Recalling the countless get-rich-quick schemes from innumerable transmigration novels, Lucian came to the depressing realization that he knew far too little about this world to know whether any of them would work — and that no matter what he attempted, that first pot of gold was especially crucial. Yet all he had was seven Copper Fels.
So when the nine o'clock sun shone down on the Market District, Lucian was already trudging toward the Gate District with a heavy sack of goods slung over his back. After all, most of the time, survival came first.
Sweat streamed ceaselessly down his cheeks, trickling into his collar and soaking through his linen shirt. The sun, not particularly fierce as it was, beat down on Lucian all the same, making his heavy-footed steps all the more agonizing. On top of that, the wheezing Lucian had to endure the nonstop blathering of a pudgy man named Gucci beside him:
"Damn it all, who dug up this kid? Walk steady, will you? Don't you dare damage my goods!"
Watching Gucci dab at the sweat pouring from his body — from all his hopping up and down — with a handkerchief, Lucian muttered inwardly: "This is what you get for being so stingy you only hired one person."
Of course, the flip side was that Lucian's pay had risen from three Copper Fels to four.
After a grueling trek, they finally arrived at the Gate District, and Lucian carefully set the goods down on a freight cart waiting there.
The fat Gucci reluctantly produced his coin purse, drew out four Copper Fels, and handed them to Lucian. "Your pay, lad. Didn't expect you to be that strong. If I've got more cargo to move in the future, I'll come find you directly."
Lucian's strength was actually below average compared to other young men his age who'd done proper training, but he made up for it in cheapness — one of him did the work of two. The miserly Gucci naturally tossed out that line of praise, completely forgetting the string of curses he'd spewed just moments before.
No sooner had Lucian pocketed the Copper Fels than he spotted two men approaching from the side, wearing linen jackets and looking thoroughly menacing.
"We're men under Boss Aaron. You can call me
Lucian understood perfectly well what they were here for. He'd long been prepared and had no intention of playing the hero. He pulled out a Copper Fel and handed it to the man called Andre.
The other, a burly fellow, glared at Lucian. "Two Copper Fels!"
"We agreed on just one!" Lucian was flat broke. Even though he knew he couldn't take on these thugs at the moment, he still couldn't help arguing the point.
"If you hadn't insisted on acting tough all by yourself, Gucci would've hired two people, and each of us would've gotten a Copper Fel. Naturally, we can't be the ones eating that loss." Andre grinned like an honest merchant.
It was only one Copper Fel, and it hadn't crossed the line of Lucian's survival or his bottom line yet. So between being hunted down by the gang in the future and parting with a single Copper Fel, Lucian hesitated for precisely one second before swallowing his pride and handing over another coin to the man who'd been pacing around Andre, seemingly intent on showing off his muscular build.
"Good job, kid. You know how things work. We used to get hotheads who liked to challenge us, but — well, you can see the result. We're still here, and some of them have already sunk to the bottom of the River Belen. Right,
Lucian watched the two of them retreat, a stifled sense of injustice churning inside him. Even though he'd known from the start that the gang would try to extort him, actually facing it still stirred his emotions.
After cursing himself for not being "hot-blooded enough," Lucian realized that to escape this kind of situation, he'd need either formidable personal strength or a certain degree of social standing.
Of course, in this world, formidable personal strength almost always meant high social standing as well.
"I wonder whether the Magic Notes contain any potions that boost strength and constitution?" Lucian couldn't help but drift in that direction, even though he understood all too well that this was a dangerous sign — a sign of someone who couldn't resist temptation.
…………
The
The extensive use of vertical lines, slender spires, flying buttresses, stained glass, and flame-shaped window mullions gave the entire five-story, pale-colored structure an asymmetrical, exaggerated beauty — light and complex in equal measure.
Seeing Lucian approach, a scrawny, lecherous-looking middle-aged man with a goatee hurried down the steps toward him. "What took you so long? Look at the clock on the Golden Cathedral — it's almost one o'clock!"
After accepting the commission, Lucian had been introduced to this man once before, arranged by the dwarf Koen. He knew the man's name was
"George, there's still ten minutes left." Lucian pointed toward the Golden Cathedral, which soared high above the Nobility District in the distance — massive, imposing, seeming to command the entire city. The hour hand on its face still had a long way to go before reaching the top.