Chapter 15
Buying Broken Magic Tools, Weapons, and Monster Materials (1)
I moved to the civilian district together with Rone.
The place we were visiting today was a grocery store run by Madam Elsia.
“Is it really true that a grocery store is the center of this huge duchy?”
“Just a store? You won’t be saying that once you see it.”
What’s with that distrustful look?
Try trusting your brother a little. How much more do I need to prove myself in front of you?
I’ve already opened a trade route and pulled off all kinds of crazy things—what more do you want?
“Even so, it’s still just a shop.”
Can you really call it just a shop?
Seeing is believing.
Without another word, I led Rone to the grocery store.
The moment she saw it, she froze with her mouth wide open.
“…That’s insane.”
The grocery store run by Madam Elsia was a massive five-story tower.
“What is this?! You said it was a grocery store!”
“It is a grocery store. A warehouse-style grocery store. It’s a giant tower enchanted with preservation magic where all kinds of food ingredients are stored and sold. The owner, Madam Elsia, is a 6th-circle archmage.”
In other words, this grocery store was practically a magic tower built by the mage Elsia.
“Why would a 6th-circle archmage live here as a civilian?”
That, I didn’t know.
I could only guess that her husband’s death had left her deeply scarred.
“This territory is seriously weird!”
Trust me—I knew that better than anyone.
“Let’s go inside.”
Inside, the grocery store was like a bustling marketplace.
There were so many people shopping that it made me wonder if the duchy really had this many residents.
“Cheap, cheap! Fresh cabbage for just 1 silver!”
“Wild greens and herbs for sale! Prices negotiable by weight!”
“Goat milk cheese!”
“Premium wine! Deadarm, a bestseller in the Helfion Duchy for 10 years!”
From hawkers shouting to customers chatting near stalls, it was clear why this place was the hub of rumors.
“It really feels like a market.”
“Yeah… you’d never guess this is a magic tower.”
“Hard to even call it a normal grocery store.”
As we walked and shared impressions, we soon reached a mage wearing a blue pointed hat.
“Welcome! Where would you like to go?”
“Could we meet Madam Elsia?”
“You mean the owner? Do you have an appointment?”
“No, but I’m the newly appointed administrator of the Helfion Duchy. I came to introduce myself.”
Honestly, introducing myself like that felt embarrassing.
The mage looked startled and examined me closely.
“The legendary Sage who drove away a sandworm with sheer presence?!”
…What?!
His shout was so loud that everyone nearby turned to look.
It felt like I’d suddenly become an elf dropped into a human village.
People began whispering:
“Sage… sandworm… poop… tavern… destruction…”
“Brother… did you do something dirty at a tavern again?”
“Shut up! That’s not it!”
I had to fix this image somehow.
I tried to call the mage, but he panicked, pulled out a crystal orb, and ran away.
Wait—what did I even do?!
The whispers only grew louder.
Just as I was dying of embarrassment in the middle of the market—
The mage returned quietly and whispered:
“The owner will see you. Please go straight to the 5th floor.”
Then he ran off again.
“…Let’s go.”
“…Walk a little away from me.”
We quickly escaped onto a floating magic platform, which slowly carried us upward.
At that moment, I finally understood how items displayed at an auction must feel.
By the time we reached the 5th floor, we were mentally exhausted.
The atmosphere there was completely different—quiet and cozy, like a home.
A fireplace crackled softly, and a handmade rug covered the floor.
“Welcome. I am Elsia, the owner of this store.”
The tower master, Elsia, was an elderly woman with white hair.
Wrinkles and age spots covered her face, yet she radiated an untouchable aura.
She sat in a rocking chair with a blanket, a book resting on her lap.
“You were reading?”
“When you grow old, quiet hobbies are all that remain. But since I’ve always loved books, I don’t feel lonely.”
“…Friedman. A fine work on magical theory.”
A gentle smile appeared on her face.
“They call you a Sage… can you read magic books too?”
“I can’t use mana, so I can’t cast spells. But I understand the theory. I’ve read a lot. I like Friedman’s formulas—they’re progressive and defiant.”
“Heh… to an old woman like me, those ideas are quite bold. But not unpleasant. It’s like cheering from afar.”
Perhaps because we shared similar interests, her attitude softened.
“Good. It’s been a while since I’ve met a young person I can talk to. So, what brings you here?”
“I’d like you to spread some rumors.”
She simply looked at me, waiting for more.
“I’ve opened a trade route between the Helfion Duchy and the County of Afnai. Starting next week, trade caravans will operate there. Naturally, prices in the duchy will change—especially for things like monster materials.”
But her reaction was strange.
Even though I’d just revealed a major development, she seemed unfazed.
“…As expected.”
“You already knew?”
“Incredible…”
This was top-secret information.
“How…?”
She smiled.
“My daughter has been talking about it from the start. I had a feeling.”
“…Your daughter?”
“Didn’t she introduce herself? Her name is Jamie.”
…What?!
That foul-mouthed mage is her daughter?!
They don’t match at all!
Elsia calmly continued:
“I heard there was trouble with the Grizzly Mercenaries. Things will get interesting. Do as you wish. I and my people won’t interfere.”
She reopened her book.
“I’ll return to reading. Do you have anything else to say?”
“…No. We’ll take our leave.”
A polite dismissal.
The next day, we returned.
Her support was incredible.
She gave us the central sector of the first floor of the tower.
“Can we really use all this?”
“Has the old woman finally gone mad?”
Jamie stood there as our assigned guide, chewing on a twig with a crooked expression.
“Use it all you want. But if you sell dirty stuff again, I’ll kick you out—or kill you.”
“Dirty stuff?”
“Shut up. I still remember the smell.”
“Be honest—you spread those rumors, didn’t you?”
“Huh? There are rumors? Not me.”
“Thanks to you, my reputation is ruined!”
“Unknown master—sounds cool. Swordsmen love that stuff.”
“…So it was you.”
“Why suspect only me? That knight Cain looked like he’d blab too.”
…This is pointless.
I shook my head.
“So what exactly are you planning?”
What I planned?
To normalize distorted prices.
“Rone.”
“I’m ready.”
She set up a large signboard:
[Gordem Trading Company – We buy monster materials, herbs, weapons, potions, and more! EVERYTHING! At FAIR MARKET PRICE!]
“…Everything?”
Jamie stared, shocked.
Yes—everything.
We had about 85,000 silver available.
Enough to shake the market.
Now, we needed a hype man.
Only one reliable person came to mind.
Cain.
“…Excuse me, Sage. What does ‘fair price purchase’ mean?”
…What kind of terrible acting is that?!
Before I could react—
Rone jumped in.
“Welcome! Are you here to sell something?”
“Ah, yes…”
“Oh! These are Salvinus tea leaves!”
She snatched the pouch and pulled out the leaves.
“Salvinus tea is rare and elegant—highly sought after by nobles!”
“The price…?”
“No worries! We always buy at fair market value! The average price is 1 gold! Excluding fees—we’ll pay 30%! That’s 300 silver!”
Her clear, energetic voice echoed.
The surrounding noise quieted.
Attention gathered.
The gears began turning.
Small gears—Rone, Cain, the tea leaves.
Then—
Hic.
A single hiccup.
And with that, the great machine began to move.
