“Why hello there. What a surprise to see all of you at our humble shop today,” Mrs. Ferpaw greeted the students as they were entering her shop one after another.
“Good day to you, Mrs. Ferpaw,” Ileena said hello politely. The rest of the group greeted the shop owner as well.
“Hi mom,” Growly entered the shop last, keeping a distance between him and his mom for some reason.
“Growly, my baby. You’re back,” Growly’s mother exclaimed. She rushed to embrace her son in a heartwarming hug.
“Uh… mooom…” it was evident to everyone why Growly was trying to keep his distance.
Hah… I know the feeling. Narias laughed inside, remembering his mom’s passionate embrace too.
“I was so worried about you,” Mrs. Ferpaw finally let go of her son.
“It’s… ok,” Growly was a little embarrassed about it.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I was really worried about my little boy. It was his first time going into the Magic Dungeon,” the bear-looking beast-woman tilted her head to the side, touching her cheek with one of her paws.
“That is understandable, Mrs. Ferpaw. I was worried about… everyone as well,” Ileena made a slight pause before finishing her sentence.
“Thank you so much for taking care of my little Growly. I can feel at ease now. It makes me feel so happy Growly has so many friends who care for him,” Mrs. Ferpaw let out a sigh of relief.
“Excuse me, can I see that necklace imbued with the green gem over there, please?” another customer in the shop asked the shop owner.
“Oh, certainly. Please excuse me, my dears,” the bear-looking woman went to serve the customer.
“Sorry,” Growly was still feeling uncomfortable.
“It’s ok, Growly. My mom would worry about me too,” Nicky smiled at him.
“Nicky is right. It’s natural for your parents to worry about you. Every loving parent would,” Ileena reassured the furry bear-boy he shouldn’t be ashamed of it.
“Yeah,” added Narias, trying to imagine his mom’s reaction the next time he sees her.
“Thank you for your patience. And thank you for accompanying my little Growly to visit our shop today. I’m sure all of you have plans for the rest of the day, so I honestly appreciate you going out of your way to do so,” Mrs. Ferpaw thanked the students sincerely.
“Actually, we have found some stuff inside the Magic Dungeon and were wondering if your husband would find any of it useful?” Narias asked the shop owner.
“Oh, that’s right. You must’ve found a few Magic Crystals while exploring the dungeon. My husband would certainly be happy to buy them of off you. Let me just go call him to come over,” Mrs. Ferpaw smiled warmly. Even with her sharp teeth, her smile looked very kind.
The students were browsing the goods while waiting for both of Growly’s parents to show up. The girls were looking at the various accessories in the meantime.
“Oh, boo… That Red Butterfly Hairpin is gone,” Nicky pouted her lips, feeling down she couldn’t see it anywhere anymore.
“Were you still thinking about buying it? You must know by now it was imbued with the Fire Magic,” Ileena didn’t see any value in Nicky getting it.
“That’s not the point. It just looked super cute,” Nicky wanted the hair accessory for a different reason.
“Is something the matter?” Narias came over after seeing how upset Nicky was.
“Oh, nothing really,” Nicky quickly brightened up. “I wanted to buy a hairpin that I liked, but it looks like it has been sold already.”
“A hairpin?” Narias wasn’t really surprised about a girl wanting a hair accessory.
“Yes. There was a Fire Magic imbued Red Butterfly Hairpin for sale a while ago here which Nicky wanted to buy,” Ileena emphasised the Fire Magic part when she said that.
“A Red Butterfly Hairpin? Huh?” Narias was suddenly hit by a somewhat disturbing realization.
She doesn’t mean the same hairpin that I have bought for… Narias had a good reason to become worried about it.
“Maybe I’ll ask Mr. Ferpaw to make me one?” Nicky said thoughtfully.
“Sigh… Nicky…” Ileena shook her head.
“Tee-hee~” the tiny girl laughed, which also showed she was simply teasing her friend.
“Hello youngsters. And Growly, welcome back,” suddenly, the students were greeted by Growla Ferpaw who has just entered the shop floor.
“Hi dad,” Growly greeted his dad.
The other students greeted Growly’s dad as well.
“Glad to see you are back from the Magic Dungeon safe and sound. My wife said you have a few Magic Crystals to sell. I’ll be happy to buy them from you,” Growla said after all the pleasantries were exchanged. “I’m just curious, how far into the dungeon did you manage to get?”
“About that, Mr. Ferpaw,” Narias stepped forward.
“Oh my…” Growly’s mom covered her mouth with both hands, hearing Narias tell them about beating the Fanged Whitemane Wolf.
“Ahahaha!” Growla Ferpaw laughed out loud instead, which also startled some of the students as a result. “Sorry little ones. I had never expected to hear you would defeat the Fanged Whitemane Wolf. That’s quite an achievement. Well done, son.”
Mr. Ferpaw rubbed the top of his son’s head.
“Daaad…” which made Growly feel embarrassed again.
“Hah, don’t sweat it son,” Growly’s dad grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. “I’d certainly like to hear more about your dungeon exploration now, but I still have work to do. So, how about you tell me more about it the next time we meet. In the meantime, let me take a look at what you have brought for me.”
“Yes, sir,” Narias took off his backpack he had on his back with the other students following his lead. Everyone laid out all the loot which they have found in the Magic Dungeon on the main counter.
“Now that’s a rare sight, Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur. You won’t see one very often these days,” Growla commented after Flavia pulled it out from her bag.
“Cool, isn’t it?” Flavia grinned wide. “Do you think you could make something out of it, Mr. Ferpaw?”
“Hah, not unless you want to ruin the fur,” the bear-looking blacksmith said with a smirk.
“Eeek… ruin the fur?” The bunny girl asked, being perplexed.
“I’m a blacksmith, not a leatherworker. I wouldn’t be able to make anything good out of it,” Growla told her. He then picked up the big chunk of a Magic Crystal. “This is quite a decent size Magic Crystal. I take it this was dropped by the Fanged Whitemane Wolf itself?”
“Yes, sir,” Narias answered respectfully.
“Good quality too. I’ll give you a good price for it. Now, what do we have here? A Water Stone? This one is rare in its own right. I believe it can only be obtained in lower floors of the Magic Dungeon. It looks somewhat different, though. How did you manage to get it?” Mr. Ferpaw was curious.
“It was dropped by the Crystal Snatcher Bug, sir. But it was all thanks to Flavia. She was the one who was able to hear and track the monster,” explained Narias.
“A Crystal Snatcher Bug? That explains why the Water Stone looks different. Hah, well done, little one. I can make some good stuff from it,” Growla’s facial expression changed to a more exciting one when he learnt the Water Stone came from a Rare Monster. “Now, what’s next. Huh? A Red Rarity Crystalized Mold. Now that’s a find. You must’ve done your due diligence if you managed to acquire it. It is not easy to find one of such rarity.”
Growla picked up the item to inspect it more closely.
“Actually, all the Crystalized Mold was found by Growly. So, all the credit, and the money you’re willing to pay for it, would go to him,” Narias told him.
“Growly? It seems like all the studying and training wasn’t for nothing. I am so proud of you, son,” Growly’s dad grinned wide, feeling proud of his son.
“Thanks, dad,” Growly rubbed his cheek with a finger, feeling embarrassed again.
“No need to be so humble, son. And you can be sure I will pay for the Crystalized Mold. A transaction is still a transaction,” Growla Ferpaw announced loudly. “Alright, what’s this last thing you have? A Soft Steel? This one is quite common, or so I would like to say.”
“What do you mean, Mr. Ferpaw?” Narias was curious about his expression.
“Soft Steel is a common crafting material, but is found only inside the Magic Dungeon. That being said, with fewer people exploring the dungeon nowadays, there is less of it on the market as a result. So, I’ll definitely buy it from you,” the blacksmith said.
“Oh, in that case, the money should go to Growly for it as well. He was the one who found it,” Narias told him.
“Really? Well, well…” Growla threw another satisfied look towards his son. Then turned to Narias again. “You have quite a handful of normal Magic Crystals too. As tiny as they are, I’ll still pay a fair price for them. Alright, that is all from the looks of it.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Ferpaw. What about this one?” Flavia remembered she still had one item in her bag.
“A Two-Sided Bone Needle? An uncommon crafting tool, not bad. Unfortunately, I would have no use for it. A leatherworker or tailor might want it, though,” the bear beast-man explained.
“Do you know any leatherworkers or tailors, Mr. Ferpaw?” Flavia asked after hearing Growla’s answer.
“I know one. She’d be very interested in that fur that you have as well, but she’s a sly one. Heh,” Growla held his chin with one hand, probably thinking about the person. “Anyhow, let me just calculate how much I need to pay you. I will be right back.”
Mr. Ferpaw went behind the counter at the far end of the shop. He took a short while to calculate and write everything on a sheet of paper. Right before returning to the students however, he stopped to have a short chat with his wife. They were speaking in half-whisper, so the group couldn’t hear what the two shop owners were talking about.
“Alright kiddos, here we are,” Growla placed a sheet of paper on the counter in front of the students.
“Wow, look at the number,” Flavia was impressed with the amount.
“Hah, these are normal prices. All those tiny Magic Crystals are worth only so much. The crystal from the Fanged Whitemane Wolf and the Water Stone are the ones that cost the most. This number right here is for the Soft Steel and the Crystalized Mold, which you said should go to Growly, so I’ll take the sum out of the total. If you’re happy with it, I’ll go get the money?” Growla wanted to confirm.
The students had a short chat, with Ileena reminding that the money should go to Narias, Flavia, Emilia and Growly, because it was them who found all the loot. They agreed that the money for the Water Stone should go to Flavia and the rest would be divided equally, except for the amount which should go to Growly.
“Ok, here you go,” the bear beast-human blacksmith placed the payment on the table.
“Thank you, Mr. Ferpaw,” the students took their portions of the money.
“One more thing,” Growla grinned wide. “My wife and I talked it over and decided a decent congratulation is in order. Going into the Magic Dungeon and slaying the Fanged Whitemane Wolf on your first try is no small feat. So, we would like to invite all of you to celebrate your success at the Fabs & Swirls restaurant this Sunday. You can also think of it as a way for us to thank you for taking care of Growly. And don’t worry, you won’t have to wait in line or pay for the food. We’ll cover the cost. What do you say, youngsters?”
“Wow, an invitation to Fabs & Swirls restaurant. How exciting,” Nicky clapped her hands.
“Heck, yeah. I’m definitely up for it,” Flavia grinned wide, then quickly clung to Narias. “You’ll come too, won’t you, partner?”
“Ah, well… I don’t know…” he had no reason to refuse, but wasn’t sure about it.
“I believe I am free this Sunday,” Emilia agreed to come, sending a quick smile towards Narias too.
“You should go, Narias. You need to celebrate your success,” Ileena insisted.
“Right, ok then. I guess I’ll go,” Narias finally agreed.
“I think you misunderstood, dear Ileena. All of you are invited, including Nicky and yourself,” Mrs. Ferpaw smiled at her.
“Oh, in that case, I would love to go,” Ileena didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation, adding a mild smile.
“Me too,” Nicky was quick to announce she’d like to come too.
“Wonderful,” Growly’s mom clapped her hands happily.
“Alright, now that that’s settled, I should go back to work. It was a pleasure doing business with you, youngsters,” Growla went to gather all the items he had bought from them.
“Excuse me, Mr. Ferpaw. I wanted to ask something else of you,” Narias approached the bear beast-man blacksmith.
“What is it, kiddo?” the blacksmith turned to him.
“There is an item I’d like to be made,” the boy student said.
“Ok, let’s hear it,” Growla was curious what Narias had in mind.
“Well…” Narias went on to explain what kind of item he wanted to be made.
“An item to track time inside the Magic Dungeon, eh? You sure come up with some interesting ideas. Although, I shouldn’t be too surprised you are the one asking about it. But I must say, it would be quite a challenge, kiddo,” Mr. Ferpaw held his chin, thinking about it.
“Right, sorry,” from the blacksmith facial expression, Narias had little hope it could actually be done.
“Hah, don’t be. I never said it cannot be made. It would take some tinkering, ghm… I wonder…” Growla was still thinking how to go about it. “Anyhow, I’ll spare you the details for now. The real problem to make something like that would be the cost.”
“You mean, it would be very expensive, Mr. Ferpaw?” asked Narias.
“Expensive is not the right word. You’d have to empty not only yours, but your parent’s pockets for it,” the bear looking blacksmith laughed out loud.
“Ah, hah…” Narias tried to laugh about it too.
“However, it doesn’t end there. Cost to make something like that is one thing, but the real challenge would be getting the materials for it. Getting a Thyme Crystal specifically. It is the only crystal that has magic potent enough to craft an item you want,” Growla explained.
“Thyme Crystal?” Narias had never heard of it.
“Yes. It comes from the Thyme Ore, found mainly on the fourth floor of the Magic Dungeon. Although, if you are lucky, you might find a small deposit of it on the third floor somewhere,” the blacksmith told him.
“On the third and fourth floor of the Magic Dungeon?” Narias didn’t expect to hear that.
“Unfortunately, yes. The good news is, you might find some Thyme Ore offered for sale on the market. However, don’t get your hopes up just yet. It’s an extremely rare ore. There are only a few merchants who manage to get their hands on it. Even then, the price of it is so high, even fewer people can afford it. Add to that the Thyme Crystal extracting work costs and you’d be better off going into the Magic Dungeon to find some yourself. Not that I am suggesting it to you right now,” Growla threw a serious stare at Narias.
“Ah, yes. I… I understand, sir,” Narias agreed, but still had that disappointed look in his eyes.
“Heh, don’t fret. I’m sure you’ll grow strong enough to reach the deeper floors of the Magic Dungeon in the future. Of course, if you manage to get your hands on some Thyme Ore sooner rather than later, I’ll be more than happy to try and craft that time tracking magic item for you,” the blacksmith had that excited grin on his face again.
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Ferpaw,” Narias thanked him respectfully.
“No worries, kiddo. Now, I’ll be going back to work. See you all on Sunday. And Growly, it’d be good if you came back home before then,” Mr. Ferpaw told his son.
“Ok, dad,” Growly agreed.
“Oh, I nearly forgot. Here are the details of the leatherworker I’d recommend you visit,” the blacksmith remembered.
After Narias got the details where the leatherworker’s shop was, the students said goodbye to the current shop owners and then left.
━━━━━━━━━
Thank you for reading. Leave a comment and favorite the chapter if you enjoyed it.
Read 10+ extra chapters on my Patreon – Extra Chapters on Patreon
━━━━━━━━━
Extra thanks to nonomo4 and Lynderyn for extra support and help.
“Why hello there. What a surprise to see all of you at our humble shop today,” Mrs. Ferpaw greeted the students as they were entering her shop one after another.
“Good day to you, Mrs. Ferpaw,” Ileena said hello politely. The rest of the group greeted the shop owner as well.
“Hi mom,” Growly entered the shop last, keeping a distance between him and his mom for some reason.
“Growly, my baby. You’re back,” Growly’s mother exclaimed. She rushed to embrace her son in a heartwarming hug.
“Uh… mooom…” it was evident to everyone why Growly was trying to keep his distance.
Hah… I know the feeling. Narias laughed inside, remembering his mom’s passionate embrace too.
“I was so worried about you,” Mrs. Ferpaw finally let go of her son.
“It’s… ok,” Growly was a little embarrassed about it.
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I was really worried about my little boy. It was his first time going into the Magic Dungeon,” the bear-looking beast-woman tilted her head to the side, touching her cheek with one of her paws.
“That is understandable, Mrs. Ferpaw. I was worried about… everyone as well,” Ileena made a slight pause before finishing her sentence.
“Thank you so much for taking care of my little Growly. I can feel at ease now. It makes me feel so happy Growly has so many friends who care for him,” Mrs. Ferpaw let out a sigh of relief.
“Excuse me, can I see that necklace imbued with the green gem over there, please?” another customer in the shop asked the shop owner.
“Oh, certainly. Please excuse me, my dears,” the bear-looking woman went to serve the customer.
“Sorry,” Growly was still feeling uncomfortable.
“It’s ok, Growly. My mom would worry about me too,” Nicky smiled at him.
“Nicky is right. It’s natural for your parents to worry about you. Every loving parent would,” Ileena reassured the furry bear-boy he shouldn’t be ashamed of it.
“Yeah,” added Narias, trying to imagine his mom’s reaction the next time he sees her.
“Thank you for your patience. And thank you for accompanying my little Growly to visit our shop today. I’m sure all of you have plans for the rest of the day, so I honestly appreciate you going out of your way to do so,” Mrs. Ferpaw thanked the students sincerely.
“Actually, we have found some stuff inside the Magic Dungeon and were wondering if your husband would find any of it useful?” Narias asked the shop owner.
“Oh, that’s right. You must’ve found a few Magic Crystals while exploring the dungeon. My husband would certainly be happy to buy them of off you. Let me just go call him to come over,” Mrs. Ferpaw smiled warmly. Even with her sharp teeth, her smile looked very kind.
The students were browsing the goods while waiting for both of Growly’s parents to show up. The girls were looking at the various accessories in the meantime.
“Oh, boo… That Red Butterfly Hairpin is gone,” Nicky pouted her lips, feeling down she couldn’t see it anywhere anymore.
“Were you still thinking about buying it? You must know by now it was imbued with the Fire Magic,” Ileena didn’t see any value in Nicky getting it.
“That’s not the point. It just looked super cute,” Nicky wanted the hair accessory for a different reason.
“Is something the matter?” Narias came over after seeing how upset Nicky was.
“Oh, nothing really,” Nicky quickly brightened up. “I wanted to buy a hairpin that I liked, but it looks like it has been sold already.”
“A hairpin?” Narias wasn’t really surprised about a girl wanting a hair accessory.
“Yes. There was a Fire Magic imbued Red Butterfly Hairpin for sale a while ago here which Nicky wanted to buy,” Ileena emphasised the Fire Magic part when she said that.
“A Red Butterfly Hairpin? Huh?” Narias was suddenly hit by a somewhat disturbing realization.
She doesn’t mean the same hairpin that I have bought for… Narias had a good reason to become worried about it.
“Maybe I’ll ask Mr. Ferpaw to make me one?” Nicky said thoughtfully.
“Sigh… Nicky…” Ileena shook her head.
“Tee-hee~” the tiny girl laughed, which also showed she was simply teasing her friend.
“Hello youngsters. And Growly, welcome back,” suddenly, the students were greeted by Growla Ferpaw who has just entered the shop floor.
“Hi dad,” Growly greeted his dad.
The other students greeted Growly’s dad as well.
“Glad to see you are back from the Magic Dungeon safe and sound. My wife said you have a few Magic Crystals to sell. I’ll be happy to buy them from you,” Growla said after all the pleasantries were exchanged. “I’m just curious, how far into the dungeon did you manage to get?”
“About that, Mr. Ferpaw,” Narias stepped forward.
“Oh my…” Growly’s mom covered her mouth with both hands, hearing Narias tell them about beating the Fanged Whitemane Wolf.
“Ahahaha!” Growla Ferpaw laughed out loud instead, which also startled some of the students as a result. “Sorry little ones. I had never expected to hear you would defeat the Fanged Whitemane Wolf. That’s quite an achievement. Well done, son.”
Mr. Ferpaw rubbed the top of his son’s head.
“Daaad…” which made Growly feel embarrassed again.
“Hah, don’t sweat it son,” Growly’s dad grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. “I’d certainly like to hear more about your dungeon exploration now, but I still have work to do. So, how about you tell me more about it the next time we meet. In the meantime, let me take a look at what you have brought for me.”
“Yes, sir,” Narias took off his backpack he had on his back with the other students following his lead. Everyone laid out all the loot which they have found in the Magic Dungeon on the main counter.
“Now that’s a rare sight, Fanged Whitemane Wolf’s Fur. You won’t see one very often these days,” Growla commented after Flavia pulled it out from her bag.
“Cool, isn’t it?” Flavia grinned wide. “Do you think you could make something out of it, Mr. Ferpaw?”
“Hah, not unless you want to ruin the fur,” the bear-looking blacksmith said with a smirk.
“Eeek… ruin the fur?” The bunny girl asked, being perplexed.
“I’m a blacksmith, not a leatherworker. I wouldn’t be able to make anything good out of it,” Growla told her. He then picked up the big chunk of a Magic Crystal. “This is quite a decent size Magic Crystal. I take it this was dropped by the Fanged Whitemane Wolf itself?”
“Yes, sir,” Narias answered respectfully.
“Good quality too. I’ll give you a good price for it. Now, what do we have here? A Water Stone? This one is rare in its own right. I believe it can only be obtained in lower floors of the Magic Dungeon. It looks somewhat different, though. How did you manage to get it?” Mr. Ferpaw was curious.
“It was dropped by the Crystal Snatcher Bug, sir. But it was all thanks to Flavia. She was the one who was able to hear and track the monster,” explained Narias.
“A Crystal Snatcher Bug? That explains why the Water Stone looks different. Hah, well done, little one. I can make some good stuff from it,” Growla’s facial expression changed to a more exciting one when he learnt the Water Stone came from a Rare Monster. “Now, what’s next. Huh? A Red Rarity Crystalized Mold. Now that’s a find. You must’ve done your due diligence if you managed to acquire it. It is not easy to find one of such rarity.”
Growla picked up the item to inspect it more closely.
“Actually, all the Crystalized Mold was found by Growly. So, all the credit, and the money you’re willing to pay for it, would go to him,” Narias told him.
“Growly? It seems like all the studying and training wasn’t for nothing. I am so proud of you, son,” Growly’s dad grinned wide, feeling proud of his son.
“Thanks, dad,” Growly rubbed his cheek with a finger, feeling embarrassed again.
“No need to be so humble, son. And you can be sure I will pay for the Crystalized Mold. A transaction is still a transaction,” Growla Ferpaw announced loudly. “Alright, what’s this last thing you have? A Soft Steel? This one is quite common, or so I would like to say.”
“What do you mean, Mr. Ferpaw?” Narias was curious about his expression.
“Soft Steel is a common crafting material, but is found only inside the Magic Dungeon. That being said, with fewer people exploring the dungeon nowadays, there is less of it on the market as a result. So, I’ll definitely buy it from you,” the blacksmith said.
“Oh, in that case, the money should go to Growly for it as well. He was the one who found it,” Narias told him.
“Really? Well, well…” Growla threw another satisfied look towards his son. Then turned to Narias again. “You have quite a handful of normal Magic Crystals too. As tiny as they are, I’ll still pay a fair price for them. Alright, that is all from the looks of it.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Ferpaw. What about this one?” Flavia remembered she still had one item in her bag.
“A Two-Sided Bone Needle? An uncommon crafting tool, not bad. Unfortunately, I would have no use for it. A leatherworker or tailor might want it, though,” the bear beast-man explained.
“Do you know any leatherworkers or tailors, Mr. Ferpaw?” Flavia asked after hearing Growla’s answer.
“I know one. She’d be very interested in that fur that you have as well, but she’s a sly one. Heh,” Growla held his chin with one hand, probably thinking about the person. “Anyhow, let me just calculate how much I need to pay you. I will be right back.”
Mr. Ferpaw went behind the counter at the far end of the shop. He took a short while to calculate and write everything on a sheet of paper. Right before returning to the students however, he stopped to have a short chat with his wife. They were speaking in half-whisper, so the group couldn’t hear what the two shop owners were talking about.
“Alright kiddos, here we are,” Growla placed a sheet of paper on the counter in front of the students.
“Wow, look at the number,” Flavia was impressed with the amount.
“Hah, these are normal prices. All those tiny Magic Crystals are worth only so much. The crystal from the Fanged Whitemane Wolf and the Water Stone are the ones that cost the most. This number right here is for the Soft Steel and the Crystalized Mold, which you said should go to Growly, so I’ll take the sum out of the total. If you’re happy with it, I’ll go get the money?” Growla wanted to confirm.
The students had a short chat, with Ileena reminding that the money should go to Narias, Flavia, Emilia and Growly, because it was them who found all the loot. They agreed that the money for the Water Stone should go to Flavia and the rest would be divided equally, except for the amount which should go to Growly.
“Ok, here you go,” the bear beast-human blacksmith placed the payment on the table.
“Thank you, Mr. Ferpaw,” the students took their portions of the money.
“One more thing,” Growla grinned wide. “My wife and I talked it over and decided a decent congratulation is in order. Going into the Magic Dungeon and slaying the Fanged Whitemane Wolf on your first try is no small feat. So, we would like to invite all of you to celebrate your success at the Fabs & Swirls restaurant this Sunday. You can also think of it as a way for us to thank you for taking care of Growly. And don’t worry, you won’t have to wait in line or pay for the food. We’ll cover the cost. What do you say, youngsters?”
“Wow, an invitation to Fabs & Swirls restaurant. How exciting,” Nicky clapped her hands.
“Heck, yeah. I’m definitely up for it,” Flavia grinned wide, then quickly clung to Narias. “You’ll come too, won’t you, partner?”
“Ah, well… I don’t know…” he had no reason to refuse, but wasn’t sure about it.
“I believe I am free this Sunday,” Emilia agreed to come, sending a quick smile towards Narias too.
“You should go, Narias. You need to celebrate your success,” Ileena insisted.
“Right, ok then. I guess I’ll go,” Narias finally agreed.
“I think you misunderstood, dear Ileena. All of you are invited, including Nicky and yourself,” Mrs. Ferpaw smiled at her.
“Oh, in that case, I would love to go,” Ileena didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation, adding a mild smile.
“Me too,” Nicky was quick to announce she’d like to come too.
“Wonderful,” Growly’s mom clapped her hands happily.
“Alright, now that that’s settled, I should go back to work. It was a pleasure doing business with you, youngsters,” Growla went to gather all the items he had bought from them.
“Excuse me, Mr. Ferpaw. I wanted to ask something else of you,” Narias approached the bear beast-man blacksmith.
“What is it, kiddo?” the blacksmith turned to him.
“There is an item I’d like to be made,” the boy student said.
“Ok, let’s hear it,” Growla was curious what Narias had in mind.
“Well…” Narias went on to explain what kind of item he wanted to be made.
“An item to track time inside the Magic Dungeon, eh? You sure come up with some interesting ideas. Although, I shouldn’t be too surprised you are the one asking about it. But I must say, it would be quite a challenge, kiddo,” Mr. Ferpaw held his chin, thinking about it.
“Right, sorry,” from the blacksmith facial expression, Narias had little hope it could actually be done.
“Hah, don’t be. I never said it cannot be made. It would take some tinkering, ghm… I wonder…” Growla was still thinking how to go about it. “Anyhow, I’ll spare you the details for now. The real problem to make something like that would be the cost.”
“You mean, it would be very expensive, Mr. Ferpaw?” asked Narias.
“Expensive is not the right word. You’d have to empty not only yours, but your parent’s pockets for it,” the bear looking blacksmith laughed out loud.
“Ah, hah…” Narias tried to laugh about it too.
“However, it doesn’t end there. Cost to make something like that is one thing, but the real challenge would be getting the materials for it. Getting a Thyme Crystal specifically. It is the only crystal that has magic potent enough to craft an item you want,” Growla explained.
“Thyme Crystal?” Narias had never heard of it.
“Yes. It comes from the Thyme Ore, found mainly on the fourth floor of the Magic Dungeon. Although, if you are lucky, you might find a small deposit of it on the third floor somewhere,” the blacksmith told him.
“On the third and fourth floor of the Magic Dungeon?” Narias didn’t expect to hear that.
“Unfortunately, yes. The good news is, you might find some Thyme Ore offered for sale on the market. However, don’t get your hopes up just yet. It’s an extremely rare ore. There are only a few merchants who manage to get their hands on it. Even then, the price of it is so high, even fewer people can afford it. Add to that the Thyme Crystal extracting work costs and you’d be better off going into the Magic Dungeon to find some yourself. Not that I am suggesting it to you right now,” Growla threw a serious stare at Narias.
“Ah, yes. I… I understand, sir,” Narias agreed, but still had that disappointed look in his eyes.
“Heh, don’t fret. I’m sure you’ll grow strong enough to reach the deeper floors of the Magic Dungeon in the future. Of course, if you manage to get your hands on some Thyme Ore sooner rather than later, I’ll be more than happy to try and craft that time tracking magic item for you,” the blacksmith had that excited grin on his face again.
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Ferpaw,” Narias thanked him respectfully.
“No worries, kiddo. Now, I’ll be going back to work. See you all on Sunday. And Growly, it’d be good if you came back home before then,” Mr. Ferpaw told his son.
“Ok, dad,” Growly agreed.
“Oh, I nearly forgot. Here are the details of the leatherworker I’d recommend you visit,” the blacksmith remembered.
After Narias got the details where the leatherworker’s shop was, the students said goodbye to the current shop owners and then left.
━━━━━━━━━
Thank you for reading. Leave a comment and favorite the chapter if you enjoyed it.
Read 10+ extra chapters on my Patreon – Extra Chapters on Patreon
━━━━━━━━━
Extra thanks to nonomo4 and Lynderyn for extra support and help.
