Chapter 581: Short of Money…
Master Kaon was famous, with a unique status, not only respected but also possessing his own workshop in the factory.
Following Master Kaon into his workshop, the apprentices busily adjusted the huge alchemy machine. Master Kaon put on his thick cloth work gloves, rolled up his sleeves, and seemed ready to get to work himself.
The metal forged by magic flames, as bright as the silver moon, was handed to Kaon by an apprentice.
Verafia looked carefully. Although the names were different, she easily recognized it as a rare metal called “Moon White Steel”. In Peka, it was a precious material for many Platinum Swordsmen to forge their swords, its toughness strong enough to bear the magic of Crystal or even Star Rank without being destroyed.
Master Kaon’s gaze behind his lenses merely swept over it. He casually took it, and with the carving knife in his other hand, made a light cut.
“Crack.”
The carving knife in Master Kaon’s hand emitted a faint magical glow. A crisp cracking sound spread through the hard metal… and also spread through Verafia’s heart.
She… seemed to have remembered a problem she had previously overlooked.
Master Kaon was not surprised, only frowning slightly. He placed the shattered metal on the table, “It couldn’t even withstand a trace of this lady’s magic strength… Use higher-grade materials. Give me Starfall Meteorite Iron.”
The material was unrecognizable. However, it gave Verafia the impression that it was enough to forge the sword of a Star Rank expert.
Another crisp shattering sound.
“Cold Night Forging Steel.”
The magic patterns were half-drawn when they were damaged due to the conflict of elements.
“Azure Sky Rock Gold.”
An explosion.
…
As the experiments continued, Verafia became more and more frightened. In the end, the materials Master Kaon tried were all considered precious in her eyes, but few could remain intact under the inscribed magic patterns.
How could she suddenly forget that ordinary materials simply couldn’t withstand the runes of Saint Rank magic… let alone the trace of her authority within them.
To fully contain it, at least divine materials like Phoenix Divine Gold would be needed… Back then, as a deity, she could condense divine power in flames with a wave of her small hand, but now, how could she possibly obtain it?
Biting her lips lightly. Verafia looked at the young man beside her, utterly lost.
“Sss.”
The sound of runes being drawn sounded at this very moment. This time, Master Kaon raised his head, let out a sigh of relief, and said casually:
“There really aren’t many materials that can bear Miss Verafia’s curse. Ordinary Saint Rank magic curses only require Crystal Rank materials to bear them. Fortunately, this piece of Moon Meteor Divine Gold was gifted to me by a representative.”
How many materials in the world could bear the will of a deity?
Verafia muttered to herself.
She carefully turned her head and looked at the “Moon Meteor Divine Gold” that Master Kaon picked up. Its soft surface, like the bright moon, reflected pure brilliance… Even without any magic on her, her vision could clearly see that this metal was at least the material for a Saint Rank weapon!
—A hundred years ago in Peka, to forge a Saint Rank sword, even a rough blank made of pure metal would have cost at least a thousand gold coins!
“Ig…”
Biting her lips, a soft and seemingly wronged voice gently emerged from the girl’s lips. Her small hand gently clutched the youth’s sleeve, and her slender, delicate body leaned softly against the youth’s body under the silk white dress.
…Her tender and sensitive skin felt the youth’s stiff torso. The black-haired youth’s face gradually lowered, his usually steady blue eyes filled only with embarrassment.
The youth before her was the heir of a marquisate, but he didn’t have much money on him when he hurriedly brought her out of the kingdom.
Verafia certainly wouldn’t blame him for that. Her actions just now were merely a moment of shyness and an instinctive evasion.
It’s money again… How could a goddess be stumped by the issue of gold coins twice?
A blush slowly spread across her cheeks, reaching all the way to her ears.
How could this happen… It was already enough with the gold coins Sirius gave her, and she just wanted to make a usable magic gun.
Her golden eyes slowly raised, and the girl’s suspicious gaze fell on Master Kaon’s face.
“Cough, cough. Why is Miss Verafia looking at me like that?”
Master Kaon said, “This alchemy instrument merely simulates the worst possible environment. This way, the quality of the finished product can be guaranteed. Your curse can indeed only be borne by Moon Meteor Divine Iron.”
It seemed so…
Verafia found it difficult to refuse again, unable to say that she couldn’t afford it due to financial issues. So, she could only lift her head bit by bit, “Then… how much in gold coins?”
“The Moon Meteor Divine Iron was given by someone else, so the price… I’ll calculate it at the lowest Saint Rank material rate. As for the specific labor and production losses, you are Count Sirius’s friend, and brought by young Azer, so I’ll give you half price.”
Master Kaon rested his chin on his hand and calculated smoothly. Verafia’s golden pupils stared fixedly at him. The smile on the middle-aged man’s face appeared to her like a terrifying profiteer.
“…In total, 5132 gold coins. I’ll round it down for you and only charge five thousand gold.” Finally, Master Kaon looked up and smiled at her.
Verafia clutched the money bag in her hand and bit her lips with her teeth, slightly lowering her small face.
The coins gifted by Count Sirius totaled one hundred gold… This was not a small gift, and it was enough to forge a Platinum Rank or even Crystal Rank magic gun.
However, compared to five thousand gold… it was nowhere near enough.
Her fingers tightened slightly. However, Verafia knew she shouldn’t be angry with Master Kaon. Five thousand gold for a Saint Rank weapon was already a very cheap price.
Back then in Peka, countless Saint Rank knights sold their strength to serve noble lords for a suitable set of equipment…
Her scorching gold eyes suddenly lifted, and Verafia’s gaze fell on Ophi, who was standing by, seemingly idle and lost in thought.
What if she knocked Ophi unconscious, turned her into a dragon, and secretly plucked a few dragon scales?
A pure-blooded royal dragon, even ordinary scales, would be worth at least ten gold, no, one hundred gold!
…
Of course, in the end, Verafia did not go as far as knocking Ophi unconscious and plucking her dragon scales.
Master Kaon also saw that she was short of money. He waved his hand and waived the cost of the “Moon Meteor Divine Iron” material and his own processing, asking them only to pay the apprentices’ wages and workshop operating expenses.
Of course, as if worried that the girl would be too shy to accept, Master Kaon thoughtfully proposed that this was in exchange for the magic curse Verafia had written.
Even so, the remaining expenses used up all the coins gifted by Count Sirius, and Azer had to pay for a lot of it for her.
“Hmm… Why are you so short of money?”
Holding Ig’s hand, Verafia lowered her small face, her expression full of dejection.
