## Chapter 48 – The Black Magician’s Request
“What are these?”
I took out all the trinkets I had brought and laid them out on the desk. The shop owner adjusted his monocle and asked.
“These are items I collected from the Necropolis.”
“The Necropolis… I’ve heard rumors of such a dungeon being discovered recently. Orkotta Catacombs, was it?”
“That’s right.”
The way he used tweezers to appraise the items gave off the air of a true expert. Come to think of it, being an antique shop, there were peculiar objects displayed here and there.
I don’t know for sure, but there’s hope. Hope to sell off this junk.
“Judging by the patterns, this is from the ancient Warrior Kingdom.”
“The ancient Warrior Kingdom?”
“An ancient nation ruled by warriors. They say these powerful warriors enslaved over 90% of the population.”
“Oh, my.”
That’s Sparta.
“It seems that place is a tomb for warriors.”
Those skeletons wielding old weapons who attacked us were ancient warriors. In life, they spilled hot blood and achieved countless victories, and even as white bones, they continued to fight.
Frankly, I’m not interested in that kind of lore.
“And… judging by the condition of the ornaments, they don’t seem to be from very high-ranking warriors. Is there anything that looks particularly valuable at first glance?”
“If I had something like that, I would have shown it to you first.”
“Too bad.”
“So, how much will these be worth?”
I rubbed my hands together cautiously and asked.
“Well… these don’t seem to have any special value. But they do stimulate my collector’s and research instincts.”
“Which means?”
“I’ll buy them all.”
Clap! I clapped loudly.
The anxiety I had been feeling, fearing they would tell me to take them back, was completely relieved.
“However, I can’t give you a high price.”
“I don’t care. You guys, hurry up and take them out.”
At my words, my companions took off all the accessories they were wearing and laid them out on the counter. It was quite a pile.
“…That’s a lot.”
In the end, we each made about 20 coppers. From the first foray into the dungeon to now, we had acquired the lewd sum of 69 coppers. It was a considerable amount. And we still had the pewter goblets and the staff left.
“Ah, and I found these as well.”
“Pewter goblets? You found those in the dungeon too?”
This was the main event. First, show the junk, then bring out the truly valuable items. Since he buys ancient ornaments for research purposes, there’s no way he wouldn’t be interested in these.
“…This is the real deal.”
He put on white gloves and took the pewter goblet.
“5 silver each. I’ll buy both for 10 silver. I can’t give you more than that.”
“Jackpot.”
“5 silver!”
“Amazing!”
“Ho… That’s quite a price.”
Everyone exclaimed at the unbelievable value. 5 silver per cup! It was an unbelievable amount! We could each get 2 silver and 50 coppers, it was almost like winning the lottery!
I felt like crying tears of joy. It was the moment I received fair compensation for my hard work. Just from going to the dungeon once, I made 2 silver and 119 coppers in cash!
“We’ll sell them, no question. I really hope your business does well.”
“Come to me again if you find something like this.”
“Of course!”
We left the antique shop with 8 silver coins and 20 copper coins, which we divided up precisely. My wallet became heavy in an instant. But my heart became lighter than ever.
“Alright! We hit the jackpot, literally!”
“Hehehe… Dungeons are quite a decent source of income. Shall we go again sometime, Barbarian?”
“Aah, of course.”
Copson, his tension heightened, burst into laughter. Going back to the dungeon again later wouldn’t be so bad. If I ever heard news that the necromancer was dead, that is.
The work was done, the accounts were settled, so it was time for everyone to go home.
“Then I’ll be heading back as well. I think I’ll meet Saint Katte again someday.”
“Saint?”
“You’ve helped me with my religious mission twice now, so you’re practically a saint. I don’t think it’s a coincidence. There must be some kind of connection. And you can speak casually.”
After working together twice, we had somehow developed into that kind of relationship… Just kidding, it must be a sign of affection. I smiled and replied.
“Ah, okay. So, Elise, are you going back to Krassheim now?”
“That’s right. The journey will be long, so I need to return as quickly as possible.”
“Be careful on your way back. Um, what was it. It would be good to get a backpack or something before you go. Carrying those skeletons around like that will attract unnecessary attention.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
It would take quite a while to get to Krassheim. I hoped nothing would happen on the way. Of course, even if something did happen, I wouldn’t worry about Elise. She might even go out of her way to find bandits and smash their heads in.
“Then, farewell to you too, Meria and Copson.”
“Bye~.”
“Goodbye.”
“Don’t deepen your voice.”
Elise said goodbye to the group and disappeared.
“I’ll be going back too. I’ll probably be in Isvant for a while, so we’ll be able to meet again soon.”
Copson also left, and I said goodbye to Meria as well.
“Aah, I’m so tired. I’ll be going now. Thank you for everything.”
“I was most grateful for your shield. Farewell. See you next time.”
“Okay~.”
After parting ways with my companions, I headed my own way. First, I would eat and wash up, then go to the inn and collapse. Selling the staff could wait until tomorrow.
I went out to the main street and looked for a restaurant. I was very tired, so I was just going to have a simple meal, so I went into a bakery that was nearby. The smell of baking flour was very fragrant.
“Wait, they sell hamburgers?”
When I went into the bakery, I saw a bread with meat and vegetables in between, and I bought it as if possessed. The larger one was 2 coppers. It was the perfect size for a late breakfast.
I headed to the bathhouse while eating the hamburger. I don’t usually like eating while walking, but since it was a hamburger, I unhesitatingly walked and ate.
When I arrived at the bathhouse, the staff was a bit of a nuisance. It didn’t fit in the locker. I called an employee and asked him to keep the staff for me.
“Oh, are you a mage?”
“Something like that. Can I leave it with you for a while?”
“Of course.”
I wasn’t a mage, let alone a magician, but I just answered appropriately. I went into the bath and washed my body. Then I soaked in the tub.
“Ugh, damn, this is so good.”
After washing away the dirt from every corner of my body, I went to the inn with a refreshed mind and threw myself on the bed.
***
The next day, I headed to the Swordsman’s Guild.
I had something to ask Karin. I didn’t really have any connections, so Karin was the perfect person to ask. Weren’t we guild members connected by a strong bond of 5 silver?
“Guild Leader, how have you been?”
“Oh, hello.”
I opened the door to the Swordsman’s Guild and went inside. Karin, who was sitting in a shady spot and polishing her sword, got up and waved. As she approached me, she saw the staff I was holding and said.
“What’s that staff? Don’t tell me you changed your job to a mage?”
“No way. I went to a dungeon this time. I picked it up there.”
I held out the staff and showed it to her.
“I didn’t see you for a few days, and you went to a dungeon. Did what you learned come in handy?”
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to slice up any people… But the stamina training and the precise swordsmanship were a big help. The feeling of cutting and the duration of the battle itself were different.”
“That’s a relief. But personally, I wanted you to slice up two or three people and tell me your impressions… Anyway, what about that staff?”
I never imagined that Karin would be disappointed just because I didn’t kill anyone. I wanted to use it in a real battle too, but seeing that I was thinking like this, I was indeed a born psychopath killer, as she said, no, that’s definitely not it.
Anyway, if I kill someone, I have to report it to Karin… No, I keep having shitty thoughts. I hate killing people.
“Yes. This staff, when I took it to the Alchemist’s Guild, they tried to rip me off. So I came to see the Guild Leader’s face.”
Taking it to the Magic Tower was out of the question. I didn’t think those guys were any different from the alchemists. They would have ripped me off even more. So, it would be better to get an introduction through Karin, who is a powerful figure in the city.
“The Alchemist’s Guild? So, you want me to smash their heads in because they’re assholes?”
“No, it’s not like that. I was wondering if you knew a place where I could properly dispose of this. I’m a foreigner, so you’re the only person I can trust, Guild Leader. Whenever I have trouble, your face comes to mind right away.”
“Hmm, is that so? I’m grateful that you rely on me, but disposing of a mage’s staff…”
Karin was deep in thought.
“A black crystal, it makes me feel a little unpleasant, so is it something from black magic?”
“Oh, can you feel it? This evil magic?”
Karin, who ran her finger over the surface of the crystal, said. She seemed to be able to feel something from this staff. That meant there was residual magic, which meant it was valuable.
“I can feel everything at my level.”
“It’s something that a skeleton mage was holding. I heard that a necromancer raised it, but frankly, I thought I would die if I dug any deeper, so I just took this.”
“Good job. Wise. If you die, you’re screwed. Surviving is also swordsmanship.”
“I think the definition of swordsmanship is very broad.”
Whatever means we used, we killed the enemy, stole their money, survived without getting hurt, and lived healthily. That was the ideology of our guild’s swordsmanship.
As if she had remembered something, Karin opened her mouth.
“Ah, that’s right. There was that girl.”
“Did you remember something?”
“A friend of mine, no, an acquaintance of mine was running a shop like that… It’s been a few years, so my memory is a little hazy. Yeah, that’s right.”
No, Guild Leader. How can you have signs of dementia already at that age (estimated to be in her thirties)?
“She’s a black magician I met when I was a mercenary a long time ago. I think she’ll give you a fair price. I’ll tell you the way, so go there. And give her my regards.”
“A black magician? But you don’t seem to meet her often for a friend.”
“She’s a bit of an asshole to see.”
Karin told me the way.
There’s a prejudice that all black magicians are evil, but if she’s running a shop in the city, she must be okay.
