Chapter 48

Andre nodded slightly, a hidden smile on his lips:

"My friend and I want to find some special materials and plan to write a new 'guide.' You know, academic research always requires various materials."

The dwarf's gaze turned to Luo En, looking up and down at this strange face, just like a merchant estimating the value of goods:

"New friend? He doesn't look like the type who would be interested in a 'guide,' but rather like the type of pedant who would lock himself in a room to study."

"Don't be deceived by appearances, my old friend." Andre slid a magic stone fragment to the dwarf without a trace:

"His insights in certain fields might surprise you."

The dwarf reached out to cover the fragment, his short, thick fingers flexibly making it disappear into his sleeve, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly:

"These days, I am rarely surprised by anything, Your Highness. But if you say so, I am looking forward to it."

He stood up and signaled the two to follow: "Come on, let's talk in the back. A quieter environment is more suitable for discussing academic issues."

The three passed through the noisy main hall of the tavern, avoiding those customers immersed in alcohol or laughter, and came to a narrow corridor.

There were some old oil lamps hanging on both sides of the corridor, emitting dim light, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

There were several closed wooden doors at the end, all looking exactly the same.

Otto took out a strangely shaped key from his waist, carefully examined several doors, finally selected one, and inserted the key into the lock.

The moment the key was inserted, the hidden runes on the door lit up slightly, and then quickly dimmed.

The dwarf skillfully turned the key, and with a crisp "click," the door lock opened.

Inside the door was a small circular room, the four walls covered with various maps and dried herbs, and the air was filled with a strange fragrance, like a mixture of dozens of herbs.

A round table and a few chairs were placed in the center of the room, and a magic crystal lamp emitting soft light was lit on the table.

"Please sit down, two guests." The dwarf locked the door, skillfully climbed onto a special high chair, and looked down at the visitors:

"Now, tell me what kind of 'materials' you want to find? Here, we can abandon those cumbersome secret codes."

Luo En looked at Andre, who nodded slightly to indicate that he could speak directly.

He took a deep breath and took out the special parchment from his arms: "We need these."

Luo En carefully displayed only a few of the relatively less sensitive material names, including "Moon Shadow Bat Heart Ash" and "Crystalline Moss."

Otto took the parchment, his thick eyebrows gradually raised, and his blue eyes flashed with surprise and curiosity:

"Oh? This is not an ordinary material list."

His fingers gently brushed over the glowing text on the parchment, and he looked up, his gaze moving between the two:

"Especially this 'Crystalline Moss,' it is a very tight material recently, the price has risen several times, and it is almost impossible to find one in the market."

"Why?" Luo En asked subconsciously, and immediately realized that this might touch on some sensitive topics.

The gray dwarf looked at him deeply, and the lips under the beard were pursed into a straight line:

"This belongs to our industry's trade secrets, it's not convenient to tell you guests."

He paused, seemingly weighing something:

"But indeed, the market fluctuations of various rare materials recently are much larger than usual, especially those materials related to the wizard adults."

After speaking, Otto waved his hand again: "Alright, let's get down to business. I can help you find these materials, but it won't be too fast, and the price is not cheap, you have to be mentally prepared."

"About how many magic stone fragments are needed?" Luo En asked straight to the point, deciding not to go around in circles anymore.

"Need a list?" Otto calculated with his short, thick fingers:

"Even if you only need one of each, it will take at least 170 or 180 magic stone fragments, and a few of them may need to be traded with complete magic stones."

He half-closed his eyes and looked at Luo En, seemingly judging the financial resources of the young man in front of him:

"Individual one or two materials, generally no one is willing to sell to you."

Luo En frowned slightly, this price far exceeded his budget.

Did Lady Ailan overestimate his economic ability, or did she underestimate the current market value of these materials?

He thought for a moment and said: "We can buy in batches. Start with the few that are easiest to find."

Andre inserted into the conversation at the right time, his tone relaxed but not lacking vigilance:

"If we can get samples, we may also need to identify the quality. In this kind of place, comparing three families is a wise choice."

"Oh?" Otto looked at Luo En with a hint of curiosity, blue eyes flashing with probing light:

"You know how to identify these materials? At your age, you don't look like you have enough experience."

Luo En nodded neither humbly nor arrogantly, his tone calm but full of confidence: "I have some insights in potionology."

"Interesting, interesting..."

The dwarf rubbed his thick beard, making a rustling sound, and the corners of his mouth under the beard lifted slightly:

"Usually potion apprentices come to the black market, they will bring a reputable appraiser and wrap themselves up tightly, for fear of being recognized."

He looked at Luo En scrutinizingly: "But if you can identify the materials yourself, that saves trouble. However..."

Otto suddenly stopped, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes, "Big talk is not a good habit, young man."

He took out an exquisite small wooden box from under the table. The wooden box was carved with complex runes, and every line flashed with faint light:

"You are lucky today, I happen to have some stock here, want to see it? Let us test how deep your 'insights' are."

Luo En's heart moved, and he nodded: "I'd be happy to."

He could feel that this was some kind of test from the other party, but he had confidence in his ability.

Otto opened the wooden box, which contained several crystal bottles and small bags neatly arranged.

The room light shone on those bottles, refracting strange light, adding a touch of mystery to them.

"Look at this." He took out a small bottle containing grayish-brown powder and shook it lightly:

"This should be the 'Moon Shadow Bat Heart Ash' on your list. New goods that arrived recently, top quality."

Luo En took the bottle and carefully observed it with the help of [Herb Identification].

He shook the bottle lightly, letting the powder inside show its true color in the light.

Real Moon Shadow Bat Heart Ash should appear silver-gray and have a faint blue fluorescence in the light.

Most importantly, it should have a unique energy fluctuation that almost makes those with keen perception feel a slight tremor.

But the grayish-brown powder in front of him, although similar in texture, clearly lacked the due magic power fluctuation.

The color was also too turbid, more like an ordinary mineral powder, or an inferior product after multiple refinements.

During this process, his skill experience was also steadily improving:

[Fake identification successful! Herb Identification Experience +1]

"I'm afraid this is not a genuine product."

(End of chapter)