"You haven't done that before too, have you?"
"Every kid who has stayed in the slums has done it; it's better than starving to death."
Draco looked at her in surprise. "Are you an orphan?"
"You're the orphan! Your whole family are orphans!"
Aicia seemed to bristle, shouting and yelling at Draco.
"If you're not, then you're not."
Draco shrugged and stopped asking.
Soon, the two of them arrived inside an alley.
A dim light glowed from a house at the end, and several fierce-looking guards stood at the door.
The two were stopped.
"What are you here for?"
One guard pointed a blade at them and asked in a cold tone.
Aicia answered with practiced ease, "Doing business."
"A cloud in the profound northern sky."
"A crow falls into a flock of phoenixes."
"Mhm, go on in."
Draco's lips twitched when he heard their code.
What a familiar-sounding code.
After entering, they wound through several more alleys before the space suddenly opened up.
It was a street no different from an ordinary market, surrounded by pedestrians in various disguises.
Various stalls were set up along the street, selling all sorts of things.
Materials from magical beasts, blood-stained weapons, and glass bottles containing unrecognizable potions.
Aicia led Draco toward an inconspicuous shop.
Inside, a rather elderly man sat behind the counter dozing off.
Beside him sat a girl who looked to be fifteen or sixteen years old. She wore a clean long dress, which seemed completely out of place with her surroundings.
Seeing customers arrive, the girl opened her eyes and stepped forward with a smile.
"Would you two like to buy something?"
"Caroline, it's me."
Aicia took off her face mask. She clearly trusted the person before her, exposing her face to the girl.
"Oh, it's Sister Aicia! You haven't come to see me in so long."
Caroline lunged forward happily but quickly realized something.
"This is...?"
She looked at Draco.
"My friend, Li Feiyu."
"Hello, Mr. Li. My name is Caroline."
"Hello."
Draco gave her a polite nod as a greeting.
The shop's interior was somewhat dilapidated. The magic weapons, mana gems, and potions on display didn't look like much.
However, through the system's Appraisal, Draco discovered that the effects of these items were much better than those at the stalls outside.
"Do you buy equipment here?"
Draco got straight to the point.
"Of course."
Caroline walked over to the dozing old man and shook him vigorously.
"Old man, we've got work."
The old man woke up groggily. "Boss, stop shaking. My old bones aren't as sturdy as when I was young; you're shaking me apart."
Draco was a bit surprised; he had thought the old man was the owner.
He hadn't expected such a young girl to be running a shop alone in such a chaotic place.
Out of curiosity, Draco asked Aicia beside him, "What's your friend's background? She's quite something."
"Hmph, of course she is."
Aicia raised her head proudly. "Caroline is a genius. She became an Sorcerer at sixteen. Impressive, right?"
Draco rolled his eyes. "She's the impressive one, what are you so proud for?"
"None of your business!"
Draco curled his lip, not bothering to argue with her.
Instead, he looked at this genius girl with interest.
In this world, someone who can use one system of magic is called a Mage.
The most common are Fire Mages.
If they can use two systems of magic, they are called Sorcerers.
Three systems make a Magister, like the deceased Razen, who was a powerful Magister.
Anything above that is as rare as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns.
By now, the old man had come to the counter under Caroline's urging.
"What do you want to sell? Take it out and let this old man have a look."
Draco casually took out a Rare-grade longsword and handed it over.
The old man held his hand over the weapon, and a faint magical glow emerged from his wrinkled hand, enveloping the surface of the longsword.
Mages with high talent wouldn't waste time learning this kind of non-lethal Appraisal magic.
But since this magic was indispensable, some people saw a business opportunity.
Some Mages with poor talent would specifically study Appraisal magic to make a living.
After only five seconds, the glow faded.
"A Rare magic longsword, enchanted with a'Sharpness' effect. Good quality."
"Boss, you give the estimate."
Caroline nodded. "Since you're Aicia's friend, I'll give you 30 silver coins."
This price was close to what Draco had estimated.
"No problem, it's just..."
Draco hesitated for a moment.
Thinking Draco was dissatisfied with the price, Caroline frowned slightly. "Just what?"
"I have over a thousand pieces of equipment like this. Can you take them all?"
As soon as Draco spoke, the two girls burst out laughing.
Aicia clutched her stomach, unable to even stand up straight.
"My lord, I know you're rich, but over a thousand weapons? You think this is a wholesale market?"
Draco shook his head helplessly.
Without wasting words, he made a loud "Thud!"
Piles of magic weapons crashed onto the floor, instantly filling the small shop to the brim.
Aicia's smile froze on her face.
Caroline's eyes widened, and she stared at the magic weapons in a daze.
"This, this..."
"How many gold coins do you think these weapons are worth?"
Caroline swallowed hard... On the street, the doors of an inconspicuous shop were tightly closed.
Inside the shop, Draco lay comfortably on a rocking chair.
Beside him, the two girls were diligently massaging his shoulders and legs.
"My lord, is this pressure alright?"
Draco took a leisurely sip of juice. "It's fine."
"My lord, you see, it's not easy for me to run a shop. Could the price be..."
"30 silver coins per piece, wholesale price."
Draco raised his hand to stop Aicia from continuing.
"The main thing is I don't have that many gold coins. Can I write an IOU?"
No wonder these two women were friends; they were both thick-skinned.
"No deal."
"How about..."
"..."
While Caroline was constantly haggling, the old man was busy beyond belief.
The light of Appraisal from his hands never stopped.
It wasn't until two hours later that the old man said breathlessly,
"Boss, it's done. A total of 1087 Rare magic weapons."
"This old man is exhausted."
Subsequently, under Caroline's persistent wheedling, the price was lowered to 29 silver coins and 90 copper each.
-------------------------------
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