Mel Carlo was completely lost.
So this man also sold some contraband?
“I want to buy, but I want to ask if you know any convenient way to get to Oak City? Because I plan to go there.”
Mel Carlo voiced his question.
“A kid your age, are you planning to go alone? Or do you have family with you? Such a long journey isn’t suitable for traveling alone.”
The man retracted his trademark smile, scratching his head awkwardly.
“I…”
Mel had just wanted to lie, but the man interrupted him directly.
“Better speak softly, okay?”
The man signaled Mel to come closer.
He could more or less guess that this child came from the Royal City’s underworld and had thoughts of running away, but the idea didn’t seem firm.
And there was no need for him to offend the Royal City’s gangs over this.
After all, he was a businessman going back and forth.
When Mel leaned in, the man spoke in a low voice.
“To be honest, I’ll be heading to Oak City in a while, but helping you comes at a cost. I might never be able to do business in Royal City again.”
“I know. Helping me is the same as offending the gang. But what’s your condition?”
Mel Carlo didn’t absolutely need to escape now, but he didn’t mind having more options.
“2500 Oren. If you can bring out 2500 Oren, I’ll help you leave Royal City, take you to Oak City, and help you get familiar with it. I’ll be the most qualified guide, and all expenses on the road will be covered by me.”
“Why don’t you just rob me!”
Mel Carlo finally understood—there are no ungreedy merchants, only greedier ones.
Most importantly, this number was about the same as the money he had stolen.
Did this guy in front of him already guess something?
“I’ll be in the city until the heavy snow completely blocks the roads. If you make up your mind, you can find me anytime.”
“Alright, two silver coins. Please put the paper and pen in a bag for me.”
“Hemp Bag, 3 Oren. Thank you.”
The man smiled and reached out.
Mel Carlo took three copper coins from his pocket, then took out two silver coins from his system space.
“A bottle of ink, one silver coin. Want it?”
“What do you think?”
Mel Carlo took out another silver coin.
He was a bit worried, but the risk with peddlers was much lower.
Such people wouldn’t stay in Royal City for long.
After Mel and the other two left with the paper and pen, the merchant lightly weighed the silver and copper coins in his hand.
“Very good quality silver coins. Almost makes you think they’re noblemen’s collections.”
He muttered to himself.
At that moment, a child nearby spoke.
“Dad, can we still go back? None of these goods are selling.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll sell eventually. Even if they don’t, isn’t there still the money pouch?”
The man smiled, his honest face tinged with a trace of cunning.
“Can he really bring out that much money?”
“Daughter, don’t underestimate a merchant’s intuition and information!”
The man put the two silver coins into his money pouch, then tossed the three copper coins to the child.
“Take the money and buy some food!”
The news about the Duke’s daughter’s wallet being stolen had long spread, causing an uproar throughout the city.
As an informed merchant, he knew even more.
The area where the wallet went missing was right here.
So the culprit was likely still around.
The two silver coins were enough to arouse suspicion.
The difference between silver and copper coins was even more obvious.
Actually, one Hemp Bag would’ve cost just 1 Oren.
He’d deliberately asked for three times the price.
Seeing the little rascal still pay, it was either he had no concept of money or had so much that he didn’t need to be careful with spending.
“Dad, if our goods never sell and that person has no money either, will we…”
“If it really comes to that, it means the Oak God hasn’t blessed us. We might even die in some corner!”
A trace of heaviness appeared in the man’s eyes.
He’d invested all his money in these goods, hoping to sell them at a good price in the Royal City.
If they didn’t sell, he’d be bankrupt.
In previous years, selling goods wasn’t so troublesome.
But now, if goods were hard to sell, it meant poor economic flow—people with money were unwilling to spend.
“Is it because of the Demon race starting a war? Or did some major goods flood into Royal City?”
The man couldn’t figure it out for a moment.
There was no sea route in the north; only the Storm Sea existed there.
So land transport was the only way for goods to circulate.
After the Demon King revived, monsters on the Mainland became more active.
The number of various monsters also increased, making it hard for merchants like him to profit.
The chance of encountering monsters on the road had risen.
But for small merchants like him, making war profits was impossible.
Only Big Merchants involved in transactions at that level—most with ties to nobility—could do so.
The man looked at his daughter again.
“Alright, don’t worry. At worst, our family goes bankrupt. If it comes to it, we can still sell you as a slave!”
The little girl’s eyes turned red at his words.
She had short hair and dressed like a boy.
If you didn’t ask, you’d really think she was a boy.
“Alright, don’t cry. Even if I die, I could never sell my own daughter. Rest assured.”
The man rubbed his daughter’s head and continued hawking his goods.
The air was cold and dry as winter set in.
Mel Carlo and the other two returned to the gang’s compound.
They went back to their room and took out the paper and pen.
Looking at the paper and pen, he felt a bit of regret—couldn’t resist spending money.
But several months had passed.
The gang probably wouldn’t keep investigating, unless some troublemaker came along.
Worrying was pointless.
When soldiers come, use generals to block them; when water comes, use earth to stop it.
Continuing to improve himself was the key.
Akai, not knowing how to read, kept scratching his head anxiously.
He bought these things, but the problem was, he couldn’t use them.
He’d wanted to use them for drawing earlier, but Lily stopped him.
Lily could read a bit—after all, she was a Priest’s illegitimate daughter.
But Mel himself couldn’t read at all.
“Teach Akai. The simplest things should be easy to learn.”
Mel Carlo began recording in Chinese characters the contents from the game.
Paper and pen were really important.
People’s memories blur with time.
There shouldn’t be Chinese characters in this world.
Even if someone else picked up his notes, they wouldn’t be able to read them.
Lily glanced curiously at Mel.
All sorts of unreadable symbols were written on the paper.
Her father had never taught her these, and they didn’t seem random either.
There was a certain connection among those symbols.
“Skills, cooldowns, let’s see what else, background stories, crafting of some key Sets, and Potions… Luckily, after playing for so many years, these formulas are all engraved in my DNA.”
Mel wrote while laughing, entering a state of being completely absorbed.
Lily didn’t want to disturb him, so she started teaching Akai.
Another day passed.
Akai, this yellow-haired chestnut, hadn’t remembered a single character.
He didn’t seem to hate studying, just kept scratching his head.
“Akai, is it really that hard?”
“I can’t remember. Teach me again!”
“Let’s go out to the courtyard and teach. Write on the ground with a stick, or else the paper will be wasted. It’s expensive.”
“Oh.”
Akai was a little discouraged but wouldn’t give up.
If Mel and Lily could do it, he could too!