Old Riley quickly began tallying Terry Ayr's latest haul. Fortunately, not every mercenary was as prolific as Terry, or Riley would have been buried under endless work.
"Riley, what's the buyback price for these seeds?"
Terry used the informal address that Riley preferred from those he was familiar with.
"Here's the thing," Riley explained. "Although Fantasy Flower seeds are exceedingly rare across the continent, the guild doesn't price them solely on scarcity. We base the rate on the rank of the magical plant or beast. Fantasy Flowers, having no offensive properties, are classified as Rank 1 magical flora. But considering their hazardous acquisition, the guild offers 1 gold coin per seed."
Terry nodded. He wasn't entirely familiar with the rankings of magical plants on the continent, but 1,000 gold coins seemed like a fair deal. Unwilling to waste time quibbling, especially with Chris waiting outside, he decided to settle quickly.
"Let's do this, Riley. Give me 1,000 gold coins and keep the rest for yourself. Deal?"
Riley's sharp eyes twinkled. Years of handling trade had made him an expert at estimating quantities, and he knew the haul amounted to about 1,300 seeds.
"Of course, Terry. If you're in a hurry, I can arrange payment right now."
"That would be great. Deposit 500 gold into my gold card, and I'll take the remaining 500 in cash."
Riley wasted no time. He fetched the gold coins and updated the balance on Terry's card. As the transaction concluded, Terry noticed his insignia reflecting several new achievements. He was now one step closer to attaining the coveted Gold rank.
Leaving the guild behind, Terry returned to Chris, who looked at him expectantly.
"Chris, we're buying a new house," Terry announced.
"A new house? Do you know how expensive houses in the capital are?" Chris's skepticism was evident.
"Guess how much I just earned," Terry teased, clearly enjoying the moment.
Chris shook her head, unable to guess. She assumed the seeds were relatively worthless.
"One gold coin," Terry began, holding up a single finger.
Chris nodded, her expression unenthusiastic. That seemed about right.
"Per seed," Terry added with a sly grin.
Her eyes widened in shock. "What?!"
Chris froze, clutching her chest as if her heart might leap out of it. She struggled to process the idea that Terry could have so easily acquired a fortune that dwarfed her 13 years of hard labor.
"It's impossible! You're telling me those seeds were worth 2,000 gold coins?" she exclaimed, her voice trembling.
"It's not impossible," Terry said with a shrug. "You forget that Yinko and the others are natural enemies of Fantasy Flowers. Without them, no one else could have collected this many seeds. Honestly, the guild got a bargain. These seeds are irreplaceable now that the Phantasmal Forest is gone."
"So... we really have 2,000 gold coins?" Chris asked, her voice wavering.
"1,000. I only sold half the haul," Terry clarified. "The rest stays with me. In a few years, when the value skyrockets, we'll sell more."
Chris extended her hand expectantly. "Give it to me."
"What?" Terry was momentarily confused.
"The gold coins. What would a kid like you do with that much money?"
Terry was speechless. Did she forget his royal lineage already?
"Are you seriously planning to carry all that gold down the street?" he asked, bemused.
"Good point," Chris conceded, albeit reluctantly. But she added firmly, "Once we buy a house, you hand over the rest. I don't want you learning bad habits."
Terry chuckled. At least she was back to her usual self.
Not far from the guild, Terry spent 300 gold coins on a luxurious mansion. Chris, who had initially protested the expense, was moved to tears as she gazed at their new home. It had been years since she'd lived comfortably. The once-wealthy girl, sold into servitude at a young age, had endured decades of hardship. Now, for the first time in years, Chris felt hope.
After a brief shopping trip to buy new clothes, Terry hurried back to the mansion. He was eager to check on the state of his barracks in the summoning space. While only a few hours had passed in the real world, half a year had gone by inside. He couldn't help but wonder if the burly man he'd left behind had starved to death.
Entering the summoning space, Terry strolled casually toward the barracks. From a distance, he could see a crowd gathered in front of the camp.
The burly man, upon spotting Terry, rushed forward as if reuniting with a long-lost relative and threw his arms around him.
"Oh, my lord! You've finally returned! I was going out of my mind waiting for you!"
Terry smirked. "Heh, at least you didn't starve, huh?"
"Not starve, but nearly scared to death!" the man exclaimed. "The zombies over there keep wandering by every few days. We're constantly on edge. Strangely, though, no one seems to die from fright. That one time when Little Hei passed out foaming at the mouth, I thought he was a goner, but the next day, he was up and about like nothing happened!"
"Alright, alright. Can you tell me your name now?" Terry asked.
"Certainly, my lord." The man straightened his posture, his expression serious.
"My name is Gao Shun. In these chaotic times, with rebels rising everywhere, I pledge my life to serve under your banner, my lord, and defend the nation with honor!"
Terry's youthful face twitched as he extended a trembling finger toward Gao Shun.
"You... you're the Gao Shun?!"