"What? Is there a problem?"
Merlin frowned, a little worried by the shopkeeper's expression.
"No problem, exactly. It's just that some of these materials are extremely precious..."
The shopkeeper stopped there and stole a glance at Merlin. He found it rather strange, too. These were all unusual, peculiar materials. Had his shop not been so large and its stock so varied, he might not have been able to gather them all. Even then, he had very little of many of them.
"The price... just tell me. How much for one complete set?"
Merlin was delighted. As long as there were enough materials, everything would be fine. Even if they were somewhat expensive, he had a thousand gold coins and should be able to afford them.
The shopkeeper made a rough estimate, then gritted his teeth. "This is a major purchase. Some of the materials really are exceptionally precious, and with the Sacred Dragon Empire in such a poor state, transporting them to Sacred Dragon City is difficult as well... How about this? One portion of every material, for a hundred and thirty gold coins."
"A hundred and thirty gold coins?"
Although Merlin had known the price might be high, he had not expected it to be this high. His expression immediately darkened. A hundred and thirty gold coins was certainly no small sum.
The shopkeeper's face fell, and he said cautiously, "Sir, we've already given you a discounted price. Some of the materials you want really are too precious. If you'd like something else, we could recommend alternatives at a lower price."
Merlin scrutinized the shopkeeper. It seemed they were not trying to fleece him; these raw materials really were expensive.
"All right. A hundred and thirty gold coins. Give me one portion of everything!"
Merlin tossed over a small