Lucy slowly left the forest with trembling steps.
Soon, she saw farmers in full swing harvesting.
Only after crossing that peaceful landscape did she realize that she had survived.
“Oh, Lady Lucy.”
“It’s been a while.”
“Thank you for the last time! As expected of a wizard!”
The residents of the various villages between the city and Asha Village, people who knew Lucy’s face, pretended to know her.
If it were Lucy, she would have grumbled and answered a few words.
However, Lucy didn’t have time for that now.
‘… I have to go home quickly?’
That was the only thought in her head.
For Lucy, a wizard from the streets, home naturally meant the Eastern Magic Tower.
Now that she had barely returned from the brink of death, Lucy missed the nagging of her seniors who were urging her to continue her research.
“Oh, aren’t you Lady Lucy?”
The coachman who was pulling a cart across from Lucy spoke.
This time, she tried to ignore him again… but Lucy couldn’t do that because she recognized who the owner of the voice was.
“Arsene… sir.”
The coachman was none other than the village chief of the village where Avalli was staying.
The cart was full of things that seemed to be necessary for winter.
‘… I haven’t paid him yet.’
It would take at least two weeks for Lucy to pay for the special magic stone in her arms.
So where on earth did Arsene get so much money?
Well, it’s none of Lucy’s business.
There was only one thing she wanted to know: Avalli’s true identity.
As they left the Eastern Forest, Lucy’s fear gradually crumbled and curiosity took its place.
It was a sad habit for those who had the profession of magic.
“What on earth do you have at home…?”
Even so, she did not forget to maintain a polite attitude.
Lucy would never again be friendly with people from Asha Village.
If Avalli had ‘displeased feelings’ after hearing the villagers gossip about Lucy…
“You’re suddenly using formal language. Did something happen in the village?”
While Lucy was trembling with horrible thoughts, Arsene asked in a quiet voice.
The thing that Arsene had at home.
Of course, it was referring to Avalli.
If he had witnessed a girl with the qualities of a saint, even a proud wizard would have become devout.
“… There was a change of heart.”
“A change of heart. Indeed.”
Arsene nodded as if he understood.
Lucy raised her voice with a serious expression at his calm attitude.
“You, do you know something about that monster!”
“A monster? What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act like a fool. It’s about Avalli!”
Arsene tilted his head at the completely unexpected choice of words.
‘Monster?’
As Kyle, a devout knight, said, Avalli was a blessing that the goddess had bestowed upon the earth after hundreds of years.
The metaphor of a monster did not suit such a girl.
“It seems there was some misunderstanding.”
“It’s not a misunderstanding…”
Lucy, who had been shouting in frustration, soon lowered her head and shut her mouth.
To those who don’t even understand the concept of magic, it’s something that can’t be explained from start to finish.
“There’s no way you, a commoner, would know.”
“Avalli is a good kid. I can guarantee that much, Lady Lucy. So please keep it a secret from the world.”
Arsene spoke in a somewhat serious voice, but Lucy didn’t find it very trustworthy.
“… How can the village chief guarantee anything?”
Lucy muttered grumblingly and passed Arsene.
Lucy had decided to keep quiet about Avalli’s story for the rest of her life.
If Avalli were an out-of-spec being, she might be able to sense the gossip about her from a distance.
“Lady Lucy, I’ll see you next time! May the goddess’s grace remain with you.”
“… I’ve already told Bern about the payment. May the goddess’s grace remain with you.”
Immediately after parting ways with Arsene, Lucy pulled her hat down low and hurried her steps.
If she had a horse like Arsene, she would be able to move more easily, but Lucy was struggling with living expenses after procuring various reagents for her experiments.
There was no way Lucy could afford to buy a horse.
‘But if I sell this magic stone, I’ll have some money.’
Honestly, she just wanted to close her eyes and use it for her research.
With a magic stone of this purity and size, she might wake up ‘that thing’ sleeping in a corner of the lab.
But if she did that, she’d fail to pay for the magic stone, have no choice but to leave the Magic Tower, and stay in Asha Village as an exclusive magician for five years.
‘There’s no choice.”
A magician without the protection of the Magic Tower is exposed to too many dangers.
It’s not like research is impossible in Asha Village… but there’s a higher chance that someone else will steal her research results.
So this time, she has no choice but to sell it with tears in her eyes.
“Haa…”
Three days later, Lucy arrived at the city where the Magic Tower was and went straight to the magnificent market center without even unpacking her bags.
The fees were quite high, but she had no choice if she wanted to process the payment within the deadline.
The market was bustling with merchants, workers, and customers.
Lucy managed to avoid getting lost in the crowded streets and moved to a shabby office in a corner.
“Lucy, welcome!”
A neatly dressed merchant greeted Lucy.
He was the man who took care of her when she worked various side jobs to supplement her insufficient living expenses.
In other words, he was the lowest of the low in this trading floor.
Of course, he was not just a laborer who used his strength, but a ‘merchant’ at least.
Lucy, who felt a similar sense of empathy with herself—having just barely settled down in the Magic Tower—would always look for Elif when making a deal.
“It’s been a while, Mr. Elif.”
When Lucy said that while sitting on the chair, Elif opened his eyes wide and opened his mouth.
“Has something happened?”
“… My feelings have changed a lot.”
Of course, it wasn’t a change of will.
Still, after using formal language for a few days, she realized that it wasn’t all that bad.
No, it was actually good.
If she had been full of venom in the past because she thought she couldn’t look down on others, she had become a little more relaxed now.
She felt like her thoughts had broadened.
“Please don’t ask me in detail. It’s a problem I can’t explain.”
“It’s also a merchant’s virtue not to ask customers annoying questions.”
Elif smiled in a salesman’s manner and said the answer Lucy wanted.
“What brings you here today?”
“I want to sell something.”
“Oh, is it the mushrooms? There’s a steady demand for that.”
Lucy snickered and shook her head from side to side.
She always sold miscellaneous materials, so when she thought of showing someone something that would surprise them, her shoulders started to tense up for no reason.
“Today, it’s magic stones.”
“Oh, magic stones…”
However, Elif’s reaction was not very pleasant.
What Lucy had expected was a face that would exclaim with sparkling eyes.
“Can’t it be magic stones?”
“Recently, a huge dungeon was discovered not too far away. The price of magic stones has dropped considerably.”
Lucy frowned slightly at the word dungeon.
There are monsters living in the dungeon, and when you defeat them, you get magic stones.
It’s only natural that the supply of magic stones to the city will skyrocket soon.
‘Why at this time?’
If it were the usual Lucy, she would have let out a gasp at the news of the dungeon being discovered.
The price of magic stones being lowered was the best news for a struggling wizard.
But not now.
She would have to sell the magic stones at a high price to have some leeway in her life.
Lucy sighed involuntarily as she thought about how unlucky she had been in many ways recently.
“… Haa, then this won’t be that expensive.”
“Of course, it depends on the purity, but I think it’ll be hard to get the price you want—”
Elif’s words stopped right before they left his throat.
The moment he saw the ‘magic stone’ that Lucy took out of her subspace pocket, the price calculations that had been going on in Elif’s head lost all meaning.
First of all, the size.
Unlike ordinary magic stones that were the size of small rocks, it was so big that it seemed difficult to hold with one hand.
And that black color.
Elif had no knowledge of magic, but as a merchant, he knew how to distinguish the value of magic stones.
The pitch-black jewel that didn’t even emit the faint light characteristic of magic stones was the best of the best that he’d only seen in books.
“Lucy, may I ask you a rude question?”
“… What is it?”
“Is this a real magic stone?”
Lucy nodded with a slight frown because it was indeed a rude question.
“It’s a real magic stone. As long as you keep the fact that I brought it a secret, I don’t mind if you appraise it with the exclusive magician of the exchange.”
“Then it’s a different story. A magic stone of this purity… has a value that has nothing to do with the market price.”
“Really? Then how much can you give me?”
Lucy’s face brightened in an instant after hearing the answer, but Elif shook his head from side to side.
“I’m sorry, but I won’t buy it.”
“… Yes? What—”
“No, it would be more accurate to say ‘can’t.’ Even if I borrow all my available assets and all my debt, it’s impossible for me to buy this magic stone.”
Lucy was a magician.
The wizard could roughly estimate the magical value contained in the magic stone, but a separate expert was needed to determine the exact price at which it would be sold on the market.
And of course, the expert in price measurement was the merchant.
“… If it’s okay with you, Lucy, I will hold an auction.”
“An auction? It will take at least two to three weeks just to register, and I don’t have that much time.”
“It’s different for something like this. If the appraiser can confirm that this magic stone is genuine, even tomorrow—”
Elif continued with a confident voice.
“-An auction that will be recorded in the history of the city will be held.”
The excitement doesn't stop here! If you enjoyed this, you’ll adore [TS] Became a flower in the game. Start reading now!
Read : [TS] Became a flower in the game
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Thanks for the chapter!
“Lucy would never again be friendly with people from Asha Village.”
Unfriendly