"If you are going directly to Permask, I think it would be good to buy amber."
Gosler advised as he sold the mirror.
"Amber?"
"Yes. It's a specialty of the region. It's a gem, so it's small and expensive. I don't know the market price in Permask, but it should be worth a fair amount."
"I see."
Not only bringing a mirror back from Permask, but also taking something on the way there would double the profit.
Naturally, that should be done.
It seems that amber exists in this world as well, since it was properly translated.
It's not as expensive as diamonds, and it's not bulky, so it must be a good item for adventurers to carry and trade.
"I'll introduce you to a merchant in Bode. A reliable merchant with whom we also do business. It's right next to the Bode Adventurer's Guild."
"Then I will write a letter of introduction. With a letter of introduction, you won't be sold anything strange."
The duke took up a quill and started writing.
When he finished, he folded the papyrus and dropped melted wax on the seam.
He pressed a seal or something onto the wax and sealed it.
So this is how a letter of introduction is made.
I took the letter of introduction and left the room.
I returned to the lobby and left the palace.
Since there was no time, I went straight home.
After breakfast, I entered Bairel's labyrinth, explored it, and then moved to the labyrinth in Zabir.
The way there is easy, the way there.
There's no problem if I proceed while recovering MP in the labyrinth.
"Where are we now?"
"This is a labyrinth that serves as a relay point to Permask. There are Minotaurs on the first floor, so look for them."
So I just need to ask Roxane.
"Are you going to Permask?"
"Buy the same kind of mirror as the one you bought yesterday, without any decorations. I need ten in total, and I have buyers for them."
"Ten?"
"It doesn't have to be immediately. You can carry one each."
Since it's glass, it's fragile, and the packaging isn't very sturdy.
You might be able to carry a few, but it's better not to carry too many at once.
It would be a disaster if they broke.
It's just a matter of making five trips.
Five trips.
Do I have to experience that five times?
The way there is easy, the way there.
The problem is the way back.
Since I'll fly all the way, I'll have to use a lot of MP.
Well, there's no choice.
Since I'll be bringing mirrors back, I can't stop at the labyrinth.
If Roxane and Cery carry the mirrors and they break, it would be a hassle.
If I carried and broke them myself, I could laugh it off, but if the two slaves break them, it probably wouldn't be that simple.
I recovered my MP and flew to Permask.
"Then I'll be on my way."
"The mirrors should be the same size as before, or two of a slightly different size. And you were going to buy amber, right?"
Cery confirmed.
I nodded and saw them off.
After sending them off, I moved to Bode through the labyrinth.
There's no problem with the labyrinth.
It's a bit of a hassle, though.
I asked for the location of the Adventurer's Guild at the palace and went out into the city.
The merchant who deals in amber is right next to the Adventurer's Guild.
Walking down the quiet cobblestone street, I found the place right away.
Every Adventurer's Guild has a sign with a square emblem at the entrance.
It's probably based on the earth.
Adventurers can move to any part of the earth.
Next to the Adventurer's Guild with the sign, there was a building with the door wide open.
This must be the amber merchant's shop.
I went inside.
There was no amber or anything in the shop.
It's more like an office.
"Welcome."
"Is this the shop that deals in amber?"
"There's no mistake here."
A stern-looking cat-eared merchant, male, came out.
He looks like a well-built shop manager with cat ears.
Surprisingly, it suits him.
"Are you not an elf?"
"Amber is harvested from the sea. The sea is in the territory of our cat people."
He must have heard my small mutter.
I don't really understand, but that seems to be the case.
Amber is harvested from the sea.
Or is it actually pearls?
"I have to travel to a distant place, so I want to deal in amber. The knight said this place is good."
I handed over the letter of introduction.
"This is... a letter of introduction from the duke himself?"
"He wrote it."
"I can't turn away a customer with a letter of introduction from the duke himself. Please come this way."
I was led to the back.
Herb tea was even served.
The letter of introduction from the lord seems to have a lot of power.
"Sorry."
"We also sell directly to customers in the vicinity and to the capital, so it's a bit of a problem if we're disturbed. Where do you plan to take it?"
"I'm going to Permask this time. I'll take it on the way, but it won't be a large amount."
"I see. If it's a very small amount, you can sell it anywhere. It's not a problem at all if it's as far as Permask."
The merchant brought out a small wooden box.
He placed it on the table.
Inside were translucent, pale amber-colored gems.
It's definitely amber.
Not pearls.
"Good."
"Small ones like this start at a few thousand nals. If you make them into necklaces, they can cost tens of thousands of nals. This necklace costs 55,000 nals. It's a very rare item made with large grains."
The merchant handed me the necklace.
It's a necklace with a dozen or so oval-cut and polished amber beads.
It could be found in modern Japan.
Or maybe it's a bit old-fashioned.
I don't really know about jewelry.
"Hmm."
"Or, since Permask is a city famous for crafts, it might be better to take the raw stones before processing if you're going to take them there."
He must have thought I wasn't interested and explained further.
"Maybe the raw stones are better."
"We don't have any raw stones at the moment. We'll prepare them for your next visit."
"I'll go to Permask and look for the demand. I'll come back when I need to procure them."
"We look forward to your return."
I maintained the connection and left Bode.
I returned to Permask through the labyrinth.
It's a bit of a hassle, but since I recover while doing it, there are no adverse effects.
After waiting at the Adventurer's Guild for a while, the two of them returned.
They managed to buy two mirrors this time as well.
I went home directly first, put the mirrors away, and then flew to the second floor of Kooltar.
I didn't make the mistake of bringing out a lot of spice spiders.
I was getting tired of being scared by poison.
I recovered my MP and went back home.
I still have to do this four more times.
"It seems you managed to buy them."
"Yes, ten mirrors for 300 silver coins."
"Hmm."
They must have haggled.
Impressive.
Cery is as expected.
"However, I'm sorry. I left all the silver coins as a deposit. It's a prepayment for one mirror."
"That's not a big deal."
I had given them 90 silver coins, the same as before, which is enough for three mirrors.
They might have negotiated a discount by offering to pay all their money.
Cery is shrewd and practical.
They probably gave a discount because it was a large purchase.
"I negotiated to buy a combination of large and small mirrors."
"Good job."
"Regarding the amber, they said they definitely want raw stones. They can use them for decoration or sell them to other workshops since they do decoration processing as well."
Raw stones.
The amber merchant was right.
I only told them to get amber, but they came back with this much information, so I can trust Cery.
That day, I prepared a bath to reward them.
Of course, I joined them, and I was thoroughly comforted as well.
The day after next, in the afternoon, I went to Bode with Roxane and Cery.
In the morning, I went to Bode's palace alone and transported the mirrors.
Two mirrors in two days.
It doesn't seem like Calk, the job of a mage, would buy them, so I'm selling them one at a time.
As long as I can sell them for 10,000 nals each, it's enough.
It's difficult to carry two mirrors alone, and it would be annoying to take Roxane and meet a handsome guy.
This time, I might choose amber, so I brought the two of them.
"Welcome, we've been waiting for you."
When we entered the merchant's office, the cat-eared shop manager greeted us.
He's not cute at all, but he has a strangely warm feeling.
His friendly, soft demeanor and cat ears match well.
I might be deceived by his appearance.
"It seems there is a demand for raw stones in Permask."
"Is that so? We have some prepared. Please come this way."
We were led to the back.
A cat-eared girl, who seemed to be an employee, placed four cups of herb tea.
Cat ears are a good thing.
Roxane and Cery were also treated as customers.
They sipped the herb tea.
While they were refreshing their throats, the merchant placed a larger wooden box on the table.
"Wow."
Voices came from the two next to me.
Roxane and Cery.
They seem to like beautiful things.
"How about these?"
Seeing an opportunity, the merchant immediately recommended.
He's sharp.
The merchant.
"No..."
"Let's at least take a look."
"Alright, just to look."
I encouraged the hesitant two.
Roxane and Cery picked up the amber.
"So, these are the raw stones."
In addition to the polished amber, there were reddish stones in the box.
They're not stones, but amber.
The merchant took one and handed it to me.
"These are not raw stones in the strict sense. They are rough-cut stones harvested from the coast. If we don't do this, we can't tell the quality."
"I see."
"Do you know what kind of amber you want?"
"I don't."
I shouldn't know.
I don't know about Earth's amber, and even if I did, this world has its own preferences.
"Basically, the clearer and more reddish the color, the better. The color can be determined to some extent by rough-cutting, but it's not absolute."
"I see."
"Sometimes there are inclusions inside when polished. Amber is said to be formed by a goddess using magic to drive away insects. Therefore, it often contains insects. A small ant or something completely inside can be beautiful and have high value. It can't be determined at the rough-cut stage."
I think amber is a fossil formed from tree resin.
In this world as well.
I'll ask Cery about what I don't know.
"Is it the goddess's magic?"
"Some dwarves think it might be used for equipment because it's said to contain the goddess's magic. I haven't heard of anyone making it, though. It's generally understood that it's impossible because it's not an item dropped by monsters. Some scholars are also researching how to extract the magic."
Let me tell you, it's futile.
"Is that so?"
"Some great scholars in the past claimed to have extracted magic by doing this."
It's probably static electricity.
I turned back to the merchant and returned the raw stone.
"It seems difficult to judge the quality of amber at the rough-cut stage."
"I think it's impossible unless you've been dealing with it for a long time. This time, we've prepared some that are not too difficult. They are 800 nals each for this size and quality. We can supply up to twenty this time."
800 nals seems cheap, but thinking of it as just a stone, it seems expensive.
Polished ones cost a few thousand nals.
Considering the work, that's about right.
"Since it's a recommendation from the duke, I'll take them all."
I'll buy them all, not knowing what will happen.
I've already sold three mirrors to the duke, so I've made a profit.
Even if it fails, it's within the range I can accept as a high tuition fee.
Even after the negotiation, Roxane and Cery were still focused on the amber.
If they can't tell the good from the bad, I shouldn't have brought them.
But it's fine since they seem happy to see the amber.
Roxane was looking at the necklace intently.
Thinking about the necklace on her chest.
No.
This is violence.
If I could freely admire the necklace directly on her chest.
I want to.
I want to touch it.
I want her to wear it in bed.
To do that, I have to buy it.
Roxane would be happy if I bought it.
Do I have to buy it?
Wait.
Don't rush.
This is a trap set by the amber merchant.
It's impossible.
I looked away.
Cery was also looking at the necklace.
She had a slightly frowning face.
It seems she didn't like it much.
"I think this would suit you better."
The merchant brought out a different necklace.
A necklace with large, deep red beads.
Cery put it on her chest.
Suddenly, Cery's face lit up.
"Wow."
"Indeed."
I see.
The necklace is shining gorgeously on Cery's chest.
It stands out quite a bit.
"But... I mean, I don't..."
Cery is being modest, but it seems she likes it.
"This necklace is deeply red and a popular color, so it costs 45,000 nals. The one you're holding is 30,000 nals."
The merchant recommended.
I feel a bit of nastiness in the fact that it's not an impossible price to buy.
But unfortunately.
It can't be that Roxane's necklace is cheaper than Cery's.
After all, she's the most slave-like.
I escaped this difficulty.
I don't have to buy it.
The amber merchant recommended something too expensive at the end.
"I see."
"I also recommend this for the other one."
When I acted indifferently, the merchant brought out another necklace.
He placed it in front of Roxane.
"Hmm."
"The color is lighter, but this is a proud item of our shop, collected without any inclusions."
The amber is slightly lighter in color but has a higher transparency.
There is a particularly large bead in the center, and large beads are densely lined up before and after it.
"What do you think?"
Roxane put it on her chest and asked.
There are three mountains...
One large mountain in the center.
Two large mountains on either side behind the transparent amber.
The necklace doesn't make a strong statement due to its light color.
It quietly sits at the base of Roxane's chest.
Its reserved presence accentuates the height of the mountains behind it.
No way.
This is war.
It's one thing to look at it, but to put it on her chest.