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Path to Prosperity - B1 Chapter 9
🕑 Added 2024-06-29 11:59:36 +0000 UTCThe first thing Percy discovered in the butcher’s little shop was a pile of interfaces.
They’re still considered mine even though I was nowhere near the Berserk Rabbits while strolling around.
Percy made a mental note and checked the interfaces.
[Berserk Rabbit Pelt – Good Quality – 2 Prosperity]
[Berserk Rabbit Paw – Good Quality – 1 Prosperity]
[Berserk Rabbit Meat – Good Quality – 1 Prosperity]
[Berserk Rabbit Organs – Good Quality – 0 Prosperity]
[Berserk Rabbit Bones – Clean/Good Quality – 0 Prosperity]
[Berserk Rabbit Brain – Good Quality – 0 Prosperity]
…
[Berserk Rabbit Pelt – Excellent Quality – 3 Prosperity]
A headache assaulted Percy at the number of interfaces unfolding before him, but he got the hang of it quickly. He dismissed the interfaces with 0 Prosperity, leaving him with three interfaces from each dissected Berserk Rabbit. Only their meat, pelt, and paw were worth Prosperity.
They’re not worth 15 Prosperity anymore.
Percy tilted his head, attracting Kevin’s attention. The butcher didn’t say anything but smiled at the youth. It wasn’t difficult to tell that Percy was deep in thought.
The first three interfaces amount to four Prosperity, but all Berserk Rabbits were worth five Prosperity without their eyes.
“How much are the bones, brains, and organs of Berserk Rabbits usually worth?” Percy asked before anything. The smiling butcher raised an eyebrow in response.
“You’re a weird kid, but your eyes must be pretty good to tell the least valuable parts of the Berserk Rabbit. Their meat, paws, and pelt are the most valuable. But you should still be able to earn a handful of copper coins for the rest. Some inns buy the brains and organs, and the Alchemists buy their bones occasionally.”
Is the missing Prosperity distributed among the bones, brains, and organs?
It was possible, but Percy wasn’t sure.
“They might not be worth enough…but are they valuable enough to pay for your service?” He asked with a hint of a smile and a trace of embarrassment. He had no negotiation skills, and his lack of understanding of a butcher’s prices certainly didn’t help him sound confident.
Kevin laughed but accepted him instantly. He inspected Percy for a few more seconds before nodding, “Deal. But you also have to sell me their meat for a discounted price. Don’t look at me like I punched you in the gut. I’m probably making a loss with that deal. One of the Berserk Rabbit’s pelts is of better quality than the rest. Don’t worry, you will earn more than enough!”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Percy nodded reluctantly. He needed money, but seeing the interfaces made it harder for him to sell anything that could earn him Prosperity.
“I will give you six copper coins for the meat. That’s after the discount I added to my workload. I was extra careful with the pelts and paws, so you should get good money for them at the Guild. But maybe it might be a better idea to revisit Erdwin. He can probably give you more than the Guild if you don’t let him exploit you. Ask him for 35 copper coins when you show the pelts and paws. Negotiate with him nicely, but don’t let him bulldoze you, and you will be fine.”
He might not be able to get 35 copper coins from someone like Erdwin – not with his current negotiation skills –, but it would be great if the pelts and paws earned him another 25 copper coins. His profits would be extraordinary in that case.
Percy agreed to the trade and earned a small pouch with six copper coins.
“I noticed you were missing a pouch earlier. You can keep it,” Kevin said lightly. Two new interfaces appeared before Percy.
[6x Copper Coins – Ordinary – 6 Prosperity]
[Leather Pouch – Low Quality – 1 Prosperity]
Percy obtained even more than expected, but that was not all. Kevin retrieved a clean cloth and carefully packaged the paws and pelts inside it before putting them down on the counter for Percy to take.
Percy grasped the cloth with a bright smile, his thoughts running wild.
If I can get another 25 copper coins for the paws and pelts, I will be rich! And if I transfer the money I’ve earned into Prosperity, I could earn more than I would have earned if I used [Consume] on the Berserk Rabbits outside the town!
That didn’t mean Percy would turn his copper coins into Prosperity, but it showed a more efficient way to earn Prosperity. Converting copper coins into Prosperity looked like his best option, at least for now.
“Earning money feels nice, doesn’t it?” Kevin teased Percy, who agreed readily.
“Come to me if you have more monsters to butcher. I will give you a good price.”
Percy thanked Kevin multiple times, still grinning, and left the shop to travel to his next target. He returned to Erdwin’s shop. The trip didn’t take long, but it felt like an eternity as the excitement in his heart rose. He was about to earn a small fortune.
Other than that, Percy felt good to be walking around the town. It was the first time he did something like that. Nonchalantly walking through the town, bathing in sunlight.
Merchant Erdwin noticed him the moment he entered the shop. However, he was busy with another customer. Percy approached the counter and unpacked Kevin’s cloth. He laid the pelts and paws out neatly and waited patiently until it was his turn. In the meantime, the experiment with his Ego continued. His hand reached out for a small red vial, and he held it until Erdwin sold his customer a broadsword.
Erdwin was in a good mood and didn’t question what Percy was doing with the vial. Nonetheless, he put it back to where it belonged. It would be wrong if he broke the vial by accident. He didn’t have the budget to buy potions yet.
“What do we have here?” Erdwin asked, inspecting the pelts and paws, only for Percy to pull the merchant’s attention to him with a gesture.
“I want 35 copper coins for the pelts and paws. I know they’re worth that much!” He declared.
Erdwin raised an eyebrow but inspected the pelts again, “Did Kevin say that? To think he would finish this so quickly and give you some advice. Good job.”
Despite being praised, Percy was far from happy. He swallowed hard and noticed that he was breaking into a sweat. Dealing with Erdwin was more taxing than fighting the Berserk Rabbits.
“I won’t give you 35 copper coins, though,” The merchant shook his head, “You can try it in the Guildhall, but their price will be lower than mine. I can give you 20 copper coins.”
Percy pressed his lips together and wiped his sweat.
“One of the pelts is of excellent quality. You can sell it for a lot more than the rest. Thirty-five copper coins are a fair price. You took advantage of me before!”
“Your impatience and hunger influenced your mind. I offered five copper coins for the Berserk Rabbit’s eyes. I never forced you to accept my offer,” The merchant clicked his tongue but gave him a new offer, “Okay, I will give you 25 copper coins.”
Erdwin glanced at Percy, the corner of his lips twitching. Percy wouldn’t have noticed that if he hadn’t been paying attention to the man opposite him.
He knows that I’m a rookie. You bastard!
He felt like shouting at the merchant but continued cursing in his mind instead.
“I made a big mistake this morning,” Percy acknowledged, “That’s why I can accept 32 copper coins for everything.”
Erdwin studied Percy intently, forcing the youth to maintain eye contact. Percy knew instinctively that looking away would be equivalent to surrendering. But he didn’t want to surrender. He was unwilling to lose this battle of wits!
“Since I don’t want you to collapse in my little shop or to flood my shop with your sweat, I’ll give you 30 copper coins. Take it, or go to the Guildhall, but remember I won’t offer you 30 copper coins anymore.”
Should I give the Guildhall a try? But will they give me more? Maybe I can get more than 30 copper coins from Erdwin if I continue negotiating, but do I want to displease him? He has pretty good stuff in his shop. The other merchants are not equipped like Erdwin. They focus more on ‘ordinary’ stuff.
Percy thought about it for a second and came to a decision.
“30 copper coins it is.”
If it were this morning, Percy would have sold the Berserk Rabbit corpses for 20 copper coins since that was how much Prosperity he would have gotten. But now he’d earned 41 copper coins, which included the money he earned when he’d been taken advantage of.
Percy smiled brightly and stretched his hand out to receive the copper coins. He licked his lips, his azure-blue eyes twinkling brightly.
“Your eyes are…” Merchant Erdwin mumbled, his eyes narrowing to tiny slits.
“Don’t try to distract me! I can count, and I will make sure you give me the right amount!” Percy interrupted the merchant, unwilling to wait any longer.
Erdwin scowled but remained silent. He retrieved six small piles of five copper coins. Percy lunged at them and hurriedly stored them in his little leather pouch. His eyes glimmered in excitement observing the interface as it updated.
[36x Copper Coins – Ordinary – 36 Prosperity]
That’s definitely enough to buy some clothes, rent a proper lodge for the night, and maybe a bag. I don’t really want to get thrown out of the town now that I’m making friends.
He caught himself deep in thought and tilted his head as his eyes fell on Erdwin, who stored the pelts and paws.
Maybe not everyone is a friend. Or is he? He gave me a lecture and helped me negotiate. But then again, I’m pretty sure he profited from the pelts and paws. The Guildhall would have given me less though. Maybe the other merchants as well.
Percy was not sure what he should think about Erdwin. The merchant wasn’t really a bad guy. He did his job well, which was obvious. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have a shop full of unique goods.
I guess I will see what he is. I'll be fine as long as he doesn’t turn into an enemy.
“What do you think of the Bag of Preservation? I can sell you a used one for five silver coins,” Erdwin asked, fully understanding that Percy didn’t have the money.
“Are you making fun of me for being poor?!” Percy asked, his smile wiped away.
Erdwin shrugged, “I was only trying to make a special offer to our soon-to-be Adventurer.”
Maybe if the merchant hadn’t been smiling deviously at him, Percy would have believed him.
Forget it. He’s a bad guy. May lightning strike you or a Dragon release a load of poop on your roof!
