"If it were before, I'd gladly write off your debt. But as you can see, the current state of the restaurant isn't ideal for me to simply write it off." Knowing what Claude was thinking, Kayle quickly explained.
Not wanting to let go of his 'hard-earned' money, Claude proposed a plan, "Okay, how about this then. First, write off my debt. Then, I'll let you borrow my twenty silver taels to repair your restaurant. As for payment, it's up to you whether you pay me in parts or in full."
Kayle thought about it and nodded in agreement. In any case, Claude prevented a disaster from happening. She couldn't imagine what would have happened if Claude didn't take a shot.
"Okay! That's a deal then. Don't take back your words, alright?"
"I, Kayle Lionheart, never take back my words."
"Nevermind, I don't trust words alone!" Claude said as he took out a piece of paper in his pocket. After he wrote a series of words on the paper, he said, "This is an IOU. After signing it, you're basically obligated to pay me back. Otherwise..."
"Ugh, why do you have to go through such lengths just for a mere twenty silver taels," Kayle can't help but grumble before signing the paper. Glaring at Claude, she said coldly, "There, are you happy now?"
"Very much so!" Claude took the IOU and stuffed it in his breast pocket happily.
It was only at this time that he noticed the small hill of guards inside the restaurant,. He went near them and crouched down before asking Kayle, "What are you gonna do about them? They seem to be the guards of someone from a noble lineage."
"Wait for them to wake up, I suppose, then ask them some questions." She answered languidly. After which, she clapped her hands trying to get the attention of the customers, "Okay everyone, store's close for today and the next couple of days. During that time, the restaurant will be renovated."
"Oh." Claude replied as his hands brushed the floor.
[+1 Strength]
[+2 Strength]
[+1 Strength]
....
At this time, Sylvia ran as fast as she can back to her house. In her hands was a box with a strange moon symbol. She gripped it tightly, for fear that someone might take it.
"This pearl bracelet is dangerous. I must find answers from Elder Sister." Sylvia muttered under her breath.
From the words of the Merchant earlier, it seems that this pearl bracelet has a lot of value. However, she didn't think that the value would go so far as having someone chase and kill her for it.
Fortunately, her guards which hid in the dark came just in time to save her. If it were not for them holding the man back, she wouldn't have escaped.
Even though she's a 2nd-Class Mage, she greatly lacks combat experience. As a result, she could only do nothing but run.
Soon, a large mansion came into her view.
The gate was rather large, at least two or three feet in length. On both sides were giant pillars made of unknown materials which held the gate
Seeing her, the guard stationed in the gate smiled and bowed politely before opening the gates for her. Sylvia did the same as she entered
in a hurry.
After which, she headed in the direction of the courtyard without hesitation. As expected, her elder sister was there sipping tea quietly whilst gazing at a faraway place.
Hearing the rustling noises behind her, she placed down her tea and calmly turned her head. A look of surprise flashed in her face as she said, "Sylvia? Why are you back so soon? I thought you went to the city to buy some stuff."
"I did but..." Sylvia hesitated.
"But what?" A sense of urgency can be heard from Freya's voice.
Knowing it would be better if she told her elder sister the story, Sylvia retailed the story of what had happen earlier in detail.
"A strange man saw the box you were holding and proceeded to attack you?" Freya was unconvinced, "Where did you get the box? Can you show it to me?"
"I bought it from a wandering Merchant." Sylvia replied as she handed the box over to her sister, "He made it out to be some sort of precious treasure as he told me its origin in clear detail."
Taking the box, Freya started inspecting it in all angles. The box looked nothing extraordinary. Apart from the strange symbol, she couldn't find anything else. As such, she turned her focus on the content of the box.
Opening it, a pristine pearl bracelet came into her view. She took out the supposedly precious bracelet and began inspecting it.
Soon, dozens of minutes passed in the blink of an eye and Freya suddenly said, "Strange, I can't seem to find any scratches in these pearls. Generally, after all the processing and puncturing, some cracks or scratches will be left. Putting aside the creation of the bracelet, ordinary use alone must have left some scratches on them."
"On top of that, the thread used on this pearl isn't ordinary. If I were to guess, the thread must have come from a powerful beast. Otherwise, this thread wouldn't be so durable whilst retaining its smooth and silky texture."
Sylvia simply observed and listened from the sidelines. Unlike her sister, she has no experience in appraising at all. Her sister, on the otherhand, is not only an appraiser but also a high ranking one.
It is because she went under the tutelage of a renowned 1-Star Appraiser. In less than five years, she attained the rank of 1-Star Appraiser which her Master took nearly a decade to achieve. On top of that, she was supposedly on the verge of surpassing her Master.
"It's just that... Apart from the high-end materials, this pearl bracelet has nothing special to it at all." After observing the bracelet for quite some time, Freya came to a conclusion, "Don't worry, I'll ask my Master if he can help. Anyway, how much did you spend on this?"
"Uhm... F-Fifty"
A look of surprise appeared in Freya's face, "Fifty gold? I didn't think it would be so cheap. According to my estimates, it should at least be worth two hundred or even a five hundred gold just from the materials alone."
Sylvia's face suddenly blushed, "N-No, I bought it for only fifty silver taels..."