Chapter5-Shopping Made Simple

The entrance of Dragonscale Bank was now covered with superior mana stones, a sight that most people would never see in their lifetime. Owning just one of these stones could last someone several generations.

Isolde's eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth agape. Among the three of them, she was the most astonished.

She had just driven a gold mine down the street!

A small commotion immediately erupted outside Dragonscale Bank. Who could ignore the sight of the ground being covered with superior mana stones? These rare treasures, highly valued even among mages, could not be faked. Ordinary people could easily identify their authenticity, and mages would be instantly drawn to the overwhelming mana contained within the stones.

The only reason no one dared approach was due to the formidable reputation of Dragonscale Bank. Though people noticed the commotion, no one dared to come closer, let alone attempt to steal anything.

"Our academy has this many mana stones?"

"The old headmaster sure knew how to keep secrets."

"Oh my god, I can barely breathe."

Logistics Director Isolde was practically gasping, her face flushed red with excitement.

She couldn't have been happier.

This immense wealth was enough to completely transform the academy.

Truth be told, she had never seen so many superior mana stones in her life! And what had spilled out was only a portion of what the carriage held.

There must have been over a thousand stones already! The total number of superior mana stones in the carriage likely exceeded ten thousand!

Even in the magical world, ordinary people rarely had access to mana stones. The wealthiest merchants among non-mages might spend their entire fortunes just to acquire some low-grade, fragmented mana stones to pass down as family heirlooms. Only the best-quality fragments could be exchanged for the lowest-tier mana stones in the magical world—inferior mana stones.

It would take a thousand top-tier inferior mana stones, those with no mana depletion, to be exchanged for a single intermediate mana stone. And even then, it would depend on the market price.

During the old headmaster's time, the academy consumed about a thousand intermediate mana stones each year, roughly equivalent to one million inferior mana stones. This was just to keep the academy afloat.

As for exchanging intermediate mana stones for superior ones, it was nearly impossible. Even with thousands or tens of thousands of intermediate mana stones, there was no guarantee you could acquire a single superior mana stone.

For most mages, intermediate mana stones were the highest-tier stones they could obtain through conventional means. Only in the largest transactions or among the wealthiest mages did superior mana stones come into play.

Now, with a carriage loaded with over ten thousand superior mana stones, the scale of wealth was unimaginable!

Isolde's eyes filled with tears. "This is incredible. The students will never have to worry about lacking study materials again, and the teachers won't have to keep reusing the same mana stones."

"Headmaster, I suddenly feel like our academy has hope."

Like anyone who had gone from rags to riches, Isolde was overwhelmed by emotions.

Claire, noticing this, kindly suggested, "Headmaster Daniel, perhaps Miss Isolde should rest for a moment."

Daniel nodded.

Two young attendants immediately stepped forward, ready to assist Isolde inside.

"No, Headmaster, I don't need to rest," Isolde insisted. "I'll stay here to watch over the mana stones. I don't want anyone to steal them."

"At least have some calming tea," Claire offered, instructing someone to bring over a cup of soothing red tea.

Once that was taken care of, Claire turned back to Daniel, her attitude now much more respectful.

Anyone who could produce such an enormous fortune was a VIP, no matter where they went.

"Headmaster Daniel, would you like to store these mana stones in the vault?"

"If you deposit them with 'Mana Stone Credit,' the annual interest income would be quite substantial," Claire advised, "but the security wouldn't match that of storing them directly in our vault."

Claire's professionalism pleased Daniel.

"I won't be storing them. I'm here to shop," Daniel replied, revealing the true purpose of his visit. "Wherever there's a Dragonscale Bank, there's always a Silverscale Store nearby."

"I'm here to purchase supplies for the academy."

"Miss Claire, I'd like you to recommend some suitable items."

"It would be my honor to assist you," Claire said with a smile. "Please, follow me."

As they walked, Claire introduced the store's offerings.

"Silverscale Store is an extension of Dragonscale Bank. We stock a wide variety of materials, treasures, gems, weapons, magical equipment, potions, and more. Many of our basic magical items are perfect for student use, and we also have tools specifically for teachers."

Claire's recommendations were professional, and she didn't just suggest the most expensive items.

Isolde's eyes sparkled as she listened.

So many incredible items! There were even things she had never seen before. Although she was the Logistics Director of a magical academy, this was the first time she had the chance to enter a store like Silverscale.

In the past, Crossbridge Academy's budget had been so tight that they had no dealings with such a wealthy establishment. She had always had to shop at cheaper second-hand markets.

But today, things would be different.

As the three of them entered the Silverscale Store, the bank staff and guards immediately began collecting and securing the mana stones outside.

As one of the most renowned banks on the continent, Dragonscale's reputation was built on trust. Daniel knew they wouldn't tamper with the count.

...

Silverscale Store truly lived up to its reputation as a massive marketplace!

Upon entering, Isolde felt overwhelmed by the sheer variety of choices. She was so dazzled that Daniel had to call her name twice before she snapped out of it.

"Huh... What is it, Headmaster?"

"Tell Miss Claire everything we need," Daniel instructed. "There's a lot to buy, so don't miss anything."

He was about to get very busy and wouldn't have time to handle such details.

Isolde quickly nodded and looked around again.

The vast expanse of Silverscale's first floor seemed to stretch endlessly. Everywhere she looked, there were countless magical tools, alchemy equipment, spellbooks, and rare materials like magical metals and enchanted creature components.

"The academy might need a large supply of alchemical materials or perhaps finished magical items.

"And... if possible, we should check what magical books Silverscale Store has in stock.

"As for basic magical metals and enchanted creature materials, we'll need to stockpile those as well."

Isolde carefully listed the academy's most urgent needs, casting a cautious glance at Daniel.

She worried that she might be overreaching. After all, the academy had only just come into such a windfall. What if spending too much made the headmaster unhappy?

Even though Daniel had somehow acquired a carriage full of precious superior mana stones, Isolde still felt responsible for managing the academy's wealth prudently. After all, the academy had to keep running, and it was better to be cautious with spending.

"Buy it all," Daniel said calmly. "Quality first, don't worry about the cost."

His tone was so casual, as if spending an entire carriage of mana stones was no big deal.

To Daniel, time was the most valuable resource.

Mana stones didn't matter at all. After all, his supply of mana stones was practically limitless.

"Rest assured," Claire said earnestly. "Quality is our top priority, and we take pride in our reputation. We won't inflate the prices unnecessarily."

"However, due to the size of Riverside City, the highest-tier items we stock here are Level-C.

"Headmaster Daniel, if you have the time, I can show you a selection of our finest Level-C items to personally choose from."

"That's fine," Daniel nodded.

He needed some high-quality magical items for his next plans.

With Claire's guidance, a variety of Level-C items were soon brought before them.

Neatly folded parchment sheets, each one a magic scroll ready to be activated.

Wands of various lengths, adorned with gemstones, all crafted by renowned artisans into mid- to high-tier staffs.

Refined magical metals, glowing with different colors and producing crisp sounds as they clinked together, were brought in by the cartload.

Animal pelts, rare and strange creature parts, all of which were carefully carried on trays by staff members and placed in front of Daniel.

Isolde's eyes darted around, unsure where to look first.