บท 13: Shopping Spree!!

Duke Merrica was surprisingly quite proficient in handling this covering up stuff, by the time he got back to us, His wife and the dead body already being removed form the room. Although he has a hard time processing in this matter, I had to step in and explain to him once again (without including the Principality of light schemes). Luckily, he agrees to me, saying that finally his wife changes makes sense.

"Your Excellency….thank you for, one again helping me..". (Duke Merrica)

"Don't sweat it, i just like to keep things simple…just take care of your wife…..I guess its time for us to leave..".

As we leaving the room, Duke also come with to send us off. He engage in a light talk with Elijah whilst we are on the way to the entrance.

"Lady Elijah, I suggest that you should take this time to sightseeing Merrina…although it doesn't compare to Hallerus capital, it was the biggest town in northern Hallerus..". (Duke Merrica)

"Thank you Sir Duke, In fact we are planing to…His Excellency, Himself wanted to take a look around….". (Elijah)

"OH!…what an honour!…Then, I should have someone to escort you…..Lydia!…".

At the entrance, hearing that Elijah said that we are going to spend some time in Merrina town, Duke call for someone. Amongst the lined maids and Knight, a Dame (Female Knight) come in front of us and salute us.

"I'm in your service milord…". (Dame)

"Sire, Lady Elijah..this is Baroness Lydia Alfonte..one of my trusted retainer…Lydia, This is His Excellency Sai Mies, Lady Elijah and Dame Mina…They were my ally and Honoured guest, I want you to help them and guide them in their visit in Merrina..". (Duke Merrica)

"Yes milord….Your Excellency, Lady Elijah, Dame Mina…it was my honour to be your escort for today…".

Lydia was eloquent and well mannered, she was the right descriptions for a nobility to me, with the exception of Elijah of course.

Duke were personally escorted us to my van, which was quite overrated and baffled all the bystander. Baroness Lydia also ride the van, as always her reactions was the same as Duke and his Knight, unlike Duke and co. She was quick to recovered and even enjoy the ride by showering us with compliment. She was quite smooth, quite a diplomat I must admit that. The first place we decide to go was the Market place.

"This is Merrina Mass Market…the whole street were made to accommodate this market…people all over the nations, trader, villagers comes here to buy and sell wares…". (Baroness Lydia)

Getting off the Van, Lydia lead us through the Market place. The road was 200 meter long, a vendor stalls lined up on both sides of the road,some vendor just laid out a mat on the ground some even sell their produce on their carriage. it looks like, a farmer markets here, but with a medieval themes.

"Quite merry in here….interesting, what is this?…".

I stopped at a butcher stalls, for some reasons I was compelled to. Because unlike the meat I know, the meat was dark in colour.

"Hey Lad!…!! Baroness Lydia!..Greetings Milady…". (Butcher)

The enthusiastic butcher, simmer down as he noticed Baroness Lydia who were standing right besides me.

"This is Monster meat…..this stall is famous for their fresh and high quality monster meat...Owner, what meat this is?". (Baroness Lydia)

She was pointing at the meat slabs that I got my eyes on.

"This is Shadow Leopard ribs, a rank A monster….it just come in this morning….It's just 50 bronze coins for one kilo..". (Butcher)

"This is a good meat….it can increase body constitutions….Elijah told the Vendor I want all of the meat, I also want the other high ranks meat If he want to sell them..".

Although the meat was a bit pricey than the normal dairy meats, still looking at the benefits it's was appropriate. The owner, was shocked hearing that I wanted to bought all his expensive meat. But thanks to Baroness Lydia, the owner and his helper worked immediately, in the end, I paid 10 gold coins (its equivalent of 10 000 dollars) for all of the 250kg A grade monster meat.

"The Markets doesn't have a price standard…everything were priced by their own…..".

"Yes…it's normal…the rulers doesn't controlled the price…they only cared about their taxes..is something wrong your excellency?..". (Elijah)

"Nothing….Do they have Spices here? Or Salts?…".

Baroness Lydia lead us through the markets and visit the Spices and salts vendor. As I thought the prices of salts and spices were quite expensive, about 1 silver per kilo for spices and 50 bronze coins per kilo for Salts. At the same time, I was taking notes on all the products, their prices, products quality and variety, I was conducting market research as we were buying and walking through the market place. By the end of our tour, i ended up buying 1 ton worth of food products and spend 100 gold coins, luckily I was wearing the storage ring, if not, the van would probably broke down from the overweight.

Our next stop is Noble shop street, located inside the noble district. Yes, segregated based on caste do exist in this world, unlike the market street everyone in this street was either a freeman or nobles, even the store was own by nobles. the street was paved with stones, no puddles or garbage on the ground, everyone was riding private enclosed carriage, simply said it's classy. I told Baroness Lydia to brought us to the book store, which she immediately show us the way.

Amongst the lined up store on both side of the street, Baroness Lydia told us to stop in front of a small old store, in the outside there's a signboard displayed on top of the door written "Wizard Books&Spells Emporium". on the left side of the door, there's books on display behind a greenish windows. Obviously, this world still doesn't have the technology to create a clear glass. As we step inside the small store, I was flabbergasted, mostly because the inside was so much larger than the outside.

(The Whole store was enchant with Space Enlargement magic…Quite fascinating for a retired old magician...)

"Interesting…..so that's why the inside was this large..…".

The whole store was full of books, it looks like a library rather than a store, bookshelf was as high as a ceiling, everywhere your head turns is filled with books. There's even a sections for ever books, Tome, magic books, history, tales, there's even an adult sections. As Baroness Lydia was busy calling the Store owner, which she claims that the owner was once a famous royal magician. Elijah and Mina was sitting on the guest stool, while I was picking books to buy, All the books here were old, hard covered made from woods and hard leather, as for the papers, it was yellowish paper, some even use parchments and all of them were hand written.

I don't really have any preferences in picking the books, o I just pick anything that pique my interest, History books were mainly for information's, and magic books and Spell tomes for my Maidens to learn spells and magic. i piled up at least 20 books only 5 of them were history book, the rest was Magic books, right now I was reading a story book or Tales, why ? because the pictures inside was alive, kinda like a harry potter books which makes my eyes glued on them.

"Yeah! Yeah!!…..Stop Shouting will you!..Who is it?..". (Old man)

"Ol' Grim!…is this how you handle your shop?….". (Baroness Lydia)

An old man comes out of the door behind the counter, scratching his head in annoyed tone. He looks like what a wizard should be, long white beard and hair, wise looking face and long grey robe (kinda look like someone cosplaying as gandalf). At first he was annoyed as Baroness Lydia was lecturing at him, but secretly he was trying to cast a appraising magic at 3 of us.

(Sir, Look at that old man….he tried to cast low level Appraising spell at You, don't he know that, casting a low level magic at high human was practically useless…Kinda funny..look at his baffled looks, hahahahaha…^^)

The old man wiped his eyes several times as he look at me, probably this is the first time he can't appraised something before him. Without even looking at him, I speak to Elijah.

".…..Elijah, tell that old man to stop trying…it was useless…".

"Sir Wizard…Whatever you were doing…stop..". (Elijah)

Elijah then turned towards the duo at the counter, although she was wearing a veil, her cold gaze and words send shuddered to both of them. Nevertheless,the Old man was stunned, he slowly leave the counter and approached Elijah.

"What language were you spoken just now?!…is it High Human??…". (Old man)

The old man sentence freeze the room, Elijah and Mina was taken aback, Baroness Lydia even gaped her mouth, even I was shock by his words. Still to make it look like nothing ever happen, I casually flipped the pages to stay cool.

"Mina..don't".

Amidst the stunned atmosphere, Mina right hand already reach the pommel of her Wood Axe on her left waist. Elijah on the other hand, immediately turned hostile, both of them were ready to kill that old man on the spot. Seeing the situations gone sour, Baroness Lydia decided to step in to diffused the tension, despite baffled by why both of the laddies just turned deadly upon a casual questions.

"Grand Wizard Grimm,…that was inappropriate, this is Duke Merrica honourable guest….please mind your manner..". (Baroness Lydia)

"Ehem!!….Sorry about that…My name is Grimm poppy Edward a grand wizard and the owner of this humble book store,…. I don't mean to come out as rude or offensive, but I was in the middle of researching a tome related to High Human…as I heard you and the gentleman over there were talking, I recognize some of the words you spoke was similar to high human language…that's why….". (Grimm Poppy Edward)

Grimm Poppy Edward correcting his posture, and apologize toward us. The 2 Ladies finally calm down, but instead of replying his inquisitive Elijah look at me, from her look I can see she was asking me whether to reply or deny.

"Milady, I don't have any ill intent….it's just that, recently I was stuck in my research…..I've been searching for someone to help me with my research for a long time, I know this is so sudden, but can you spare some time to help this old wizard…I promised I will make it worth your time…Please!!".(Grimm Poppy Edward)

The old man was practically begging still,l Elijah was ignoring him and her eyes never moved from my back. He probably need someone to translate the tome for him, I don't see anything wrong with it. I nod my head once, allowing Elijah to accept the request.

"Bring the Tome out….". (Elijah)

Elijah said with annoying tone.

"Thank you!..thank you!! wait a minute....Here it is!!..".(Grimm Poppy Edward)

Grimm poppy Edward rushes back inside the room behind the counter, and come back with a thick book with hard leather cover. The book look extremely old, kinda look like a grimoire.

"Elijah, just translate 20 pages of that book…we don't have time…also as payments, all this book..are free, and also take 3 gold coin from him....".

I want to visit an alchemy store after this, that's why I don't really want to spend a lot of time in here. Since he said that he will pay for the translation, why not take advantage of it.

Elijah state the conditions which the old man immediately agreed, as for me I just decided to goes deep into the story books, while every now and then listening to their translations. The old wizard grim was obsessed and fascinated by Elijah smooth and clear translations, while repeating 'Oh God!' and 'Amazing' again and again. Apparently the book was about Fantasma and Outer Space, it explains that Fantasma was an egg shaped planets has 2 suns and 3 moons orbiting it, a typical astronomic science like on earth.

"On the year 19XXX We, The Associations Of Space..has created a Orbital Satellite and has successfully launched them into the Fantasma orbit, And So it marks the starts of informations Era in Fantasma…..That's it Wizard Grimm, as we agreed, 20 pages..". (Elijah)

"Fascinating….I always thought that Fantasma was flat, yet the High Human already done an extensive research…and even proved that it shaped like an Egg…by the way. What is a Satellite?…information Era, what is that??…".(Grimm poppy Edward)

The old wizard was quite satisfied with Elijah translation, and immediately put the payment on the table. I can see was still eager, to find out about the whole book, but since the agreement was only 20 pages, he conceded and instead rubbing his long beard contemplating in his thought.

As for me, I know the meaning of that last sentence. Because for all it's worth, I know now that the past civilizations (High Human) was probably have or even surpassed the technological advance as earth. Unknowingly, that fact makes my forehead sweaty, although right now I felt like wanting to snatch that book, but I don't see any point in doing it at this time at least for now. Though it makes me wonder, what do high human historic site looks like.

"Baroness Lydia although every time you come here only to lecture this old man….but this time, you not only save me but bring and outstanding scholar to help me, for that I thank you…..Lady Elijah is it?..". (Grimm Poppy Edward)

"Yes..". (Elijah)

"I thank you for your help….it took me 7 years just to translate 4 pages..yet you effortlessly translate 20 pages in one breath…I never thought to see a genius like you in my life, and for that I thank you…!!!…You're mana core was broken....". (Grimm Poppy Edward)

As he was shaking Elijah hand, the Old wizard face distort. He seemingly able to detect Elijah broken mana core and cast an identify spell on her.

".....Yes,…I was defeated in a battle far In the past…". (Elijah)

"I see….hmmmmm….I probably can do something about that broken core of yours…but...hehehehehehehehehe…So how abou it Young master?…I can see you were the one who making the decision here..". (Grimm Poppy Edward)

Hearing that laughter, I know what it means. He wants us to translate the book to him, and I return he will provide a treatment for Elijah broken core. There's no downside in this deal actually, getting some information about the last era AND getting Elijah fixed, I was a pretty good deal for me.

"Elijah, tell him, he got the deal…write down our base locations to him, and if he can fix you…I will even personally translate the whole books for him…".

Upon hearing the good news from Elijah, He was estatic, jumping around like a little boy. After sealing the date to meet, we left the book store and headed for the Alchemist shop next.