After exploring the Bael labyrinth once, I went out to the Bael town adventurer's guild. I entered the labyrinth to stockpile items.
The 30% markup for selling at the guild is effective, so the yellow magic crystal worth 100,000 nals should sell for 130,000 nals. However, if nothing changes and it increases by 30,000 nals, the guild staff might find it suspicious. Since there will be 13 gold coins, they will notice immediately. To avoid arousing suspicion, it would be wise to sell a large number of items at once.
I also need to consider where to sell. Since this is the first time selling magic crystals, there shouldn't be any issues, but from the next time, there's a possibility that the speed at which magic crystals are produced might be found suspicious. I have a skill that accelerates crystallization by 32 times, so my magic power accumulates 32 times faster than others. It would be best to sell in a crowded place and blend in with the chaos.
"Can magic crystals be sold at the adventurer's guild?"
"Yes, I believe they can be sold at any guild."
I confirmed with Roxane. If they can be sold at the adventurer's guild, then there are four possible places to sell: the explorer guild and adventurer's guild in the imperial capital and Koolatar. By rotating through these four places, I can make it look less suspicious. Occasionally mixing in other towns would be perfect.
I placed the yellow magic crystal on a tray at the counter of the Bael adventurer's guild, covering it with other dropped items.
"Please buy this."
"Understood."
The middle-aged woman at the counter took the tray and disappeared into the back. I waited, a bit nervous.
She returned after what seemed like the usual amount of time. Did it take longer than usual? I quickly counted the 13 gold coins on the tray. The woman at the counter didn't seem suspicious. It seems to be fine.
I quickly put the gold coins into the item box, the silver and copper coins into a pouch, and left the counter.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes."
The counter staff generally don't comment on the selling price. Since it's a source of income for explorers and adventurers, they try not to interfere. If they pry, they might learn about the living standards. Even if they don't comment, they might still have a good grasp of the situation.
I walked around Bael town for the first time in a while. There didn't seem to be any significant changes.
"I would like to meet the shop owner."
I arrived at the slave merchant's office and told the man who came out. I had forgotten the owner's name.
"Please come this way."
The man who had stepped back led me to a room in the back.
Huh? I was only taken to the back room the first time when I brought the villagers who had been turned into slaves after being caught stealing. I wonder if they think I'm here to sell Roxane.
I glanced at Roxane, but her expression didn't change. It seems to be fine even in the slave merchant's office. I sat down, but Roxane stood by.
I wonder. In such situations, is it better not to have her sit next to me?
"Are you standing?"
"Yes. I think it's better this way."
Roxane's judgment is more appropriate than mine, who doesn't know anything. I nodded and let her stand.
"Welcome, Michio-sama."
The slave merchant came into the room immediately. I confirmed his name through appraisal. Right, it was Alan.
"I'm sorry for coming suddenly, Alan-sama."
"Not at all. Please come whenever you like. Please, have a seat."
He stood up to greet me and offered the sofa again. A servant brought two cups of herbal tea and placed them in front of me and the slave merchant. There was none for Roxane, probably because she is a slave or because they think I'm here to sell her.
"Roxane is doing an excellent job. I am grateful for introducing me to a good warrior."
I wanted to make it clear that I wasn't here to sell her. If they thought otherwise, it could lead to awkward treatment.
"Indeed. We are also pleased."
"As the shop owner recommended."
"Is there anything unsatisfactory?"
"Nothing at all."
Since she is here, I can't say anything bad. The slave merchant must understand this well.
"Very well."
"Roxane is working hard. I am considering adding a new party member soon."
"That's excellent."
"I have a question. Is it possible to buy a dwarf slave who is a blacksmith?"
It might be a problem to reveal my hand, but there's no choice. I asked straightforwardly. I can't cleverly bring it up in casual conversation.
"A blacksmith, you say?"
"Yes."
"Well... It's not impossible, but it's quite difficult."
The shop owner thought for a moment before answering. As expected, it's difficult to find a specific job.
"I see."
"Are you aware that fusions of monster cards often fail?"
"Yes, I am."
"The same applies to slave blacksmiths. If failures continue, the owner will eventually begin to doubt the slave. Many nobles want to have their own blacksmiths, but there are few cases where both parties are happy."
It seems to be the same problem as directly requesting a service. It's unclear whether a slave can successfully handle monster cards. Even if they are ordered to do so, continuous failures would naturally lead to anger.
"I see."
"Dwarves understand this, so they change their job to blacksmith before becoming slaves."
"So, there are no blacksmith slaves?"
"Not entirely, but the price is inevitably high."
It seems the price is high because there are few candidates. However, if you spend a lot of money and still get continuous failures, it would be even more frustrating. It feels like a negative spiral.
Fewer candidates lead to a bad reputation, which in turn leads to fewer candidates. The supply is low, so the price is high. If it were cheap, it might be easier to accept, but if you spend a lot of money and it doesn't work out, it would be even more frustrating. This leads to harsh treatment of the slave blacksmith, spreading bad reputations and further reducing the number of candidates.
"Well, I don't need a blacksmith that badly. What about other dwarves? They might be useful as front-line fighters."
It seems difficult to buy a blacksmith slave. However, that was fine from the beginning. If I specify a job and ask for a slave with that job, the price will likely be high even if it's not a blacksmith.
In my case, I can use the party job setting, so specifying a job has no meaning. A dwarf who can obtain the blacksmith job should be fine.
"Dwarves are a strong race and can be useful as front-line fighters."
"Indeed."
I had heard a bit about this from Roxane. Just casual conversation. I didn't ask about deeper aspects, like whether it's possible to buy a dwarf slave. It feels a bit awkward to ask Roxane about such things.
Dwarves, beastmen like Roxane, and dragonmen are strong and suitable for front-line roles. Or maybe humans are just too weak?
"However, unfortunately, we currently have only one dwarf in our shop. She is not particularly suited for rough work due to her personality."
"That's disappointing."
She is a woman, but I can't jump at the opportunity here. It would make me look desperate. I need to stay calm.
"If you are interested in a dwarf, I can write a letter of introduction to other shops. You can use it to visit other shops."
"Is that okay?"
"It's no problem."
"Even though they are competitors?"
Am I an unwanted customer? Maybe because I try to buy cheaply. Specifically, a 30% discount.
"In this business, we don't lack for customers. The difficult part is procurement. We have our own procurement routes. Our business area covers Bael and the plains to the south. Shops that procure from different areas are not necessarily competitors. We sometimes help each other when needed."
"I see."
It seems there are special circumstances in this business.
"I can introduce you to a shop in the imperial capital that is a good business partner. At this time of year, they might not have many in stock."
"Is that so?"
"Spring is also the busy farming season."
I thought there would be demand during the busy season, but that's not the case. They probably don't sell workers during the busy season. If they need to reduce the number of workers, it would be after the farming work is done.
As a buyer, it would be unwise to rush and buy during the busy season. You need to prepare the necessary number of slaves in advance. Without such foresight, it would be difficult to have the status to buy slaves.
"I see."
I interpreted it on my own and felt satisfied. Even if it's wrong, it won't cause any inconvenience. The issue is whether the high price is due to a lack of supply or low transaction activity.
"The shop in the imperial capital that I will introduce is a reliable business partner. I believe you will have a satisfactory transaction."
"I hope so."
"Before that, would you like to see the dwarf we have and any other candidates who can serve as front-line fighters?"
"Sure. Let's do that."
I naturally accepted his proposal. It's a good approach. It's better than being too eager. The slave merchant, being in business, probably wants me to see and buy.
"You have seen some of our candidates before, Michio-sama. Should we exclude them?"
"Yes, let's do that."
When Roxane was introduced, I had already seen most of the female slaves. There were no particularly good candidates among them.
"That leaves only the males."
"It can't be helped."
It can't be helped. Maybe front-line fighters are just supposed to be men. I could still say I want a dwarf and decline, but that's fine too.
"Thank you."
"Huh? I don't think I've met a dwarf yet."
I regretted saying that. It revealed that I was paying attention to the fact that the dwarf was a woman.
"She has only recently arrived."
"I see."
"No, she has only been here for a short time, but she learns quickly and has already mastered the Brahim language. I don't think there are any issues with her education."
The slave merchant seemed flustered and tried to follow up. I see. If I say she hasn't been fully educated, it would be a weak point. I learned about her selling points, so it's a wash.
Roxane seems to have learned the Brahim language and proper etiquette here. A slave without these would be problematic.
The slave merchant said he would prepare and disappeared. I had Roxane sit down and gave her the herbal tea I hadn't touched. I didn't drink it because I suspected it might contain strange drugs, but that wasn't the case.
In the end, the slave merchant's recommendation was correct. I can consider him a trustworthy merchant.
"Do you have any preferences for a front-line fighter?"
"Please choose someone you like, Master."
It's the most frustrating when I'm told to choose freely. As I was talking with Roxane, the slave merchant returned.
"Let's start with the male candidates. Please wait here, if you don't mind. They are all males."
"Sure. If a beauty like Roxane appeared, who knows what might happen."
"..."
"Roxane, please wait here."
"Understood."
Taking her to the male slaves might be too much of a stimulus. If she appeared suddenly, I would probably think about rebellion. It's a serious matter.
The slave merchant led me upstairs. We entered a room.
...
This looks like a yakuza office.
The lineup of faces made me want to ask where I was. They are indeed suitable for front-line roles, but...
They are scary.
Actually, it's impossible.
It would be too difficult to command them and make them obey.
Their glares alone make me feel like I'm being killed. I