Imperial Crown.

Chapter 538 No Seats! This is the pinnacle.

A huge thank you to the QQ Reading author, "Princess Tangtang," for the 100-coin reward!

……

The space on the second floor is noticeably smaller than that on the first floor.

Raven followed him inside, and wow! It felt like stepping into a pet shop from his past life. Immediately, he heard a cacophony of chirping sounds. Magical sprites, playing and frolicking among themselves, were flying around everywhere. Looking around, he saw many sprites, each the size of an adult cat, confined in small baskets woven from twigs, chattering loudly.

Against the wall stood an extremely pink bed, concealed by a white, mosquito-net-like sheer curtain. Beside it was a life-sized mirror, in which a little girl in a pink skirt was admiring her own stunning figure, striking seductive poses. Every now and then, she would stick out her buttocks, raise her toes, and spread her five toes wide within her stockings, striking a few alluring and suggestive poses.

"Huh?" Raven's heart skipped a beat when he saw the little girl. However, he didn't say much, but instead pointed to the mirror and said, "This must be the legendary Angel's Radiance, right?"

The old elven woman nodded. "Yes, just this one full-length mirror cost me nearly 30 gold coins to transport from the Nord Province." "Let me tell you, Raven is a vampire who gives birth without an anus!" "Oh, by the way, generous and kind nobleman, what was your name again? I'm too old, over 300 years old this year, and my memory isn't very good."

Raven: ...

“My name is Eric. Eric Dyson,” Raven replied calmly.

The old elven woman nodded. "You may call me Dream Granny. My magic shop has been open for hundreds of years." "Everything you dream of, I have here, including things you don't dream of. So over time, everyone has come to call me Dream Granny, meaning—the woman who grants dreams." "Mr. Eric, please allow me to introduce you to some magical pets."

"Grandma Meng." The girl finally snapped out of her reverie, which she was completely absorbed in her own graceful figure, and greeted Grandma Meng. Then she smiled sweetly and said, "Sir, you must be a distinguished guest of high moral character. Grandma Meng never takes people upstairs lightly."

“Then it should be my honor,” Raven said, flicking the brim of his hat.

Grandma Meng chuckled twice and said kindly, "Mr. Eric, these are spirits called Moon-Eyed Iris. They are nocturnal, disguising themselves as iris buds during the day. At night, they fly around your magical fields, providing not only light and pollination for your magical plants, but also stimulating the magical elements within them to circulate and absorb more energy. With them, your magical plants will increase their yield by 25%, or perhaps their survival rate by about 30%!" As Grandma Meng spoke, she gestured, and two or three magical spirits, each the size of a fist, spherical in shape, with a large eye on the front and long, leaf-like wings fluttering on their sides, flew over.

“Great, then three plants will do.” Raven was seeing these things for the first time and found them quite rare.

"Let's look at this one." The old woman's laughter grew even more benevolent. "Tegrimon. Don't be scared by its appearance. Actually, this guy is very obedient and a bit clingy... It will even dance when it hears music. They feed on pests and rotten fruit in the magic fields. With them, you can save a lot of your precious time."

Raven looked in the direction of the old woman's hand, where sat a massive magical elf, about the size of a fierce dog. To be honest, its large face was somewhat similar to Mr. Frog's, Quarlock's, frog-like face, with densely packed, seemingly rock-hard forehead horns. Its flipper-like ears at the back of its head were as large as sycamore leaves. Its tail was also very long, and the tip was surprisingly mushroom-shaped, somewhat resembling a pink puffy flower. A row of triangular scales extended along its back to the base of its tail, making it look quite cool.

"Oh, by the way, this little guy can also emit different lights depending on his mood," Meng Po said with a chuckle. "That's why he's also called—Chameleon Gru."

"Uh... little guy?" Raven stared at the Tegruo beast, which was about the size of a Tibetan Mastiff, and was speechless for a moment. "Grandma Meng, are you sure it only eats pests and rotten fruit and is full?" Raven was worried that this thing might ruin the magical plants in the magic field, which would be a loss.

"Hahaha..." Granny Meng laughed, "I knew you'd have such worries. Don't worry, the Chameleons actually have very small appetites; they just look big! Besides, the bad creatures in the Demon Field aren't just pests... there are also rodent-like magical beasts, snake-like creatures, and Watt cockroaches with huge chests..."

"Oh," Raven nodded as if he understood, "Then let's get two, one male and one female."

After saying this, the old woman's aged face visibly became younger, and she pulled Raven aside again, saying enthusiastically, "Come and see this, our esteemed guest, the Papi Ghost Beast." "They are about the size of a rabbit, with a deer's head, a rabbit's body, and eagle claws... They love to eat the morning dew on magical plants. They can create wind and water elemental magic to bring rain and fan the spirit plants in the magical fields. As a potion master, you should know that some magical plants need to be watered frequently, sometimes even 5-6 times a day, such as the Corrupt Flower you just bought, which can be used to make antidotes. There are also magical plants that need the help of wind to thrive, such as the Tier 3 Dragon Horn Branch you just bought, which can be used to make magic wands or other enchanted weapons. Without wind, such magical plants can only grow a few inches a year."

Raven looked over and saw two Papi Ghost Beasts covered in petal-shaped fur, with long, narrow, leaf-like wings on the back of their heads, and long tails that resembled thorny vines. At that moment, the two Papi Ghost Beasts were curling their long tails into an O-shape, their sharp claws gripping it firmly, while their two small, hand-like forepaws were tucked into their fur. Their deer-like heads were held high with an air of arrogance, their eyes narrowed. But the occasional glint of light revealed that they were eavesdropping on the conversation between Dream Woman and Raven. "Alright, then four, two females and two males." As soon as the words were spoken, the two Papi Ghost Beasts, who had been feigning sleep, immediately opened their eyes and excitedly flew to Raven's shoulder, chirping excitedly. Raven was speechless, feeling somewhat tricked.

"Haha, let's look at this one." Grandma Meng first pulled out a magical pet pouch and stuffed it into Raven's hand. "Take this; consider it a gift from Grandma." "Generous guest, you'll definitely need this magical sprite. Its name is Kang Luoluo." "They can help you loosen the soil and turn the fields every day, and their droppings are the most nutritious fertilizer." Grandma Meng walked to a large basin filled with soil resembling cat litter and pulled out a magical creature about the length of a forearm. "I think there's no magical plant that doesn't need their help."

Raven glanced at it and realized it was just a smaller version of the Milk Dragon with a garlic bulb's head. "Then... what about Eagle Yellow Moss?" Raven asked, rubbing his chin.

"Hmm?" The old elf woman couldn't help but change her expression. "I don't think that thing is necessary." "It smells fishy and stinky. Magical elves are still elves and need to be treated kindly." "Otherwise, they will run away too."

Raven: ...

Setting down Kang Luoluo, Meng Po continued excitedly, "This one, this one, is the Xijieta Beast, also known as the Magic Book Fox... It can help you organize your study and quickly retrieve the magic books you want. Moreover, it has a photographic memory and can answer your questions."

"Alright, alright, Meng Po," Raven hurriedly interrupted. "Give me six of those Kang Luoluo just now. I won't look at the rest for now. I'm not that rich."

“那好吧。”“我算一算账。”梦婆掐起手指头，“三只月瞳鸢尾、2只变色格鲁、4头帕比幽兽、6个康洛洛……一共15个，17.45万金币。您就给17万金币好了。”“至于魔宠袋，就算梦婆送给你的。”

Raven licked his lips. "Grandma Meng, you forgot to include one thing in your calculations."

"Hmm?" "Did I forget to count?" "What is it?" Meng Po was a little surprised and counted again.

“Her!” Raven pointed to the girl beside him, “Sherina—the only daughter of Count Duna of the Cartier Province in the Keynes Empire! Her father has put a bounty of 5 gold coins on her head.” “Miss, I imagine you don’t want your father to know your whereabouts, do you? Then you’ll need to pay that 5 gold coins.” The old elven woman and Sherina both paled upon hearing this. After exchanging a glance, they both glared at Raven with a hint of resentment.

Back at the Continental Tavern, the three undead transcendents killed two mercenary members of Raven's Anvil, and their rings naturally fell into Raven's hands. Inside was a portrait of Sherina, and even a low-grade image crystal.

“Mr. Eric, I take back what I just said,” Cheryl Nadey said angrily. “You are not a nobleman of high moral character, but a greedy man who is blinded by money.”

Raven smiled without changing his expression. "You heard it too. The things I just bought cost a whopping 17 gold coins. I don't think anyone could resist the temptation of 5 gold coins." "Otherwise, I would have no choice but to tell your father that you are hiding here." "Given how much your father misses you, he will definitely send someone to bring you back."

“Hmph,” Sherina said angrily. “I don’t have that much money to give you.”

“That’s alright.” Raven said, as if he had expected this. “Just now downstairs, I saw a magic potion recipe that I liked, and it’s worth exactly 5 gold coins. How about… we make this a fair deal?”

"The formula for the anti-aging potion?" Meng Po realized.

“That’s right.” “I’ll pay the 17 gold coins.” Raven nodded. “All you need to do, Granny, is give me the recipe for the Youth-Freezing Potion.” The recipe for the Youth-Freezing Potion was a third-tier one, capable of preserving one’s youthful appearance for a hundred years. Raven was very tempted. He had originally planned to haggle over the price when buying the magical elf later, but who knew he would run into Sherina here. This made Raven change his mind on the spot.

“I promise you.” The old woman looked at Sherina, who had been lonely for over 200 years. She had finally found a lost little girl and already regarded Sherina as her own granddaughter. Therefore, she nodded without hesitation. “But how can I trust Mr. Eric? After all, you recognized Sherina long ago, yet you kept it to yourself until the bill, showing you are a very shrewd nobleman.”

Raven tapped his cane lightly, took off his hat, and bowed slightly, saying, "I think if Grandma could give me another magic cauldron, my mouth would be glued shut, and once I step out of this door, I would forget everything I've seen today."

“Greedy and base…and young nobleman, I hope you will keep your promise.” The old woman’s face turned ashen, all traces of her previous kindness and gentleness gone. She even considered casting a spell on the nobleman before her.

“As you wish.” Raven put on his hat.

The transaction was quickly completed, and Raven left happily. He had gained a Tier 3 Frostbite Potion recipe and a Tier 3 Magic Cauldron for free. A Magic Cauldron is an essential component for brewing potions.

"Mother-in-law, how could you trust him so easily?" Sherina asked anxiously and puzzled.

Meng Po scoffed inwardly. A nobleman worthy of alchemy?! Just a rich, arrogant, and easily fooled fool! Meng Po had seen no fewer than 1000 such young masters in her life. Which one of them could endure the hardships of learning and cultivation to successfully become an alchemist?! Giving away the potion recipes and magic cauldrons was merely a way to establish a good relationship, so that when this kid finally recouped his losses by selling magical sprites, she would be the first person he thought of. In fact, she had sold these magical sprites more than ten times, and each time these noble young masters had obediently returned them, bruised and battered.

Of course, she wouldn't tell Sherina these thoughts to herself. The old woman stroked Sherina's hair and said kindly, "Grandma can't bear to part with you. For you, Grandma is willing to pay this price."

"Mother-in-law~~" Sherina was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down like pearls. "I will definitely learn potion knowledge from you." She ran away from her arranged marriage and ran all the way to the Northern Region. She almost starved to death. It was her mother-in-law's meticulous care that brought her back to life.

"Don't cry, don't cry, my dear granddaughter," Grandma Meng said with a smile. "You can stay here as long as you want."

……

Raven hummed a little tune, his hands behind his back, and hung the pet pouch he had just obtained around his neck, as if afraid that no one would see it.

"Hello, dear human friend," a beautiful elf greeted Raven politely.

"How did you know I just spent 17 gold coins to buy 15 magical sprites?" Raven shook his head. "Well, to be honest, these magical sprites are really naughty."

Elf: ...

The elf was speechless, barely managing to suppress the unseemly act of rolling her eyes, thinking to herself, "Did I ask you?"

"Hey! Friend, come sit down at our tavern." Another elf warmly greeted Raven.

"No seats!" "17! Just bought it!" Raven nodded and said loudly, "What can I do? I'm rich! This is top-notch!"

“Yes, brothers, yes.” The elf was startled. “We still have seats in our tavern.”

Raven: ...

“I said there are no seats, and that means there are no seats,” Raven corrected quietly. “Besides, isn’t the point whether there are seats or not? Shouldn’t the point be the pet bag we bought for 17 gold coins?”

……

(End of this chapter)