Recorder Business

"Oh, this recorder can play beautiful music, but how can it become a business besides pleasing girls?" Yale asked in confusion. He was still young, and his business sense had yet to develop.

"Boss, you idiot. You said it can make girls like you, so there's definitely a market for it. The Yulan Continent lacks everything except noble young men trying to win girls' hearts!" Renault said with a laugh.

"Renault, you're the idiot. I thought of that long ago. I just wanted to hear Arnold's thoughts," Yale said stubbornly.

"Boss Yale, your family owns the Dawson Commerce, one of the major powers on the Yulan Continent. There's absolutely no problem doing business with these recorders. After all, they're incredibly easy to make. You can make one from any piece of bamboo. So, Boss Yale, your commerce can focus on the high-end market," Arnold said.

"Arnold, this recorder business contains enormous profits. Since you value our friendship, I'll definitely get you a big share from my father," Yale said seriously.

"Boss Yale, there's no need for that. Just give me a little compensation."

"How could that do? You're my good brother. I certainly can't treat you poorly."

"Boss, you know I don't have many relatives. What I seek now is only to reach a profound realm in magic. As for money, as long as I have enough, that's fine. I'm already a Fourth-Level Mage. I believe becoming a Seventh-level Mage in the future won't be difficult either. Money isn't hard to come by!" Arnold said solemnly as well.

Seeing Arnold's expression, Yale knew he truly meant it, and he was deeply moved.

"I won't say much else. I'll give you satisfactory compensation," Yale said gravely.

"Since you insist, I won't stand on ceremony," Arnold said helplessly.

"Boss Yale, shouldn't we head to Clear Water Hall? Arnold has given us such a gift, so shouldn't you treat us?" Renault said, draping an arm over Yale's shoulder.

"No rush, no rush. Boss Yale, first give the order, and have four more recorders made. One for each of the three of us, and one for Linley when he returns," George said.

"Exactly, exactly. Tonight, I'll treat you all to a grand meal at the Wadeley Hotel. Arnold, you must come!" Yale said.

"Alright. Once your recorders are made, I'll teach you how to play them. I'll be leaving first." Carrying his recorder, Arnold left.

Back in the dormitory, Yale, George, and Renault looked at one another.

"What do you think Arnold is making recorders for?" Renault could not help asking.

"Arnold isn't particularly interested in money, but he cares deeply about cultivation. Yet he's still one level below Fourth Brother, so he must be feeling rather depressed. Since a recorder can play beautiful music, it can probably play sorrowful music too. Arnold probably wants to play some sad music to ease his mood," George analyzed.

"That's probably what Second Brother thinks," Renault said deliberately.

"I told you not to call me Second Brother. Just call me by my name," George said with a stern face.

"Once I get back and make the arrangements, I'll have five recorders made from the finest materials. Then each of us will have one," Yale declared grandly.

Afterward, Yale directly contacted his father and told him about the recorders. Yale's father, Monroe Dawson, truly deserved to be called the chairman of the Dawson Commerce. As soon as Yale finished, Monroe Dawson sensed the enormous business opportunity hidden within the recorder, and he also became interested in Yale's friend Arnold. In the end, Yale insisted that Arnold could not be treated unfairly, and Monroe was not stingy either. The very next day, Yale helped Arnold obtain a Magic Crystal Card at the Four Nations Bank and directly transferred one million gold coins into it. Upon receiving the Magic Crystal Card, Arnold felt that the Dawson Commerce truly had deep pockets.

A shrewd man like Monroe naturally made the recorder generate enormous profits. Its production process was not difficult. At first, Monroe rushed out a batch of ordinary recorders, simply made from bamboo. Then came the refined version, made from jade bamboo and far superior in quality to the ordinary version. Not only that, the basic playing methods were compiled into booklets. Once the preparations were complete, it was naturally time to sell them.

A shrewd man like Monroe even made the sales methods distinctive. In a short time, bards throughout the cities of the Yulan Continent could be seen playing recorders as they told stories. Saint Domain experts battling dragons, the daughter of a great family falling in love with the son of her family's enemy—such enthralling tales, paired with the beautiful music of the recorder, made recorders explode in popularity. Ordinary recorders sold cheaply, for only one silver coin, while refined recorders started at one gold coin. There were even more expensive recorders, ones only nobles could afford.

Although the Yulan Continent was a continent where strength was revered, there were far too few forms of entertainment. That was precisely why recorders could become so popular. However, the recorder business had little to do with Arnold by then. Monroe's arrangements were all matters for several months later.

At this moment, Arnold took his recorder to the place he often visited. The recorder had been made, but how to use it to play music in harmony with nature and increase spiritual essence was not something that could be mastered overnight.

Arnold had made the recorder in order to harmonize with nature through playing it, thereby increasing his spiritual essence.

At this moment, the back mountain of Ernst Academy was silent. Arnold stood beside a stream, listening to its gentle babbling as he began to play.

Arnold played "Memories of Childhood," a famous piano piece composed by the Earthling Richard Clayderman. Though it was originally a piano piece, it sounded quite good when Arnold played it on the recorder.

As Arnold played, he thought about his childhood. Before he had obtained the memories of that young man from Earth, his days had actually been quite good. Every day, he either helped his father or played with the other children in the village. Those days had been so carefree. But things were different now. The children from the village were perhaps still practicing the Qi Accumulation Form every day and exercising their bodies. Sadly, he was no longer on the same path as them.

After playing "Memories of Childhood" once, Arnold felt that it had increased his spiritual essence by only the tiniest trace. Yet even that trace was far more effective than meditation.

Arnold gradually felt that harmonizing with nature did not seem particularly difficult. Playing the recorder would not immediately allow one to harmonize with nature and sense its ethereal changes, but being in a certain environment while playing music could greatly increase the chances of doing so. As for enlightenment, that was not even worth considering. Enlightenment meant remaining in a state of harmony with nature at all times, a state every mage dreamed of attaining.

Do not think Arnold's spiritual essence had immediately increased just because he played music. There was a reason for it. First, the environment he was in had the sound of a babbling stream, making it exceptionally light and natural. Second, Arnold had deliberately chosen music that suited the environment. Only the combination of those two factors could increase his spiritual essence by that tiny amount. What if other powerful mages also happened to play beautiful music in a natural environment and discovered this secret? Arnold was not worried about that at all. The version released to the public would say that Yale had accidentally seen this recorder in an ancient book and had it made out of curiosity. Even if, by some remote chance, a mage truly discovered the secret, they would keep it to themselves. Arnold did not fear the secret being exposed.

There was another possibility. If Arnold played the recorder one day, could a powerful mage hear the music and increase their spiritual essence? Arnold was not worried about that either. The key to increasing spiritual essence was Arnold's complete immersion in the music, together with the boost from the environment. Others who heard the music would only think it sounded pleasant. As long as Arnold did not do something foolish, like playing Earth's hall-of-fame music in a crowded place and making everyone who heard it feel their souls tremble, there would be no problem.

Thus, from that day onward, Arnold devoted himself wholeheartedly to music, and his spiritual essence improved more quickly. Two months later, his spiritual essence broke through to the fifth level. Once his spiritual essence broke through, refining magical power became much faster as well. Arnold therefore advanced to the fifth year of Ernst Academy. Although he was a step behind Dixie and Linley, Arnold was only fourteen years old. Thus, Arnold, Linley, and Dixie were publicly recognized by everyone in the academy as the "Three Peerless Geniuses of Ernst Academy." Linley had also just returned from his training journey.