The Frugal Mage

Rayven was excited to get the reward. He wasn't expecting to get the full one thousand gold coins, but he was hoping to get at least 500, and that could help him get another skill…

'Next skill should be a movement skill… or that Magic Missile, so I can ditch the Mana Flick already.' Rayven thought.

To be honest, he didn't really like how weak the Mana Flick was.

It was just a small burst of mana that couldn't even penetrate leather armor. A crossbow might even work better than that.

However, the Magic Missile was different.

As for removing the Mana Flick in the list, he had no idea how to do that, but he could just ask the Suggestion Feature if he already had that problem.

But as he was thinking of how he would be spending his gold coins, he heard Rennard's reminder…

His elder brother? In his memory, the boy whose body he now inhabited did have an older sibling… He was brilliant, well-educated, and often compared to him.

That comparison was one of the reasons the original Rayven had lived under such pressure.

Rennard continued…

"Word of your duel reached him, but he couldn't come quickly because of our situation. Several suppliers had backed out on us because of the Velthams, and he was handling it to lessen the damage to our business… Now that it was settled, he… insisted on coming to see you himself."

Nara and Miki couldn't help but feel curious about Rayven's family.

Now that they think about it, they weren't actually aware of Rayven's family situation.

Since Rayven was such an incredible mage, they couldn't help but imagine that his elder brother or other members of his family were also notable figures in the world of magic.

Rayven forced a smile and just nodded for now. "Let me know once he arrives. I'll take some rest for now."

He wanted to organize his thoughts as the memory of his family wasn't that clear…

His parents were always busy with the business, while his siblings were also helping with their work, and after he reached the age of 12, they barely had the time to enjoy their time together.

'Well, I'll be meeting them soon… I should get used to it.' Rayven thought as he wasn't sure how he would act with his siblings and parents.

'We'll probably just talk about the business anyway. There's nothing to be nervous about.' He reminded himself.

Apparently, the Holt Family wasn't only tied to the Golden Coast Trading.

The Head of the Family, Laxus Holt, had six sons.

Albert Holt and Tyler Holt, who was Rayven's father, were the second and sixth sons… They were also assigned to manage the Golden Coast Trading.

Then, they had two other businesses managed by the other sons, and they had helped them weather the Velthams' pressure.

The first was Sunrise Builders, a business with decades of history. They weren't just builders of warehouses and shops. Their craftsmen had even constructed manor estates and small castles in the past when they were still active.

Of course, it was no longer doing that well, but they were still earning something…

At the very least, many nobles and wealthy merchants in Kesla City still entrusted their projects to the Holts, who had earned a reputation for durable stonework and practical, cost-efficient design.

The second was a smaller but steady branch that had been operating for only five years.

It was the Brightforge Smithworks.

Unlike the grand forges run by master artisans, this business specialized in mass production. Rayven could remember his parents talking about the iron swords, farming plows, hammers, nails, construction tools, and cooking utensils they made… Most of them were the kinds of goods needed in bulk by ordinary people…

Though it lacked prestige compared to the work of famous smiths, the Smithworks ensured a reliable stream of income and ties with local militias and farming communities.

These two industries, alongside Golden Coast Trading, had given the Holt Family resilience to survive even a noble family's pressure.

Indeed, even under the Velthams' harassment, they had managed to stay standing far longer than other merchant houses would have because of their unity…

Still, from what Rayven understood, their losses had been severe.

That was why Rayven even had to take part in one of the caravans, only to get killed…

'Yes… Those Velthams deserve it…'

If not for his transmigration, there was no way the Rayven of this world would still exist.

With that thought, Rayven excused himself and returned to his quarters.

He sat on his bed and let his body relax, but his mind immediately shifted toward another matter… his system.

A translucent screen shimmered before his eyes:

[ Quest Complete: Break the Hawk's Wing ]

A hostile magician has entered the stage.

Objective: Defeat the Veltham family's mage within 7 days.

Status: Success.

Reward: 50 Gold

Penalty Avoided: Severe weakening of system functions for 30 days.

Rayven exhaled slowly as the notification faded, and his balance ticked upward.

[ Current Balance: 145 Gold ]

Not only that, another set of messages followed.

[ The Skill Market has been refreshed. ]

"Awesome!"

The Skill Market hadn't refreshed in days, and he had been waiting for this moment.

"Let's see what's on the shelf this time."

Spark (Common) – (500) 450 Gold (10% off – New Arrival)

Quick Mend (Common) – 500 Gold

Toughen Skin (Common) – 600 Gold

Gust Step (Common) – (650) 585 Gold (10% off – New Arrival)

Magic Missile I (Uncommon) – 800 Gold

Flame Dart (Uncommon) – 850 Gold

Earthen Grasp (Uncommon) – (900) 910 Gold (10% off – New Arrival)

"Now… This is what I'm looking for…" Rayven muttered as he finally saw a movement spell!

[ Gust Step (Common): A sudden burst of wind propels the user forward in a short dash.

Dash Distance: 8 meters.

Cooldown: 2 seconds.

Cost per use: 1 Gold

Type: Movement / Wind Elemental ]

'This is cool… The 2-second cooldown should be fine… I don't need to chant anyway. I just have to say the skill's name.' Rayven thought as he felt satisfied with this first movement spell…

Still, he couldn't help but chuckle after seeing the description of the Spark Spell.

Bringing a matchbox would probably suffice rather than buying it!