I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 70 The stupid young man

The sun had already set, and the pale yellow light gave a warm feeling. DuPont remained calm and composed, seemingly oblivious to the old man's strange expression, as if he hadn't seen anything.

The old man took out the necklace and examined it for a few seconds. Then he took out a magnifying glass to examine it carefully. After 20 seconds, he finally spoke: "Sir, I can tell you are not very old, but you are quite skilled. However, this is something we taught. If I take it and don't report it, it will be a troublesome matter. And if you steal this and sell it, it could bring you to your death."

DuPont took out his apprentice's seal, but only the back, without showing the other party his name: "You're overthinking it. This necklace is a legitimate gift, a reward for killing that cultist. If I were really a petty thief, why would I dare to come here to sell stolen goods?"

“Well, that’s true. I was just overthinking it.” The old man nodded, but pushed the necklace toward DuPont. “But no one would normally sell church items. This not only represents a gift but also an honor. The church strictly investigates such private transactions. If you’re caught, it could have some negative consequences for you.”

Hearing this, DuPont cursed inwardly. It was one thing for the magic shop to be a monopoly, but the church was interfering so much: "Well, I'm a little short on money lately. I can't just say I don't want the church's reward and ask for money instead, can I?"

As DuPont spoke, he took out the healer's staff and protective wristbands. After examining them, the old man couldn't help but take out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead: "It seems I misunderstood you, but I really can't accept things from the church. Otherwise, if the inspection team finds out, it will be a big deal. The shop might even have to be closed for a while. At that time, I will have to find you as a witness to avoid being mistaken for selling stolen goods. The losses from this back and forth will definitely be considerable, and you may also be looked down upon by the church. This is an irreparable loss."

"..." DuPont listened with a hint of helplessness and put the items back. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Is there anyone who would buy these things?"

“Some devout followers of the Magic Lady might buy it, as owning a magical item produced by the church is a great honor for them. But the problem is that people with the financial means usually already have the necessary connections. They will donate money to the church themselves in exchange for the magical item they want.”

"...Wait, isn't donating money an obligation? How can you expect to receive a reward?"

The old man chuckled upon hearing this, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. "For ordinary people, donating a few silver coins is a donation, of course. Even if the church wanted to give back, it wouldn't have anything suitable. Of course, over time, it's only natural for the pastor to help with minor illnesses and treat wounds. But if more people donate, everyone becomes familiar with each other, and the lady's servants, on behalf of their masters, give some gifts to devout believers. Isn't that just the right thing to do?"

“Alright.” DuPont picked up the apprentice badge. “Besides that, are there any adventurers willing to buy this item?”

“My friend, you’re joking. Why would someone like me, who runs a legitimate business, introduce clients to my competitors?” The old man shook his head calmly. “I doubt many people would be willing to do something that would damage their own reputation, let alone an illegal business like this.”

“After this is done, I will come to your shop to buy 10% of the goods worth gold coins, such as some low-level scrolls that are not easy to sell. Of course, this is on the premise that my necklace can fetch a good price.” DuPont turned over his apprentice badge, picked up his tea and took a sip: “The tea is fragrant and comes from the Far East. You have good taste, sir.”

Seeing DuPont's surname, the old man nodded in satisfaction. Although he was a little puzzled as to why this guy was only an apprentice, it didn't matter: "After 11 p.m., there is usually a room with candles lit 100 meters east of the Wild Boar Tavern in the south of the city. That is the largest underground black market in the city. The entrance fee is usually one silver coin. However, if you are a stranger, it will cost about one gold coin, and you also need to have the corresponding qualifications."

"Qualifications?"

“Prove you’re not a council spy. Of course, to me, that seems more like an excuse for extortion. Who doesn’t know that this black market has powerful backers to keep it running?” The old man said, opening a drawer and taking out a simple map. He drew a circle at the bottom of the map with a charcoal pencil and pushed it towards DuPont. “It’s roughly around here, but the people there are generally not easy to get along with and tend to bully newcomers. If you’re just an apprentice, I suggest you think of another way. For example, I’m willing to offer a very good price for a scroll.” DuPont put away the map and pencil. “Thanks. May I ask about the approximate strength of the person in charge of that black market?”

"The current manager is a highly skilled assassin, rumored to be around level 8, but the exact level is unclear. It's said that the black market owner has high-level strength, but few people have seen him. I also find this somewhat unbelievable. What high-level person would care about such trivial matters? It's probably just a rumor."

Level 8 assassins are not to be trifled with either. DuPont noted this information down: "What about security there?"

"They're just some incompetent low-level warriors and thieves, but there are quite a few of them and they're ruthless. Anyone who causes trouble there usually doesn't have a good ending. You'd better give up on this idea, just pay up honestly and make money peacefully. The security in White Stone City isn't that bad."

“Who would go looking for trouble?” DuPont put away the badge and put on his hoodie. “Thank you for the Lapsang Souchong tea. See you tomorrow.”

The old man escorted DuPont to the back door and left. He sat in the private room, lost in thought for a long time. When the young girl who had seen the guest off returned, she was puzzled and asked, "Grandpa, is it a big deal?"

"It's hard to say, but this young man is quite interesting. He's probably younger than you, but his skills and courage are quite impressive. The story about him killing the cultist and getting the ring is probably true, but he's just an apprentice at Northwest Academy. He hasn't come here to sell his goods, as if he doesn't have a personal mentor."

The girl was somewhat surprised after hearing this: "Academics? Aren't all the people there bookworms? How could they really be related to cultists?"

“I’m puzzled too.” The old man frowned. “Being an apprentice means he hasn’t graduated yet, but a cultist with this ring must be quite wealthy and a legitimate professional. How could he have stumbled on an apprentice? I’ll inquire about this tomorrow; there should be some news.”

"He's probably a thief, right? He used to know hand-to-hand combat and invisibility, so most people wouldn't be able to defend against him."

"It's unlikely. He has several rare items from the church, which are usually kept in the church's treasury and are virtually impossible to steal. Even if he had that ability, let alone whether he had the power, he wouldn't dare to sell them here, nor would he act like a clueless fool without any connections."

“That’s quite interesting.” The girl smiled. “If he really is a hothead, the Whitestone City newspaper might have a big story tomorrow morning.”

The old man's smile froze on his face.

(End of this chapter)