章 47: Buying a Store
"This is amazing," Michael amused. At that moment, he was flying on a pegasus behind Gaya. Due to Gaya's previous experience with flying the pegasus, she took the reins while Michael sat behind her.
However, that didn't dampen his extreme happiness. One of his hands was on Gaya's shoulder to maintain his balance, while the other constantly reached out to try and grab the fluffy clouds, even though he knew that clouds were made of water vapor and dust particles in the sky. Yet, Abras's soul pieces within Michael brought his inner child out.
"For god's sake, human, you can't catch the clouds! You're going to fall and die if you keep trying." She screamed and elbowed him in the gut.
"Hey, Gaya!" Because of the wind resistance, he had to shout.
"How much does this pegasus cost? I need one!" Pegasus were horses with wings, and the most common color of these noble creatures was pure white. They were intelligent beings who could understand their owner's commands and were protected by a special spell that prevented riders from stealing them.
Hence, the owner of the pegasus taxi didn't need to travel with them but simply sat in his office and let the pegasus complete its route and return.
However, if the riders had no experience flying on a pegasus, the pegasus owner would provide someone with experience, but that would cost extra. Since Gaya was experienced, Michael didn't pay the additional fee but let her fly the pegasus.
"You can't. If you want one, you have to get permission from the four kings of the Elon continent."
"Seriously?! Why?"
"I don't know; it has been a common law of Elon for as long as I can remember."
"Damn them! I'm planning to make a dragon my pet and fly on it." Ever since he found out that this world had dragons, he couldn't wait to get his hands on a dragon baby or a full-grown dragon.
"Make a dragon your pet? You're one crazy motherfucker, you know that!" Gaya shouted, having grown quite familiar with his grand ideas and plans.
He would have bought one from the system if the price hadn't been in the millions.
"We're going to land; hold on tight!" she giggled mischievously as the warning beep in his mind went off like crazy. She urged the pegasus and executed a barrel roll in mid-air. Michael's reflexes were outstanding, so the moment the warning sounded, he wrapped his hands around her waist and held on tightly.
"Bastard! Get your hands off of me!" she hadn't expected him to react so quickly or to wrap his hands around her waist. She had wanted to scare him, but the situation had turned against her.
"Do it again!" He had already enjoyed the ride tremendously, but the last part of him touching her waist was the icing on the cake.
Contrary to his demand, she stopped the barrel rolling and landed the pegasus on the ground.
"You perverted bastard!" The moment her feet touched the ground, she shouted at him as he waved her off.
"What did you expect? Me falling from the sky? Just be glad I held onto your waist." She quickly covered her chest as if she were naked when she saw where he was looking.
Neighhhh!
The pegasus beside them neighed and took off, leaving them behind on the outskirts of the marketplace.
Erected on the light side of Bredia, Bradford was a city led by Baron Totonk. This city wasn't built near a mountain by accident; it had ancestral grounds of great importance to the people of Bradford and its success.
The city itself looked imposing with its spruce wood rooftops, limestone walls, and the silent mountain range as a backdrop, giving Bradford a pleasing atmosphere.
Bradford had a booming economy, mainly supported by mining, baking, and wine brewing. But their biggest strength was the reason for Michael being there: Alchemy.
Despite its strengths and weaknesses, Bradford was most likely headed toward a prosperous future under the leadership of Baron Totonk. However, only time would tell.
Despite their rough landing, people didn't pay them any mind as they continued going about their business. Compared to Rivercity, the people around Michael seemed healthier and cleaner. Most ladies wore at least one piece of jewelry, and occasionally, he could see women with armed escorts, wearing lavish jewelry and fancy robes.
"They must be noble ladies." The noble ladies slightly resembled Roman noblewomen from the Spartacus television show he had watched on Earth. Michael took a few peaceful minutes to admire the attractive ladies on the streets, much to Gaya's frustration, as he had never looked at her the way he stared at these noblewomen now.
"Shall we move on now? Or do you need another hour to finish ogling them?" She pinched his ear, snapping him out of his admiration.
On the bustling streets of Bradford, they passed by numerous food stalls, bakeries, and various other stores. For a moment, he felt like he was back on the streets of Los Angeles on Earth.
"Wow, there are only two alchemy stores." After thoroughly inspecting all the stores on both sides of the street, Michael realized that Bradford only had two alchemy stores owned by two and one-star alchemists. Of course, the shopkeepers in those stores were not alchemists but just salespersons.
"Hey, look, this building is for sale." Michael and Gaya stopped in front of a newly built two-story building nestled between a bakery and a jeweler's shop. The building had large glass windows that allowed a view of its interior.
"Looks to be in good condition and a prime location. With the jeweler nearby, we could attract the attention of nobles quickly. Let's go meet the owner of the building."
"Hey, is that Ghost?"
"Yeah, it looks like him."
"Who's that girl with him?"
"Do you think we can get an autograph?"
As Michael paused to examine the building, some people in the crowd recognized him.
The onlookers who had identified him stopped and observed from a distance as he entered the building. Inside, they found a bald-headed man in golden robes meditating. He opened his eyes upon hearing their footsteps.
"How can I assist you?"
"I noticed the 'For Sale' sign outside, and I'm interested in purchasing this building. Please state your price." asked Michael.
The man rose from his seat and briefly stroked his shaved chin before speaking.
"Young man, my price is not low. Forgive me for being straightforward, but you and your friend don't strike me as particularly wealthy."
Michael wasn't concerned about the cost, as Gaya had mentioned that a building would cost at most twenty-five thousand gold coins, and he had thirty thousand gold coins, plus an additional ten thousand from Hart's space ring.
"Alright, I'll offer you twenty thousand gold coins, non-negotiable." Michael looked at Gaya, who nodded in approval, indicating that he wasn't overpaying.
The shopkeeper had used most of his savings to open this gem business and build the store. However, he was now being pressured by his wife to leave Bredia and join his son, who had become a father. Consequently, he decided to sell the building and aimed to recover most of his invested coins, hence setting a high price that deterred potential buyers.
Gaya, aware that a 5-star Alchemist could earn twenty thousand gold coins with just a couple of pills, had no qualms about buying the place.
"I'll take it." Michael nodded and instructed the system to display twenty thousand gold coins in front of him.
The shopkeeper was taken aback but swiftly stashed the coins into his space ring. He handed Michael a contract, and within a few moments, the deal was concluded.
"Now that we have a building, let's go shopping for the ingredients for pills."
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