Chapter 35
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Price Undetermined
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Wonderland's auction house system was broadly divided into two methods.
One was a free trade method, where users set the price of their items themselves. The other was a brokered trade method, where an auction manager handled the transaction.
(Question) Guys, how much should I sell an item like this for?
If you don't know the market price, just use the broker. It's easier.
But there's a fee
The free trade method had no fees other than the auction house registration cost.
In contrast, conducting a trade through an auction manager incurred a commission of nearly 10.
Paying 10 of the item's value as a fee? What kind of daylight robbery was this?
Despite this, users' perception of the brokered trade was surprisingly positive.
(Newbies Read This) Just use the brokered trade if you can
Dropping some for all the newbies who just joined.
The brokered trade system is better than you think.
It really shines with items that don't have a set market price.
Why? Because the NPCs calculate the price based on transaction records from all regions.
Unless you're an expert on market prices, you should definitely use the brokered trade.
Even an elementary schooler knows that selling 10 items for 5 gold each and paying a fee is much better than selling 10 items for 1 gold.
I'm one of those people who sold 10 for 1 gold and regretted it (and I've been playing Wonderland for 3 years, lol).
If there are any suckers who still won't use the brokered trade... I won't stop you.
It was an obvious fact that even with a fee, selling an item for the highest possible price was more profitable in the end.
From that perspective, Lutetia's auction brokerage was, as always, bustling with people today.
Customer number 31. Please come to counter A!
Rachel, one of the auction managers, called out in a bright voice.
Having worked for less than three months, her voice was much more energetic than the other managers'.
What item have you come to sell?
Ah, I, I came to sell an item I got from a dungeon. Uhm I dont really know the market price
The adventurer's voice was laced with tension.
It was painfully obvious that this was his first visit to the auction brokerage.
To ease his nerves, Rachel spoke in a gentle and friendly tone.
I see! First, may I see the item?
H-here you go!
A finely crafted sword was placed on the counter.
The pommel was engraved with a snake pattern, and the blade had a faint wave pattern that was barely noticeable upon close inspection.
Rachel brought the monocle hanging around her neck to her eye and appraised the item.
Ting!
Ceremonial Sword of the Berkhbein Merchant Family's Head (Rare)
Level Requirement: None
Class Requirement: None
Attack Power 5
.
.
Description: A sword commissioned by the head of the Berkhbein family, who valued outward appearances. While it functions as a sword, it is more of a decorative piece. In the end, he lost his life to a Golden Goblin without ever having used it.
A ceremonial sword with little to no combat capability. Who would ever use such a thing?
The world was flooded with better swords, from the blacksmith district to the trading posts.
Its a rare item, so I should get at least 20 gold, right? A friend told me I could get at least that much. O-of course, Im sure youll handle it well, Manager.
The adventurer spoke, full of misplaced expectations.
Rachel's eyes narrowed as she looked at him.
Hmm
There were always people like this, who would add all sorts of unnecessary comments to try and raise their item's value.
But no matter what he said, her response was already decided.
Of course, you don't need to worry about that. The price calculation is complete. Shall I proceed with the transaction?
Oh, h-how much is it?
3 gold.
Wh-what? 3 gold? Not 20?
That's correct, sir. 3 gold.
What no way.
The adventurer muttered, dejected.
This is the price determined by the appraisal tool. Youll likely get the same amount anywhere else.
How could Rachel possibly change a price that had already been set?
Appropriate Price: 3G
She had merely relayed the price given by her appraisal tool.
I-I heard there are high-level managers. Would it be possible to get a reappraisal from one of them? I just cant accept 3 gold. I mean, 3 gold for a rare item is a bit
The adventurer rambled on, unable to let go of his disappointment.
Rachel replied kindly.
Since this is your first visit, it will be difficult to meet a high-level manager right away. Once youve visited more frequently and conducted significant business with us, you may be able to arrange a meeting.
She said that, but in reality, he would likely never meet a high-level manager.
The brokerage had its own internal hierarchy.
If he tries hard, he might be able to meet an intermediate manager?
Transactions with a maximum auction value under 1,000 gold were handled by junior managers. Transactions between 1,000 and 5,000 gold were handled by intermediate managers.
Only after that could one meet a high-level manager.
Only those who could handle large transactions of over 5,000 gold in a single deal.
Such deals usually happen at the royal palace or the imperial brokerage.
At the very least, it wasn't a common occurrence in Lutetia, a city full of novice adventurers.
Since it was difficult to explain all these details, Rachel put it nicely.
If youd like another confirmation, I can help you meet with another manager. The result will likely be the same, though.
Haaah
The adventurer looked at her with a disappointed expression.
He had waited over 30 minutes for a consultation, only to be told hed have to wait that long again?
Looking around, he could see he wasn't the only one.
Are you serious? Its only worth 11 gold?
Yes, and even the highest price on the auction house is 10 gold. Would you like to proceed with a free trade?
Watching the scene, the adventurer relented as if he had no choice.
F-fine, just proceed with it.
The transaction will take up to two days. Once its complete, the remaining amount, minus the commission, will be sent to you by mail. Do you agree?
I agree.
Then I will proceed. If you have any other questions, please feel free to come and ask anytime!
Okay
The adventurer trudged away after finishing the transaction.
It was a disappointing result, but what could be done? She had only told him the appropriate price.
Rachel pushed aside her sympathetic feelings and cheerfully rang the bell.
Customer number 32! Please come to counter A!
She was wondering what kind of customer and what kind of item would come her way this time.
Hello, Manager.
A silver-haired man greeted her in a gentle tone and took a seat.
Yes, hello.
He was the most distinguished customer she had met all day.
From his fresh smile to his calm way of speaking and his poised gestures.
Feeling that something rather pleasant might happen, Rachel spoke softly.
What item have you come to sell?
I was hoping to sell this.
What he took out from his coat was none other than a yellowish piece of paper.
A parchment? Could it be a treasure map marking the location of gold and jewels, or perhaps an ancient grimoire?
One moment, please. Ill appraise it.
She brought her appraisal monocle to her eye and carefully unfolded the parchment.
Sheet music?
Inside, there was no treasure map, nor were there any ancient runes.
It was just a musical staff, densely packed with notes to the point of being dizzying.
It was an item she rarely encountered at the brokerage, but she maintained a professional demeanor and proceeded with the appraisal.
And the moment her eyes fell on the appropriate price
Huh?
Rachels eyes widened in shock.
And for good reason.
Ting!
Appropriate Price: Unmeasurable
Unmeasurable?
It was a bizarre situation that she simply could not comprehend.
O-one moment, please, sir.
It seemed she would have to contact a high-level manager.
Sir, you can go in here.
Following Rachels guidance, he arrived at a VIP reception room inside the brokerage.
Yuhyeon gave her a slight nod of thanks and stared blankly at the door.
What is going on?
Everything had been fine until he was waiting for his consultation.
He had waited in line like everyone else, and after about 30 minutes, he sat down at the counter.
The problem started after he took out the sheet music.
I-Im afraid this is beyond my ability to handle. If you could wait a moment, I will arrange for you to meet with a high-level manager.
After unfolding the sheet music, she had suddenly stopped the appraisal and said that.
That it was beyond her ability to handle his consultation.
Whats so special about my sheet music?
Being told they would switch managers the moment he sat down was baffling for Yuhyeon as well.
That was why he had drawn the gazes of every other player on his way here.
All to get an appraisal from a more skilled manager.
With that thought, Yuhyeon cautiously knocked on the reception room door.
Is anyone there?
Knock, knock.
As he knocked, the door opened on its own, as if someone had been waiting inside.
Oh, welcome!
The man who appeared through the open door was stout, with a round figure.
Though his hair was thinning, his skin was smooth and his face was oily, giving him a distinctly prosperous look.
If nothing else, he had the appearance of someone trustworthy when it came to money.
Please, have a seat. Ive prepared a variety of teas, so feel free to drink whichever suits your taste.
The man greeted Yuhyeon with a business smile.
I heard you came to sell some sheet music. May I see what kind of score it is?
Yes, here it is.
Yuhyeon took the sheet music from his inventory and handed it to him.
The mans eyes widened as he looked at the score, and he murmured in disbelief.
Incredible to see sheet music of this caliber
As befitting his title of high-level manager, the man had an exceptionally keen eye for items.
It was a necessary skill for an elder of the merchant guild and the head of the auction brokerage.
He had traveled through countless regions, from the northern continent filled with ice fortresses to the salt deserts, but
To see such a score in this town no, seeing a score like this in the entire continent is a rare occasion.
As far as he knew, this was the first time he had seen such a score.
Especially one with a buff related to farming, rather than combat.
If I may ask where did you acquire this? Of course, you dont have to answer if youd rather not. I was simply curious about its origin
I composed it myself.
Wh-what?! Y-you composed this yourself? May I ask how many you have?
I have four copies in total. I wish to sell all of them.
Yuhyeon replied calmly.
He had made a total of five copies. He had given one to the farmer, and now he intended to sell the remaining four, keeping the original.
I kept the original for copying.
He needed at least one original copy to continue making duplicates.
That was why he said he would sell four copies, but
Hah
The managers eyes looked ready to pop out of his head.
He was feeling a completely different kind of astonishment.
To have composed this himself meant he possessed skills at least on par with a royal court musician.
Why would such a person be in a city full of novice adventurers?
F-four copies of something like this.
And he had four copies of sheet music of this quality.
It was a moment that was difficult to comprehend.
The reaction seems pretty good.
Yuhyeon thought to himself as he observed the man.
From the mans reaction, he could roughly guess that his sheet music had considerable value.
He had experienced something similar in real life.
Is this really your first piece?
Wow, Im extremely satisfied
Usually, when the reaction was positive, their expression would shift to one of surprise or contemplation.
A look that said they wanted to buy it, but were pondering how much to offer.
Conversely, if they weren't interested, their expression would immediately harden.
With that in mind, Yuhyeon named a price slightly higher than he had originally intended.
What would the price be? Would around 15 gold be acceptable?
Excuse me? 15 gold?
The managers eyes widened.
His expression seemed to ask if that was even a serious offer.
Was that not right?
Yuhyeon's eyes narrowed.
He had been able to name a specific price because he had seen the effects of other sheet music on the auction house.
While there weren't many points of comparison, he didn't think the effect of The Ants Go Marching was inferior.
So he had named a somewhat higher price.
Hah, that's absurd.
The man shook his head and replied.
Around 50 gold should be appropriate.
50 gold?
Yuhyeons face clouded with disappointment.
He had a total of four copies, so 50 gold meant he would be selling them for 12.5 gold each.
Hmm, this is difficult.
Yuhyeons mind grew complicated.
He thought he had done his research and named a fair market price, but it was far too low
He wasn't yet an expert on the market, so it was hard to establish a baseline.
First, let's set the starting price at 50 gold and begin from there.
The starting price? By starting price, you mean
Exactly what it sounds like. We set the opening bid at 50 gold and see how high it goes.
W-wait a minute.
Set the opening bid at 50 gold and start from there? What on earth did that mean?
Dont tell me
If he understood correctly, he might have completely misunderstood the situation.
With that thought, Yuhyeon asked cautiously.
You don't mean you want to sell it for 50 gold, do you?
For a moment, the mans eyes widened in shock.
Wh-what? The selling price is 50 gold? Heavens, no! Dont say such a thing!
The man, realizing he had miscommunicated, exclaimed with a look of dismay.
What I meant was that we should set the starting price at 50 gold and proceed with the auction!
As far as he knew, the value of sheet music with a buff of this magnitude was essentially whatever the seller named.
This is a score for which you can name your price. Leave it to me, and I promise to deliver the best possible result!
The middle-aged man exclaimed with conviction.
The price is whatever I name it?
Yuhyeons eyes widened.