Chapter Forty-Three: Earning a Little Money

Magicians were a rare resource, especially now that the clergy had collectively lost their positions, which further elevated the status of magicians. With this identity, the approval process sped up significantly, and the examiner even arranged for two additional officials to verify his credentials.

The primary purpose of the verification was to confirm whether Chu Yun had any criminal record in the Kingdom of Elno, or if he was wanted across the continent.

After about an hour, the examiners finally completed the background check and, as quickly as possible, issued Chu Yun a legal identification document.

“Master Mage, here is your temporary ID, valid for one month. As long as you do not commit any crime in the Kingdom of Elno within this period, you may exchange it for a permanent citizen’s card. Aside from the time limit, the legal standing of the temporary ID is the same as that of a formal one.”

Chu Yun accepted the document, finally becoming a legitimate member of this world, no longer a wanderer.

“What about the fee?” he asked.

“You are an esteemed magician, so according to the kingdom’s laws, there is no charge. You can also register your status at the Mage Association and, at that point, enjoy the monthly stipend granted by the Mage Guild,” the examiner reminded him.

“Thank you. I’ll look into it.”

Upon leaving the registration office, the examiner even presented him with a map of Blackstone City.

“The things on the carriage are a bit troublesome; best deal with them first.”

The hide of a Tier-Two Elite Thunderwater Ray was quite valuable. Chu Yun kept some for himself, intending to sell the rest. The map marked all the important places in Blackstone City, including an auction house.

The auction house traded in a wide variety of goods—weaponry, monster materials, alchemical potions—and held a slave auction every week.

The rarer the item, the higher the price it fetched at auction. Ordinary goods, on the other hand, sometimes failed to sell and even incurred a brokerage fee.

Even in Blackstone City, Chu Yun’s goods were considered rare treasures—not only Tier-Two elite materials, but also specimens of atmospheric creatures, which were exceedingly rare and highly collectible.

“I wonder if they’ll recognize what these are,” Chu Yun mused anxiously.

Still, since the adventurers he met on the road could identify them, surely the professionals at the auction house wouldn’t fail to do so.

Chu Yun drove the carriage along the route marked on the map to the auction house. Generally, auctions were held at night, so the entrance was not crowded—most people present were sellers.

“Good sir, may I assist you in any way?” the receptionist inquired politely, his gaze already drawn to the carriage behind Chu Yun.

“I intend to auction some rare monster materials. What is the procedure?”

“Please follow me, sir. First, you’ll need to have the materials appraised. If you decide to auction them here, there’s no appraisal fee. However, if you decline to go through with the auction after the appraisal, a fee will be charged.”

“What if your appraiser can’t identify the items?” Chu Yun asked, curious.

The receptionist smiled. “If even our appraiser cannot identify it, naturally there is no fee. In that case, it can be auctioned as a mysterious centerpiece. With so many knowledgeable people in Blackstone City, it is unlikely that no one will know it. In fact, some folks love collecting the odd and unusual.”

Led by the receptionist, Chu Yun entered the auction house’s appraisal room, where an appraiser was examining a sharp horn.

“Judging by the shape and size, it’s likely from a rhinoceros-type monster. It has ice attributes, but the hardness is only average. From the break pattern, I’d say it’s a Tier-Two Ice Rhino. As far as I know, there are no such monsters near Blackstone City?” the appraiser remarked, puzzled.

The seller smiled. “I bought it from an adventurer who came from the north. Seems he was telling the truth; I didn’t get a bad deal.”

“Take him for registration. While Ice Rhino horns aren’t top-tier, they’re certainly interesting here in Blackstone City...” The appraiser named a reserve price for auction.

When consigning an item, sellers received an estimated reserve price from the appraiser. If the auction fetched a higher price, the balance—minus commission—would be paid to the seller.

If bidding fell far short of the estimate or failed altogether, the seller could take the reserve price or reclaim the item by paying a service fee.

Such were the auction house rules, which all sellers had to follow.

Different appraisers specialized in different fields; the bearded man at hand was a monster scholar.

The moment he saw Chu Yun unload the Thunderwater Ray hide from his carriage, he recognized it instantly.

“Ah, this...”

“Is this Thunderwater Ray hide?!” the appraiser exclaimed in astonishment.

Chu Yun nodded. “If I’m not mistaken, it’s from a Tier-Two Elite Thunderwater Ray.”

The appraiser hurried over with his tools, not missing a chance to run his hands over the material.

“There’s no mistake; I’ll never forget this texture. I appraised a Thunderwater Ray hide a decade ago. I never thought I’d see one again after all these years,” the appraiser sighed.

“How much can it fetch?” Chu Yun asked.

The appraiser shook his head. “No idea. This stuff is too rare. I can arrange for it to be sold at the grand auction on the eve of the Goddess Festival. Many aristocrats and wealthy merchants will be bidding.”

The Goddess Festival was on the first day of the month, and at the end of every month, the auction house held a grand event for nobles and merchants, where only real treasures qualified for sale.

“If you’re sure about auctioning, you can receive five thousand gold coins as a preliminary payment, based on the price from ten years ago.”

“Of course, the quality and quantity of this hide far surpass that of the one from a decade ago—it will surely fetch a much higher price!” the appraiser said with great confidence.

Five thousand gold coins—a substantial sum, though this world was full of wealthy people. If an artisan crafted these hides into exquisite magical gear for the nobles of the royal capital, the price would multiply several times over.

Chu Yun had hoped for one or two thousand gold coins at most, so the reserve price of five thousand far exceeded his expectations.

“Thank you, I’ll leave it to you for auction,” Chu Yun replied with a smile.

The appraiser issued an appraisal document, stamped and signed, and handed it to the receptionist, who then escorted Chu Yun to the warehouse to transfer the goods for safekeeping.

Instead of five thousand gold coins, Chu Yun received fifty platinum coins and a special receipt with a hidden code.

Platinum coins were a higher denomination, each worth a hundred gold coins, making them far more convenient to carry. Five thousand gold coins would have required a chest.

With this money, Chu Yun no longer needed to rush to sell his fire crystals. Having originally planned to commission magical equipment, he decided to postpone those plans until after the end-of-month auction.

He intended to see if any suitable equipment appeared at the auction he could use directly, and only commission custom gear for what he still lacked afterward.

Having finished his business, Chu Yun saw it was still early and decided to head to the Mage Guild. He was curious to see how his abilities would be ranked.