Chris Maynard

"Miss Anna, how much for the herbs I ordered?" Leric asked while looking at Anna.

She shook her head with a smile on her face. "I won't feel good if I take your money after you helped my grandfather, Sir Aethelwolf. Just take those herbs and think of it as a gift."

Leric frowned. "That would be inappropriate."

"Sir Aethelwolf, please just take it." Anna answered back with a pleading look.

"Alright." Leric sighed as if he was reluctant to do so.

'It seems like I'm a natural actor…' Leric laughed in his heart.

"Sir Aethelwolf, the poisonous mixture…" Anna was embarrassed, but she truly want to get her hands on the poisonous concoction of Leric. It can kill a high-level creature with just a single poke! How scary was that?

Although the parasite was small, it was still a very terrifying creature that almost killed a Level 4 Esper! That means its power was around Level 3 or Level 4. However, it died after being pierced by a needle laced with Leric's concoction!

Anna could use it during crucial times and even her grandfather might have some uses for it.

Leric waved his hand generously. "The materials are yours to begin with. You can have it, but you guys have to be extremely careful when handling that poison. It might be non-fatal to humans at the moment, but sudden changes in the temperature would make it recover its lethality." He warned her with a serious look.

Anna nodded her head gravely when she saw how serious he was. "I'll remember your words, Sir Aethelwolf. Do you want me to tour you around Vale City?"

Leric shook his head. He knew that she was only being polite. "There is no need for that, Miss Anna. Please take care of Sir Johann. I'll take my leave now. Farewell."

Anna stared at his back with gratitude and longing. This man was destined to be extraordinary!

"Goodbye, Sir Aethelwolf…" She muttered silently.

In the end, Leric got all the herbs for free and the golden card that was given to him was still unused. He decided to check the shopping area to see if he could find something useful.

With the [Virtual Map] at his disposal, Leric didn't get lost in the big city. He moved around the streets with great ease as if he had been here for many years.

Soon, he arrived at the shopping district. There were a lot of people buying and selling goods. He ignored the small stalls and went straight into a weapon shop that looked to be famous based on the number of customers going in and out of their building.

When he entered the shop, he saw all sorts of weapons arranged in glass cases. He was amazed by the sight of the weapons and most of them were crafted by skilled Blacksmiths.

Leric could tell it right away after seeing the refined edges and unique style of the weapons. Only Level 2 and higher ranked Blacksmiths could create weapons at that level.

"Hello, sir! Are you interested in buying our weapons?" A pot-bellied middle-aged man with sleek short hair greeted Leric with a smile. He immediately noticed his peerless image among the bunch of lousy customers. This young man had an extraordinary bearing. He was probably someone of high status!

This was what he thought the moment he saw Leric.

This pot-bellied man was Chris Maynard, the manager of this weapon shop. He was an astute businessman with many years of experience in the industry. He had seen all sorts of characters and even talked with many top nobles. However, none of the people he'd ever spoken to could compare to the man in front of him.

Leric glanced at the fatty with a smile. "I'm just looking around." He answered politely.

"Oh? So Sir is also interested in weapons. If you don't mind, I can bring you to the second floor of the building. All our top weapons are in there." Chris said with a crafty smile. He was thinking about how he could make this outstanding person stay longer in his shop and know more about him.

Leric revealed a look of interest. "In that case, please take me there."

"Of course! Of course! Follow me, Sir! By the way, my name is Chris Maynard. I am the manager of this shop. May I know Sir's name?" Chris stared humbly at Leric.

"Aethelwolf, a wanderer." Leric replied as he looked around the shop.

"Sir Aethelwolf, you seem to be new in Vale City. I wonder where you came from?" Chris tried to get more details from him.

Leric turned his gaze at the fat manager, making the latter unconsciously shrink his neck. He nervously waited for Leric to answer.

"I came from Barden City. Have you heard of it?"

Chris nodded his head immediately. "Of course! I even heard that there was a battle in Barden City and it was against the Northern Viper Group! That event is a hot topic in the city even until now!"

Chris and Leric conversed as they walked to the second floor.

"We're here."

Leric was stunned when he saw the weapons, but he kept a straight face outwardly. The Flame Tiger Army's weapons were nothing in comparison to the ones in here.

Weapons are classified into five levels according to their rarity and power.

Common

Rare

Refined

Unique

Divine

Common type weapons are normally made by Blacksmith apprentices. These weapons were commonly used by normal people who couldn't control world essence. The materials used in making them were also easily accessible.

The weapons he got from General Gavin were Rare type weapons. These weapons could handle world essence making them more powerful and they can also increase the strength of their wielder.

Meanwhile, Refined type weapons are very difficult to come by. They were made by high-ranking Blacksmiths and the materials used to make them were beyond ordinary. The power of these weapons was also astounding making them incredibly valuable. And there were a bunch of these weapons in this weapon shop!

"You even have Refined type weapons in here. I'm impressed." Leric praised.

Chris smiled from ear to ear upon hearing this. "To tell you the truth, the owner of this weapon shop is a cousin of mine. His name is Enrique Maynard, a Level 3 Blacksmith. You might have heard of him." He felt quite proud as he said this. The Maynard Household was a family of Blacksmiths and their current patriarch was the only Level 4 Blacksmith in the entire Leone Empire, Count Lucas Maynard! Even the imperial family had to be respectful to him!

Leric was surprised upon hearing this. He knew something about the Maynard Household. He heard his father talking some time ago that he had bought a weapon from a shop owned by them.

Leric stared at the fat manager with a renewed look. You truly can't judge a book by its cover. Who knew that this big guy actually came from a prestigious noble family?

"Now everything makes sense. Only the Maynard Household can create weapons like these." Leric stopped in front of a sword. It was placed at the centermost part of the second floor and was displayed on its own. From the looks of it, this weapon was the most valuable in this shop! Leric could also tell that it has almost reached the Unique type, but it still fell short by a small margin. Even so, this weapon was still very valuable!

"That sword is the most prized possession of this shop and also the best creation of my cousin. Although it hasn't reached the Unique type, its potential is almost there. If you are interested in this weapon, I can sell it to you, Sir Aethelwolf." Chris gritted his teeth as he offered. He was willing to sell the best treasure of the shop just to befriend Leric!

Leric was silent for a moment, but he still shook his head. "This sword is indeed valuable, but my path isn't with the sword." He declined the offer. No way! This sword looks very expensive. He might have a gold card with him, but it would hurt him if he used it for just one sword. Furthermore, he already had the [Blacksmith] talent so he could just make his own weapons. Although it might take him a long time to make weapons at the level of this sword, he was willing to go through with the process.

Chris heaved a sigh of relief internally. In truth, he also didn't want to sell this sword. He only did it to get closer to Leric.

Suddenly.

"M-Manager Chris! Lord Enrique is injured!"