Chapter 15: Beast & Blade Emporium
Leo stood before a building that proudly bore the name Blade & Beast Emporium.
He'd heard that many establishments dealt with monster materials, along with weapons, armor, and tools. But a few, like this one, were officially contracted with the Beast Hall.
Those were considered trustworthy, as ripping off customers meant losing those contracts and facing severe penalties.
The building itself was a blend of wood and polished stone, with white pillars that gave it a faintly medieval charm. It stood on slightly elevated ground, a short flight of stairs leading up to the entrance. Just as Leo was just about to step inside, a young man approached him.
The young man wore a well-fitted leather doublet over a clean tunic. His sharp eyes and calm smile carried the quiet confidence of a seasoned trader. A green cloak, clasped with silver, draped over his shoulders, and the pouches at his belt hinted at his understated wealth. A faint, pleasant perfume left a pleasant trail in the air around him.
"Sir," the man began smoothly, "I assume you're here to sell these corpses?"
Leo gave a short nod.
"In that case," the man continued without missing a beat, "please allow us to take them for examination here. The tree bark and debris could damage our flooring inside. I assure you, we will deal fairly."
Leo accepted the suggestion with a curt nod. At a signal from the young man, two workers came over. They quickly lifted the corpses and carried them to a nearby inspection area, clearly visible from where they stood.
Turning back to him, the young man gave a small bow and guided Leo to a nearby couch.
"My name is Gerald Riku. I manage this branch of the Riku family business—we deal in beast materials."
"Leo," he answered simply. "I'm a Beast Master."
Gerald's eyes brightened at the word. "Then you must be of quite a rank to hunt beasts like these," he said, his tone warm.
Leo shook his head, correcting. "No. I awakened today, and this was my first hunt."
Gerald blinked, taken aback.
He awakened today? I thought he was a veteran Beast Master… I know that the awakening trial happened earlier today, but aside from the Baron's son's surprising awakening with Super rare Soul, there hadn't been any high-level…
Sensing his confusion, Leo explained that he had gotten lucky when he encountered the injured orc and killed him.
Gerald nodded, seemingly accepting the story.
Even so, having the courage to attack an orc, even if it was a wounded one, is admirable, he thought.
One of the workers returned and leaned in to whisper something to Gerald.
Gerald's expression shifted smoothly back into professional composure before he turned to address Leo.
"The appraisal of the corpses is complete," he said. "The goblin head is worth 1 bronze. The boar will fetch 50 bronze coins. As for the orc—1 silver and 50 bronze. The orc would have gone for more, around 2 silver and 50 bronze coins, if its body hadn't been so heavily damaged."
He then gestured toward the torn spots on the orc's corpse, wounds that had clearly been inflicted by the boar during their fight.
Leo raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Sensing that Leo was likely unfamiliar with the trade, Gerald offered a patient explanation.
"Beasts absorb ambient mana, which enriches their flesh with mana. When consumed, it can increase a person's innate mana capacity. And since orcs are high-rank beasts, their meat is especially valuable."
He paused, then added with a faint, amused shrug, "And… the orcs taste quite good, too."
"Thank you for explaining," Leo said, offering a brief, sincere smile.
He then placed the cores and mana crystal onto the tray.
Gerald slipped on a single, silver-trimmed spectacle and examined each item with practiced efficiency—barely five seconds per piece for his trained eye.
At last, he set the mana crystal down with a satisfied nod.
"The mana crystal is Peak 1★ quality—probably from the orc. That's 20 Bronze," Gerald said, tallying as he spoke. "These four are clearly goblin cores—50 copper each for the smaller ones. The fourth is obviously of better quality—80 copper. And the orc core… 15 Bronze."
He closed the ledger with a soft tap.
"Your total comes to… 2 Silver, 38 Bronze, and 20 Copper."
Leo had already done the math in his head and found nothing amiss. He accepted the payment without hesitation. If Gerald had known that a freshly awakened commoner could do such quick calculation, he'd have been astonished—in this society, that level of numeracy usually belonged only to well-off or noble households.
Leo's new balance came to 6 Silver, 96 Bronze, 30 Copper.
Even excluding what Lily had given him, he had earned more than what the two of them together might make in two years. The thought made him smile faintly as he pictured Lily's reaction.
As he left the building, Gerald called out, "It was a pleasure doing business! Do come again if you need anything; we also sell equipment and tools."
Of course Gerald was pleased. He earned a 5% commission on every business he handled, which meant he himself had made a sweet 35 Bronze from Leo's transaction alone. It might not seem like much to a noble's son, but for Gerald, it was significant.
Being born in a competitive noble family with many siblings, he and his mother had been left alone to fend for themselves after his father lost interest in her. As a final act of consideration, his father had secured him a position in one of the family's branch shops, even though Gerald hadn't awakened.
Life had never been easy for him either. Especially now, when he had to take care of his mother, who had gotten sick.
Leo gave a respectful nod and moved on.
Outside, the sun was dipping low below the horizon, casting warm orange rays across the town, bathing it in its hue. He walked leisurely through an alley, a shortcut to home, his thoughts drifting as he daydreamed about the future his awakening had unlocked before eventually drifting to Lily.
Maybe I should tell her to stop working. I can earn enough now… enough that we can live comfortably. Of course, I'll still get stronger… bash that bastard Baron's skull… maybe even renovate the hous—!
His thoughts were abruptly cut off.
His pupils shrank as instinct took over, and he ducked down just in time—only to see a glimpse of a blade whispering past his neck in a horizontal slash.
"Tsk. Tsk. Norn, are you getting senile? How could you miss such an easy strike?" a man said, irritation lacing his tone.
Leo stumbled back, his eyes wide.
Then recognition hit him like cold water.
Norn. Juan. Lans.
These were the men who had killed the body's previous owner!
"Heh. Did you see that? The way he dodged that attack? He ducked at the last moment," Juan said with a sly grin, misreading Leo's wary expression as fear.
"Tsk. This is the reason I hate Beast Masters," Norn muttered, his lips curling. "From what I know, he awakened with a common soul, but look, his reaction speed has already increased. No matter…"
His gaze sharpened.
"Today he dies for real…"