Nicole did not hesitate in the slightest. She readily took out forty magic crystals and handed them to Ang, saying decisively, "All right, I'll order a set. This will be the deposit, and I'll pay the rest upon delivery."
Ang nodded in satisfaction, slipped the magic crystals into the pouch at his waist, and asked with a smile, "Do you need it urgently, or is there no rush? If there's no rush, I can deliver the device after I return to the Empire. If you need it right away, I can sell you my current set directly."
"This current set?" Nicole was tempted and had just been about to answer when her companion suddenly grabbed her arm. Frowning, she lowered her voice and said, "Nicole, how can you just buy his device like that? We don't even know whether it's really as miraculous as he claims! You trust him that much?"
With his arms folded, Ang spoke calmly yet confidently. "Miss, rest assured. My potion-making device is absolutely worth the price. Didn't you just see it? My potions had practically zero failures, and the enhancement effects were plain for all to see. Surely you can't still doubt it after seeing the results with your own eyes?"
Nicole's companion was still unwilling to let it go and was about to continue persuading her when a voice suddenly came from outside the crowd—
"Ang?!"
The familiar voice startled Ang. He reflexively turned toward it, and when his gaze fell on a familiar figure, he could not help crying out, "Herax?!"
The crowd slowly parted as a young man wearing a dark gray mage robe squeezed through. He had short pale golden hair, delicate features, and a faintly melancholy air about him. Every gesture carried a steady presence that inspired trust. He quickly