Outside the Apprentice City of Lodris, there was a small, nameless town.
It was nameless because the Alliance did not recognize this town as part of its territory; the place simply did not exist on the Alliance's maps.
Consequently, all the buildings here were illegal constructions, and it was only due to certain reasons that the Alliance tacitly allowed the town's existence.
The town was originally a temporary settlement for those hoping to make a living in the Apprentice City, but who ended up staying permanently after failing to obtain entry permits.
By now, the entire town had become a marketplace, providing a large number of beds for passing merchants and Mercenaries, as well as a market free from the Alliance's high commissions, drawing many people there specifically to take a look.
As Furan walked down the street, her first sensation was one of disgust. It was fine back in the Apprentice City, where dedicated workers performed cleaning duties every day, but there was none of that here.
Since this was a magical world, the sewage came in various colors—white, black, pink... These liquids flowed across the ground, yet strangely, Furan didn't smell anything foul; instead, there was only a scent comparable to air freshener.
Besides that, there were minerals on the ground that might have fallen off a merchant's hurried cart, or perhaps animal droppings; regardless, everyone on the street had to dodge these things as they walked.
Only the truly slovenly would reach down to grab a handful with a 'try-anything' mindset... Furan quickened her pace toward the location Elan had mentioned, looking away.
---
When Furan approached a noticeably cleaner area, she identified a wooden building as the horse dealership Elan had told her about.
It was a large building, and a sizable stable could be seen behind it.
However, as she drew closer, she heard several voices raised in argument, filled with anger and questioning.
"That's impossible! Dammit, I brought this horse all the way back from Antier! I watched it carry a fallen knight over here myself."
"Listen, I can only give you 80 silver coins. It's not because there's anything wrong with the breed..."
"Dammit, and here I heard your buying prices were the fairest, which is why I came all this way. My previous buyer was willing to pay a gold coin."
"Did you hear what I said? This horse's Achilles tendon is damaged; it can no longer handle long-term riding. That makes it valuable only for breeding with other horses. And look at these wounds on its body—you can forget about healing them without spending a fortune..."
The horse dealer was named Shane, the owner of this horse shop that had been in business for twelve years. He was currently arguing with a Mercenary who had returned from the Antier Antire.
His eyes lit up the moment he saw Furan enter. He stopped arguing with the Mercenary and immediately called out to a young lad in the shop.
"Hey, little Aaron, don't just sit there. A big client has arrived; go attend to her quickly."
Aaron, who had been moving things nearby, quickly set down his load, tidied himself up slightly, and then jogged over to Furan, saying:
"Your Excellency the Mage, what kind of horse do you require?"
Furan, meanwhile, glanced at the Mercenary. She suddenly noticed that the short sword at the Mercenary's waist was a bit strange; the runes on it were of a type she had never seen before.
The runes covered almost the entire short sword and even extended to the other side.
This piqued Furan's curiosity, but she didn't approach him directly. Instead, she first spoke to Aaron:
"I need a horse capable of long-distance travel... Elan recommended this place."
Aaron's eyes brightened as he said:
"Very well, Your Excellency the Mage. We happen to have a year-and-a-half-old Highland Black Horse; both its parents were of the same breed..."
While Aaron was giving his introduction, the discussion between Shane and the Mercenary was also coming to an end.
"I don't know of any shop that would spend a gold coin on a horse that can hardly function anymore. If you know one, you can tell me. I've been taking in many disabled horses brought from Antier lately."
"Fine, eighty silver coins it is..." The Mercenary gave up on haggling, sighed, and decided to close the deal.
At that moment, Furan stepped forward, interrupted their conversation, and said to the Mercenary:
"Could you let me see your sword?" She pointed to the short sword at his waist.
Both men were surprised; they seemingly hadn't expected a mage to be interested in such a thing.
After a moment of daze, the Mercenary quickly drew the sword and handed it to Furan.
"Your Excellency the Mage, this enchanted sword isn't actually very good. Every time it's used, there's a chance the runes on it won't activate," the Mercenary warned.
Furan gripped it and looked at the runes. These runes were larger than any Furan had ever seen. If the runes she used before were like messy scribbles,
then these runes were like pictograms. Half a bear was clearly engraved on it, surrounded by frost.
To Furan's eyes, the entire rune looked like it was only half-carved. How could it possibly still function like this?
While she examined the rune, no one present spoke.
"I'll offer twenty-five silver coins. I'm buying this short sword."
Normally, a good longsword would cost around two silver coins, and an enchanted one would be seven or eight silver coins at most—not to mention his weapon was the poorly enchanted kind.
"Certainly, I accept, Your Excellency the Mage." He couldn't refuse; she had already offered a price so much higher than the normal rate, indicating she was determined to have it.
No matter how reluctant he might be to part with it, he had to give it up; he didn't want to offend a mage.
"If you can tell me the origin of this rune, I can add another five silver coins."
Furan continued to look at the rune as she spoke.
This rune was simply too incomplete; it would be best if she could find its origin.
The Mercenary's eyes lit up, and he said:
"Of course... I bought this short sword in Gede Town. I heard the seller had it enchanted at an Enchanter's shop there."
Furan raised an eyebrow upon hearing the name Gede Town. She hadn't expected that location to happen to be right on her travel route.
After carefully inquiring about the specific location and the name of the Enchanter's shop, Furan paid thirty silver coins, and the Mercenary left jubilantly.
She placed the short sword into her bag and turned back to Shane, the shop owner, to continue their discussion about buying a horse.
"Your Excellency the Mage, take a look. Do you think this black horse is suitable? It's the strongest one we have. If you know a specialized Modification Mage, you could even add some extras to it... I guarantee it can handle plenty of enhancements."
Shane led out a jet-black horse from behind the door. Its coat was glossy, and the rhythmic sound of its hooves striking the ground as it walked was steady.
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