Chapter Sixteen: Magical Wonders of the General Store

In Delin Town, there was a shop specializing in the processing of hides, owned by Mr. Longfellow, the finest leatherworker in town. Whenever Joan hunted animals in the woods and brought back pelts that were well-preserved and of decent quality, he would always hurry to the leather shop to sell them to Mr. Longfellow. The raw hides, after cleaning, tanning, drying, and a series of other processes, would become soft leather, suitable for making garments, bags, trunks, or ladies’ accessories.

Thanks to Mr. Longfellow’s skilled hands, the shop’s business was thriving. The wolfskin cloak Joan wore had been custom-made here, with him providing the raw material and paying only two gold coins for the workmanship.

Joan had previously sold badger pelts to the leather shop and was familiar with the going rates. However, the ferocious badger he had recently hunted was much larger than ordinary ones; its skin alone could be sewn into at least three cloaks. Even Mr. Longfellow was astonished, repeatedly exclaiming it was the largest badger he’d seen in two years.

With the help of two apprentice tanners, Mr. Longfellow spent more than half an hour carefully removing the entire hide without damage and paid Joan exactly ten gold ducats for it.

Joan was quite satisfied with the price and did not haggle, quickly taking his leave with the sledge in tow. On the sledge were two blood-stained burlap sacks, containing the badger’s meat, skinned and butchered into two large chunks. Joan intended to deliver the fresh meat to Uncle Baker’s “Golden Trout” tavern in hopes of fetching a good price before it spoiled.

After removing the skin, bones, and viscera, there remained about three hundred pounds of pure badger meat. The tavern bought it at five copper coins per pound, earning Joan another sixteen gold ducats.

All told, the ferocious badger brought Joan a total income of twenty-six gold ducats—a windfall like none before. By rights, Joan intended to give half of it to Conti, but she firmly refused, offering a reasonable excuse that she would use this sum to offset her lodging expenses at his home. Conti, from a noble background, was clearly not short of money, whereas Joan felt considerable financial pressure to save enough for tuition before April. Thus, he did not insist.

Now with some cash in hand, Joan’s first thought was to visit Aunt Barbara’s general store and settle the account for the bread and honey he’d bought on credit that morning.

Aunt Barbara was surprised to see him return so quickly to pay his debt, repeatedly asking if he had truly made money and warning him not to go hungry just for pride’s sake. Joan had to briefly recount his adventure with the ferocious badger to reassure her.

Out of gratitude to Aunt Barbara, and considering he now had a guest at home—he couldn’t let Conti subsist on dry bread—Joan bought a variety of foods he usually couldn’t afford: ham, sausages, smoked meats, butter, and a whole wheel of cheese. All this filled a basket and cost less than five gold ducats, leaving him with twenty shining gold coins. Though this sum was far from the thousands needed for tuition, it was more than enough to run a household of three comfortably.

The weight of coins in his purse made Joan’s thoughts lively. He couldn’t help but wander to the counter next to the food section, gazing thoughtfully at the display reserved for books and magical curiosities.

Aunt Barbara’s shop also offered currency exchange and pawn services. Adventurers passing through town would often consign their odd finds here, and with a keen eye and a bit of luck, one might discover a treasure among the jumble—just as Joan had once stumbled upon the cantrip scroll that set him on the path of wizardry.

Joan was a regular visitor to the consignment shelves, though his purse usually kept him a mere browser. In truth, most of the items displayed were of little practical value, and the high prices meant few ever sold.

Sweeping his gaze over the shelves, Joan found the usual assortment of old odds and ends not worth attention, but a few new items piqued his curiosity.

First, he picked up a roll of white linen, bringing it to his nose to catch a faint scent of herbs. Upon asking Aunt Barbara, he learned this was the latest invention of Mr. Keyrandil, the town’s apothecary and physician: a “first-aid bandage” for dressing wounds, said to quickly stop bleeding and prevent infection. Each roll sold for five gold coins.

If Aunt Barbara’s description wasn’t exaggerated, Joan thought these bandages could be quite useful. Unfortunately, the price was steep, and with no immediate plans for adventure, he didn’t need them just yet.

Next, three magical curiosities emitting a faint arcane glow caught his interest. The tags read: “Veteran’s Cane,” “Face Shield,” and “Magic Hat.”

The Veteran’s Cane looked like an ordinary wooden walking stick, but when the bearer recited a specific activation phrase, it would transform into a finely forged steel sword—yours for fifteen gold coins.

The Face Shield, compared to a normal small round shield, was slightly flattened and oval-shaped, with two leather straps at the back for securing it to the arm. This allowed the wearer to wield weapons or cast spells unhindered. The shield was made with a hardwood core covered in hide, providing some defense against arrows and blades. Its most unusual feature was the stern, thick-browed face painted on its surface.

Perhaps due to the shield’s flattened shape, the face had been stretched into a broad, comical pancake. Even more amusing, when the bearer recited a special phrase, the face would shift, displaying various expressions—anger, joy, sorrow, and more.

Joan shook his head, suspecting the shield was a craftsman’s joke, and let his eyes wander to the “Magic Hat” beside it: a slightly battered, pointed cap adorned with gold stars.

According to Aunt Barbara, this “Magic Hat” was once a street performer’s prop, capable of simple magical effects. For example, one could soil the hat, and with a single phrase, it would become spotless; it could also emit a blinding flash or conjure the sound of several people arguing.

Curious, Joan tried the hat and found it worked just as Aunt Barbara described.

To ordinary folk, these magical effects might seem wondrous, but to a practitioner like Joan, the hat simply held three zero-level cantrips. After careful observation, Joan surmised that the instant cleaning came from “Prestidigitation,” the dazzling flash was a special use of “Flare,” and the illusory voices were most likely “Ghost Sound.”

These little tricks were both entertaining and practical. Joan was quite tempted by the Magic Hat; even performing street magic for extra coin would be worth it. But when he saw the price—twenty-five gold ducats—he had no choice but to give up the notion for now, returning to his role as a pauper. With a sigh, he squeezed his meager purse and turned away from the consignment shelf.