"If Shaxon had truly intended to take him as an apprentice, he wouldn’t have waited until today," Carl said, gently shaking his head. "In my hometown, there’s a saying: ’An empty ear of grain often holds its head high, while a full one always bows to the ground.’ Those with wisdom always possess the humility to bow their heads. It’s just that some people overdo it." Burn chuckled upon hearing this. That was true enough. Those who wanted to take Shaxon as an apprentice mostly did so with an attitude of charity, grandly calling it a test. Unfortunately, the people from the Tower were straightforward. They directly accepted anyone with talent and would consider character later. This perplexed those who had been keen on taking Shaxon as a disciple. But there was no helping it; joining the Six Rings Tower offered the chance to go to the Kaliem Continent. Everyone knew what choice to make. "Let’s go!" Carl gestured forward. "I’ve long heard that Wizard Burn has exceptional skill in crafting Seals, and I must ask for your guidance today." "Sure thing," Burn replied with a smile. "Carl, your Beast Pills have turned the fortunes of my pharmacy around, and I greatly admire that. Would you be willing to exchange knowledge?" "I’d be delighted!" Carl’s eyes lit up. "I mean... I’d be very willing!" The two of them walked into the backyard, their voices fading into the distance. A dull thud from the counter made Shaxon instinctively turn around, his long-honed vigilance causing his body to tense. A burly man, completely wrapped in a black robe, stood at the counter and tossed a cloth bundle onto it. "Give me a price for this!" "Um..." Barbara hesitated. "Sir, we sell Potions here. We don’t buy materials, do we?" "Not buying?" the black-robed man asked in a muffled voice. "You bought from me last time I was here." Barbara looked confused. "Huh?" She had only recently been promoted to a sales position; before, she had just been an assistant in the shop, so she was unsure how to handle this situation. "What’s going on?" Lance sauntered over, eyeing the black-robed man. "Selling goods?" "Yes," the black-robed man nodded, pointing at the bundle. "Give me a price!" The most update n0vels are published on 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝗇𝗲𝘵 "This is a pharmacy; we don’t normally buy materials... of course, that’s just the usual situation." Lance casually opened the bundle, and his tone of refusal abruptly shifted. "Flame Flowers, Fierce Flame Stones—good stuff!" He pursed his lips and said, "Flame Flowers, one Magic Stone for three. These Fierce Flame Stones, five Magic Stones for the lot. If that works for you, we have a deal." "Hmm?" The man’s voice was strange. "What’s this? Isn’t this a shop of the Six Rings Tower? Or has it changed owners?" "Of course it is!" Lance’s expression darkened. "What do you mean?" "Last time I was here, Flame Flowers were one Magic Stone each, and Fierce Flame Stones should have been the same price." "One flower for one Magic Stone?" Lance’s face showed disdain. "What nonsense are you talking?" "Mr. Lance," Barbara suddenly tugged Lance’s sleeve and whispered, "I remember now. Something did happen. Wizard Carl... was the one who set the price back then." Lance frowned, his eyes flickered, and then he abruptly pushed the bundle forward. "One Flame Flower for one Magic Stone, and one Fierce Flame Stone for one Magic Stone. Take it or leave it." The black-robed man didn’t respond. From beneath his hood, his eyes seemed to be fixed intently on Lance. After a long moment, he slowly nodded. "Deal!" "Good." Lance smiled, fished out a few Magic Stones, tossed them over, and then snatched the bundle. The black-robed man snorted softly, took the Magic Stones, and turned to leave. Lance chuckled as he watched the man leave and said, "Barbara, record this. Log it as one Flame Flower for one Magic Stone, and one Fierce Flame Stone for one Magic Stone. The extra Magic Stones are mine." "Huh?!" Barbara, who was in the middle of recording the transaction, looked up in surprise. Lance raised an eyebrow. "This is the price Wizard Carl set. Don’t you acknowledge it?" "N-no, it’s not that." Barbara gave an awkward smile, lowered her head, and took out several Magic Stones from under the counter, arranging them neatly. "That’s more like it!" Lance pocketed the Magic Stones, a thoughtful expression on his face as he glanced in the direction the black-robed man had departed.