章 62: 62 - Currency Exchange
(TL/n - Iyeta's Magic Academy => Iyeta Academy
as the previous name is lengthy)
***
"This is the currency exchange!"
On the west side of Iyeta Harbor, Philip led Lynn into a brightly lit and luxuriously decorated shop. The floor was made of pure white marble, smooth as a mirror. Two imposing griffin skulls hung on the walls, their sharp eagle eyes watching every customer who entered or exited.
In the center of the hall, a large bioluminescent mushroom lamp glowed brightly. These unique magic plants that emitted their own light were usually found only in the darkest caves, inhabited by filthy and dangerous creatures like rodents and ghouls. They usually cost between twelve to thirty magic gold coins.
"In addition to currency exchange, you can also store any extra coins here. Just present your voucher, and you can exchange it for the corresponding magic gold coins in any wizard city, but you'll have to pay an additional storage fee," Philip continued.
This was essentially a bank, except that here, you didn't earn any interest on your savings and had to pay extra fees. In that sense, it was quite similar to a moneylender.
As Lynn thought about this, he quickly noticed that the exchange house was particularly bustling today. Over a hundred people were scattered around the hall, seemingly arguing about something.
And to his surprise, he recognized some of these people—they were Lame Laut and his sailors.
"Take your trash somewhere else. We don't accept black ore or copper coins here!" A middle-aged man in a gray robe with a copper badge on his chest shouted impatiently at Lame Laut and his crew. When he saw Philip enter, his expression immediately changed, and he put on a friendly smile, pushing aside a few sailors blocking his way.
"Ah... Professor Philip, it's a rare sight. What brings you here today?" he greeted enthusiastically.
"It's been a while, Albert. It looks like you've found a good job after graduating," Philip replied, introducing the two.
Albert, a member of the ninth batch of graduates from the Iyeta Academy, was an official wizard specializing in elemental and shapeshifting magic.
"And this is the new professor of arcane mathematics at Iyeta Academy, Professor Lynn!" Philip pointed to Lynn.
"Good morning, Professor Lynn. I heard last night in the tavern that you led your crew to victory against the 'Eye of Death' whirlpool in the Misty Sea. It must be some highly advanced magic you used," Albert praised, showing no hint of condescension due to Lynn's young age.
Professors at Iyeta Academy were typically third-tier wizards with deep expertise in a specific field. Being young meant having higher magical potential, making it more likely for someone to become an esteemed grand wizard in the future.
"Good morning, Mr. Albert. I'm here to exchange some coins," Lynn replied politely. He took out twelve Sekas gold coins, twenty-seven silver coins, and eleven copper coins, which were all the possessions he had, salvaged from the two bishops he had killed in Harbor Town.
"You can't exchange copper coins, can you?" Lynn asked, recalling Albert's earlier words, and made to take away the handful of copper coins.
"Ah... of course, that's not the case. It's just that copper coins are a bit more troublesome to convert," Albert replied somewhat awkwardly, shaking his head. Without waiting for Lynn's response, he used his Mage Hand to collect the coins, handed them to an assistant, and asked the assistant to provide the corresponding magic gold coins.
Albert then went on to explain that these copper coins from the Sekas Empire came in various sizes and had varying copper content. They were obviously privately minted by some imperial nobles, making the conversion process quite complicated.
After about ten seconds, the apprentice assistant returned with a beautifully crafted money bag.
"Please take this, Professor Lynn," Albert said, handing the money bag to Lynn with a pleasant smile.
Lynn opened it and was slightly surprised by the amount inside. It was exactly twelve gold, twenty-seven silver, and eleven copper coins.
"Wasn't the exchange rate supposed to be two to one?" Lynn asked, holding the bag in his hand, puzzled.
"That's just the manual labor fee, Professor. Since you're a professor at the academy, it wouldn't be appropriate to charge you that," Albert replied, trying to be accommodating.
Lynn remained silent and instead picked up one of the magic gold coins to examine it. Compared to the currency from the Sekas Empire, the craftsmanship was much finer. The front bore the symbol "金," and the back had the unique emblem of the Wizard Council. Furthermore, Lynn could faintly sense a subtle magical fluctuation.
(TL/n - 金 => Gold)
This was clearly more than just a recast. Lynn looked at Albert, and unless there was a good reason, he wasn't willing to accept such goodwill for nothing.
"My son, Elok, is currently studying magic at Iyeta Academy. If it's possible, could you please look out for him?" Albert asked somewhat hesitantly.
"I see," Lynn nodded. He then accepted the money bag.
Since Albert worked at the exchange house, there might be opportunities to interact with him in the future. Accepting such kindness was sometimes a way to build relationships.
"If Elok chooses this course, I'll keep an eye on him. But let me tell you, my arcane mathematics course is quite challenging," Lynn kindly reminded him.
"That's not a problem. My son has never been afraid of difficult tasks," Albert said confidently.
"That's good!" Lynn nodded in relief.
Seeing that the conversation between them seemed pleasant, Lame Laut couldn't resist seizing the opportunity and inquired, "Mr. Albert, do you think we can exchange these copper coins?"
Albert waved his hand helplessly. Since Lynn was standing there, he couldn't refuse the request, even though all relevant processing fees must be paid.
Under the influence of magic, over five thousand copper coins were quickly counted, and their copper content was determined roughly. About two or three minutes later, Laut received two thousand magic copper coins that had been exchanged.
The expressions on the faces of the sailors and shipbuilders were heart-wrenching, as if they were laborers who had received reduced wages after a year of hard work, and they looked pitiful.
"Thank you, Professor Lynn. If we hadn't run into you here, many of our brothers from the Ship Gang would be starving and freezing." Laut said gratefully.
When they were in Harbor Town, Laut was a prominent figure, but in the land of the wizards, his status and position had plummeted. After losing a large amount of wealth during the Maelstrom incident, Laut knew that they needed a new backer urgently, or the Ship's Gang of more than three hundred people would risk starvation.
The sailors from the Ship Gang were even worse off; some had only a few dozen copper coins left, and the money exchange refused to convert them. This was why Laut insisted on staying here to negotiate with Albert.
"No need to thank me, Mr. Laut. They're just following the rules." Lynn shook his head, and after a pause, he asked, "Have you thought about what to do next?"
Because they had missed the Moonrise, it was probably impossible to return within a short time. Herlram probably wouldn't easily let those who had learned about the land of the wizards leave, so they might have to stay here for the rest of their lives.
"We'll probably look for some transport work next." Laut hesitated, then looked at Lynn and tentatively asked, "If you have anything for us, please don't hesitate to tell us."
"If there's an opportunity." Lynn neither agreed nor refused and simply replied. He then left the money exchange with Philip.
Laut, low-spirited, looked at the flame-shaped mark on the back of his right hand. His thoughts were in turmoil. Earlier on the Misty Sea, he had wanted to subtly remind Lynn to remove the magic mark that might threaten his life. However, after the Maelstrom incident, Laut's thoughts had made a 180-degree turn.
Without the sea route from Harbor Town to the land of the wizards, the entire Ship Gang had lost all its value to the Grand Wizard Herlram. After losing a large amount of treasure, Laut knew that they urgently needed a new patron, or more than three hundred people in the Ship's Gang might starve to death.
And Lynn was undoubtedly the best choice!
Although they had only been in contact for half a month, the abilities, talents, and methods displayed by Lynn had left Laut astonished. Lynn had easily discovered him hiding in the shadows and single-handedly wiped out half of Harbor Town. Laut had no doubt that Lynn had the potential to become a Grand Wizard or even a legendary wizard. Now was the time to place a big bet.
What Laut didn't expect was that after arriving in the land of the wizards, Lynn had joined the Iyeta Academy directly, becoming an active professor with honor, status, and wealth. It seemed that there was no place for the Ship Gang in Lynn's plans.
Laut felt helpless. It would seem pointless for their three-hundred-plus people to force their way in. They needed a more suitable opportunity to contact Lynn.
***
On the other hand, Lynn, after returning to his room and changing into a new uniform, was contemplating how to earn more magic gold coins. As a professor at the academy, a monthly salary of three gold coins might seem like a lot, but when used for studying magic, it wasn't sufficient, especially for the subjects of alchemy and magical potions.
One option was to recruit more apprentices. The more students in Arcane Mathematics, the more reasons Lynn had to request various funds from Herlram. Then, he could use these funds more strategically for his research.
Another option was to create and sell some novel magical items, but this would require hiring people to do the labor, as it would otherwise consume his time for magical research.
The halflings he had met might be a good choice. The flight experiment in the city square was still fresh in his memory. With such basic materials, she created a steam-powered flying machine. Lydia, a gifted engineer, seemed like an excellent fit for his requirements.
Recruiting her as his apprentice and assistant shouldn't be too difficult. Although Lydia had no magical talent, Herlram had given her a chance, which indicated her significance.
Flying without magic was a simple task for Lynn. He believed that Lydia could do it with ease.
While contemplating his options, Lynn picked up a quill and began to prepare for his first class in Arcane Mathematics, which was essential to maintaining his status as a professor. If he messed up the first class, it would be a problem.
He needed to tackle things one step at a time.
***
The next morning at exactly 8 AM, when Lynn, wearing a new uniform, returned to the school of Arcane Mathematics, the place had already been tidied up. The signboards had been replaced with "School of Arcane Mathematics," and it seemed that Philip had already reported his subject to the academy.
A group of about ten little fairies, each about forty centimetres tall, were using wet cloths to wipe the walls, and focused on their task. These little fairies were unlike the beautiful elves in typical fantasy works; they were rather ugly in appearance, with wings resembling those of bats on their backs. Their intelligence was approximately that of a five or six-year-old child, allowing them to follow simple commands guided by magic.
As Lynn approached, these small fairies all hid behind the wall, peering at him with their ruby-like eyes, making cooing and yawning sounds. Learning the human language was a difficult task for their limited intelligence.
However, Lynn didn't have time to focus on these magical creatures because as soon as he opened the door, dozens of eyes turned their gaze toward him. The spacious classroom was filled with more than twenty wizard apprentices.
Since it was a new class and no sorting had been done, students of all age groups were mixed in. Some of them even appeared older than Lynn, including Jenny.
Although the number of students attending was not large, Lynn was already satisfied. He had even prepared himself for an empty classroom.
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