4-5. Flea Market 2 (2/2)
Yup, I could understand the lament of the Life magic author for a bit.
I want a recovery magic user from the present members.
I promise to bring her along when I go buy map. I think that the magic shop is still closed now, but she still insists.
◇
”Young master, could I have your time for a bit?”
I didn't think that I was the one who got called, but when I ignore the caller, he looks troubled.
He looks like a gentlemen from the outside, but his eyes are like snake.
”Can I help you with something?”
”Does young master familiar with an alchemy material called Dragon White Stone?”
”No, I'm uneducated with it.”
The gentleman keeps talking with exaggerated grieving gestures.
”I think you might know this but in making antidote, one need different materials for each type of poison.”
”However, this Dragon White Stone, processed with alchemy, could be used to cure all type of poison!”
”Of course, if you live normally, then you probably won't ever get poisoned.”
”Yet, for Explorers who enter labyrinth, they don't know when they will encounter monster with poison so antidote is necessary.”
”But, for the sake of bringing the loots back, Explorers are compelled to bring as little supply as possible.”
”Therefore, antidotes made from Dragon White Stones are traded at high price in labyrinth city.”
Without letting me cut into it, he had begun a solo sales talk.
I've been ignoring it, so I want him to just get to the point.
”This Dragon White Stone, especially! Especially for the young master (...), I'll give you special price for it!”
In short, you want me to buy the Dragon White Stone because it's selling well in labyrinth city, that was long just for this.
”I understand the story now, but why don't you go to the labyrinth city yourself?”
”That's what should have been but I must go to the south after this. Therefore, I will hand it over to young master who overflows with business talent.”
On what basis is he saying that I'm overflowing with business talent?
Beside, he should sell it to a firm rather than an individual in a place like this. Suspicious, doubtlessly.
”This is a sample, I also have the certificate.”
He takes out a pebble sized item, it's a Dragon White Stone according to appraisal. I still don't know if this is really an ingredient for cure-all antidote. I want reverse look-up too.
The market price for that size is 1 copper coin.
I try to properly decline it, but the sham gentleman strongly press on it. I can't separate away easily.
In the end, we decided to go to his carriage to look at the stocks.
On top of the carriages, clusters of very small rocks wrapped in waterproof cloth are put.
The sham gentleman pulls the cloth to show off the white rocks(...) and continues the sales talk.
I see a person, who's just right for this, coming here. Let's drag him into this.
”How is it, this quality here. If you bring this to the labyrinth city then it's going to worth close to 100 gold coins. Because of the brilliance shown by young master, I will hand it over.”
”Unfortunately I don't have 100 gold coins on hands. At most, I only have 20 gold coins.”
The sham gentleman looks slightly bitter. But I saw the corner of his eyes moving slightly.
”This is difficult, If it's 30 gold coins then I would've yielded...”
”Is that so, too bad. Well then, let's end this talk here.”
And so I pull straight away.
The sham gentleman hurriedly get back.
”No, let's count on the future of young master, I will yield for 20 gold coins this time, for investment.”
Ignoring the sham gentleman, I call the gnome who's passing through on the side. It's the manager of the alchemy shop.
”Hello manager-san”
”The heck are you?”
”I'm the beginner who bought the alchemy set in your shop the other day.”
”Oh yeah, how's your training?”
”Yes, It's still quite difficult.”
”Well yeah, it's not something that could be done overnight.”
”Right manager-san, this gentleman here is trading something called Dragon White Stone. How about stocking some for manager-san's shop?”
Saying so, I point at the lumps of rock salt(...) on the carriage. That's right, the sham gentleman scam tactic is by first showing the real Dragon White Stone pebble to someone and then sell rock salts as the real thing.
”What are you saying, those are rock salts.”
”Eeeeh~! So those are rock salts!”
I exaggeratedly act surprised and say ”What is the meaning of this!”, sending the fraud into panic.
If he run away, then I thought of letting him go but the manager's bodyguard with big body quickly constrict the fraud and drag him away.
You guys are too quick...
”I got dragged into a boring farce.”
The manager looks truly indignant.
”Thanks for your help.”
”Fuhn, you bastard must've known it from the start with appraisal. Just when I went to flea market for finding bargain on raw materials, I was made to dispose small peon instead.”
To soothe him, I tell him about the thing with spinning top earlier, after hearing that he leaves me alone and quickly goes to that stall.
He probably got an idea to use it for mixing materials.