Chapter 72

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"Let me get straight to the point: we cannot assign a price to it."

Several officials came to inspect the corpse that had been transported to the back, and after a thorough discussion, they reached this conclusion. It was the result of a long and exhausting series of questions about the place and circumstances of the killing.

Tetra said she had some business to take care of in the guild and had gone inside a while ago. This was likely related to the reason she was aiming for this town.

I asked the apologetic official for an explanation.

"Does this mean it has no value...?"

"No, it's not that it has no value. However, there are so few cases that there is no market price for it."

"Does it not appear very often?"

It's rare, but its value doesn't increase because no one knows how to use it. That's the situation.

"There are only two recorded cases of it being hunted. Each was by the most skilled explorers of their time. In other encounters, most of those who encountered it in small groups have died."

"Is it that strong a monster? This fox."

I thought that if you were careful with magic, there wouldn't be any particular problems. It's hard to believe that everyone would die.

The official closed his mouth and looked at me as if I were a strange creature.

"…You don't know how terrifying this monster is?"

"I thought it used scary magic... But otherwise, it's just a fox with a bit of strength..."

When I answered, the official's eyes sharpened, and he leaned forward as if to deliver important news. He then slowly began to speak.

"Are you familiar with the war that took place before you were born?"

"Yes, a little."

It was a minor conflict between the neighboring country of Muzikal and this country, Essen, over the territory of Nerg. Muzikal declared war, aiming to claim the entire Holy Territory surrounding Nerg. This town, being adjacent to Nerg, was deeply involved in the conflict.

Incidentally, at that time, the neighboring country's agents lured Nerg's monsters to attack Iline. This was one of the reasons why Gustav was anxious during the previous dragon rampage. In the end, the culprit of the previous dragon rampage was never identified, but Gustav was relieved that it was not related to the war.

"At that time, there was a clash between the knight orders, which could be considered the main forces of both countries. ...The battlefield was devastated when a Furseal appeared."

"Devastated? Not just chaos?"

"Yes, devastated. However, only about one-tenth of the total were directly killed by the Furseal. About seventy percent of the rest committed suicide."

"Excuse me, but were the knights incompetent?"

It's a rather impolite question, but...

"That's impossible. The knight order of this country, which borders Nerg, is composed of elite members. Especially the main forces, which can hold their own against the top explorers of the Exploration Guild. A battlefield with over a thousand of them was devastated by just one monster."

The official's voice was filled with passion.

"So, this is an abnormal situation. A young explorer like you has hunted a monster that can devastate a knight order. To be honest, the guild in this town doesn't feel capable of handling it."

I didn't realize how strong it was when I killed it. But I'm not particularly interested in its strength. If that's the case, how will the guild respond?

"I understand. So, the guild will not buy it this time?"

"No, that's not the case."

After all, the guild exists to support explorers. They can't just do nothing here.

"Indeed, we cannot buy it. Given the uncertain value, we cannot assign a price."

"Then what?"

"The Exploration Guild proposes to auction it as a taxidermy."

"An auction?"

"Yes. One of the two recorded cases was auctioned. Similarly, we can auction it through the guild, and the proceeds can be given to you."

I see. Since the guild can't assign a price, they will entrust it to another place. It seems like a reasonable proposal.

"By the way, what happened to the other one?"

"The corpse was so damaged that it had to be discarded. It had numerous wounds all over it."

Perhaps it wasn't hunted for its materials, or maybe the explorer had a certain personality. Either way, it's a waste.

"There are no other examples. Following the precedent, it seems best to auction it. It might take some time, though."

"It won't be too much trouble, but it will take some time, about one to two weeks. Once it's sold, we will deduct our commission from the sale price and pay you the remainder."

...The profit is not yet determined, but it's a transaction that won't result in a loss. It sounds good. I think I'll entrust it.

"Understood. Please handle it. What is the commission?"

"We take ten percent of the sale price. In other words, if it doesn't sell well, we don't profit either."

"That sounds fair. Please do your best."

Action for their own benefit. The most reliable thing.

After that, we discussed the details, and the auction was decided. I will come back in about two weeks to get the results.

"By the way, how much did the previous Furseal sell for?"

"The previous one... sold for sixty-five gold coins."

"Thank you."

I promised to pay Tetra five percent of the sale price. However, it's better to pay a reasonable reward now rather than waiting for the uncertain amount after the auction. Of course, it depends on Tetra's wishes, but I think she will agree.

Tetra had gone into the building and hadn't come out yet. She should still be inside. I need her to testify at the Exploration Guild on Third Street. I wonder what she's doing.

I looked around the reception area and found the red-haired woman I was looking for. Tetra was shouting at the receptionist.

"An outsider like you has no authority to withdraw the request. Please understand."

"But is it okay for the Exploration Guild to act like this!? You're part of the problem!"

She's causing trouble. I sighed, not for the first time today.

"Excuse me, but how much longer will this take?"

"Ah!? What... do you... mean, no, Mr. Crow?"

Tetra's increasingly aggressive arguments made her look like a customer complaint. Some complainers stop when someone intervenes. I tried it, and it worked; Tetra was the type who calms down when someone interrupts.

"I don't know what your business is, but I need to get to Third Street as soon as possible, with you. It would be appreciated if you could finish quickly."

I looked at the receptionist, who seemed exasperated.

"As I've said multiple times, we cannot accept your request. Please leave."

With a bitter expression, Tetra glared at the receptionist.

"...Fine. I give up. I'll try elsewhere... but I'm sure the response will be the same."

"I'm glad you understand."

I'm not sure what happened, but if it's settled, that's good. I hope so.

When we left the guild, the sun was already setting, and it was almost evening.

"That was a waste of time. So, how did it go for you... I mean, Mr. Crow?"

"You don't need to use formal language. The Furseal will be auctioned. It will take some time to see a profit, so I thought I could pay the transportation fee now based on the previous amount. Is that okay?"

"...Sure, but it must be a lot of money, right?"

"It's not a small amount. Roughly, it's four gold coins."

"Ha!?"

I took out the gold coins and counted them, but Tetra hesitated to take them.

"Well... I appreciate it, even though I don't have any travel money right now... but such a large amount... for that... ugh..."

"It might not be enough, but as you said, you don't have any travel money. I thought it would be better to take it now. If you don't want it, we can do it later."

When I said that, Tetra tentatively extended her hand.

"Ugh... I'm so weak, taking money here... Forgive me, noble heroes..."

Why do people like Reshid and Tetra hesitate to take their rewards? Am I that suspicious?

Feeling secretly hurt, we headed for the Exploration Guild on Third Street. It would be bad to be late, so we ran on the rooftops for part of the way. This time, Tetra didn't shout.