“Costs… I’m short on money lately.”
Banning glanced at his withered purse, and Emilia suddenly had a bad feeling.
She was already tight on funds, would he demand a hefty sum?
“How about this, I’ll trade these two books for the cost of the potion books, alright?”
Banning took out two brand-new books from his bag and handed them to Emilia for confirmation.
Emilia immediately noticed the chains wrapped around the two books, which were only used for magic books!
What excited her even more was that the chains binding these two books were silver!
Silver chains meant that these books were at least Tier-3 magic books!
(No… It can’t be…?)
Emilia’s hands trembled slightly as she took the books. The weight and unique scent of the pages made her think she was dreaming.
“Tier-3 Fire Magic: Wall of Flames… Tier-3 Fire Magic: Pillar of Flames…!”
Emilia felt as if she was about to lose consciousness.
These were the very books she had yearned for over the past two years!!
Moreover, these two books were worth 300 silver coins! That was enough to buy dozens of potion books!!
“What’s the matter, is it not enough?”
Emilia’s long delay in responding prompted Banning to question.
— (How could it not be enough… He’s giving too much…!)
“No… It’s not that it’s not enough…”
Emilia forcibly suppressed her agitated heart, telling herself to calm down. Money doesn’t grow on trees. and there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
Emilia guessed there might be an issue with the books, so she carefully examined them. To her surprise, not only were both magic books unused and uninfused with magic power, but they were also in excellent condition, as if they had just been taken off a bookstore shelf!
Emilia was on the verge of fainting from the sheer luck she had encountered!
But a shred of conscience remained within her; she told herself she couldn’t accept these two books because that would be taking advantage of Banning, and she would feel guilty.
“These two books are too valuable; I can’t accept them… I’ll find the potion books for you. As for the cost, you can pay me when you have the money. I’m not very well-off either, so please try to raise the funds as soon as possible.”
Emilia forced herself to say these words.
However, much to her surprise, Banning insisted on giving her a bargain.
“No, that’s too much trouble. Since I’ve given you these books, just accept them. If they exceed the value of the potion books, you can help me with something else I need to buy later.”
“No, I can’t accept this…”
“If you don’t take them, I’ll burn these books. I’m not a mage; carrying these books is too conspicuous.”
Banning took out a flint, frightening Emilia, who quickly accepted the two books.
She had been yearning for these books for two years! If not for lack of money, she would have bought them long ago. How could she let them be burned by Banning?
“That’s better, see? You should have accepted them earlier.”
Banning chuckled, put away the flint, and prepared to leave.
“Emilia, tomorrow morning, bring me a beginner’s potion book at the inn where I’m staying, right across from The Quest Guild. Ask the landlady, and she’ll tell you my room number.”
Having said that, Banning left nonchalantly.
Emilia, holding the two magic books, reveled in the satisfaction that filled her entire being.
She felt her heart brimming with happiness, leaving no room for anything else.
Even though Banning had ordered her to do something the next morning, she found it acceptable for the moment.
A contented smile finally graced the young girl’s face after a long time.
.
━━━━━━━━━
〖Prison Star Calendar〗
〖Year 187, June 17〗
〖7:15 AM〗
〖Countdown to Confession Death: 3 days〗
━━━━━━━━━
Emilia awoke early today with the sole purpose of purchasing a potion book before her shift at The Quest Guild and delivering it to that detestable Banning.
Fortunately, potion books were not difficult to find, and entry-level ones were inexpensive, costing only a coin or two.
Emilia quickly chose a suitable book and briskly arrived at the inn opposite The Quest Guild.
Upon entering the inn, Emilia noticed an additional paper golden fox on the outer wall and couldn’t help but gaze at it for a while.
Emilia didn’t know when these golden foxes first appeared, but in these recent gloomy days, it was thanks to their smiling faces that she was able to regain her composure and continue her daily life and work.
— (The person who created these little foxes must be kind-hearted.)
.
Emilia found Banning’s room with the innkeeper’s help and knocked on his door.
“Lord Banning, it’s Emilia. I have brought you the book.”
“Come in, the door is unlocked.”
Before entering the room, Emilia hadn’t anticipated seeing anything inappropriate.
What could a girl possibly see when entering a boy’s room?
Yet, upon stepping inside, Emilia immediately turned her back in embarrassment.
“You—why are you undressed?!”
“It’s merely a lack of upper clothing, isn’t it? No need to make such a fuss.”
Banning’s indifferent response contrasted starkly with Emilia’s shyness.
After hearing Banning’s words, Emilia also thought, indeed, it was just an exposed torso; there were plenty of bounty hunters at the guild who were shirtless. So, what was she blushing about?
Thus, Emilia turned back around.
And then, she saw Banning’s bare muscles shimmering under the morning sunlight.
Although Banning seemed rather slender when clothed, his exposed muscles were surprisingly impressive.
His robust arms, sturdy chest, and the lines of his abdominal muscles captivated Emilia, her gaze following the contours involuntarily…
“Hey, where are you looking?”
Banning suddenly blocked Emilia’s view with his hand, startling her.
“I—I wasn’t looking.”
Feeling guilty, Emilia handed the potion book to Banning, her mind still somewhat hazy.
For some reason… Banning’s physique had a hypnotic effect.
“Beginner’s Guide to Antidote Formulation and Preparation…”
Banning read the book’s title aloud and started flipping through the pages.
Emilia, unsure of what to do and not daring to look at Banning again, began wandering around the room.
While doing so, her eyes landed on a half-finished golden fox on the table.
— (How can this be…?)
Emilia, in disbelief, quickly walked to the window and looked at the outer wall, only to see all those adorable golden foxes attached to this room’s exterior.
Could it be that Banning was the creator of these golden foxes?𝗈𝗏𝐞𝔩xt.𝗇𝓔t