Over the course of those months that Billy was digging around with his magic, he found many things underground. Most of them were trash. Others were pretty valuable ores. However, he finally got unlucky… and ended up founding a very old cemetery. There were many corpses buried on the path of the tunnel, and he couldn't exactly just make a turn and avoid them. The tunnels had to be straight to avoid accidents.
"I didn't know bones could last this long… we are ten meters underground, so a lot of time has passed since they were buried," Kate said.
"It depends on the weather conditions. In humid places, corpses take a lot of time to decompose," Billy said.
There was also the issue that Billy didn't know if the bodies of that world lasted for longer since they had mana on them. In any case, Billy had to cremate those bones. However, while he was doing that, he noticed that one of them was wearing a gold ring.
Ring of Fortune
Haggler Lv 20: it helps you earn more money when doing business. You can convince others to sell and buy things with a twenty percent extra bonus for you.
Dexterity + 50
Durability: 05/10
"What the hell…" Billy frowned.
It was the same skill that John had, and while Billy never tried to learn it, it seemed pretty useful. Still, the effects were weird. How could someone make an item that would have such a social effect? Since there was no item even close to that one in that world currently, Billy assumed that it was something forged a single time by a single person hundreds of years ago…
"I suppose this somehow affects how people see me…" Billy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Merchants are quite the weird bunch, so they might sell things cheaper or more expensive according to how they like their clients."
It had been a while since Billy found an item like that, but it was very useful, so he decided to test it in the next two days. In the end, Billy confirmed its effects. Billy bought some things in one day from several merchants, and they sold the same things twenty percent cheaper the very next day.
"I wonder if I can make something like this, but with effects that aren't useful in battle…" Billy thought.
That being said, Billy's hands were already busy with the tunnels, so that will have to wait. Around the time Kate was preparing to leave as well, Billy noticed things getting noisy at the eastern gate. That was unusual, that gate was rarely open, and merchants didn't come from there. In any case, Billy and Kate headed there to check things. When they arrived there, they saw the guards with bows in their hands and ready to fight, and on the other side of the wall, Billy saw a group of wagons aligned a few hundred meters away. It was filled with people, so Billy could tell that they were immigrants. Still, there was a chance that some spy was with them, so he couldn't drop his guard.
"Don't shoot yet," Billy said when he saw a gray-haired man jumping from one of the wagons and slowly approached.
Gilles - Lv 167
HP: 1388/ 1388
MP: 344/ 344
SP: 988/ 988
Strength: 254
Speed: 254
Magic: 55
Endurance: 254
Dexterity: 254
Status Points: 00
Skills: Combo Lv 55, Fierce Aura Lv 52, Palm Canon Lv 115, Stamina Manipulation Lv 100, Chi Lv 55
Spells:
Passive: Language Skill Lv 110, Earth Resistance Lv 80, Fire Resistance Lv 80, Cold Resistance Lv 80, Heat Resistance Lv 80, Wind Resistance Lv 80, Martial Arts Lv 185
Skill Points: 00
Billy frowned when he used Appraisal on the man, he was even stronger than the guild masters. While he seemed really old since he walked with his curved body. Putting that aside, what surprised Billy, even more, was his skills. Those were pretty famous ones, and that only meant one thing.
"You there, young man," Gilles said. "You have the aura of someone strong and judging by your position among the guards, it seems that you are the new guild master. While you killed one of my disciples, I just came here to talk."
"... You are the one who trained Manuel… What is your name, and why did you come?" Billy asked.
Billy already knew the answers, but it would be better if he heard them anyway. It will be a start if the old man lies. He would never trust him. Still, the following words that Billy heard made him frown.
"You are not very bright, are you?" Gilles asked. "I don't think that someone dumb, would have defeated Manuel. It should be obvious why we are here. We left our land because our leader is as stupid as she is mad. If you are worried about us, you should send a letter to Rosalie, she still must remember me, and she can say that I am not an enemy."
"I don't care who you are, but you are being awfully rude," Kate said. "As the guild master of this town, he has the power to negate your entrance into our country, so unless you change your tone, we don't have any reason to let you enter."
"You are completely right. That will also doom the life of dozen of innocent people, including little kids," Gilles said. "I suppose that doesn't matter much since we are on the other side, and we are the enemies that waged the last two wars, even though we have no soldiers. Anyway, what should I do to have the honor of entering your great town? Shall I lick your feet?"
Gilles' mocking words only made Kate angrier.. While he couldn't care the reason behind that, Billy noticed that the old man had some fresh wounds on his body. The wagons behind him also smelled like blood, so it seemed that those people had to fight their way out…
