Knights and Magic Wand

The three people in the Windmill Mill snored heavily in their sleep, not waking up until noon the next day.

Had it not been for the sunlight piercing their eyes as it streamed in through the windows and roof gaps, they probably could have slept with their heads buried until the evening.

Reluctantly yawning, they got up from the floor, packed up their blankets, had a simple meal of dry food, and then left the mill.

Washing their faces by the river, Leon and his two companions used the "toothbrushes" made from softwood filaments bought from the village to thoroughly clean their teeth, which hadn't been brushed in days.

Yes, toothbrushes.

Leon didn't know if toothbrushes were invented during the medieval times on Earth in a previous life, but at least in this world, whether among the Seryan folk or in the local Orland countryside, people had toothbrushes, though their appearances and materials varied.

For example, the hunter's family to whom his current body originally belonged used cheap animal hair stick brushes produced by small workshops in the Rolannar market.

And from the descriptions Leon had heard during chats, the toothbrushes used in the Seryan noble families were even closer to the modern ones on Earth.

However, the so-called "toothbrushes" bought in the local village were much more rudimentary than either of the previous two.

The brush's head that he held was made of bundled softwood filament strips, looking more like a bundle of wooden filaments tied together.

It was quite simple to use. One just had to hold it upright and scrub the teeth with the small exposed tuft of the brush head. If long-term usage caused the head to fray or become dirty, they would just cut off the front section and fluff up the fresh cut end for a new brush head.

It seemed that even in a society that wasn't developed with advanced science and technology, the ingenuity of the working people was not to be underestimated.

After rinsing his mouth with the clear stream water, Leon instantly felt clear-headed and refreshed.

"I wanted to ask you two yesterday, but you were asleep," he said, sitting on a rock and beginning to discuss the next step of their plan with his companions.

"I'm thinking of going to that town the old blacksmith mentioned to see if we can sell this long sword. That way, we don't have to carry it wrapped in cloth everywhere, constantly being eyed by people with bad intentions. What do you think?"

"It's your spoils of war, so I have no objections, but it's a pity, being unfamiliar with life here. Even if we find a buyer, they might try to underprice us seeing that we are young."

Lokhak glanced at the wrapped sword, feeling a twinge of pain at the thought of such a fine and ornate treasure sword potentially being sold at a significant discount.

"We don't have much of a choice since we do need the money urgently. On that note, Azeryan, you come from a noble family and have seen much of the world. Can you estimate how much this sword might be worth?" Leon turned his head and asked.

He had the memories of his original body and knew some prices in the Seryan Kingdom.

In Rolannar City, a decent quality long sword would generally require three to four Serrian gold coins.

But that was the common market price, obviously not a reference for the Noble Treasure Sword.

The craftsmanship of the golden ornaments on the hilt of this sword and the value of the gemstone at the balance end were unknowable.

After some thought, Azeryan offered an approximate price, "I can't estimate it accurately, but it should be worth at least a hundred gold coins, as Dwarf Steel is very precious metal."

Even with a mental preparation, Leon's heart still raced after hearing the estimate.

For both commoners and minor nobles, a hundred Serrian gold coins were unquestionably a fortune.

It was just unknown what the exchange rate between Serrian gold coins and the gold crowns of the Northern Kingdom was. How many gold crowns would equal a hundred Serrian gold coins?

Of course, having a rough price expectation wasn't enough. Leon was now more troubled by the lack of channels to sell the sword.

Should he just take the treasure sword to the street and call out for buyers in the market, like Yang Zhi selling his blade in the Water Margin?

Such a valuable item would undoubtedly draw a crowd the moment it was displayed, which could cause more trouble. It's worth noting that Yang Zhi ultimately failed to sell his treasure blade.

Leon found himself at his wit's end, thinking over and over.

In the novels he'd read in his past life, whenever the protagonist wanted to exchange treasures for money, they could always find a so-called "auction house" tucked away somewhere.

But in this world, whether in the memories of his original body or in Azeryan's experience, there was no such exceptionally convenient high-end trading institution.

Auction houses themselves were more often seen in societies where the commodity economy was developed, and from Leon's perspective, most places on this continent were probably still operating within the feudal manorial economy.

"How about we go and ask the old blacksmith? Maybe he has some connections in town since he is a local," Azeryan suddenly suggested.

"Go back to him? From what I saw, that blacksmith didn't seem too fond of us. He might try to cheat us," Lokhak grimaced.

"It probably won't come to that. It's just asking for some advice. Besides, if we know where to find a suitable buyer, we can leave quickly, which is precisely what he hoped for, right?" Leon thought it was worth a try.

"Or maybe we could have Miss Olivia help us ask around?" Azeryan added.

"Good idea," Leon agreed.

"Speak of the devil, look, isn't that her?" Lokhak, with his sharp eyes, spotted the golden-haired girl walking on a field path not too far away.

Without a second thought, he stood up and waved his hand, shouting loudly, "Hey—!... Olivia—!"

Leon raised his hand to stop the big guy's greeting, "Don't shout, have some manners. We can just go over there, what are you doing calling out to her like that?"

"Oh, right," Lokhak lowered his hand and scratched his head.

Naturally, Olivia also heard Lokhak's shouts from afar. She turned to look around and, recognizing the three foreign friends she had met the day before, waved her hand, then started walking toward Leon and the others.

"Good afternoon, everyone."

Olivia greeted him, "How did you sleep last night? I was actually planning to visit you all at Windmill Mill later."

"Thanks to the blankets and quilts you lent us, we slept very well yesterday," Leon sincerely thanked her, then continued with another request, "Actually, I would like to ask for another small favor, Miss Olivia."

Curious, the girl cocked her head, "What do you need help with? Please, tell me."

Leon honestly explained his desire to sell the treasure sword in the nearby town.

However, to Leon's surprise, Olivia furrowed her brows in thought for a moment, then gave him an unexpectedly disappointing response, "I'll go and ask around for you, but I'm afraid you'll be let down; my father most likely won't have any suggestions."

"Why are you so sure?" Leon asked, puzzled.

"Actually, ever since I can remember, my father has never left Selva, and the adults in the village say that even before I was born, when my mother was still alive, it was the same—he really doesn't know anyone from the nearby towns," Olivia explained regretfully.

Leon finally got it and had to give up, "I see, well, we'll have to think of something else then."

"It's okay, I'll still go back and ask for you. Who knows, maybe he'll remember some old friends from many years ago," the girl smiled and didn't entirely rule out the possibility.

"Thank you for that," Leon nodded.

"Speaking of which, that sword... you're planning to sell it?" Olivia suddenly sighed and lowered her gaze to the sword at Leon's waist.

"Is there anything amiss?" Leon didn't understand why she seemed so regretful.

The girl lifted her head, her beautiful green eyes flashing with thought, as if weighing something quickly in her mind.

After a long hesitation, Olivia glanced around left and right, as if afraid of being seen.

Once she was sure that no other villagers were around, she tilted her head, suddenly brought her palms together as if to pray, blinked at Leon, and whispered, "Could I... could I ask you for something?"

Seeing her sudden pleading posture, Leon was perplexed, "Go ahead, I was just wondering how I could repay your kindness."

He was also curious about what he could do for her.

"Could I... could I take a look at your beautiful long sword?" the golden-haired girl asked cautiously, squinting one eye.

"Is that all?" Leon raised an eyebrow.

"Mm-hm! May I?" Olivia's tone became somewhat excited.

"What's there to talk about? It's a small matter," Leon chuckled, amused.

He unwrapped the cloth and took the long sword with its sheath off his belt, handing it over to her.

"Here, take a good look if you want," he said.

Indeed, the weapon was a beautiful piece of art; Leon thought it was only natural that the girl would like it.

The golden-haired girl's face visibly lit up with happiness.

She carefully took the ornately decorated, noble long sword with both hands, her sparkling eyes moving excitedly.

"...It's really beautiful," Olivia caressed the sword guard and the fine grip, not wanting to let go.

Even as a mere observer, Leon could feel her excitement as if she were about to glow with delight, which puzzled him.

As a cold weaponry aficionado, he understood the admiration for a fine piece of weaponry.

But the girl's happiness seemed to far exceed the appreciation for the sword itself or the craftsmanship of its ornaments.

It was more like she found joy in simply being able to touch the sword.

"Do you really like swords that much?" Leon asked.

"Uh-huh!" Olivia nodded vigorously like a pecking chicken, squinting her eyes with a tone full of happiness.

"...I rarely get to touch real swords; my father never allows me..." Mid-sentence, the girl snapped back from her happiness, realizing she had said too much, and her large eyes blinked at Leon.

"Hmm?" Leon was full of question marks.

"Don't tell my father, okay? He doesn't allow me to play with them," Olivia said, somewMichael_adjective embarrassed and nervous.

"Why? Is he afraid you'll get hurt?" Leon asked.

"I don't know. I probably wouldn't get hurt, but he just won't let me touch real weapons. If he saw it, for sure he would spank my palms with a wooden ruler again."

The girl instinctively shrank her hands, showing that the punishment was no joke—she had really been hurt quite badly.