I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 68 The man with the lower head

This morning, one pig, one cow, and one sheep were delivered. At the slaughterhouse, DuPont deliberately provoked the uncooked, nearly one-ton bull, but it only took 20 seconds to kill it.

And this was under the condition that he was testing the waters.

With a flick of his wrist, the dagger could easily dance between his fingers, making his weapon control more precise when making moves, faster when changing tactics, and more at ease in combat. With more practice, he should no longer have a situation where his hands can't keep up with his brain.

The time to switch weapons was also faster, and he was more at ease dodging its attacks. After dodging the bull's attack by sidestepping, DuPont took out his hammer and delivered a fatal blow as the bull turned around, giving it a quick death.

Therefore, to become a qualified combatant, it is best to improve strength, agility, and physical fitness in all aspects, so that explosive power and reaction speed complement each other and achieve the best combination.

Of course, it would be best if he could make up for his lack of attributes with combat skills and practical experience, and play to his strengths and avoid his weaknesses. However, this method takes years, which is too far away for him now.

After lunch, DuPont found Charles to inquire about the magic shops in town, but the chubby boy looked surprised. Back in the dormitory, he asked seriously, "Why are you asking this? Wait, you collected some scrolls before, you're not thinking of becoming a middleman, are you?"

DuPont took out the Dark Vision Ring: "I'm a little short on cash lately, but I have a magic ring that I'd like to sell to raise some money."

"You scared me! I thought you were so desperate you were selling scrolls. If you get caught, you'll be expelled." Charles breathed a sigh of relief: "You mustn't do anything stupid. I heard that magic shops are all connected to the academy. The scrolls all have names on them, so they can be easily checked. There's no way you can escape."

"Don't worry, I've only collected a few scrolls before becoming a middleman. I've just advanced to the second ring, and I'm struggling to get 12 scrolls a week. I'm lucky if I can even meet my quota." DuPont filled the birdcage with millet. His silly bird wasn't inside; it had probably gone out to find food on its own these past few days. "Do you know which magic shop in the city offers fair prices?"

"Fairness? What fairness? They're all fucking shady shops." Charles feigned seriousness, but then laughed the next second: "That's what Ruru told me. Do you think I've imitated her well?"

"Last week you called her Rock Mentor, and this week you're calling her Ruru. It seems your relationship is progressing very quickly."

"That's right, you don't even know who I am. During my two days of rest, I gave Big Di a good beating, and she begged for mercy on her knees. Afterwards, everyone praised me as a little whirlwind in bed!" Charles patted his belly, looking smug.

"Of course, Professor Ruru also said that if you are willing to become her apprentice, she will cherish your talent. I will take you in next semester. During this waiting period, she will provide all the scrolls you need to submit. You only need to visit her once a week. When you are done with your work, you can also browse her private library."

DuPont was truly embarrassed upon hearing this. He couldn't understand how Charles could bring himself to eat Ruru, who had such a chubby figure: "Forget it, you should eat this good food yourself. Wait, why did you bring a pimp to her?"

"Haven't you heard the saying, 'Brothers fight tigers together, fathers and sons go to war together'? With your support, Ruru, that tigress, will surely be defeated by us brothers. We might even turn her into our plaything. Then, the treasure trove of that high-level mage will all be ours!"

DuPont rolled his eyes. He never expected Charles to have such ambitions. He was really going to be in deep trouble. "You've probably been reading too many knightly novels, or you're dreaming before it's even dark. No matter how much her body controls her brain, as a mage she is still a rational being. How could she let you take advantage of her like this? Be careful, you might be the one being played."

The chubby guy didn't care and just chuckled lewdly: "If you don't want to, fine, but don't say your brother didn't help you out later."

"Yes, yes, yes, don't forget to find me a job after you marry Ruru, so you won't forget our brotherhood. Okay, enough rambling. What's the deal with the magic shop? Are their purchase prices really that low?" "Most of the goods in the magic shop are from contracts with various academies or the Mage Tower. They rarely buy things from unofficial sources. Although Connor's ring is a legitimate item, the shopkeeper will use depreciation and repair costs to lower the price. Plus, the magic shop has to pay a 20% tax on the sale. They're usually lucky if they get around 60% of the purchase price."

Upon hearing this, DuPont finally understood why the acquisition price was so low; he had forgotten about the taxes: "So, even someone with good character like mine only gets a maximum of 60%?"

"Pretty much. As a high-level mentor, Ruru is a regular supplier. The magic shop buys her at about 70% of the normal price. Maybe it will be higher after she becomes an archmage? The magic shop also needs to make a profit when it sells things."

Charles said, rubbing his hair in front of the mirror: "Magic scrolls are somewhat profitable. If you have a mentor, you can sell them for 7 gold each, and the price is stable, so you can make money directly. However, this kind of behavior is prohibited. You can only sell the ones you copy yourself, and no one will care. In addition, it will delay the time you spend learning spells, so it's not worth it."

"...That's a bit of a rip-off. How about we sell adventurers privately instead?"

Charles shook his head and said, "Normally, not many adventurers collect scrolls privately. They're all worried about problems or buying fakes. Besides, selling a small amount is one thing, but selling a lot might attract the attention of the tax department. Those black dogs are said to be ruthless and even more ruthless. If you get caught, you'll not only get beaten up, but you'll also have to pay double the tax fine. If you can't pay it all, you'll end up in jail."

"It's really hard to make some money here. Where does Ruru usually deliver her goods to? How do you get there after entering the city?"

"It's called Honest Trading. I heard they have good relations with the Church of Woking. I haven't heard her mention the other two magic shops, so I don't know the specifics. Their approximate locations are..."

DuPont noted down this information, patiently copied it onto two scrolls, and left the recipe for tofu that evening. Without even eating dinner, he went to the coachman at the school gate, paid a silver coin, and boarded a carriage to White Stone City with several other apprentices from other departments.

The people in the carriage had a general impression of DuPont, but since they weren't very familiar with him, they didn't greet him. They mostly closed their eyes to rest, waiting for the trip to end.

The academy carriage, enhanced with a levitation array, ran extremely fast. About 30 minutes later, DuPont saw White Stone City, 50 miles away from the academy. He looked at the returning carriage and asked his fellow alumnus, "Where do we wait for the carriage tomorrow morning?"

"Still here, from 6 o'clock to 8 o'clock, there are 8 trips in total." The apprentice who was approached answered and left, clearly not interested in socializing.

This saved DuPont some trouble, though. He wasn't here for socializing; he needed to get things done quickly or it would be dark soon.

The entrance fee was 5 copper coins. DuPont followed the others to the side gate. After showing his apprentice seal, the guard captain glanced at it and then called out to let the apprentices pass.

DuPont glanced back at the ordinary people registering and thought to himself that he had actually gotten a freebie.

This is not surprising, though. In the land of mages, the status of mages is naturally extraordinary. Although they are only apprentices, they can be considered future mages and members of the ruling class of this country. It is only natural that they have some minor privileges.

(End of this chapter)