, so I'll do my best to satisfy you with my offer. Later, you can also check my other goods if you want..."
"Yes! Although I may not purchase as I'm currently broke, I want to broaden my horizon..."
"Me too! Me too!"
Yasmin said excitedly. Mapan had actually covered his Magic Weapons that were for sale on a gray cloth so they couldn't see it at the moment.
They can only admire the various plants that he collected for now.
Seeing their excited expression, Mapan nodded in satisfaction. He didn't mind whether they will purchase his product later on as he just wanted to spend some time talking to these young ones.
After all, people who would normally purchase cores or weapons made by an Arcanist would often come from the city and not in this village who relies on beast hunting and a little of agriculture to survive. It must also be considered that the village was almost surrounded by forest so his plants were expected not to sell at this time.
In short, he was aware that his day here in this village would be uneventful if not for the two's presence.
"Very well... I can't let you sit since my stall is a bit cramped."
"Haha... Of course. We understand, Mr. Mapan."
"Uhmm... Here... This is the core I wanted to sell. Please, take a look."
Diether brought out the core that was wrapped in a thin white cloth. Mapan took it from his hands and slowly unwrapped the core...
"Beautiful..." The middle-aged man muttered after seeing it closely.
The fist-sized core was green in color and was a bit translucent. Apart from that, anyone could see the darkness located at its center that feels like an abyss.
It doesn't emit some kind of mysterious force but anyone who practices spiritual energy could easily tell that it was the real deal.
"No damage... About 70 grams... This sensation... Is it from a low-grade evil beast? Probably a poisonous one..."
"Oh? You can tell that much... It indeed came from a three-eyed viper with a low-grade rating..."
"Haha! Of course, I have seen thousands of cores in all the years I've spent as a Merchant and a previous Hunter... I have even made a book that records the different types of evil beast and cores..."
"Really? You're a Hunter before? That's impressive..."
"Hehe... Are you interested in the book? I only have 3 copies left with me..."
"Err... Sure... But I don't have any money yet. Can you tell me the price you could offer for this?"
"Right, with this quality, I can offer you 19 gold coins."
"Really?! That's higher than what we've thought!"
Yasmin was surprised that the evil beast core could be sold for so much! She remembers the small amount of money that they were earning in running a small inn and realized the big difference. It was already a good thing if their inn could earn more than 10 gold coins in a month.
'It's really a lucrative job, huh...'
She already had thoughts of joining the Hunter Association after this.
"Are you sure Mr. Mapan? Will you still profit from this?"
Yasmin suddenly asked. As a girl who was already working part-time in her family's business, she was somewhat aware of how the market works.
"Haha! Don't worry, I can sell this beast core for about 21 to 25 gold coins in the city if I find the right buyer."
Mapan smiled after saying this... He then rummages through his bag as the two children heard the sound of coins.
After a few moments, Mapan gave a small bag to Diether which contains the 19 gold coins in exchange for the three-eyed viper's core.
Diether received the bag and felt the weight from it. He took a brief glance in the bag and was almost blinded by the shining gold coins. This was the highest amount of money that he had ever touched in his life!
He was happy with the transaction!
'I'm rich... I wouldn't have to worry about money for a few months with this amount!'
"You're lucky for finding a good core... Anyway, do you still want to buy the book about evil beasts and cores? I'll sell it for 50 silver coins... Don't think that it's expensive as you wouldn't find this book elsewhere..."
Diether doubted that he won't find other books but since the price was cheap and he just earned a huge sum of money, he didn't mind purchasing it as it would help him broaden his horizon.
Anyway, all books were expensive as everything has to be handwritten. The quality of the paper must also be considered for its pricing.
After he bought the book, Mapan showed them the Magic Weapons he has in his possession.