"Perfect! However, even with all the goods in my store, they are still not enough. Do you need me to buy something for you, my lord?"
Vincent ignores the slight shift in the shopkeeper's wording. The man has started calling him "lord" even though he is not a noble in this world.
"Seeds. Gather as many as possible in the shortest amount of time. I want to take them now, and in a week or two, I'll return for the rest."
"Even then, it still won't be enough. Gold is such a valuable metal, as you know. It's the best magic conductor—something even a king desires. A small amount of gold can be used as an anchor for a massive and powerful barrier that can block an SS-rank spell."
"Hmmm… How about this? You purchase expensive magic items—tools related to farming, husbandry, and combat."
The shopkeeper rubs his chin, nodding.
"Aye… I can do that. I know a few people who can help me with this."
"Good. You can take as much profit as you want from that gold coin. However, I trust that you'll ensure my order is fulfilled. I wouldn't want to hire someone to… teach you a lesson, right?"
Vincent smiles, his expression carrying a massive amount of killing intent. The portly shopkeeper breaks into a cold sweat and nods quickly.
"Yes, my lord! I understand! You can leave it to me."
"Good. Don't worry, I'm not an unreasonable man. As long as you're honest with me, I will reward you. Now, can you gather everything in one place? I need to cast magic to store them."
"Yes, my lord!"
The shopkeeper hurries to place all the goods in an empty room at the back. Once he finishes, Vincent snaps his fingers, and the two of them watch as the items are sucked into his pocket dimension.
"You know Space and Void magic, my lord?"
"Yup. It's convenient for storing all my items. I store them in my pocket dimension."
"Pocket dimension? Ah, you mean storage magic. Yes, it's rare, but very useful for merchants like me."
"That it is. Anyway, I'll return in four hours. Can you gather as many seeds as possible? I don't want anything forbidden, but if you have… a contact among merchants selling those, I wouldn't mind adding them to my collection."
The shopkeeper immediately understands and nods.
"I understand, my lord."
"Great! I'll be exploring the city first. Ah, before I go, do you have any coins I can use? I want to buy more things."
"Of course!"
The shopkeeper retrieves a pouch from his belt and hands it over.
"Here. There are ten thousand Enchantment Stones in that pouch. With that amount, you can buy almost anything."
"Perfect! It's nice doing business with you. I'll see you soon."
With that, Vincent leaves the store and begins exploring the city.
== Line Break ==
As he wanders through the streets, Vincent learns a great deal about his surroundings. The city is called Hlutiar City—the second largest in the county, though not the biggest. It sits beside the world's largest lake, which takes two days to cross from one end to the other.
Just like in his own world, this place is plagued by monsters, their existence tied to the gods. According to the book, in his hands, the gods of this world release excess energy into the realm, which results in three major phenomena.
The first and most obvious creation is monsters—beasts that grant a portion of their power to whoever kills them, almost like a level-up system in RPGs. Sadly, the monsters do not drop any loot after getting killed.
The second creation is dungeon cores—entities similar to monsters but far more dangerous. Rather than roaming the land, they form pocket dimensions, continuously spawning monsters within them.
The third and rarest creation is blessings. Only a handful of individuals ever receive them, but those who do gain great power.
"This world feels more like an alternate reality than an entirely different one," Vincent murmurs, fascinated as he flips through the book.
Unlike in his world, books here are relatively cheap—not as cheap as in the modern world, but still five times cheaper than in his homeland.
He closes the book and stands up.
Just as he is about to walk away, a commotion in a nearby alley catches his attention. Turning toward the source of the noise, he spots a man dressed in a mage's robes. However, the mage's clothing is filthy, and his hair is unkempt.
"Damn it! How dare they?! How dare they kick me out?! So what if I spent a million on my research?! It was for the greater good!"
Vincent raises an eyebrow. This is an opportunity.
He can feel mana rolling off the man, intensifying with his anger. Humming to himself, Vincent approaches.
"It looks like you need some help, my friend."
The mage snaps his head toward him, glaring.
"What do you want?! Go away."
"I'm here to help," Vincent replies smoothly. "I hear you need a little boost for your research. How about I lend you a hand?"
With a flick of his wrist, Vincent conjures a contract scroll and hands it to the mage.
"Sign this, and I shall give you this little beauty."
He pulls out a silver coin, letting it gleam in the dim alleyway light.
The mage's eyes widen in shock. He walks forward and inspects the coin with his magic. After a few seconds, he says.
"This… This is the real deal."
"Yup! So, how about it? Sign the contract, and the coin is yours."
The mage eyes the contract with suspicion. As a magician, he knows better than to sign anything magical without thorough examination. He casts multiple detection spells on the scroll, scanning it for traps or hidden magic.
After several minutes, he nods and opens it.
The contract is simple. It outlines a loan agreement between the mage and Vincent. In exchange for the silver coin, the mage is required to repay the amount plus ten percent interest within three days.
There are additional conditions about fleeing or failing to pay, but since the scroll appears mundane, the mage assumes he can ignore them. In his mind, there is no way Vincent can do anything if he runs away.
He glances up at Vincent.
"Are you serious?"
"Yup. Sign it, and the coin is yours. However…" Vincent's smile sharpens. "If you fail to repay me in three days, I will take your magic, power, knowledge, and lifespan."
A slow grin spreads across the mage's face. Without hesitation, he takes the pen Vincent offers and signs the contract, binding his very soul to the deal.
He has no idea what kind of person he has just made a deal with.
"Perfect." Vincent tosses him the coin.
The mage catches it, his hands trembling as he caresses the silver surface.
"I expect my ten percent interest in three days," Vincent reminds him.
He then turns and walks away.
As soon as he disappears from sight, the mage laughs loudly.
"That fool! I'll never see him again—sucker!"
He mutters a spell and teleports to his hideout, ready to auction off the coin.
Had he lingered just a moment longer, he might have heard Vincent humming an old poem under his breath.
"Will you walk into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly…"