Chapter 101 - 35: [Exile and Exile]

Chapter 101: Chapter 35: [Exile and Exile]

"What do you mean? Do Divine Era Ancient Coins have other uses in the ruins?" Samael asked.

"You often encounter a certain type of machine in the ruins. You just need to insert a Divine Era Ancient Coin, and it will drop specific, corresponding goods." Talia smiled. "Although the items that come out aren’t fixed, and I don’t know the principles behind it, they are usually very useful supplies."

"...Isn’t that a vending machine?" Samael stared blankly.

"A vending machine?"

"Uh... it’s a machine that automatically dispenses goods when you insert coins. They have similar contraptions in my homeland," Samael explained. "Logically speaking, you should be able to choose the goods yourself instead of them dropping randomly... Forget it. If we run into one later, I’ll explain it when we have the chance."

The two strolled back to town. On the streets, cargo-hauling merchants were discussing various matters.

"Yeah, the road’s blocked..." an old merchant wrapped in a sheepskin coat and wearing a brimmed leather hat said. "There are too many Dwarf iron carts transporting ore. One of them broke down and completely blocked the road."

"How come it hasn’t been fixed after so long?" a younger merchant asked.

"It hasn’t. The iron carts behind it can’t get through either. The jam is only getting worse by the minute. It will take at least three or four days to clear."

"That long?! Business opportunities are just like fleeting chances in battle! Winter is almost here, and the Northern Knight Territory is buying cotton at high prices. If we don’t hurry over before the heavy snow seals off Dragon’s Tooth Pass in the north, these three carts of cotton will rot and mold in the warehouse!"

"You’re already late heading out in late autumn!" The surrounding merchants burst into laughter, mocking the younger man. "Experienced merchants running cotton set out the moment autumn begins!"

"Cotton harvesting doesn’t even start until nearly October! How is it possible to set off right at the beginning of autumn?" the young merchant retorted.

The merchants erupted into unified laughter.

"You depart from the Empire’s south in late September with an empty cart. On the journey north, you buy up cheap, fresh cotton along the way, gradually filling your cart piece by piece. By the time you near Dragon’s Tooth Pass in the north, your cart is already fully loaded." The old merchant adjusted his leather hat and tapped his long-stemmed pipe against the edge of the cart, coughing in his goatskin coat. "Young man, who taught you how to run a caravan? You can’t just run around blindly. You have to memorize your route planning, or else you’ll be the one taking a loss."

"The Imperial Capital is purchasing a batch of Demonized materials at high prices again..."

"Don’t bother going... I heard a massive shipment of Demonized materials just arrived from the western pass. The prices have already been driven down..."

"This year’s Alchemist Association qualification exam is starting in another three or four days. Half of those materials are probably meant for the practical exam... Isn’t your nephew an Alchemist? How many years has he been taking the test? Did he pass yet?"

"You really don’t know how to read the room. If my nephew had passed, would I still be out here running trades? Bah! Every year, it’s just wasting money going to the Imperial Capital. If you ask me, he’d be better off learning the trade routes with me, just like my daughter. It’s much more practical."

"The Imperial Foundry seems to be buying Demonized materials too..."

"The Foundry has always only bought low-grade materials, and they buy them by the cartload to keep the prices dirt cheap. Plus, running those materials means traveling to the godforsaken, bandit-infested Barren Land! If you want to make real money, it’s not worth the effort!"

"No, no! I heard the Foundry recently started accepting high-grade Demonized materials, and the prices are decent. With a bit of route planning, it’s still worth making a couple of trips..."

"No, Old Duke is being controlled by that Musa’s subordinates... We can’t act recklessly."

"Are you kidding me? How much farther are we going to let them blackmail us into traveling?"

"They said the target is very close. It’s just that there’s an Imperial Foundry garrison in this area, and possibly Blood Sword Guards, so they don’t dare act recklessly for now. Once he completes his mission and deals with this so-called target, maybe they’ll let us go..."

Talia suddenly paused and tightly grabbed Samael’s arm.

"What’s wrong?" Samael asked in a low voice.

"’Fire Throat’ Musa-Salamander," she whispered. "He’s one of Demon King Sitti Ka’s high-ranking Demon Race Warriors, and the hunter commander sent to track me down. He leads twelve Demonized subordinates and pilots a Flamethrower Tank."

Samael turned his head to look at the two merchants who had just brushed past them.

They were two seemingly ordinary youths, one male and one female. The young man wore a brimmed leather hat, and the young woman had gauze bandages wrapped around the side of her face.

"We have to go." Talia anxiously tugged at Samael, wanting to head for the relay station, but her pull didn’t budge him an inch.

"The merchants said the main road is blocked," he answered quietly. "We won’t be able to leave for a while."

Talia looked at him. "In terms of individual combat power alone, Musa-Salamander is close to the strength of a level-ten adventurer."

"Let’s go ask them and get a grasp of the situation first. If things go south, then we’ll talk about running away," Samael replied in a low voice. "What does Musa look like?"

"Brown skin, golden slit pupils, and a beastly jaw covered in crimson scales. He looks like a fire lizard," Talia answered.

"They just mentioned that Blood Sword Guards are stationed near the Imperial Foundry, so they don’t dare to act rashly. Don’t worry, find a place to hide for now, and I’ll go test the waters." Samael pushed Talia into the shadows of a street corner. "Don’t come out until I call for you."

Keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings, he quickly caught up to the two ordinary-looking youths and gently patted the young man’s shoulder.

The two turned around, looking at him in shock.

"You two look like you could use some help."

"Who are you?" The young man in the brimmed leather hat sized Samael up. "What did you hear?"

"I am a Knight. My enmity with the Demon Race is irreconcilable, and I am currently preparing to head to the Barren Land to hunt high-ranking members of the Demon Race," Samael replied. "I seemed to faintly hear the name ’Fire Throat’ Musa-Salamander just now. I wonder if you have any news about him?"