Chapter 74

In the slums, Sara, Marco, and Kika's scouting was successful? On the way to do some shopping, I consulted with Marie at the general store about the materials.

“So, Yuta-san, what is it you wanted to talk about?”

“Before that, would it be okay if I asked how much you know about me?”

“About you, Yuta-san? That you’re a spirit mage, you’ve had a conflict with the guild master, and you’re called a fraudster, right?”

You seem to know quite a bit. Well, if you go to the Adventurer’s Guild, you can find out immediately, so it’s only natural. It’s better that you know and can negotiate rather than finding out later.

“Would it be a problem to hear about me, who is called a fraudster? Also, since I’m in conflict with the Adventurer’s Guild, there might be some trouble.”

“I have already verified the reasons why you are called a fraudster, so please rest assured. The power of the Adventurer’s Guild in the Labyrinth City is significant, so depending on the situation, I might have to decline.”

It’s helpful that you’re straightforward. Considering the possibility of a deteriorating relationship with the Adventurer’s Guild, it means that I need to offer benefits that outweigh the risks for the negotiation to proceed.

“I see. Also, since it’s related to the labyrinth, it might not fit with the general store’s business. Do you have any connections in that area?”

“Our Porlius Trading Company is not just a general store. My father deals with materials from the labyrinth, so I believe we can meet your needs.”

That’s a relief. Your confident expression is quite something.

“I understand. I can offer a significant profit, but it might strain the relationship with the Adventurer’s Guild. Would you like to hear more?”

“A surefire profit, huh, Yuta-san? It feels like I’m listening to a fraudster’s pitch.”

Indeed, that’s true. There’s nothing more suspicious than a surefire profit. It seems that this is the same in both Japan and this world.

“Now that you mention it, it does sound suspicious. But if you hear me out, I think you’ll be convinced. It’s a big profit.”

“Huh. You’re very confident. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Oh, Marie smiled mysteriously, and a aura of money seemed to emanate from behind her. Is it an illusion?

“Yes, it’s definitely a big profit.”

I also smiled mysteriously. For some reason, we both started to laugh suspiciously, creating an atmosphere like that of a corrupt official and a merchant in the reception room.

“Then, please continue with your story.”

After a satisfactory bout of suspicious laughter, Marie moved the conversation forward.

“I understand. To put it simply, I’ve cleared the 50th floor, and I want to sell the materials without involving the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Huh? I don’t understand what you said, but I can tell you’re surprised. It feels good.”

“Could you repeat that, please?”

“I’ve cleared the 50th floor, and I want to sell the materials without involving the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“You’re not joking… What about the Fire Dragon?”

“I defeated it.”

Sylph did.

“…Then, can you also supply the materials from the Fire Dragon?”

“I’ve stored it whole in a magic bag, so we can supply it except for the part we use.”

Even if we unload everything, if we need more, we can take Sara, Marco, or Kika to the boss, who will appear again. I think Sylph will defeat it again, but frequent reliance on Sylph for profit seems risky, so I’ll avoid it.

“I can’t believe it, but if it’s true, I would really like to request it.”

Marie’s eyes started to gleam. She’s so straightforward about money that I wouldn’t be surprised if her motto was to be a miser. It’s a bit worrying as a merchant.

“Don’t worry, I’ll show you the real thing later. However, there are conditions for supplying the materials. The Adventurer’s Guild will likely investigate me, so please try to keep it hidden. If it causes friction, it would be a problem, so I can talk about it after pushing it as far as possible.”

“Yuta-san, do you dislike the Adventurer’s Guild so much?”

“I’m an adventurer too, and I don’t dislike adventurers in general. I just dislike the Adventurer’s Guild and the adventurers in the Labyrinth City.”

Huh? Marie, are you backing away a bit? But since the Adventurer’s Guild started the conflict, it can’t be helped. I might have been a bit at fault, but the root cause is on their side, so there’s no problem.

“…I understand. I will definitely fulfill the conditions and prepare a contract.”

After thinking for a moment, Marie nodded. Well, I might be a bit disliked by the Adventurer’s Guild, but it’s a pretty good deal overall.

“No, a contract isn’t necessary. As long as you keep your word, I’ll come to supply the materials here, so don’t worry. If the relationship with the Adventurer’s Guild really deteriorates, you can cut me off.”

I don’t want to be bound by documents even in this different world. Besides, Marie, who is so attached to money, is not foolish enough to be lured by short-term gains and lose out on future profits.

Well, it’s a bit arrogant to act this way, knowing that I’ll be fine even if I’m betrayed.

“…I understand. Then, what kind of materials can you supply this time?”

“Well, by the way, do you need pepper fruits, Assault Dragons, and Wyverns? I think you can get them from the Adventurer’s Guild too.”

“I would really like to request them. While they do circulate a little, they don’t meet the demand, so they will be a great product.”

Apparently, as materials from the front lines of the labyrinth, they are quite valuable. The impression might be diluted after seeing the Fire Dragon, but they are A-rank dragons, so it’s natural that they have value.

“Then, I’ll supply the pepper fruits, Assault Dragons, and Wyverns. For the Fire Dragon, it’s fine if you can transfer all the materials to us. The rest would be these herbs.”

Magic herbs. I’ll provide about one-fifth of the number of Universal Herbs I collected. Since I collected a mountain of them, this is still a considerable amount.

“T-this is…”

Marie is staring at the herbs intently. Marie, you’re drooling… It’s going to be a big profit, I guess. She’s extremely excited. It’s a bit disappointing that she’s so focused on money, even though she’s beautiful. Since coming to this different world, I’ve encountered a lot of unique people.

“I think it will definitely be profitable. Are you satisfied?”

“Yes, yes, of course. If I can’t make a profit from this, I’m not a merchant.”

She seems satisfied.

“That’s good. The monsters are large, so where should I take them?”

“Oh, right. …If possible, could you come to the warehouse? It would be a great help.”

“Yes, no problem. However, I would like to keep things as confidential as possible to avoid the Adventurer’s Guild’s interference. Could you arrange that?”

“Understood. I will clear the area in advance. Also, I think that breaking through the 50th floor will attract interest not only from the Adventurer’s Guild but also from nobles and other trading companies. What do you think about that?”

That’s true. Originally, I planned to show my strength and seek protection from the Adventurer’s Guild, but things got complicated because of the conflict.

“It depends on the situation. If someone tries to interfere before the relationship with the Adventurer’s Guild improves, I might seek protection from a place that allows me to act freely.”

After seeing Sylph’s power, I don’t think I need to seek protection, and I can handle anything that comes my way, so there’s no need to overthink it.

“In that case, if you consult with the Porlius Trading Company, we can help.”

“Thank you. If that happens, I might ask for your help, so please take care of me.”

I bowed slightly. It’s good to have options, and it’s better to have connections than not. With the main points of the discussion settled, I left the reception room and went to meet Sara and the others.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Did you choose what you need?”

“Is it okay to choose so much?”

I asked Sara and the others, who were waiting anxiously, and Marco asked worriedly. There were quite a few items on the counter, and the large quantity seemed to make them uneasy.

“It’s fine. It would be a problem if we didn’t have what we need.”

I tried to reassure them with a gentle voice… They don’t seem to be reassured at all. Well, I’ll get them used to it gradually. After paying and storing the items, I followed Marie out of the store.

“Yuta-san, this way.”

Marie led us out of the store.

“Master, where are we going?”

…This is the first time I’ve been called master. It’s quite nice.

“We’re going to have the monsters we defeated in the labyrinth taken care of.”

“Master defeated monsters…?”

“I’m an adventurer.”

I encouraged Marco, who seemed to be deep in thought, and we started walking. Along the way, Marco and Kika were fixated on a street vendor, so I asked Marie for permission and bought three skewers of Rooster Birds for them.

The skewers are quite tough, and I was a bit worried about the meat at first, but they’re not sick, so it should be fine. I thought about asking Torque to make a stomach-friendly soup, but it doesn’t seem necessary.

“This is it.”

Marie led us into a large space filled with various tools and monster materials. It looks like a dissection warehouse.

“Can I just put them here?”

“The Fire Dragon will be dissected immediately, so please put it here. The rest, please put in the back.”

Following Marie’s instructions, I placed the Fire Dragon’s head and body… Marie’s exclamation and the children’s screams echoed. …The Fire Dragon was too much of a shock. This lack of consideration might be why I’m not popular.

“Sara, Marco, Kika, it’s not scary, so please calm down. It’s already dead, so it’s fine.”

I tried to calm the three of them, who were panicking. Their disbelieving gazes were a bit sad. I reassured them again, even though I wasn’t sure what I was reassuring them about.

After calming them down, I turned to talk to Marie… and saw her practically leaning on the Fire Dragon, examining the materials. Do I need to calm her down next?

“This is the Fire Dragon. It’s exactly as described in the materials. The head was severed in one blow? The materials are clean and fresh. This is amazing. Amazing… Hehehe.”

The materials I supplied were moved to the magic bag I found in the labyrinth, but they’re still fresh? Now that I think about it, thanks to Sylph, we can return much faster, so the materials are indeed fresher. It’s difficult to cover up such details. I’ll try to calm Marie down first. Hehehe is not a good sound for a woman.

“Marie, there are still more monsters, so please give me instructions.”

“Oh, right. I apologize for getting carried away. Please put them here.”

I placed the Assault Dragons and Wyverns in the spot Marie indicated.

“The condition is excellent. This is wonderful. And Yuta-san’s magic bag is also wonderful. If you ever decide to part with it, please consider us.”

Her gaze kept shifting between the Assault Dragons, Wyverns, and the magic bag. Her eyes were gleaming, which was a bit scary. I need to change the subject. Sara and the others are still frozen and not reacting, so the shock was too much.

“Marie, do you want Fire Birds and Magma Fish? There are a lot of Fire Birds