Matthew left the blacksmith shop. Although he felt much more at ease now that the repairs for his chainmail were settled, he couldn't help but calculate his current financial situation.
Right now, the money he had on him added up to less than two hundred silver coins. He still had to pay the fifty silver coin final payment tomorrow, which would make his finances even tighter.
“It looks like I need to make a trip to the adventurer guild first. Exchanging the monster parts for money is the top priority.”
At this thought, he recalled Sierra mentioning that the adventurer guild was near the center of town, not too far from the blacksmith shop.
Matthew quickened his pace and headed toward the guild.
...
In the center of Anda Town stood a slightly weathered stone building. A wooden plaque hung over the entrance, carved with an emblem of crossed swords and a shield.
This was the adventurer guild.
Inside the hall, a clamor of voices mingled with the smell of tobacco and cheap alcohol.
People dressed as adventurers stood or sat in scattered groups throughout the hall, some handing in requests while others conversed in low voices.
A tall adventurer slammed a large burlap sack onto the counter with a heavy thud and bellowed at the staff member behind it:
“The usual! Count 'em up, they're all goblin left ears! We slaughtered quite a few on this trip!”
Long accustomed to this, the staff member behind the counter expressionlessly untied the sack and skillfully began counting the shriveled, stained goblin ears inside. One, two... Soon, the count was complete.
“Seventy-eight in total. At the current purchase price of ten copper coins each, that comes to seven silver coins and eighty copper coins.”
The clerk announced the figure in a flat tone, counting out a small pile of silver and copper coins from beneath the counter and pushing them forward with a metallic clink.
The tall adventurer swept up the coins with a massive, calloused hand, weighed them in his palm, and grinned broadly. He turned and bellowed to his travel-worn, expectant teammates behind him:
“Boys, we've got our drinking money for tonight! Let's go, we'll have our fill of Fire Throat!”
His squad immediately erupted into rowdy cheers and whistles. Crowding around their leader, they boisterously surged toward the guild entrance, leaving a draft of wind scented with sweat, dust, and a faint metallic tang of blood in Matthew's face as they passed.
Standing near the entrance of the adventurer guild, Matthew watched the scene unfold, his mind stirring slightly.
He hadn't expected to witness such a scene the moment he stepped inside, nor had he expected a six-man squad to have slain so many goblins.
On second thought, however, if they were experienced adventurers with a well-balanced team, killing goblins would indeed be a simple task.
Seven silver coins and eighty copper coins was indeed a decent sum for ordinary adventurers, enough to cover nearly a month of comfortable living.
Still, a trace of doubt arose in Matthew's mind...
I remember the price being five copper coins per ear. Did the price go up?
With this question in mind, Matthew walked over to the purchase board in the hall and looked up:
Anda Town Branch, Purchase Board:
Goblin Left Ear: 10 copper coins each (must be intact, no severe damage)
Kobold Tail: 25 copper coins each (no severe damage)
Hemostatic Herb (dried): 5 copper coins per pound
Intact Shadow Wolf Pelt: 1 silver coin each (no damage, tanned or fresh are both acceptable)
...
Viper Lizard Venom Sac: 70 silver coins per bag (intact only)
Viper Lizard Carapace: 5 silver coins per piece (no severe damage)
...
Matthew's gaze quickly swept over the board, confirming that the purchase price for a goblin left ear was indeed ten copper coins.
The doubt in his heart did not fully dissipate. Instructor Calm would never deceive him on such information, so there had to be a reason for the price change.
Either winter is coming and the guild wants to clear out more goblins to prevent them from encroaching on the town's outskirts, so they increased the bounty...
Or... the goblin population in the forest has surged too rapidly, and if left unchecked, they might become a major threat...
He shook his head, pushing these speculations to the back of his mind for now.
Now was not the time to look deeply into the matter. Regardless of the reason, it had nothing to do with his primary goal for this trip: turning the monster materials in his possession into cash as quickly as possible.
His gaze drifted further down, finally locking onto items 21 and 22 near the bottom of the list:
【21. Viper Lizard Venom Sac: 70 silver coins per bag (intact only)】
【22. Viper Lizard Carapace: 5 silver coins per piece (no severe damage)】
Seeing this, an uncontrollable wave of joy surged in Matthew's heart.
Seventy silver coins a bag... That's much higher than what I heard from Sierra.
Perhaps it's because no adventurers have turned in these materials for a long time, prompting the guild to raise the purchase price to replenish their stock.
Matthew mused. This was undoubtedly fantastic news for him, as it meant the total value of his materials would likely exceed his expectations.
Next, he turned his attention to the request board on the other side, which listed various bounties and requests posted by individuals or merchant groups:
Request Board:
【Boar Cull: A herd of wild boars is encroaching on the farms north of Anda Town. Kill or drive them away. Reward: 40 silver coins per wild boar killed, 5 silver coins per successful drive-away.】
【Gather Moonlight Grass: An apothecary urgently needs moonlight grass (intact roots required). Location: Outskirts of the Shadow Forest. Reward: 2 silver coins per stalk.】
【Caravan Escort: "Black Rock Merchant Group" is recruiting temporary guards for a journey to the neighboring Grey Rock Town. The round trip takes about four days. Reward: Negotiable. Requirements: Negotiable. Location: Black Rock Merchant Group.】
【Subdue Rogue Goblin Tribe: A small group of goblins is reported to be ambushing near the trade route to Stone Furnace Town. Clear the entire tribe (proof of the leader's identity required). Reward: 3 gold coins, plus 35 copper coins per left ear turned in.】
【Subdue...】
【...】
Matthew's gaze swept over the request board, briefly taking in the outside information. His eyes lingered on the third and fourth tasks.
As far as he knew, Grey Rock Town, Stone Furnace Town, and Anda Town were all located within Abilan County. Geographically close to one another, they shared frequent trade and travel, leading locals to refer to them as the “Three Friendly Towns.”
It was precisely because of this connection that requests concerning the safety of the roads between the three towns frequently appeared on the board.
Matthew quietly noted this information. He realized that if the opportunity arose in the future, he could leverage the connection between the three towns to take on cross-town requests and secure more resources.
Shifting his focus back to the present, Matthew walked toward the counter at the side of the hall.
...
...
Rate on N.U.
