Inside, Lynn was more than a little excited.
But on the surface, he just curled his lip and spoke in a mocking tone:
“A wizard’s legacy, extraordinary knowledge… for only eight gold dragons?”
“Forgive my bluntness, but how long have you been trying to sell this sword?”
The stall owner’s face imdiately darkened, clearly struck right where it hurt. He picked up the broken sword and insisted:
“Look at this break, smooth as a mirror, not a single jagged edge… other than a powerful wizard, who could do this to a long sword made of hardened steel?”
“Fair point,” Lynn nodded, then rcilessly pointed out the flaw in his reasoning:
“But that only proves it’s related to a wizard, not that it’s worth eight gold dragons.”
“But… think about it, if it was struck by a powerful wizard, its original owner must have been formidable too, which ans this sword”
“You’re joking,” Lynn interrupted with a faint smile and a shake of his head.
“When I’m bored, I sotis hack at roadside weeds, and occasionally I’ll even give a stray dog a kick… does that an the weeds and the dogs are as strong as I am?”
“...This.” The stall owner was struck speechless, realizing the young man in front of him was not soone he could easily fool.
Still, he didn’t want to let this sale slip away. With a helpless wave, he beckoned Lynn closer:
“Alright, na your price.”
Lynn shook his head again:
“I think I’ll pass. I can’t afford a wizard’s relic. I just wanted sothing to use for self-defense. I only noticed this sword because the material looked decent. If I lted it down, I might be able to forge a decent blade out of it.”
“If you don’t na a price, how do you know I won’t agree?” the stall owner muttered, lowering his voice in irritation.
“Alright, I’ll tell you the truth. I did get this from a hunter, and those inscriptions are most likely so kind of otherworldly script. It’s just…”
“Just what?” Lynn raised an eyebrow.
“It’s just… I asked a trading house about it, and the highest they’d offer to buy it was thirty silver wolves, bunch of profiteers! I also thought about having it appraised, but that’d cost at least one magic stone, with no guarantee of the result… I’m not willing to gamble.”
He handed the broken sword toward Lynn.
“But you could try your luck. If the knowledge on it turns out to be valuable, you’d be striking it rich.”
Lynn chuckled.
“You know, I’m far more inclined to believe you made that whole story up than to believe the knowledge on it is priceless.”
Then, in a calm tone, he added:
“Sixty silver wolves. For a broken sword like this, the material is worth at most fifty. The extra ten are for your story.”
From eight gold dragons down to 0.6.
Lynn had expected the man to haggle for a while, but to his surprise, the stall owner agreed without hesitation:
“Deal!”
“...”
Although Lynn knew he had scored a huge bargain, looking at the stall owner’s smug expression still made him feel as if he’d sohow lost out.
Still underestimated these crafty rchants…
Without pressing the matter further, Lynn paid the silver wolves, but couldn’t resist asking,
“How much did you pay for this broken sword?”
The stall owner’s expression turned slightly guarded.
“No refunds once goods are sold.”
Lynn smirked.
“Relax, the deal’s done. I’m just curious.”
Seeing Lynn’s face showed no sign of deceit, the stall owner finally raised a hand and proudly gestured a “10” with his fingers.
“Ten silver wolves?”
“No,” the stall owner said with a sly smile, shaking his head.
“When I first got this sword, it still had lingering magical residue. The break would slowly corrode anything it touched. The hunter who found it in the forest didn’t understand that he had brought it ho, only to discover his backpack getting damaged. Terrified, he ca to .
“I told him it was a curse and needed proper disposal… and that I could help, for just ten silver wolves.”
“…”
“So not only did you not spend anything, you made ten silver wolves?”
“Exactly.”
Lynn’s eyelid twitched, leaving him montarily speechless before he finally asked,
“May I know your na?”
“Of course. My na is Bajin Tor.”
“I’m a free rchant for now, but one day I’m destined to beco a wizard! And my Bajin Trading Company will span across worlds… rember that na, will you?”
Bajin was a short, wiry man wearing clothes far too big for him. His face was hidden beneath a strip of cloth under a gray hat, and only a pair of cunning blue eyes was visible.
“Lynn Kent. …And I sincerely wish you success,” Lynn said after a brief pause.
“Naturally, kid,” Bajin suddenly gave a cold snort.
“Don’t think I know what you’re thinking. Delusional, overreaching… that’s what you people always think. But I don’t care, I”
“I wasn’t thinking that at all, Master Bajin,” Lynn interrupted with a smile.
“A person might not need dreams to live, but having them is never a bad thing and certainly nothing to be mocked.”
He ant it. Lynn truly believed Bajin’s dream was unlikely, but at most, he found it surprising, never laughable.
Bajin studied him for a mont, then abruptly said in a blunt tone:
“I saw you buying crystals earlier. If they’re for making crystal spell plates, there’s an old man’s stall on the south side of Black Alley. His crystals are cheap, and they’re already cut into crystal slices, which saves you a lot of work.
“Alright, the sword’s sold, you’ve heard the story, now quit blocking my stall and get moving.”
“Much appreciated for the tip, Master Bajin.”
Lynn hadn’t expected such an unexpected gain. He thanked the rchant with a smile, and even though Bajin waved him off impatiently, the smile stayed on his face.
Lynn was in high spirits.
Or rather, ever since selling his crystal spell plates, his mood had been bright, and this bargain find had lifted it even higher.
With the Insight on my side, my future’s… bright.
After parting with Bajin, Lynn found a quiet corner in the market and translated the sword’s inscriptions into the common wizard’s script, copying them down by hand.
In doing so, he gained a preliminary understanding of this sword art.
Unlike the precision and order of the Guern world’s witchcraft, the White Crow Swordsmanship carried a raw, primal crudeness.
It truly was extraordinary knowledge from another world.
Another world…
Lynn’s fingers traced the broken blade, his thoughts drifting.
In his previous life, humanity had already set foot among the stars, yet they had never discovered other life, let alone other worlds.
But now, in his hand, was a plain-looking, broken sword that genuinely ca from a real, foreign world.
For no reason, the image of that First-Rank Apprentice appearing through the rain on the day Lynn had crossed over flashed in his mind
.Suspended in the air, every raindrop barred from touching him…
Taking a deep breath, Lynn packed away the copied White Crow Swordsmanship, his heart suddenly surging with excitent.
The vast Astral Sea… infinite worlds…
And this tangible, extraordinary power…
For the first ti, Lynn thought that perhaps crossing over hadn’t been such a bad thing after all.
Once his emotions settled, Lynn strode toward a magic shop in the Black Alley Market.
He was going to sell this sword art.
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