Zhang Yuan, lying flat on the bed, began recalling his first day after arriving in this alternate world.
Although he had failed to sell the coins, the banknotes he had thought were wastepaper had brought him an unexpected windfall. Five gold coins might not sound like much, but someone with a decent understanding of prices did not think so.
A hearty hamburger cost only two copper coins, and a large mug of ordinary beer cost the same. Comparing that with prices on Earth, one copper coin had the purchasing power of ten yuan, or the equivalent amount in euros.
So that means I have at least five thousand yuan in savings now? Zhang Yuan finally felt a little safer. There was no helping it—money gave a man courage.
He suddenly remembered what the butler had said while handing him the gold coins, as well as Wiles's confusion over why the Silver Scale Mail cost five gold coins a piece.
Interesting. So one gold piece in the game is equivalent to one copper coin in this world? I always thought gold in Faerûn was practically worthless.
Remembering the "huge transactions" in the game that routinely ran into the thousands of gold pieces, he could not help laughing.
But as he laughed, his brows furrowed. He thought of the system that had remained unresponsive ever since he arrived in Faerûn, and wondered when it would finally activate.
"DLTCEP? System?" Zhang Yuan called out a few times, but received not the slightest response and could only give up. Fortunately, the benefits brought by the system were real enough. Not to mention the miraculous language comprehension, the seven spell models in his mind were an undeniable fact.
Magic, which had previously existed only in his fantasies, was now within reach. Heaven knew how much willpower it had taken Zhang Yuan to suppress his curiosity.
But then again, if he wanted to cast a spell, he still had to memorize it into a spell slot and then sleep. Once I wake up, I'll be a proper mage. With that expectation in mind, Zhang Yuan happily fell asleep.
With the sun already high and daylight flooding the room, Zhang Yuan was awakened by his phone's ringtone. Groggily, he turned off the alarm, and when he struggled to open his eyes, he felt sore all over.
"Fuck, why is this bed so hard? Where's my mattress?" Supporting himself with his hands, Zhang Yuan felt the hard bed board digging into him. Only then did he remember that he was no longer in his shabby but cozy little home.
Everything that had once been familiar had left him. Even that former world had been reduced to nothing more than the concept of a homeland.
Zhang Yuan sat blankly on the edge of the bed for a long while before being jolted awake by a loud sneeze.
"Ah~ ah~ choo!" Wiles, who had also woken up, rubbed his nose and asked nasally, "Why did I just hear what sounded like someone playing a zither? Was it the minstrel downstairs? This early?"
"Probably. Are you going out to sell paintings again today?" Knowing that the painter had probably been woken by his alarm, Zhang Yuan did not want to discuss where the ringing had come from and casually changed the subject.
Wiles retorted, "What do you mean, sell paintings? I'm going out to gather inspiration. It's artistic creation!"
"Heh." Zhang Yuan could not be bothered to argue and turned to leave the room.
Wiles shuddered, feeling a wave of malice wash over him, and hurriedly asked, "Where are you going?"
"To wash my face and brush my teeth. Oh, right, do you know where I can buy toiletries?" Still unaccustomed to life in another world, Zhang Yuan could only seek help from the "native" beside him.
After leaving a general store, Zhang Yuan counted his dwindling funds miserably. He had bought a pile of daily necessities, along with a backpack.
Yesterday's food, drinks, and lodging had cost him twenty copper coins. Adding the twenty-five copper coins he had just spent on supplies, he now had only four gold, five silver, and five copper coins left.
Although he had not actually spent that much, the pressure of expenses with no income coming in was still considerable.
Zhang Yuan turned his thoughts back to the coins on his person. Wiles was, at least, part of the art world. Perhaps he knew quite a few collectors?
"Are there any well-known collectors around here? Could you introduce me to someone generous?" Zhang Yuan asked.
"You're planning to sell that remaining painting?" Wiles said regretfully. "Actually, many nobles have a habit of collecting art. They're also the main patrons of people like us. Unfortunately, those fellows have terrible taste and make especially many demands."
After complaining for a while, Wiles paused before continuing, "Aside from the Grand Duke Silver Shield and that Duke of the Belt, the person in this city most passionate about collecting is Ferenno of the Kist family. As it happens, he held an exhibition recently to show off his precious treasures."
The name Ferenno sounded familiar to Zhang Yuan, and he hurriedly asked, "Does Sir Kist live near the central market in the city?"
"Oh, you've heard of him too? His residence is just west of the market. But unless someone introduces us or invites us, there's no way we can meet him."
What a hassle... Having more or less determined which Sir Kist this was, Zhang Yuan remembered how he had always barged through the man's door in the game. He could not help considering whether recruiting a rogue companion would be feasible.
Unfortunately, this trip was for business negotiations, not a robbery. After thinking it over, he could only drop the idea.
With no noble title and not the slightest bit of fame, Zhang Yuan naturally did not expect Ferenno Kist, this NPC, to send him an invitation.
Left with no other option, he could only hope that Wiles had some connections and could help him get onto this line.
Unexpectedly, Wiles really did give Zhang Yuan a pleasant surprise. Of course, it was not some tacky story about the impoverished painter suddenly meeting a kindred spirit and turning out to be an antiques tycoon or something.
"Sir Kist has always been happy to display his collection. There'll probably be a small gathering at the end of this month. I think you can meet him there."
"An exhibition? Is it open to everyone? Can I get in too?" Zhang Yuan asked in surprise.
"Of course not just anyone can enter. Those bumpkins wouldn't understand what they were looking at, and they might even damage the sir's collection. But as an artist, I've had the honor of attending an exhibition hosted by the sir." Wiles lifted his chin, his face displaying a smug sense of pride.
"That really is impressive. I suppose only a true artist could earn that sir's recognition." Since Wiles was still somewhat useful, Zhang Yuan did not mind praising him.
His ego thoroughly stroked, Wiles immediately declared, "Don't worry. Wait another six days and you'll be able to meet Sir Kist. When the time comes, don't forget to give me credit."
"If it works out, I'll treat you to as much jade wine as you can drink!"
"It's a deal!"
After returning to the inn alone and washing up, Zhang Yuan stayed in his room. At last, he had time to consider his professional abilities and power system.
After repeated deliberation before falling asleep the previous night, he had ultimately chosen Mage Armor and Lesser Malison.
The former could provide protection equivalent to chain mail. For a Bladesinger or mage who could not wear armor, it was an enormous boon, especially since it lasted for as long as eight hours.
The latter's offensive power was weak, but it could restore an equal amount of health to the caster, making it a poor man's vampiric touch.
The two completed spells existed clearly within his mental sea, yet Zhang Yuan had no idea how they had been constructed. He could not even begin to understand the existence of the mental sea itself.
All of it had been bestowed by the system. Having never come into contact with genuine spell knowledge or theory, he could only stare blankly at the structures of the two spells in his mind like an elementary school student looking at advanced mathematics.
The spell models, woven together from intertwined arcane runes, emitted a faint glow. The runes lit up like stars in the night sky, resonating, linking, and fitting together.
Drunk on the beauty of the arcane, Zhang Yuan could no longer suppress his eager curiosity. Thus, in a humble room at an inn, chanting began to ring out, and one spellcasting gesture after another flowed from the hands of a traveler from a distant land.
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