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"Don't be fooled by the black exterior—place it in the sun, and it glows blue. Because its properties are similar to mithril, we call it 'Black Mithril'."
Musta returned the Black Mithril to its jar and opened a second one, pulling out another dark stone. This one, however, was laced with golden patterns. To Caelan's enhanced vision, the stone glowed with a faint red aura.
"We call this 'Gold-Veined Stone,'" Musta explained. "It's famous among blacksmiths. Adding a small amount during steel smelting mimics the effects of adamantine—making weapons and armor significantly tougher and more durable. Of course, while the effect is far inferior to true adamantine, the price is also much cheaper."
Caelan nodded, absorbing the information. His mind palace reacted to the stone, but only slightly; it didn't seem particularly interested.
Musta replaced the stone, then pointed to the remaining three large jars.
"These contain extraterrestrial meteorites with unknown properties. My wife knows they have uses, but since they're useless for smelting, she usually disposes of them. If you hadn't asked, she probably would have paid someone to haul them away next week."
He popped the lid off one jar and poured the contents onto the floor with a clatter.
Suddenly, Caelan's mind palace surged, trembling with restless energy.
To the naked eye, the meteorites on the floor were all pitch black. But in Caelan's vision, they shone in three distinct colors: yellow, white, and green. There were also a few inert stones emitting no light at all.
His mind palace was screaming for the green ones. Based on the reactions from yesterday to today, the desire was clear: it wanted to eat them. It loved to eat them.
There was little reaction to the yellow and white lights. Still, Caelan decided he wanted a sample of each for experimentation.
He glanced at the other jars. They all contained a mix of the same yellow, white, and green glowing stones. It seemed no one in this world had discovered their specific uses yet.
"They must have a purpose," Musta said, grabbing two cups from a cabinet. He filled them from a keg of malt liquor and handed one to Caelan. "We just haven't found it yet."
"Um, Uncle Musta," Caelan said, clinking cups with the dwarf. "I'd like to buy some of these meteorites, if possible."
"Of course! No problem. Aside from the Black Mithril and Gold-Veined Stone, I can let you have the others cheap," Musta said, taking a hearty swig.
They haggled briefly.
Black Mithril sold at the market price of one silver mark per gram. Caelan bought a small piece, weighing just over a catty, which cost him nearly six gold crowns. The Gold-Veined Stone was cheaper, at about seventy copper bits per gram.
The remaining stones of unknown use were dirt cheap—sold by weight at one gold crown for every five kilograms. The jars contained approximately one hundred and ten kilograms in total.
Caelan gritted his teeth and bought the entire lot.
Moving into a new house will have to be delayed a little longer, he thought ruefully.
He stayed for a few more drinks, chatting with Uncle Musta about the illusion games. Musta mentioned that he had told Karrum about the leaderboard. Although the boy hadn't shown much outward emotion, Musta—who had watched him grow up—could sense that Karrum was genuinely interested.
"Karrum used to sit at home all day, just staring blankly into space. His health was poor, and the Clan Elder always said he wouldn't live long like that," Musta said softly. "Now... I just hope he can live a happier life. If he can't be like a normal dwarf, then so be it. Our family will take care of him."
After the drinks, Musta helped Caelan load the heavy jars onto his cargo cart.
Caelan drove the cart to the old shop on Mare Street. Ella rushed out to help as soon as she saw him, but Caelan waved her off. She was a non-combatant barely shy of her fourteenth birthday; lifting heavy crates wasn't a job for her.
He originally wanted to shove the jars under his bed, but the space was already crammed with his clothes and personal belongings—the room was only three square meters, after all. He decided to stack them under the counter for now.
The urge to move to a new residence grew stronger. He was a business owner now; living in a broom closet was becoming ridiculous.
Once everything was stowed away, Caelan took out the two most expensive items—the Gold-Veined Stone and the Black Mithril. He then selected small samples of the yellow, white, and green glowing stones and kept them on his person.
He returned the cart to Musta, then headed straight for the large shop in the market district.
"Boss! You're finally here! We've been waiting for you."
As soon as he entered the shop, Caelan was surrounded. He didn't need to ask to know that these merchants were here to place bulk orders for runestones.
Fortunately, the shop had added extra tables and chairs, or the meeting would have been standing room only. Caelan found a seat, and the negotiations began.
The debate was animated and lengthy, but Caelan stubbornly stuck to his guns: a ten percent discount for bulk orders. No more.
"Boss, how can you do business like this? Haggling is normal! Sticking to one price without budging makes it difficult for us to operate," one merchant complained indignantly. The others nodded in agreement.
Caelan had no experience in business, but he knew he held a monopoly. Aside from Chess, no one else could replicate his illusion games. With his reputation growing, demand was outpacing his production speed. The initiative was entirely in his hands.
"That is my price," Caelan said flatly. "I sold it at this rate to the previous customer, too. If you want to buy, take the ten percent discount. If not, then forget it."
If he wasn't afraid of ruining his image, Caelan would have picked his nose right there to demonstrate just how little he cared.
The merchants were helpless. After a huddled discussion, they finally agreed. As Caelan had predicted, they were the ones asking for a favor.
These merchants belonged to a guild. After seeing the "Weekly News Report," they realized the potential of illusion games and had come to secure stock for other cities. Even with Caelan's stubborn pricing, they could simply mark up the cost in foreign markets to ensure a profit.
Next came the order quantity and the deposit.
Caelan demanded thirty percent upfront. The total order was more than ten times the size of Edmund Riverdale's previous purchase. Once this transaction was complete, his profit would exceed a thousand gold crowns.
That should be enough to buy a decent house in Crimson Port, Caelan thought. Fortunately, real estate prices in this world weren't as outrageous as in his previous life.
After seeing off the merchants, Caelan chuckled to himself, pleased with the haul.
Checking the time, he headed to the market to find some contractors. He brought them back to the shop to plan a renovation for the remaining space. He wanted five rooms: one for his office, one for storage, and three for future expansion or staff use.
Additionally, he ordered an expansion of the restroom in the game hall. The single, cramped toilet they had before was woefully inadequate for the crowds. Even with the city's night-soil collectors, keeping it clean was becoming a nightmare for Oliver.
I need to hire a cleaner, Caelan noted mentally. Definitely need a cleaner.
PLZ THROW POWERSONES.