The Patient Wizard Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – The Magic Tower (10)

The mention of David provides some reassurance. Still, Chris hesitated. What good would it do if David punished them after everything was ruined? The damage would already be done. It would be like crying over spilled milk.
“These are really expensive clothes. If washed incorrectly, they’ll be completely ruined.”
“If they’re ruined, I’ll compensate you.”
“Do you have enough money to compensate?”
Stan pointed to the items piled high against the wall as he answered.
“They may look like junk, but they’re expensive. Something like the cost of clothes would be no problem. Now, let’s negotiate the laundry fee.”
“I haven’t decided to leave the laundry with you yet.”
“Do you have decision-making issues? Or are you just indecisive by nature?”
“I don’t cultivate such traits.”
“Good, that’s how it should be. Be a man.”
Scott opened his bag and took out a bundle of clothes.
“My goodness, that’s a lot of laundry.”
Stan looked through them and then held up four fingers.
“I’ll need to charge four for this.”
“Four copper coins. Well, I suppose that’s…”
Stan immediately cut him off.
“That might be enough for the rags you’re wearing, but not for expensive clothes worn by wealthy nobles. Four silver coins.”
Chris receives two silver coins per person for a month’s laundry errands. With four people, his monthly income is eight silver coins. If he does laundry twice a month, there would be nothing left, and if he goes three times, he’ll be in deficit.
“That’s ridiculous. Let’s make it one.”
Stan deliberately widened his eyes.
“Hey now, I told you it has to be four.”
Chris also refused to back down and opened his eyes wide.
“That’s nonsense.”
“Fine, I’ll compromise. Three.”
“If I give you three, there’s nothing left for me.”
“You’re lying.”
“Forget it. Please give the clothes back.”
When Chris went to Scott to put the clothes back in the bag, Stan sighed deeply as if making a big concession.
“Alright, I’ll compromise again. I’ll do it for two.”
The price had dropped from four to three and then to two. Chris thought that if that was the case, it could also go down to one.
“One.”
Stan’s sigh deepened.
“Take your laundry back. Oh, I’ve wasted my time today.”
When he gave up, Chris hesitated.
Is two silver coins a fair price?
As Chris hesitated, Stan urged him.
“What are you going to do?”
“Fine. Let’s go with two.”
“You made the right choice.”
“Please give me the space bag. It’s borrowed.”
“Yes, take it.”
Scott wrote out a receipt.
“Bring the receipt when you come to pick up the clothes.”
“I will.”
“See you in five days.”
As Chris took the bag and left the store, Scott laughed.
“A fresh apprentice. How cute.”
“You think so? I don’t find him particularly impressive.”
“Seems like your pride was hurt because he drove down the price.”
“Oh, shut up, you rascal.”
“Does he seem talented?”
“From what I can see, he’s hopeless.”
“Then by this time next year, he’ll probably be a village resident.”
Meanwhile, after leaving Stan’s shop, Chris crossed the square toward the store that Juan had entered. The black signboard had no text on it, so it was impossible to guess what kind of store it was. Even if there had been text, he probably wouldn’t have been able to read it.
Is this really a store? Or is it Juan’s house?
While he was lingering in front, the door opened and an elderly woman with white hair came out and beckoned to him.
“Come in if you have business.”
Chris waved his hand.
“I don’t really have any business.”
“If you don’t have business, why are you loitering in front of someone else’s store?”
“The signboard is unusual.”
“What’s unusual about it?”
“There’s no store name written on it.”
“Can’t you see it?”
“Of course I can’t see it. Is this really a store?”
“Yes, it is.”
“What do you sell?”
“It’s a magic shop. Brian’s Magic Shop.”
“Are you Brian, Old woman?”
“What a foolish boy. Do I look like a man to you?”
“No.”
“It was my husband’s store.”
“Ah, I see. And your husband…?”
The old woman sighed deeply with a face full of untold stories. Chris quickly asked another question.
“What do you sell at a magic shop?”
“Everything related to magic. Come in if you want to look around.”
Chris became interested and followed the old woman inside. The first thing that caught his eye was the wands neatly arranged in the display case below the counter. Some were thick like clubs, some were thin like switches, some were short like rolling pins for dough, and some were long like brooms.
“There’s a wide variety of wands.”
“As diverse as the attributes, so are the characteristics of wizards.”
“Water, fire, earth, wind, metal. Five doesn’t seem that diverse.”
“That’s just the classification system of Micclonia Tower.”
The old woman gestured for him to lower his head. Although reluctant, Chris felt compelled by the atmosphere and bent down.
The old woman pulled his ear to bring him closer and put her mouth to his ear.
“Micclonia Tower is a bit backward compared to other towers.”
“Other towers?”
“There are three towers in the Kingdom of Grant. The Micclonia Tower that you attend. And the Herman Tower and the Lapunia Tower. The Lapunia Tower removes wind from the five elements and includes wood instead.”
“How did you know I attend Micclonia Tower?”
“A boy appeared in the village for the first time. It’s obvious.”
The face was too close for comfort. It was also uncomfortable to have this extremely old woman smiling and talking so close, so Chris moved toward the wall. There were stones displayed in the wall case.
Recalling the stones that had heated the cauldron during his test, Chris asked,
“These are magic stones, right?”
“That’s right.”
“What’s this empty space?”
“That’s where I used to display magic stones with rare attributes. I was lucky enough to acquire a few and put them on display, but after they were sold, I couldn’t restock them.”
“What kind of attributes were they?”
“Things like light, darkness.”
“Do those exist too?”
“They do.”
Chris casually asked about something he had been curious about since loitering around the store.
“What did Juan buy?”
“You came on Juan’s recommendation? You’re hopeless too.”
“No, that’s not it…”
The old woman led Chris at her own pace.
“I can solve it for you.”
“Solve what?”
“You came because you can’t feel magic, right?”
“I haven’t been able to feel it yet, but that’s not why I came. There’s still plenty of time. None of the Lion Hall trainees have felt it yet.”
“Really? Then why did you come?”
“Because of the laundry issue.”
“Is what you’re holding in that space bag laundry?”
Old ginger is spicy as they say; the elderly in this neighborhood are sharp. She immediately recognized the nature of the bag.
“I left the laundry at Stan’s shop.”
The old woman’s face gradually reddened, starting from her neck. Watching the red color advance from her chin to her forehead, Chris was reminded of water coming to a boil.
She’s about to boil over.
The old woman suddenly shouted.
“You’ve been robbed by that thief!”
“Thief?”
“You’ve been thoroughly deceived. How much did he fleece you for?”
Overwhelmed by the old woman’s intensity, Chris answered honestly.
“Two silver coins.”
“You got robbed. You got robbed. That bastard swallowed you whole without even plucking a feather.”
Chris had considered the possibility of being overcharged.
“Then next time I’ll take it somewhere else.”
The old woman quickly approached and took his hand.
“Next time, come to our place.”
Her hand was rough like tree bark.
Old woman must have had a hard life when she was young.
Chris pulled his hand away.
“I’ll think about it.”
“It’s fine if you don’t come to our place, but never go to that old man’s store.”
“Is he a bad person?”
“He’s vicious. You’re lucky if he only takes your money.”
The old woman’s long fingernail on her index finger poked Chris in the stomach.
“He’ll take your organs too.”
Chris backed away, feeling creeped out.
Oh, sh*t.
“Old woman, you’re scarier than Stan.”
The old woman smiled slyly. The redness that had occupied her face had somehow disappeared. The old woman whispered affectionately.
“Call me Donna.”
Somehow, her affectionate voice was unsettling.
“Yes, Old woman Donna.”
“You’ve already left your laundry, you didn’t come on Juan’s recommendation, and you haven’t given up on magic yet, so why did you come?”
“You invited me to look around.”
“I did say that. But you were loitering first.”
“I saw Juan come in.”
“Juan, poor child. Other kids try for a few years and give up… At most ten years and they throw in the towel… But that guy has been like that for over 30 years.”
Donna suddenly clapped her hands together.
“That’s why I created a solution!”
Chris recalled what the old woman had said earlier.
That statement about being able to solve it.
Chris gulped.
“You can solve the magic problem, Old woman?”
Donna nodded solemnly.
“How?”
Donna went past the counter into a back room. After a while, Donna came out with a strange-looking object. At first glance, it looked like a helmet worn by soldiers, but it had wings on the ear parts and a long, antenna-like object protruding from the forehead area.
“What is this?”
“A helmet that helps you feel magic. In short, a magic helmet.”
“Can you really feel it?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
Chris frowned.
“Can I try it on?”
“Normally it’s not allowed, but…”
Donna offered the helmet, as if being generous.
“Try it.”
Chris put on the magic helmet and tightened the chin strap. Then he calmed his mind and recited the spell. That magical spell meant to help him feel magic.
After concentrating for a long time, he still couldn’t feel magic. Disappointment constricted Chris’s lungs.
“It’s not working.”
Chris spoke while suppressing his disappointment. Then he took off the helmet and gave it to Donna. Donna touched the antenna-like protrusion and said,
“You need to insert a magic stone here for it to work.”
“Without it…”
“Of course it won’t have any effect.”
“Could I try it with a magic stone?”
“Do you have a magic stone?”
Chris pointed to the display case.
“There are many here.”
“Do you know how expensive magic stones are? I can’t waste expensive magic stones just to let you experience it.”
“How much are the helmet and magic stone?”
“The Shay magic helmet costs 100 gold coins, and magic stones vary in price depending on the attribute, but the lowest grade common magic stones are roughly about three or four silver coins.”
Chris’s mouth fell open.
“100 gold coins!”
Chris had no possessions of his own until he left the estate. The ragged clothes he wore were everything. He had squeezed eight silver coins from his classmates’ wallets, and at least half of that would need to be paid for laundry. For Chris, 100 gold coins was an unimaginable sum.
Seeing Chris’s reaction, Donna hid the magic helmet behind her back.
“You’re completely broke.”
“Is the helmet really reliable?”
“Nothing in this world is certain. Life is uncertain.”
“You shouldn’t say such irresponsible things when it costs 100 gold coins.”
“I also got it at an expensive price. There’s no profit for me.”
“Is the maker Shay?”
Donna responded defensively.
“He’s a really famous wizard.”
It seemed to Chris that she regretted acquiring such an expensive item.
She must be worried about having to keep it herself if it doesn’t sell.
“I’ll pass.”
“This is the only one. If it sells, I won’t be able to get another.”
“Who would buy this?”
“There is someone who wants to buy it.”
At that moment, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
“Juan is the one who wants to buy this.”
It didn’t seem likely that Juan would have 100 gold coins.
“So buy it quickly.”
“I’ll pass.”
Juan said he had been at the tower for 35 years. Chris hadn’t even been there for a month. He had plenty of time left. Chris didn’t give up hope.
“Thanks for letting me look around.”
As Chris was leaving the store, Donna’s voice flew and struck his back.
“In my opinion, you have no talent. Don’t torture yourself with false hope. If you feel it’s not working out, come to our store right away and buy the Shay helmet. If someone else buys it, that’s the end.”
Chris made an annoyed sound.
“Don’t say such unpleasant things.”
“Save money. You need to save money. That’s the only way you can buy it.”
Chris closed the door with a bang. Stan and Donna, they were all irritating people.