Merchant From Earth in the Magical World

Yan Xing wiped away his initial impression that Goblins weren't capable of business. They were masters! Their vision was much grander than his own. "Your enemies have already bought Alchemical Weapons from me, will you or won't you buy?" That's their game! Such blatant profiteering from all sides! Today I have truly witnessed the pinnacle of salesmanship, Yan Xing inwardly exclaimed. Truly admirable! My utmost respect!

Looking at Hibel again, she indeed seemed upset but couldn't show it. These Goblins were backed by the even more reclusive and aloof Cloud Tower. Moreover, they held Alchemical Weapons that everyone needed. As for their infuriating attitude, it was best to tolerate it if possible and to avoid offending them if one could.

Hibel calmed herself and said to the Goblin, "Mr. Gaga, I will convey your kind suggestion to my father. I believe my father and Marquis Anderson would certainly consider purchasing some weapons from the Goblin Alchemy Factory to strengthen our armaments.

"Please allow me to introduce a guest to you. This is Knight Yan Xing, the eternal Lord, my father's friend, and a Beast Tamer from the Thunderous Swamp. He's also a merchant dealing in alchemical products from Thunderous Swamp, and I believe you'll find you have much to discuss regarding Alchemy."

"Thunderous Swamp! Alchemy!" The Goblin seated on the alchemical chair let out an extremely disdainful tone, "Miss Hibel, that is the funniest joke I've heard today. Those inferior savages abandoned by civilization in the swamp only know how to use sticks and bones; they can't even smelt iron, how could they know Alchemy? Miss Hibel... you must have been deceived. No! Even the dumbest con artist wouldn't associate Alchemy with a swamp, because even the most foolish person wouldn't believe that lie. Don't you agree, Miss Hibel? You must be joking with me."

The Goblin, Gaga, had a high and mighty expression, his tone filled with mockery and sarcasm. He showed no respect for Hibel's status in Nuta City, even trampling on her dignity to demonstrate his superiority.

Finally losing her patience, Hibel took off the watch from her wrist and thrust it in front of Gaga's face.

"Mr. Gaga, look closely! This watch was a gift from Knight Yan Xing. It tells time, can be worn on the wrist, and it's from Thunderous Swamp. I'm not stupid; I only believe what I see. On the contrary... can you Goblins create such an exquisite and precise watch?"

When Hibel thrust the watch at him, the Goblin Gaga instinctively leaned back. Then his eyes widened instantly, and he snatched the watch. The Goblin pressed a button on the armrest of the alchemical chair, and a monocular sprang into his hand. He clipped the monocular to his left eye and peered closely at the watch. After a while, he put it to his ear, quietly listening to its ticking. Then he began frantically searching for a way to open it, as agitated as a monkey. Finally, he placed the watch on the armrest, took out a small hammer from a compartment in the alchemical chair, and prepared to smash it to see its inner workings.

Alarmed by Goblin Gaga's actions, Hibel immediately snatched her watch back. Unable to retrieve it, Gaga said to Hibel at once, "Miss Hibel, if you give me the watch, you can take anything you want from here."

Hibel had already put the watch back on her wrist. Seeing Gaga's reaction, she replied smugly, "Sorry, this is a gift from Knight Yan Xing, and I'm very fond of it! I'm not sure if your Goblin Alchemy Factory can make such a watch. Judging by your earlier behavior, you didn't even seem to know how to open it. I guess you can't make one."

Goblin Gaga's eyes remained fixed on the watch on Hibel's wrist, his desire to possess it blatant. "Miss Hibel, I admit it's a very exquisite alchemical trinket. Where is this Knight Yan Xing you mentioned? I would like to meet him..."

Hibel realized Gaga hadn't paid any attention to her earlier introduction of Yan Xing. In the Goblin's eyes, the Knight by her side might as well have been a mere attendant.

Hibel reintroduced Yan Xing.

The watch finally made Goblin Gaga acknowledge Yan Xing, his earlier arrogance gone, though his tone was still somewhat affected. "Hello, Knight Yan Xing. I am Gaga from the Goblin Alchemy Shop in Nuta City. I really like your watch. Do you happen to have another one like it? I'd like to purchase one. If such a watch is complicated and takes a long time to manufacture, I'm willing to place an order and wait however long it takes."

Yan Xing didn't immediately respond to Goblin Gaga's inquiry. He had just quickly scanned the Alchemy Shop. Chui Chui told him that among the items displayed, there seemed to be no magic generators like the ones she saw in 'Practical Alchemy Golems Basics.'

"Mr. Gaga, hello. I come from Thunderous Swamp, and I'm very interested in the magic generators and Low-level Alchemical Golems invented by the Alchemists of Cloud Tower. I'm wondering if your Alchemy Factory in Nuta City can produce these magic generators. If so, I'd like to buy a set. If not, I'd like to place a custom order. The manufacturing of such mature alchemical devices shouldn't pose much difficulty for you, I presume."

Gaga said, "I'd like to discuss the watch deal first."

Yan Xing smiled. "The watch transaction and the magic generator transaction don't conflict. They could even happen simultaneously."

Gaga understood Yan Xing's meaning.

"You want to trade your watch for our magic generator? The manufacturing process for a magic generator is very complex. It requires a vast amount of alchemical materials and the long-term work of many Alchemists. If you, Knight Yan Xing, wish to order a magic generator from us, how many watches do you propose for this trade?"

Yan Xing held up one finger. "One."

Hearing Yan Xing's offer, Goblin Gaga's large ears twitched. He exclaimed, "Unfair! Our magic generator is tens of thousands of times the size of a watch, and the materials needed to produce it are unimaginably vast!"

Yan Xing said, "Mr. Gaga, please don't define a product's value by its size. Especially with alchemical items, doing so would seem very unprofessional. We all know it's easy to make an alchemical item large; the difficulty lies in making it smaller! If you could make a magic generator as small as this watch, I'd willingly trade 10,000 watches for it. But you can't."

Goblin Gaga still clamored, "I cannot accept this price! It's an insult to the Goblin Alchemy Factory!"

Yan Xing spoke calmly, "One watch for a set of magic generators, plus 200 Low-Level Magical Puppets. This is my offer, and it's my bottom line. I believe you understand you're profiting considerably from this trade. If you're not satisfied with this offer, I'll leave. I can go to Storm City or other cities. I'm sure there are shrewd Goblin merchants who can truly appreciate this watch's value."

In this world, besides the one Yan Xing possessed, only Hibel had such a watch. Talk about rarity dictating value! This was the perfect example.

No matter how much he'd paid for the watch online, Yan Xing was determined to trade it for a set of magic generators and accompanying Low-level Alchemical Golems from the Goblins. He didn't believe that the Goblins, who prided themselves on mastering the world's most advanced Alchemy, could resist the temptation of the Alchemy Technology contained within a single watch.

No matter how expensive a set of magic generators was to manufacture, it was established technology with a measurable value. A watch that a Goblin couldn't produce, however, would be priceless to them. Such a sincere offer, and I'm the one taking a huge loss! There's no helping it! Since I can't create my own magic generators, I have to trade the watch. When your technology is inferior, you leverage your resources.