Chapter 11 Magic Bookstore
"Xiaoyou~Xiaoyou!" While Jiangyou was busy brainstorming, Auntie Wolf sneaked into the kitchen. She looked excited and had something interesting on her mind. "There's a magic bookstore across the street. Did you know about it?"
"A magic bookstore?" Jiangyou asked blankly, "When did it open? I didn't even notice it."
"It just happened a few days ago~" Aunt Wolf said excitedly, "There used to be a magic bookstore over there, opened by a very old magician. Later he moved away, and the store became vacant. I heard that the current owner is the old magician's grandson. How about we go over and pay a visit?"
"Okay!" Jiang You became interested. She weighed down the tofu box with something heavy, washed the bone claws, wiped them clean, and took a small bamboo basket. She put two small bottles of soy sauce in it as a gift. "Let's go~"
Aunt Wolf also carried a basket containing a bottle of her homemade rose perfume. Perfume was a popular item in Huntington, primarily used to mask the public's odor. After all, in this era, not everyone could afford the firewood or magic required to heat water for a daily bath. Nor did everyone possess Andrei's physique, allowing them to take a cold shower in the courtyard whenever they pleased.
For the elderly, children, or hairy orcs, a cold shower could easily lead to a cold and illness. Using a cleansing spell would consume a large amount of mana and be costly. So, it's better to just hold it in, changing clothes and wiping yourself down at most. If the smell is too bad, use perfume to cover it up.
Common people had their own secret recipes for making perfume, often using wildflowers and herbs. Top, middle, and base notes weren't particularly particular, and the finished product was similar to mosquito repellent toilet water. The price depended largely on the preciousness of the flowers and herbs, but generally speaking, it wasn't expensive, making it a common gift when visiting someone.
The wolf and the skeleton walked hand in hand, carrying a small basket, across the street to visit their new neighbor across the street.
To be honest, because the door of the house opposite was always closed, Jiangyou never paid much attention to it.
This magic bookstore also had a courtyard, neatly paved with stone slabs, with only flower beds built around the edge of the courtyard wall. The flower beds were empty, with nothing planted, only dry, hardened soil.
The house was only two stories high, built entirely of gray-brown stone. Its gabled roof was covered in waterproof tiles, exuding a cold, hard-edged quality. A new sign had been erected at the entrance: "Hendrick's Magic Bookstore."
"Hello, is anyone there?" Aunt Wolf knocked on the open door and peeked in. "We're our neighbors across the street. We saw you opened a shop, so we came to visit."
"Come in." A vague voice came from the room, and Jiang You followed Auntie Wolf in. The store was filled with books everywhere, even the windows were blocked, so the light was very dim.
A short figure in a magic robe emerged from behind the counter. He lifted his hood to reveal a blond human boy who looked about 14 or 15 years old... But who could tell the age in the magical world?
"Hello," the boy said. "I'm Pavis H. Hendrik, the owner of this magic bookstore."
"Hello, hello!" Jiang You approached enthusiastically. "I'm Jiang You, the owner of the brewery across the street. This is my signature soy sauce. It's delicious as a dipping sauce or for cooking. Welcome to dine in. We also offer takeout."
"I'm Aunt Wolf across the street, Melon Ho Talia. This is the perfume I made myself when I have free time. It's a small gift, not a token of respect. By the way, is old Hendrick your grandfather? How is he doing?"
"My grandfather passed away in the capital not long ago." Paphis lowered his eyes, looking somewhat sad. "But he was already quite old, and my family had made preparations. One of my grandfather's last wishes was for me to take over this store, so I moved back."
"Alas! Old Hendrick has passed away!" Aunt Wolf lamented. "What a shame! We were neighbors for many years! If you encounter any problems or difficulties, don't keep them to yourself. We will help you wherever we can! Even though this is the Southeast District, we have great neighborhood relations here! Only by helping each other can we live and work in peace and contentment!"
"Then I'd like to thank you both in advance." Paphis said, and shouted to the room: "Tran!"
A tall and strong young man walked out from the back of the store: "Master."
"Tran, give the two neighbors two copies of our best-selling books as a gift," he ordered, then turned to the two of them and said, "This is the servant I brought from my hometown, Tran."
The tall, brown-haired servant took two books from the bookshelf and handed them to Jiang You and Aunt Wolf respectively. Jiang You looked down and saw that the thick book was titled "Elementary Theory of Magic Automation".
——It seems very difficult to understand!
"I sell all kinds of books here, especially second-hand rare books on magic that you can't find anywhere else. If you're looking to buy or order books, please be sure to stop by! If you have old books you'd like to sell, I'll take them too."
"Okay!" Jiang You asked with great interest, "Can I take a look around now?"
She actually enjoyed reading, but she had only read less than a tenth of the magic books in the basement, so she didn't think she'd need to buy more anytime soon. She just came here to browse for books and absorb the world's magical knowledge, which seemed like a good way to pass the time.
"Sorry, we haven't finished packing yet." Paphis smiled stiffly. "If it's convenient, can you come back in a few days?"
"Oh oh!" Jiangyou tactfully pulled Aunt Wolf: "Then we won't bother you~!"
Although Aunt Wolf still felt a little reluctant to leave, her good upbringing prevented her from nagging when her host wanted to send her away. The skeleton and the wolf said goodbye to the young wizard in a friendly manner, and once again walked hand in hand, carrying the basket of books, back to the workshop.
Paphes looked at their backs, the smile on his face instantly disappeared, and his expression instantly became gloomy.
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As Jiangyou walked back to the workshop door, the barrier surrounding the land next door became transparent again. A humanoid dragon emerged, yawning and stretching. "I think I smell something delicious. Hmm, is this called... frying?"
"Oh, you're talking about fried dough sticks?" Jiang You said with a smile, "The store should also have fried dough sticks, soy milk and tofu pudding. Come in and have some."
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