Chapter 273 - 272: Liquid Funds

Chapter 273: Chapter 272: Liquid Funds

With a flicker of his will.

"HUMMM..."

A faint stream of blue light traced a path down Zelir’s arm.

This Casting experience was completely different from before.

Not only was sketching the Spell Structure smoother, but his Magic Power Strength had also been enhanced.

What surprised Zelir even more was...

When Magic Power flowed through the Magic Robe, it would resonate with it in a wondrous way.

After each spell was cast, the residual Magic Power that would normally dissipate into the air and be wasted didn’t just vanish.

Instead, the dark silver threads of the Magic Robe’s Lining would flash faintly, capturing the dissipating Magic Power.

Then, after being purified by the Rune Circuits Array, the Magic Power would transform into a gentle trickle and flow back into Zelir’s body.

Although this Magic Power feedback couldn’t be precisely quantified, Zelir made a rough estimate.

His total Magic Power reserves would last at least 10% to 15% longer than before.

Adding to that the full Magic Refill from a Source Energy Crystal Stone...

Zelir could now use an extra third of his total Blue Bar’s worth of Magic Power.

That was already an excellent improvement.

Zelir opened his eyes, feeling the steady flow of Magic Power within him, his gaze filled with admiration.

It was exactly as he had requested, and even exceeded his expectations.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

Barrett was circling Zelir, unable to contain his excitement any longer.

"Look at this shoulder line—broad and sharp!"

He gestured with his hands, as if admiring his own masterpiece.

"And look at this cinched waist! An inch more would be too loose, an inch less too tight!"

"Mr. Zelir, if I may be so bold."

Barrett said with heartfelt sincerity.

"Even if you weren’t a Mage, with this outfit alone, you could be a handsome young man stealing the hearts of all the young ladies of the Nobility!"

"And that’s not all! We also included a stain-removing Rune Circuit as a bonus."

Barrett continued his introduction.

"Even if the Magic Robe gets stained with grease, mud, or even the foul-smelling bodily fluids of a Demon during your adventures... you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

"You just need to circulate your Magic Power through the robe once, then give it a light wipe with any cloth, and the stain will be gone."

"Excellent."

Zelir nodded in satisfaction.

He was particularly fond of this feature.

If it got dirty, Zelir had worried he might damage the Magic Robe trying to clean it.

Who knew if he would run into another messy Demon like that Life-Devouring Blood Boil again.

"How does it feel, Mr. Zelir? Are there any issues that need fine-tuning?"

Barrett asked finally, his eyes twinkling with confidence.

Zelir spun around twice in front of the mirror, looking at his brand-new self, and sighed softly.

"No, it’s perfect."

This was exactly the result he had hoped for.

"Barrett, your craftsmanship is truly excellent."

Zelir smiled. "And I’m very lucky. To meet you on my first time looking for a Magic Robe."

"No, no, no, not luck."

Barrett wagged a finger adorned with a ruby ring, a mysterious smile on his face.

"Mr. Zelir, I prefer to call it a fated encounter."

"Just as precious gold always finds the hottest furnace, the finest fabric always finds the most skillful tailor."

"There are no coincidences in this world, Mr. Zelir."

"It was a kind of predetermined fate that guided you to push open my shop door, allowing us to meet."

"Is that so..."

Barrett’s words had the distinct air of a charlatan.

Zelir’s heart stirred, and he suddenly recalled the legitimate Six Gods that Instructor Manlin had told him about.

He asked tentatively.

"Barrett... are you by any chance a devout follower of the God of Destiny and Hope?"

"A follower?"

Hearing this, Barrett laughed heartily.

"I’ve never even attended a prayer ceremony for the God of Destiny and Hope. I could hardly be called a devout follower."

"It’s just that one day, I suddenly felt that everyone’s future is like a vast, intricate net... and we all live on the nodes within it."

"And the one who sews this great net is the God of Destiny and Hope... isn’t that just like the needlework we tailors hold in our hands?"

After the inspection, it was finally time for the most practical part—payment.

According to the agreement Zelir and Barrett had made earlier.

The Magic Robe, priced at a steep 320 Gold Coins, was to be paid for with a "one-third down payment + installment plan for the balance" model.

Zelir quickly ran the numbers in his head.

’The down payment should be 107 Gold Coins.’

’The remaining 213 Gold Coins are to be paid off over 12 months.’

’Then I’ll need to repay 18 gold and 75 silver each month, which includes A Gold Coin in interest.’

Excluding the 30 Gold Coin deposit Zelir had already paid, he now needed to pay 77 Gold Coins to complete the down payment.

Zelir brushed his palm against his waist, his fingertips feeling the heavy feedback of Magic Power.

Right now, his Storage Pouch contained his entire fortune: 382 gold and 34 silver, not counting the Copper Coins.

This was a very delicate number.

If Zelir wanted to, he could easily pull out 290 Gold Coins and buy the Magic Robe in full.

He could enjoy the pleasure of being debt-free.

This had been Zelir’s original plan.

However, after some careful thought, Zelir abandoned the idea.

’No... I can’t spend it all.’

’There are still many things I’ll need money for.’

’Like purchasing Magic Potions, for example. Things like Overclocking Potions and Healing Potions are essentials I must keep on hand.’

’And there are other life-saving consumables I might need to buy.’

’Then there are the Source Energy Crystal Stones, which are also a major expense. Source Energy Crystal Stones are single-use; once they’re gone, they’re gone.’

’The Mage profession is a gold-devouring black hole.’

’Not having enough liquid cash on hand to deal with emergencies is a very dangerous thing.’

’With the installment plan, the interest is only A Gold Coin per month anyway.’

’It would be unwise to drain most of my cash flow just to save a mere twelve Gold Coins.’

"In that case, let’s stick to our original contract, shall we?"

Zelir said with a smile.

He turned his palm over, and the Storage Pouch flashed with light.

"CLINK..."

Accompanied by a pleasant clinking of metal, seven neat stacks of Gold Coins appeared on the counter.

Each stack had ten coins, with seven more scattered beside them.

"This is the rest of the down payment, 77 Gold Coins."

"Alrighty then!"

Barrett swept the coins with a large hand into a bag behind the counter.

"Thank you for your patronage, Mr. Zelir! I must say, doing business with you is a true pleasure. I hope we can work together again in the future."

Then, he took out a ledger and made a few marks in it.

"So... for the remaining two hundred and thirteen Gold Coins, shall we set the repayment date for the fifth of every month? That would be today’s date."