Can a Frankenstein's monster be an adventurer?

Chapter 94 Otherworldly Calendar

After walking for a few minutes along the dusty village streets, Luo Lan stopped in front of a low, somewhat old-looking building made of stone and wood.

The shop is located in the middle of the village. The storefront is small, and the words on the signboard have faded due to wind and sun exposure, leaving only a blurry outline.

This is the only prop shop in Gray Rock Village.

Luo Lan pushed open the door and went inside. The room was filled with the smell of old bottles and jars, as well as the scent of various magical materials that she couldn't name.

The shelves were packed with supplies, but most of them were standard supplies. A quick glance revealed that some of the bottles were covered in a layer of dust.

This clearly shows that in this remote little village, the sales of magical items and alchemical potions are not very good.

Furthermore, Luo Lan even discovered several fairy paintings by Emily, openly displayed on the magic scroll shelf.

It seems that several villagers have already resold the [Fairy Painting] they obtained to the prop shop owner.

The boss was a middle-aged human male with a receding hairline and a thin build. His apron bore the embroidered mark of a low-level enchanter, the color of which had long since faded.

When he saw Luo Lan come in, he first glanced curiously at the little thing curled up on his shoulder, then quickly forced a smile:

"What would you like to order, sir?"

Luo Lan went straight to the point:

"High-efficiency energy potion. Twenty bottles to start, or as many as you have."

Previously, at the prop shop in Fallen Leaf Town, Luo Lan had bought twenty bottles of stamina potions in one go.

While conquering the Rift City, thanks to the alchemy potion resistance granted by the [Steel Bones] feat, I drank twelve bottles of alchemy potions in a single day, as if they were water.

The stock in the package is almost gone, with only eight bottles left.

Luo Lan never thought he had too many of these consumables that were very useful in actual combat; if possible, he would at least prepare enough for several battles of attrition.

This is also one of the main reasons why Luo Lan stayed and rested in this small village.

Upon hearing Luo Lan's request, the prop shop owner's professional smile faltered slightly.

He awkwardly reached up and scratched his head, where only a few strands of hair remained.

"Guest, this little village is very remote. Under normal circumstances, you won't see many real adventurers passing by for a month or two... The villagers go to work in the fields or wander around the outer edge of the canyon. At most, they come here to buy some of the cheapest standard energy potions to refresh themselves."

The boss's words carried an obvious sense of regret.

"So, those high-efficiency energy potions with excessively high markups just sit there collecting dust even after we've stocked them... Customer, why don't you buy a few bottles of standard energy potions? We guarantee the pure ingredients. If you just want a boost, the difference isn't that significant..."

Listening to the prop shop owner's endless sales pitch, Luo Lan had no choice but to accept the fact.

In normal market prices, a standard energy potion usually only costs about one silver coin.

While the name "High Energy Potion" includes the word "high energy," its actual effect is only 1.5 times that of the standard version, yet it often costs as much as three silver coins or more.

For such remote villages, it is perfectly reasonable not to stock these overpriced goods.

Luo Lan interrupted the prop shop owner, who was still trying to sell his wares:

"If the high-efficiency version isn't available, then so be it. How much is a standard bottle?"

The prop shop owner breathed a sigh of relief:

"One silver coin plus ten copper coins, if you buy a large quantity I'll round it down..."

Luo Lan was preparing to make do and pay for the goods.

At that moment, the half-closed wooden door of the prop shop was pushed open from the outside.

Rom walked in; he was there to buy some leather care oil for polishing leather nails.

As soon as he entered, Rom's gaze fell on Ro Lan's heavily armored back.

Then, naturally, his gaze fell on the small fairy who was fast asleep on Luo Lan's shoulder.

"Hey, isn't this Brother Luo Lan?"

Rom stepped forward and patted Ro Lan on the back with his calloused hand.

"Is that little thing on your shoulder Emily, the big celebrity who's all the rage in our village right now?"

Luo Lan turned to look at the veteran:

Do you know Emily?

Rom answered crisply and decisively:

"I don't know her. But thanks to her, I got two big glasses of good wine for free at the tavern just now. So, Brother Luo Lan, what do you want to buy?"

The prop shop owner behind the counter, seemingly worried that his business would be ruined, chimed in at the opportune moment:

"This customer wants to buy some high-potency energy potions, but my little shop doesn't usually stock them. However, I'd say the standard energy potions are about the same effect..."

Rom stroked his stubble-covered chin and pondered for a moment:

"No stock. Let me think... Last time, when I led my men on patrol around the village, we encountered the goblin merchants on the first day of the Bitter Month. And today happens to be the first day of the Month of Strife, isn't that a coincidence?"

At this point, Rom stepped forward and patted Rolan on the back again:

"Come on, Brother Luo Lan, let's wait outside the village for a while. If those green-skinned goblins are as punctual as before, today is the day their caravan comes to the village to sell their goods."

Luo Lan wondered:

"A goblin traveling merchant? Can you tell me more about him?"

Rom laughed heartily:

"Haha, Brother Luo Lan, I knew you didn't know... Last night I saw you coming from that forest, you came from the Holy Kingdom, right? It's normal not to know. The Holy Kingdom has become a bit xenophobic in recent years, and its domestic resources are sufficient for self-sufficiency, so naturally you won't see any goblin merchants. But it's different in our small places..."

As he spoke, Rom gestured towards the door, then turned back and gave the prop shop owner a fierce look, as if warning him not to rip off outsiders:

"Those peddlers from the Goblin Merchant Guild haul goods all the way from the Hearthstone Federation. They travel throughout the entire Central Continent, trading in most human settlements. As long as the money's right, anything goes. Those green-skinned dwarves even dare to sell demon horns they've obtained from the Thousand-Scarred Demon Realm to the nobles of the Sky Empire for steeping in water..."

Rom paused, then pointed to the towering, bare rock walls of the Gray Rock Canyon, visible just outside Gray Rock Village:

"Thanks to the trade routes of the goblin merchants, we can live a convenient life in these remote villages that are beyond the reach of the major powers."

Then, Rom added one last sentence:

"However, our place is too remote. Those goblin merchants usually only make this detour once every two months. Brother Luo Lan, you're lucky to have arrived just in time."

Based on the knowledge gained from "eating books" before, Luo Lan made a mental assessment and found that she was indeed quite lucky.

Akquade's timeline is completely different from Earth's.

In Akquayd, there are only seven months in a year, but each month has seven weeks, and each week also has seven days.

A day is divided into 21 hours, each hour is 70 minutes, and each minute is exactly 70 seconds.

Here, instead of using the four seasons to reflect climate change, each month is a different solar term.

January, the month of baptism: a month in which various races pray to their respective faiths in order to celebrate the beginning of the new year.

February, the month of sowing and harvesting: the month for planting new buds this year and reaping the fruits of last year.

March, the month of bitter daylight: the month with the highest proportion of daylight in the year, a hot season and a time for all things in nature to reproduce.

April, the month of balance: according to legend, is the month when the last Holy War of the previous era ended. It is also the time of year with the most balanced climate.

May, the month of strife: usually the month with the highest activity of chaotic energy in the year, with frequent outbreaks of demonic tides in the Rift Ruins.

June, the month of the spirits: the month with the highest proportion of nighttime in the year, a cold season, and the most active time in the spirit world and the subspace.

July, the month of ashes: at the end of the year, we mourn the dead and bury our regrets.

According to the local calendar, the goblin merchants make a trip every two months.

That translates to an interval of nearly 100 days, which just so happens to be the day Luo Lan encountered it.