Hearing Shade say this, the tall, burly barmaid gave a "Hmph~."
"People who drink juice like White Flower Fruit Wine shouldn't touch alcohol. So that pointy-eared friend of yours finally sent you to pick up the goods? I thought she didn't want this anymore."
Having said that, she told Shade to wait, left the counter, and went up the stairs to the 2nd Floor. Before long, she returned carrying a cloth bundle. Wrapped in pale yellow silk was a stone slab.
Since he needed to inspect the goods, she specifically had Shade put on gloves and examine the slab. It was not a special item and contained no elements. The value of this "antique" lay in the ancient fairy tale, "Crystal Light," carved on both sides of the slab:
Long, long ago, beneath Tree's Blessing, the ancient elves lived happily together in the forest. One day, a young elf maiden from the tribe was patrolling the woods alone when she encountered a traveling merchant being chased by wild wolves.
The elf maiden saved the merchant, who gave her a beautiful crystal earring in gratitude. After returning home, the elf maiden was astonished to discover that the crystal allowed her to see farther and run faster. The next day, she went to find the merchant again to thank him. The merchant, who had yet to leave the forest, asked whether she wanted more magical goods, but said she would have to pay a price.
Thus, the innocent elf maiden first gained a crystal necklace that made her wiser in exchange for "hunting a wild boar," then gained a crystal bracelet that made her more beautiful in exchange for "felling a small stretch of woodland."
More and more crystals entered the elf maiden's hands through these transactions, and she paid ever greater