194 Purchase Industry Part 1 (1/2)
Sumano sipped his beer while trying to maintain a calm and composed look. He could tell that Saleen was not just an average mage. He had been in the business for several years now, and seeing people react the way Saleen did when he informed them about the high costs of living in Alchemy City was a rarity. These people were usually either rich, powerful, or both.
Most people would immediately ask him for ways to save money in Alchemy City. A handful of them would ask him about the techniques used to carry out missions successfully. These two pieces of information formed the bulk of his earnings and potentially earned him a pretty penny.
Not only did Saleen look unfazed, but the female mage wearing the colored robe looked fairly composed as well. Both the female warrior and servant looked unbothered. What Sumano did not understand was why the mage clad in the white robe had not reacted at all.
As a matter of fact, both Saleen and Lex did not mind forking over such a large sum of money because they had more than enough items to auction off and pay for their expenses. If worst came to worst, Saleen could always fire Sika. She was not a mage, so they probably would not miss her absence. Nailisi was a creature bound to Saleen via their soul bond. She had to follow him wherever she went. As for Daniel, he was so poor he literally had nothing to his name. Since he was already in abject poverty, he really had nothing to worry about.
However, since Lex was going to hire and provide for him, she needed to control his expenses.
Daniel was different from an average mage. After becoming a heretic, he had pledged his loyalty to Lex and Saleen, something that not many mages would dare to do.
The reason why Daniel had picked up magic in the first place was simple. He had longed to pursue magic as a career, and wanted to become a mage. All the achievements that came along with being a mage did not matter to him. He only worked hard because he loved magic and nothing else.
Most mages valued freedom. However, freedom meant nothing to Daniel. If Saleen would be able to help him hone his skills and provide him with the materials for him to practice his magic, he did not mind serving Saleen.
Not knowing the backgrounds of the five individuals sitting in front of him, Sumano asked tentatively, ” Mr. Saleen, so what are your intentions…”
”You don’t have to worry about the money. Just charge me the amount you’d charge anyone else,” Saleen said, his eyes darting towards the group of four sitting at the table next to him.
Because the tables were not spaced too far apart, Saleen was able to clearly see their expressions. However, he could not hear what they were saying as there was a glass wall that separated the two tables. It was then that Saleen realized that the glass wall had actually been magically soundproofed and was not there for decorative purposes.
Saleen could tell right away that all four of them were mages. Three of them were dressed in white robes while the fourth one was dressed in a grey robe. They looked to be about thirty years old. They would probably be considered prodigies by now if they had not been in Alchemy City, which was otherwise known as the ”Empire of Magic”.
Saleen could tell from their expressions that they were quarrelling about something, although he could not hear what the argument was about.
”Mr. Saleen,” Sumano said.
”Mhm?” Saleen replied distractedly.
”They’re trying to decide on whether or not they should hire swordmasters,” Sumano said.
”How would you know?” Saleen asked, confused. His powers could not penetrate through the magically soundproofed windows. Seeing that Sumano was merely an advanced apprentice, he would not be able to do so either.
”These things are very common in Alchemy City. The tasks that they take on can be somewhat dangerous. If these mages hire a few swordsmen to protect them, they’ll be much safer. They’re probably dealing with magic beasts from the mainland,” Sumano explained.
”Then where do all these swordsmen come from?” Saleen inquired.
”There is a swordsmens camp located in the eastern side of Alchemy City. They specialize in these kinds of services,” Sumano replied.
”These types of camps exist in Alchemy City?” Saleen asked, his tone laced with surprise.
”There’s four of them, actually, and they’re all full,” replied Sumano.
”Then why haven’t I heard of any of them?” Lex interjected. She had not arranged for anyone to spy on the people of Alchemy City. However, news as major as the construction of four swordsmen battalion camps should have reached her ears a long time ago.
”Probably because they were only constructed recently. In the past, Alchemy City only had one swordsmens camp. The swordsmen there were trained to only serve the mages in Alchemy City. No one knew about their existence back then. However, as the number of errands the mages required help with increased, more and more people started to study swordsmanship so they could take on these tasks. Sadly, these occupations are the ones that are most looked down upon. Not being able to bear the ostracization, these swordsmen congregated in the eastern part of the city and chose to settle down there. All the mages did was deploy a representative to regroup these swordsmen. In reality, they did it so that they could better control the hiring prices of these swordsmen,” Sumano rambled on.
”But isn’t this a win-win situation?” Saleen asked.
”Yes, of course the swordsmen benefit too. After being integrated into Alchemy City, they’re able to purchase food and lodging at much cheaper prices. Plus, the chances of being dumped right after an errand is completed are much lower,” Sumano said.
Saleen did not ask any further. Alchemy City ran a detailed show. The four battalion camps had enough swordsmen to protect the entire city from any unexpected attacks. If it cost less to hire a swordsman compared to operating a fully constructed puppet, Saleen would consider hiring a few.
Just then, the mage with the grey robe unwittingly made eye contact with Saleen. He immediately ignored his partners’ words and started walking towards Saleen and the others.
”Lord mage!” the grey-robed mage shouted from afar. Upon being called, Saleen stood up to entertain him. The mage continued walking towards him and only stopped when he was right in front of Saleen. He continued, ”Would you like to join our group? We can sign a contract right now if you’d like.”
”Join your group? Sign a contract?” Saleen echoed the mage’s words, furrowing his eyebrows in distaste as he did so. The mage standing right in front of him was very rude and had no basic sense of courtesy.
”Oh, you don’t know about the new mission that the alchemy tower just announced? It’s a grade-7 mission,” the grey mage uttered, completely oblivious to Saleen’s unhappy expression. ”The natives of the Green Archipelago have recently discovered dragons. The alchemy towers just confirmed it.”