Though Arthur said she wouldn't force her and would respect her decision, once she returned home, she brought disaster upon Vasquez family. This burdened Amalia foster parents with a massive debt.
When Rodriguez family offered to help clear that debt in exchange for her compliance, Amalia agreed without hesitation.
This world didn't work so coincidentally. Her foster father was an honest man who had never made enemies. Vasquez family company wouldn't just collapse as a result. The debt that Rodriguez family owed Vasquez family wasn't unreasonable.
Even if Amalia emptied Rodriguez family pockets, it still wouldn't be enough. The five hundred thousand, or even the interest on it, was insufficient.
Feeling indebted to the original owner, all Amalia could do was help her reclaim everything Rodriguez family took from Vasquez family. At the same time, she would look after her foster parents.
...
"What would the customer like to buy? We have all sorts of herbs and materials here. We even have naturally grown ginseng that's been around for decades, or even a century." A shop assistant, spotting a potential customer, quickly approached, showing how difficult business was here.
"Do you have refining materials and Amulets?" Amalia got straight to the point.
The shop assistant hesitated for a moment, carefully appraising Amalia before saying, "Follow me."
Amalia followed the assistant and soon arrived at an unassuming storefront. The shop owner was a middle-aged man. Upon hearing that Amalia was looking for refining materials, he deduced that Amalia was a cultivator and led her inside.
The interior was larger than it appeared from the outside. Shelves lined the walls, each stacked with various refining materials. Countless boxes on the floor held a diverse range of items used for refining.
"Take a look. I sell the best materials on this entire street. If other shops don't have it, I do. Young lady, what type of attribute materials are you looking for?" the middle-aged man asked.
Amalia walked over to the Fire attribute materials.
A hint of surprise flickered in the middle-aged man eyes. "Are you an Artificer?"
An ordinary spirit cultivator, unfamiliar with refining materials, wouldn't be able to discern the attributes of these materials with their naked eye. Only an Artificer, well-versed in refining materials, could meet this foundational requirement.
Amalia handed over the prepared list and said, "These are the refining materials I need. Can your shop provide them all?"
The middle-aged man glanced through the list briefly after opening it. "We do have a fair amount of these materials in stock, but we can only provide about eighty to ninety percent of them. If you trust me, I can gather the remaining ten to twenty percent within two days."
Had Amalia not revealed that she was an Artificer, the middle-aged man wouldn't have been so generous. This comprehensive list included materials that an ordinary cultivator wouldn't understand.
"In that case, I appreciate it," Amalia said. She didn't understand why the middle-aged man had suddenly become so helpful, but since he was willing, Amalia saw no need to look elsewhere.
"My name is Zenón," the middle-aged man replied after calculating the total price of all the materials. "The total comes to three hundred and twenty thousand. Since this is your first visit, I'll waive the small remainder. If you have any future transactions, feel free to frequent our shop."