“We’ll take 3 Talents, 800 Silvers, and 20 Golds,” Caster decided.

“Very well, let me just sort this out.” The woman the Artificer called ‘Marv’ began taking different colored rolls of coins out of the assortment of bags.

“We’re rich,” Abel whispered.

Are 4 Talents really worth that much? When I killed that Grouper Parasite, I got 3 GP... only a third of a Bronze. I bet if I fought a better monster now, I’d get even more GP from them.

Mav slid the assortment of coins over the counter.

“There you are, ma’am.” Mav smiled.

I’m a boy! Minion… thing. Whatever.

“Thank you,” Caster took the coins with a friendly smile of his own and stood. He placed the coins into his pockets.

+3 Talents, +20 Gold +800 Silver Coins!

Good thing these coins are in rolls, I’d sound like a walking windchime moneybag otherwise!

Abel followed Caster out the door and into the outside world. Caster stopped after a few steps.

“Abel, do you know where we could buy livestock in this town?”

“Somewhere outside of town, I think.”

Obviously!

“Let’s go pick up the armor and weapons first. Maybe shopkeeper Samuel will have some directions.”

They continued their way back through the street. This time, Caster was far less paranoid, knowing the worth of the Onyx Selinian crystals. Even if someone did try to take the coins in the middle of the day on the crowded streets, he could always go back to the catacombs and pick up more.

They entered Samuel’s store just as the burly man was placing the last chest plate onto the counter.

“Welcome back. Manage to sell that crystal?”

“We did. Thanks for the help and for not ripping us off. Here, this should pay for our order.”

Caster proudly placed the silver tubes of coins onto the counter – all 800 of them. Samuel looked down in confusion.

“The order was only 400 Silvers.”

“I know. But the village of Casterville rewards honest people like you. Generosity for generosity.” Caster nodded.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

“What is this world coming to?” Samuel shrugged, taking the coins.

-800 Silver Coins!

"I do have one more question though. Know where we could pick up some animals? We need horses, pigs, and cows mainly.”

“There are some farms toward the north, between here and Riverwood. They should have what you need. And another word of advice, if you’re going to buy a guild’s worth of armor and weapons, it’s a good idea to think of a better story than saying your dad sent you,” he laughed, turning away from the counter to work on sharping weapons inside his shop.

“Nice one mister, I mean, Caster! But… how are we gonna get all this stuff back to the village?”

“A valid question, Abel. But don’t worry, I’ve already got it covered.” Caster smiled.

Caster grabbed the Zz’Wrath and lifted it from around his neck, then placed it on the ground. It grew just enough to where the orb in the center was big enough to slide their new equipment into.

Abel watched in awe as he did, the young man was at a loss for words.

Caster grabbed the first armor piece off the counter and shoved it inside the purple sphere. It swallowed the iron, steel, and leather components whole.

“Can… can I try?” Abel asked. Caster nodded.

It took less than a minute full of stifled giggles for the duo to finish putting all the pieces inside of the void. Caster shrank the Zz’Wrath once more and placed it around his neck. It wasn’t one buckle heavier.

“Alright, simple enough. Nice going, Abel. Let’s get out of here!” The two left the shop and looked to the north.

Caster and Abel’s path was clear. The town was open, and no one stopped their path. Caster was able to peacefully soak in the details of the town he wanted to see in Casterville.

There’s so much… room here. It’s like all the shops and buildings are in these tight corners, and the rest of the town is just wide-open spaces. The walking stones are well masoned, and they even have kids running around too. Hell, just one of this town’s open walk spaces is bigger than all the space between Casterville’s walls. Am I… getting jealous? Nah, at least Casterville has walls! I wonder why this place doesn’t. It’s not like they’re that far from the Badlands. Maybe their ties with Cairngowan make them feel safe from attack?

Caster wondered to himself, though he knew he wouldn’t get answers to his questions until he asked someone who knew.

From stone tiles to grasslands, they passed the main portion of the city and headed into the farmlands. Sooner than expected, they arrived at the doorstep of a nearby ranch. Caster walked through a door with a wooden sign depicting a cow’s head and entered the front desk of a new shop.

At the counter was an old man, busy tidying his wares. He saw the two boys and nodded.

“What can I do ya for?”

“We’re here to purchase some animals.”

“What kind ‘n how many?”

I didn’t think about that. Livestock… like horses, cows… sheep? I should probably let Abel decide. He’d know what the village needs most since he’s lived in the Badlands for his whole life.

“Abel, what do you think?” Caster turned toward his companion.

“Oh, me? Well... I’m an idiot! Don’t let me make that call!” Abel waved off Caster’s question.

“Oh, come on Abel, you’re not an idiot. Besides, I bet you know better than most what Casterville needs to get off its feet.”

“Well… I guess since we have a few dozen Challengers, we should also have at least a few dozen horses. We have a hundred people in the village, so we should have about 50 cows. Then we should also have-”

Abel was cut off as something rammed into the wall behind them, shaking the building to its foundations. All three individuals inside ducked as several items rolled off the shelves and dust flew throughout the cabin. The door behind Caster and Abel was knocked on three times, followed by a girl’s screams for help.

Caster and Abel looked at each other and nodded. Abel unsheathed his short sword, and Caster began charging his Primordial Disintegration Ray.