parentshiftbook Chapter 54 Knowledge is Money
Chapter 54 Knowledge is Money
Li Ang replied without changing his expression: "Why do you say that?"
Hope shook his head, saying with an air of nonchalance, "Night-Shining Mushrooms, one of the ingredients for Amethyst Wizard Potions. Heh, isn't that the kind of potion used by wizard apprentices who can't understand first-circle magic and want to quickly boost their mental strength for advancement?"
Upon hearing this, Li Ang frowned slightly.
The dwarf's words just now revealed a lot of intriguing information.
First of all, the fact that Hope could say such things in public shows that the Rock Tavern is not under the jurisdiction of the Holy See, or even if it is, the Holy See's influence is very weak.
Secondly, judging from Hope's words, he might know the method for wizard apprentices to become wizards, and that in the normal way, wizard apprentices do not need to take this amethyst wizard potion with the side effect of "pollution"?
With that thought in mind, Li Ang spoke up: "It seems that's indeed the case, Mr. Hope. May I ask you a few questions?"
At the same time, he leaned forward without making a sound and placed a fragment of magic crystal in front of Hope.
The dwarf's eyes lit up instantly, and the big beard swayed as he spoke, "I think Mr. Su Guang is quite good. This place is too messy to talk in. Come with me."
Hope picked up her glass, downed all the north wind in one gulp, and then jumped off the stool.
Li Ang followed closely behind, and the two walked through the noisy tavern hall.
Hope picked up an oil lamp and handed another to Leon, saying, "Although you wizards all seem to know the [Light Dance] spell, you should conserve magic whenever possible."
Li Ang thanked him and followed Hope with the oil lamp in hand.
The corridor was very dark, with only the faint light of an oil lamp illuminating the surroundings.
With his [Mind Awareness] present, Li Ang remained vigilant while constantly imagining what might happen next.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Hope stopped in front of a white building with a large brass gate.
Then he took a key from his waist pocket and slowly inserted it into the lock.
As the dwarf turned the key, Leon clearly sensed a violent fluctuation in the magical elements in the air before they quickly returned to calm.
The brass door opened with a click.
The space behind the door was not large, with a few gilded lamps lit up, a round table in the center, and a few chairs on the sides.
"Please have a seat, Mr. Su Guang." Hope casually placed the oil lamp aside, then climbed onto a chair. "This room is essentially under a second-circle spell [Silencing], making conversations here discreet enough."
Second Circle Sorcery...
Li Ang put down the oil lamp and looked around.
There is indeed something unusual about this place.
From Hope the dwarf's words, we can infer that either he or the Rock Tavern has a powerful force behind it.
As Li Ang pulled out a chair and sat down, the dwarf opposite him spoke up, "Tell me, besides the glowing mushrooms, what other materials do you need?"
Li Ang nodded, not bothering with formalities with Hope, and handed him a piece of parchment. "I've written down everything I want here. Besides that, I'd like to know more about official wizards, such as... the wizard who helped cast the [Silence] spell."
"Ha." Hope didn't rush to take the parchment, but laughed out loud. "Mr. Su Guang, don't you have a teacher who knows what the second ring of [Silence Reduction] represents?"
"What does it represent?"
The dwarf sighed. "Since you just paid a magic crystal shard in advance, I can answer this question for free. Solidifying a second-ring [Silence] spell requires at least a third-ring wizard's strength, or rather, an expert wizard level. Wizards of that level are extremely rare, not only in the northern islands, but also throughout the entire Kingdom of North, or even the Kingdom of Frank in the south. Do you think he'd stay in a place like the Rock Tavern forever?"
"I see."
Li Ang nodded in response, but his mind was already racing with calculations.
It's normal that there are few formal wizards, and he really didn't expect to see a formal wizard at the Rock Tavern.
and……
Hope just mentioned the northern islands.
This was the second time Li Ang had heard this term.
A few days ago, during a gathering with his apprentices Kevin, Sylvia, and others, he learned from the meeting that the Northern Islands might be a gathering place for wizards, where all wizards could freely learn and cast spells.
Li Ang felt that this place, which resembled a modern world university, was perfect for him.
He could conduct magical experiments to his heart's content, or communicate and exchange ideas with other great wizards, without worrying about being hunted down by the Vatican...
While Li Ang was lost in thought, Hope had already read through the contents of the parchment from beginning to end and said, "The materials like the Night-Shining Mushroom are currently in very high demand on the market. The prices of each item you wrote on should be increased by at least five times from the original price."
"Five times?" Li Ang asked instinctively, "Why?"
Hope smiled and extended his palm. "Mr. Su Guang, that's another question. Judging by the difficulty of the question, I think you'll need to pay at least two magic crystal fragments."
Upon hearing this, Li Ang's eyelids twitched involuntarily.
It's dark.
Compared to this guy in front of him, Old Martin is actually quite good.
Hope will receive two magic crystal fragments for answering a question.
It's worth noting that the purchasing power of a magic crystal fragment is roughly equivalent to one silver coin, which translates to about seven or eight hundred US dollars.
A problem costs over a thousand dollars; you might as well just rob someone.
Seeing Li Ang's hesitation, Hope smiled. "After all, we're not like wizards who have 'gifts.' Here, knowledge is only worthwhile when it's exchanged for money."
Gifts...
Li Ang noticed the vocabulary that Hope mentioned.
It's clear that this dwarf, who seems to know the Third Ring Wizard, possesses a great deal of hidden information about the wizarding world.
But Li Ang understood that it was not the right time to ask questions directly to this money-grubber.
Otherwise, he might ask for an exorbitant price.
Suppressing his curiosity, Li Ang said, "Mr. Hope, shall we calculate how many magic crystal fragments are needed for the materials listed on the parchment?"
"Okay." Hope quickly accepted Leon's suggestion and started calculating on his fingers, "Hmm... eight plus seven plus eleven... taking into account losses, it will take thirty-two magic crystal fragments to prepare just one Amethyst Mage Potion."
After saying that, Hope looked at Li Ang, as if trying to see through his wealth.
Li Ang remained outwardly calm, but his heart was in turmoil.
A single potion requires a staggering thirty-two magic crystal fragments.
Thanks to the money he earned from teaching wizard apprentices last time, he could indeed afford the materials needed for this Amethyst Wizard Potion.
But after buying it, he became penniless.
Most importantly, obtaining the Amethyst Mage Potion is the least important step in advancing to a formal wizard.
How to imprint a first-circle magic ring or perform a ritual is the information that Li Ang needs to know most right now.
With that thought in mind, Li Ang said, "Mr. Hope, since you are so knowledgeable about the wizarding world, I won't hold back. Rather than the Amethyst Wizard's Potion, I would prefer to obtain the method for imprinting a first-circle spell, or the method for performing the ritual. I am willing to pay with magic crystal fragments for this knowledge."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Hope looked at Li Ang with a hint of curiosity.
Due to his profession, he had come into contact with several formal wizards.
In terms of sheer mental strength, the oppressive aura emanating from Mr. Su Guang was even stronger than that of several formal wizards.
Hope initially thought the other party was looking for the Amethyst Mage's potion for the student in order to receive a "gift" from the student.
Now it seems that's not the case at all; the other party doesn't possess any first-level witchcraft and doesn't know how to perform the ritual.
It's obvious that this is a wizarding apprentice.
Thinking about this, Hope was puzzled again. Why would a wizard apprentice have such a strong sense of mental pressure?
Does he possess extremely powerful alchemical equipment?