Trade

Seeing the crystal fragments scattered all over the floor, Chers's mouth fell open into a huge O. After so much buildup, this was the result? It was far beyond anything he had imagined.

Hudson, standing beside him, was equally helpless. The moment he began mobilizing his spiritual power, the Magic Crystal Stone had been drained dry before he could even try to control it.

The only gain was that the Compass in his mind had become slightly more solid. The change was so subtle that anyone who did not look closely would surely miss it.

"Uncle Chers, could it be that the crystal stone was not stored properly? Maybe the magic power inside had already leaked away, and the last trace of it just happened to be completely absorbed by me?"

Hudson tried hard to argue his case.

His purse was not exactly full. A single Magic Crystal Stone cost several dozen gold coins, so if there was a chance to get one for free, he had to make the most of it.

After coming back to his senses, Knight Chels nodded as well. Although the explanation was somewhat forced, it was still the most reasonable one.

He had never heard of a magic talent test draining an entire crystal stone. Under normal circumstances, this Magic Crystal Stone was enough for a Beginner Mage to replenish magic power three times.

To drain a Magic Crystal Stone in an instant, one would have to be a legendary Saint Mage. Clearly, that was impossible. The Saint Mages of legend had not appeared for thousands of years.

What he could not understand was that the Magic Crystal Stone had been perfectly fine moments ago. It had shown no signs of running out of magic power, so how had it suddenly become empty?

Could the people from the Mage Association have tampered with it?

But why would those research lunatics pull such a prank for no reason at all?

Chers went over the origins of the Magic Crystal Stone in his mind and found no clues whatsoever. He could only sigh helplessly.

He could only accept his bad luck. There was no way to investigate further. Even if he confirmed that it was the prank of some big shot in the Mage Association, he would have no choice but to grit his teeth and swallow it.

Losing money only made the already impoverished Knight Chels worse off. He glanced at Hudson, whose face was full of confusion, and said helplessly:

"I only have one non-elemental Magic Crystal Stone here, so I cannot test you again. But judging from what just happened, you should have the talent for magic cultivation.

"As for your specific elemental affinity, you should find a chance to get tested at the Mage Association!

"I also have a basic meditation method and incantations here. If you want them, I can copy out a set for you, but there will be a fee.

"The Mage Association charges one hundred gold coins. For the sake of my friendship with your father, I can give you a twenty percent discount."

Hudson did not know whether it was just his imagination, but he felt that Knight Chels seemed somewhat guilty when discussing the price.

Hudson did not know whether there was a trap involved. But in order to obtain Magic Crystal Stones and Magic Cores through legitimate means, even if he knew it was a trap, he could only jump in.

"Then thank you, Uncle Chers. But while you are at it, it would be best if you could sell me a few Magic Cores and crystal stones as well. Different attributes would be even better."

Hudson said with feigned excitement.

For a young boy, having the chance to become a mage was absolutely something worth celebrating. To achieve his goal, Hudson decided to keep playing the innocent kid to the end.

Perhaps because he saw Hudson's determination, or perhaps because he wanted to raise money to make up for his losses, Chers slowly said, "All right!

"But Hudson, you need to think this through. Magic Crystal Stones and Magic Cores are not cheap, and I do not have any particularly good stock here."

With that, Chers opened a chest and took out his collection, saying to Hudson:

"I will not cheat you. Everything will be sold at market price. First-tier Magic Cores are fifty gold coins, second-tier Magic Cores are one hundred and fifty gold coins, low-grade Magic Crystal Stones are twenty gold coins, and mid-grade Magic Crystal Stones are fifty gold coins. Special attributes cost extra.

"As for anything higher-grade, I do not have it here, and you would not be able to use it for the time being anyway. Once you become a mage, it will not be too late to find a way to get them."

There was even a trace of envy in Chers's words. As a magic fanatic, lacking magical talent was his greatest pain.

But in the eyes of outsiders, this kind of "pain" was nothing but pretentiousness. He had been a perfectly good genius knight, yet he insisted on butting his head against magic. It was simply a sign that something was wrong with his brain.

In the eyes of many, if Chers had not leaped into the bottomless pit of magical research, he would already have become a Silver Knight, and might even have had a chance of reaching Golden Knight.

Without the slightest hesitation, Hudson selected twelve low-grade Magic Crystal Stones and one first-tier Magic Core.

As for the other items, he might have wanted them, but his purse was not deep enough. He could only choose the most cost-effective options.

The magic power contained in one mid-grade Magic Crystal Stone was roughly twice that of a low-grade one, about the same as a first-tier Magic Core. Yet it cost two and a half times as much. The main reason was that the magic power it contained was far purer.

For ordinary mages, the purer the magic power in crystal cores, the easier it was to extract. Whether creating Magic Arrays or working with Magic Crystal Cannons, the extraction of magic power had to be taken into account.

Hudson was different. His cheat ability was not picky about food. As long as it encountered magic power, it could absorb it. Whether the magic power was pure or not did not matter.

If there had been more than twelve low-grade Magic Crystal Stones here, he would have bought more. As for the Magic Core, he bought it purely out of curiosity.

Unlike last time, when he had absorbed it in a muddle, Hudson was prepared to study it properly this time.

To someone like him who had crossed over from a technological society, Magic Crystal Stones were easy enough to understand. They were simply a type of mineral containing energy, though their applications were more mysterious than coal, petroleum, and other energy sources.

Magic Cores, however, were different. These things grew inside magical beasts and possessed tremendous power naturally, with no additives whatsoever.

Whatever existed had a reason to exist. If something lay beyond the scope of his understanding, it only proved that his knowledge was insufficient.

"The meditation method and basic incantations cost eighty gold coins. Twelve low-grade Magic Crystal Stones cost two hundred and forty gold coins, plus one first-tier Magic Core for fifty gold coins, making a total of three hundred and seventy gold coins.

"Hudson, you should think carefully. This is not a small sum. Once the transaction is completed, I will not give any refunds."

Chers reminded him solemnly.

As someone who had been through it himself, he knew very well the allure of magic. He feared that Hudson might act on impulse and divert the military funds for this operation.

But as an outsider, it was not appropriate for him to say so directly. After all, nobles cared about their dignity. Saying it outright would be questioning Hudson's ability to pay, or even his character.

Faced with this scene, Hudson could only complain inwardly. He was still too young. If he had been a few years older, using this money would not have attracted attention.

"Do not worry, Uncle Chers. I know what I am doing. I would not joke around with the Coslo Family's thousand-year reputation."

As he spoke, Hudson took out a stack of gold notes, counted out the exact amount, and handed them over.