Libao Town owed its name to an ancient fortress once standing here—Fort Libao. As more settlers flocked to the area, houses sprang up around the fortress, gradually growing into the town seen today. The current town mayor, Baron Rex, now resides in that very ancient fortress.
By the time Abel and Norman arrived in Libao Town, the sun had climbed toward midday. After a quick discussion, they first headed to the church, where Abel paid ten silver coins to hire a priest to cast Lesser Heal on Norman's injured leg, mending it fully.
Stepping out of the church, Abel glanced up at the tall, solemn building and couldn't help but shake his head—churches truly knew how to turn a profit. A mere low-level divine spell, and they charged ten silver coins—an amount that could cover a common family's entire monthly expenses. For the priest, though, it was no more than a flick of the wrist.
Next, following Norman's lead, they made their way to the fur shop in eastern Libao. When the shopkeeper laid eyes on the Shadow Panther, he let out a gasp. Apart from a single gash on its back, the panther's pelt was perfectly intact—and Shadow Panthers were notoriously valuable. Without hesitation, the shopkeeper offered ten gold coins for it.
Norman was more than satisfied with the price. Abel, unfamiliar with the local market, nodded in agreement once he saw Norman's approval.
With this ten gold coins, plus the one Zach had slipped him secretly and the five he'd saved up over time, Abel now had sixteen gold coins in total. Gold held strong purchasing power here, and for the first time in a while, he felt he had a proper sum of money to his name.
Abel had come to Libao with a clear purpose. He told Norman to go handle his own errands—purchasing the supplies he needed—and made it clear he wanted privacy for what he planned to buy next.
He made his way to Libao Trading House, located right in the town center. The trading house's sign bore a silhouette of the ancient Fort Libao, and its storefront was quite spacious. By now, it was nearly noon, so the place was fairly quiet, with only a handful of customers inside.
Abel approached the counter and scanned the goods on display: daily necessities, jewelry, clothing, and more—it was like a well-stocked general store.
"Might you be Young Master Abel?" A portly middle-aged man emerged from behind the counter, his face crinkling into a warm smile as he performed a noble's floral salute to Abel.
Though the salute was far from standard, and using such a formal gesture in a trading house felt out of place, Abel returned it politely. After all, noble etiquette was rarely taught to commoners; for this man to even attempt it was already impressive.
"I am. Do you know me?" Abel asked.
"I'm Tim, the owner of this shop," the man replied. "The corner of your tunic bears the thorned shield—emblem of Knight Bennett's fief. I also know your elder brother, Young Master Zach, so I took the liberty of addressing you as such." With that, he gave another awkward but earnest salute.
The thorned shield was the Bennett family's coat of arms. For anyone aspiring to be a proper noble, memorizing as many noble coats of arms as possible was a must. From the original Abel's memories, he'd been taught literature, music, and noble etiquette since childhood—and heraldry had been a key part of those lessons.
"Mr. Tim, do you sell loose gemstones here?" Abel cut to the chase.
Tim's face lit up at the polite "Mr. Tim." Though the young man before him was only a knight's second son, not a noble in his own right, his status was still prestigious. To be shown respect by someone of such standing put Tim in high spirits. "I do, Young Master Abel. Libao Trading House has a variety of gemstones for you to choose from."
He promptly told an assistant to fetch a large box from the back of the counter. Inside, rows of small gemstones were neatly arranged. In a small town like Libao, few could afford gemstones, and larger, more valuable ones were reserved for special channels—they'd never end up in a regular shop like this.
Abel picked out six rubies, all of the same color and roughly the same size. "Mr. Tim, how much for these?"
"Six gold coins, Young Master Abel—no more," Tim said.
Abel didn't bother haggling. He knew local shopkeepers like Tim would never overcharge a member of the Bennett family, let alone a direct descendant of the knight who ruled the fief. He pulled six gold coins from his pocket and handed them over.
Tim took the coins with both hands, then fetched a small cloth bag, carefully placed the six rubies inside, and walked Abel to the door with a respectful bow.
Once outside, Abel found a quiet, empty alley. He pulled three rubies from the bag, tapped them lightly with his finger, and they vanished—stored safely in the Horadric Cube. He silently recited the crafting recipe he'd memorized: three identical gemstones could be fused into one higher-tier gem. If he was right, pressing the combine button would make the three rubies disappear, leaving a single, larger ruby in their place.
Fighting back his excitement, Abel tapped the combine button below the Cube's twelve grids. The three rubies glowed with a soft white light, then vanished. In the top grid, a ruby twice the size of the original ones appeared. Abel took it out and held it up to the sun—it was breathtaking. Every facet caught the light perfectly, radiating a pure, vivid red, and its interior was crystal clear, with no flaws at all.
In both size and quality, this ruby was a full tier above the small ones. Abel didn't know its exact value, but he was certain it was worth far more than the three gold coins he'd spent on the original rubies.
He repeated the process with the other three small rubies, then tucked the two large ones back into the cloth bag. Now he needed to find a place to sell them—and Libao Trading House was out of the question. After all, he'd just bought six small rubies there; returning minutes later with two larger, better ones would raise far too many questions.
As he walked down the main street, he spotted a sign ahead: Edmond Auction House. Memories flooded back—Edmond was the largest auction house in the Camel Duchy, with branches in nearly every town. Its 500-year history was a testament to its reputation, and every year, the Edmond branch in the duchy's capital hosted auctions of rare treasures, drawing nobles and millionaires from across the Camel Duchy and even neighboring realms.
"Welcome to Edmond Auction House. How may I assist you?" A woman with a classic oval face greeted him. She wore a magnificent dress made of silk imported from the East, her long golden hair cascading over her shoulders, and her eyes were bright and clear, like unclouded gemstones. Her skin was fair and smooth, and her voice was as soft as a melody. She performed a flawless midday greeting salute—perfectly suited for the hour.
"Beautiful lady, I'd like to have a gemstone appraised," Abel replied, returning the salute with equal grace.
The way she'd used the correct etiquette for the time told Abel all he needed to know about Edmond's reputation. Proper etiquette for nobles was a strict art, and mastering it required formal training—something only those with status could access.
"You may call me Yvette, young sir," she said, her smile warm. "I'm the manager here. Shall we speak in the private room upstairs?" Yvette had recognized Abel's status the moment he walked in—his bearing, his clothing, his grasp of etiquette—so she'd decided to handle the matter personally, rather than leaving it to a junior assistant.
In the second-floor reception room, a servant brought them two cups of coffee. Abel, who'd been walking for hours, took a small sip—and was pleasantly surprised. It was excellent coffee, rich and smooth; he couldn't name the origin, but he knew good coffee when he tasted it. His family's finances had been tight for so long that he'd forgotten what quality coffee tasted like.
Yvette watched Abel quietly. Though he was still young—barely a teenager—she treated him with the same respect she'd give any noble. "Respect is for status, not age"—that was Edmond's core service tenet, drilled into every employee.
Abel pulled the cloth bag from his pocket, took out one of the large rubies, and handed it to Yvette. "Ms. Yvette, could you tell me how much this is worth?"
Yvette took the ruby, held it up to the light, and examined it closely—checking for flaws, assessing the cut, and judging its clarity. After a few minutes, she looked up, her eyes alight with excitement. "It's perfect—flawless clarity, perfect cut, and brilliant light transmittance. Are you looking to sell it, young sir? I'll offer you our highest price: 300 gold coins."