56 General Tools & Co
Derrick approached the lady with determination, to the point of even scaring her. How was she supposed to react to a buyer looking this resolute?!
Realizing he had come on too strong, Derrick relaxed and apologized.
"I'm sorry Miss… It's just that your colleague mistreated me pretty badly… I understand that my clothes aren't exactly appropriate either, but I swear I have enough to pay"
The saleswoman understood and could only shake her head in disappointment.
"I see you've had the misfortune of meeting Elsa… She's ruthless and only caters to the rich nobles who visit our store. I'm very sorry about how she treated you. My name's Mira and I hope I'll be able to help you today"
She respectfully bowed, and Derrick couldn't be more happy. Such a fine woman working here was a blessing, as he had to maintain good relations to visit the store in the future.
"I would like to see your catalogs on Farming, Mining, Forging and Construction. Would that be possible?"
Mira was startled by the big demand, but happily obliged. She had no reason to doubt the customer's words.
Meanwhile, Elsa was sneering and had the guards on standby, ready to throw Derrick out. Her vanity had truly reached the heavens.
Derrick's fists clenched, and he was barely able to control his emotions.
He felt her gaze filled with contempt on his back, and the only thing he wanted was to slap her.
Mira took a minute before bringing back four thick books that she laid on a counter.
"Are you looking for Standard or Magical tools?"
Derrick pondered.
He had a massive budget, but he'd rather preserve most of it for the Slave Market. However, he wouldn't limit himself needlessly.
"Show me both. However, I only want to see the basics for farming"
Mira complied and began turning the pages of the Farming book. She finally stopped and Derrick began to read the information.
[Magical Hand Sickle]
[Grade : Uncommon]
[Buff : +10% stamina]
[Description : Made of enchanted iron / Buffs only apply to farming activities]
[Price : 1 gold coin]
[Price for a non-enchanted version : 50 silver coins]
[Magical Shovel]
[Grade : Uncommon]
[Buff : +10% strength]
[Description : Made of enchanted iron / Buffs only apply to farming activities]
[Price : 1 gold coin]
[Price for a non-enchanted version : 50 silver coins]
[Magical Axe]
[Grade : Uncommon]
[Buff : +10% strength & +10% stamina]
[Description : Made of enchanted iron / Buffs only apply to farming activities]
[Price : 5 gold coins]
[Price for a non-enchanted version : 50 silver coins]
[Magical Hoe]
[Grade : Uncommon]
[Buff : +15% strength & +5% stamina]
[Description : Made of enchanted iron / Buffs only apply to farming activities]
[Price : 2 gold coins]
[Price for a non-enchanted version : 50 silver coins]
[Magical Pickaxe]
[Grade : Uncommon]
[Buff : +10% speed]
[Description : Made of enchanted iron / Buffs only apply to farming activities]
[Price : 1 gold coin]
[Price for a non-enchanted version : 50 silver coins]
Derrick was excited when he saw the prices and their effects.
Sure, they were expensive, but he wasn't restrained anymore! To acquire machinery, he allocated a budget of 2000 gold coins, which he split evenly across the four sectors.
"I'll take 50 magical pickaxes, 100 magical hoes, 20 magical axes, 50 magical shovels and 100 magical hand sickles"
Mira froze, thinking she heard wrong.
If her math was correct, this was an order of 500 gold coins... And for farming tools at that!
She thought it was a misunderstanding and sought to straighten out the situation. Maybe he hadn't read the prices.
"Dear customer, are you sure? This amounts to 500 gold coins"
Derrick understood her skepticism.
After all, even large farms weren't in need of so many tools. That's when he decided to take out his magical pouch. It was time to show how serious he was.
After a few seconds, he brought out a large bag containing 2000 gold coins and placed it next to the saleswoman who was now petrified.
Who was he to casually take out this much wealth?!
As for Elsa, her smugness was no more.
She had just turned away a monstrous customer…
The guards next to her were in shock as well, dispersing before they could be associated with her nefarious plans. They weren't going to lose their jobs over this incident.
Derrick smirked and threw her an evil look while his mind cursed her.
"That's right, bitch. You turned away a whale!"
After enjoying her disbelief for a few more moments, he turned back to Mira, who still couldn't believe what was happening.
"I'm sorry about the commotion, Miss. Could we please continue?"
Mira snapped out of her daze and a beautiful smile appeared on her face. This was the sale of her life!
She proceeded with the Mining book and asked the same question.
However, Derrick wanted to see real machinery this time around. After all, mining would be the sector that'd propel Akata's economy forward.
[Magical Mining Pickaxe]
[Grade : Rare]
[Buff : Grant its wielder a bonus of 10% speed + 10% strength + 10% stamina]
[Description : Made of enchanted steel / Buffs only apply to mining activities]
[Price : 10 gold coins]
[Price for a non-enchanted version : 1 gold coin]
[Rails]
[Grade : Common]
[Buff : None]
[Description : Made of iron. 1 kilometer of length]
[Price : 10 gold coins]
[Enchanted Mining Cart]
[Grade : Rare]
[Buff : Guaranteed stability + Loads of up to 500 kilograms + Speeds of up to 50 KMH]
[Description : Made of enchanted iron]
[Price : 25 gold coins]
[Price for a non-enchanted version : 1 gold coin]
[Enchanted Shaft Mining Elevator]
[Grade : Rare]
[Buff : Guaranteed stability + Can carry up to 1500 kilograms (~20 miners) + Speeds of up to 10 KMH]
[Description : Made of enchanted steel]
[Price : 100 gold coins]
[Price for a non-enchanted version : 50 gold coins]
Derrick's heart was now racing! This was what he wanted to see.
He then took a minute to calculate everything.
"20 magical mining pickaxes, 10 kilometers of rails, 4 enchanted mining carts and 1 enchanted shaft mining elevator"
Mira furiously noted the order and continued. Next was the forging equipment.
Derrick already had experience in this field, so he ordered more furnaces and tools to increase the productivity. The thing that truly limited him now was manpower, so he would have to find more blacksmiths at the Slave Market.
Finally, it was time to buy construction tools.
This was the other domain that Derrick wanted to pay close attention to. He couldn't have Akata falling into ruins because he had been too cheap. He carefully read the description of every item.
[Enchanted Circular Saw (Wood Model Only)]
[Grade : Rare]
[Buff : Enhanced Stability & +10% productivity]
[Description : Made of enchanted steel / Buffs only apply to construction activities]
[Price : 25 gold coins]
[Price for a non-enchanted version : Nonexistent]
[Enchanted Circular Saw (Stone Model Only)]
[Grade : Rare]
[Buff : Enhanced Stability & +10% productivity & +10% strength]
[Description : Made of enchanted steel / Buffs only apply to construction activities]
[Price : 100 gold coins]
[Price for a non-enchanted version : Nonexistent]
[Ladders]
[Grade : Common]
[Buff : None]
[Description : Made of iron. Maximum height of 15 meters]
[Price : 1 gold coin]
[Construction Kit]
[Grade : Common]
[Buff : None]
[Description : Includes hand saw, hammer, chisel, measuring tape and trowel. Made of iron]
[Price : 1 gold coin]
"I'll take 4 enchanted circular saws for wood, 2 enchanted circular saws for stone, 100 ladders and 100 construction kits"
With everything now in order, Mira asked the guards to carry the large bag of gold while Derrick awaited his order.
The woman was chirpy and couldn't stop smiling. She was sure this sale would net her a promotion.
Elsa, who still couldn't believe her eyes, slowly walked to Derrick, hoping to mend their relationship. She didn't care about her pride if it meant getting back a huge customer.
"Sir, I was mistaken earlier… If you don't mind, would you please give me your name?"
Derrick's smile only grew larger. The previously haughty woman now looked pitiful, but he knew it was all an act. She was just excessively despicable.
"No. Your colleague was the only one with enough decency to treat me well. Now scram"
The forceful tone made the woman drop the act, and she cursed Derrick while walking away. She couldn't alienate an important customer, or her job would be in danger.
Shortly after, Mira came back with a new magical pouch that she handed over to Derrick while bowing profusely and thanking him.
"My name's Derrick Tarlin. I hope you'll still be here when I come back!"
He left the store, leaving the young maiden wondering where this rich young man came from.
