Chapter 46: 10 Gold Coins
Bowing once more to show his respect, Derek turned and left the hut. He then headed upstairs with Ronald.
’All my savings till now... all gone in a flash,’ he thought while climbing the stairs.
Though Derek was overjoyed beyond words, a faint sting still lingered in his chest. All the money he had saved until now along with the allowance Arthur had given him for his stay at Arcadia Hunter Academy had vanished in an instant. Ten gold coins were no small amount.
One gold coin was equal to a hundred silver coins, and one silver coin was worth ten bronze coins. Even a single gold coin was considered a small fortune and he had just handed over ten of them without a second thought.
Derek soon reached the ground floor, back inside the shop. The moment he appeared, Arthur was the first to react.
"Was it ready?" he asked eagerly.
Instead of answering, Derek raised the sword with a wide grin. "Yep. And you won’t believe what I just got."
"Really? Is it that special?" Arthur asked curiously.
"Yes. Let me show you." Saying that, Derek unsheathed the sword. The blade sparkled brilliantly under the room’s light.
Everyone, including Ronald, stared at the shining silver edge that framed the majestic black metal.
Derek stepped forward and handed it to Arthur. "Here, try it yourself."
Arthur took the sword, examining it closely. "It’s really perfect for your size... and just like you said, it looks unique." But the moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, the blade shimmered....
and then it suddenly grew in size.
"T-That!!" Everyone’s mouths dropped open in shock. They stood frozen, completely dumbfounded by what they had just witnessed. Even Derek was stunned for a moment. Though he already knew the sword could do that, seeing it in person was a whole different experience.
"That’s... that’s at least an S-class weapon," Ronald muttered under his breath. Even among weapons, there were ranks and this sword was clearly in a league of its own.
"It’s really amazing, little one. With your talent, you deserve something this extraordinary," Daisy said proudly, her face glowing with satisfaction. Not only had Derek gotten himself a forged weapon, but it turned out to be a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Martha, too, looked delighted.
"Damn! I wish I had this sword," Arthur suddenly said, swinging it experimentally.
But Daisy immediately smacked him on the back of the head. "Shameless! How can you be eyeing your own brother’s sword?" she scolded, glaring fiercely.
Arthur rubbed his head and grumbled, "Come on, sister, I was just joking! I’d give him anything he wants anyway."
Meanwhile Ronald couldn’t help but watch their banter silently. "What a lucky chap," he murmured with a hint of envy.
"By the way, how much did it cost?" Daisy suddenly asked.
"Umm... ten gold coins," Derek replied after thinking for a moment.
"What?!" everyone exclaimed in shock.
"T... ten gold coins? That much? Oh, Derek..." Daisy sighed. "That blacksmith must’ve completely scammed you."
"Yes," Arthur added from the side. "It’s definitely a unique and wonderful sword, but ten gold coins is way too much."
Derek opened his mouth to explain, but Ronald’s voice cut in before he could.
"A blacksmith from here scammed him? You should be grateful if Denvar charged you only ten gold coins," Ronald said, shaking his head. "People wouldn’t hesitate to even spend a hundred gold coins for a sword like that." He sighed again and muttered, "I really don’t know where you people came from."
"One hundred gold coins?" Daisy repeated, her voice trembling in disbelief. "Are you sure? That really seems...."
Before she could finish, Derek spoke up quickly. "Sister, I don’t think Mr. Denvar would ever cheat me. He isn’t that kind of person. He’s an honorable man, so you can relax."
"Umm... well, if you say so," Daisy murmured, deciding not to argue further. No one else spoke either.
After that, they all left the shop. Ronald watched Derek’s retreating figure and whispered under his breath, "He says he’s not related to Denvar... but he sure seems to know him well."
Once Derek and his family stepped out of Sword’s Heaven, Arthur quickly called for a wagon. "Let’s go, Derek. You shouldn’t be late on your joining day."
"Yes," Derek nodded, and the four of them climbed aboard.
With a firm tug on the reins, the coachman set the wagon in motion.
About twenty minutes later, they arrived near the Arcadia Hunter Academy. ’So it’s finally starting... Let’s see how much this place will really help me. Vanessa insisted I join, but now that Father has sealed my power, I’m not even sure how useful this will be,’ he thought inwardly.
The wagon came to a halt. Everyone got down, and Arthur paid the fare.
Together, they walked toward the academy gates, the grand structure rising like a mountain ahead of them, its towering walls gleaming under the sunlight.
Once they reached the entrance, everyone stopped.
"This is as far as we can accompany you, Derek," Arthur said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "From here on, you’ll have to take care of yourself. Best of luck. I have full faith in you."
Daisy reached out and gently brushed her hand through his hair. "Just focus on your training, alright, little one? Don’t worry about us or what’s happening back home," she said softly.
"And don’t forget to eat properly and take care of your health," Martha added with a motherly tone.
"Yes, yes, you’re worrying too much," Derek replied with a faint smile. "I’ll be perfectly fine."
He didn’t linger any longer. Turning away, he began walking toward the entrance.
Though he had lived without them in his past life, it still wasn’t something he could ever get used to. He tried to act tough, but as he walked away, a heavy feeling settled in his chest. Who would ever want to live without their family? Especially after losing them once already.
He kept moving without looking back, afraid that showing even a moment of hesitation might expose his weakness.
With steady strides, Derek reached the gate and entered the academy grounds.
Meanwhile, his family remained standing outside for a long while before finally turning around and taking a wagon back home.
After entering, Derek walked toward a crowd gathered near the main magestic-looking building and among them, he spotted a few familiar faces from the entrance test.
Just as he was about to approach and join them, a voice suddenly called out from behind.
"Hey! Is that you?!"