Chapter 6: Trading.

After getting off the carriage, Karl put on a Humboldt hat with a hard curled brim and grosgrain ribbon, and straightened his clothes.

Unlike the formal attire in the morning, his outfit now seemed more casual.

"Sir."

The driver helped to lift the clock wrapped in black cloth:

"Your stuff."

"Thank you."

Karl thanked him politely, stretched out his arm to pick up the clock, and walked towards the bustling market.

"What a great strength!"

Seeing Karl's leaving back, the driver looked surprised.

It took him a lot of effort to lift the stuff off the carriage just now, and estimated that the weight should be several dozen kilograms.

So it was quite heavy, but the other party was able to carry it so easily. Could it be that the other party was a knight's squire?

Or...a noble knight?

But such a person should have his own carriage.

…

Buddy Cargo Company.

Karl had heard of this place a long time ago, but today was his first time here. His father was a frequent visitor here.

When many respectable families in the city are in a tight spot, they often exchange some things they don't need for crowns or gold pounds, and then buy them back when they have more money to help them out.

It's similar to a "pawn shop".

However, most of the pawns are dead and will not be redeemed, so there are many second-hand items here.

The second-hand rings, necklaces, watches and other jewelry sold in the store account for about 75% of all the goods.

There are also some artworks and luxury goods.

Therefore, many people call this place the "treasure warehouse of the middle class" and come here to buy things when they have extra money.

"People call me Old Nick. I have worked in Buddy's Store for more than 30 years and have never made a mistake."

Nick in front of him has a white beard, a bald head, cloudy eyes, and a wrinkled face. He looks unremarkable, and it is no wonder that people doubt his level.

Looking up at Karl, Nick grinned: "First time here?"

If it wasn't his first time here, there was no reason for him not to recognize me.

"Hmm."

Karl nodded, put the clock on the table, removed the black cloth on it, and stretched out his hand to signal the other party to taste it:

"How much do you think you can pay for this?"

"Oh!" Seeing the clock, Old Nick sat up subconsciously, and his expression became serious.

"Good stuff."

"This outer layer is all gold!"

The clock in front of him was nearly half a meter high, shaped like a spire, with exquisite shape, and a mixture of gold, wood, and porcelain.

Gold and wood are fine, porcelain is rare, and it is even rarer to use it on clocks, and the combination is natural, which is an extremely rare work of art.

Old Nick took out a magnifying glass and carefully looked at the clock inside and out for a long time, then looked up at Karl:

"How much do you plan to sell it for?"

"Ask me?" Carl sat opposite, with a calm expression, to hide his nervousness, and asked back: "Shouldn't you say how much it is?"

"Yes."

Old Nick nodded: "It's customary, but I'm afraid the price I say will disappoint you."

Karl frowned: "Tell me."

He didn't believe it could be very cheap.

Old Nick held up a finger and spoke slowly:

"Ten gold coins!"

"It's rare to find a work of art worth a hundred pounds. This clock is well-made and large, so it's very rare, but some parts inside are broken, so I can only offer this price."

"Heh..." Karl was speechless: "Old Nick, are you kidding me? Ten gold coins are probably not enough to buy the gold used in this clock."

The clock is not just coated with a layer of gold paint on the surface, some of the parts inside are made entirely of gold.

Ten gold coins?

What a joke!

"Yes."   

Old Nick did not deny this, but turned the clock over, put down the hidden back plate, pointed at the carvings on it and said:

"Look what this is?"

"This..." Karl just looked at the clock simply, and did not know the carvings inside, and did not even notice the back plate.

At this time, he looked at it carefully, and his brows wrinkled subconsciously:

"Sacrifice to the gods?"

"Yes."

Old Nick grinned: "The carvings on it are scenes or rituals of mortals sacrificing to gods, which shows that this item is a holy artifact."

"The key is..."

"Sacrifice to the evil god!"

"The Moon Goddess. Moon Goddess, I have lived for so many years, and I have never heard of this deity."

There are gods in this world who have the authority of the moon, but no god is called the Moon Goddess alone.

Sacrificing to the evil god is a great sin. Once discovered by the church, even if it is just a little bit, it is hard to say whether you can save your life.

Not to mention sacrificing to the evil god, even if it is a righteous god, as long as it is not the Lord of Dawn, there will be many troubles in this kingdom.

Moreover, it would be strange to hide the carvings of offering sacrifices to the gods in such a hidden place.

Seeing Karl, whose face was getting more and more gloomy, Old Nick smiled and said:

"Report it to the church, or sell it to me for ten gold coins, you can choose."

Karl's eyes shrank.

No wonder!

No wonder the other party offered ten gold coins, this is a threat to me!

"Old Nick."

Pursing his lips, Carl said slowly: "I forgot to introduce myself. I am a nobleman. This thing is a trophy my grandfather got from the battlefield. It is normal not to know its background."

"A Noble?"

Old Nick was stunned. He really didn't expect it.

At the moment he was stunned, Karl suddenly stretched out his hand, clenched his five fingers into a fist and smashed it towards the back of the clock.

"Bang!"

The metal back was twisted and deformed by the smash. Although it was not broken, the carvings on it became blurred and it was impossible to tell whether it was a ritual of offering sacrifices to the gods.

"I know that Buddy's Trading Company is not afraid of the status of a noble, but if they want to bully me, it's not that easy."

"Now!"

Karl leaned forward and looked directly at the other party:

"How much?"

"..." Looking at Karl, Old Nick's turbid eyes flashed, and suddenly grinned: "Don't be angry, let's talk properly."

The result of a proper talk was fifty gold coins.

When Karl walked out of Buddy's Trading Company, he found that a layer of cold sweat had appeared on his back without knowing when.

At this time, the wind blew, and he couldn't help but tighten his clothes.

'I didn't expect that bringing things from another world to sell would actually cause such trouble? '

Touching the few small things left in his pocket, Karl shook his head gently and gave up the idea of ​​selling for the time being.

He'll go back and check it carefully first, anyway, the money he got now is enough.

Just when he stopped the carriage and was about to leave the market, a loud noise came from behind.

"The latest news! The latest news!"

"Grand Duke Cambyses unfortunately died of illness on the way to the expedition to Cobourg, and the expeditionary army is suspected to be replaced by the Grand Duke of Saxony..."

"Important news..."

Grand Duke Cambyses is dead?

Karl was shocked.

This Grand Duke was only in his fifties, and he was a famous legendary knight. He was as strong as a tiger, and even swords and knives might not be able to cut him.

So how could he suddenly die of illness? The key point is that the Grand Duke of Saxony who succeeded Cambyses once served as the lord of Sino City. If that was true, would he recruit the people and nobles in the city?

"Forget it, it's useless to think about it now."

"I'll recover my spirit and take the baron title first. According to what Cologne said, the Burning Moon Day is coming soon, and the Black City will also usher in a safe period once a month. Then I'll have to go there again."

...

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