Chapter 6

"Vell, I found something really amazing. Look, look."

"Really? Let me see."

"This is a work by Lagrelar, a very famous craftsman. It's rare to find it on the market, but I never expected to find it in this shop. I'm glad I came."

"Is that so... What? This is a famous craftsman's work?"

"Yes. Not only is its performance as a spear excellent, but the decoration is unique and wonderful."

"Unique... Indeed, it's not a design you see every day..."

"Right?"

---

Today, by chance, I was strolling through the town of Bau尔布尔克 with Iina alone.

I often stroll through the town of Bau尔布尔克 in my private time.

The townspeople are used to it, and since I usually go on dates with one of the ladies in turn, few people approach me.

Occasionally, there are wandering samurai or nobles who try to take advantage of this opportunity to approach me, but of course, Roderich always has a guard with me, so they are eliminated before they can even speak to me, so there's no problem.

I can't go out completely incognito, but that's just how it is for me, the Margrave of Bauマイスター.

As I was walking through a part of town I don't usually go to, I found a new antique shop.

It's supposed to be a new shop, but for some reason, both the shop and the items for sale feel old. Is it just the image created by preconceived notions?

We decided to go in and take a look, but... old pots, large shells, instruments that look like guitars with broken strings, large chunks of low-quality crystal with low transparency... and taxidermied monsters, and mummies in coffins... I don't think they are human...

Every antique we saw was something that made us wonder, "Who would buy this?"

I've always wondered how these shops do business, even though they don't get many customers.

After looking around, we decided to leave since there didn't seem to be any good finds, but Iina seemed excited about something she found.

And she started explaining the merits of the item to me.

"The sign says it's a 'Lagrelar's Dual Dragon Spear.'"

I don't know much about spears, but... it's a dual dragon spear, so I imagine many people think of the dual dragon medals I received, but it's completely different.

The handles of the spears are carved with two dragons fighting to the death, with wounds all over their bodies and internal organs spilling out.

The carvings are so realistically detailed that they make you jump.

It's such a creepy spear that I imagine it was decorated this way to instill fear in the enemy.

Even without magic, the creepy decoration of the spear can unsettle the opponent's mind.

Whether the enemy fighting you notices it or not is a different issue, mainly due to dynamic vision.

"Those carvings are really detailed..."

"Right? The precision of these carvings is what makes Lagrelar's works so good. Of course, the performance of the spear itself is also excellent."

I see, so he's an excellent weapon craftsman, but his only flaw is his lack of aesthetic sense.

His carving skills are excellent, so he's very popular among a certain group of enthusiasts... Iina is one of them... and has a cult-like following.

"Do you want it?"

"Of course! It's a miracle that it's even in the shop."

A craftsman can only make a limited number of works in a lifetime, so there aren't many.

Because of its cult-like popularity, enthusiasts tend to hoard them, so it's rare for them to be sold in shops.

Iina explained that for these reasons, they don't often appear on the market.

I was skeptical that putting such a creepy item in the shop would make customers feel uncomfortable and stop coming.

"There's no price, so I guess we need to negotiate?"

"I think so. But even if it's expensive, it won't be more than 100,000 cents."

A spear for 10 million yen... that's the upper limit.

In Japan, old masterpieces can also be expensive, so it's not unusual.

But with its cult-like popularity, it could be even more expensive, right?

"Even if it's a masterpiece, there aren't many works that cost more than 100,000 cents."

"That's true."

It's expensive because it's a rare and valuable item.

"Lagrelar's works are probably around 50,000 to 100,000 cents. If you have a bit of money, it's a reasonable price to buy and keep."

I was skeptical that putting such a creepy item in the shop would make customers feel uncomfortable and stop coming.

"Welcome... This is the lord and lady."

An old man came out from the back of the shop and immediately recognized Iina and me... I don't think there are many people who don't know us...

"Thank you for visiting such a dirty shop."

"Is it okay to call it dirty yourself?"

Especially since there are no other customers besides us.

"Even if there are no customers, there's no problem with such shops."

"If that's the case, how do you make sales?"

If there are no customers, the shop would go out of business due to lack of sales.

"Actually, the owner of this shop is my grandson. He usually travels around to buy and sell antiques and visit regular customers."

I see, so the old man's grandson, who is the owner, goes to customers to buy and sell antiques.

The shop is mainly open to let people know about the business, or as a storage space.

There are such shops in Japan too.

"There are customers who come to the shop, but it's a big deal if one antique sells a month."

"Are you not bored?"

It can be difficult if you're too busy, but it can also be boring if there are no customers.

"I've been in this business for a long time, so I'm almost retired. So, I'm just here to watch the shop... and I have other hobbies, so I'm not that bored even if no customers come to the shop."

Occasionally, customers like us come, and sometimes people come to sell antiques, so the old man says he has work appraising antiques.

"Do people come to sell antiques?"

"Not many, since this town is new."

If you have unnecessary antiques, it's easier to dispose of them before moving here to reduce moving costs.

It would also reduce transportation costs.

"By the way, is there something you need?"

"That's right, I want to buy that spear."

Iina pointed excitedly to the creepy spear and asked the shop owner how much it cost.

"Is that the Lagrelar's work?"

"Yes, how much is it?"

Iina was unusually eager to know the price.

"It can't be sold for money."

"It's not for sale? Then why is it in the shop!"

If it's not for sale, it should be stored away, Iina was unusually angry.

Indeed, it would have been better to put a sign saying "display item" on it.

"I mean, I can give it to you if certain conditions are met."

"Really? What conditions?"

Learning that it might be obtainable if handled well, Iina became cheerful again.

Iina really likes spears.

"Barter. I happen to want something."

"Is it an antique?"

"No, I want a goldfish."

"Goldfish? A golden fish?"

I've been living in this world for a long time, but today I learned that goldfish exist.

Goldfish... When I was a child in my previous life, I often caught goldfish at festivals.

When I brought them home, I would take care of them with food and water changes at first, but I would soon get bored, and they would die without me noticing.

The same pattern applies to chicks and green turtles.

I never bought chicks because my parents wouldn't let me, but I heard a story about a chick that was bought and turned out to be a rooster, which made a lot of noise every morning.

There's also a story about a green turtle that grew too big and was released into a pond in a nearby park, disrupting the ecosystem.

I never did that, though.

"Goldfish live in rivers, ponds, and springs throughout the Linggai continent. They shine golden, and many enthusiasts want to keep them, but they are not easy to catch. If you find them, you can easily catch them with a net, but they are rare."

So, the goldfish in this world are not red but golden.

They are not a breed of crucian carp but a naturally occurring unique fish with a very small population.

They rarely appear on the market, and those who have them tend to keep them secretly.

They are rare, so there is a risk of theft, and many people keep them secret.

It's a rare goldfish that people want to keep even in secret...

"I'm almost retired, so I keep fish I catch from rivers as a hobby. Besides watching the shop, I'm also busy with water changes for the fish."

There are no filters or aeration in this world, so the water quality would deteriorate quickly if the water isn't changed frequently.

Maintaining many aquariums would be a good way to pass the time for this old man.

"I want a goldfish, but it's not easy to get one. That's why I'm looking for someone who can exchange this spear, which I worked hard to get, for a goldfish."

"I see."

An exchange of a spear for a goldfish.

Which one is more valuable?

"The market price of a goldfish is around 100,000 cents. It's almost the same as this spear. Since it's not a business, it's a pure exchange of items of almost equal value."

The shop owner doesn't intend to make a profit from the spear and will only exchange it for a goldfish he wants.

An exchange of a rare spear for a rare goldfish.

"Vell, let's go catch goldfish tomorrow."

"Goldfish catching... I don't mind, but..."

That's fine, but I need more information about goldfish.

Where to look for them and where they are easier to catch.

"Small lakes or ponds away from human settlements are good targets. Goldfish are hardy, so the water quality doesn't have to be perfect."

In other words, they are more likely to be found in unexplored waters.

Since no one has collected them there yet, there is a higher chance of finding goldfish.

"Since the Margrave of Bauマイスター's territory hasn't been fully explored, I think ponds are a good target."

"There's no guarantee we'll find them, but it's difficult in places with a lot of human activity."

They might have already been caught by someone else.

"Goldfish aren't that fast, so if they are there, even a child can catch them easily."

"Before that, won't they be eaten by predators?"

If they live in natural lakes or ponds, they might be eaten by other creatures before humans can catch them.

After all, they are "goldfish."

"Goldfish don't have natural predators."

"Really?"

This world has many large and aggressive creatures, even without being monsters.

A goldfish without natural predators...

"Are goldfish really that big?"

"No... they grow to about 30 centimeters at most."

It's strange that a fish that small has no natural predators.

"Goldfish are also a type of monster, like 'Peach-colored Lady.' They are not harmful to humans because they can be easily caught by children."

Small, not strong, and easily caught by humans, yet no natural predators.

It's a mysterious