Chapter 10

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Alphonse and his party had cleared out a large amount of junk from the goblin den.

However, among the piles of junk, rare magic items occasionally mixed in.

Most of it was broken swords treated like scrap metal or pretty stones.

Still, even scrap metal and pretty stones could be sold to blacksmiths as raw materials and turned into money.

The reward for the quest was temporarily held by the guild from the client and then paid to the contractor.

The bounty for slaying monsters was funded by the guild, which in turn was funded by the Five Great Nations.

Items other than the quest rewards were free to handle.

If it was a rare magic item, keeping it for yourself could be profitable, but even if it wasn't needed, the person who obtained it had to dispose of it.

Experienced adventurers and veteran mercenaries often had their own channels for selling such items.

However, not everyone could secure such channels, and if the quantity was large, it wasn't feasible to have it all taken at once.

Some people ended up selling to commercial guilds at low prices.

In such cases, the appraisal office could act as an intermediary for items outside the contract if requested.

This time, due to the large quantity and at Alphonse's request, the guild would act as the intermediary.

It wasn't a volunteer job, so they would charge a fee.

Still, since the items were profitable, it was a win-win situation.

"These, and this one. They're magic items."

"Wait, wait! Senior, you're too fast!"

He was scolded for not keeping up with the checks.

"I can't. I don't understand at all."

"Hmm, I can tell these are magic items, but—"

Two new recruits who had finished counting the goblin parts came over from behind Musse.

The one who didn't understand anything was like a part-timer, still an apprentice. He was a mercenary who had been injured and was in trouble, so I invited him.

His name is Eugene. He's still inexperienced, but his instincts are quite sharp. He has the "Danger Sense" skill and can detect cursed items before anyone else. Don't touch, it's dangerous.

The one who could identify magic items was Marie, the daughter of a famous weapons merchant. She is away from home, training to gain her father's recognition.

Like Eugene, she is an apprentice but has a discerning eye. She's almost ready to manifest her skill.

The apprentices separated the magic items into a different group.

The two apprentices and Musse discussed the rarity, and I double-checked the results. The appraisal of the goblin junk was complete.

The remaining items were from the worms. The parts from the worms had already been processed by Alphonse and his party.

Worms have short limbs and a snake-like body.

Their long bodies were cut into three pieces, looking like giant eels. I haven't had grilled eel in a while.

However, to be able to cut through the scales of a dragon, what kind of sharpness must those twin swords have? I thought it would take a while to process the parts, but it seems the results will come in quickly.

The rewards for monster parts are determined according to regulations.

The weight and size are also standardized, making it simple.

Under the supervision of Alphonse and Sophia, we completed the appraisal and discussed the results and rewards.

If they wanted to keep any items, they could exclude them from the list.

With mutual agreement, we burned the total reward amount onto their guild cards instead of direct payment.

The guild card is linked to a bank, allowing for withdrawal.

It's like a credit card, very convenient.

"Thank you. I've been to other branches, but this one is very kind."

"Is that so? I don't know much about the others, but I had some free time today."

I was a bit more polite and took more time for the apprentices, but is it really that different elsewhere?

"Unfortunately, there was someone who tried to deliberately overlook rare items and keep them for themselves."

Sophia said with a troubled look under her hood.

Even if they tried, if there were skilled individuals or discerning eyes in the party, the fraud would be immediately pointed out.

Someone like Marie, who is familiar with rare items, would immediately recognize their value.

The "Appraiser" skill is just an aid. If the skill level is high, the rarity of the item can be determined instantly, and some can even identify the manufacturer, the time of creation, and the materials used. That's why skilled individuals are highly trusted.

The appraisal office always has at least one appraiser with the skill on staff.

Anyone who committed fraud would surely lose a lot of credibility.

"Doing such a thing only results in a loss for both parties."

I muttered to myself.

Because of that person, the guild's credibility would also be damaged.

"That's true. That's why I decided to use this branch for a while."

Alphonse said with a smile.

"Please, feel free to use our services. Thank you."

As I shook hands firmly with Alphonse, other users came for appraisal.

"Hey, isn't that Eugene? What are you doing here?"

"Wow, really? You're still a mercenary? Give it up already. You'll die."

An unpleasant laugh echoed.

Eugene tried to avoid eye contact.

"I'm an apprentice guild staff now."

They had been in a party with Eugene before. They had used his skills and then abandoned him when he was injured and no longer useful.

I believe they were from the same village.

"Huh? You, with no education?"

"Then I'll become one too. At least I won't die!"

Become one, you fool!

Eugene silently sorted the items they had carelessly placed.

The fools continued to mock Eugene.

I don't know the full story, but Eugene probably got injured protecting them. Otherwise, someone with the "Danger Sense" skill wouldn't be the first to suffer a fatal injury.

"Musse, let's finish quickly."

"Y-Yes!"

It was unpleasant to listen to. I encouraged Musse, who was stiffening in the bad atmosphere.

"You, you work at the counter, don't you? You have it easy. Just sit there and do some work, and you can eat."

The two laughed, but I ignored them. Some people still look down on the guild even though they use its services.

"Don't mock Noah!"

Ignore them.

The more you react, the more they'll bother you.

"Huh? What's this guy's problem?"

"Seriously, that's no way to treat a customer, is it?"

They might be customers, but the guild and its users are supposed to be on equal footing.

To avoid trouble later, I bowed.

"I'm sorry."

"Noah!"

I silenced Eugene with a hand. Calm down.

The appraisal was finished, and Musse brought the list.

This time, they were complaining about the appraisal amount.

I compared the list and the items, but there were no mistakes.

When the fools tried to push Musse, I stepped in.

"She has the skill. There is no mistake in the appraisal."

"Back off, counter girl."

I laughed.

The fools grabbed my collar, but I didn't flinch.

"Indeed, I'm just a counter staff."

"Ha, are you scared?"

I kept my smile as I looked at the mocking fools.

"Therefore, I don't know what happens on your quests."

"What?"

"If you're attacked by a serpent in the forest while hunting a red bear, or if you encounter a worm on your way back from clearing goblins—"

I overlapped my hand, infused with magic, on the hand grabbing my collar, and it was repelled with a crack.

"Ow, that hurts!"

"You...!"

"Do you really need to know the weather tomorrow, the equipment you should bring, or the attack patterns of monsters you've never encountered?"

A strong wind blew around the guild, or rather, around me.

The spirits seemed to react to my magic and were worried.

The momentum from before was gone, and I took a step closer to the retreating fools.

"I'm just a counter staff. You, who understand the dangers of monsters the most, right?"

The fools took the reward as per Musse's appraisal and left dejectedly.

Eugene apologized, but I patted his back and told him not to worry.

Alphonse and Sophia approached.

I knew they had been watching from a distance, concerned.

"If it got worse, I was going to step in, but it seems it wasn't necessary."

"I caused a disturbance."

Sophia looked at me intently, as she did the first time we met, but when our eyes met, she smiled and said it was nothing. It was concerning.

We chatted for a while and then parted ways with Alphonse and Sophia. They said they would be in town for a while and gave me the name of their inn, inviting me to visit if anything happened.

What a crazy lunch break.

2015/01/10 Revised