An Unexpected Joy

In a nameless town outside the city of Loderis, the City of Apprentices.

This place has no name because the Alliance does not recognize it as part of the Alliance territory; it doesn't even appear on the Alliance's map.

Therefore, this entire area consists of illegal buildings, and the Alliance has only tacitly allowed the town to exist for certain reasons.

This town was originally inhabited temporarily by people who wanted to make a living in the City of Apprentices, but later settled here because they did not have permission to enter the city.

Now, the entire town is a market, offering plenty of accommodation for passing merchants and Mercenary, as well as a market where customers can bypass the Alliance's hefty commission, attracting many people to make a special trip here.

When Fran walked down the street, her first feeling was nausea. It was alright in the City of Apprentices, where there were people who cleaned the streets every day, but there were none of that here.

Because this is Magic World, the sewage comes in various colors: white, black, pink...

The liquid was flowing all over the ground, but surprisingly, Fran didn't smell any foul odor; instead, she only smelled like an air freshener.

In addition, there were minerals on the ground, whether they were dropped by merchants in their haste or livestock droppings, and people on the street had to avoid them.

Only someone who's truly slovenly would take the plunge and grab a handful...

Fran quickened her pace, heading towards the location Elan had mentioned, no longer looking back at the place.

As Fran approached a noticeably cleaner area, she recognized the wooden building as the place Elan had told her about selling horses.

This is a very large building, and you can see a large stable at the back.

But as she approached, she heard several arguments, filled with anger and questioning.

"This is impossible! Damn it, this is the horse I brought back from Antir! But I saw it carrying a dead knight."

"Listen, I can only give you 80 silver coins, not because there's anything wrong with your breed..."

"Damn it, I heard you had the most reasonable purchase price, and I even made a special trip to this place. My supplier was even willing to offer one Gold Coin."

"Have you heard me say that this horse has a damaged Achilles tendon and can no longer carry people for long periods? Its only value is for breeding with other horses. And looking at its wounds, it won't heal without spending a fortune..."

The horse seller, Shane, had been running the horse trading shop for twelve years. He was arguing with a Mercenary who had returned from the Antir Region.

His eyes lit up when he saw Fran enter. Instead of arguing with the Mercenary, he immediately called over one of the shop's young men.

"Hey, Aaron, don't just sit there, a big client has arrived, you need to go and greet them."

Aaron was still carrying things nearby, quickly put down what he was moving, tidied himself up a bit, and then jogged over to Fran, saying:

"Your Excellency, what kind of horse do you require?"

Fran glanced at the Mercenary and suddenly noticed something strange about the Short Sword Mercenary his waist; the runes on it were of a type she had never seen before.

The rune almost covered the entire Short Sword and extended to the other side of Short Sword.

This piqued Fran's curiosity, but instead of going up directly, she spoke to Aaron first:

"I need a horse that can travel long distances... Elan recommended it."

Aaron's eyes lit up, and he said:

"Yes, Your Excellency, we happen to have a one-and-a-half-year-old Highland Black Horse here, both its parents are of this breed..."

Just as Aaron was making his introduction, Shane's discussion with the Mercenary came to an end.

"I don't know which company would spend a Gold Coin to buy a horse that's practically useless. If you know, please tell me. I've recently acquired a lot of disabled horses from Antir."

"Alright, eighty silver coins it is..." The Mercenary gave up on bargaining, sighed, and then decided to make the deal.

At this moment, Fran stepped forward, interrupting their conversation, and said to the Mercenary:

"Can I see your sword?" she asked, pointing to the Short Sword at the other man's waist.

Both of them were surprised, seemingly not expecting a mage to be interested in this item.

After a moment of stunned silence, the Mercenary quickly drew his sword and handed it to Fran.

"My lord mage, this enchanted sword isn't actually very useful. There's a chance it won't release the runes on it every time you use it," the Mercenary warned.

Fran grasped it and looked at the runes on it. This was a rune larger than Fran had ever seen before. If the runes she used before were just some scribbles, then this was a far cry from the runes Fran had ever seen.

That rune is hieroglyphics, and it clearly depicts half a bear surrounded by frost.

From Fran's perspective, the entire rune was just half-carved; how could it possibly work?

While she was examining the rune, none of the people present spoke.

"I'll offer twenty-five silver coins for this Short Sword."

A good longsword should normally cost around two silver coins, and even a well-enchanted one would cost at most seven or eight silver coins, not to mention that his weapon wasn't even that well-enchanted.

"Yes, I accept, Your Excellency Mage." He had no chance to refuse; the other party had already offered such a price, which was clearly much higher than the normal price, indicating that they were determined to get it.

No matter how reluctant he was, he had to give it up; he didn't want to offend a monk.

"If you can tell me how this rune came about, I can add five more silver coins."

Fran examined the rune again and then spoke.

This rune is quite incomplete; it would be best to try and find out its origin.

The Mercenary's eyes lit up, and he said:

"Of course... I bought this short Short Sword in Gede Town. I heard the seller had it enchanted at an Enchanter's shop there."

Fran raised an eyebrow upon hearing the name Gede Town; she hadn't expected that location to be right on her path.

After carefully inquiring about the exact location and the name of the Enchanter's shop, Fran paid the Mercenary thirty silver coins and sent him away happily.

She put the Short Sword into her bag and turned to continue her conversation with the shopkeeper, Shane, about buying the horse.

"My lord mage, what do you think of this Black Horse? It's the strongest one we have here. If you know Transmutation Mage, they can add some extra things to it... I guarantee it can withstand a lot of enhancements."

Shane led a jet-black horse from behind the door. Its coat was glossy, and the sound of its stirrups hitting the ground was rhythmic as it walked over.