Wizard: I brought the wrong system.

Chapter 439 Rules at the Edge of the Dark Plains

A ruler should not raise an army out of anger, nor should a general launch an attack out of resentment.

Act only when it is in your interest, and proceed only when it is not.

—Sun Tzu's Art of War, Chapter 1: Fire Attack
The next morning.

After a thorough wash, Yaro didn't rush to Harvey's alchemy workshop. Instead, after asking the innkeeper, he found a secluded tavern in a corner of the market and enjoyed a delicious breakfast.

There was soft white bread, smoked bacon, several fist-sized eggs, and a large glass of milk.

It wasn't expensive either, just 3 silver coins and 56 pence. This amount might be enough for an ordinary person to live on for more than half a year, but it certainly wasn't considered expensive in the Mannheim market.

Arro enjoyed his meal and, too lazy to accept the loose change, simply gave him four silver coins, keeping the rest as a tip.

Stepping out of the tavern, the hustle and bustle immediately hit me. The various shops in the market had just opened, and there weren't many pedestrians on the street yet. Some street vendors pushing simple food carts were shouting themselves hoarse as they sold their simple breakfasts.

After the young apprentices finish cleaning the shop, they call out to the passing street vendors, who then open their meager wallets and buy a breakfast that is worth the price.

The soft sunlight shone on the damp ground, and a thin mist swayed gently in the breeze, as if veiling the streets with a thin veil, bringing a touch of life to this once-powerful market.

Good morning, Harvey. Didn't you sleep well last night?

Wearing a brand-new, deep black wizard's robe and holding a self-made walking stick, Yarrow greeted him with a smile.

Harvey, the shop owner, looked listless and kept yawning as he said:
"Good morning, Yue, you look great today... By the way, did you come over last night?"

“That’s right,” Yaro nodded in agreement.

Harvey, the shop owner, rubbed his listless eyes and said with a hint of helplessness:
"It really is you."

Yaro looked around but couldn't find any trace of Ghost Orchid. He turned back and chuckled, saying:

Has this matter caused you any trouble?

"Ha, my dear Yue-senpai, please think carefully about that scene!"

Harvey, the shopkeeper, said irritably, "It was a rainy night, and I was sound asleep when there was a knock on the door. I peeked out and saw a person covered in blood standing there—wasn't that terrifying?"

Forehead!
I didn't realize it at the time, but now that Harvey, the shop owner, has told me, it really does feel like a horror story.

Yaro chuckled awkwardly, "This is Mannheim Market after all. I figured Harvey, the shopkeeper, must be used to that kind of situation."

"Used? I'd be used to it if you came during the day, but last night, I'm only used to using magic arrays to blast people!" Harvey said in an unfriendly tone.

If he hadn't recognized Yaro's voice, it would have made him hesitate for a moment.

If Yaro hadn't left without further hesitation, he would have actually activated the magic array.

—Alarm Magic Array.

The Mannheim market would not allow shops to install attack arrays that could be used against external forces.

Yaro, unaware of this, could only sincerely apologize: "Yesterday was my first time going to the Dark Plains, and I knew nothing about it. Please forgive me, Shopkeeper Harvey."

Seeing that Yaro had given in, Shopkeeper Harvey didn't say anything more, only muttering, "You don't know anything, yet you managed to earn thirty-six Ghost Orchids. You're really lucky." "Even if they were mature, thirty-six Ghost Orchids wouldn't be worth many magic stones. These Ghost Orchids are still a long way from being mature, and it's uncertain whether they can be cultivated to that point. Can this be considered good luck?" Yaro asked with a smile.

The price of 'Mental Energy Activation Potion' and 'Purification Potion' made from Ghost Orchid Fruit is similar. The value of this magical material is comparable to the magical stones that Biaro once spent on the materials for the 'Purification Potion'.

Furthermore, Yaro was buying at the time; if he had sold instead, the price would certainly have been lower.

It's a single type, not many in quantity, and the total value is at most a single-digit number of magic stones.

Harvey, the shop owner, couldn't help but say:

“I know you’re very capable, but you should know that many hunting teams in Mannheim Market go out many times and come back empty-handed. For them, any opportunity to earn magic stones is one they have to fight for. It’s already very good that you were able to earn magic stones in one day on your first trip.”

"Many people go out for the first time and never come back."

Given the origins of these 'ghost orchids,' if others were to encounter the same situation, they would have become fertilizer in the garden long ago, let alone have any 'ghost orchids' left.

At the edge of the Dark Plains, the lucrative profits had long been divided up by the numerous wizard families—such as the Ghost Orchid Garden.

The rest are basically thankless tasks that are a waste of effort.

Or perhaps, they are bones discarded by those wizarding families?

Yaro patted Harvey on the shoulder familiarly and said with a light laugh:
"Understood, understood! Of course I know that. Otherwise, why would I have rushed back last night? Wasn't it to see if they had delivered the Ghost Orchid as promised?"

"correct!"

Yaro suddenly thought of another question.

"What time did they deliver it yesterday?"

Harvey, the shop owner, yawned again and said lazily, "It was in the evening. I was having dinner at the time, so I remember it very clearly."

Yaro frowned slightly.

Evening... isn't that the time when I leave Ghost Garden?

If they delivered it directly when I first left Ghost Garden, how could it have arrived so late?
Since it wasn't delivered directly, they must have sent the Ghost Orchid to the vicinity of Mannheim Market, and only sent it over after learning that it hadn't become fertilizer.

So, what methods did they use to send messages?
Is it a threat to me?
As Yarrow was pondering, Harvey, the shopkeeper, had already opened the door to the alchemy room and turned to ask:
“I’ve put all your flowers in the alchemy room. There are thirty-six of them, which isn’t a lot, but it’s not a small number either. And they’re all giant flowers. You can’t possibly carry them all, can you? Hurry up and bring your old deer cart over. The sooner we finish this, the sooner I can get some rest.”

Yaro said, somewhat embarrassed:
"This... This isn't my first time going to the Dark Plains, is it? I didn't expect to bring back so much stuff..."

Harvey, the shop owner, interrupted impatiently:
"Alright, alright! I happen to have a simple wooden cart. Can you use it for now? Of course, don't even think about horses. Either you buy them yourself, or you can haul them back yourself."

Pulling a wooden cart for a hundred miles... it's not like hiking, and Yaro didn't want to waste time on something like that.

Where can I buy horses at the market? What are their typical prices?

"It's the stable where you used to park your deer cart... Alright, I know you don't have magic stones, but don't stare at me. Don't worry, they always sell crossbows there for a few gold coins. You can afford that, right?"

Yaro awkwardly touched his nose: "Uh... not really."

(End of this chapter)