Chapter 10

*Clatter, clatter, clatter.*

A group of three people, two men and one woman, approached the counter, wanting to sell something. They placed a gemstone on the counter carelessly.

"Recently, a relative passed away. I was sorting through their belongings."

All three were well-dressed, giving a plausible reason and wearing light, cheerful smiles... but.

"Excuse me, our appraiser is currently away from the counter. Please wait a moment while I call them."

"No, no, that's fine. You can appraise it. From what I can see, you seem capable enough."

*How did they come to that conclusion?*

Indeed, with my 'Appraisal' skill, I can appraise gemstones. Even Ferio, the guild master, and the sub-master acknowledge that my appraisal skills are pretty good. However, I don't have permission to appraise high-value items.

Of course not. Who would want a young human, in their second year, to appraise high-value items like gemstones? If I were a customer and a teenage girl said she would appraise my items, I would decline.

"By the way, have you tried the Merchant Guild? They can appraise items more thoroughly than a newcomer like me."

"Well, I did, but they tried to lowball me, so I came here."

*Hmm. That's odd.*

The Merchant Guild might consider the customer when setting appraisal prices, but they wouldn't be so obvious with a group like this. They would be more subtle, buying the items smoothly. The fact that they didn't do this suggests they don't want to get involved. Or perhaps, the group bypassed the Merchant Guild and came directly here, targeting me because they thought I would be easier to manipulate.

Actually, when the group first approached, I had already used my 'Appraisal' skill to get a rough idea. They didn't look particularly malicious, but they were all humans. I was curious about their origins, so I looked more closely.

This country is a multi-racial nation.

Even the three of us at the counter just now were a fairy, a human, and a scaled person. In this country, if a group of three isn't siblings, at least one of them is a different race. I had already appraised them before they started talking about their "relative."

Sure enough, all three were from another country, with the profession "Gemstone Thief." The woman even had the title "Gemstone Thief Leader, Queen of Gems." ...A bit embarrassing, isn't it?

Actually, the 'Appraisal' skill's profession and title fields clearly reveal a person's true nature. This is because if you do a certain job for a while, it will be clearly displayed as your profession. When I was a child and during my adventurer days, I always used my 'Appraisal' skill. I avoided people with titles like "Con Artist," "Unscrupulous Merchant," and "Kidnapper." I made sure not to be seen by people with titles like "Loves Young Girls" and, if necessary, reported them along with any additional crimes.

Now, for this group of three thieves.

I thought about going upstairs to call Ferio and the guild master. But when I used my 'Exploration' skill, I saw people coming towards the guild from outside. I decided to buy some time and sent the woman upstairs.

"Ah, we're out of supplies. Could you please go upstairs and get them based on this memo?"

I handed a folded memo to Melody. She took it and went upstairs. Although she disappeared from my line of sight, I could still track her movements with my 'Exploration' skill. She stopped to read the memo and then hurried up the stairs.

"So, can you appraise this ruby for fifty platinum coins? And this brooch for twenty platinum coins?"

The woman, ignoring the memo exchange, inched closer.

(*Let's see... Hmm. Where did you steal these from? You must have come to this country to avoid getting caught...*)

I took each gemstone, examining it carefully, meticulously, and thoroughly.

"Hey! Come on. Hurry up. The price I mentioned is fine, right!"

The woman, growing impatient, raised her voice. She probably didn't want to stay long, but from what I could see with my 'Exploration' skill, I needed to buy more time.

(*How can I stall...*)

I remembered a skill I had practiced a bit and decided to use it consciously.

"......Eh, eh...! I, I don't know...! I... I'm sorry, but... could you show me a bit more...?"

I furrowed my brows, lowered the corners of my eyes, and made my shoulders tremble, showing a frightened face. The three thieves, seeing this, tried to pressure me into giving a higher price quickly.

*Yes, yes. I think I'm doing a good job acting like a weak girl. This 'Acting' skill, though I haven't used it much, is working well.*

"How long are you going to dawdle? Don't keep the customer waiting! The price I mentioned is fair! Hurry up and give it to me!"

"Y-Yes... B-But, this necklace... I don't think it's worth that much... *sniff*"

"If you keep dawdling, the scary man next door won't be quiet!?"

The larger of the two men leaned in close.

"Aaaaah! Y-Yes! I'm sorry...!"

I was careful not to sound too robotic and, of course, didn't offer a single copper coin.

(*Yes! The 'Acting' skill is working well. They're almost at the entrance. Let's keep acting to buy more time.*)

Just as I was getting into it—

"Charlotte..."

"Huh..."

From the stairs, a voice called my name, mixed with a sigh.

*The suspicious trio is trying to sell me gemstones. Please confirm.*

I had written this memo immediately after appraising the three, using my 'Speed Writing' skill. Melody had given it to the guild master and Ferio, who rushed downstairs. The sub-master, who was also upstairs, came down with them.

I had been so focused on the entrance that I had forgotten about the stairs. The reactions of the three were varied.

Ferio looked at me quietly, with a disappointed expression.

The sub-master, finding something amusing, was covering his mouth while his shoulders shook.

The guild master looked at me with a completely puzzled expression, as if he couldn't understand why I was acting this way.

Actually, this scene is featured in Chapter 6 of the comic version of *The Receptionist's Guild Diary After Reincarnation*.

If you're interested, please check it out on your smartphone.

Smartphone site: Manga Yomonga *The Receptionist's Guild Diary After Reincarnation*

https://www.yomonga.com/title/883

Please copy and paste the above address into your smartphone to view it.