The Frugal Mage

Rayven crouched before the chest and brushed the dust from the two weathered books. Their covers were stiff as they weren't well-taken care of, but faint traces of mana could still be sensed.

"Alright…" He held his hand above the first one.

"Appraisal."

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

[ Current Balance: 553 Gold Coins ]

Suddenly, a faint ripple of mana was released, and soon, he received the information he needed.

[ Item: Spell Rune Book (Minor Flame)

Rarity: Common

Status: Usable

Description: A beginner's grimoire inscribed with the spell model of Minor Flame. Designed for new mages, this spell conjures a small flame, barely strong enough to light a torch or ignite dry tinder.

Durability: Low – pages are fragile, reinforced only by faint mana binding. ]

Rayven's brows twitched.

'A glorified matchstick spell… This is no better than the Spark Spell.' Rayven mused.

But the others leaned in eagerly. "So? What's it say?" Victor asked.

"It's a Spell Rune Book. Minor Flame."

Emma's eyes widened.

She had no idea what it was, whether it was rare or not but since it was an elemental spell, it must be quite expensive.

It was Drosk who actually recognized the Spell.

"A beginner spell, huh… Still, even something that simple would sell for hundreds of gold coins! Not everyone can afford advanced spells. Some just need anything to qualify for mage training."

"Exactly," Emma agreed as she clasped her hands.

"A spell's a spell. Even the lowest rank can change someone's fate."

Encouraged, Rayven moved to the second book. "Appraisal."

[ 1 Gold Coin deducted. ]

[ Current Balance: 552 Gold Coins ]

Again, he got the Appraisal result almost instantly.

[ Item: Spell Rune Book (Mend Flesh)

Rarity: Common

Status: Usable

Description: A beginner's grimoire containing the spell model of Mend Flesh. This spell accelerates the natural clotting of blood and knits shallow cuts or bruises. It cannot heal deep wounds, broken bones, or internal damage, but it can stabilize bleeding and ease pain, making it invaluable for novice adventurers.

Durability: Low – pages are fragile, reinforced only by faint mana binding. ]

Rayven gently nodded after seeing this. A firestarter and a healing spell. Hardly battle-changing magic, but they were some sort of Support Spells in his opinion.

They seemed simple, but when he relayed the results, the others reacted as though he had unearthed royal jewels.

"Two Spell Rune Books!" Emma gasped as she knew how important they were. "Do you know how rare that is, even for beginner spells?"

Victor laughed, clapping Rayven on the back.

"You're our lucky charm, Rayven. We substitute one mage with you, and suddenly, treasures fall into our laps."

"Don't underestimate them…" Drosk added thoughtfully. "Plenty of apprentices die just trying to get their hands on a Rune Book. To them, these are lifelines."

Hale grinned. "Not to mention, we can keep them or sell them in auction. Either way, we'll be swimming in gold coins if you don't want to learn them."

Emma spun once in place as she held one of the books carefully.

"This is more than I ever dreamed from a single hunt. We have to wrap this carefully… Rayven, are you going to learn the Spell Runes?"

Victor then started packing the other items that they could sell back in the city. "First, a Greater Beast, now treasure books? We'll drink the tavern dry tonight!"

Drosk agreed. "Yes. This haul is more than enough. The cores, the hide, the meat, and now… these books. Truly, the gods favored us today. However, Rayven's not fifteen yet. Let's visit a more child-friendly shop."

He couldn't help but chuckle after saying this.

Rayven said nothing, but he was excited…

For him, he could conjure spells endlessly as long as he had gold coins, yet here they were celebrating books that taught a single weak Spell Rune. Still, he understood the weight of it.

They were opportunities for young Initiate Mages. Doors for others to obtain Spells that were monopolized by the nobles and large organizations.

After all, Rayven already understood that the Mages weren't some super-rare people. Even Nara had some talent with magic, but couldn't choose this path because there weren't any institutions that could truly help her develop.

Practicing Magic was simply too expensive, and that was stopping many other people from learning it.

What was rare seemed to be the access to Spell Runes. They were expensive even if you only had to copy or study this rune.

"We have to keep this a secret for now. We can't let others know about this treasure." Drosk added.

"That's obvious. Rayven will have it first, so he can copy or learn it. After that, Josen can try learning it as well while he's recovering." Emma said as she couldn't forget the mage that had been with them for a year already.

As they packed everything carefully into their bags, the cave no longer felt like a foul-odored den. It felt like a vault they had cracked open.

When they finally stepped outside, the cloud was already getting darker, but not because it was already late. There seemed to be a rain or storm really soon.

"Let's go back… Tomorrow, maybe we can try the dungeon. What do you think, Rayven? Do you want to study the two Spell Rune Books first?" Victor asked.

To be honest, they had no idea if Rayven already had seven Spells. However, it was rude to ask how many Spells he had since they had just met today.

They only knew four of his Spells. The Appraisal, Detect Mana Source, Mana Pulse, and Mana Flick.

"It'll take time for me to study the book. We can first go ahead and explore the dungeon tomorrow."

Of course, Rayven didn't really need to study the book. However, he also didn't want to reveal that he didn't need them.

With this plan decided, the group finally returned to the city…

***

However, back at the Golden Coast Trading's estate, Albert sat at his desk, with a grim look on his face while reading a letter…

"We must save Stein at all costs..." Albert muttered as Rayven's elder brother seemed to be in trouble!