NOVEL WEB Chapter 41
“Is this the place…”
With a map in one hand, I made my way to the store after receiving the letter of introduction from Serene.
Initially, Serene had kindly offered, “If you’d like, I can guide you there,” but I felt bad about making her accompany me for my personal errand, so I politely declined.
‘Unknown cores are sleeping here, huh?’
As if making up for Serene’s absence, Eve spoke to me in an excited voice.
(Please, just stay quiet, alright?)
It might be difficult to ask Eve, a core enthusiast, to restrain herself, but if she started talking while I was inside the store, I wouldn’t be able to respond, which would be a problem.
Once I confirmed that Eve had gone silent, I pushed open the lavish door.
“Welcome. Do you have a letter of introduction?”
The moment I stepped inside, store clerks approached me from both sides.
“Here it is.”
Still, I hadn’t expected to be asked for an introduction letter so straightforwardly.
I had only wanted to check the market price of low-rank cores, but it seemed Serene had introduced me to a far better store than I had imagined.
Before I could even take in my surroundings, I noticed another door leading further inside. Was it for security against theft? This place had some serious protections.
“Th-this is…!”
“Is something the matter?”
I watched as the clerk examined my letter of introduction, their expression visibly shifting.
The two clerks whispered to each other for a while before finally speaking up.
“Thank you for waiting. I will personally guide you inside.”
Saying that, they opened the door leading to the back.
“What kind of item are you looking for today?”
The room beyond was covered in a luxurious red carpet.
Showcases lined the walls, displaying dungeon cores with the same care and reverence as precious gemstones.
“Do all customers get a guide?”
“Yes, our store is the finest in the royal capital. We take great care in handling our cores. For that reason, whenever a customer visits, it is our policy to assign them a personal guide.”
I see. Since dungeon cores can also serve as power sources for magical tools, it made sense to keep a close watch, preventing anyone from attempting to steal and resell them.
That said, this was a problem. I had only come to browse, not to buy anything…
As I scanned the floor, I noticed something peculiar.
“Huh? I don’t see any Rank I or II cores here. Are they not available?”
I had hoped to gauge the market price of the cores I owned.
“Low-rank cores? We do not carry those.”
So they didn’t stock them at all.
“Then, could you show me the lowest-rank core you do have?”
I decided to start my investigation from the lowest-ranked core in this store.
“This is a Rank IV core.”
I was led to the farthest corner of the shop—the least conspicuous, least frequented spot.
“Hmm… The color determines its attribute, right?”
The core was the same size as the fire core I owned. Since fire cores were red, it was safe to assume that the red core before me had the same attribute.
“Yes, Rank IV cores mainly come in four types: fire, water, wind, and earth.”
Displayed before me were cores in red, blue, green, and yellow.
Even though Rank IV was the lowest tier in this store, they were still handled with great care.
“By the way, how much does this cost?”
Depending on the price, it might not be entirely out of reach…
“This one is 100 gold coins.”
‘Huh, that’s about as much as forty Roberto. ‘
(Stop using that calculation method!)
For a moment, I almost accepted the comparison, but then I realized how disrespectful it was and decided to scold Eve.
“These are often purchased by nobles as gifts.”
“…I see.”
I half-listened to the clerk’s explanation while thinking.
If I simply bought a core like this, I could strengthen The World without needing to dive into dungeons…
However, a typical household’s monthly income was about four gold coins. In other words, if someone took a regular job in town or a village, it would take at least two years to afford a core like this.
On the other hand, adventurers, explorers, and dungeon-related craftsmen had significantly higher earnings. By hunting monsters and obtaining materials, cores, and magic tools, they could easily accumulate 100 gold coins in a single venture.
But since they also needed to invest in equipment and supplies, their wealth tended to disappear quickly.
Given the risks involved, it was only natural that dungeon core prices were high.
“By the way, how much would you buy a fire core for?”
‘M-M-Master!?’
Eve’s voice rang out in shock.
“At present, we would purchase one for about 70 gold coins.”
I see, about seventy percent of the retail price.
If necessary, I could probably negotiate for a better deal.
If Rank IV cores were this expensive, then Rank V to VII must be in an entirely different league.
For now, I would make do with the cores I already had…
“Um, what about that core over there?”
I pointed at the massive core displayed in the center of the store.