Those sand bandits, who roam the sand sea, appear and disappear without a trace, and have brutal temperaments, are not to be trifled with; they will cut off an opponent's head at the slightest disagreement.
Therefore, if they aren't sufficiently prepared, they definitely won't make it out of the Great Sai Desert; without a capable person who understands celestial observation, they won't be able to find the locations of ruins or ancient tombs.
In fact, Durin was also considering during class whether he should join this team if he were to go to Shurima to excavate the necromancer's treasure.
He could work as a translator part-time and earn some extra money to cover travel expenses.
After Archaeology class ended, Durin left Piltover University and took the tram to Hör Street in the foreign trade business district. He needed to purchase the materials required for forging a shield according to the material list provided by Instructor Rocov.
As for the runestones, Durin planned to visit the Sun Gates port and then search the black market in the Fish Market District.
…
After approximately two hours, nearing five o'clock, Durin finally found a shop called "Myriad Treasures Emporium" through inquiries along the way. This shop on Hör Street was known for its fair and affordable prices and had the best reputation for selling various materials.
He walked straight in. Behind the counter stood a young man in linen clothes, who looked about eighteen years old. He was leaning against the counter, with prominent dark circles under his eyes, appearing drowsy and listless, and smelling of cheap perfume.
And this cheap perfume, at first glance, was the kind used by prostitutes in brothels.
Thump thump!
"I want to buy some raw iron for crafting equipment," Durin said, tapping the counter with his middle and index fingers to get the attention of the distracted clerk.
Upon seeing a customer, the clerk immediately bent at the waist, a smile spreading across his face, and respectfully said, "Esteemed Mister Mage, what kind of iron ore do you need? Our store has cold iron from the north, high-strength steel purified multiple times, and ordinary iron ingots, as well as Demacia Steel from the Kingdom of Demacia, also known as Mithril Steel. Each type of raw iron has a different price, and we're currently running a promotion: buy ten catties and get one free."
"I don't have much money on me. Do you have any raw iron that's cheap but still practical?" Durin asked.
Every copper circle coin had to be spent wisely. He knew the forging and processing fee alone would be 2 gold cogwheels, and at the end of this semester, they would tally how many paid courses he had taken, which would be another huge expense.
The path to becoming a Mage truly was paved with money.
Hearing Durin's request, the clerk enthusiastically recommended, "Then I recommend you buy Piltover-produced Wootz Steel ingots. They're durable and cheap. Only 20 copper circle coins per catty."
"I'll take twenty catties. Do you offer home delivery service?"
"Of course, we do. You just need to write down the address and the contact person, and we'll deliver it to your door. Twenty catties of Wootz Steel ingots will be a total of 400 copper circle coins, which is equivalent to 4 silver lun coins, plus we'll give you an extra two catties."
"Can you make it a bit cheaper?"
"Mister Mage, I'm just a salesperson, and my authority is limited. The lowest price is 18 copper circle coins per catty. This is already the absolute lowest price. If you think it's suitable, we can sign the contract."
At 18 copper circle coins per catty, twenty catties would be 360 copper circle coins, or 3.6 silver lun coins.
Suddenly, it was 40 copper circle coins cheaper. Durin did a quick mental calculation and couldn't help but show a hint of joy. According to the prices he had inquired about, the price of ordinary iron ingots generally fluctuated between 17 and 26 copper circle coins.
And 18 copper circle coins was clearly the most favorable price the clerk could offer.
"Alright."
Durin took out 3 silver lun coins and 60 copper circle coins from his storage ring. With the storage ring, Durin put some of his money into it, and the rest was tucked into an inner pocket of his Mage robe.
Even rats digging holes knew to split their hoard; money certainly couldn't all be kept in one place. Keeping it separate provided a sense of security.
After signing the contract with the Myriad Treasures Shop, in the address field, Durin filled in Instructor Rocov's residence on the mountaintop in the Instructor Dormitory Area of the Magic Academy at Piltover University.
In the contact person field, he wrote his own name and Instructor Rocov's name.
Next, he bought two other materials from other shops: leather and iron birch fine wood, ordering two 5-meter long pieces of ordinary leather goods and 10 catties of hardwood.
The prices were 17 copper circle coins per meter for the former, and 8 copper circle coins per catty for the latter.
The total cost was 250 copper circle coins, equivalent to 2.5 silver lun coins.
After purchasing the forging materials, Durin's total assets were 6 gold cogwheels, 7 silver lun coins, and 16 copper circle coins. He hoped he could find a Rune Stone he liked, even if it had flaws.
Thinking this, Durin quickened his pace and headed towards the Sun Gates.
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