The Price of Stories

Upon hearing Reik’s words, Ai Ou immediately began calculating. One Tier 1 magic core equaled ten gold coins, a Tier 2 one hundred, and a Tier 3 one thousand.

The ten magic cores in his hand, therefore, were worth a thousand gold coins. This was already equivalent to his entire fortune.

‘Such a thrill, gaining so much for nothing!’ he thought. He had only offered stories. Truly, knowledge was priceless!

The magic stones he had “conned” from Karen must be equivalent to Tier 3 magic cores. Karen had mentioned earlier that her father had given her ten. Didn’t that mean they were worth ten thousand gold coins?

‘Tsk, tsk, truly the daughter of a Duke,’ he mused. ‘Ten thousand gold coins, given away so casually, not to mention her other uncounted wealth. She’s quite the little rich girl!’

Reik watched Ai Ou lost in thought. After calling out a few times and receiving no response, he presumed everything was fine and departed. While Tier 2 magic cores were valuable, they weren’t enough to cause him distress. For a mage, wealth was never an issue. Though it might seem an astronomical sum to ordinary people, any diligent mage could earn it within a few months.

When Ai Ou finally looked up, he realized Reik had already left, quite decisively. However, considering the bounty he had just reaped from him, Ai Ou’s mind had already labeled him as “a fool with too much money.”

‘Later, I need to find a way to make a big score,’ he plotted. ‘These mages are all incredibly wealthy! I’ll figure out a way to fleece them, to get some things out of them.’

****

Leading Elena to the dining hall, Ai Ou spotted Karen. Seeing him, Karen nodded and offered a slight smile. Though a hint of arrogance still clung to Karen, it had significantly dissipated when it came to Ai Ou.

After finishing their meal, Karen habitually followed Ai Ou, only to realize he wasn’t returning to his room. Instead, he headed directly for the adjacent one. Following him inside, Karen was utterly bewildered. The room was filled with highly influential figures, individuals she dared not offend.

“Esteemed mages, you… you’re all here!”

Indeed, the six mages from their expedition were already in the next room, having found comfortable positions to rest, awaiting Ai Ou’s arrival.

“You must be little Karen,” one of them said. “I once met your father; he’s a fine man. I can’t believe how tiny you were when I last saw you, and now you’re so grown up! How is Duke Douglas Elliott doing?”

“Father is doing quite well, at least he was when I left.”

Karen remained stunned. She had never imagined that listening to stories could lead her to encounter such like-minded companions, especially mages. In her eyes, her own fondness for stories was already a rebellious act. How could a mage possibly indulge in such a pastime? Yet, to her surprise, all the mages enjoyed listening to stories. This drastically altered her perception of what a mage truly was.

“Is that so? Your father’s health is excellent. His physical training must have reached the seventh stage of body refinement, I presume. However, his judgment remains sound. No matter how much one trains the body, it can never surpass a mage. The physical body cannot contend with magic. Allowing you to study magic was the correct choice.”

“Now, you’re here to listen to stories as well, aren’t you? There’s no need to be reserved. We are all the same, here to listen to stories. For now, we share but one identity: that of an audience.”

Before they could finish speaking, a sudden knock echoed from the door. Everyone looked towards it. Ai Ou, being closest, opened the door.

At that moment, a plump young man appeared before Ai Ou.

“You must be Ai Ou! That Karen, she came here to listen to stories, didn’t she? I want to hear stories too! You, tell me… Good day, Master Provence! Good day, Master Aaron! Good day, Master Reik!”

The plump young man, initially quite arrogant, had been gesticulating wildly at Ai Ou. However, once he recognized the people seated in the room, his boastful demeanor instantly deflated. He became as reserved as Karen, for everyone present was a mage, the most mysterious profession in this world. Even the adults in his own family treated them with utmost respect.

No matter how arrogant he might be, he dared not act so before mages. Arrogance had its limits; being arrogant in front of those you couldn’t afford to offend wasn’t arrogance—it was courting death.

“Want to hear a story? Do you have anything for me?”

“Huh?”

“This guy, Karen, she gave me a magic stone to hear a story. And the mages, they all gave me a Tier 2 magic core to hear my stories. So, what price are you willing to pay to hear a story? Do you have a magic stone?”

“Ah! This… yes, I do. When I left home, my father gave me four, just in case, he said, to carry with me.”

“Alright, give me one, and you can listen to stories indefinitely.”

Ai Ou heard this and felt his composure cracking. ‘Why does everyone have magic stones, while I only have gold coins? No, I must fleece every single magic stone from them.’

The plump young man hesitated, holding the magic stone, looking as if he wanted to give it but didn’t. Ai Ou, seeing this, simply took it from him, making the decision for him.

“Alright, come in. The story is about to begin.”

After letting the plump young man in, Ai Ou closed the door, only for it to be knocked on again almost immediately.

Impatiently, he opened the door to find a group of his companions from dinner standing outside. Seeing them, Karen remarked to Ai Ou, “Ai Ou, it seems you’re going to be quite busy!”

Indeed, a pile of fresh leeks had delivered themselves to his doorstep!

Looking at the men and women standing at the door, Ai Ou saw nothing but a wealth of rare resources.

“Hello, I’d like to hear your stories. I can…”

“Do you have a magic stone?”

“Ah, yes, I do. This item is a necessity in the magic world. My family…”

“Give me one, and go in.”

“Hello, handsome big brother, may I listen to your stories? Your stories are so wonderful, I want to hear your…”

“Do you have a magic stone? If so, give me one and enter.”

“Big brother, I want to hear your stories, but I don’t have a magic stone. Can you…”

“No. If you have a magic stone, give it and go in. If not, give me money. How much money do you have?”

“This… I only have a thousand gold coins on me.”

“Give me a hundred gold coins, and go in.”

“Big brother, don’t even look at me. I have nothing, no gold coins, no magic stones. You see…”

“If you have anything, hand it over. If you have absolutely nothing, then get out. We don’t support freeloading here.”

And so, Ai Ou’s meticulous efforts finally bore fruit. After one person started to sneak away, it was as if a floodgate had opened. Everyone else couldn’t hold back, rushing towards Ai Ou.

Ai Ou was overjoyed to see the steady stream of “leeks” delivering themselves to him. He ruthlessly culled a third of the impoverished, then harvested a treasure trove of magic stones and gold coins from the remaining two-thirds.

‘Shearing the sheep is truly satisfying!’

Provence watched Ai Ou clutching a pile of magic stones, a silent expletive forming in his mind. ‘This guy is truly sharp. He’s already acquired so many magic stones before even reaching the academy. It feels like even ordinary Tier 1 and Tier 2 mages aren’t as rich as him!’