Four of Them!
“Krrk?” That sound came from the Secret Merchant’s snout.
“Master?” That was the sigh that slipped from Iris’s lips.
If I had to name what the two shared, it would be the thick aura of utter disbelief rolling off both of them.
“Customer. You must be joking.”
“I’m not joking. I’m negotiating in earnest. Not two—four.”
“Krrk! That’s absurd. What kind of trade is that? Even a goblin can do basic arithmetic!”
“Four.”
“I can’t sell them! Let’s pretend this never happened! Get out right now!”
The little creature shot to his feet in genuine fury and tried to shove me away. But a tiny goblin throwing a tantrum wasn’t going to intimidate me. Instead, I leaned in until my face was inches from his.
“Hik!”
“Four.”
“Th-that’s impossible!”
As expected, the Secret Merchant shrieked like he couldn’t believe his ears. He’d flinched when I leaked a bit of energy earlier, yet he was still holding his ground. The items really had to be good.
“Master! What in the world are you doing?!”
Iris grabbed my hand in a panic. Her face was a perfect portrait of mortification.
“What’s wrong, my disciple?”
“You’re acting completely insane right now!”
“What do you mean? Oh, this?”
Watching her nod vigorously made my chest feel tight. A Hero couldn’t survive on kindness alone. Sometimes you had to be forceful to claim what was rightfully yours.
“He offered two for one mana stone, so why are you suddenly demanding four?!”
“…Come with me for a second, you hopeless disciple.”
I dragged Iris a short distance away, far enough that the merchant couldn’t overhear, and explained.
Why is a merchant a merchant? Because he chases profit. The fact that he was willing to part with two items for one stone meant he was still making money. I’d bet my life he was clearing at least double the margin.
Only skilled mercenaries or knights could hunt mid-grade monsters. And those people always had their own merchant contacts. They sold their mana stones to familiar faces, and before long a natural monopoly formed.
Plenty of people wanted mana stones, but the suppliers were fixed. The ones who bought from those suppliers also controlled how much reached the open market. Stones that bypassed the usual channels therefore sold for a premium.
“Understand now? That merchant acted like he was doing us a favor by offering two, but the stone you risked your life for is easily worth four.”
“Ah…”
“It came from the monster you nearly died to defeat. Do you really want to throw it away?”
“…But merchants only care about profit. If he can barely break even, why would he agree?”
“That’s what the rest of the negotiation is for.”
Ordinary merchants only saw immediate gain. But a merchant who could see the future would accept a loss today if it meant securing something better tomorrow.
“Hey, goblin.”
“I absolutely refuse! I won’t do business with a human who won’t listen to reason!”
“Shut up and listen. This won’t be a loss for you.”
“Wasting time like this is already a loss!”
“Think about it. Where do you suppose this mana stone came from? Did I just happen to pick it up off the ground?”
Ridiculous. Mana stones weren’t minerals you could dig out of the earth. Killing a thousand low-grade monsters wouldn’t produce a single one. They were byproducts dropped only by mid-grade monsters and above.
“…Are you a mercenary? Or perhaps a knight?”
“Neither. And I stand above both.”
“It sounds like a lie. Complete nonsense.”
“What if it isn’t? What if I could toss you several stones whenever the chance arises?”
“….”
I tossed the mana stone into the air and caught it again as I continued.
“You already know the supply and demand for these stones is tightly controlled. Lots of people need them, but the price is kept artificially high. That’s why stones sold on the black market fetch such steep prices.”
Black-market deals rarely reached full value, but suppliers charged exorbitant fees to anyone outside their regular clients. Selling directly was far more profitable.
“Krrk. I know that much.”
“You can sell this stone no matter what and still turn a profit. On the other hand, the goods you’re carrying can’t be moved quickly. Most artifacts from the ancient kingdom are difficult to handle. Many are cursed. Anyone who knows what they’re looking at avoids them.”
The Secret Merchant’s expression clouded with discomfort. In the game, the forums had been full of complaints—players who bought what looked like amazing items only to discover bizarre restrictions or crippling penalties that made them worthless.
The equipment you buy might be good, or it might be trash. The Secret Merchant himself was basically a gacha machine, and he was selling another gacha on top of it.
Let me say it again here. Developers, you sons of bitches.
“Think carefully. You can take the path that guarantees at least some solid profit, or you can sit on items that might end up as nothing but dead weight. Miss this chance and you also miss the person who could bring you more stones in the future. A carriage that leaves once doesn’t come back.”
“Krrk. I still can’t be certain the customer possesses such skill.”
“You’re looking at it right now, aren’t you?”
The Secret Merchant blinked, confused. Then his eyes widened.
“…Hik?! Krrrk?!”
He finally realized a sword was pressed against his throat. Slipping a blade past a powerless goblin’s eyes, drawing it, and leveling it at his neck was far easier than flicking Iris on the forehead.
“Wh-when?!”
“If I wanted, everything here would become unclaimed property.”
“Krrrk…”
“But it’s not easy to find a merchant who brings decent goods. That’s why I’m being generous. There may not be much profit this time because trust is still low, but who knows what the future holds?”
By the time I finished, the Secret Merchant’s face had grown complicated. If I had simply coveted his wares, I could have killed him and taken them. Instead I had shown only the possibility. At the same time I had proven I was no lightweight and planted the idea that this didn’t have to be a one-time transaction.
Mana stones were the most reliable currency in existence. As both a merchant and a goblin, he couldn’t ignore that. Finally, I had reminded him that ancient-kingdom artifacts weren’t popular. They were hard to sell and even harder to store—nothing but trouble. For a merchant, liquidating them quickly for cash was the smart move.
“Decide. If you still refuse, I’ll find someone else.”
This wasn’t the only Secret Merchant in the world. I could locate others if I searched. But I couldn’t be sure they would carry items this good. Securing this one was the priority; a merchant who brought quality goods once would likely do so again.
Of course, if I yielded first he would try to fleece me like any good merchant.
“…Can’t it at least be two?”
“Four.”
“Th-then how about three? I’m already being extremely generous!”
“Four.”
“Just go find another merchant then! Even if you bring more stones later, this is completely unacceptable!”
“Four.”
In my player days, the amount of gold and diamonds those Secret Merchants had wrung out of me was staggering. Today I would vent every last ounce of that resentment.
I wouldn’t be the one getting ripped off—I would be the one doing the ripping! Today I would reclaim what was mine! My gold! My diamonds!
“Are you really refusing the deal? Shall I just leave?”
The moment I moved to pocket the mana stone, the goblin finally raised the white flag.
“Krrk!! F-fine! Four! Four it is! They say the one with the human always wins, and it’s true! Krrk! Four! Four!! Satisfied?!”
“Good. Four. Much obliged. You live in this city, right? When the chance comes, I’ll bring you more stones. Thanks again for the four. Iris!”
“Y-yes! Master!”
“Your turn. Pick any two you want.”
“…Only two?”
“That’s right.”
Iris muttered, “Why? Why only two?” under her breath. I had secured four items, yet she was only getting two.
“It was my monster and my mana stone!”
“Disciple. There’s an old saying. Finder’s keepers.”
“That’s even more ridiculous!”
“Is it? Hey, goblin. Am I wrong? You picked these items up and brought them yourself, didn’t you?”
“Krrk… Well, the male customer’s words are technically correct…”
When even the Secret Merchant agreed, Iris let out a dismayed “Haa?!”
She should have backed off by now, but she clearly had no intention of doing so. Time to deploy my trump card again.
“Disciple. It was this master who successfully negotiated the deal. Are you really going to argue about shares?”
“Uwaaaang! Fine! Two! Two is enough, right?!”
“Good girl.”
“You’re really too much…”
“What do you mean? You were only expecting two in the first place. It’s not a loss, so why complain?”
“After watching two turn into four right in front of me, of course I got my hopes up!”
Still grumbling, Iris began deliberating between the two swords. The one in her right hand carried a defensive enchantment; the left held an offensive one.
“…Master.”
“I’ll take the left.”
“The left one?”
“Yes. It looks better.”
Iris already knew I possessed an exceptional eye for these things. Even if that eye came from my player perks.
“Then this sword and… and…”
To me, the most sensible choices were the swords and the armor, or simply both swords. Iris needed balance between offense and defense right now. Two blades that complemented each other perfectly would be ideal.
“If this master may offer one more piece of advice…”
“The ring.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll take the ring.”
I turned to look. The ring she pointed at did carry a protective enchantment, but it was far less useful than the one on the sword. At best it was slightly flashier than the other accessories.
“Disciple? In my opinion, that one is…”
“You said it was my present. I want the ring.”
Her stubbornness was ironclad; there was nothing more I could say. The Secret Merchant, not about to miss his chance, quickly handed her the sword and ring. A merchant’s swift cost-benefit calculation at its finest.
“Krrk. What about the remaining two?”
After a moment’s thought, I pointed at two particular items.
“…Do you like it that much?”
“Yes. Of course I do! It’s a gift from Master! And it’s pretty, isn’t it?”
“You’re going to drive me insane.”
There were so many better choices, yet she had picked that ring. I watched her turn it over and over in her hands with open delight. I wanted to scold her, but seeing her so happy killed the urge.
I was about to tell her to stop giggling so we could head back when a chill suddenly ran down my spine.
Click—.
The energy was so intense my hand instinctively went to my sword hilt. Just as quickly, the unidentified presence vanished without a trace.
For a second I wondered if it was a Fragment of the Demon God, but I knew that if it truly were, it would never have passed by so quietly.
What on earth was it? What could make me tense up like that?
…And why did it feel vaguely, disturbingly familiar?