Making Gold (2)
Making Gold (2)
After purchasing various items from Noah, Dojin immediately tested their effectiveness in the dungeon.
"...This is good?"
The items sold by Noah proved to have surprisingly outstanding effects. Since no one got hurt, he couldn't verify the effect of the potion, but the monster bait he purchased additionally had an exceptionally remarkable effect.
─Krrrung...
The bait, which would have originally been made to be used past the dungeon's dark curtain from the 10th floor and below, displayed excellent effectiveness thanks to the werewolves' sense of smell that acted even through the dark curtain.
All Dojin had to do was take out the bait, apply the medicine, and leave it in a suitable spot. A little while later, when he went to the place where the bait was spread, he saw a werewolf paralyzed and writhing in pain.
It became a very simple task of just stabbing his sword into the nape of the fallen werewolf's neck and collecting the magic stone.
Seeing this, Orion exclaimed in admiration and asked.
"Where did you get this from? Leader?"
"From a street peddler."
"That's a lie. What kind of street peddler sells something like this? I'd like to see one if they exist."
"Want to go see?"
If Seoyun were here, it would be useless equipment, but in the current party without Seoyun, they were extremely useful tools.
'To be able to make something like this...'
Her skill alone was outstanding. Given that he saw her personally selling goods on the street despite that, it seemed she was seriously short on money...
What if he sponsored her directly? With the power of an otherworldly technician, wouldn't it be possible to reproduce the modern scientific marvels he could only dream of now?
What, money? He had plenty. So much it was rotting and overflowing. Enough to make a single woman flounder in a sea of gold coins.
"Orion?"
"Yes?"
"Need anything?"
"...Why are you suddenly asking that?"
"Why am I asking? Weren't you the one who said you wanted to go find the person who made this? So I'm asking."
"...Ah, aah! That's what you meant? I don't need anything in particular..."
"Then I'll go alone?"
"Yes, have a safe trip."
After that, they quickly hunted today's monsters. Perhaps because they had earned enough money, the party's goal had also shifted from money to improving their actual skills.
Knowing full well that the important thing for improving skills was consistent daily effort without overexertion, the party pushed themselves to their limits to hunt monsters.
'It's lacking, but...'
Dojin looked at the party. To be honest, it was a bit lacking. Frankly speaking, if they had truly gone all out, they should have collapsed on the spot; how could they have come back down from the dungeon on their own two feet?
But unfortunately, the dungeon was not such a merciful place as to leave those who were exhausted and collapsed lying there untouched.
Dojin could somewhat understand why, as one went higher, the number of skilled strong individuals decreased and why they hit a wall.
Once you reach their level, it's truly difficult to experience something threatening enough to spur your own growth. Only after fighting battles where a single small mistake leads to death against strong opponents can you grow just a little.
Since there's no need to go through such hardship unless you encounter a stronger opponent above you, it's only natural to be complacent with reality.
Even if you don't become complacent with reality, there's realistically almost no way to grow...
Dojin thought of the first item he would ask Noah to make.
'I should have her make exercise equipment. If she can, I'd like to have Man-dok-bul-chim too... should I ask her to make even a weak poison?'
He also wanted a gun. Wasn't it cool? A killing weapon that could kill every master in one shot had always made a man's heart race.
However, Dojin recalled the thought that guns might not be that powerful in this other world. Especially since even Dojin himself felt confident he could deflect a bullet if it flew at him, even more so.
'Unless it's something like a nuclear missile.'
That thought made a chuckle burst out. Nuclear, could a fantasy world inhabitant possibly make something like that?
"Ah, here... it is."
Exiting the dungeon, Dojin headed straight for the stall where Noah had been doing business. However, perhaps because it was already late, all the merchants who had been doing business in front of the dungeon had long since packed up and disappeared.
"Seems she's already gone home."
"She'll probably come again tomorrow, right? It's not like she'll disappear overnight..."
"That's likely, right?"
Although Dojin said that, he felt an underlying sense of unease. Wasn't this a fantasy world? The security was the worst, needless to say.
It was a world where it was quite difficult to be sure you could see someone you saw today again tomorrow. Frankly speaking, if someone with alchemy skills of that level had to go around doing sales in person to earn money, it was clear the lodging she lived in must also be cheap.
Cheap inns inherently meant unstable security.
'It can't be helped...'
It would be good if she was there, but she wasn't a necessarily essential talent, so Dojin decided to see her tomorrow and headed to the guild.
And at the guild, he found Noah lodging various complaints.
"No, does this make any sense!? Why on earth...!"
Seeing her here was quite welcome. Dojin, who was about to head to the 2nd floor, went to the counter where Noah was. The gazes glaring at him from behind were quite piercing, but there was no fool who would openly pick a fight with Dojin, a high-rank adventurer.
"Hello? What's going on?"
"Ah, Dojin-nim..."
"Don't mind me, go on... Customer?"
Upon discovering Dojin, Noah rolled her eyes up and down, checking Dojin's attire. Wasn't he the person who bought even quite expensive items without any hesitation?
He was clearly quite a high-level adventurer. The staff was using honorifics, and Noah, who had somewhat grasped the situation, quickly clung to Dojin and poured out her grievances.
"No, they're taking the transaction fee twice!"
"Hmm, so?"
"Huh? No, I mean... they're taking the fee twice?"
"So, what's the problem with that?"
When Dojin said that to her instead, Noah wondered if she had done something wrong and looked at the staff member.
The staff member let out a sigh mixed with slight anger and, remembering that Dojin was present, explained again in a friendly tone.
"The area in front of the dungeon is owned by our guild, and of course the guild receives the usage fee for the stall Miss Noah used."
"Then why is the money...!"
"However, the rights for the 'act of selling goods' itself in this city belong to the Merchant Guild, so we take an additional fee for that. Weren't you educated about this when you purchased your sales rights?"
The guild staff member argued that they had merely done on her behalf what she should have done, and glared at Noah with eyes that said she should be praising them, not yelling like this.
Upon hearing such a detailed explanation, Noah also understood the reason for the double fee. However, it was extremely unfair. She had just sold a bunch of expensive items and thought she had earned money to buy materials, but with this, it was cut in half.
She had set the price wrong. It was half of the price she had envisioned, so it was essentially at a level where she couldn't even recover the material costs.
Immediately, the cost of the inn and meals for today to eat and sleep, the cost of materials to make new items, and even the rental fee for the stall to sell items tomorrow.
It was a deficit. She worked all day, but more money was going out than coming in.
"This, this is... it can't be...!"
Finally, tears burst forth. It was unfair. There were too many thieves in the city. Sitting there and extorting money, sons of bitches like that.
Who do they think they are to take a fee for selling goods, and charge a usage fee for doing business in front of the dungeon?
The dungeon isn't even theirs!
"Do you need money?"
"Sniff, ...Yes?"
"I asked if you need money."
"I need... it, of course."
She looked up at Dojin with an expression that asked why he was stating the obvious. Could it be, is her body the target? Noah slightly guarded herself and stepped back.
Unaware of Noah's thoughts, Dojin took her and went up to the 2nd floor. It was a space only accessible to high-rank adventurers, but there was no one to stop him when a high-rank adventurer wanted to bring someone in.
Unlike the 1st floor, there was a spacious lobby, plush sofas. While Noah was exclaiming in admiration upon seeing the refreshments prepared to eat while waiting, Dojin went to the guild counter to exchange magic stones for money and returned.
Clink-.
Noah's eyes widened upon seeing the pouch full of silver coins. How many silver coins were inside? She couldn't even muster the courage to count.
"Cu, Customer? What is this...?"
"The money I earned today."
"To, today in one day...?"
"Yeah."
Tap tap, Dojin took out a few silver coins from there and laid them out on the table.
"This is the money I get each time I kill one monster."
And next to that, he began stacking dozens of silver coins. Noah swallowed her saliva with a loud enough gulp to make her Adam's apple tremble, but she herself didn't even notice.
"And this is the silver coins I earned from monsters caught without even lifting a hand using your bait today."
"Th, this is...?"
Just how much was it? Considering that the money she earned today was one silver coin, it was an amount she would have to work for several months just to get her hands on.
And not only did he earn it in a day, he said he earned it using only her bait.
Gulp-
Greed arose. She didn't know her ability was that good. Didn't Dojin say it too? That thanks to 'my bait', he defeated monsters without even lifting a hand.
There must be a reason why he said that and piled up the silver coins. It wasn't just to show off to her.
'Could it be he's planning to give it all to me?'
Noah's gaze became tinged with avarice. If she only had that, she could make top-grade potions... Not only reagents she couldn't even dream of normally, but she could even get a decent, passable inn to live in for a whole month.
Not an inn where drunk men tried to sneak into her room every night, rattling the door, not a back-alley slum where she didn't know when something dangerous might happen.
An ordinary life, the research she dreamed of, the money to make all of that possible was right there...!
"...Thank you. Customer."
"For what?"
"It seems you liked my tool, which must mean you intend to repurchase?"
"Hooh, even after seeing this, that's what you say?"
"That is the money you earned using my tool. Whatever you do with a tool that has left my hands is your ability."
However, Noah ultimately succeeded in overcoming that greed. That was the pride she held as an alchemist.
It wasn't a job she started for the sake of money. It was fun to handle reagents, that's why. Because it was fun how, under her touch, roadside weeds became medicine, and medicine became poison.
That was all.
My customer earned a fortune using my tool? It's enviable, but that's it. He earned money using a method she hadn't thought of, so it wasn't hers to begin with.
Looking at Noah, who didn't show a hint of greed even after seeing this much money, Dojin began to applaud.
"Pass."
"...Huh? Customer, what does that mean?"
"I'm Kim Dojin, a high-rank adventurer. As you can see, I have plenty of money."
"Uh... I'm Noah Meriel... an alchemist, and I earned one silver coin today, but after spending it on materials and such, I think about five copper coins will remain..."
"One silver coin? You would have earned more selling your body."
"Cu, Customer!? What are you saying...!"
Noah was startled and hugged her own chest. It was sexual harassment, but she had no intention of breaking the deal over just that.
Dojin proposed a deal to her.
"How about becoming my exclusive alchemist?"
"Ex, exclusive...!?"
Exclusive? What on earth is he trying to make me do? The book 'Lustful Dragonian Maid' popped into Noah's head. In her mind, 'exclusive' meant that.
Lewd and lustful.
"The monthly salary is one gold coin. Room and board provided, materials provided."
"I'll do it."
However, lewd or lustful didn't matter. With conditions like these, Noah could have sold her own virginity.