In the morning, in Pergamon County's Skylark Camp, the third battalion's campsite, Eli stood with a serious expression, observing the neatly assembled group below. He felt some satisfaction in his heart.
After six days of training, the common folk before him might not yet match up to a regular army, but compared to when they had first arrived, they had made significant progress. They no longer whispered among themselves while standing, nor did they move sluggishly. When orders were given, they followed them. However, what would happen once they were on the battlefield still needed to be tested practically.
"Today is your final day of training before your departure. We'll train in the morning, and in the afternoon, you'll have a half-day break. You can take care of your personal matters, but everyone must return before sunset. Otherwise, you'll be treated as deserters," Eli addressed the group.
The term "deserter" was not only shameful but would also bring disgrace upon their families and lead to punishment from the court. Hence, unless absolutely necessary, no one wanted to be labeled a deserter.
Upon hearing about the afternoon break, the group was excited. After all, for the past few days, they had been undergoing high-intensity training every day. They naturally desired a moment of relaxation. Additionally, some of them had personal matters to attend to, such as Jake.
In Jake's backpack, there were materials he had acquired by killing monsters on his way to the county. He hadn't had the chance to process them yet. Not only did this prevent him from making money, but the materials also occupied a lot of space in his backpack. He had been wanting to deal with them, but he had never found the time.
Perhaps due to the afternoon break, everyone trained particularly seriously in the morning. No one wished for any accidents at this juncture. If they didn't train attentively and Eli noticed, he could cancel the break, leaving them all regretful.
At noon, when training was over, Eli kept his promise and allowed everyone to leave. Among these people, many were visiting the county for the first time. In this era, roads were not well developed, and getting around required a guide. It was quite inconvenient. After coming here and joining the camp's training immediately, they hadn't had the chance to explore. Now that they had the opportunity, they eagerly dashed out.
"Captain, shall we go too?" Brenton said with impatience. He and Adrian, along with the others, were also experiencing the city for the first time. They had long wanted to take a look. If it weren't for Eli's strict oversight, they would have slipped away earlier.
"Let's go," Jake said. "We're setting off tomorrow, so today I'll treat you to a good meal."
"Really?"
"Captain, you're awesome!"
"Today's our lucky day. I knew that sticking with the captain was a great choice!"
The members of the team became excited one by one. After they learned that Jake's family wasn't too poor, they felt less need to be polite with him.
Once the group left the camp, experienced the bustling city, Brenton and the others couldn't wait to find a place to eat.
"Order whatever you want here, I'll step out for a moment, and I'll be back soon," Jake told them.
"Captain, make sure to be quick. If you return late, we might have finished eating by then," Brenton said.
"You guys eat as much as you want today. If it's not enough, order more," Jake grinned. He had just inquired about the prices of the dishes with the waiter; they were within his acceptable range.
"Alright, Captain, we won't hold back then," the group said with cheerful smiles.
Afterward, Jake left. Currently, he didn't have much money in his pocket. To treat his friends to a meal, he needed to process the materials in his backpack first. Pergamon County was much larger than Hermit Village and significantly more prosperous. It was surrounded by small vendors and peddlers. Jake didn't sell the materials at a small stall; instead, he entered a relatively larger general store.
"What do you need, customer?" A shop assistant approached Jake as he entered.
"I have some materials from beasts and monsters that need processing. Do you buy them here?" Jake asked, raising the bundle of materials wrapped in clothes in his hand.
"Of course, we buy them," the shop assistant said.
Jake nodded and proceeded to open the bundle of clothes, displaying the materials to the shop assistant. The shop assistant clearly had a discerning eye. Based solely on the appearance of these materials, he could tell which animals they belonged to. However, the price the shop assistant offered made Jake furrow his brows.
"Ten gold coins in total?" Jake found it hard to accept.
"That's right," the shop assistant said. "Most of the items here are rather common. The skin and teeth of the ridge wolves are relatively more valuable." This outcome was somewhat difficult for Jake to accept. He needed to remember that these items had come from beasts and monsters that were above level ten. Back in Hermit Village, he had killed a level ten Golden-Haired Rat, and the materials he had sold from that were worth more than this.
Could this also be a shady business? With this thought, Jake gathered the items and said, "The price is a bit low. I'll check out other shops."
"Sure, take your time. If you find the price acceptable, feel free to come back," the shop assistant said without trying to keep Jake there or showing any frustration. His tone was calm and indifferent, as if he wasn't intentionally trying to deceive Jake.
Jake left with the items and visited a few other shops. He even went to inns and blacksmith shops, trying to sell the materials separately. However, the prices offered by these places were even lower than what the general store had offered earlier.
After going around, Jake realized that the general store still offered the highest price. With no other options, he returned.
"Why is there such a big price difference? Are they each more dishonest than the scheming merchant, Mason? Why do the others in Hermit Village offer higher prices for my goods? Could they be looking out for me?" Jake wondered.
It did make sense upon reflection. After all, Jake had left a good impression on the people in Hermit Village, and they had all taught him skills and arts. It was only normal for them to show him some consideration by offering better prices when he sold things.
At this point, Jake began to understand why the people in Hermit Village, like the blacksmith Glen, had a limited purchasing capacity. It was likely a way of providing Jake with special care. Selling items here in Pergamon County meant the prices would be lower, but the purchases could be made in unlimited quantities.
"Hello, welcome back, customer," the shop assistant greeted Jake when he returned. The shop assistant didn't say anything condescending, maintaining the same attitude as before.
Jake felt a bit embarrassed. He handed the items over to the shop assistant and asked, "Still ten gold coins?"
Jake was actually worried that the shop assistant might deliberately lower the price, given that he had come back. However, his concern was unnecessary. The shop assistant nodded honestly and said, "That's right."
"Here you go, deal done!" Jake declared.