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Half a month meant half a month.

After the last day of Budding Month came Greenleaf Month, and the city began to brim with lush greenery.

Gao De delivered five batches of Novice Spider Venom to Phil's Herb Shop, then purchased enough Green Spider Sacs from the shop to last another half month.

Once that was done, he made a detour to Pierre's Odds and Ends for a look, only to discover that its doors, which had remained tightly shut for half a month, were open today.

The familiar little old man was lounging sideways in a recliner, basking in the warm late-morning sunlight, looking utterly at ease.

Delight appeared on Gao De's face as he walked over.

"You brat, don't tell me you've been watching my shop door every day. I only got back yesterday, and I've only been open for half an hour today. Not a single customer has come in yet, but you already have."

Pierre noticed Gao De's arrival as well. He twisted his body, seeming somewhat reluctant as he stood up and greeted him.

"Just happened to be passing by." Gao De's mind was currently filled with Spell Scrolls and the anxious anticipation of possibly becoming rich at any moment.

"Enough, I know what you're thinking," said Pierre. He was a shrewd old hand and would not leave someone hanging at a time like this. "Wait a moment."

He moved aside the recliner and entered the storeroom at the back of the shop. A moment later, he came back out.

The instant Gao De saw Pierre emerge from the storeroom, his eyes lit up.

In the little old man's hand was a scroll!

"I told you that you were lucky. Knock has a very low usage rate. Last year, the scrollmakers of the Emerald Alliance only made three Knock Spell Scrolls in total."

"Of those three, one was put up for public sale, one was taken internally by the organization's mages, and this last one happened to remain. I got my hands on it."

Pierre handed the scroll to Gao De as he took credit for his accomplishment. "Check the goods."

Gao De accepted the Spell Scroll like a priceless treasure and examined it carefully.

The Spell Scroll felt exceptionally tough and tightly woven to the touch. Delicate fibrous patterns ran across its surface, giving it a natural, classical beauty. It was likely made from finely processed animal hide.

The parchment had likely undergone special treatment as well, ensuring that it could preserve its magical power for a long time.

Along the edges of the scroll were runes and magical symbols drawn in dark ink.

These patterns were not merely decorative. They contained the key to unlocking the spell's power.

The scroll itself was tightly rolled up, with both ends tied by a cord in a slipknot. A gentle tug was all it took to open it.

"You can untie it. It won't activate the spell inside, so don't worry," Pierre added, seeing Gao De's eagerness and hesitation.

At those words, Gao De immediately untied the slipknot with relief and opened the scroll.

What met his eyes was an incantation written in strange script.

The words seemed to possess lives of their own, occasionally flickering with faint light and revealing the magic contained within.

Gao De did not recognize the writing because it was magical script.

Unless he mastered Read Magic or was proficient in that particular magical language, he would not be able to understand it.

But that did not affect his ability to use the Spell Scroll.

To use a Spell Scroll, one only needed to open it, focus one's mind on the incantation written upon it, and silently form a specific intent in one's heart. Then, the spell power sealed within the scroll could be released.

Of course, before using it, the user first had to identify the spell and its circle.

Furthermore, the user's Mental Strength had to reach the corresponding level. Otherwise, they would be unable to control the spell activated from the Spell Scroll.

The Mental Strength requirement for a Spell Scroll was one circle lower than that of the spell itself, with Mage Apprentice as the minimum.

In other words, a Mage Apprentice could use a 1st Circle Spell Scroll, while a 1st Circle Mage could use a 2nd Circle Spell Scroll, and so on.

After studying it for a while, Gao De tied the scroll up again and smiled.

"You've really done me a huge favor."

"Just business," Pierre said with a shrug. "The scroll cost 7 gold. I won't charge you for the meal I paid for to pull some strings."

He held out his right hand before Gao De, palm up.

Gao De hurriedly rummaged through his pocket, counted out seven Sien Gold Coins, and placed them in Pierre's hand.

Money in one hand, goods in the other.

After working hard selling potions for all this time, Gao De had saved up 21 gold. Just when he had started to feel a little flush, he was knocked right back to square one.

Only 14 gold left in my account again.

And in a few days, I'll need to buy another batch of Mountain Mugwort and Serpent Tooth Herb seedlings to plant in the herb garden.

Otherwise, at the current rate of consumption, by the end of the year, the herb garden's output of these two herbs won't be able to keep up.

If it really comes to that, I'll have to buy all three main ingredients from herb shops. The cost of making potions will rise from the current 20 to 25 silver back to 30 silver, and each batch of potions will earn 10 silver less. That profit margin would be far too thin.

I have to buy those herb seedlings, and I absolutely can't delay it.

But buying seedlings is one expense, and I'll also need to purchase fertilizer to raise them. That's another expense.

After doing the calculations, Gao De once again let out a lament that held true in any world.

Making a living is no easy task!

All I can do is pray that Mage Seda's inheritance doesn't disappoint me.

Though Gao De was fairly confident it would be an enormous haul, what if?

What if Mage Seda had been some old schemer who had set up a reverse trap?

It was not entirely impossible that the heavily protected box contained nothing at all, while the truly valuable things had been placed right out in the open, in the most obvious spot.

If that happened, apart from cursing the old bastard a few times, there seemed to be nothing else he could do.

He could hardly dig up the man's corpse and whip it to vent his anger.

"The recent changes outside the city may not be as simple as they seem."

Seeing Gao De put away the Spell Scroll and prepare to leave, Pierre hesitated for a moment before ultimately stopping him with a kind warning. "You should stockpile a little more food when you can, so that if something bad really happens, you won't be caught completely unprepared."

"Hm?" Gao De's heart jolted. He hurriedly asked with humble sincerity, "What kind of bad thing?"

Based on what he knew of Pierre, he did not believe the little old man would make baseless claims or spread alarmist nonsense.

Since he had chosen to warn him, he must have discovered something.

"It still isn't certain, but the increasing number of Leyline Creatures definitely has a cause. At first, I also thought that perhaps some high-grade magical plant had matured, drawing the Leyline Creatures together."

"But this has lasted too long." As he spoke, Pierre's expression grew more solemn. "After so much time, that magical plant should have matured long ago. I still can't determine what exactly is happening. We need to observe the situation a little longer."

"It's just that my instincts tell me that something bad has most likely happened. I just don't know whether it will affect us."

Pierre sighed, then revealed a little more. "This time, I went to Bremen City to arrange a way out. If things go south, I will probably have to flee to Bremen City."

"I hope it doesn't come to that. After all, people can run, but my shop can't."

At his age, if he truly abandoned his shop and left, he likely would not be able to find a new livelihood in Bremen City. He could only live off his savings.

That was a choice he would make only in the worst-case scenario.

"So, if you can, make some preparations too." Pierre had said all he could.

"I understand. Thank you for the warning." Gao De nodded seriously, his mood growing heavier without him realizing it.