However, just as Lynch's gaze was drawn to the ring and his heart began to pound...
Suddenly.
He keenly noticed the corners of the Elf shopkeeper's mouth curl up slightly, a clear look of excitement and smugness in his eyes.
'I know that look all too well.'
It was the exact same expression those fishing fanatics get when their bobber sinks, right before they hook a fish.
'Whoa there. I almost fell for it.'
Lynch was instantly on alert.
He was an old hand at fishing himself.
He knew full well that if he showed too much eagerness for the Soul Servant Ring, the shopkeeper would jack up the price on the spot, sharpen his knives, and fleece him for all he was worth.
'No, I have to suppress this feeling.'
Lynch simply recalled last night's nightmare for a moment, and his gaze immediately cleared. His heart became as calm as still water, devoid of all desire.
He casually glanced at the ring, then indifferently looked away. "This ring is kind of interesting, I guess. But boss, I'm just a dirt-poor Undead apprentice. One more or one less garbage Skeleton Soldier doesn't really mean much to me."
"Besides, I have to focus on improving my Meditation efficiency for the upcoming academy-wide exams. By the way, boss, how much for these Focus Potions? Is there a bulk discount?"
As he spoke of the Focus Potions, a hint of longing appeared in his eyes.
The Elf shopkeeper was slightly surprised. It was as if the fish had taken the bait, only to inexplicably slip the hook at the last moment, leaving him baffled.
But he was, after all, a seasoned merchant. He maintained his elegant smile.
He immediately placed the ring back in its wooden box in an unhurried manner, his voice gentle and pleasant. "Valued customer, our Focus Potions are five Gold Coins a bottle. If you purchase twenty or more at once, I can give you one extra bottle for free."
While speaking, his eyes were secretly observing Lynch's gaze, body language, and minute changes in expression, as if trying to figure out what Lynch was really thinking.
After all, the profit margin on Focus Potions was too slim. If he could sell that Soul Servant Ring that had been collecting dust in his inventory, the profit would be far more substantial.
"Too little." Lynch frowned in dissatisfaction. "Over at Copperbeard's Wind, it's buy twenty, get three free."
"Valued customer, all the Focus Potions in Saint Roland City are distributed by the Alchemist Association, so the prices are all more or less the same." The Elf shopkeeper looked troubled. "We're just making a small profit for our hard work..."
What followed was a round of haggling.
In the end, the human and the Elf reached a deal: buy twenty, get two free.
And from beginning to end, Lynch never once glanced at the Soul Servant Ring lying quietly in its wooden box.
After paying, Lynch wore a satisfied expression. He picked up the large bag of Focus Potions and started walking out of the shop.
The Elf shopkeeper maintained his elegant smile the entire time and never mentioned the ring again.
However, just as Lynch's foot crossed the threshold...
A flicker of bewilderment once again crossed the Elf shopkeeper's eyes.
He couldn't help but doubt himself.
'Did I misjudge him? Or is this kid more cunning than a fox?'
But it was clear that if he just let him walk away, all the chum he'd painstakingly laid out today would have been for nothing—just food for the fish.
To lure Lynch back, the purchase prices he had quoted for those miscellaneous items were so high he was making almost no profit.
As his thoughts raced, the Elf shopkeeper finally lost his composure. "Customer, please wait a moment," he called out.
Lynch paused his steps slightly.
'Hook, line, and sinker,' he rejoiced inwardly.
But when he turned back, his face was a mask of confusion. "Yes, boss? Is there something else?"
'Sigh...' The Elf shopkeeper sighed to himself.
It wasn't that he lacked patience, but this Soul Servant Ring had been dead stock in his shop for far too long.
There were simply too few Necromancers these days. In all of Saint Roland City, only the Hurst Royal Extraordinary Academy had any, but every single one of them was as poor as a... ahem, how to put this? Their purchasing power was limited.
Therefore, even if it meant earning a little less, he had to sell it as soon as possible to free up his capital.
The Elf shopkeeper immediately took out the Soul Servant Ring again, smiling elegantly. "This ring isn't actually that expensive. Look at this design, this style... it perfectly suits the noble aura of a Necromancer like yourself."
'Heh, we're at this stage and he's still trying to probe me?'
'Boss, man, your desperation is showing. Don't you have any self-awareness?'
Lynch laughed inwardly.
An Elf was an Elf. Even a crooked Elf merchant's negotiation skills and patience were a cut below those of human swindlers, to say nothing of the infamous goblin merchants.
While he was grumbling internally...
Lynch let a hint of interest show on his face. "Oh? Now that you put it that way, I am a little interested. How about this: if it's under two hundred Gold Coins, I could buy it for fun. Who knows, maybe my exam scores will actually look a tiny bit better."
"T-Two hundred?!" The Elf shopkeeper's elegance finally cracked. His smile stiffened. "How is that possible? Customer, your price... it's below my cost! It has to be at least... uhm, eight hundred!"
He had originally wanted to say a thousand, but the words died on his lips when he saw Lynch's "take it or leave it" expression. He forced himself to say eight hundred instead.
"Eight hundred is too expensive." Lynch shook his head. "Boss, I'm still just an apprentice. Where would I get that kind of money? Three hundred, tops."
After another round of haggling, the price was finally set at five hundred and eighty Gold Coins.
Seeing the Elf shopkeeper's no-longer-elegant, even exasperated expression—as if he wanted to roll up his sleeves and punch someone—Lynch knew the time was right.
Once the price was settled...
He took the Soul Servant Ring from the wooden box, adjusted it slightly, and slipped it onto his finger.
A cool sensation immediately spread from his finger to his brain, refreshing his mind.
'So it really does slowly restore Spiritual Power.'
But that was just a bonus. The important thing was... after a quick inspection, he found that he had indeed gained an additional contract slot. He could now use his Summoned Skeleton skill to contract another Skeleton Soldier from the Netherworld.
"What a treasure," Lynch rejoiced inwardly.
But now came the practical problem.
After buying the Focus Potions, he only had a little over two hundred and fifty Gold Coins on him.
"Boss, I didn't bring that much money with me today. Here's my student badge, and this big bag of Focus Potions I just bought. I'll leave them here as collateral. In three days, I'll come back with six hundred Gold Coins to redeem them. The extra twenty Gold Coins can be the interest." Lynch proposed this credit plan without so much as a blush.
For a moment, the Elf shopkeeper's expression flickered. After a moment of deliberation, he sighed helplessly and put on his professional smile again. "Alright. But if I don't see those six hundred Gold Coins in three days... don't blame me for going to your academy to have a little chat with Ms. Annabella of the Undead System."
Heh.
'This shopkeeper is pretty well-informed. He even knows who the real shot-caller of the Undead System is right now.'
But it didn't matter. Lynch had no intention of welching on the debt anyway.
After completing the collateral procedure...
Lynch, wearing his newly acquired Soul Servant Ring, left the "Blackthorn" shop.
But he was still short three hundred and fifty Gold Coins.
His head started to ache.
This was no small sum. It wouldn't be easy to earn that much money in such a short time through conventional means.
'Looks like I have no choice but to activate that plan I've been brewing for a long time.'
His pace quickened, and he soon blended into the bustling crowds of Saint Roland City.
「An hour later.」
Lynch stopped in front of a shop.
[Copperbeard's Wind: The Honest Blacksmith Shop].
Beneath the sign hung a symbol of a crossed hammer and tankard.
Before even entering, he could hear the rhythmic CLANG CLANG CLANG of a hammer striking iron from within.
Lynch pushed the door open and went inside.
The shop's interior was quite spacious. On one side, shelves displayed all sorts of weapons and armor; the other side was a smithing workshop.
There, a Dwarf, standing just over four feet tall with a thick, fiery red beard, stood before the forge.
His bare, muscular torso was knotted with muscle. He swung a huge iron hammer in his right hand, striking an iron ingot with loud CLANGS.
This stout and sturdy fellow was the shop's owner—Muradin Bronzebeard.
Hearing the door...
Copperbeard looked up. When he saw it was Lynch, he immediately tossed the huge iron hammer aside with a loud CLANG, making the very ground seem to tremble.
He rushed up to Lynch in just a few steps, tilted his head back, and roared aggressively, "Well, if it isn't the Lynch kid! If ya didn't show up soon, I was gonna haul me hammer over to yer academy to collect my debt!"
His booming voice was loud enough to make one's ears go numb.
But Lynch remained perfectly calm. He unhurriedly took out a heavy money pouch and casually tossed it in his hand.
The clear, pleasant jingle of Gold Coins rang out.
Dwarf Copperbeard's angry expression instantly melted into a beaming smile. "Aiya, I knew it! Lynch, me lad, I could tell you were a capable young man! How could ya possibly welch on a debt?"
As he spoke, he reached for the pouch.
But with a flick of his wrist, Lynch made the pouch vanish into his sleeve as if by magic.
Copperbeard's smile froze, his beard bristling with anger. "You brat, what's the meaning of this?"
Lynch ignored him, instead beginning to stroll leisurely around the blacksmith shop. His eyes scanned the surroundings as if he were inspecting his own private woodland.
Copperbeard followed at his heels, muttering nonstop, "Are ya gonna pay up or not, kid? Just give me a straight answer."
Finally.
Lynch stopped walking.
On a rack before him sat several oak barrels from which the faint scent of ale wafted.
He turned around, a sincere smile on his face.
"Brother Copperbeard, I'm here today to make you rich."
...