Chapter 327 | Bound by Gear, Forged by Power

The clerk in the neighboring blacksmith shop heard this and grinned.

“Not expensive. It starts at thirty-five gold coins. If you want to add runic protection, that will be extra.”

Aidan's mouth twitched, and he immediately fell silent.

Thirty-five gold coins.

And that was “not expensive.”

As expected of the royal capital.

Matthew glanced at the armor.

The craftsmanship was good, but only good.

He had no interest in buying it.

Heavy armor didn't suit him.

But he saw something else here.

The royal capital could afford to support artisans.

It could afford to support Class holders.

It could support complex demands for equipment.

Some people would buy light armor, some would buy heavy armor, some would buy crossbow parts, some would buy carriage armor plates, some would add runes, and some would customize special protective gear.

The more demands there were, the more specialized the technology became.

And the more specialized the technology, the more likely good things were to appear.

Matthew confirmed in his heart once again that coming to the royal capital had been the right choice.

If he hadn't come here, he would forever only be fumbling around in a shallow pond like the county seat.

He could find things there.

But it was too slow.

And what he lacked most right now was time.

Whether it was Herbert, Sutton, the opening of the academy, or the goal of becoming a Third-Grade Apprentice, everything was pushing him forward.

He couldn't afford to wait slowly.

He needed resources.

He needed spells.

He needed equipment.

He needed everything that could make him stronger as quickly as possible.

The Blood-Veined Rapier was only the beginning.

At this thought, Matthew felt a surge of warmth in his chest.

He immediately suppressed this heat.

He couldn't rush.

He couldn't just try to enter every door and touch everything just because he saw how abundant the resources in the royal capital were.

The royal capital was not a treasure trove opened just for him.

It was also a place that devoured people.

Just as he could gain benefits here, he could also be targeted by others.

After continuing down Artisan Street, Matthew saw several more apothecary and materials shops.

These shops were different from the ordinary herb shops they had passed at the beginning.

There were no clerks shouting at the doors, nor were there goods displayed outside.

The signs were very low-key.

A potion bottle.

A bay leaf.

A beast bone.

Or a simple runic pattern.

Two guards stood at the entrance of one shop. Although they didn't block pedestrians, their mere presence there felt like an invisible threshold.

When ordinary people passed by, most would only take a quick glance before moving on.

Aidan also took a look and whispered,

“Brother Matthew, do places like this sell better things?”

“Possibly.”

“Are we going in?”

Matthew paused for a moment.

He did want to go in.

Materials.

Potions.

Runes.

These words were all appealing to him.

But after watching for a brief moment, he withdrew his gaze.

“We're not going in.”

Aidan was somewhat surprised.

“Why?”

“We've just arrived in the royal capital and haven't figured anything out yet.”

Matthew's tone was very flat.

“This kind of shop isn't an ordinary herb shop. It's easy to walk in, but asking the wrong question can bring trouble.”

Aidan understood immediately and stopped asking.

Matthew continued forward.

In truth, he knew very well.

If he walked in now, he might indeed see some things.

He might even be able to buy a few low-level materials with the money he had.

But so what?

He currently didn't know the prices of the materials market in the royal capital.

He didn't know who stood behind which shops.

He didn't know which questions were safe to ask, and which would expose him as a wizard apprentice.

If he walked in and immediately asked for spell materials, what would the other party think?

A young man who had just arrived in the royal capital, bringing an attendant, staying at a Fiery Lion family property, and asking for special materials.

That in itself was information.

Matthew disliked handing information to others when he was unprepared.

He had already gained enough today.

No need to be greedy.

No need to rush.

He could come back later.

The afternoon was gradually drawing to a close.

The sunlight shifted from directly above the street to the sloping edges of the eaves, stretching the shadows on the flagstone road.

Aidan's stomach suddenly growled.

The sound wasn't loud.

But the two of them happened to be walking through a slightly quiet intersection, so it was exceptionally clear.

Aidan's expression instantly froze.

“Brother Matthew, I...”

Matthew glanced at him.

“Hungry?”

Aidan felt a bit embarrassed.

“A little.”

Actually, it was more than just a little.

After they went out at noon, they had first walked the main street, then strolled through Chamber of Commerce Street and Artisan Street, and even entered a weapon shop. Aidan's nerves had been tightly strung the entire way; his eyes and mind hadn't stopped for a second. On top of that, he was a Class holder to begin with, which meant his energy consumption was high, and his stomach had long since started protesting.

Matthew himself was also hungry.

His cultivation consumption was already greater than that of ordinary people.

Today, he had also experienced the massive emotional rollercoaster of purchasing a Purple-quality weapon.

Although his emotions had been suppressed, his body wouldn't remain completely unaffected.

“Let's find a place to eat.”

Matthew said.

Aidan visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

The two of them found a restaurant near Chamber of Commerce Street.

A white oak sign hung at the entrance of the restaurant, depicting an antler cup. The storefront wasn't particularly luxurious, but it was clean, with no drunkards at the door or chaotic shouting.

Prices in a place like this wouldn't be cheap.

But it was safer.

After entering, Matthew scanned the hall.

There were quite a few customers.

There were merchants, guards, two cloaked adventurers, and several people who looked like attendants of minor nobles.

He chose a seat against the wall.

His back was to the wall.

He could see the entrance from his side.

And he could see the stairs from the other side.

Aidan had already grown used to this; after sitting down, he also subconsciously glanced around.

Matthew noticed this action and was slightly satisfied.

Aidan was indeed learning.

Although he was still green, at least he wasn't just blindly following anymore.

A server soon brought over the menu.

When Aidan saw the prices on it, his eyes nearly popped out of his head.

He lowered his voice. “Brother Matthew, a single meal here costs almost as much as several days of expenses in a small town.”

Matthew said flatly, “Everything is expensive in the royal capital.”

Aidan smelled the aroma of meat in the air, his throat twitching.

“But it really smells amazing.”

Matthew glanced at him.

“Order.”

Aidan was delighted, but still felt a bit self-conscious.

Matthew ignored his hesitation and directly ordered roasted magical beast meat, beef stew, rye bread, and vegetable thick soup, along with a pitcher of light-tasting fruit wine.

When the dishes were served, Aidan's attention was immediately drawn away.

The roasted magical beast meat was cut into thick slices, its surface slightly charred and sprinkled with coarse salt and herbs. The beef stew was served in a deep dish, the broth thick, containing potatoes and carrots. The vegetable thick soup was steaming, smelling much more fragrant than the ordinary soup at the inn.

Initially, Aidan wanted to eat slowly.

But after a few bites, his movements sped up.

He was truly hungry.

Matthew didn't scold him.

All the way from the countryside to the county seat, and then from the county seat to the royal capital, Aidan had suffered quite a bit alongside him. It really wasn't easy for him to be able to sit peacefully in a royal capital restaurant and enjoy a good meal now.

Matthew himself ate more slowly than usual.

It wasn't that he lacked an appetite.

On the contrary, his appetite was quite good.

The roasted magical beast meat was firm to the bite, carrying a slightly warm sensation of energy. After he swallowed it, his stomach quickly warmed up.

The ingredients in this restaurant were better than in many places in the county seat.

The price was high, but so was the quality.

Matthew cut off a piece of meat and chewed slowly. In the warmth of the food and the quietness of his seat, the joy that had risen in his heart from acquiring the Blood-Veined Rapier finally settled down.

He rarely sat down to eat like this.

Not rushing on a journey.

Not hiding.

Not treating injuries.

Not immediately meditating.

Just sitting in a strange and bustling great city, enjoying an expensive and delicious dinner.

This feeling was somewhat unfamiliar.

And also quite rare.

Matthew was not a man of pleasure.

But he wasn't a block of wood, either.

He certainly knew that today was a day to be happy.

His first day in the royal capital.

Staying at the Gold Lion Inn.

Seeing the scale and prosperity of this city.

Touching the edges of resources like chambers of commerce, workshops, and materials shops.

And even obtaining a Purple-quality Blood-Veined Rapier.

Even if this sword had side effects, and even if there might be trouble tied to it, this was still an incredibly solid harvest.

Matthew was in a very good mood.

It was just that this good mood was suppressed very deeply by him.

Like a fire covered under ashes.

Invisible from the outside, but always hot within.

Halfway through the meal, Aidan suddenly spoke up:

“Brother Matthew, the royal capital is so big. Are we going to live here from now on?”

Matthew took a sip of fruit wine.

“Not necessarily.”

Aidan was startled.

“Not necessarily?”

“This is a temporary stop.”

Matthew set down his cup.

“Not the final destination.”

The movements of Aidan's hands slowed down.

These words shook his heart in an indescribable way.

To Aidan, the royal capital was already big enough.

So big that he felt his past world had been overturned all at once.

The small towns, the countryside, the county seat—all of them seemed to have become very distant today.

But Matthew said the royal capital was only a temporary stop.

Not the final destination.

Aidan looked down at the meat on his plate, suddenly feeling that the distance between himself and Matthew was clearer than ever before.

He felt that the royal capital was already the end.

But Matthew merely treated this place as the starting point for the next leg of his journey.

After a moment, Aidan whispered,

“I understand.”

Matthew glanced at him and didn't say much more.

For some things, saying this much was enough.

Several guests at a neighboring table were chatting.

Their voices weren't loud, but they didn't deliberately avoid others, either.

“Lately, it's better to avoid going to the southern Theater District at night.”

“Wasn't that monster that bites everyone it sees already killed by the patrol squad?”

“They killed one, but who knows if there's a second.”

“Don't scare people.”

“Why would I scare you? I heard that even after the thing was hacked down, it was still twitching, repeatedly shouting that it was hungry.”

“Really?”

“Who knows? Either way, the night shows in the Theater District have been seeing fewer people lately.”

Matthew heard them.

The knife and fork in his hands didn't stop.

He simply slowly cut off a piece of meat and placed it in his mouth.

The Theater District again.

And that bloodthirsty monster again.

This matter was spreading through the royal capital more widely than he had imagined.

Yet, it was still merely a rumor.

There were no street closures.

No martial law.

And no one was truly panicking.

This indicated that on the surface, the matter had already been dealt with.

As for what lay in the dark...

Matthew thought of the half-face mask motif on the guard of the Blood-Veined Rapier, and then of the “vampire aura” prompt on his panel. His eyes darkened slightly.

The things in the dark would have to be dealt with sooner or later.

But not right now.

Today's focus was not the Theater District.

It was the Blood-Veined Rapier itself.

He needed to test the sword first.

Confirm the bonuses.

Confirm the side effects.

Confirm whether it could truly become a card in his hand.

Matthew finished the fruit wine in his cup, his mood having completely stabilized.

The excitement brought by the Purple weapon had not vanished.

It had merely settled from floating on his mind down to its depths.

It no longer made his heart race.

Instead, it transformed into a steady expectation.

Wait until he returned to the inn.

Test the sword.

Then, he would know exactly how much change this Purple weapon could bring him.

After all, a Blue weapon had already helped him surpass noble young masters, making him a rare talent in the eyes of even the Eldest Young Master.

Now that it was replaced by a Purple one, wouldn't it turn the world upside down?

...

By the time they finished the meal, the sky had visibly darkened.

The twilight of the royal capital was quite different from the daytime.

During the day, the streets were wide and the crowds surged. Shop signs, noble carriages, patrol squads, and chamber of commerce crests were all displayed openly before everyone's eyes. At that time, the royal capital resembled a giant beast revealing its full form—vast, prosperous, and carrying an unavoidable sense of pressure.

But as evening arrived, the light slowly receded, and the magic crystal streetlights along the roadside lit up one by one, making the entire city look as if it had changed faces.

Pale blue light fell upon the flagstone road, blending with the warm yellow glow filtering through shop windows. In the distance, a carriage drove past, its wheels grinding against the gaps in the stone, the sound clearer than during the day. Along both sides of the street, storefronts that had shown no signs of life during the day began to light up. One could faintly hear the sounds of music, laughter, and the clinking of glasses.

Aidan stood at the restaurant entrance, unable to resist looking around a couple of times.

“Brother Matthew, the royal capital is so lively at night as well.”

His tone still carried a trace of unsuppressed novelty.

Matthew raised his eyes to look toward the end of the street.

The lights were denser here, and there were more pedestrians. Some people who weren't very conspicuous during the day seemed to emerge from the shadows only at this hour, wearing cloaks and hats, walking in twos and threes toward the deeper parts of the district.

“The larger a city is, the less quiet it will be at night,” Matthew said.

Aidan nodded.

He originally wanted to ask why, but swallowed the words back down.

Having followed Matthew for so long, he had already picked up on some patterns. For certain things, if Matthew was willing to explain, he would; if not, there was no point in pressing.

Matthew didn't look at those distant lights again.

He could naturally sense that the royal capital at night was far more complex than during the day.

The daytime belonged to chambers of commerce, patrol squads, carriages, vendors, and ordinary pedestrians.

But the night was not necessarily so.

Theaters, taverns, gambling tables, noble evening banquets, shady transactions, and those things hidden in the shadows during the day—perhaps they were all slowly waking up at this time.

Hearing the rumors of the Theater District again in the restaurant just now had also added another layer of vigilance in Matthew's heart regarding “the royal capital at night.”

However, he didn't plan on venturing deeper today.

What needed to be seen had already been seen.

What needed to be heard had already been heard.

More importantly, he hadn't truly tested the Blood-Veined Rapier yet.

The sword lay quietly inside his storage ring, yet Matthew could feel its presence at all times.

It wasn't that something was truly summoning him.

Rather, he himself was thinking of it.

Purple-quality.

Sword-type talent bonuses.

Side effects.

vampire aura.

These things were like several thin threads, gently pulling at his heart.