In the dimly lit small wooden house, Ronan crouched in a corner, feeling around the wall crevice until he pulled out a palm-sized black cloth pouch. He walked over to the table and emptied its contents.
Out tumbled several small, green bean-sized crystals of various colors.
"One, two, three..."
Ronan carefully counted the crystals on the table, totaling seventy-six pieces.
Seventy-six magic stone fragments.
This was all the money he currently had.
He also had a fair amount of worldly gold and gemstones, but those were useless in the wizarding land.
The pocket watch showed it was 9:50 in the morning, still early.
Today, Ronan planned to visit the town's living area in the wizarding land to buy materials for his cultivation and some essential items.
He changed into a light and practical hunting outfit, with his wizard's robe over it for disguise.
He carefully secured the knife he used for cutting meat at his waist.
The knife, left by the original owner, was sharp. While Ronan wasn't skilled in close combat, the knife might come in handy.
He packed a water bag, some dry rations, and the cloth pouch containing seventy-six magic stone fragments, keeping it close.
Before leaving, he also packed a large bag of dried, cured game meat from his recent hunts.
Once ready, Ronan locked the door to his small house, slid down the vine, and quickly disappeared into the forest, taking a path he hadn't used before.
The entire Hoddam Wizarding Land was situated in a vast basin, surrounded by dense, expansive forests.
From a high slope, Ronan gazed at the Hoddam Wizard Academy, which appeared as a white mist, encircled by the bustling town, a gray-black ring from afar.
He took a sip from his water bag, a fine sheen of sweat forming on his forehead.
The original owner had chosen a treehouse far from town to minimize contact with others, making the walk a bit lengthy.
After nearly two hours, Ronan finally approached the town.
The rugged forest path smoothed out, and he saw more people, mostly fellow wizard apprentices, their large robes a common sight.
"Sir, do you need a retainer? Just ten low-grade magic stones for ten years of loyalty!"
"Sir! I will be your most reliable guard!..."
As he passed a small square before the town, a group of robust individuals approached Ronan, each carrying large swords on their backs.
These were adventurers practicing the knight's path.
Ronan was interested in interacting with them to see if he could learn a genuine knight's breathing technique to alleviate the energy particle erosion affecting him.
But considering his limited funds and the many items he needed to purchase, he realized these men, daring to mix in the wizarding land as mere mortals, likely knew the value of a magic stone and would demand a high price.
So, he politely declined.
Beyond the square was a wall of gray stone, crumbling and dilapidated, marking the entrance to the town's living area.
It was said these walls had been built many years ago when the Hoddam gathering was still forming, and wizards were less numerous.
Back then, the forests teemed with magical beasts, and beast tides were common.
Only after the beasts were driven from the surrounding forests, and the beast tides ceased, did Hoddam gradually develop to its current size.
Inside the town, Ronan faced three roads.
The middle road led directly to the Hoddam Wizard Academy, the left to the Dwarf Market, and the right to a marketplace formed spontaneously by wandering wizards.
The left road was noticeably better maintained, and most wizards entering town, like Ronan, turned right.
Ronan was curious about the legendary dwarves but noticed guards at the entrance to the Dwarf Market, restricting access to ordinary wizards.
While observing, a group walked down the middle road, heading straight for the Dwarf Market.
They wore pristine, elegant wizard robes, and shiny rings with obvious energy particle fluctuations adorned their hands, exuding an aura of superiority.
Ronan glanced enviously at these "academy elites" before turning towards the wizard market.
The wizard market was quite different from what Ronan imagined—a simple street, sparsely populated and poorly maintained; he even saw animal carcasses and waste in the roadside gutters.
The street was lined with various low buildings, most lacking signs. Discovering what each shop sold relied on experience and observation.
Ronan walked slowly, stopping occasionally. With only seventy-six magic stone fragments, he didn't dare enter the more impressive shops, only peeking in from the entrance.
"Damn it, five magic stone fragments for a few pounds of flour? Might as well rob me!"
Ronan grumbled, leaving a bakery. Tired of mixed grains, he wanted a change of taste, only to find out his current diet was the cheapest food available in the gathering.
"Guess meat will have to be the staple. Vegetables grow freely in the forest anyway."
Ronan, feeling a bit down, tucked the flour bag at his waist.
The high prices in the wizarding land made him feel like he couldn't afford to live.
It was mostly because wizards didn't produce goods themselves; the food sold here was imported from secular kingdoms.
The food itself wasn't valuable, but transportation was costly.
He spent another magic stone fragment, just on essential cooking spices, his heart aching at the expense.
So far, Ronan had no means of earning magic stones.
Each magic stone fragment he spent was one less in his pocket.
He'd hoped the dried game meat he brought could fetch a price in this high-cost land.
But no one showed interest.
The wizarding land didn't lack ordinary meat; what they needed were the uniquely flavored or magically beneficial beast meats.
Ronan hadn't even seen a magical beast, which were only found deeper in the forest.
As he continued down the street, he began to see more wizard stalls set up directly on the ground.
And more and more people, too.
By the end of the street, there were almost exclusively stalls, with no shops in sight.
"Fresh fire lizard blood! Excellent for forging and enchanting! Only five low-grade magic stones a bottle!"
"Pseudo zero-level intermediate attack artifact! Dual runes, almost new, huge sale!"
"Ghost-face flower seeds, blue song grass flower hearts, all the potion ingredients you need!"
The street bustled with people, the air filled with haggling and shouts. Wizards came and went, some in fine attire, others in patched, shabby robes, worse off than Ronan.
Amidst the lively scene, Ronan relaxed, shedding the tension and restraint he felt on the shop street.
Though he recognized little of what was sold at the stalls, and much of the shouting was unintelligible, it didn't stop him from gradually immersing himself in the market atmosphere.