*** Might not be able to update due to vision problems.  I'll start updating again once I get the correct prescription glasses.  Hopefully they come in soon.

Chapter 0128

Charms are not regular paper. Charms are temporary energy storage. A battery so to speak. A charm crafter infused the paper with a type of elemental energy then shape the form the energy would take through rune words.

The spirits should they deign to, communicate with their mortal through the language of the spirits, or as charms makers refer to it, the rune language.

Most high-level charm makers are high-level mages for this reason.

It is also, for this reason, the black haired girl in the blue dress thought Tempest was a charlatan and destroyed her charms without hesitation.

Destroying a charm causes the energy it stored to explode. Depending on the level of the charm, the energy it releases can be weaker than a lighter, or it can be stronger than a hydrogen bomb.

Tempest’s unique charms have more energy for their level, but they are still level one charm. Each charm is as harmful as a flash grenade, bright but non-threatening.

The combined power of several charms destroyed at the same time is as dangerous as a regular grenade back on Earth.

Hence, when the girl in blue lit up the stack of charms she took from Yu Li Ming, she got sent flying from the power stored in the charm.

The power of a grenade back on Earth is strong enough to destroy a limb or two, much less kill at point blank range. Sadly, mortals in the Cardinal Realms are hardier than the mortals on Earth. Even though the girl in blue was sent fly, there was no other damage to her body other than a few first degree burns on her arm she used to shield herself and scorched clothes.

Tempest wished the girl, whose dress was once blue but turned black due to the explosion, suffer a Janet Super Bowl Wardrobe malfunction. Sadly, she was disappointed as the style of clothes favored by the cultivators from the Heavenly Mountains contains an outer robe and inner robe.

Only the outer robe was damage, leaving the inner robe intact.

Disappointed she maybe, Tempest still rushed up to the burnt girl to demand compensation. “My charms! You destroyed my charms! That’s 30 charms at 20 silvers apiece, a total of 600 silver coins. Pay up!”

Tempest lied. She knew Yu Li Ming wasn’t going to help her sell the charms, or if she did, she’d unwillingly sell them, which results in a lower volume. Tempest gave at most 15 charms. Tempest was selling each charm for 10 silvers. If an idiot willingly destroyed her merchandise in front of a bunch of witnesses, then Tempest is more than happy to increase the amount and double the price.

Tempest lifted the girl from her supine position on the floor. She made sure to jostle the girl’s clothes into exposing more of her inner robe while keeping a tight grip on the girl’s shoulder to prevent her from running. Alas, her effort failed. She had been only able to widen the already exposed area by a centimeter or two before the girl realized her current predicament and pulled out a cloak from her space bag and covered herself with it.

“You wrecked my clothes, and you had the audacity to ask for compensation! Do you know who I am? You’re lucky I don’t flog you where you stand!”

By now a crowd had formed around the duo. The mages were smart enough to stand at a safe distance, close enough to see the action, far enough for them to put up a barrier or activate their defensive spells.

Murmurs spread through the crowd as they discuss the fight.

“I bet the charm seller is going to win the fight against Hannah.”

“Nah, Hannah Tellis got Skylar Sedonis backing her. Everyone knows that. The charm seller isn’t going to offend the Sedonis family for 600 silver.”

“The charm seller is an opportunistic money grubber. She won’t take a loss lying down. The Sedonis family might be the ruler of one of the largest kingdoms in the Magus Alliance, but all a money grubber cares about is money! Power, backing and prestige mean nothing!”

“That Hannah needs to be taught a lesson. I’ll bet a gold coin on the charm seller. Even if she loses, it’s money well spent.”

“Indeed! Hannah doesn’t understand anything about being a mage the way she throws her weight around. I’ll put money on the charm seller as well.”

Tempest heard the crowd’s comment, but she ignored it in favor of teaching the arrogant black hair girl name Hannah Trellis a lesson.

Hannah also heard the comments of the crowd, but the more they talk, the smugger she became. The charm seller might not fear her due to ignorance, but every time her opponent heard of the Sedonis family was backing her, they turn into spineless cowards intent on flattering her.

This time, Hannah picked on the wrong person. Tempest didn’t know about the Sedonis family, nor did she care about them.

Cardis is a legendary immortal mage who founded the Eternal Spirit Guild. There is no other backer stronger than Cardis in the Eternal Spirit Guild.

“Who cares who you are. Do you know who I am? You’re lucky I don’t strip you naked and stake you in this courtyard for the men to spend their lust on you as payment for the charms you just destroyed.”

“You dare you slut. I’ll teach you the lesson your mother never did!” Hannah pulled out her sword and attacked Tempest.

Tempest took out her Cloud Sword and parried the blow while unleashing Wind Blade. The black haired girl was truly pathetic, or she never fought a person who never cared about her status. She was sent flying as the Wind Blade slammed into her chest. Her outer robes were a little worse for wear while her inner robe remains intact, albeit a little dirtier than before.

Tempest release two Ice Bolt in a row, impaling the black hair girl in both thighs and pinning her to the ground. Six Wind Blades flew towards the black hair girl, each cutting strategic locations of the black hair girl’s clothes, revealing a fair amount of pale white skin.

A debt can’t be collected if the debtor is dead. This Hannah girl owes Tempest 600 silvers and Tempest is sure to collect. She should be happy Tempest didn’t tack interest on the debt.

Tempest wasn’t clear about the correct Japanese terms where a loan is charged 10% every 10 days. Toichi was it? Or is Yamikin? Whatever the correct term for it is, Hannah is lucky Tempest isn’t an unscrupulous moneylender who charge outrageous interest rates. She just wants what she is owed.

What is owed is 600 silvers. To that effect, Tempest cut Hannah’s clothes with the Wind Blade instead of aiming for vital points on the body. Can’t collect money from a dead person.

The black hair girl screams with humiliation and tried to cover herself as best as she could. All the strategic points were covered but the crowd could see a large portion of her sleek thighs.

“You slut. I’ll get you for this!”

“Piss off with the threats. It doesn’t work on me. Instead, you should be worried about the 600 silvers you owe me. This is nothing compared to what I’ll put you through if you don’t pay up.” Tempest sent two other Wind Blades towards the girl. The first Wind Blade cut the rope attached to her space bag, and the second Wind Blade brought the space bag to her.

Tempest was glad she had a space ring instead of a space bag. Space bags are easily stolen.

Tempest also had several mage robes lined with small pockets on the inside. Cardis had tossed the mage robes towards her with an “It’s easier to find things stored in a mage robe rather than a space ring.”

Tempest, acting like a greedy gremlin, demanded several sets of mage robes made out of high-quality materials. It doesn’t have to look ostentatious or impressive. Tempest doesn’t do ostentatious or impressive nor does she believes her sisters favor the gaudy display of wealth.  Cheap goods wear out too fast. Tempest doesn’t want to lose her treasure because her robes got destroyed.

Before the space bag could reach Tempest’s grubby little hands, it was knocked back to Hannah.

“Damn thief! You dare to rob someone in broad daylight!”

“Tch.”