Chapter 4

"Here it is."

I came to a station about 15 minutes by private railway from Shinjuku. The store I was looking for was about a 3-minute walk from there.

"Katazuke-do"

There's a sign out front, I see. I thought it would be an online-only operation, so I didn't expect there to be a physical store with a sign.

"Relic Organization, Unwanted Item Collection"

Yeah, this is definitely the treasure hunting place I was looking for.

I spent an hour searching the internet.

When a parent who owns a large mansion in Tokyo passes away, where do you go for relic organization? I evaluated the websites from that perspective.

It seems my appraisal skill is effective even through the internet.

The place that emitted the strongest aura was this "Katazuke-do."

The website gave a sense of security. The examples of relic organization seemed honest. The pricing was clear. And there was a photo of a friendly-looking president.

Yeah, this is the right place. I appraised it as the place to go for organizing a mansion.

So, I called to ask if they needed any help with the organization. As expected, they said they needed all the help they could get.

I pitched myself as an experienced relic organizer and got a job starting today. I'm good at organizing the remains of thieves and dragons. I was about to organize the remains of a demon king, but I ended up back here... which was a bit disappointing.

The daily wage is 15,000 yen. They gave me a good deal because of my experience.

There's an additional condition. I asked if I could do some treasure hunting.

I told them I wanted to buy items that caught my eye from the relics they purchased, at 50% above the purchase price. They agreed easily.

This also proves that their purchase prices are reasonable. They don't seem to be the type to buy valuable items for a pittance.

If I work here, I'm sure I'll come across some treasures. My high-precision appraisal skill, which I gained in another world, should come in handy.

"Ah, you're the one who called. Can you start on the site right away?"

A 40-something office lady, who is the president's wife, said this to me, and I climbed into the bed of a 4-ton truck. Apparently, it's not supposed to be allowed, but since it was sudden, they didn't have a car prepared. There are three people in the seats, so I don't have a seat.

But, this is a bit of a problem. I'm going to the site right away?

To be honest, I've never done relic organization in the modern world. I haven't received any training on how to do it in the modern world. I need to make sure my claim of being experienced doesn't turn out to be a lie.

"Alright, we've arrived at the site. We need to work quickly because it's a large mansion."

"Understood."

This is the second day on this site. They say it will be finished tomorrow.

The relic organization team consists of the president, the president's brother, and a part-timer.

The president and his brother are in their 40s. The part-timer is a man in his mid-20s, around my age.

I was paired with the part-timer, and we started with the storage room.

The part-timer has only been doing this job for about three months and can't appraise items.

I was instructed to ask the part-timer about which items need to be judged by the president or the family.

When we entered the storage room, we found an incredible amount of dust. The preservation condition wasn't very good.

"First, let's take everything outside. Line them up in the yard."

"Got it."

I started moving items from the right side of the entrance.

First, I looked at the overall layout to determine the most efficient order for moving items. At the same time, I did a quick appraisal to check if any items were emitting auras.

"Oh."

There are quite a few items emitting auras. The items at the back are especially strong.

I'll start from the front on the right side and move items quickly. That way, I can also handle the back left side.

"New guy, you're moving items pretty fast."

"Yeah, I'm experienced."

My body is heavier than I thought. I'm surprisingly out of shape.

However, I have the skill to move my body efficiently. I'll carry the maximum weight this body can handle.

When I take items outside, I'll sort them by category in the large yard.

The part-timer's items are scattered around. While I'm at it, I'll sort them by category too.

Naturally, sorting by category makes the subsequent work easier. However, that's not the real purpose.

The real purpose is to mix the antique items emitting auras from the back with other antiques.

There are many promising antique items near the entrance and a few along the way. However, after appraising them, most turned out to be fakes. I'm not an expert in antiques, though.

However, fakes carry the negative intentions of their creators. Genuine items emit a clean aura, while fakes have a dull color. Mass-produced items have a pale color.

The treasures emit a clean color and a strong light.

But whether the items I appraised as genuine are valuable is a different matter. Even if they are genuine, it's unclear if they are popular in the antique world today.

The part-timer takes breaks while working. I don't need breaks. I've fought for three days and three nights in dungeons.

Of course, I'll probably have severe muscle pain tomorrow. This body is surprisingly soft compared to the one I had in the other world.

However, muscle pain is necessary to build muscles. No matter how skilled I am at using my body, I can't perform at my best with a soft body. I need to train properly.

It's more efficient to build muscles through physical labor than just training.

☆ ☆ ☆

"Wow, impressive. You've sorted and lined up the items so neatly."

The president came to the items we had moved from the storage room after finishing his part of the work. He said this to me, looking at the large number of items lined up.

"Yes, I thought it would make the subsequent work easier."

"Right. You're thoughtful. We're almost done, by the way. It was supposed to take until tomorrow."

Of course. With two workers at the part-timer level, it would take another day.

"Let's move items for another hour, then load them onto the truck."

"Understood."

After deciding the plan, I'll also check the items I want. The main target is the hanging scrolls.

"I want all 20 of these hanging scrolls."

"Ah, hanging scrolls. They're 100 yen each."

"Is that a reasonable price?"

"They're fakes. Someone in the family had them appraised a long time ago."

"Is that so?"

The appraiser was probably the one who appraised the antiques near the entrance. There were no genuine items there.

"The deceased grandfather was apparently a fan of antiques. He was often deceived by antique dealers and was very angry. He apparently squandered a lot of the family's wealth."

That's why the family isn't interested in the items in the storage room. The antiques at the back were probably stored there much earlier.

"In that case, let me buy a bit more. I can spend up to 30,000 yen this time."

"Hmm. That much? You can have whatever you want. However, antiques aren't cheap. They're more popular these days."

That's true. There are some large, solid tatami tables, for example.

They're quite good items, even without appraising them.

"This time, I only want antiques."

"Why do you want such things?"

"I plan to sell them on online auctions. I'm a beginner, so I want to check which items sell."

"That might be a good idea. They're fakes, but they look real. Amateur antique enthusiasts might buy them."

The president understands quickly. When I asked if he does online auctions, he said he's not good at it. He apparently leaves antique sales to specialized antique dealers.

Most of the time, they buy items for a pittance, so the purchase prices are low.

"We don't have anyone who's an expert in antiques. If you're not satisfied with the purchase price, we tell the family to sell the items themselves."

I see. Even in relic organization, there are specialized genres.

☆ ☆ ☆

They were generous with my pay, giving me 20,000 yen. I apparently did the work of two people. They asked me to come back tomorrow, but I have to sell the antiques tomorrow, so I'll come the day after.

The back seat and trunk of my car are now full of antiques. I'm looking forward to seeing how much the 30,000 yen worth of antiques will sell for.