Gauss continued browsing several similar stalls and shops. Overall, all he could say was that the quality was wildly inconsistent.
Some stalls were slightly more "conscientious." One or two silver coins could buy a scroll for learning a cantrip, and there were even some selling for only a few dozen coppers.
The problem was that the stall owners were not very honest. When Gauss could not help asking whether they were genuine, the shopkeeper thumped his chest and swore, "No cheating young or old! If it's fake, I'll compensate you threefold!" Obviously, though, what genuine thing could be bought so cheaply?
There were also some genuinely honest vendors. After discovering that Gauss was a Spellcaster Apprentice and realizing that he would not be easy to fool, they straightforwardly admitted that their notes, books, and scrolls had been purchased from other people.
With truth and falsehood mixed together, it was impossible to distinguish the genuine from the fake. In fact, even the vendors themselves had no idea.
Apart from the scattered stalls, there were shops selling proper scrolls, but their prices were too high, so they were not under consideration for now.
Just as Gauss was preparing to turn around and buy some tools for adventuring,
his footsteps stopped as he passed a stall. His gaze suddenly lingered over the many scraps of paper on display.
At that moment, the Bone Staff at his waist was releasing a warm current.
He approached the stall, gripped the staff, and sensed it carefully. After confirming his target, he began asking the vendor about the price.
"How much are these scraps?"
"One silver coin per piece."
"Can you make it cheaper?"
"No."
Gauss could not be bothered to haggle. He tossed the owner a silver coin, then pretended to sort through the scraps before