High School of Demon Hunting

Chapter 985: Chapter 47: Pre-School Shopping

Korma’s task was even more complicated than Zheng Qing had anticipated.

Over the following week, Zheng Qing and his companions had to shuttle back and forth between the school and North Beta Town to complete the witch’s lengthy parchment list—the reason for commuting was that, on the third night staying in the North District, Xiao Xiao calculated a little account that made Zheng Qing realize if they worked part-time while staying in a luxury hotel, they would end up not only without earnings but even paying out of pocket.

This made the stingy leader of the Absolution Hunting Team quite distressed.

It was not until February 8, the day before Lantern Festival, that Zheng Qing finally had some free time to go shopping in Beta Town with a few companions before the start of the next school term.

Of course, while completing the task for Korma, Zheng Qing and Xiao Xiao also assisted Xin Fat Man with his news investigation, continually enriching his investigative report. It must be admitted that with the help of Gini Cottage, Xin’s investigative work went very smoothly.

The fat man had no doubt that he would obtain a golden feather pen with his report.

But Xiao Xiao had reservations about this report.

”There is now a chill in the air at school... Remember the brawl at Hunting Ground One during last semester’s hunting party?” Walking through the streets, Doctor Xiao was recording the scenery on both sides while sharing his views, ”I personally think your report will never be outdated... You can choose a less sensitive time to publish it.”

”What chill? Where is there a chill?” Zheng Qing had been focused entirely on several passing Centaurs and only caught a few words Xiao Xiao said, ”Is now a sensitive time?”

Xiao Xiao put away his notebook and gave Zheng Qing a serious look to figure out if he was joking.

”You are now ’World’ and should observe problems from a higher standpoint.” In the end, he shook his head and explained, ”The incident at the hunting party wasn’t a one-time accident, but the eruption of a conflict that had built up to a certain extent, a preview of a wider conflict to come... Any Diviner with a bit of insight could see that. We need to be prepared.”

”Since you can see it, then the school must have already prepared for it, no need to worry.” Xin Fat Man waved his hand dismissively.

Xiao Xiao let out a soft sigh.

”That’s what worries me.” He stopped and looked around, ”Wizards always have too much faith in the power of magic, and students too much faith in the power of the school... But those forces that the school, or those higher-level wizards, fear, such as destiny, such as causality, are ignored by the blindly obedient commoners. It’s very sad.”

”That’s not sad. It’s the same for everyone. Without comparison, there naturally is no sorrow,” Zheng Qing said, changing his tone and looking at Xin with a mocking smile, ”The truly sad thing is, the fat guy was ready with gold beans, but after staying at ’Inn Yang-Paniere’ for three days, not a single ’Mermaid Sister’ knocked on his door.”

The so-called ’Mermaid Sisters’ were not real mermaids or Fishmen but rather a nickname for practitioners of an ancient profession.

”Nonsense.” Fat Man, with a proud look, dismissed his two companions with a boastful tone and an inscrutable expression, causing Zheng Qing to chuckle secretly.

The three were currently walking in the Forest Goods Market of the North District port of Beta Town, intending to prepare for the upcoming second semester of their first year.

The preparation work for such magical ingredients was usually done on the Pedestrian Street in East Beta Town or in one of the twelve Four Seasons Pavilions located around the World. However, after a weeklong journey through the North District, Zheng Qing and his colleagues were surprised to discover that the prices of magic ingredients in this area were only about 80% of those in other areas.

Despite the limitations of varying product quality and merchants refusing small transactions, these restrictions were not much of a problem for the Absolution team, who owned a small shop and counted a Doctor among their companions.

The only problem was that the capital Zheng Qing and his team had prepared was too limited. They could only watch as bags of cost-effective goods were scooped up by competitors from organizations like Thor Alchemy Company and Green Grocery.

”Isn’t the Wizard Covenant afraid of monopoly with this kind of spending?” Zheng Qing struggled to stuff several jars of rare Fire Dragon Bone Powder into a grey cloth bag, grumbling with dissatisfaction, ”Monopolies can lead to market failure and then to serious economic disasters... Like inflation! Just like what happened with the US Dollar and the Soft Girl Coin!”

”What is inflation?” Xin Fat Man was very interested in the new term that came out of Zheng Qing’s mouth, ”Is Soft Girl Coin the name of your currency? Is there also a Tough Guy Coin?”

”There’s no Tough Guy Coin, but we do have Sand Coins,” Zheng Qing explained seriously to the fat man, ”As for inflation, it’s an economic phenomenon where the quantity of currency circulating in the market exceeds actual demand, causing the currency to devalue and prices to rise... Applied to the wizard society, it means there are too many jade coins in the market. What used to cost one jade coin for Dragon Bone Powder now needs two jade coins to buy.”

Xin Fat Man simply shrugged his shoulders.

”It sounds very complicated,” he said, quickly tossing his brief curiosity to Java Island, ”Let’s leave the professional matters to the professionals... We just need to create value.”

”That classic remark doesn’t sound like something you would say,” Zheng Qing raised his eyebrows high in surprise.

”He’s quoting a phrase from the main building wall at the Wizard Union Bank,” Xiao Xiao offered the right answer without any surprise, ”Actually, that phrase is derived from ’to each his own’ and isn’t really considered a classic in the true sense.”

”The Wizard Union Bank,” Zheng Qing pinched his chin, murmuring, ”That name sounds very familiar.”

”Of course, it’s familiar!” This time, even Xin Fat Man couldn’t help but chime in with a critique, ”It’s the only wizarding bank on Buji Island licensed to operate... Neither Gringotts in Europe nor Sam’s Pass in the United States is permitted to conduct banking operations on the island!”

”Oh!” Zheng Qing exclaimed, punching his palm in realization, ”It’s not my fault... Who would have known with all those abbreviations on the bank’s exterior! And doesn’t everyone call it ’Universe Line’?... Speaking of which, this bank sounds quite impressive.”

”Of course, it’s impressive,” Xiao Xiaoeye scanned the price lists on various shelves, his feather pen scribbling quickly on his notebook, yet he was able to answer Zheng Qing’s entirely unrelated question at the same time:

”From the North Sea to the Sahara, from the Amazon to the Source of Three Rivers, from the New World to the Deeps of Starry Sky, wherever wizards gather, you can find the presence of the Wizard Union Bank... At this bank, you can deposit Gold Coins, Silver cakes, and Bronze coins; you can also deposit Shells, Stones, and Sticks; and even potions, alchemy products, and Magic Artifacts. As long as it has value, the bank will issue you an appropriate deposit receipt.”

”But the rates are different oh,” Xin Fat Man warned Zheng Qing, who looked eager to try, ”I remember the O’Brien Family had to pay nearly a hundred tons of blood every year as interest for a thousand-year deposit of their sixteen ancestors’ coffins in the bank. The Abe Family from Japan, however, deposited their family treasury with them and got a dragon’s worth of interest every year.”

”What do you mean by a dragon’s worth of interest?” Zheng Qing felt he was having trouble keeping up with the topic.

”It means a lot... like the high value of a dragon,” Xin Fat Man looked at him with contempt, waving his chubby short arms, trying to pull his own temple hair, and exclaimed, ”Don’t you have any comprehension skills? Do I really need to explain something like this?”