Chapter 191: The Boss Who Was Fooled.

This time, the Light Squad went out wearing the magic robes Johnny had given them. They looked so distinguished that the weapon shop owner took them for customers he could charge a fortune.

He never imagined that these respectable-looking magic apprentices would buy the cheapest low-level magic wands in his shop, at ten gold coins apiece!

The owner was deeply dissatisfied. If he had known, he would have asked five gold coins for that scabbard. Instead, the black-haired boy had talked him down to five silver.

What a loss. What an absolute loss.

As if the owner were not miserable enough, Shu Li asked, “Do you buy used magic wands?”

“What?” The owner stared at him.

Shu Li signaled to his friends. They promptly handed him their wands, and he held up seven unremarkable low-level magic wands with a beaming smile.

“We bought these in Daoto City for five gold coins each. If you’ll take them, I’ll sell them to you for one gold coin apiece. What do you think?”

Amanda opened his mouth at “one gold coin apiece,” then thought better of it.

They had bought those wands in Kesheng Town for thirty silver coins each. Apart from the tiny magic stone at the tip, they were little different from ordinary wooden sticks.

And Ace had made his own wand from a branch he had picked up. It was worth next to nothing.

Angel clapped a hand on Amanda’s shoulder, stopping the honest young dragon from giving them away.

Fairies disliked lying, but they occasionally told a harmless little fib.

Shu Li was trying to save money, and his businessman’s upbringing was showing. As a former heir to a wealthy family, he had spent enough time around his father and brothers, who knew their way around a deal, to pick up a thing or two.

To persuade the owner, Shu Li took a letter of recommendation bearing the seal of Saint Velia Magic Academy from his storage pouch and waved it before him.

“We’re about to become students at Saint Velia Magic Academy. We have bright futures ahead of us. When we become powerful mages, we’ll be walking advertisements for your shop, and these seven wands will be proof that you spotted our potential early.” Shu Li smiled adorably. “There are plenty of weapon shops on this street. Why did we come into yours? It must be the Light God’s guidance! You’re handsome and kind, welcoming, generous, and clearly have an eye for talent. Surely you won’t turn down these seven wands, will you?”

The owner, angry only moments ago, was so pleased by the praise that he grinned. “That’s right, that’s right! It’s only seven gold coins. I’ll take them!”

“Thank you! You’re such a good man!” Shu Li gave him a toothy smile.

“Thank you! You’re such a very, very good man!” the Little Fairies chimed in, their voices bright.

Amanda’s mouth fell open in shock. Ace’s eyes shone with amusement.

Shu Li bought seven rather good low-level magic wands for a net cost of sixty-three gold coins. The owner saw them out attentively, and Shu Li led his friends from the shop.

Only after they had walked some distance did the Little Fairies burst into laughter and give Shu Li enthusiastic thumbs-ups.

“Sperien, you’re amazing!” Dixiou said admiringly. Their leader had talked the shop owner into it in just a few sentences.

“Yeah, you are!” Budno nodded repeatedly.

“Actually, I asked Johnny for business advice while we were on the cargo ship!” Shu Li laughed and used Johnny as an excuse. “He said the first rule of making a deal is knowing how to talk. Show off your strengths, paint a tempting picture of the future, and then shower the other person with praise. Once they’re happy, they’ll follow your lead.”

“So that’s how it works!” The others nodded in sudden understanding.

Shu Li glanced back and urged them on. “Let’s get out of here. It’ll be awkward if the owner realizes what happened.”

That sort of deal only worked once. It would never work a second time.

The Light Squad quickened their pace. At the corner, they took drab hooded cloaks from their storage pouches, pulled them over their splendid magic robes, and headed down another busy street.

Five minutes later, the weapon shop owner did indeed come running out. He looked around, found no sign of the seven crafty magic apprentices, and returned to his shop fuming and muttering curses.

Shu Li scratched his itching ear. Was the owner talking about him?

Even so, the man had not lost money overall. He had simply made a little less profit.

A wand priced at ten gold coins probably cost less than five to make. He had also acquired seven more wands, which he could resell for two or three gold coins apiece at the high prices charged in the royal capital.

At worst, customers might find them too poor in quality, leaving them on the shelves for a while.

As for that discarded scabbard, it was hardly worth anything. Shu Li thought even five silver coins had been too much!

“Ace, how did you know Viona would like this scabbard?” Shu Li took out the magic sword and pointed to its sheath as he asked their human classmate.

“Yeah, how?” Dixiou asked. “It rejected all those beautiful scabbards and picked this ugly one... Even if it was cheap.”

“Think back to the difference between those scabbards and this one,” Ace said.

Budno looked puzzled. “The others were pretty and expensive, and this one isn’t?”

“No.” Kumandi studied the sword in Shu Li’s hand. Then understanding flashed through his mind. “It’s the size.”

Ace gave him an approving look. “Exactly. The size.”

A good sword needed a good scabbard, but its appearance mattered less than whether it fit. A beautiful scabbard was useless if it was too small or too large.

It was like wearing shoes. Shoes that were too small pinched your toes; shoes that were too large slipped off your heels. Only a proper fit let you walk comfortably.

Swords and scabbards worked the same way. A sword could not slide fully into a scabbard that was too small, while one that was too large would let the sword rattle around or fall out.

Once their human classmate explained it, Shu Li and his friends understood. They had overlooked something so important because they had been focused entirely on how the scabbards looked.

The magic sword was beautiful, after all. Naturally, they had wanted a scabbard to match.

“Lucky that there happened to be a discarded scabbard in the corner,” Shu Li said. Their human classmate had sharp eyes, too. He had spotted it at once.

Ace smiled calmly. “Just luck, I suppose.”

The others nodded in agreement.

Shu Li put the magic sword back in his storage pouch. “Come on. Let’s buy some food for the road, then rent a carriage.”

Prices in the royal capital of Yadilan were high, but the goods were excellent. They used their shared funds to buy plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, along with meat for Amanda and Falm.

Falm had missed dinner and breakfast at Johnny’s house and was sulking inside the Fire God’s Seal.

Shu Li promised it something tasty once they had rented a carriage and left the capital. Only then did Falm relent and settle down to wait inside the seal.

After finishing their shopping, the Light Squad went to the carriage station and rented a carriage that could seat ten people for thirty gold coins.

They had a long journey ahead. They would travel northeast from the royal capital of Yadilan all the way to the border between the Dalia Empire and the Kingdom of Prunse.

Many drivers refused the job. The closer they got to the border, the worse the roads became, and an unlucky traveler might run into bandits. Losing money was one thing; losing one’s life was quite another.

Shu Li raised his offer from ten gold coins to thirty before a broad-shouldered driver finally agreed to take them.

“Aren’t you afraid of bandits?” Shu Li asked.

“No.” The driver gave him a simple smile. “Mages often travel through Prunse to the Dalia Empire. If I wait at the border and pick up a few for the return trip, bandits won’t dare bother us.”

The seven youths before him were only magic apprentices, but there were plenty of them. Casting together, they could surely defeat ordinary bandits. And mages coming from the central region were not to be underestimated. Any bandits planning to rob them would have to think carefully about their chances.

The driver had taken this route several times and knew it well.

Seeing how confident he was, Shu Li paid half the fare without further argument. He would pay the rest when they reached the border.

A little over half an hour later, an ordinary-looking large carriage rolled at an unhurried pace through the gates of the royal capital.

Back on the road, the Light Squad gathered around the little table in the carriage and eagerly played cards.

In one corner, Falm hugged half a roast chicken and ate with relish.

The smell filled the carriage. Amanda and Budno kept swallowing and casting glances at the little magical beast.

Falm noticed. It clutched the chicken tighter, opened its mouth wider, and began eating faster.

Hmph! Had either of them thought about the poor little beast going hungry while they feasted at Johnny’s table last night?

And now they wanted its chicken? No chance!

Shu Li poked it in the forehead. “Greedy little thing. Slow down. Nobody’s taking it.”

Falm ate even faster. It finished the chicken in a few bites, licked its short, plump paws, and gazed at Shu Li with bright, watery eyes.

“Fruit. Fruit.”

After meat, it wanted something sweet.

With a helpless sigh, Shu Li tucked an apple into its arms.

Satisfied, Falm hugged the apple and crunched away.

Budno rubbed his stomach and leaned toward the window to check the sun. “It’s nearly noon, isn’t it?”

Which meant it was time for lunch.

Amanda licked his lips and looked at Shu Li expectantly.

Under the stares of the two enormous eaters, Shu Li’s mouth twitched. He held up his cards. “After this round.”

“Yay!” Amanda and Budno cheered.

The round ended quickly. Eager to eat, they threw down cards almost at random and soon lost.

Kumandi frowned deeply and shot them a stern glance.

They hunched their shoulders and gave him foolish grins.

Still wearing a severe expression, Kumandi gathered the cards and put them away in their box. “Let’s eat.”

Hearing his passengers, the driver reined in the two horses and stopped beside a lake.

This was the Dalia Empire’s famous Silverse Lake, the source of the Yitongli River. Travelers came every year for its beautiful scenery, and nobles and wealthy families owned estates nearby.

The water was clear as jade and glittered in the sunlight. Green trees encircled the lake, with grass and fragrant flowers along its shores. Butterflies and bees flitted busily about, filling the lakeside with life.

After climbing down from the carriage, the Light Squad found a large tree, spread out a waterproof blanket, and ate their provisions while admiring the view.

Amanda finished several pieces of roast meat and stared at the water. “Should we catch a few fish?”

“Catch them yourself if you want them,” Budno said, biting into a piece of fruit.

Of all of them, Amanda was the only devoted meat-eater.

He rolled up his sleeves and picked up his wand. “I’m going.”

As a young dragon from the Saint Bash Sea, fish was actually his favorite food. If he could not have sea fish, lake fish would do.

He ran eagerly to the shore to catch some with magic.

If he could, he would much rather have taken his dragon form, bathed in the lake, and caught fish to eat while he was there.

“Let’s gather some dry branches and grass,” Shu Li told the others.

He could hardly let Amanda eat raw fish in front of their human classmate. He would put in the effort and grill it himself.

While buying provisions, he had also picked up seasonings and spices.

The royal capital was worthy of its name: its markets carried goods from merchants all over the continent. On its busiest street, Shu Li had found a shop specializing in products from a great eastern country and bought several cooking spices. They were expensive, so he had bought only a little of each, spending twenty gold coins in all.

His friends had been baffled by the expense. Once Amanda caught some fish, Shu Li intended to show them why it was worthwhile.

Fifteen minutes later, Amanda used water magic to catch four carp, each about half a foot long.

Shu Li rolled up the wide sleeves of his magic robe, took out a small knife, and crouched beside the lake to gut and scale them.

“Need a hand?” Ace asked, coming over.

“Sure.” Shu Li put the fish he had finished into a basin and started on the second.

After watching him for a moment, Ace took out a dagger and deftly gutted another fish.

“You’ve cleaned fish before?” Shu Li asked.

Their human classmate’s long, pale fingers were unblemished. They did not look like hands accustomed to rough work.

“Once in a while.” Ace placed the cleaned fish in the basin.

Shu Li took a closer look. The carp had been prepared so neatly that Ace seemed almost particular about it; even the fins and tail had been trimmed to perfection.

Before long, all four fish were clean and in the basin.

Shu Li began pulling seasonings and spices from his storage pouch. His friends gathered around to watch.

“Sperien, why are you adding wine?” Angel asked.

“To get rid of the fishy smell.” Shu Li poured wine into the basin and rubbed it over each fish, inside and out, letting as much as possible soak into the flesh.

Then he added salt, sauce, scallions, and five-spice powder, mixed everything together, and left the fish to marinate for ten minutes.

Their lunch break was short, and Amanda’s stomach was already rumbling. He could not wait an hour.

“What next?” Budno sniffed appreciatively. The marinade smelled wonderful and was making him hungry.

“Build a stone hearth and light some firewood,” Shu Li said.

Dixiou sprang into action. They had often built stone hearths to boil water while carrying out tasks in the Faerie Forest, so it was familiar work.

He spoke an incantation. A small fireball dropped into the hearth and set the wood alight at once.

Shu Li waited until the wood had burned down to glowing charcoal. Then he threaded the marinated carp onto washed branches, laid them over the hearth, and turned them constantly.

Amanda, Dixiou, and Budno each claimed a carp and copied his movements.

As the aroma of grilling fish spread, the Little Fairies and the young dragon could not stop swallowing.

Falm, dozing in the carriage, twitched its nose and jerked its head up. What was that smell? It was making its mouth water.

The Little Fairies were eating something delicious without it!

No. It wanted a share.

Falm flapped its wings and flew out through the partly open carriage window.

On the driver’s seat, Harding caught the smell of grilled fish and suddenly found his wheat cake far less appealing. He could hardly impose on his passengers and ask for a taste, though.

“Grilled fish! Smells good, smells good!” Falm hopped beside the hearth. “Give me some! Give me some!”

Amanda guarded his fish. Four carp were barely enough to fill the gap between his teeth, and now it looked as though two of them would have to be shared. “Why don’t you... catch one from the lake yourself?”

Falm waved its short, plump paws. Could they really bear to send a creature its size into the lake to catch fish?

Shu Li put his nearly finished carp into a clean basin, sprinkled cumin and chili powder over it, and used his knife to lift out a piece of flesh. He held it out to Falm.

“Here. But that’s all you’re getting.”

Falm took the fragrant piece of fish. Ignoring the heat, it bit into it—and its eyes widened.

“Well? Is it good?” Budno asked eagerly.

Something that smelled so wonderful had to taste good.

Falm stuffed the rest into its mouth. When it had swallowed, it stretched a plump paw toward Shu Li to ask for more.

Its greedy expression was answer enough.

“No more for you,” Shu Li said without mercy.

“Just a little more! A little more, please!” Falm circled anxiously. In all its tens of thousands of years, this was the best grilled fish it had ever tasted.

Shu Li finally cut it another tiny piece and set it down. “That’s the last one.”

Falm licked it, tasted it, then took the smallest bite it could, savoring every bit.

Amanda’s fish was ready too. He added the final, essential seasonings—cumin and chili powder—and bit into it impatiently.

Oh, wow!

Fragrant, crisp, flaky, and spicy!

It was delicious!

When Budno’s and Dixiou’s carp were done, everyone else joined in for a taste.

One bite was enough to leave them all wanting more.

So good! Budno ate half a grilled fish with obvious delight. So meat was not the problem. It all depended on who cooked it.

“It isn’t fishy at all,” Angel said after trying a small piece. The fish was fragrant and tender, and even its bones had crisped up enough that they would not prick her mouth.

Kumandi stopped himself after a few bites, took out a notebook and pen, and hurriedly wrote down how to grill carp.

“Sperien, where did you learn to do this?” Dixiou asked between bites.

Shu Li finished his last mouthful, took out a handkerchief, and slowly wiped his fingers. “Mr. Bazien once gave me a book with lots of recipes in it.”

“Oh, Mr. Bazien.” The Little Fairies nodded knowingly.

Mr. Bazien was the great serpent who lived at the edge of the Faerie Forest. He often robbed adventurers and sent Sperien the best things he acquired.

Shu Li silently put a little mark against himself. He felt bad about telling another small lie.

The great serpent had never given him a recipe book. He knew how to barbecue because his family used to cook outdoors all the time. Eventually, he had learned to do it himself.

Ace finished his share of the fish and watched Shu Li intently. “You’re very good at grilling fish,” he said warmly.

Under the gaze of those emerald-green eyes, Shu Li’s heart began to race for no reason he could control. “Th-thank you.”

Amanda finished two whole fish and felt hungrier than before. He wanted to catch a few more, but Shu Li refused without mercy.

They needed to get back on the road.

Dejected, Amanda returned to the carriage and gnawed miserably on a bland wheat cake.

Shu Li took pity on him and promised to roast rabbit that evening—if they could catch one in the wild.

Amanda perked up at once, thumped his sturdy chest, and declared that he would handle catching the rabbit.

The carriage set off again. Drowsy in the afternoon, everyone laid their heads on the table for a nap.

Determined to get some of the evening’s roast rabbit, Falm refused to return to the Fire God’s Seal. It curled up to rest in a corner of the carriage instead.

Harding kept his attention on the road. As it grew rougher, he slowed a little so the delicate magic apprentices inside would not be thrown about.

The sun moved steadily west. The carriage entered a stretch of wilderness, with trees on both sides of the road. There were no villages, no other travelers, and no other carriages in sight.

Harding stared ahead, judging how far the sun would move before he stopped for a break.

Traveling after dark would be dangerous. They would have to camp outdoors.

He hoped the rest of the journey would be uneventful. Above all, he hoped they would not meet any bandits.

But sometimes what one feared most was exactly what lay ahead. As the carriage entered a wooded stretch, Harding’s sharp eyes caught sight of a caravan surrounded by bandits.

There were five carriages, each painted in bright colors. He recognized them at once as belonging to a traveling performance troupe.

At least thirty bandits had encircled the carriages. They waved swords and shouted for the people inside to come out.

Harding wanted to turn around and flee, but it was too late. The sound of his horses’ hooves had alerted them.

At the sight of another prize, the bandits’ eyes lit up. Laughing, they sent five burly men charging toward the carriage.

Harding hauled on the reins and brought it to an abrupt stop.

Inside, the magic apprentices nearly tumbled into a heap.

“What happened, Harding?” Shu Li pushed Dixiou off him and leaned out of the window.

“Bandits!” Harding said in alarm.

Shu Li saw the men surrounding them.

“Wow, bandits!” At the news, the Light Squad grew excited. They grabbed their wands and jumped out of the carriage.

The bandits were startled to see mages emerge. But once they took in the youths’ faces and ordinary wands, their surprise turned to contempt.

Magic apprentices. Nothing to worry about.

“Hey, you lot! Hand over your valuables if you know what’s good for you!” one threatened.

Shu Li assessed them quickly. They were all strong ordinary humans. One spell would take care of them.

There were far more bandits around the caravan ahead, though, including beastmen and goblins.

The beastmen, whose upper bodies had taken on animal features, roared at the troupe’s carriages.

At last, the people inside could bear no more and climbed out one by one. Beautiful young women, handsome musicians, sturdy guards—more than a dozen brightly dressed people appeared, drawing leering whistles from the bandits.

Shu Li tilted his head and gave the men surrounding him an innocent smile. “Could we stand with them?”

The bandits clicked their tongues. They had never met prey so eager to cooperate, and agreed without another word.

Shu Li told Harding to drive the carriage forward while he and his friends walked beside it.

The troupe members noticed the seven young, handsome magic apprentices, and surprise appeared on all their faces.

“My, what handsome young men.”

The speaker was an attractive woman whose close-fitting dress showed off her figure. Brown curls fell loose around her shoulders, interest gleamed in her narrow brown eyes, and her crimson lips curved into a pleased smile.

Shu Li looked over at the sound of her voice and froze.

Huh?

Wasn’t she—

“Director Ximu?!”