Thomas Pov
A year before my father died, leaving the business to me, I made unwanted investments and spent money on buying useless products in auctions due to my naivety. As a result, I not only lost all my savings but also borrowed from Aron, who had once worked under my father and was like a big brother to me. Only after falling into severe debt did I realize that Aron had deliberately tricked me into going into debt. Following his business advice had been a big mistake. Now Aron not only charges heavy interest on the original debt but also threatens to hire people he recommends, using false rumors about the store to force compliance. Additionally, the people Aron sends under the guise of help further harm my business, demanding unfair wages and vacations without contributing any work, ultimately damaging my sales. I can't even dismiss these employees as only Aron has the final say. If only I could produce 5 large silvers. I've managed to gather 1.5 large silvers so far... but the remaining balance is still significant. Even when my father was alive and the business was thriving, we could earn a maximum of 18 small silvers per month. However, the store now earns less than half of that, making it challenging to repay my debt. Moreover, the interest rate is a staggering 25%. Heck! Can I even manage to pay back everything?
-------end of thomas pov--------------
"Excuse me," Bowen called out after a while. He could sense that something was amiss with this store.
The young man noticed Bowen and Mason standing there. He quickly stood up and began to speak anxiously, "I-I'm terribly sorry. I was lost in thought. Please forgive my distracted behavior." He bowed deeply, displaying his sincerity
Bowen had initially intended to complain about the staff's behavior, but upon witnessing the young man's attitude, he changed his mind.
"That's fine. I'm here to buy a collar for my slave," Bowen said, pointing to Mason. Mason stood there, examining the items in the store, seemingly oblivious to how the sales personnel treated Bowen or the young man's entrance.
"Yes, of course. We have a variety of collar options, sir. Have you had a chance to see our collection?" the young man asked, assuming a professional smile.
"I was recommended the cheapest and ugliest one, as your intern deemed that fitting for us," Bowen stated, shocking the young man.
Gritting his teeth, the young man bowed again. "Please forgive me for their behavior, sir. I'd be willing to offer a 30 percent... no, a 40 percent discount on anything you purchase from this store. Please accept that as my apology," he said, still bowing.
Bowen found this situation amusing. "Okay. Show me your collections."
The young man appeared visibly relieved and let out a sigh of relief. "We have normal collars and magic-inscribed collars. Which type would you prefer, sir?"
"I'm not familiar with magic-inscribed ones. Could you explain?" Bowen inquired.
"Certainly, sir. Magic-inscribed collars are primarily used for the safety of both the master and the slave. They are inscribed with buffs and curses. For instance, this collar here has a healing buff. It can heal the slave 13 times and has an effect equivalent to a low-grade healing potion. It also comes with a curse to prevent betrayal."
"Additionally, this one can replenish mana 0.5 times faster than the original. It has curses against lying and murder."
"For wind magic users, we have this one... for unawakened slaves, this collar helps form a mana shield... and this one..."
The young man patiently explained the products to Bowen one by one and addressed any doubts Bowen had.
"Do you have collars with only buffs? I don't want a collar with curses." Bowen said, surprising the young store owner.
"Typically, most masters prefer collars with curses for safety, so their new slaves won't betray or harm them. But Bowen's request was completely different. The young man wasn't aware that Bowen had a system to handle such issues."
"Um... I'm sorry, sir. Almost all collars come with curses, as that's their intended purpose... um..." The young man's tone turned somber as he realized he might be losing another potential customer.
"That's alright. Can you create a custom collar?"
"Huh? Oh! Yes, yes, sir. We can certainly create one for you."
"Alright, make a collar with strong defensive capabilities against both physical and magical attacks. Include attributes for mana replenishment and healing. If possible, add other magic attributes as well."
"Eh?"
"What?"
"Sir...this.. ahm..this is impossible."
"Why?"
"It's nearly impossible to craft an ornament with that many buffs. Even a C-rank enchanter couldn't inscribe more than four spells. It's extremely difficult."
"Is that so?"
"Yes." the young man replied, offering a wry smile.
As the young man contemplated, his thoughts filled with uncertainty. "What is this kid thinking? Does he believe humans are capable of creating anything? Even the most advanced technology in Grimesphere can't produce an item like that. Am I dealing with a sane person here? Oh right, he's just a kid. I've been treating him like an adult all this time. But wait, can he even afford it? He seems like a young master from a wealthy family based on his demeanor, but his clothes... oh! Should I ask directly?"
"How many spells can you inscribe at most?"
"With a D-rank enchanter, maybe two or three. C-rank enchanters are rare in Yuria," the young man explained while scratching his head.
"Alright, three then," Bowen declared without hesitation.
"Uh, sir, are you sure? It could be quite expensive."
"Expensive? How much?" Bowen asked, tilting his head.
[Ah, so he doesn't know the basic market cost of a magic collar. Geez, did I waste my time here? Anyway, I can't just turn him away at this point. At least he will likely leave on his own once he realizes the cost.]
"That it could be at least 35 large silvers, sir," he said, expecting a shocked reaction from Bowen.
"That's it? I thought it would be at least one gold. It's quite cheap, though."
"What?" Now the young man's face showed the same shock he had anticipated on Bowen's part.
"It's 35 large silvers, sir, not small silver coins," the young man clarified, making sure Bowen understood correctly.
"Yeah, yeah, I heard you. If you can make one, I can pay the full amount now," Bowen stated without hesitation.
Gulp. That's when the young man comprehended that he had been dealing with a wealthy individual.
"Y-yes, sir," the young man stuttered. Bowen took out 35 large silvers from his space bracelet and placed them on the table. The young man began to sweat profusely. Even wealthy nobles wouldn't pay one large silver for buying a collar.
Wait, according to the information, the most expensive slave collar made on the Yuria continent was for a slave in Rafia, one of Yuria's major kingdoms. It cost only 10 large silvers.
The young man couldn't believe it. Was his name going to be recorded in Yuria's history for ordering such an expensive piece?
"My god, how much can he buy with this?" the young man thought, feeling tears of happiness welling up.
But then he remembered... his commission!
"Sir, the commission for the store will be 5—no, no—4 large silvers. Is that okay?" the young man asked, gritting his teeth. He was even prepared to lower it if Bowen insisted.
"Sure," said Bowen, casually placing another 4 large silvers on the table.
The young man's eyes began to water as he tried to hold back his emotions. How much humiliation had he endured from Aron when he couldn't pay his debt? It was all coming to an end today.
The young owner carefully took the silvers and secured them in the safe.
"Thank you, sir. Thank you again for your purchase," the young man said, deeply bowing.
"Yeah, yeah, no problem. Oh, by the way, fetch me a space attribute ring for my slave. The more space it has, the better. Just give me the best one you have. Don't worry about the cost," Bowen said, surprising the young man once again.
Another huge purchase!!!!!
The young man slowly glanced at the Drunkard, who was lost in his own world, oblivious to the kind of gift he was about to receive from his master. The young man could only think about how lucky Mason was.