"Lily's Cottage?"
Lei Lin studied the sign made from oak leaves, bearing the shop's name written in both continental script and Elvish.
Compared to the other shops, this one was clearly more carefully tended—even the corners had green flowers growing from them, giving off a rich fragrance.
"Welcome!"
Upon entering the shop, Lei Lin was greeted by an elf with a very androgynous appearance. The elf wore a respectful yet not obsequious smile. "Honored guest, is there anything I can assist you with?"
"Nothing in particular—I'm just browsing. Do you sell miscellaneous goods here?"
Lei Lin swept his gaze across the counter. A vast assortment of magical materials lay scattered about—ore, animal hides, scrolls, handicrafts—virtually everything imaginable. None of it was labeled, and the arrangement seemed haphazard, yet there was a subtle order underlying it all.
"Indeed! From the Libuji Islands in the south to the Sky City—if it exists out there, I have it here!"
The elven shopkeeper looked enormously proud.
"Oh, really?" Lei Lin smiled mildly, not placing much stock in the claim. Very few things could still catch his eye these days. However, during his earlier observation, he had noticed quite a few rare materials on the counter—impressive for such a small shop.
"Hmm?!"
Just as Lei Lin was about to leave, something in the corner caught his attention.
"Is this item for sale as well?" Lei Lin casually picked up a magical scroll.
The scroll was extremely worn. The roller was coated in dust, and there were even signs of damage. Instead of the usual magical parchment, the roller was wrapped in some kind of beast hide with a smooth texture.
Lei Lin unfurled the scroll and saw that it contained only the template for a Tier 2 spell. Moreover, from having been studied so many times, it had become quite blurred.
A Wizard could forcibly extract knowledge and models from a scroll using Spiritual Power. Many instructional scrolls were single-use, and if studied repeatedly, they would deteriorate into this state.
For Wizards who pursued stable spell model structures and demanded extreme precision, a scroll in this condition had completely lost its value.
After all, an unstable spell model could be fatal!
That was why this scroll had sat here for so long without selling. And when the elf saw Lei Lin pick it up, a flicker of doubt crossed its eyes.
"This is a model scroll for the Tier 2 spell—Hand of Radiance. Originally priced at five thousand Magic Stones, but for a first-time honored guest such as yourself—three thousand Magic Stones! Just three thousand Magic Stones and it's yours!"
"Is that so?" Lei Lin regarded the elf with a half-smile until the shopkeeper lowered its head in embarrassment.
The price was far beyond the scroll's actual worth, putting the elf—whose kind traditionally prided themselves on dignity and grace—in an awkward position. But survival came first.
"You're a Wind Elf, aren't you?"
Lei Lin could feel the wind-element particles swirling around the elf's body, along with that distinctive sense of lightness, and couldn't help but ask.
Yes! Yes, sir!" The middle-aged shopkeeper raised his head. Many Wizards could recognize an elf, but those who could further distinguish them as a Wind Elf were quite rare.
"The Wind Elf race is said to have been virtually wiped out across the continent — I never expected to meet one here!"
Lei Lin smiled, stored the scroll away, and picked up a black ore from the counter. "Add this to it — three thousand Magic Stones in total!"
The elf shopkeeper examined it carefully and, upon discovering it was just a piece of raw ore worth very little, nodded with visible relief.
Having clearly noticed the shame in the other party's eyes, Lei Lin said nothing more. He simply produced the Magic Stones, completed the exchange, and then left the shop.
"Sigh... even the elegant and noble elves can't escape the rules of the mortal world..."
Lei Lin glanced back at the refined shop entrance and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
According to legend, the elf race had migrated from another world during the ancient era, and they possessed numerous branches.
Among the elves, the Moon Elves, Gold Elves, and Wind Elves all carried noble bloodlines — comparable to the nobility among humans. They enjoyed excellent reputations and were often portrayed as positive characters in the works of many bards.
As for the Dark Elves and such, they were an anomaly among the elven race and could not be compared on equal terms.
Yet even the noble and graceful Wind Elves had come to this — it stirred a quiet sense of wistfulness in Lei Lin's heart.
"Well, since you started it first, I can't be blamed..."
Lei Lin smiled and ran his hand over the scroll's cover. That peculiar texture immediately made him squint his eyes with a pleased expression.