Hustling

Once we arrived in the city and located a magic shop, we entered and asked for what we were looking for.

The response was not great.

"It sounds like you need something like Orichalcum, we don't have any of that here. Your best bet is the dwarven kingdom farther north, and it will still be very expensive." The manager answers.

That was going to be a problem, we don't have that much money.

"How far is that?"

"It'll take a few days, assuming you're going fast." He replied.

We'll just have to hope we can solve our money problem on the way.

"I know of a few opportunities to get enough to pay for the trip at least." Aya says.

"Like what?" I ask.

"There are usually festivals after the countries' promising talents are revealed, street performers are very active and there are some contests with a hefty prize." She responds.

Walking further through the streets, indeed, there were numerous performers and guys trying to hustle gullible passers by.

They even have a version of shell game.

The man running it is definitely scamming, and I'm surprised no one around has used magic to check if he was pulling tricks.

I'm aware of it but I still play.

If this were back on Earth, I would have simply pointed to the two cups it wasn't under, turned them over myself, and then turned over my guess, not that I was ever able to walk around enough to encounter it outside of the internet.

Once the people watching saw it wasn't under the other two, he would have no choice but to let me win.

However, here it's more than just sleight of hand at play, he's extra sneaky, he's talking and hiding spell invocations in his sentences.

I suppose it was stiff to assume spell activation had to be obvious, still, anyone with above average Mana perception would see through it right away.

"A new challenger, I see? Do you care to try your luck?" The shifty man says, slightly smug.

It cost a few copper coins just to play, which Aya provided generously.

"Let's see if you have the eyes to keep this ball from <disappear >ing on you!"

That pause after 'disappear', I knew it!

Two can play at this game! There's no way I can get away with the same trick, but mental casting is actually practical for me, so I can easily undo that!

He is surprised when I make my choice and the ball is under it.

An easy silver coin!

"How did you do that?" He asks, quite blatantly.

Winning an impossible game is quite surprising, I guess.

"Everyone has their secrets..."

With that, I walk away with my silver coin.

Besides the scams and occasional gambling, there were plenty of performers trying to take advantage of the increased activity.

Some of them were just creating distractions for an accomplice pickpocket.

After turning the silver coin into a gold coin by destroying an eating contest, we were finally on the way to the north.