"Eh? Are we really leaving here?"
Wendy was a bit reluctant to leave. She felt that life in the forest was really nice, especially now that Natsu was around.
She thought it was even more fun with the three of them together.
"Wendy, I know life here is happy, but don't forget our goal—to become stronger and independent!"
"This forest is way too peaceful. There's nothing here that can even threaten us!"
"A peaceful life will make us lose the drive to move forward! If we want to become stronger, we have to face the storms of hardship!"
Kei had never stopped training to become stronger. Previously, he had been using air pressure to increase the intensity of his training, which had been effective.
So, they had stayed here all this time.
But now, the training was no longer effective. His strength was improving at an extremely slow rate, so he had to leave the forest and explore other places.
"Then why don't we go to the guild together? There are lots of people there. Living and getting stronger together would be really fun!"
Natsu suggested enthusiastically.
"Hmm, Wendy, if you want to, you can go with him. But I won't. I need to travel to other places."
Kei thought about it. Fairy Tail was indeed a good place, but it wasn't suitable for him. He still needed to find other Dragon Slayers and absorb their Dragon Power.
"I want to stay with Nii-chan."
Wendy grabbed Kei's hand. Although Natsu's offer was tempting, she still chose to follow Kei.
[You made your decision. The three of you left the forest and arrived in the city. Natsu said his goodbyes and went back to the guild to check in.]
[Meanwhile, you and Wendy began familiarizing yourselves with city life.]
"Nii-chan, so many people!"
"Nii-chan, these clothes are so pretty!"
"Nii-chan, what's this? It even lights up!"
Wendy exclaimed in surprise from time to time as she looked at the new and fascinating things in the city. Eventually, she stopped in front of a shop window.
"Nii-chan, this dress looks so beautiful."
Wendy stared at her reflection in the mirror. The clothes she was wearing were simply made from animal hides they had stitched together.
Though they were durable, they definitely weren't stylish or beautiful.
"Wendy, in human cities, you need money for everything. You need money to buy food, money to buy clothes."
"Money to ride transportation, money for medical treatment. So, the first lesson of living in a human city is learning how to make money."
Kei began explaining the basics of surviving in a human city. First, he found a passerby and asked where the shops were.
"Things that seem ordinary to us can actually be sold for quite a good price."
Kei held Wendy's hand and led her to a magic shop. Entering the shop, he announced, "Boss, we're here to sell something."
He placed the random assortment of items he had carried on his back onto the counter.
"Name your price."
"This is a magic shop, not a junkyard. If you don't want to—"
The shopkeeper glanced at the two children, dressed in ragged clothes, and immediately assumed they were trouble.
Just as he was about to shoo them away, he noticed something peeking out of the bundle. In a rush, he opened it and began examining the contents.
"Fangs of the Demon Wolf! Perfect for making daggers!"
"Hide of the Earth Bear! Great material for making armor!"
"Feathers of the Blue Bird! Essential ingredient for making Lightweight Potions!"
The shopkeeper realized that every single item was a valuable material from magical beasts. Then he looked at Kei and Wendy, dressed in animal hides.
"Where did these kids even come from? Probably straight out of some magical beast forest! What ferocious children!"
"Let me give you the prices. This item... It's perfect for making daggers, but it has some damage due to improper preservation."
"According to our rules, any damage, no matter how small, reduces the price by 30%. I'm not trying to cheat you because you're kids."
"No matter which shop you go to, the price will be the same."
The shopkeeper didn't try to take advantage of them. He understood that these materials were highly valuable, but even more valuable was the difficulty of hunting such magical beasts.
These kids were obviously not ordinary. Whether they were powerful themselves or backed by powerful adults, it didn't matter.
There was no point in offending them. Doing business was about earning money honestly. Following the rules would keep him in profit without being greedy.
"Alright, but if we sell everything to you, then no matter how damaged the materials are in the future, you have to buy them at 85% of the original price."
Kei agreed but put forth his own condition.
"That's too high. How about 75% of the original price?"
"Then I'll only sell you one-third of the materials."
The shopkeeper looked at the materials and realized losing two-thirds of the deal was unacceptable.
"Alright, how about 80%?"
"Then I'll sell you half."
"Fine! 85% it is! I'll buy everything!"
The shopkeeper eventually compromised. He was particularly interested in one item he wanted for his collection, so he couldn't just let it slip away.
They spent some time confirming the source, purpose, and original price of each material to ensure there would be no disputes afterward.
As Kei and Wendy were about to leave, the shopkeeper called out to them.
"Kids, don't wander around too much. Try to find your parents soon. The streets have been pretty unsafe recently."
"Be very careful and don't get into trouble."
"Got it."
Kei took the money and left with Wendy.
"My child is so smart! He completely inherited my wisdom. My way of teaching him was absolutely right."
"Who says you can't raise human children properly just because you're a different species? Haven't I raised them just fine?"
Grandeeney habitually wanted to brag about her child to Igneel but then remembered that Natsu had already left.
"Oh well, I'll save it for the next time I see him."
She temporarily put the matter aside, planning to boast when they met again.
Kei, with money in hand, first went to take a nice, thorough bath. Afterward, he bought new clothes for himself and Wendy. Wendy was now wearing a cute little dress.
"Nii-chan, do I look pretty?"
Wendy twirled and jumped around happily, showing off her new outfit to Kei.
"Yes, you look very pretty."
Kei replied absentmindedly, his attention on the map in front of him. Seeing the mark for the Phantom Lord guild, he suddenly remembered something.
"The Phantom Lord guild's branch is nearby. If I remember correctly, Iron Dragon is part of that guild."
"Next, let's go there and see if we can find the Iron Dragon."
And so, Kei and Wendy began their urban survival adventure!
(End of Chapter)
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