Chapter 46. Reorganization I
Episode 46.
Reorganization I
When I stared at him, the man cleared his throat awkwardly and spoke.
"......I did say it was personal, but of course I'm not the one buying it. I was thinking our society might purchase it formally. You may have heard of us—I belong to the <Knowledge Society>, one of the three major societies even within Portu Magic Tower."
On the surface, the Magic Tower appears to be a single faction, but in reality it isn't.
There are no differences of race or status, but because of the types of magic they pursue—schools or sects—the factions within the Magic Tower are vast and complex.
'The <Knowledge Society> does have reason to throw its weight around.'
<Mysticism>, <Knowledge>, <History>.
These are the three major societies of Portu Magic Tower, and more than half of the mages affiliated with the Magic Tower belong to one of them.
"What price do you have in mind?"
"8 million...... no, I can pay up to 8.5 million seed immediately."
"Hm."
It was a full 1.5 million less than the auction estimate, but honestly, it wasn't a bad offer.
There was the registration fee for entering it into the auction, the commission that would come out after the sale, and above all, the auction itself would take quite a long time.
But.
"Unfortunately, I don't particularly need money right away."
"Hmm....... I see."
The clerk smacked his lips in disappointment.
Of course, that was a lie.
Right now I was in a situation where I did need money right away. The money in my pocket was gradually running dry.
So.
"I do have something I'd like to dispose of immediately, though."
"What kind of item? Do you have another branch, by any chance?"
"No, not that."
I took out the other piece of loot I had prepared.
"This."
"Let me see....... A Red SEED, is it? Hm."
Unlike when I had shown him the branch, the clerk nodded with a composed attitude.
"It's quite high quality. I can feel strong vitality. Hmm. Disposing of it shouldn't be difficult."
"How much could I get for this?"
"For this size, about 4 million seed? Of course, if you put this up for auction as well, you could get a bit more. Even after the commission, you'd probably get about two or three hundred thousand seed more."
"Hm."
"So, would you like to enter this one into the auction as well?"
If it were up to me, I'd like to. Two or three hundred thousand seed is no small amount.
But.
"If I enter it as an auction item, how long do you think it would take to sell?"
"Hm. Well. Even if the condition is good, SEED itself is commonly listed. You should allow about two months to be safe."
Two months was too long. In this game, the value of SEED rises sharply depending on my current level.
"Just dispose of it immediately, please."
And especially in the early game, there are a lot of places to spend money.
The clerk nodded.
"Then I'll dispose of the Red SEED right away."
For reference, the imperial currency 'seed' and the 'SEED' dropped by mobs are written differently in the game.
Currency is always written in lowercase as seed, while the actual seed item you obtain directly is written in uppercase as SEED.
"Then shall I proceed with helping you enter this branch into the auction?"
"Please do."
"Yes. As I explained a moment ago, the auction commission is 5% of the final winning bid, and with taxes added, it comes to 20% in total. Naturally, the listing fee is separate."
"How much is the listing fee?"
"That would be 100,000 seed."
"Fuck."
"Pardon?"
"No."
They sure gouge you just to list something. It also means you shouldn't bother using the auction house unless it's a high-value item. If you're unlucky, you won't even recover your costs.
'And if the item you list doesn't sell, they don't even refund the listing fee.'
What a shit game.
"......I'll register it. Please deduct the fee from the Red SEED sale proceeds."
"Yes."
"Ah. And separately, there's one more thing I'd like to ask about."
"What is it?"
"Do you happen to know a mage named 'Raunes Purpleton'?"
"Raunes......?"
The clerk tilted his head for a moment, then shook it.
"That's the first I've heard of her. Is she perhaps affiliated with the <Knowledge Society>?"
"No. Probably a minor society."
A minor society. That's what they call small societies with five or fewer affiliated mages.
The clerk shook his head as if at a loss.
"Even if someone belongs to a minor society, I generally know the names of famous mages, but the name Raunes Purpleton is completely new to me."
Hm. So she still hadn't become famous yet.
"Shall I look into it for you?"
"There's no need for that. Thank you for your concern."
There was nothing to gain from drawing attention unnecessarily. The later she became famous, the better it was for me.
'Besides, there wasn't much I could do even if I met her now.'
Still, I would have to make contact with her someday, no matter what.
The cataclysm event that would occur two or three years from now...... Raunes Purpleton was the one holding the key to it.
* * *
My pockets, which had been scraped to the bottom, were full again.
4 million seed in spare money.
Of course, since another 100,000 seed had been taken for the listing fee, what remained was about 3.9 million seed.
"Hoo."
I had caught my breath, but the relief was only momentary. Now that I had money, it was time to spend it again.
"Is this the carriage to District 6?"
"Yep."
I used a carriage again, for what felt like the umpteenth time.
Still, now that my pockets were heavier, my hands didn't tremble when paying the fare like before.
Clatter.
When I glanced out the window, I saw the streets sinking into twilight as the sun set.
When I played this as a game, I could finish my business in the Royal Capital in about ten minutes. Now that it was reality, it felt like simply running around from place to place took up an entire day.
Thud.
By the time I got off the carriage, the streets were completely submerged in darkness.
'Royal Capital District 6.'
It was a street of merchants and craftsmen, but it didn't feel like a shopping district the way District 5 did. What was sold here wasn't goods.
'Skills.'
In game terms, Skills.
That's right.
District 6 was a place where experts in various fields were concentrated, and in the game, it was mainly a place you visited to find Masters to learn skills from.
The skills you can learn here are diverse.
'<Drug Crafting>, <Herb Gathering>, <First Aid>, <Trap Installation>, <Stealth>, <Tracking>, .......'
First, you can professionally learn skills necessary for survival, and beyond that, you can also acquire techniques such as forging using a furnace, refining methods, alchemy, smelting, polishing, alloying, tanning, weaving, woodworking, and even distillation.
Of course, the reason I visited this place wasn't to learn those kinds of life skills.
'Weapon Guild.'
It wasn't a guild that made weapons, but a street where experts who specialized in handling different weapons gathered.
In other words, in the game, this is a place you absolutely have to visit to raise your <Weapon Mastery> proficiency and learn higher-tier skills.
The problem was.......
"A scythe? The farming guild is over that way."
"Huh? You're going to use it as a weapon? Uh, can you even use a scythe as a weapon......?"
"Look here, young man. Why not just use a sword? It's not called the king of all weapons for nothing."
"......."
As if I didn't know that.
But now that I'd already acquired <Scythe Mastery>, I had no other choice.
Whether it turned out well or badly, I had no choice but to stick with it.
'There has to be at least one.'
It was already an obscure weapon, and I had to learn it on my own? Now that this was reality rather than a game?
Absolutely not. If I learn it alone, it'll take forever just to acquire new skills.
'I have to find one.'
I wandered the streets asking around for several hours.......
Around the time the streets were gradually emptying of people, I managed to get a lead on a Scythe Master.
"Now that I think about it, I think I might have seen a master carrying a scythe once......."
"Where did you see them?"
"It was probably around the outskirts of District 6. If you go straight down this road, you should find it."
I headed straight in the direction the resident had indicated.
Before long, the already sparse foot traffic vanished completely, and the street sank into darkness.
And then.
"......."
Is this really the place?
It was quite far out even for District 6. Against the backdrop of a dark street where packs of rats scurried about, a single mansion stood.
'......No matter how I look at it, it seems like an abandoned house.'
A crow perched on the half-collapsed wall, and the old, worn front gate hung in tatters as if it might fall off at any moment.
The overall atmosphere was eerie, as if a ghost lived there.
Proof of Blood
The name written on the sign was grim too...... but I had to check it out anyway, so I knocked on the gate.
Creeeeeeak.
But perhaps because it wasn't even locked, the unoiled door screamed and opened on its own.
After hesitating for a moment, I entered.
Step.
I passed through the neglected, untended garden and reached the mansion entrance. The door was wide open, so I could go straight inside.
"......Is anyone here?"
The interior of the mansion was empty. Not in the sense that there was no one there—the inside itself was truly barren.
In the vast hall, the only furnishings were a grand staircase leading to the second-floor landing and a spindly chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling.
There was not a single piece of furniture anywhere else; only dust drifted across the empty space.
"Who are you?"
At that moment, along with a cold voice, I felt the presence of a blade positioned as if it might touch my neck at any second.
'A scythe?'
Just as I was about to turn around, the chill of the blade and its presence receded far away.
Reflexively, I felt at my neck, and a voice came from somewhere.
"A face I've never seen before. What business do you have in my house?"
Her voice made her gender clear. She seemed to be a woman, though I still couldn't see her or tell where she was.
"I came because I heard there was a master of the scythe here."
"Hoh......."
"Are you perhaps a Scythe Master?"
At that moment, a figure dropped down from above with a thud.
It was a woman who seemed draped in darkness. Bandages were wrapped tightly around her entire body, and over them she wore a tattered cloak. Her pitch-black hair and the single exposed eye were striking.
Of course, what drew my gaze most was the scythe in her hand.
"You came all the way here without even knowing who I, 'Carmelin of the Thorn Vines,' am? How amusing."
"......."
She clearly seemed difficult to deal with. How was I supposed to avoid offending her.......
After deliberating for a moment, I spoke bluntly.
"I also use a scythe as a weapon. I came because I was hoping I might be able to learn some techniques."
"Ah, I see."
As if her interest had instantly cooled, Carmelin's expression went cold.
"Sorry, but I don't easily pass on my secret techniques."
"Is there some kind of condition?"
"There is."
"Please tell me."
I wasn't in a position to be picky.
After all that asking around, this was the only place I found. It meant that even in this vast, vast District 6, Carmelin was the only master who could teach the scythe.
Perhaps my earnestness had reached her. Carmelin spoke in a solemn voice.
"300,000 seed per lesson."
"......."
I hesitated.
"300,000 seed?"
"That was the price, but since I'm in a good mood today, I'll give you a special 20% discount."
"......."
"......and on top of that, now that I look at you, your hair color is the same as mine. Fine, I'm feeling generous. I'll make it half price, just for you."
Carmelin looked at me, then spoke with an oddly tense air.
"No more than that. Hm. Absolutely not. I have the pride of 'Carmelin of the Thorn Vines,' after all."
"......."
"So, what'll it be?"
......Just what kind of person was she?