Old Sen Magic Scroll Shop

One person, one book, one gas lamp, one night, one miracle.

Ethan felt as if he'd returned to the days of his previous life, when he'd studied by lamplight. By the time he'd read the entire book, his eyes were already starting to ache. It was highly technical, and almost entirely made up of general explanations, with precious few examples. Worse, it covered a field he knew nothing about. The moment his attention wandered, he couldn't keep up and had to flip back a few pages to read them again.

Without comparison, there was no way to appreciate the difference.

He couldn't help admiring Mr. Anonymous, who had written Fireball Ice Arrow Magic Mechanics. Somehow, he'd managed to explain the profound art of elemental shaping in a way that even a complete layman who'd never encountered magic could understand.

Fortunately, Ethan had come from a cram-based education system and had once been one of the best in the field. Looking at the Empire's prevailing attitudes toward learning, he believed nobody understood how to grind through books better than he did.

Anyone else would probably have given up long ago. But Ethan wouldn't go to sleep until he'd made it through the whole book.

That was the calm of someone who dared leave all their winter-break homework until the last three days.

At last, hard work paid off. When he closed the book, a new skill appeared in his proficiency panel.

"Elemental Cartography (Beginner): Proficiency: 1/45"

Ethan spread the Energy-Storing Parchment neatly across the desk. Then he propped his left cheek on his hand and covered his tired, aching eyes. He'd finally learned the craft of Elemental Cartography, but he still had to say that the craftsmen hired by Imperial Capital June Flower Publishing House couldn't write in plain language. They had almost no ability to summarize and could turn a simple question into something so complicated that non-specialists couldn't understand it.

No wonder people in this era generally believed you couldn't learn a craft without becoming an apprentice in person.

The teaching was truly terrible.

In the Sixth Era, 171, Ethan, a scholar from Brookwood Town, made the above criticisms of the current state of education in the Imperial Capital.

In reality, Elemental Cartography was nowhere near as profound as the book made it sound. At its heart, it tested how well a cartographer could control their own magic. Put more simply, you drew an Ice Arrow on Energy-Storing Parchment with magic, and the Magic Scroll was done.

There was nothing difficult about that.

Ethan could do more than draw an Ice Arrow on Energy-Storing Parchment. He could also change its shape and make it imitate other forms.

He could hardly imagine how these so-called master craftsmen had managed to connect such a simple principle with things as unrelated as meditation, the mind, and perception.

If Mr. Anonymous had written this book, Ethan would have mastered the craft hours ago.

He could tell that Mr. Anonymous was an educator with progressive ideas. If possible, he hoped he'd get to meet him.

Fortunately, it wasn't too late yet. If all went well, he could make twenty Ice Arrow Magic Scrolls before dawn, then head to Fireplace Bay and sell them all, completing the first order for Old Sen Magic Scroll Shop.

Building on Ice Arrow, he'd make full use of his Level 2 proficiency and create some works unique to Old Sen Magic Scroll Shop. How about combining three Ice Arrow Scrolls into one powerful Ice Arrow? Oh, and the hailstorm that had buried Miss Becky and the seven old butlers could also be added to the production plan.

He'd also picked out a strategic partner. There was a Magic Scroll Shop on the first merchant ship near the port at Fireplace Bay. Each scroll cost 50 Silver Antelope to make, and he'd price his at 1 Gold Lion and 50 Silver Antelope. They were beginner spells, after all, so he couldn't charge too much. The idea was to make a steady profit over time.

That way, he could avoid the cost of setting up a stall aboard the merchant ship.

The first batch of Magic Scrolls would bring in 30 Gold Lions. After subtracting the 4 Gold Lions and 50 Silver Antelope he still owed Ivy...

One sale, and he'd have earned back the cost of the book!

Ethan felt greatly encouraged. No wonder businesses connected to the occult were among the fastest ways to make money. He could see the door to wealth opening before him.

The owner of Archmage Magic Scroll Shop, who had seven years of experience selling Magic Scrolls, had this to say:

"Why don't you just rob someone?"

When Ethan arrived, brimming with excitement and carrying twenty Ice Arrow Scrolls, and explained what he was there for, the old man was so startled that the cigarette in his mouth dropped to the floor. "You're selling an Ice Arrow Scroll for 1 Gold Lion and 50 Silver Antelope? Are you crazy?"

The unexpected turn of events left Ethan a little dazed. He glanced instinctively at the rows of Magic Scrolls on the shop's shelves. "But this is an Ice Arrow Scroll."

The old man couldn't be bothered to explain. "The basic elemental-shaping scrolls are on the third shelf. Go look for yourself."

Ethan hurried over in three quick strides.

A conspicuous sign beside the shelf read: "Beginner Elemental Shaping Spells, drawn by masters, crafted with care, 60 Silver Antelope each."

A bolt of thunder seemed to flash through Ethan's mind. The sudden blow left his hands and feet cold. As a rookie opening his first shop, he realized he'd paid a heavy price for his inexperience. He'd only heard that Magic Scrolls were profitable and thrown himself into the business without a second thought, completely neglecting market research!

It was a mistake on his part.

But...

Why not just give them away?

He wanted to shoot back at the Magic Scroll Shop owner. One piece of Energy-Storing Parchment alone cost 50 Silver Antelope.

He couldn't help taking another careful look at the sign.

They really were giving them away.

Buy ten, get one free.

By the time he returned to the counter, the owner had hung up a "Closed to Challenges" sign. A line had also appeared on the notice board beside the counter: "We do not buy back beginner elemental-shaping spells."

"But my Ice Arrow Scrolls are specially designed. Using three at once will bring a pleasant surprise, and they work even better in the rain or anywhere with water."

"I don't care what you've got or how it works. Every scroll on those shelves was drawn by teachers at the Academy. They're textbook-quality Magic Scrolls, and they still won't sell!"

The owner waved a hand impatiently. "The age of Elemental Shapers is long gone. Why wouldn't I just buy a gun instead? What do I need your one-use Magic Scrolls for? If you really want to make money from Magic Scrolls, go learn a skill nobody else has."

His last option had been shut down too. It looked like he wouldn't even get the 10 Silver Antelope minimum.

But Ethan didn't understand.

Guns and gunpowder were certainly good, but elemental-shaping spells couldn't be as useless as the owner made them sound, could they?

He'd seen the power of an Ice Arrow. It was every bit as formidable as a modern anti-materiel rifle, far beyond anything the firearms of this era could match. The only problem was that Magic Scrolls were single-use, so you had to buy a new one after using it.

But didn't guns consume bullets, too?

Ethan stumbled out of the Magic Scroll Shop in a daze. In his original plan, he'd now have 30 Gold Lions in his pocket, not a single Ice Arrow Magic Scroll sold.

Was Old Sen Magic Scroll Shop going to sink before it even got off the ground?

He thought of how he'd spent all his savings in one fell swoop yesterday. He still owed 4.5 Gold Lions. Thinking about it carefully, that had been a kind of all-in bet, too.

A sea breeze blew toward him, carrying the salty tang of the ocean.

It was so cold.

"Elemental Shaper, please wait."

Someone suddenly called out to Ethan. A person came hurrying out of the Magic Scroll Shop. The voice sounded familiar, and although he wore a masquerade mask, the glow of his Gold Lion-colored outfit made him instantly recognizable.

It was the Pure Love Noble Son.

The noble son rested a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "I heard you say that using three Ice Arrows together would bring a pleasant surprise. Could you explain that in more detail?"