Chapter 12
That incident with the tanuki hunting made me and Dent-san experience the terror of Nel's real luck firsthand, and we were on edge, fearing that some kind of backlash would drag us into serious trouble afterward.
Because of that, we watched over Nel as she hunted tanuki in the forest, all while being extremely cautious.
In the end, she returned home without any issues. Compared to the exhausted faces of me and Dent-san, who had been overly cautious, Nel was all smiles as she reported her results to her parents, and that day came to a close.
"Seriously, I got it."
As for me, I had been wanting to get my hands on it, but I never expected to obtain it so quickly. I stared at the key lying on my straw bed.
It was a rare item that dropped at an extremely low rate from all monsters—the Dungeon Key.
A rare item that, once used, could generate a dungeon where only the monster that dropped it would appear.
Even though it was the weakest among them, I couldn't believe I had actually obtained such a rare item. It felt like I was still dreaming.
"Is this also thanks to Nel?"
Since my real luck is garbage, I might have never gotten my hands on this in my lifetime. Grateful for the object now in my possession, I thought about how I had to repay Nel tomorrow for bringing this to me. Exhausted from the journey, I fell asleep.
"Liberta, good morning!"
"Ah, Nel. Good morning."
And the next morning, Nel appeared before me, full of energy as usual.
"What are we doing today?"
"Today, we're doing something merchant-like!"
In one hand, she held the strap of a backpack filled with the tanuki pelts from yesterday's hunt.
"Merchant-like?! Are we haggling?! Or are we increasing the buying price?!"
The number of tanuki pelts in the basket totaled forty.
It was significantly more than planned, and I knew that selling them as-is would still net a decent profit.
"We're bartering!"
"Bartering?"
The selling price of tanuki pelts is at most five zeni each, so selling all of them would only amount to about two hundred zeni. While that's a lot compared to a daily wage of twenty thousand yen, there's a way to increase this even further.
"Nel, do you know the basics of business?"
"Buy low, sell high!"
"Correct!"
"Hehe!"
"By applying that basic principle to bartering, we'll keep exchanging cheap tanuki pelts for higher-value items!"
"Amazing!"
Well, it's only possible because I have game knowledge about who wants what, but being respected and applauded like this feels pretty good.
"Our ultimate goal is to aim for ten times the original value!"
"Whoa!"
If I didn't have game knowledge to rely on, at worst, we might only double the value and call it a day.
"Alright! Let's head out!"
"Let's go!"
"Don't forget your lunch!"
"Ah!"
Excited about what we were about to do, we almost set off without our lunches, but Teresa-san reminded us, so we grabbed them and set out again.
"Where are we going first?"
"First, we're heading this way."
"This way... huh? Wait, isn't that the potion shop?"
We set off, but our first destination was just a stone's throw away—the potion shop, three stores down from the owner's accessory shop.
"Oh, welcome. What adorable customers."
Here, various medicines and items called potions were sold. NPC-made potions ranged from the lowest rank, Class 1, up to Class 3.
Beyond that, you'd either have to custom-order potions with a chance of failure or rely on player-made potions, which were guaranteed to succeed but required cultivation.
But in this world, potions were valuable and in high demand.
"Do you need tanuki pelts?"
"Do you need any?"
"Oh, my, what cute little merchants. Let's see your goods."
In the game's quest system, NPCs you could trade with had a set difficulty level and specific items they would exchange.
This potion shop had a low difficulty level and would exchange for potions, which were in high demand.
"Hmm, that's quite a number. How many do you have?"
"Forty pelts!"
"Is that so? Well, I was just thinking about getting a new lap blanket, so I'll take them all. Let's see..."
Potions came in various types: Life Potions that restored HP, Mana Potions that restored SP, and various potions that cured status ailments, among others.
The most in-demand were Life Potions and Mana Potions.
"How about three Class 3 Life Potions?"
"Throw in a bit more!"
What was offered was the pinnacle of store-bought Life Potions. A Class 3 Life Potion sold for a hundred zeni. In terms of value, it was already a 50% increase.
Thinking it wasn't a bad deal, I was about to agree, but Nel seemed to think we could push for more and started negotiating.
"Hmm, how about five Class 2 Potions instead?"
No, that's a decrease in value. Class 2 Potions sell for fifty zeni each, and Class 3 Potions are in higher demand and easier to trade.
I tried not to let it show on my face, but it was definitely a misstep. Maybe they thought that, as kids, we'd be satisfied with just getting more items.
"Hehe! Don't underestimate me, Marsha-san! The number increased, but the value decreased! That won't do! If it's Class 2, I'd want a clean ten bottles!"
"Ten bottles is pushing it, little lady."
"Tanuki pelts don't come to market often, right? That's because adventurers don't like hunting them! The demand is high, but the supply can't keep up! So if you were to make a lap blanket with this amount and sell it, this would still be a bargain!"
"Well, there's the labor cost to consider. If you factor in the craftsmen's fees, the original price of the goods would drop even further. How about six Class 2 Potions?"
"Even so, I'm a merchant's daughter! I know that's too cheap! Even after deducting labor costs, it wouldn't go that low! Two Class 3 Potions and five Class 2 Potions!"
"Don't bully an old lady, now. How about two Class 3 Potions and three Class 2 Potions?"
"I'm already giving you a discount because we're neighbors. How about three Class 3 Potions and two Class 2 Potions?"
But Nel didn't back down at all. She used all her knowledge to go toe-to-toe with the old shopkeeper. Whether it was because she was negotiating with a neighbor and didn't hold back, or because she simply enjoyed the act of negotiating, she was actively sparking a lively exchange.
"...Alright, that seems like a fair middle ground. Honestly, if it were just the boy over there, I could've gotten it cheaper."
"..."
"Hehe! As long as I'm here, I won't let you get away with such a bargain!"
"Jink's boy has raised quite the successor, hasn't he? Here, the promised potions. If you ever have empty bottles, bring them by, and I'll buy them."
"We'll be counting on you then."
This was the raw essence of a merchant's battle—a sense of intensity that I never felt in the game. And apparently, I was seen as an easy mark by the shopkeeper, who looked at me with a hint of pity.
The tanuki pelts were placed on the counter, counted, and once the number was confirmed, the potions were handed over as payment.
"Bring more pelts when you get them. Lately, the tailor's been raising prices, and I need a winter coat, but they're taking advantage of the situation."
"Got it! I'll bring more when I can."
"Please do. If you bring a bit more, I'll even dye them for you."
"Looking forward to it."
After receiving the potions, Nel packed them into a small basket, adding cushioning to prevent breakage and covering it with a cloth.
"Where to next?"
"Next is..."
And so, the merchant journey had only just begun. With the first exchange a success and Nel in high spirits, we headed to our next destination.
"Throw in a bit more!"
Next was the Construction Guild. In a workplace where injuries were common, potions were a crucial item. Having potions on hand for emergencies wasn't a bad idea.
This time, the negotiation was for all the potions.
"Alright, how about we throw in some wheel maintenance too?"
"Deal!"
It was a beat-up, second-hand wagon.
The price of second-hand wagons varied, but if it came with some maintenance, the durability would be restored, making it a pretty good deal.
Facing off against the tough-looking Construction Guild staff, Nel didn't flinch and completed the trade with a satisfied smile, shaking hands with the guild member, who could only chuckle at the child's determination.
After receiving the contract and deed, with the wagon to be delivered later, we moved on to the next destination.
"Throw in a bit more!"
"I-I can't go any higher..."
The Merchant Guild, where our opponent was a rookie merchant.
For merchants, wagons were essential, but they weren't something you could just buy right away when starting out.
In this world, everything was custom-made and produced to order. Acquiring materials and the time it took to make them meant that getting a new wagon required a significant amount of money and time.
As the saying goes, time is money, and for merchants, losing business time was a serious blow. Thus, a wagon that could be obtained by a certain deadline was in high demand.
The rookie merchant, underestimating us because we were kids, entered the negotiation, but now Nel had caught onto their weakness and was shaking them down, bringing them to the brink of collapse.
"O-okay. Then, how about these magic gems?"
"Deal!!"
Finally, we made the rookie merchant cover the Merchant Guild's mediator fee and drew up a contract.
We successfully exchanged for five fire-attribute magic stones, a higher-tier version of regular magic stones.
At this point, the selling price had already exceeded three thousand zeni. We had achieved fifteen times our original goal.
The rookie merchant, shocked at having lost to a child, received looks of pity, while Nel was now seen as a force to be reckoned with.
"Liberta, what's next?"
However, Nel gracefully ignored those looks and ran over to me, holding the magic stones with a satisfied grin.
"Hmm, we're almost out of time."
"Eh? Already?"
Because we had so many tanuki pelts, we managed to increase the value this much, but originally, this quest would have taken more time to reach its limit. But we had already far exceeded the amount of money you could normally get from it.
It was almost evening.
"Don't worry, I've prepared one last big challenge."
"Really?!"
"Yeah, it's a wall you'll have to overcome, Nel."
As we prepared for the final negotiation, Nel's eyes lit up with a fierce, almost beast-like grin.
It was the perfect time to wrap things up, so we left the Merchant Guild and headed back.
"???? Hey, Liberta, this road..."
"It's fine, it's fine. We're on the right path."
The further we went, the more familiar the road became. Nel seemed to have an idea of where we were going, but she couldn't figure out why we were taking this route.
"Dad's shop?"
"Yep, Jink's shop is an accessory store. So..."
We arrived at Jink's shop, where I was staying in the stable.
For Nel, this was her home.
"It's sellable, and if this is the end of the series of exchanges, this is the best place, right?"
"! Yeah! I'll do my best!!"
Normally, we'd enter through the back and head to the main house, but Nel, excited to face her father as a merchant in this important challenge, entered through the front door of the shop.
"Welcome—oh, it's Nel and Liberta. What brings you to the shop?"
"Dad, I need an appraisal."
"...I see. I'll have to take this seriously."
When Nel presented the basket, now filled with magic stones instead of tanuki pelts, the shopkeeper's eyes shifted from looking at his daughter to those of a merchant evaluating goods.
"I could give you a better deal at home, but are you sure about this?"
"Of course!"
"Then I won't go easy on you just because you're my daughter."
Seeing his daughter's determination, Jink nodded in satisfaction before seriously appraising the magic stones. The result?
"Ugh, Liberta..."
Nel was completely crushed.
"Hahahaha! You'll need to sharpen your eye for quality!"
The buying price was reduced from my estimate of three thousand zeni to two thousand five hundred. The flaws, clarity, and mana accumulation were pointed out, and while Nel tried to counter with her knowledge, the gap in experience was too wide.
It might seem petty, but the price was convincing, and Nel, teary-eyed, showed me the remaining amount.
"Well, considering the original value, it's still a good result."
"It's frustrating!! One more time!! I'll do it again!!"
Given that the tanuki pelts had turned into such a large sum, I thought it was more than enough, but Nel seemed dissatisfied with the final result and vowed to try again.
However, it seemed she had completely forgotten about her original goal of getting back at that Dasse guy. But I guess that's fine?