The Value of Stones

"This is."

Gron raised an eyebrow, pondered for a moment, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

Seeing his reaction, Gauss knew he had asked the right person.

In truth, when he pulled out this unknown stone, he had figured that Gron, with his broad experience, might have encountered it even if it wasn't metal.

"This is a Life Magic Stone. I'm not sure of the exact quality—I'm just a blacksmith, not a gem expert. As for the price, it could probably sell for 2 gold coins or more?"

"2 gold coins!!"

Before Gauss could speak, Marlin beside him wore an expression of "Did I hear that right?"

2 gold coins meant 200 silver coins, or 20,000 copper coins.

For an ordinary person, that was an absolute fortune. The money pouch on him right now held only 5 silver and 12 copper.

This meant Gauss's old dream—buying a house of his own in Grayrock Town—could be realized instantly, with plenty left over.

If converted to wages, an ordinary low-level laborer, if he could find work, would earn about 10 copper coins for a full day's labor.

Even if he were a bachelor, after deducting food and lodging costs, saving 5 copper coins was already extremely difficult, not to mention other expenses like clothing and medical care.

And assuming he could keep getting work without a break, working a full month, he could only save about 150 copper coins.

2 gold coins would require working under these ideal conditions without rest for a full 11 years.

Of course, this was purely theoretical.

In reality, a low-level laborer could never save up a single gold coin in a lifetime.

To weigh it in terms of adventurer gear value:

A set of leather armor was worth about 15 silver coins—he could buy 13 sets.

A set of Light Scale Armor was worth 60 silver coins—he could buy 3 sets.

As for full-body Plate Armor like heavy armor, well, he couldn't afford that yet. A full set of Plate Armor cost a full 15 gold coins, equivalent to about 15 houses in town.

Don't think that price is exaggerated. In fact, full-body Plate Armor was a true heirloom, a hard currency in this world.

Real estate could depreciate in war, but fine armor would not—it would only appreciate.

It was precisely because he knew the value of 2 gold coins that Marlin couldn't help but exclaim in front of Gron, then looked at Gauss with eyes full of envy.

Gauss was also deeply shaken inside, but he still forced a calm expression.

He had already guessed this stone was a treasure, but he hadn't expected it to be worth so much.

Seeing the envy and jealousy nearly spilling from Marlin's eyes, he had to admit he felt a little smug.

In his memories, although Marlin had treated him decently—unlike the other apprentices, he liked to chat idly with him—he could still sense that Marlin's attitude carried a condescending pity.

It wasn't obvious, but in occasional words and gestures, a superior air would slip through, like a city dweller asking about a countryman's life, just to highlight his own comfort.

Still, Marlin wasn't a bad person.

Now, it seemed their positions had reversed.

Gauss pressed his lips together.

It seemed this other world also had that saying: you fear your brother's suffering, but you also fear your brother driving a luxury car.

"If you want to sell it for money, you can go to Widow's Alley. There's a stone house with a sign reading Thorn Hut. The shopkeeper there buys Magic Items like this. Of course, if you know any other knowledgeable customers, you can trade directly with them too."

Gron shrugged.

2 gold coins was a fortune to an ordinary person, but in his eyes, it was nothing.

His earlier surprise wasn't about the Life Magic Stone itself, but rather that Gauss—a greenhorn, ordinary low-level adventurer—could pull out such a "good thing."

In fact, Gauss had already surprised him when he brought out that pile of secondhand weapon loot.

"Alright, thank you, Shopkeeper." Gauss was deeply grateful.

He had no connections right now, and Shopkeeper Gron was the most knowledgeable person he knew.

"Shopkeeper, could I be so bold as to ask a few more questions?" Gauss hesitated for a moment, then asked a bit sheepishly.

Repeated questioning made him feel like he wasn't here to sell things anymore, but rather to extract information.

"Go ahead." Gron didn't mind.

"Do you know anything about professionals? I want to know how to become a mage professional?"

Hearing Gauss's question, Gron's gaze toward him gained a hint of scrutiny.

Asking that question already said a lot.

Even a normal person wouldn't specify the mage profession unless they had confirmed they had mage talent.

How to confirm that? Naturally, by awakening mana and mastering spells.

Thinking this, he felt a bit of understanding.

No wonder Gauss could bring so much loot. If he had already started down the path of becoming a professional, having these gains—though still somewhat exaggerated—was at least understandable.

"Follow me." Gron glanced at Marlin, who was perking up his ears, itching to eavesdrop out of curiosity, and said a word to Gauss before turning and walking toward the inner courtyard.

"How biased, Shopkeeper."

Gauss shot a look at Marlin, who was muttering complaints under his breath with a face full of resentment, and secretly smiled.

In the inner courtyard, in front of several furnaces, apprentices were forging and smelting with bustling fervor.

The crisp clang of hammers striking anvils, if listened to for too long, would make one's ears sting.

Gron pushed open a small room.

Although Gauss had worked at the Blacksmith Shop for a short time, this was his first time entering Gron's rest chamber.

Stepping into the room, Gauss instinctively looked around.

Soon, his gaze was drawn to a set of full Plate Armor beside the bed.

It was a heavy suit of armor, complex in structure yet brimming with a sense of power and beauty, composed of dozens of parts intricately connected by hinges, straps, and rivets.

The silver-white surface of the armor, the pointed helmet extending into engraved cheek guards, the raised chest plate like an inverted hull, with a central ridge protruding like a shark's dorsal fin or a frozen wave, reflecting a cold metallic luster.

Layered pauldrons like Dragon Scale, hand guards, steel gauntlets, and cold, hard war boots.

Too beautiful.

Though this suit of armor lacked gilding, silver inlays, or elaborate patterns, it exuded a simple yet practical violent aesthetic.

If an ordinary full set of Plate Armor was worth at least fifteen houses, then this armor hidden in the shopkeeper's room might be worth fifty!

That was Gauss's instinctive valuation, and the longer he observed, the more certain he became that this armor was priceless.

Compared to the "cheap goods" outside, even the material of this armor seemed different.

Shopkeeper, you're definitely an expert, aren't you?

Gauss's gaze toward Gron carried an indescribable, ambiguous meaning.

"Cough, don't look at me like that. I'm just an ordinary blacksmith now." Gron felt a bit uncomfortable under his intense stare.

"However, as everyone knows, as a qualified blacksmith, it's only natural to know some knowledge about professionals."

Gauss nodded repeatedly.

Shopkeeper, since you've said that, what else can I say?