"I'll take it"

(Yes, I am aware this chapter currently cannot be accessed via story. More ways to gain gold before meeting Rosa are in progress)

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"Fine, I'll take it, here's your gold," Alice said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out bulging pouch, which Rosa snatches up eagerly, immediately opening it up to check the contents within. Taking the orb in her hand, the princess once again thought to herself how cold the thing was. Still, to think that she would spend this much money purely because her instincts told her to... She had no proof at all that this thing was magical in nature. Hell, magic hasn't been seen on this continent in decades, ever since the last mage was slain. And yet here she was, buying this because a prostitute was convinced that a local crime lord could control minds. Even if this was real, she'd have to find a way to charge it back up, so to speak, or this'll be relegated to being the world's most expensive paperweight.

"Wow, you royals really are different," Rosa whistled loudly in appreciation once she validated the quality of the coins. "Just casually sauntering into the slums with 1000 gold in your pocket, and not afraid of getting robbed? Don't know if you're brave or just stupid. Still, ain't no sweat off my back. Have fun with your purchase, and remember: no refunds!"

With that, the redhead downs her second cup of ale before immediately dashing out the door, not wanting to stay a minute longer with that kind of fortune in her hands. Honestly, she was probably right. Alice hadn't quite realized how dangerous the slums were, and in hindsight, bringing all that gold with her was probably a silly idea. Still, now that she had made the purchase, it seemed doubtful anyone would want to rob her just for a dull looking orb. Putting it in her pocket was still too cold, so she ended up wrapping it up in a handkerchief first. To make full use of this thing, she'll have to dig through the palace library and archives in search of records and books that detailed a time when magic still existed and was used, which was long before she was born. Hopefully it would be worth it.

Leaving her cup of ale untouched, Alice got up, ready to return to her original objective. The orb was nice to have, but for now, she had more pressing concerns.