Madam Fei

After Klaus came back home, he sat down to eat with his mother. This time, the meal was different—full of all the nutrients a person should have. Klaus had managed to hunt a few eatable monsters, so he sliced up some of the meat and added it to their meal. Afterward, he roasted the rest, eating while sharing stories about his day.

He told his mother almost everything, but he left out the part where he had to kill someone. Instead, he focused on his encounter with Anna Ross. Klaus loved his mother so much that keeping that secret made his chest ache with guilt. But he pushed the feeling away, reminding himself that the man had threatened his mother. That memory was enough to ease the guilt if only a little.

After dinner, Klaus took a bath and went to bed. By the time he woke up the next morning, it was a little after 9 am. He felt surprisingly refreshed, realizing he might have underestimated the benefits of his new Physique.

Breakfast was already prepared, and he ate quickly before heading out. His plan for the day was to sell the monsters' bodies he had killed. In the slum, there weren't any decent places to sell monster corpses, and getting into Ross City required an identification badge. Most of the few who awakened in the slum tried their best to get that badge so they could sell in Ross City and hopefully find a way to relocate there.

Klaus was one of the lucky ones. Since he worked at Ross Academy, he had a worker's permit that allowed him to enter the city. As soon as he passed through the huge gates, he noticed the air was richer and cleaner, a sharp contrast to what he was used to in the slum.

He made his way through the bustling streets, keeping his head low but his senses sharp. Even with his permit, he felt out of place among the well-dressed citizens of Ross City. The buildings here were tall and elegant, nothing like the worn-down structures in the slum.

Klaus knew where he was headed—a specific marketplace where monster parts were sold to merchants and alchemists. The market was busy, filled with people haggling over prices and discussing the latest hunts. He navigated the crowd with ease, his movements precise and confident.

When Klaus reached his destination, he found the familiar stall run by Madam Fei, a merchant with a solid reputation for fair deals. An instructor at Ross Academy had recommended her, so most students knew to come to her when they had something to sell ones they awaken. Ignoring the calls from other vendors trying to get his attention, Klaus stepped into her shop.

"Welcome to my humble shop, youngster. I'm Madam Fei. What do you have for me today?" she greeted him warmly, a smile spreading across her face, revealing a few remaining teeth. Despite her age, she had a lively energy about her that made her seem younger than she looked.

Klaus smiled back, trying to seem more at ease than he actually felt—or maybe he just hoped he looked that way. "I've got some monster parts I think you'll be interested in," he said, keeping his tone confident. While Klaus might appear a bit out of place in this part of the city, he knew when to put on a know-it-all expression. Madam Fei had a solid reputation, but that didn't mean he was about to trust her—or anyone else—completely.

"Oh, good. Let's see what you've got," Madam Fei responded, her tone light and businesslike. Klaus extended his hand, and with a slight flick of his wrist, the Tier 1 monster bodies and parts he'd collected fell into the space Madam Fei had set aside.

She examined the monster bodies with a slight frown, a brief expression that didn't escape Klaus's notice. It seemed she wasn't too keen on buying Tier 1 monsters, but her reputation for fairness meant she couldn't turn away business so easily. After a careful inspection, she looked back at Klaus, her face composed.

"One of each will go for 50 gold coins," she offered, her voice steady and professional.

Klaus nodded, knowing it was a fair price for what he had brought. He wasn't in a position to haggle, and he appreciated that Madam Fei kept her word, even when the goods weren't exactly to her liking. He accepted the deal, Madem Fei took the bodies and was about to pay up when Klaus retrieved over 12 Tier 2 monsters.

"They said you're a fair businesswoman, but you can't blame a boy for having his doubts," Klaus said with an apologetic smile. "Pardon my insolence, but I had to see for myself if you're really as trustworthy as they say."

Madam Fei chuckled softly, her eyes crinkling with amusement. "Smart boy," she replied, her tone warm. "It's good to be cautious, especially in a place like this. But rest assured, I value my reputation more than a few extra coins."

"Very well, this is the second batch of my goods. Go ahead, appraise them, and let's see how much I'll be walking home with," Klaus said, flashing a confident smile.

Madam Fei returned his smile and began examining the new set of monster bodies. As she worked, her eyes widened in surprise. "Alabaster Snake, Flaming Lion, Earthen Leopard... These are rare monster corpse. Youngster, where did you get these monsters?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Klaus's smile broadened. "Well, I killed them myself," he replied, still smiling, enjoying the rare moment of catching someone like Madam Fei off guard.

"These... these are all complete bodies," Madam Fei muttered, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "That means the fur, bones, everything can be harvested. This is just great." She looked at Klaus with newfound respect. "Good work, young man. Take a seat and relax. It's going to take some time to fully appraise them all."

She poured him a cup of tea, the gesture almost maternal, and then went to hang a 'closed' sign on the door. Returning to the monster bodies, she began her thorough inspection, completely engrossed in the task. Klaus took a sip of the tea, letting the warmth of it settle in his chest as he watched her work, feeling a sense of satisfaction. 

'Hehe, this Young Master is about to take the world by storm' Klaus said inwardly sipping on his tea.

"Young man, I have to be honest with you," Madam Fei said after about half an hour of careful inspection. "I don't think I can fully appraise everything right now, especially the Wild Flaming Lion and the Earthen Leopard. So, I'll give you an estimated price for now. Later, once I've had time to do a detailed inspection, if there's additional profit, I'll make sure you get it when you come by next time."

"I don't mind," Klaus replied casually, leaning back in his chair.

"Very well," Madam Fei continued. "For now, these bodies, including the Tier 1s, will fetch you 40,000 gold coins. This is just a preliminary estimate. Once I'm done with the detailed inspection, the price will likely increase."

"Okay, then I can add this too," Klaus said, extending his hand as the massive body of the Tier 3 Alpha Wolf appeared before them.

"Heavens!" Madam Fei exclaimed, nearly jumping out of her skin. She momentarily forgot to maintain her composed, elderly demeanor as she stared wide-eyed at the wolf's body. Klaus couldn't help but smile at her reaction, but he wasn't done yet. With a casual flick of his wrist, he retrieved the three Venom Sacs as well.

When Madam Fei saw those, her legs almost gave out. She nearly dropped to the floor, barely catching herself on the counter. "This... this is beyond anything I expected," she murmured, her voice trembling with a mix of shock and awe.

"Well, this is just the start of our transactions, Madam Fei," Klaus said, smiling at her stunned expression. It was becoming clear to him that whoever had recommended her might have exaggerated her experience with high-value goods. She clearly wasn't used to customers bringing in such rare and valuable items.

Madam Fei composed herself, her initial shock slowly fading as she realized the opportunity before her. "You've certainly brought me quite the challenge, young man," she said, a bit of her usual composure returning. "But I'm not one to back down. I'll make sure you get what these are worth—and then some." 

Klaus nodded, pleased with the way things were going. He could tell that this was just the beginning of what might be a very profitable relationship.

Madam Fei took another long look at the bodies, her mind calculating the potential profits. "I'll give you 200,000 gold coins for everything," she said, her tone serious. "And like before, I'll add more once I've had the chance to examine everything in detail."

Klaus was momentarily stunned. 200,000 gold coins? Just a few days ago, he could only dream of having even a quarter of that amount. Now, here he was, about to walk away with a fortune. He could feel a wave of emotion welling up inside him.

"Thank you, Madam Fei, really... thank you," Klaus said, his voice thick with gratitude. It took everything he had to keep his emotions in check, but the weight of what this meant for him and his mother was almost overwhelming.

Finally, Klaus felt a surge of hope. With the money he was about to take home, he could provide for his mother like he always wanted to. The life they lost when his father went missing seemed within reach of being reclaimed—and even improved upon. It felt like he was starting to see the first light of a new dawn for both him and his mother.

Madam Fei observed him with a knowing smile. It was clear to her that this young man was more than he initially appeared. There was something special about him, something that went beyond his unassuming exterior.