“Did you do that with [Creativity Magic], Master?” Varen stared at the stone glowing white in his hand in amazement.
Smiling, I nodded. “Yes, while I was walking through the Ironvale market, seeing those expensive candles and the scarce firewood that merchants use to heat water... I had an idea, why not try to do this with our magic?”
‘So I used the ideas I had from the technology of my previous world and tried to replicate them in this world.’
Gwen raised her eyebrow, holding the red stone. “So this is the result of your test, Master? Is this where those explosions came from while we were killing monsters?!”
“Exactly.” I replied, pointing to the surrounding forest.
"I preferred to test it here, away from the prying eyes of the townspeople, while you were fighting the monsters on your quests. At first, the stones would glow for a day, or explode when I tried to heat them, but I adjusted the Mana slowly, like sculpting with a dagger. I used what I know about alchemy (chemistry) and the ease of [Creativity Magic]. After a few days, I got these beauties.“ I smiled, seeing their amazement.
Gwen looked confused at the red stone in her hand and asked, ”How long do these stones last, master?"
“From what I've observed, around 7 days. I could make stones that would last longer, but the cost of Mana would start to become unsustainable after that and decrease the estimated profits for now.” I explained.
The red stone in Gwen's hand didn't glow like Varen's, but if it came into contact with water, the stone would start to heat up quickly and warm the water in a few minutes, ideal for use before bathing.
The white stone only emitted light, a substitute for candlelight in terms of how much light it emitted, but in terms of durability, even if lit for 8 hours a day, it could illuminate as well as an LED lamp from my old world for a week.
I still had other ideas to use, but so far these were the two most practical and easiest to make that I could come up with.
This was the result of my tests with [Creativity Magic].
Taking stones that already existed and adding magical properties to them, at least simple properties such as light or heat emission, was much cheaper than making objects from scratch.
And since magic used my creativity as a basis, I just had to think about what I wanted and my magic practically programmed these features into the stone!
And these stones weren't just a way to make money, but the beginning of something much bigger that I started to plan.
My plan consisted of three different fronts.
The first would be to continue carrying out missions at the Adventurers' Guild to earn money. Since we had already attracted the attention of a dangerous group, we wouldn't need to hide our strength so much and could take on more C-rank missions per week, increasing our income.
The second front was planned after observing the city market and realizing that some shopkeepers sold single-use magic items.
Many items were just imitations or scams designed to make low-level adventurers or unsuspecting commoners spend money, but with my [Creativity Magic], I could recreate real objects.
The stones were the first step in trying to recreate magical items that could be useful in combat.
I was still just starting out on this path, but I saw the potential that this could really work out well in the future.
But this second front would have to wait until we bought our house, since selling products, creating a brand, and gaining prestige would yield much more profit than using a stall like the market vendors.
And for the third front, this would be our main base for developing power and influence in this world.
Unlike Varen and Gwen, who were growing in strength at an alarming rate, other people in this world took much longer to get stronger.
But their greed always continued to grow, so why not take advantage of that?
If I created powerful single-use magic items that were powerful enough to help low-rank adventurers complete higher-rank missions while charging them a percentage of their earnings, wouldn't that be a win-win situation?
The adventurers could take on higher-ranked missions, inflating their egos as they rose in rank, as well as earning more money for each mission, while I could stay behind the scenes just making items for the adventurers in exchange for a percentage of their earnings without the hassle of having to go on multiple missions.
And with that, not only would I earn money from them, but I would also gain influence and gratitude, something very difficult to achieve without a noble title or openly showing my strength.
The only point that was still under consideration was how much Mana I would spend to make each item, since spending all my Mana to make an item that would earn me 30% of the reward for a C Rank mission would be practically a loss for me. It would be better to use my Mana and go on these missions myself.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
So that point still needed to be developed in the future.
But seeing the positive reaction Varen and Gwen had, I was satisfied with my results so far.
“How much do you think each of these stones could be worth, Varen?” I asked curiously, since among the three of us, he is the one with the most experience in this.
Varen looked thoughtful, his hand on his chin as he alternated his gaze between the shiny white stone in his hand and the red stone in Gwen's hand. "Considering that these stones last a week and that theoretically the cost to make them is zero, I would say that a price of 50 copper coins per stone would be a viable price. How many of these stones can you make per day, master?“
I was excited by Varen's estimate. ”With my current total Mana, making 10 stones per day would be ideal, not consuming too much or leaving me vulnerable due to low Mana."
Adding up Varen and Gwen's stats in Magic, they had already earned a total of 666 points, and since I received a share of what they earned, my maximum Mana and the power of my magic were increasing at a very good rate every day.
Varen and Gwen were surprised.
Looking at the stone in her hand more carefully, Gwen confirmed. “So if we sell all 10 stones a day, that would be an income of 5 silver coins every day?!”
I nodded. “Theoretically, yes.”
That brought smiles to our faces.
Even if we hid less and took on one C-rank mission a day, our earnings would still only be 2 to 3 silver coins a day!
“When can we start selling these, master?” Varen asked excitedly.
Looking at my coin purse containing 15 silver coins and thinking about the house I wanted to buy that cost 20 silver coins, I gave up on the idea of saving up the other 5 silver coins by doing missions and decided to try something new today.
“I only need 5 more silver coins to buy the house I want, considering that I have 12 stones ready... I think I have an idea,” I said with a smile.
—
The smell of fresh bread in Ironvale Square was changing to that of evening food, as the sun began to set and people headed toward taverns.
Adjusting the black hood covering my head, I confirmed that my face was partially hidden and smiled.
I had rented a small space near the Guild for a very low price because of [Devil Whisper], avoiding using makeshift tents.
In front of me was a polished wooden table with a red and black cloth embroidered with a falling star with a flaming tail.
“Varen, you talk to them, show them your smooth talk,” I said quietly. “Gwen, take care of the crowd, see who's interested.” Then I placed five white stones and five red stones on the table, while activating a white one above the table.
The glow of this stone instantly caught the attention of many people passing by.
Varen nodded excitedly, his blond hair shining in the light of the stone as he looked at the interested people around him. “Understood, Master. I'll make them want it.”
Meanwhile, Gwen mingled with the crowd, her eyes hard as she scanned the faces.
I took a deep breath and finally spoke in a firm voice. “Let's begin.”
I used [Devil Whisper] without a specific target. “Look at the table, there's something new here.”
Hearing my voice, a man stopped, curious and confused, before looking at the table. Other people were also attracted and followed his gaze to the shiny object.
Varen held up the glowing stone as he spoke in a warm voice. “Gentlemen, ladies, are you tired of candles that burn out in one night? Of paying five copper coins for a dim light that worsens your eyesight?”
The crowd murmured in amazement as they followed the stone in Varen's hand with curiosity.
He smiled, holding the stone like a trophy. “This is the Magic Stone of Light, created by the Morningstar Group. Seven days of light, bright as the sun, for only fifty copper coins!”
A blacksmith crossed his arms skeptically. “Light for a week? That's charlatan talk.”
Laughter rang out, but Varen didn't blink.
“Charlatan?” Varen laughed, tossing the white stone into the air. The light shone even brighter, illuminating the table more strongly than a torch. “See for yourselves!” She picked up a red stone and plunged it into a bucket of water beside her. Steam rose in seconds, the water bubbling. “And this is the Fire Stone, it makes water hot in seconds, perfect for bathing, washing clothes in the cold, and with the same duration, same price.”
The crowd approached with wide eyes.
“These stones are not the market trinkets you are used to.” I spoke in a deep voice, trying to show nobility and credibility while subtly using [Devil Whisper]. “The Morningstar Group creates only the best, products so luxurious that few nobles know of them, but at prices so affordable that even commoners can buy them.”
The blacksmith hesitated, but picked up a white stone, testing the light in his hand. “Fifty copper coins, you said? It will shine like this for 7 days?”
I gave a warm, confident smile. "Exactly, the stone will emit light for a total of 56 hours. If used for 8 hours a day, the Light Stone will be able to emit a glow as strong as this for 7 days. Sure, after 7 days, the magic used in the stone will dissipate, so even if you only use 1 hour of light per day, it will still run out after 7 days. But this price is only available today, because you are the first customers.“
Varen whispered beside me, pointing to an adventurer in the crowd who was looking at us with a frown. ”That's an Iron Vein henchman, he's listening to everything."
Glancing at the man surreptitiously, I didn't care and continued the presentation.
Varen took another red stone and handed it to a tavern owner he knew. “Take one, Mara. Try it in your bath tonight, or offer hot water to your customers and make more money. If this stone doesn't heat the water, I'll give you your money back.”
The woman took it and looked at the stone a little suspiciously. “How can I know that this isn't a scam and that it won't stop working tomorrow, Varen?”
Waiting for that question, Varen smiled as he held out his hand, showing her his silver bracelet. “I'm a D-rank adventurer, and I only need one more C-rank mission to become a C-rank adventurer, Mara. You can look for me anytime at the Adventurers' Guild. The attendant there knows me and my master very well. I don't need to cheat anyone for a few copper coins.”
Mara felt that this made sense and smiled, accepting the stone and taking the coins to pay, and the crowd murmured, impressed.
“Social proof because they trust her and passing credibility as an almost C-Rank Adventurer, well done, Varen.” I thought.
A fat merchant finally spoke up. “I want a white one and a red one!”
I handed him the stones and took the silver coins from his hand. "
As soon as he paid, others approached.
A mother bought a red one for 50 copper coins, talking about hot baths for her children, and an adventurer took a white one intending to use it on an escort mission.
Gradually, several people found excuses to buy these magic stones.
I could see that many still had doubts, but seeing the stones sell out quickly, they gritted their teeth and spent the equivalent of a meal for five people.
Gwen approached and spoke in a low voice. “The henchman left with a scowl on his face, muttering something angrily. Master, I'm sorry, I couldn't hear what he was saying.”
I just shook my head and stroked her hair. “Don't worry, Gwen, it's not your fault.”
Varen put away the cloth with the embroidered star, smiling. “I think the stones will be a hit, master.”
Smiling, I nodded. “Yes, it seems that people's interest in this may be greater than I imagined.”