Chapter 25: Negotiation Techniques for the Timid
ㅤI was facing the buy-back station Onee-san in the dimly lit tent of the buy-back station.
ㅤThere were 10 potions placed on the counter in front of me. Well, I was the one who put them out.
ㅤ
ㅤ（She seems like a nice person.
ㅤShe’s a bit stern and scary, but maybe that’s because she’s beautiful.
ㅤIt seems like it was almost closing time, so I feel bad for asking for a favor. I wonder if she’s offended.）
ㅤ
ㅤI needlessly worried as I observed the buy-back station staff member appraising the potions.
ㅤShe had a wooden badge on her chest that read “Shizu, Thief Guild Member.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”These are impressive. A normal adventurer would be lucky to get a few of these in a day.
ㅤMore importantly, it seems like you have more, don’t you?”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san said with admiration.
ㅤ
ㅤ（D-Did I put out too many?）
ㅤ
ㅤIt seems like 10 potions were too many for a day’s harvest.
ㅤ
ㅤ（But, they’ll just take up space if I keep them.）
ㅤ
ㅤI also had a lot of empty potion bottles, but I crushed them all inside the dungeon and buried them in a hole.
ㅤI heard that empty bottles can be bought for a decent price for everyday use, but they’re nowhere near as valuable as full ones. I don’t want to stand out for a few coins.
ㅤ
ㅤ（But…… ahaha. There’s no way I can avoid standing out……）
ㅤ
ㅤI wanted to ask about the buy-back prices of other drop items for future reference.
ㅤIf I don’t know how rare they are in the world and what the market price is like, I won’t be able to sell drop items in the future.
ㅤ
ㅤ（I thought I’d stop if she seemed like a strange person, but she seems decent. And it doesn’t look like anyone else will come.）
ㅤ
ㅤI took out three Orc Testicles from my backpack and placed them on the counter.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Can you buy these?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, w-wait, these are…… are those Orc Testicles?!”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san’s eyes widened.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Y-Yes. Just in case……”
ㅤ
ㅤI’m not sure what I meant by “just in case,” but I shrunk down and nodded.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Let me see them.”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san picked up the Orc Testicles without hesitation and examined them closely with the monocle on her right eye.
ㅤ
ㅤ”……They’re definitely real.
ㅤOh, I wasn’t doubting you or anything. It’s just a rule that we have to appraise everything, no matter who brings it in. If we make exceptions, people will start complaining.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”O-Oh, okay.”
ㅤ
ㅤSeeing my dull reaction, she said,
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’ll tell you since no one else is around, but normally, people don’t bring these to the guild to sell.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Eh, is that so?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. Orc Testicles are a popular drop item among nobles as an aphrodisiac. Since the supply is low, most adventurers negotiate directly with the nobles’ agents. If you play your cards right, you can drive up the price.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’m not very good at negotiating……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Then you can ask an adventurer who’s good at that and has connections with nobles to negotiate for you. They’ll take about 30% as a success fee, though.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I see.”
ㅤ
ㅤBut I don’t have any connections to find a negotiator.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Can’t I sell them to the guild?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You can, but you’ll only get about half the market price. The guild’s buy-back price is the lowest.”
ㅤ
ㅤI thought for a moment and then said,
ㅤ
ㅤ”……That’s fine with me.”
ㅤ
ㅤMy answer startled Shizu-san.
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-Wait a minute! If I buy them at that price, my boss will yell at me later!”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Why? Wouldn’t you be making a profit……?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I’d have to arrange negotiations with the nobles, and above all, they’re a pain to store.
ㅤThey’re valuable items that are expensive and small enough to hide in your hand, so I have to keep them safe from light-fingered staff members.
ㅤIf they were stolen, the guild would suffer a huge loss. That’s why my boss, who avoids trouble, says we can’t take that risk.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”O-Oh, okay……”
ㅤ
ㅤWell, it doesn’t help me to know those internal details.
ㅤ
ㅤ（I’d like to cash them in, even if it’s for a low price. I can get as many as I want anyway.）
ㅤ
ㅤAnd I don’t care about the nobles’ lower body problems.
ㅤ
ㅤI thought for a moment and then said,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Then, how about this? The guild issues a certificate proving that the Orc Testicles are genuine. With that certificate, you’ll solicit buyers for the testicles first thing tomorrow morning.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”But you might not get a good price, you know?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s where an auction…… a bidding system comes in. We’ll sell them to the highest bidder. I’ll pay the guild a fee for issuing the certificate.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I-I see. Then there’s no risk for the guild, and you’ll get a decent income. For adventurers who are good at negotiating, it saves them the trouble of getting the Orc Testicles themselves.”
ㅤ
ㅤShe seems really impressed, but was this idea not common in this world?
ㅤI don’t think I said anything that amazing.
ㅤ
ㅤSeeing my expression, Shizu-san said,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Normally, when people get a rare drop, they’re determined not to let it go. Even if they sell it, they want to sell it directly themselves and monopolize the profit. Adventurers are greedy.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Why did you tell me that, Shizu-san?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well, there’s the official reason that it’s the guild’s duty to provide information to new adventurers…… but you seem kind of dangerous, so I just, you know……”
ㅤ
ㅤ”A-Ahaha……”
ㅤ
ㅤI was trying to be careful, but she knows I’m a newbie.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Um, in that case, would you mind managing the auction, Shizu-san? I’ll pay you for your time.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”M-Me?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. I hate to say it myself, but people usually underestimate me when they first meet me.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”W-Well……”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san seemed convinced by my words, but she made a face that said she couldn’t agree in front of me.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Also, I think it takes guts to manage an auction with adventurers…… so I thought it would be safer to ask someone who’s used to that kind of thing.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s…… probably true. But are you sure? You could make enough money to live comfortably for a few months.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I think a long-term relationship of trust with the guild is more important than a temporary windfall.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”……I’ve never heard an adventurer say that before.”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san seemed to think for a moment.
ㅤ
ㅤBut she didn’t take long to say,
ㅤ
ㅤ”–Alright. Leave it to me. I’m a merchant’s daughter, after all.”
ㅤ
ㅤShizu-san patted her chest as she said that, and then,
ㅤ
ㅤ”……Come to think of it, I haven’t asked your name.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”E-Excuse me. It’s Minato.”
ㅤ
ㅤAnd so, it was decided that an Orc Testicle auction would be held the next morning.