Breathing Technique

The Apprentice Market was a place within Loderis specifically used for trade between the various academies. Not only were there Apprentices here, but also merchants, mercenaries, and others drawn by the opportunity.

Fran came to a shop and said to the person behind the counter:

"I want fifty portions each of Ash Tree Root and Soul-Entangling Vine, plus three portions each of Blood-Eating Flower, Animal Meat, and Weathered Crystal."

The shopkeeper's hired clerk happened to be at the counter that day. Hearing that list, he could barely remember it all. After asking Fran to repeat herself, his expression turned sour.

For a moment, he suspected that Fran was deliberately making trouble. The latter materials were fine; they were standard ingredients for a Strength Potion, and he had no objections to those.

But the first few items were rather strange. Ash Tree Root and Soul-Entangling Vine were both supplementary ingredients for other potions, and only small quantities were usually needed.

They were cheap because they were incredibly easy to gather. For example, as long as one found an ash tree, digging up all the roots beneath it would provide enough material for dozens of portions.

She wanted fifty portions of each. According to the requirements set when he was hired, every customer's purchases had to be packaged. He would have to wrap fifty portions—more than he normally wrapped in total—and they were cheap besides. Was she here to torment him?

But when he looked at Fran's robe and saw that she was an Apprentice from Cuilan Academy, he could only suppress his confusion. In Loderis, one did not pick fights with Apprentices.

Loderis was called the City of Apprentices because it was responsible for educating all those found to possess spiritual talent among the nearly ten million people of an entire province.

Commoners and nobles alike studied magic in the city's academies. What if the Apprentice before him had power and influence? He could not afford to offend her.

"Should those fifty portions be packaged together by material type?" Normally, every portion of every material was packaged separately, but he still asked unwillingly.

"Package them." Hearing that, he finally relaxed and quickly fetched everything from the main storeroom, then calculated the price.

Fran walked out carrying a large basket. There really was quite a lot, and even with her Physique, she had some trouble carrying it.

But Fran was in no hurry to return. She wanted to see what was being sold nearby, and if something interested her, she would buy it.

A voice caught her attention.

"Breathing Technique for sale, twenty silver coins."

The shout drew the attention of many people. Everyone who heard it stopped to watch.

"Did you hear that? That's a Breathing Technique, something that can lead straight to the Formal Rank..."

"Don't get carried away. Something like that would never be sold from a stall, much less for only twenty silver coins. The price is way too low..."

"No need to look. I just saw this kid try to sell it to the owner of Emerald Heart Tavern. The owner refused to buy it because his Breathing Technique was incomplete and threw him out..."

After hearing that crucial information, the crowd, who had already found the price suspiciously low, quickly dispersed.

An incomplete Breathing Technique might not even be worth a Spell. Its ability to reach the Formal Rank was its greatest value.

"Why is he selling that Breathing Technique? Can it even sell at that price?"

"You don't get it. Every year, some impoverished descendants of territorial nobles come here to sell their family heirlooms because they want to learn more Spells or lack some precious materials..."

Fran was quite interested. A Breathing Technique was a method for improving one's physical qualities, and a relatively advanced one at that. It was generally used alongside a Body Tempering Method or methods that strengthened one's Physique by consuming magical creatures.

Such a Breathing Technique was the key to reaching the Formal Rank. Without one, no matter how good one's body was, one could not attain the Formal Rank. Conversely, as long as one had a Breathing Technique, good physical qualities were enough to advance to the Formal Rank.

An incomplete Breathing Technique might improve one's physical qualities less effectively than some lower-tier Body Tempering Methods. No wonder the people around her had left as soon as they heard it was incomplete.

Still, the price was a little too high. If it were lower, she would buy it. So she immediately stepped forward and began negotiating with him.

"Five silver coins. I'll buy it at that price."

The man was extremely dissatisfied with the offer. It was far too low.

"That's impossible. It's too low. I'll only accept fifteen silver coins."

It was his family's inherited secret art. At the very least, it had some use and was a little better than having nothing. He could not accept that price.

Of course, he also knew that no one had bought it despite so many people passing by because there was a problem with his price. Someone had finally come to ask, so he could not stubbornly insist on a high price forever. Otherwise, he would never sell it.

"Five silver coins."

Seeing that she would not budge at all, he was deeply disappointed. But after repeatedly hitting walls, he made one final struggle.

"I'll accept no less than twelve silver coins. I won't sell it for any lower."

As he spoke, he looked at Fran expectantly, but her words disappointed him again.

"Five silver coins."

"Then please leave. I can't accept that."

Fran lightly added a sentence that made his heart stir.

"Five silver coins, and we won't sign a Knowledge Trade Agreement."

Normally, after selling something like a Spell, one could naturally sell it to others again. But knowledge was extremely important in Loderis, and many people could not accept knowledge being casually resold.

Thus, the Knowledge Trade Agreement came into being. It stipulated that when selling knowledge-related items, the seller signed an agreement not to continue selling them for a period of time, while the buyer could not resell them for less than the purchase price.

If he did not sign this agreement, it meant he could sell it to the next buyer for five silver coins or more. Of course, the next buyer might insist on signing an agreement with him. People in Loderis widely accepted this arrangement, and people like Fran who did not sign were exceedingly rare.

It was not as though he had not considered that Fran might buy it and then resell it cheaply, but again, those who did not sign agreements were the minority in Loderis. At most, she would sell one copy.

He desperately needed money, and this deal tempted him greatly. After thinking for several seconds, he said:

"Deal. Let's do it."

Fran then inspected the goods. After confirming that the Breathing Technique was roughly seventy percent complete, she tossed down five silver coins and left.

At the same time, two large men were talking in an alley.

"Big Brother, why didn't we rob that fat sheep? She looked like she had at least twenty silver coins on her."

The man called Big Brother held his forehead with one hand as he spoke:

"Idiot. Leaving aside the strange magic those Apprentices have, you and I might not even be able to beat her together. And in the City of Apprentices, do you dare attack an Apprentice? Are you tired of living?"

"What's wrong with attacking an Apprentice? Didn't Emerald Heart take in a few people who used to be Apprentices? They only know a few harmless little tricks..."

"Fine, listen carefully. Not only can't we make a move, if we see others making a move, we have to stop them too."

"Why?"

"Loderis exists to train Apprentices, after all. The Apprentice Market exists so Apprentices can trade conveniently. Only after that is it a place for people like us to survive. If those above learn that the Apprentice Market is unsafe for Apprentices, especially if a promising Apprentice meets with disaster, they won't mind replacing all of us. Do you understand?"

"Got it, Big Brother..."