Chapter 81

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I stopped and stared at it with a deadpan expression. Just by looking at how it was displayed, it reeked of being a fake.

If it were a real skill scroll, it wouldn't be displayed so carelessly.

"Welcome. Is there anything that caught your eye?"

The middle-aged male clerk, who had a friendly and refreshing smile, noticed me standing in front of the store and called out to me. He was wearing a white Y-shirt and black slacks, with a nameplate on his chest. At first glance, he didn't seem suspicious, like someone who would handle fake skill scrolls.

"Ah, no. I just noticed something unusual..."

"Unusual? Ah, you must mean the skill scroll. It's a limited quantity item for this event. We managed to acquire only ten through our exclusive channels."

"..."

"Are you an adventurer, then?"

The clerk asked if I was an adventurer, still wearing that same smile.

I felt a bit off about his smile and instinctively shook my head in denial.

"I see. Then let me give you a brief explanation of the product, shall I?"

I was at a loss as to how to respond to the clerk's enthusiastic product pitch. Having missed the chance to leave, I reluctantly decided to listen to him.

"So, for this event only! For this event only! We can offer these ten scrolls at the astonishing low price of 50,000 yen each!"

His pitch was over-the-top, like a TV shopping infomercial. Thanks to his performance, a crowd of passersby had gathered, forming a small group.

I discreetly used an identification spell on the skill scroll in the basket. As expected, the result was... fake. It was a counterfeit, dressed up to look real.

"..."

I let out a small sigh, making sure no one around me could hear it.

Even though the result was as expected, I was still unsure how to handle the situation. Should I expose it as a fake, or should I keep quiet...?

"Come on! Only six left! If you miss this opportunity, you won't be able to buy them at this price again!"

The clerk's skilled sales pitch was pushing the crowd to act. I could sense that a few people were about to make a move.

Hmm, this is not good. Thanks to the identification spell, I knew the skill scrolls were fake, so it felt wrong to let people fall for the scam. However, I couldn't just loudly declare that they were fake, so I decided to take a different approach.

"Thank you for the detailed explanation. However, I'm afraid I don't have any intention of buying one at the moment. I'm sorry to have taken your time. Excuse me."

I clearly refused to buy the skill scroll in a slightly louder voice, making sure everyone around could hear. After a slight bow, I deliberately walked through the center of the crowd and left the scene.

My actions seemed to have discouraged those who were about to buy, and they lost their chance to declare their intention to purchase.

...I hope this works out well.

"Um, so, is there anyone interested in buying a skill scroll?"

The clerk, who had been taken aback by my sudden actions, regained his composure after a few seconds and asked the remaining crowd if anyone wanted to buy a skill scroll.

However, the crowd, who had been freed from the clerk's sales pitch thanks to my actions, looked at each other and gradually dispersed, leaving no one behind.

...It seems to have worked. I could feel a strong gaze on my back, probably the clerk's resentful eyes for losing his potential customers.

---

After leaving the fake skill scroll vendor, I continued to explore the exhibition area. The lineup was quite interesting. Some stores sold magic items from the dungeon, while others offered crafts made from monster parts like horns and claws. It was a mix of trial and error, but there was no shortage of intriguing items.

"Wow, it's made from a Horn Rabbit's horn. What a beautiful carving."

I stopped in front of a store that sold various crafts and focused on an ivory-colored horn with intricate carvings.

The description on the price tag indicated that it was made from a Horn Rabbit's horn.

"Welcome. Are you interested in this item?"

"Ah, yes. I was just curious..."

The clerk, a young woman wearing an apron with the store's logo, approached me with a welcoming smile and latched onto my interest.

"May I ask what specifically caught your attention?"

"Well... I'm curious about the Horn Rabbit's horn being the material. The Horn Rabbit's horn I know doesn't look like this color..."

"I see. If you know the original color, your question is quite reasonable."

The clerk nodded in agreement and began to explain the Horn Rabbit's horn.

"The Horn Rabbit's horn can be polished to achieve this color and shine. It takes some effort to polish the hard outer layer, but the inner core is as good as ivory."

"Wow."

I examined the processed Horn Rabbit horn again. Even after her explanation, it was hard to believe it was a Horn Rabbit's horn.

The clerk continued her explanation as I marveled at the processed horn.

"Thanks to the recent increase in Horn Rabbit horns, we can offer them at a much lower price than ivory, despite the polishing costs. However, due to their size, we can't make very large items."

"But wouldn't a monster's horn be too hard to process?"

"Not really. The hard outer layer is difficult to work with, but the inner part is as easy to process as ivory."

"Wow, really?"

So, except for the size, it's as good as ivory.

I don't know the price of a polished Horn Rabbit horn, but ivory is known to be expensive.

"This isn't widely known, but Horn Rabbit horns are seen as a promising alternative to ivory in the industry. Most ivory in Japan is used for seals, and Horn Rabbit horns, despite their smaller size, are suitable for this purpose."

I see, there are unexpected uses for monster materials. In games, the only use for monster materials is usually to enhance equipment.

After looking at the Horn Rabbit horn crafts for a while, I bought a keychain with a rabbit carving made from a Horn Rabbit horn as a souvenir for my parents.

---

After purchasing the souvenir, I left the carving store and continued to explore the exhibition area. The area was getting crowded as the lunch rush passed.

It was a bit difficult to walk, but it was still manageable.

"Hmm? Is this... a recovery potion bottle?"

I stopped in front of a stall where familiar medicine bottles were piled high in a plastic container.

"Welcome. Hey, kid. If you're interested, I can give you a discount."

"Ah, no..."

The clerk, an elderly man with white hair, called out to me.

"Sorry, I don't really want to buy any..."

"What, just browsing?"

I politely declined, and the elderly clerk looked disappointed.

"Ah, no, that's not it... I was just curious about why there are so many empty bottles piled up..."

"Huh? Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, not at all..."

The clerk's face darkened.

I tried to explain, but the elderly clerk smirked.

"Heh, just kidding. Don't worry, I'm not angry."

It seems I was being teased.

"...That was a harsh joke."

"Sorry, sorry. It's just been so quiet with no customers."

That's no excuse to tease customers! I silently scolded him in my head.

"No, really, I'm sorry. As an apology, you can take a few of those bottles if you want."

My eyebrows must have raised slightly, as the elderly clerk quickly bowed and apologized.

But, offering these bottles as an apology...

"I don't need them."

"Really? They're incredibly durable. They won't break even if you drop them on concrete. Want to see a demonstration?"

I already know that. I've experienced firsthand how tough recovery potion bottles are.

Before I could decline, the elderly clerk took out a vise and a hammer. ...Where did he get those from?

He quickly set up the vise and placed a bottle in it. I could only watch as curious onlookers gathered behind me.

"Ready, go!"

The elderly clerk raised the hammer and struck the bottle with all his might. The crowd gasped, expecting the bottle to shatter.

However, a clear, high-pitched sound echoed as the hammer hit the bottle. The crowd stopped to look, and the elderly clerk, still in his striking pose, slowly put down the hammer and picked up the bottle.

"See? No cracks, even after a full-force hammer strike."

The elderly clerk held up the unscathed bottle, showing it to me and the crowd.

The crowd murmured in amazement.

"Such a durable glass bottle can be used for many things. How about it, don't you want one?"

"..."

As I hesitated, someone in the crowd raised their hand to buy a bottle. Others followed, and the elderly clerk was soon busy serving the customers.

I watched from the corner, feeling a bit lost. Suddenly, the elderly clerk caught my eye and gave me a sly smile.

"..."

I realized his intention. He used me to draw a crowd!

He provoked a small commotion to attract attention, then used the apology as an excuse to demonstrate the product to the gathered crowd.

...That's a pretty clever tactic.

"..."

I sighed, glared at the busy elderly clerk, and quietly left the scene.

I was completely outsmarted.

---

After wandering for a while, I left the exhibition area and headed to the goods stand where Mika and the others were working. After various detours, I finally reached my destination after nearly an hour of wandering around the event venue.

I could see the tents with the Dungeon Association's logo from a distance. I heard that the goods being sold were a selection of items from the Dungeon Association's store, marketed as items actually used by adventurers in dungeon exploration.

It's like... selling space food with the claim that astronauts eat it too...

"Alright, where is Mika?"

I stopped thinking and started looking for Mika among the tents.

However, all the staff were wearing the same happi coats and hats, making it hard to spot her. I could approach the tents to look, but I wanted to take a few photos of Mika before she noticed me, as per my parents' request.

After observing the tents for a while, I finally spotted Mika. She was holding a cardboard box, restocking the items.

"...She's working hard."

I was impressed by Mika's hard work and took out my digital camera. I focused the camera on Mika and took a photo.

"...Not bad, I guess."

As I checked the photo on the LCD screen, I was called from behind by a familiar voice.

"What are you doing, sir?"

I turned around to see Sae, wearing the same uniform as Mika.

---

I used a monster's horn as an alternative to ivory.

Even though it's small, it can be used for seals, right?