Where's My Old Expert?

"So, where do you have in mind to go in the city?" Leon tried to put up a cheerful face but failed in the end. 

"What do you usually do for fun around here?" asked Dean. 

"We mostly head to the arena to watch the battles there." Leon replied.

"Just that?" asked the baffled Dean. 

'Don't tell me they spend their whole life cultivating?' He felt dejected at the thought of this. 

Yes, the thought of living forever is very enticing. I mean, he had already died once, he didn't want to experience that despair again. But as someone from the modern world where a mobile phone can make your life seem so enjoyable, staying here would probably bore him to death. 

"Yeah, that's pretty much the most fun thing around here." Leon nodded. 

"Fine, let's head there then. At least it's better than doing nothing." Dean agreed since there was nothing else to do. 

'Who knew the lives of cultivators were so boring? Well, if we could go for a shakedown, it wouldn't be boring. But alas.' He thought with a sigh as he shook his head in disappointment. 

He remembered a novel he read where the MC is great at performing shakedowns. Not only that, but he had even started planning on using his tips if he performed any shakedowns in the future. 

As they walked through the city heading to the arena, they saw people clamoring outside a pavilion. 

"What's going on there?" Dean looked at the place with interest. 

At the thought of something interesting happening there, he quickly stood still. Maybe he could see something that might entertain him more than watching people battle with animals, or animals battling against themselves. 

"It's a trade fair. This usually happens once a month." Leon explained as he pointed at the shops that opened at the front of the pavilion. 

He had been here before with the previous Dean, and they usually buy some items here. 

"Let's check it out." Dean said enthusiastically. This wasn't his first time going to a trade fair, but being in a world of magic, he was intrigued at the prospect of what he might find. According to what he knew, places like these tend to hold powerful magical treasures, well, according to the novels he had read. 

Maybe he could get something valuable from one of the stores. The most important things always tend to seem ordinary. 

"Hmm, okay." Leon nodded, it wasn't like he had a choice anyway. 

When they entered the trade fair, they saw different stalls set up and traders calling out their items and also the prices for them. 

There were weapons, potions, herbs, beasts, techniques, almost anything one could find was there, they even sold slaves. 

"Where should we head to?" Dean asked curiously. 

"Let's go to the techniques market, we'll see more interesting things there." Leon pointed in the direction of the technique market which was located on the far left of the market. 

Getting there, they saw about eight stalls set up. They all sold the same things, meditation manuals, and techniques. 

"There are people who have been able to get a high-grade technique at a cheaper rate here. Even rare treasures are bought here at a cheaper rate. Well, that's on the premise that the merchant isn't aware of it though." Leon explained as they walked into the place. 

Dean nodded and followed behind. Even without Leon's words, he already knew of this. This was one of the main reasons he said they should come here in the first place. 

They searched around for some time but didn't find any good techniques, so Leon suggested they headed to the weapons market. Most cultivators in this region fight with the aid of weapons, and there are techniques made specifically for weapons.

The reason for this was that their bodies could not harness the elements properly. In the ranks of Magus', they gain access to elements faster than Warriors. Warriors can only use their elements within themselves to boost their strength. However, with the aid of a good weapon and technique, they could send out elemental attacks, although, it would not be on the same level as when a Magus does it. 

One of the most commonly used weapons is a sword, this is because it was easier to learn. Polearm weapons like halberd and spears are also used, but the sword has the majority. 

Going through the weapons stores, nothing good caught their eyes. Dean was especially disappointed since he was hoping to resonate with a special sword that would have the spirit of an old expert inside. This expert will then guide him to becoming the strongest person in the world. 

Just as they were about to leave, an old-looking bow caught the attention of Leon. Dean realized Leon was staring at the bow and nudged him with his shoulder. 

"Do you want it?" Dean whispered. This was their chance, maybe Leon was the lucky one among their two. 

"Yeah, it feels different. Also, why are we whispering?" Leon asked, confused. 

"So the store owner wouldn't know we want to buy that bow. If he knows you've taken a fancy of that weird-looking bow, then he would surely sell it at an outrageous price, especially since we're dressed like rich people." Dean said in all seriousness. 

"Hmm, okay." replied Leon. He wasn't really too concerned about bargaining. After all, he was from a wealthy family. 

"Follow me." Dean gestured to Leon before taking the lead. 

He walked to the stall beside the stall where the bow was located. He casually picked up a sword and started bargaining with the stall owner, in the end, he didn't buy it with the excuse of it being too expensive. 

He then turned his attention to the stall where the bow was situated.

Picking up a long sword. 

"Mister, what's the cost of this sword?" Dean asked while looking at the sword with a fond look. 

"I see you have good eyes. That sword is a high-grade sword, and it has no issues penetrating the skins of peak rank two beasts..." The man stroked his beard as he explained more about the details of the sword. 

"Oh! It's that powerful?" Dean's eyes glittered. 

"Of course, look at it properly. It's made from high-grade materials that are very hard to come by." The man clicked the sword with his forefinger.

"Hmm, I'll take it." said Dean excitedly. 

"Good, it only cost seventy gold coins," The man said with a smile. 

"Mister, are you trying to rob us? That's obviously too much for a sword. How about I give you fifteen, and we'll call it a deal?" Dean frowned slightly when he heard the price the man stated before he started bargaining. 

When Leon heard the amount Dean called, he almost tripped over. Dean took the price from seventy all the way down to fifteen. 

'He has no conscience whatsoever.' He concluded internally. 

The man, of course, rejected this. In the end, they bargained for the sword for twenty-three gold coins. 

"I still feel I'm losing out on this. How about this, I'll add one gold coin and I'll take that old bow as well." Dean pointed at the bow Leon wanted. 

"Fine, no one wants it anyway." The man waved nonchalantly and allowed Dean to take the bow and the sword after receiving his payment. 

He was pretty upset since he didn't make as much as he expected from the sword. 

"Isn't all this somewhat tiresome, I mean, we could've just walked up to him and told him we wanted to buy the bow." Leon didn't understand why Dean went through so much trouble when his target was the bow. 

Dean didn't explain and took Leon to another weapon store. He stared at a staff intently that the stall owner noticed it. After asking about the price, the store owner told them the price of the staff was a whopping one hundred and eighty gold coins. 

"You see now?" Dean asked. 

Leon nodded.

Now he knew why they always bought things at sky-high prices back then. Although the fact that they weren't good when it came to bargaining was also a reason, most of the reason lay in the initial price the stall owners called out.