Chapter 4. The Breathing thod
The Apprentice Market was a place in Lodris specifically used for trade between the various academies.
Not only apprentices ca here—rchants, rcenaries, and many others drawn by opportunity also gathered in this area.
Fulan arrived at a shop and spoke to the person behind the counter.
“I want fifty portions each of Gray Tree Root and Soul-Twining Vine, and three portions each of Blood-Feed Flower, animal at, and Weathered Crystal.”
The person behind the counter today was a clerk hired by the shop owner. When he heard the list, he struggled to rember all the items. After asking Fulan to repeat them once more, his expression turned unpleasant.
For a mont, he even suspected that Fulan had co here to cause trouble.
The materials listed at the end were acceptable—they were standard ingredients for a Strength Potion, so he had no objection there.
The earlier items, however, were rather strange. Gray Tree Root and Soul-Twining Vine were auxiliary ingredients used in other potions, and usually only small quantities were needed.
Their prices were low precisely because they were extrely easy to collect. For example, once soone found a Gray Tree, digging up the roots beneath it would produce enough material for dozens of portions.
She wanted fifty portions of each.
According to the instructions given when he was hired, every custor’s purchase had to be wrapped individually.
That ant he would have to wrap fifty portions—more than he usually wrapped for anyone else. And the price of those materials was extrely cheap.
Was she trying to torture him?
But when he looked at the robe Fulan was wearing, he saw that she was an apprentice from Cuilan Academy. He suppressed his confusion.
In Lodris, one rule was absolute—never offend the apprentices.
Lodris was called the City of Apprentices because it was responsible for educating every person within an entire province—nearly ten million people—who had been identified as possessing spiritual talent.
Commoners and nobles alike studied magic in the academies of this city. If the apprentice standing before him happened to have powerful backing, offending her would bring him nothing but trouble.
“So the fifty portions… should I wrap them together by type of material?”
Normally, the default was to wrap every portion separately, but he could not resist asking.
“Wrap them.”
Hearing that, he finally relaxed. He quickly fetched all the materials from the warehouse and calculated the price.
Fulan walked out carrying a large basket.
To be honest, there were quite a lot of items. Her physical strength was barely enough to carry them.
However, she did not hurry back imdiately. She wanted to see what other things were being sold nearby. If sothing interested her, she would buy it.
Then a voice caught her attention.
“Breathing thod for sale! Twenty silver coins!”
The shout imdiately attracted the attention of many passersby. Anyone who heard it stopped to take a look.
“Did you hear that? That is a Breathing thod. It can lead directly to the formal level…”
“Do not think too much. Sothing like that would never be sold at a street stall, and certainly not for twenty silver coins. The price is way too low…”
“There is no need to look. I saw him earlier trying to sell it to the owner of the Erald Heart Tavern. The owner refused to buy it because the Breathing thod is incomplete and drove him out.”
After hearing that crucial piece of information, the crowd that had already been suspicious quickly dispersed.
The value of an incomplete Breathing thod might not even match that of a spell. Its greatest value was its ability to allow soone to reach the formal rank.
“Why is he selling that Breathing thod? Can it really be sold at that price?”
“You do not understand. Every year there are fallen descendants of territorial nobles. They co here to sell their family inheritances because they want to learn more spells or need rare materials.”
Fulan, however, found it rather interesting.
A Breathing thod was a technique used to improve physical fitness. It was considered a relatively advanced one and was usually used together with Body-Tempering Techniques or other thods that strengthened the body by consuming magical creatures.
Such Breathing thods were the key to reaching the formal level.
Without a Breathing thod, no matter how strong soone’s body was, they could not reach the formal rank.
Conversely, as long as one possessed a Breathing thod, decent physical fitness alone could allow advancent to the formal level.
An incomplete Breathing thod, however, might improve physical strength less effectively than so lower-level body-tempering techniques.
It was no wonder that everyone left imdiately after hearing it was incomplete.
Of course, the price was still sowhat high. If it were lower, she would buy it.
So she stepped forward and spoke to the seller.
“Five silver coins. I will buy it for that price.”
The man was extrely dissatisfied with the offer.
“That is impossible. It is far too low. I will only accept fifteen silver coins.”
This was his family’s inherited secret technique. Even if it was incomplete, it still had so value. At the very least, it was better than having nothing.
He could not accept such a low price.
Of course, he also knew that no one passing by had bought it. The price was clearly a problem.
Now that soone had finally asked about it, he could not stubbornly cling to a high price forever. Otherwise, it would never sell.
“Five silver coins.”
Seeing that she did not budge at all, he felt deeply disappointed. Still, after repeated setbacks, he made one final attempt.
“I will accept no less than twelve silver coins. Any lower and I will not sell it.”
He looked at Fulan with a hopeful expression.
But her reply disappointed him once again.
“Five silver coins.”
“Then please leave. I cannot accept that.”
Fulan then casually added a sentence that imdiately made him hesitate.
“Five silver coins. We do not sign a Knowledge Transaction Agreent.”
Normally, when soone sold a spell or other knowledge, they could theoretically sell it again to other people.
However, knowledge was extrely important in Lodris, and many people could not tolerate their knowledge being casually resold.
Thus, the Knowledge Transaction Agreent ca into existence.
When selling knowledge, the seller would sign an agreent stating that they could not sell it again for a certain period of ti, while the buyer could not resell it at a price lower than what they paid.
If he did not sign this agreent, it ant he could sell the Breathing thod again to another buyer for five silver coins—or perhaps even more.
Of course, the next buyer might insist on signing the agreent. In Lodris, most people recognized and followed this contract. People like Fulan who refused to sign were extrely rare.
He had briefly considered that Fulan might buy it and then resell it cheaply.
But once again, refusing to sign the agreent was rare in Lodris. At most, she would only be able to sell it once.
He desperately needed money, and the deal was tempting.
After thinking for several seconds, he finally spoke.
“Deal. Let us settle it like this.”
Fulan inspected the goods. After confirming that the Breathing thod was about seventy percent complete, she tossed five silver coins onto the table and left.
At the sa ti, inside a nearby alley, two large n were talking.
“Boss, why are we not targeting that fat sheep? She must have at least twenty silver coins.”
The man he called boss rubbed his forehead and replied,
“Idiot. Setting aside those strange spells apprentices use—what if even the two of us together cannot beat her? And besides, this is the City of Apprentices. Do you want to die attacking an apprentice?”
“So what if we attack an apprentice? Did not the Erald Heart recruit a few forr apprentices? They only know so harmless little tricks…”
“Listen carefully. Not only must we not attack them—if we see others attacking them, we must stop it.”
“Why?”
“Lodris ultimately exists to train apprentices. The Apprentice Market was created to give apprentices a convenient place to trade. Only after that do people like us make a living here.”
He paused before continuing.
“If those above discover that the Apprentice Market is dangerous for apprentices—especially if a promising apprentice gets killed—they will not hesitate to replace everyone here with a new group. Do you understand?”
“…Yes, boss.”
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