Chapter 86: The First Business

After Gao De leisurely finished his dinner, it was already mealtime, and the restaurant had grown lively.

He politely rose to leave, not occupying the space longer than necessary or hindering others’ business.

The meal had taken him over forty minutes.

From Gao De’s perspective, he had noticed no suspicious individuals.

But he had personally seen a boy, about twelve or thirteen years old, carrying a linen satchel, push open the door of house 237 Kamengdejie and step inside.

That must be Selda’s child: Sear.

Recalling the details Selda had written in his letter to his wife, Sear was likely also a mage apprentice—otherwise, Selda wouldn’t have said he had “far greater magical talent than I.”

The recommendation letter from the Seris Mage Academy was also meant by Selda to be given to Sear.

But what level of mage apprentice Sear actually was, Gao De had no way of knowing.

The world of mages was not like the cultivation novels he had read in his past life, where a single spiritual sense probe could reveal another’s cultivation realm.

Mages had no such means, nor were they easily probed.

Unless a mage willingly cooperated with an investigation, no one but the mage himself could accurately determine his mage rank.

At best, one could make a rough judgment based on the spells cast and one’s own experience—such as, anyone capable of casting a first-circle spell was at least a first-circle mage.

In fact, this situation was more reasonable, more in line with common sense.

In his past life, no one could glance at another and instantly know their wealth; at best, one could make a rough guess based on their spending.

“I need to observe more times. Just because I didn’t spot a hidden watcher once doesn’t mean there isn’t one.” After leaving the restaurant, Gao De did not relax.

After all, over a decade had passed; even if someone was still watching, they were unlikely to be as vigilant as they had been at first.

Multiple verifications were necessary.

“I’ll come again tomorrow at noon,” Gao De decided.

Multiple verifications, covering different time periods, would yield a more reliable conclusion.

Day of Sun, 2nd.

After breakfast, Gao De locked his door and left home.

He first headed to Workshop Street to collect the curtain he had ordered yesterday.

Once he hung the curtain at his doorstep, he would have another channel to attract customers, rather than relying solely on the “advertisement” at the Artisans’ Guild entrance.

After retrieving the curtain, Gao De boarded a public carriage and headed to the Siren District.

Interestingly, over the past two months, Gao De had barely fulfilled his earlier personal wish as the herb garden’s master: “commute by carriage.”

After disembarking in the Siren District, he headed straight for the alchemy shop.

Compared to the three dominant shops in Hogen City, the number of alchemy shops in Bremen City was far greater, and competition was fiercer.

Gao De casually entered a mid-sized alchemy shop.

He noticed the variety of alchemical potions here was far richer than those in Hogen City.

Even basic mana potions were openly displayed on shelves, unlike in Hogen City, where they were kept locked in cabinets and not shown publicly.

“Give me ten sets of basic mana potions,” Gao De said directly.

His purpose in coming was to restock basic mana potions.

The last bottle he had consumed yesterday was the final one he owned.

“Certainly, sir.”

To his surprise, each set of basic mana potions here cost only six gold, with no price increase.

Ten sets cost only sixty gold—saving him five gold compared to Hogen City’s prices.

The entire alchemy market in Bremen City was large enough that most potion prices remained stable.

Unlike in Hogen City, where the arrival of even a few extra mages caused fluctuations in basic mana potion prices.

Artisans’ Guild.

Anna, as usual, sat at the front desk, flipping through a borrowed biography.

The role of Artisans’ Guild receptionist was largely idle and quite respectable.

Competition for the position was fierce; she had only secured it through family connections.

Absently flipping through her book, her thoughts drifted, and she couldn’t help but recall the young repair artisan from yesterday.

Master Basi said that, given the speed and skill he had shown in repairing luminous beads, unless he chose to sink into mediocrity, he would surely become one of the top few repair artisans in Bremen City.

“Truly impressive,” Anna murmured.

Until footsteps approached, snapping her out of her reverie; she looked up and saw a young woman in a pale purple gown.

Under conditions where dyeing technology was underdeveloped, anyone wearing pale purple—a rare color—was invariably of noble status.

Anna immediately rose and greeted her warmly: “Good morning, noble lady. How may I assist you?”

“I’m looking for a highly skilled repair artisan,” the young woman said, biting her lip lightly, her beautiful eyes holding a faint trace of melancholy.

Anna invited her to sit in the reception area, then asked for details to understand her needs.

The young woman pulled from the side pocket of her gown a beautiful necklace emitting blue-white radiance.

Crafted from pure gemstones, each stone linked by silver threads finer than hair.

The exquisite craftsmanship made the necklace appear light yet undeniably noble.

Tiny runes were engraved on the gemstones, radiating magical power.

Yet this beauty bore a flaw—the central, most important gemstone was cracked with an unmistakable fissure.

“This was my mother’s necklace. Please help me find a master artisan to restore it.”

Anna studied the crack on the gemstone for a moment, then carefully said:

“Repairing such a crack won’t be easy.”

Artisan repairs typically aim to restore the damaged magical runes.

But this necklace’s issue was first structural damage, which then affected the runes upon it.

If it were merely worn down, that would be simpler—just shave off the worn portion.

But split in two, repair becomes extremely difficult.

Because a fractured carrier cannot support a complete magical rune.

“Could you use a repair spell to mend the crack first?” the young woman suggested.

Anna considered, then said: “I can’t be certain whether using a repair spell would affect the runes on it.”

“Only the artisan can determine whether it’s feasible—they’re the experts.”

“Then please recommend a suitable repair artisan,” the young woman said, her mood slightly dimmed.

Anna rose and fetched the registry book from behind the counter, listing all registered artisans.

She turned to the page for repair artisans and scrutinized the few names listed.

Finally, Anna’s gaze settled on one name.

The young lady gazed intently and saw that the repair craftsman was named "Google Ditu".

The young woman leaned in and saw the name: “Gao De.”

His registration date was clearly marked—yesterday, the very day he joined the Guild.

“Has Master Gao De’s skill been verified?” she asked delicately, though her meaning was clear.

Anna nodded. “He may not be the highest-skilled repair artisan overall, but for your case, he might be the most suitable.”

“During yesterday’s assessment, Master Gao De restored a slightly worn luminous bead to perfect condition—completely seamless, no trace of repair visible. Even renowned artisans couldn’t achieve that.”

“He excels at repairing damaged objects, and he has the ability to repair first-circle magical artifacts.”

“Your necklace is likely a first-circle magical artifact,” Anna observed astutely.

“Then…” the young, beautiful woman nodded, “I’ll ask Master Gao De to repair my ‘Heart of the Lake.’”

“Here’s his address,” Anna pointed to the entry beneath “Gao De”: 437 Kamengdejie.

“Also, please note—Master Gao De takes a two-hour break at noon. If you wish to see him, come before twelve or after two.”

“I understand. Thank you.” The young woman rose and left the Artisans’ Guild.

[84] (End of Chapter)