The Frugal Mage

"Well… I'll discuss it with the team." Drosk replied.

The clerk just nodded and examined everything like an expert jeweler. He wasn't an appraiser, but he definitely had a lot of experience dealing with various items brought out from the dungeon.

He sorted the items into categories, calling out values as his quill scratched across parchment.

"Skitterfang Beast Cores… No damages… Eight silver each, sixteen in total… 128 silver. Venom sacs, surprisingly intact, sixteen of them… That's…"

He continued with the assessment.

He set aside the broken daggers and nodded after realizing that his device reacted to mana.

It means that it was a magic item… "This is a good haul for two, or was it three hours of exploration?"

He then listed a price and didn't wait for their reply as he picked up the old coins with gloved hands.

"Now, let's look at the main items this time.. Do you know what these are?"

Rayven shook his head. "Just old coins with mana."

"Not just coins…" the clerk corrected, holding one up to the light...

"These are Arcanum Marks, minted centuries ago when this region was still under the Dominion of Merythis… Well, that's what I read in the book. Still, each coin was forged with condensed mana and used as both currency and spell catalyst. Scholars and collectors prize them. To adventurers like you? They're worth their weight in gold… threefold."

"Wow! Good find!" Victor asked eagerly.

The clerk smirked. "You've brought back thirty-six of them. That alone makes a hundred and eight gold."

The group collectively gasped.

Drosk slapped Rayven's back. "You lucky bastard! You're amazing!" He couldn't help but exclaim since this was the highest amount of gold they had earned!

Even the other adventurers nearby felt the urge to visit the dungeon immediately. However, the discovery of the Dungeon Boss means that the exploration could become more dangerous.

Rayven only raised an eyebrow. "Looks like my eye for details paid off."

The clerk continued calculating. "With the ores, the beast parts, the pendants, and the rest… the total comes to one hundred thirty gold and seventy-five silver."

Emma and Hale were in disbelief. They had never seen that much coin tallied in a single job.

Victor grinned from ear to ear. "We can finally take a vacation… Not bad at all."

Drosk laughed heartily. "This is enough to upgrade equipment, pay for months of supplies, maybe even have a long vacation. We're rich!"

Rayven nodded as he reminded them about the 30 gold coins they earned from the Skitterfang Eggs they sold to Sofia's group.

Their eyes lit up once more.

At this time, they no longer cared for why the Alpha Beast let them live.

They were all just happy for this newfound wealth!

Rayven tapped the counter lightly and spoke… "Before we settle, could I borrow one of those coins first?"

The clerk didn't refuse as he expected them to at least keep one as a remembrance or something similar...

He slid one of the Arcanum Marks toward him carefully. "Don't go scratching it. It will affect the value." He joked.

Rayven just smiled and held it in his palm.

He retreated for a bit and cast a spell.

"Appraisal." He softly said. Anyway, he just needed to say the name of the spell. There was no requirement for the volume of voice.

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

[ Current Balance: 230 Gold Coins ]

Just like that, glowing text appeared before him. It was the appraisal result from the system.

[ Item: Arcanum Mark

[ Rarity: Rare

[ State: Preserved. Minimal corrosion, mana imprint stable

[ Composition: Condensed Mana Alloy, Endless Imprint Rune

[ Description: Usable as currency, but primarily forged as a catalyst. Amplifies the effectiveness of Low Tier spells by 20%. When used in arrays, it reduces mana consumption by 15%. ]

Condition: Well-preserved.

Estimated Market's Value: High. ]

'Hmm?' Rayven was satisfied with the result but confused with the last part.

The value wasn't noted as Unknown but "High". It was his first time seeing this.

'Is it because it's a collector's item or something? Will the price differ depending on the buyer?' He mused.

Nonetheless, it wasn't really that valuable to him since his Spellcasting was fixed.

The coins wouldn't help at all.

Satisfied with the result, he turned to the group to confirm that the clerk was telling the truth about the item description and returned the coin to the clerk. "Good enough."

The clerk nodded as he noticed what Rayven did. "What'd you see?"

Rayven smiled, "Exactly what you said. It's indeed Arcanum Marks... They'll be useful for mages" He didn't bother to explain further, but the confidence in his eyes was enough to make the others trust his judgment.

The clerk clapped his hands. "Alright then, let's get this settled. Since the total sum is a bit high, we'll handle the conversion in the back."

He gestured for them to follow. Rayven and the others were led through a side door into a secure chamber lined with reinforced steel chests and guarded by two armored guild wardens.

They were guarding the items that were handed over by other adventurers. It seemed that the transfer of treasures to the main guild wasn't done daily…

At a counting table, the clerk carefully weighed, stamped, and exchanged their haul.

When it was done, the group's reward lay neatly stacked in gleaming pouches… Including the 30 gold coins they got for selling those eggs, they got a total of 160 gold coins and 75 silver.

Even Drosk's usual composure faltered at the sight...

"This is amazing...

Victor rubbed his and nodded.. "I've never seen that much money at once. Forget a vacation... I'm buying a house."

"Dream on. You're still not buying with your share." Drosk said.

Emma and Hale then looked at each other. They did their best to look calm, but it was still obvious that they were trembling with excitement.

When it came to dividing the spoils, no one argued.

Drosk looked at everyone. "Rayven found most of the treasures we got... He's the one with the detection magic… Without him, we'd be walking home with just beast guts, cores, and some grass instead. He deserves the biggest share."

Victor and the others nodded in agreement. Emma and Hale raised no protest.

It was an obvious decision…

'I guess I spent all my coins wisely this time.'