"Hmm, I'll take this potion off your hands for one silver coin."
"That works for me."
"Hey, hey, wait a minute! How about two silver coins!"
"I won't trade with someone who can't appraise merchandise. If even Momentum's
number one
trading company—the Rest Trading Company—can't handle it, then I'll just take it to the Commercial Guild, even if I have to settle for less. Goodbye."
"Hey, come back here! You'll regret making an enemy of the Rest Trading Company!"
I paid no mind and left the Rest Trading Company behind.
What I'd brought was an Elixir I'd obtained by using [Reverse] on an old potion bottle that had been dumped in the junk pile.
It had probably been a low-grade potion originally.
When I looked at it with [Divine Eye], it appraised at fifty gold coins.
Trying to lowball me with one or two silver coins for that? What a rip-off!
Or maybe he was a merchant who couldn't even use an appraisal-type skill?
So next, I tried pitching the same deal at the Commercial Guild.
At first they wouldn't give me the time of day since I was just some kid who'd walked in off the street, but then the Guild Master happened to pass by, caught sight of my potion, and from there things snowballed until a deal was struck in no time.
"Well, well! You've really saved me, Alan. To think you'd have an Elixir! We've been running thin on stock lately—the capital's Commercial Guild has been riding us about quotas—so this couldn't have come at a better time. Let me buy it for fifty gold coins. I'll also issue you a Commercial Guild card, so if you ever come across another Elixir, I'd love for you to bring it to our Momentum branch."
With that, the portly, affable-looking Guild Master handed over fifty gold coins and a Guild card.
He hadn't looked down on me for being twelve, and he'd offered a fair price. My impression of the people in this other world may have improved just a little.
◇◇◇
A few days later, Kazan, the vice president of the Rest Trading Company, had come to see Eagle, the Commercial Guild's master.
"Lord Eagle, I hear you've acquired an Elixir from some unidentified boy."
"Hm, Lord Kazan. I purchased it by offering fair compensation. Is there a problem?"
"That Elixir could very well be stolen goods, yet you acted so carelessly. That same boy has been bringing what he calls potions to our company as well, you know."
"I wasn't aware of that. How much did he try to sell them for?"
"I didn't buy them, since I was worried our company's reputation would be called into question if they turned out to be stolen."
"Did you appraise them?"
"I used my Appraisal skill, but they were only mid-grade potions, so I offered an appropriate price. He cursed me for not knowing quality and stormed off."
Eagle possessed the <Appraisal> skill.
Moreover, he could produce remarkably accurate results.
He could even determine whether something was stolen goods.
With that skill, he had confirmed that what Alan brought was unmistakably an Elixir capable of restoring even lost limbs — and that it was not stolen goods.
He didn't know the source, of course, but he hadn't brought that up.
If the goods were legitimate, he'd simply offer a fair price and buy them.
He knew that not being greedy was the secret to a long life.
"Allow me to give you some advice, Lord Eagle. Our trading company takes pride in having supported the Momentum Commercial Guild all this time. Dealing with unknown parties damages the credibility of us guild members as well. If it comes to that, withdrawing from the guild is always an option."
Kazan's words were a threat from the Rest Trading Company.
Don't buy Elixirs from Alan.
If the Rest Trading Company — which paid enormous membership fees — were to leave, maintaining the guild would be difficult.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Skills: [Reverse][Divine Eye][Sword God]
Thank you always for reading!