Path to Prosperity - B1 Chapter 30

Acting tough worked much better than expected. Percy had been nervous and unsure how Erdwin would react, but it looked like behaving confidently was the key to success.

Merchant Erdwin didn’t ask him further about purchasing the Gnoll Card. He taught Percy some about the little forest's rare and valuable plant life. He focused on the dangers, how they had to be plucked and preserved to retain their magical properties, and what monsters usually lurked near these plants.

Apparently, Erdwin had some high-class clients who’d hired him to procure fresh aphrodisiacs made by Paresis Doom and other fresh ingredients for unique potions, runic enchantments, and other things. His clients paid enough to attract the attention of a wealthy merchant like Erdwin. That had to mean something.

Erdwin’s sealed lips loosened slowly as they began talking about larger towns and cities and how foolish nobles were for wasting their fortune on aphrodisiacs. To be precise, the merchant made most of the talking. Percy was listening with great interest. He had been in Raewood since he could remember and didn’t know much about the town either. The old man told him not to bother about getting to know Raewood, which he listened to until his Ego manifested. Things changed then, and his interest in the world increased by leaps and bounds.

“Unfortunately, not even Elite Tier Cardists have an easy time finding and harvesting Paresis Doom without falling victim to its bewitching sensation. Paresis Doom’s paralyseep is highly effective once bewitched and paralyzes the victims permanently. Only Elite Cardists with very high constitution or resistance to poison can overcome paralyseep’s potency,” Erdwin explained seriously.

That means Silver rank Adventurers will die if they fall victim to Paresis Doom.

It was no wonder Erdwin told him how dangerous it would be and that the Guild would burn them to ashes upon finding some Paresis Doom seedlings. 

It’s fun to think I found the flower he’d been looking for even before I acquired the Gnoll Card. 

Paresis Doom was only one of the plants Erdwin was searching for, but it was funny nonetheless. The downside was Percy couldn’t remember where the Paresis Doom flowers were located. The irony! Percy had learned how to harvest and preserve them but didn’t know where to find them. That day, Percy hadn’t paid full attention to the path. He had been too focused, running away from the Archyea’s eerie giggling.

The Gnoll will help me find it again. Good thing I didn’t accept Erdwin’s offer.

Percy would have to lie if the gold coins weren’t enticing, but he did the right thing. The Gnoll Card would help him earn a much greater fortune than some measly gold coins!

But before Percy could throw gold coins around, he had to acquire a handful of silver coins first.

The merchant sent him away, apparently realizing a youth had tricked him, but he smiled nonetheless. 

At least he is not a sore loser. That would be bad
for me.

Reaching the guild and completing a bunch of guild missions – by handing the receptionist the magical plants of lower quality – didn’t take long, and it earned Percy a fair bit of money. Six silver coins, to be precise.

That was more than expected since his biggest fortune was going to the bakery, where Percy went next. He entered Leonhard’s bakery with a smile and retrieved the magical plants from his leather bag to spread them across his wooden counter. Leonhard, who completed a batch of bread in the shop's backroom, returned to the shopping area. He froze in his tracks, clearly confused about what was happening.

At some point, his eyes landed on Percy. He frowned first but eased up when he saw that Percy was perfectly fine.

“It looks like you
can survive the forest
” Leonhard mumbled, more to himself than Percy. 

“I’m doing okay,” Percy responded with a smile, “What do you think?”

The baker’s expression lit up as he started inspecting the magical plants, but his expression soured upon realizing the massive quantity of goods spread over his counter.

Is something wrong?

“This
Is amazing! But I don’t have enough money
All of this should earn you more than a dozen silver. I have savings from my days as an Adventurer, but most of it went into treating an old injury and the shop. I–...”

“What are you talking about? I didn’t come to you to take your savings. The plants are my way to thank you for your help and generosity!” Percy responded with a bright smile, but Leonhard’s expression didn’t improve. If anything, the baker’s expression worsened. 

Does he not like it? Why? There is no reason to be displeased
right? Why does he look so uncomfortable?

“I cannot accept this. It’s too much
”

Percy looked at the baker, still not understanding what was going on. It took him nearly a minute of listening to the baker’s murmurs and comments until the point came across somewhat.

“There is no need to pay me. You shouldn’t feel bad about accepting the magical plants, either. That is my way of repaying your goodness!”

He smiled vibrantly, but seeing the discomfort in the baker’s eyes and features, Percy’s smile cracked.

That’s not what I wanted. I didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable. All I wanted was to see him continue experimenting. He looked so happy experimenting with these cookies and pastries


Percy’s lips parted, but they closed after a moment. Several minutes of silence passed before he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Can’t you just accept the magical plants? If you don’t want them, consider them an investment for your experiments. Repay me with delicious pastries made from magical plants, then!” 

Leonhard’s expression didn’t improve right away. However, he looked at Percy for a while. The youth was visibly confused and starting to get flustered and angry. 

Remembering how angry he was at Percy for promising to enter the forest’s depths to collect bags of magical plants to help him experiment, Leonhard’s features softened. He might not have believed Percy’s words back then, but the youth kept his word. A chuckle escaped his lips.

“I am a fool, ain’t I?” He asked, but Percy didn’t answer no matter how much he’d loved to. 

Leonhard sighed. “Okay. Let’s do that. I can accept the ingredients, but you won’t have to pay me for my goods again. You will be given a lifetime free pass for all my goods.”

That wasn’t what Percy wanted.

“Furthermore, you will stop bringing me more ingredients. These will keep me occupied much longer than you think. If you bring more, it will go to waste. I doubt you want me to throw away your precious gifts, right?” 

Percy nodded slowly, unable to refute. Leonhard was too stubborn and didn’t want to see him angry again. Also, Percy didn’t bring these little natural treasures to see them getting thrown away.

“Noted
No more ingredients.”

“That’s my boy!” The baker said, ruffling through Percy’s hair.

It was odd, Percy felt warm and cozy even though his plan had failed.

What happened just now?

**

The next day, it was time to return to the little forest. Percy had several plans up to his sleeves, but his first task was to search the batch of Paresis Doom flowers. Finding and harvesting the dozen flowers he had left behind last time would be great. Thinking about the money he could earn, Percy spent the whole morning. He and the Gnoll used [A Hunter’s Smell] but couldn’t find the place.

I don’t remember entering the deeper parts of the forest. Then again, I had to run through the forest for quite a while when I rushed back.

It was noon when Percy decided to change his target. Paresis Doom was still in his mind, but Percy didn’t obsess over the flowers. There was no need to. 

Percy returned to one of the places the Gnoll discovered the day before. His bags were filled to the brim at that time, forcing him to return later before he could check it out. The time finally came. He was more than ready to fill his bags – he’d bought a few more leather bags – to earn a fortune.

Searching the place wasted two more hours, draining Percy’s little patience, but frustration transformed into joy when he emerged in a massive hidden clearing.

In the depths of the little forest, the large, breathtaking clearing was unveiled like a well–hidden treasury. Large, towering trees encircled it, their extensive branches forming a natural, protective barrier. Rays of sunlight filtered through the canopy, illuminating the lush green grass and multi-colored magical plants covering the clearing’s grounds.

The magical plants – a shocking variety– were scattered across the clearing. There were magical plants of all colors, their vibrant hues creating a stunning mosaic. 

The clearing is alive. 

Percy swallowed hard, sensing the glow of mana shrouding the plants’ leaves and petals. 

The air around him was heavy, shimmering like a heatwave with mana as it engulfed Percy and everything around him, as well as the clearing.

It wasn’t easy to calm down as the magnificent sight unfolded before Percy, even more so with so many magical plants everywhere around him.

Blue flowers with petals like delicate glass released a substance that froze the surrounding plant life. Red, star-shaped blooms emitted a warm, ruby glow on the other side of the clearing, while clusters of small, yellow blossoms sparkled like tiny suns, casting a gentle, golden shimmer into the vicinity. But that was not all. It was only the beginning. Percy found plants with deep purple leaves, vines with glowing green tendrils that snaked along the ground climbed up the surrounding trees, and much more.

Percy, [A Hunter’s Smell] activated, took a deep breath, filling his nostrils with the soft scents of magical flora and a mix of earth and floral fragrances. 

Not as intrusive as I expected. That’s nice.

A vibrant smile blossomed on his lips as his mind registered the massive fortune he was about to amass, and he closed his eyes.

Looting the clearing will take several days. Let’s collect the most valuable things first.

Percy focused on the scents via [A Hunter’s Smell] and separated them in his mind. That took a while, but it was worthwhile. Once the first step was completed, Percy moved over to the second step seamlessly.

Several hours passed in the blink of an eye, and it was evening before Percy realized. His bags weren’t filled to the brim when he decided to return to Raewood – staying overnight in the little forest was still not something Percy wanted to risk. Yet, at least. 

Still, the few treasures he’d collected were the most valuable spread across the clearing!

To think the smallest and most inconspicuous magical plants are the most valuable.

If Erdwin hadn’t told him about a bunch of exotic magical plants, Percy would have never noticed them. Fortunately, he listened intently to the old merchant. Percy didn’t have to regret not selling the Gnoll Card anymore. If anything, keeping it was the best thing he could have done! The interfaces of the little treasures affirmed that.

[Inviar Eclipse Mercurialis – Excellent Quality – 2953 Prosperity]

[Inviar Eclipse Mercurialis – Good Quality –1891 Prosperity]




The leather bag swung across Percy’s shoulder contained eight Inviar Eclipse Mercurialis. Their combined Prosperity exceeded 15,000, and Percy thought more than once about using [Consume] to empty the little clearing in a single day. But Percy was not in a rush. He remembered how much Erdwin would pay for the Inviar Eclipse Mercurialis and how valuable the Guild considered some of the other herbs and plants. Even the town’s Alchemists and Pharmacists would pay a small fortune for some of the herbs he discovered in the clearing.

Stay patient. We are not in a rush. Nobody has discovered the clearing until now; otherwise, it would have been plundered by now. 

Percy had to stay calm and composed to clear his little treasure trove in the next few days.