I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 226 Methods of Making Money
This attempt to change the subject was rather clumsy, leaving the paladin girl slightly displeased, but the thought of possibly going on an adventure with DuPont made her happy again.

"The battle between the two dragons is still raging, and the adventurers there have suffered heavy casualties recently. However, it is said that they have also found a lot of good things, many of which are even artifacts from the Nether era, but the magic has almost disappeared."

"It is said that the gold rush has even caused tavern room rates to rise significantly, and the price of hiring adventurers in some remote areas is also increasing."

"These two dragons can fight for so long?" DuPont was somewhat surprised. It seemed that even though these five-colored dragons were nominally children of Tiamat, they were really ruthless when they fought each other. "Dragons are powerful and violent. If things get really heated, the outcome could probably be decided in just a few minutes, right?"

"The Naacro Swamp is nearly 14,000 miles long and is inhabited by savage races, including gnolls, lizardmen, mad frogmen, and kobolds. In addition to the swamp, there is also lush vegetation. To be honest, this kind of place is more troublesome than the desert. Ordinary people would not dare to go in. Even adventurers may suffer a high number of non-combat casualties."

Moonflower had a lot to say about this. Although she was not a wood elf, as a priest, she naturally knew a lot about this kind of knowledge: "The green dragon is the most cunning of the five-colored dragons. It will not attack unless it is sure of success. Sending its slaves to scout out information is the most normal thing to do."

The black dragon, being relatively weak, is naturally cunning and unpredictable. It can simply lie down in a mud puddle, making its decapitation strike completely undetectable. Furthermore, it uses its servants in combat, and some adventurers may even be hired by it to attack its lair.

"Being hired as a henchman by a dragon, that's quite a novelty." DuPont stroked his chin, realizing this place was far more complex than the mountains. "What special products does the swamp have?"

"There are many. For example, there's the ghost moss, which only grows in places where decaying wood and shadows abound. It's an important ingredient for making popular medicines like invisibility potions and necromancy potions. There's also the black water pearl, which is found only in swamp giant clams. It's not only beautiful but also has excellent acid resistance. And there are the petrified vines that have been corroded by arcane energy. Their hardness is comparable to steel, making them a top-quality material for making light armor."

Deva counted on her fingers: "There's also the pure gold statue of the evil god worshipped by the lizardmen, the heart's blood and soft hide of the Hydra that can make regeneration rings and regeneration belts, the venom glands and eggs of the wyverns, and the treasured potions of the old hag of the swamp, and so on. There's no way to list them all in a short time."

DuPont nodded after hearing this. It would be a bit presumptuous to rashly join the war against the evil dragon, but making money by finding these things was obviously a more reliable option. Just then, he heard Moonflower whisper.

"I almost forgot if you hadn't mentioned it. I heard that some adventurers hunt old hags and eat their scalps, which has made the old hags all live in fear. They don't even dare to show their faces anymore, let alone stay in their huts and go out to harm handsome young men. They're all living by disguise now."

The group was deeply shocked upon hearing this, and only then did they gain a preliminary understanding of the ruthlessness of true adventurers: "My God, eating human scalps, especially from an old hag, wouldn't that lead to poisoning?"

"Exactly! Whether you eat it raw or stew it, you can't really cook it properly. Just thinking about it is disgusting..."

"It's said that it can increase innate attribute values?" Moonflower's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant: "I don't know who spread the rumor, but anyway, quite a few people are hunting witches."

“Even if it really could increase intelligence, I still wouldn’t be able to bring myself to eat it. There’s probably some old poison on it.” DuPont thought about the old hag’s appearance in the monster encyclopedia and couldn’t help but shake his head: “Aren’t dragons much smarter than old hags? I’ve never heard of anyone gaining intelligence by eating dragon meat or dragon brains. This is too outrageous.”

"Alright, aren't you disgusting? Discussing eating human flesh when we're about to eat," Deva said with a look of disgust. "I'm going to the tavern later. Their seafood paella, red wine beef stew, and Old Capital fish soup are all pretty good. But they don't have much dessert there. You usually have to go to the elven shops to buy it. What you eat depends on what they have."

Hearing this, Yuehua was somewhat surprised: "Doesn't Ms. Veronica have her own private kitchen and maids?"

“My mother didn’t like these things. She didn’t like outsiders in her tower. The daily maintenance of the mage tower was done by invisible servants or some living creatures.”

When talking about this, Deva showed no fear. Instead, she raised her head and looked at the elven princess who was almost a head taller than her: "We in Harua don't have such complicated rules as your elven kingdom. I've heard that you are similar to a feudal society in some ways. Is that true or not?"

“Perhaps it is true?” Moonflower shrugged, and even the two maids beside her looked indifferent. “But I think whether it’s a feudal kingdom, a parliamentary system, or some other messy system, what matters is that it makes the lives of one’s people better. And in this respect, the kingdoms of Faerûn don’t seem to be better than Evergrande Island.”

Upon hearing this, Deva was immediately speechless.

Harua was naturally not much inferior to Yongju Island. The two countries had many similarities in terms of population and strength. In terms of territory, Harua was much larger. If the two were to argue, they could talk all night and still not find a winner.

However, the recent incidents involving Yarach and Nas City have been too embarrassing, and at this juncture, no matter what she says, it seems untenable.

Thinking of this, Deva felt a little deflated and glared at DuPont fiercely: "It's all your fault! It's all your fault!"

DuPont: "???"

What does your arguing have to do with me?

Is this guy itching for a beating again?

Back at the Mage Tower, Deva introduced the tower's facilities to the elves. When they saw the ceiling in the first-floor lobby, which allowed for perfect observation of real-time celestial phenomena even during the day, they couldn't help but marvel. However, before they even reached the second floor, the Sun Elf suddenly grabbed the communication runestone, her expression changed, and after communicating with Moonflower, she bowed and took her leave.

"It's said that there's a lot of undercurrents at Yarach Academy right now, and as an elven instructor, Cui Xing's vacation has ended early." Moonflower's expression was somewhat complicated: "It seems that these are truly turbulent times."

"Hey, there's some conflict among those high elves and half elves who came here to study. Aren't you, the real princess, going to mediate?" Deva asked curiously.

"How can I handle this? Anything I say could become a diplomatic incident. For me, the only correct approach is to stay silent, not speak, and not comment. Just pretend you don't know anything about it and wait for you to resolve or downplay it."

A hint of loneliness flashed in Yuehua's eyes as she spoke, and her tone was somewhat desolate: "Sometimes those seemingly prestigious identities also have many inconveniences. Many seemingly ordinary things that others can do, I can't do. The thought of being restricted like this for the next few hundred years sometimes makes me feel inexplicably sad. Perhaps those elves who committed suicide felt the same way."

Although her perception wasn't high, as a paladin, Deva immediately felt the same way: "Indeed, my mentor told me to do things that are legal, compliant, and that I enjoy, so that I won't feel bored and won't have any wild thoughts or deviant ideas."

“Yes, some people use work to kill time, some use entertainment, and some even delve into philosophy or theology, trying to explore what they are here to do, what the value of this long life is. Those brilliant and independent souls should not remain unknown.” Moonflower said, looking at the paladin: “Is there anything you want to do?”

"Ah? Let my place be more just, with less filth and corruption, so everyone can be happy every day, without having to worry about thugs and evil." Deva didn't hesitate much, and asked in return, "And you, Your Highness?"

"I don't have that many ambitions. I just want someone I love to spend the rest of my life with." The moon elf said, taking a step back quietly, her gaze towards the girl sincere: "Since Miss Paladin has such high aspirations, how about you just grant my wish?"

"Ah, what does this have to do with me?" The paladin girl snapped out of her daze, her little fists clenching quietly. So that's what those pointy-eared girls were waiting for all along. They're really wicked.

"I've heard that high elves are mostly handsome men and beautiful women, and even their wages in brothels are much higher than those of most races. Your Highness, you've been in contact with the most elite nobles and nobles among them. They must be people you can just pick at will. Even if they don't suit your taste after a while, you can just find someone else. Why would you need to come to the human kingdoms to pick some short-lived ghosts to spend the rest of your life with?"

“Some things, even if they can’t last forever, are beautiful just to have them. Even if you lose them later, you’ll still have happy memories.” The Moon Elf chuckled as she spoke. “It seems Miss Paladin agrees with this view?”

Deva gritted her teeth, feeling that those wretched pointy ears were digging another hole for her, but the problem was she didn't even know where it was. Just as the girl's forehead was getting hot, she heard DuPont suddenly pat her stomach: "I'm so hungry, let's order first!"

"Yes, let's eat first!" Deva breathed a sigh of relief as if she had been granted a pardon, while the Moon Elf couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth, her lips moving slightly, but she didn't say anything.

Veronica finally appeared at dinner, perhaps drawn by the delicious food on the table, leaving her spacious bedroom.

The beef, slow-cooked in red wine for hours with carrots, mushrooms, and pearl onions, was tender and mushy. The baton bread, with its bubbling butter still flowing from the cut, had a pleasant wheat aroma. The snow-white Queen bread was filled with sandwiches containing smoked ham and bacon, filling a large bread basket.

The risotto with prawns, mussels, and scallops whetted DuPont's appetite, while the seafood soup with unidentified fish and clams had a light white broth that made everyone's brows relax after just one sip.

It's a pity there were no scallions. I don't know if it's because they don't have this variety or if the locals don't like it.

DuPont thought with some regret.

“Harua is famous for its wines, and many dishes like to incorporate wine, which gives red meat a unique flavor.” Moonflower exclaimed, although she only ate half a piece, it was a rare amount for her. “The way this fish soup is prepared is simple, but fresh and delicious ingredients don’t need complicated cooking methods. Plus, with this exquisite and warm bread, it seems that the old capital is a place that knows how to enjoy life.”

"Yes, the people of the old capital no longer have the glory of being residents of the capital, but the rich land and long coastline mean they don't have to struggle too much for a living. Many of them live at a slower pace, while the apprentices of the mages are always busy."

Veronica spoke to Moonflower in the same indifferent tone as before, as if she was completely unaware that the other woman and her daughter did not get along, or even if she knew, she did not care.

At the very least, it wasn't as important as the food under her knife and fork.

"I heard from Deva that you're planning to go check out the Great Swamp?" Veronica took a sip of cool honey water, her swan-like neck elegantly straight, completely unlike the languid air DuPont had seen her in the morning. "That place isn't very peaceful. Although the environment isn't as harsh as the desert, it's fraught with danger. Now there are adventurers involved. What benefits do you expect to get by going in? It's unlikely."

"Why doesn't the old government impose any restrictions on these adventurers?" Deva frowned. "If they really get involved in the dragon's conflict, no matter who wins, it will be a blow to the local ecosystem, almost like rebuilding it. Why don't we just step in and wipe them all out?"

"What you're saying is ridiculous. Neither of those two giant lizards could be a match for a magic ship fleet, but won't they hide once the fleet is deployed? Do you know how much money that fleet costs per day, my dear?"

Veronica shook her head: "And even if these two are completely destroyed by the magic cannon, won't other dragons or other troublesome creatures come to take over the territory? And even if this swamp is completely conquered, will the intelligent races that can't live in it pay taxes to the council? This kind of war is a completely unprofitable business, and Harua doesn't advocate having a large territory in Faerûn, so this proposal will not be passed."

She glanced at her daughter's disappointed expression and smiled slightly: "But if you really have the ability to kill those two ancient evil dragons, you'll definitely get the reward you deserve."

Upon hearing this, the group all shook their heads. These ancient dragons had lived for over 1000 years, and they were no match for them.

"So stay here for a while and hone your skills, especially you, DuPont!"

At this point, the female mage glared fiercely at the boy who was pretending to be stupid: "You do nothing but study melee combat all day long, and you don't even study magic. The commission for hiring a level 10 warrior to risk his life is only a little over a thousand gold a month. You are a mage, not a barbarian. You are not allowed to leave the house until you become a level 6 mage!"

"Deva, why didn't your mentor let you go to the Northwest? Besides the bad environment there, did you ever think that being a guard was a waste of your time? You were a level 6 paladin before you went, and after half a year you're only level 7. Now you can't even cast a third-circle divine spell!"

"When the time comes, your classmates will become mentors to educate their children and advisors to the city lord, guiding him in the right direction. You'll just be a guard chief in a small city. If you disobey the city lord's orders, you'll be dismissed from your post. Do I need to tell you which path is the right one?"

Both of them lowered their heads and focused on eating. Veronica glanced at the moon elf, who was a little nervous about the ill-tempered female mage, but then she saw the moon elf shake her head.

"As for your path as a priest, your future has nothing to do with you. I heard that the Spider Queen has unified the Dark Elf pantheon. Your pantheon is in such a mess now, there's basically no future for you."

Yuehua: "."

"Alright, I need to make money too. I need to gather the money before the end of the year." Veronica's face was particularly unhappy when she mentioned this. It wasn't like she was the only one who borrowed the money from the council. In fact, she was the one who became an archmage the shortest time. As a result, she hadn't even had a few good days before all the trouble started.

"By the way, if you have any magical materials you can give me, I can give you 40% after I make the finished product and use it as payment. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, DuPont quickly took out a number of his treasured items.

The materials for magical items are the least valuable; what's valuable are the enchanting skills and the experience points required.

Furthermore, a good piece of leather can be used to its fullest potential and minimize unnecessary waste if a skilled craftsman is available, and this requires the maker to have connections.

If they can get 40%, it's definitely because the mentor is giving them face by being on their side.

Even Moonflower was somewhat tempted and took out some local specialties from Elf Island, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

This mage may seem glamorous, but normally, a mage in her thirties would be a prodigy anywhere, cherished by the council. Even in Harua, the land of mages, her status would certainly be extraordinary, as evidenced by the fact that she was accepted as a personal disciple by the council chairman.

Normally, even if someone like this asked for tens of thousands of dollars a year to play around with, the council would happily agree. But now, he's actually making magical items that waste his precious time to pay off his debts.
This is highly unusual; it seems the actual problems in the Harua Parliament are far greater than what the newspapers are saying.

"Troll hide, blue dragon hide, blue dragon scales, dragon tendons and bones, vampire ash." Veronica was quite surprised by DuPont's haul.

"Forget about the vampire fang. You like melee combat, right? This material is perfect for making a sword that can drain the opponent's life force. Oh, and all this scrap metal you looted, each piece should sell for a few hundred gold. Selling them together for over 20,000 gold shouldn't be a problem."

“Unicorn mane, fairy pollen, northern pearls, bark shed by a thousand-year-old tree spirit, mermaid tears.” After examining Moonflower’s treasures, Veronica nodded repeatedly: “As expected of the princess of the Elf Kingdom, even in her decline, she has a long period of time. Even if the quantity is not large, it is worth tens of thousands of gold.”

Yuehua smiled faintly, but then DuPont, who was standing to the side, seemed to remember something and took out the piece of colored shell and the pearl: "Oh, by the way, can we trade with mermaids?"

Veronica's eyes lit up.

(End of this chapter)