The Golden Fox's Value
“Hmm? You’re back already?”
A merchant from the trading company greeted me with a warm expression, having recognized me first for some reason. His gaze was fixed on my backpack, which looked ready to burst at the seams.
“……It seems I’ll need to fetch the vice leader. I’ll be right back.”
“Of course.”
The first transaction had gone well, so there was no need to switch trading companies. The quality of the goods they provided was impeccable, and they had even lent me their makeshift tannery without hesitation. That was more than enough to earn my trust.
“Oh my! We meet again! It’s Silverpen!”
Silverpen, the vice leader, hurried out of the tent while throwing on his coat. His help would be essential for processing the golden fox carcass.
“I have something I’d like to dispose of. Could we speak somewhere private?”
“Of course! Please, come inside!”
Following Silverpen’s lead, I entered the vice leader’s tent. A simple table and what appeared to be player-crafted decorations caught my eye—especially the sculptures.
“Quite a few decorations, aren’t there? Our Russell Trading Company has grown through exchanges with outsiders. All the ornaments here were handmade by them as well.”
I wondered what additional effects these decorations might have. How different were they from the previous game?
“May I touch them?”
“Of course.”
Afraid of breaking something valuable, I picked up the most crudely made sculpture.
Metabolism subtly accelerates.
Durability: 3
Durability decreases when receiving the sculpture buff.
A rabbit sculpture with a peculiar option. As expected, the sculptures had durability.
Would you like to receive the sculpture buff?
Of course, I declined the sculpture buff. It would consume durability.
“……It’s a cute rabbit.”
I realized that, just like in the previous game, buffs could be obtained through sculptures and totems. At the same time, memories of my pathetic past surfaced.
—Take as many as you want. I don’t mind if it’s you.
Sculpting had been the specialty of an Egyptian veteran player. Every piece she created boasted tremendous performance.
—In exchange, if you ever visit Korea, hang out with me.
Back then, as an unemployed shut-in, I had been too self-conscious to accept even that offer. My only redeeming quality had existed solely inside the game.
“Until a few years ago, Sculptor was a popular class among outsiders. It’s hard to find in Liam now. Most have changed classes or moved to larger cities.”
“I see.”
Small talk was sufficient at this point. It was time to begin serious negotiations.
“I should show you this first.”
I opened my backpack and revealed the golden fox’s corpse.
“……Hup.”
Silverpen quickly covered his mouth to stifle an exclamation. He immediately recognized the item’s value.
“This is certainly something that needs to be handled discreetly. To think the golden fox would be hunted. This is an achievement no one else has accomplished.”
Silverpen examined the golden fox’s carcass meticulously, letting out quiet sounds of admiration.
“Even the pelt is almost completely undamaged. I didn’t expect someone with such exceptional hunter’s talent.”
In truth, it was only because the golden fox had been so sturdy. I had assumed that with the Mauro Wooden Sword and stats inflated by buffs, its head would burst open easily.
“I was just lucky.”
I decided to answer modestly. I didn’t want to raise his expectations and end up with an impossible quest.
“If you don’t mind, may I ask your name? It will stay between us, of course.”
“……Kael.”
“So you’re Sir Kael. The one who will write a new legend in Liam. I’ll remember that clearly.”
A new legend. That implied existing legends already existed. There had indeed been a few players repeatedly mentioned in the news as extraordinary. Hunting the golden fox was an achievement on par with theirs.
“More importantly, I’d like to process this fox right away. Is that possible?”
“You’ll need security for this processing, I assume?”
“Yes. How much would it cost?”
I had already considered how to handle the payment. Handing over part of the pelt would be sufficient.
“I previously valued a private meeting with Sir Kael at one gold, but I see now that even that was insufficient.”
“Hmm?”
“I’m almost embarrassed that I can’t provide a better tannery. Since it’s just a makeshift one, I’ll lend it to you freely. Use it however you like.”
Somehow, the processing fee had turned into free service. Still, I couldn’t let my guard down. The man before me was the vice leader of a sizable trading company. I needed to hear the approximate value of the golden fox.
“Silverpen, if you were to purchase this whole thing, how much would you pay?”
“Hmm…… I should mention in advance that to finalize a transaction of this scale, the company leader would need to come personally.”
The golden fox’s value was far greater than I had imagined. It truly lived up to being a boss.
“Even so, if I were to estimate the carcass’s price, it would be at least forty gold or more.”
“……”
Forty gold. In cash, that was sixty million won. I doubted my ears. A single boss monster was worth that much.
“There’s no part to discard. The heart imbued with magic will draw active bidding from every mage tower. The meat, bones, organs, and even the blood will attract the royal family, powerful nobles, and popular restaurants in the capital. Among them, the pelt will fetch the highest price. Its radiant golden hue hasn’t faded at all. As for the pelt alone, even other kingdoms and the empire will show interest.”
“……I see.”
If anything, I was the one who needed to hide my emotions. Even roughly speaking, this was an item that would astonish all of humanity, addict them, wound neighboring nations’ pride, and put the world on edge.
“That’s why I recommend preserving all the golden fox’s byproducts, Sir Kael. If you need it, I can arrange it immediately. Naturally, in complete secrecy.”
Silverpen’s consideration ran deep. At the same time, I wondered how an NPC’s artificial intelligence could be so indistinguishable from a human’s.
“Since you’ve offered so much, I’d like to request preservation as well. How much would that cost?”
“I can’t set a price for that either. How about using the processing and preservation services for free and discussing the details properly with the leader later?”
It felt like déjà vu. I had experienced this situation many times before—someone passing responsibility to another.
“Even if the transaction falls through, you needn’t worry about processing fees. I’ll personally guarantee that much.”
It was a matter of responsibility. He would take full accountability for what fell within his authority, but the actual negotiation would be left to the company leader. With this level of assurance, there was no downside for me.
“Very well. I’ll request preservation as well. I’d like to start working on the carcass right away. When can we begin?”
“Thirty minutes. I’ll have a private workspace ready for Sir Kael within thirty minutes.”
“Thank you.”
After a brief greeting, Silverpen left the tent and succeeded in creating a discreet workspace—my personal makeshift tannery—in just twenty minutes.
“Will this be sufficient?”
A sturdy yet spacious workbench, stakes and ropes to stretch hides taut, three large wooden barrels filled with water, a salt container, jars of various herbs, and empty storage boxes.
“The facilities are fine.”
The equipment included everything from tanning knives and scrapers to brushes. The quality was far superior to what I had used in the makeshift tannery before. It seemed they had borrowed or purchased it from another trading company in a hurry.
“The equipment is excellent too. This is more than enough.”
In fact, it was overwhelmingly sufficient. Compared to the workspace in the previous game, this environment was absurdly good.
“I’m glad to hear it. Shall we begin the preservation process now?”
Silverpen presented a small vial and asked.
“Yes.”
The process was simple: drop a single drop of the reagent onto the fox’s corpse. For some reason, Silverpen’s hand trembled violently. I could sense his determination not to let even a second drop fall.
“……Phew. It’s an anti-decay magic reagent. At the very least, the current state should remain stable for a hundred years. However, it’s vulnerable to external damage, so separate salting work will be necessary.”
“That’s an incredible reagent.”
I wondered how much a single drop was worth. The vial alone might trade in gold units. I was afraid that learning the price would make the tension contagious.
“I believe my part is done here. How long do you plan to stay, Sir Kael?”
“I intend to finish drying the pelt and then log out.”
“In that case, it would be wise to prepare a logout sleeping bag and hire additional guards.”
“Hmm? Is that all right?”
“Please don’t feel burdened. If anything, I’m the one worried about the pelt disappearing. Will you allow it?”
“I’m the one who should be grateful. We’re in the same boat now.”
“Hahaha.”
An expensive anti-decay reagent had been invested into the fox’s carcass. At this point, I didn’t need to worry about theft. The Russell Trading Company had built trust with Korean players over many years, after all.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave. I hope your work goes smoothly.”
“Thank you.”
Thanks to Silverpen’s help, a luxurious workspace had been prepared. Now it was time to check the performance of the golden fox’s various byproducts. They could become quite useful materials for buff items—whether potions or dishes.