As they rounded a corner, they came across a small stall run by a senior student in the uniform of House Terra. His stall was cluttered with a variety of items, from rusty weapons and dusty books to an assortment of amulets that looked like they hadn't been touched in years.
The vendor was a shrewd-looking man with a gleam in his eye. He rubbed his hands together when he saw them approach, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Good day to you! Garrick Stone, call me Garrick. See anything you like?" he asked, his voice ingratiating and eager.
Alexander's gaze moved over the stall's contents, and he quickly spotted a dagger that caught his eye. It seemed to emit a faint glow and was better-looking than the one he currently owned, its blade sleek and slightly curved. the one he currently owned was just plain iron and couldn't be enchanted.
He picked it up, testing its weight and feeling the balance of the blade in his hand, and turned to Garrick, keeping his voice neutral. "Alexander. And how much for this?"
Garrick's eyes lit up. "Ah, you have a fine eye, Alexander! That dagger is a real find. I got it from the ancient battlefield last time. It's already enchanted, you know. The blade has a burning effect when it strikes, increasing its lethality significantly."
Alexander nodded, considering the dagger seriously, but his attention was quickly drawn to something else on the stall—a fist-sized black stone that sat off to the side, almost hidden among the other items. It looked strange and out of place, its surface dull and rough. But the moment he saw it, Alexander felt a surge of desire to swallow it.
Feigning disinterest, Alexander pointed at the stone. "And what about this? What's the story behind it?"
As he followed Alexander's gaze, Garrick's expression changed instantly, his eyes widening with exaggerated excitement. "Oh, that's no ordinary stone, I assure you! I found it in the stomach of an orc I killed on the ancient battlefield. It's extremely hard and and not even the fire of our academy's forges can burn it. It's a very rare find, indeed."
Alexander remained skeptical, but decided to play along. "How much for both the dagger and the stone?"
Sensing an opportunity, Garrick leaned forward, his smile widening. "Alexander, if you're interested in both the dagger and the stone, I can give you a special deal," Garrick continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "The original price for both would be 2,000 credits, but I'm willing to let them go for 1,600 credits. It's a great deal, trust me."
Alexander and Lira exchanged looks of disbelief. The price was absurd for what was likely a mediocre dagger and a questionable stone. Without a word, they both turned to walk away.
"Wait, wait!" Garrick called after them, his tone suddenly urgent. "The price is negotiable!"
On earth, he had a lot of experience in discussing prices and negotiations, because of his lower economy. With a look that conveyed, "You can trust me", he exchanged a quick glance with Lira, who nodded subtly.
Alexander stopped and turned back, raised an eyebrow. "You're trying to rip us off," he said flatly. "If you think we're foolish enough to pay 1,600 credits just for these, you're mistaken."
Lira nodded in agreement, her expression turning cold, clearly unimpressed with those. "Yeah, you're not fooling anyone. And athough you made it look real, that dagger's been reforged, likely made from parts of a broken blade. The enchantment was also clearly added later. And as for the stone, if it's so special and valuable as you claim, why isn't it in the auction?"
Caught out, Garrick's smile faltered. He scratched his head, looking sheepish. "Well, you see... maybe I can offer you a better deal. What price do you think is fair?"
"Six hundred credits for both," Alexander said, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Take it or leave it."
Garrick hesitated, clearly unhappy with the offer, but seeing that he was unlikely to make a better sale, he finally nodded. "Alright, you drive a hard bargain. Six hundred credits it is."
As Alexander reached for his pouch to hand over the credits, a voice interrupted them. "I'll pay 2,000 credits for those two items," the voice said, laced with arrogance.
Alexander looked up to see Roderick, one of Lucian's followers, standing with a smug grin on his face.
"I've already bought them," ignoring Roderick, Alexander said flatly, turning back to Garrick.
The young man stepped closer, his voice dripping with condescension. "I said I'll pay 2,000 credits. Didn't you hear me?"
After recognizing Roderick as Lucian's influence, Garrick, sensing trouble, looked nervously between Alexander and Roderick. "Uh, maybe you should settle this first…"
Alexander sighed, his patience wearing thin, and turned to face Roderick fully. "Roderick, it's first come, first served. I've already made the purchase. Did Lucian send you here?"
Roderick sneered, his expression full of disdain. "So what? I don't care about first come, first served. The highest bidder wins, and I'm offering more. Or did you not learn that, you lowly thing? You're not even in the same league as us."
Alexander's patience was wearing thin. He had no interest in getting into a confrontation, but the constant provocation was pushing him to the edge and made him frown. His eyes narrowed, and a dangerous glint appeared in them as he met the Roderick's gaze.
"You're pushing your luck," Alexander said, his voice cold as ice. "But if you want to take this further, I'm more than willing."
Roderick, sensing an opportunity to provoke Alexander further, leaned in closer. "Oh, are you threatening me? Do you think you can actually take me on? Go ahead, try it. Do you even have the guts?"
Before Alexander could respond, Lira stepped in, taking a calming hand on his hand, giving him a reassuring squeeze. "It's not worth it," she said softly, shaking her head. "I'll pay three thousand credits for these two items. " Then she turned to Roderick, her voice firm and commanding. "Tell Lucian to stop sending his dogs to do his dirty work."
Roderick hesitated, clearly unwilling to confront Lira directly. "Hiding behind a woman now, are you?" he taunted Alexander. "Why don't you come face me yourself if you've got the guts?"
Hearing this, Alexander couldn't hold back any longer. His patience now completely gone, he squeezed Lira's hand, said coldly, "Fine. As you wish, meet me in the duel arena in three days, you lapdog!"
There are regulations that students are not allowed to fight privately, and it is strictly forbidden to kill classmates in the Academy. If two students want to resolve a conflict, they can apply for a duel arena one week in advance, but also no one is allowed to kill anyone.
Roderick smirked, clearly pleased with this outcome. "Oh, I will. And when I'm done, you'll be crawling back where you came from, you lowborn scum!"
No other words, Alexander stepped forward, his voice cold. "Let's settle this there."