Chapter 43
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: The Weaver's Request
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Genius Composer in a Virtual Reality
Chapter 43
Ned Hamilton.
He was a man who possessed the Merchants Eye, allowing him to accurately judge the value of any item, and he was one of the most renowned merchants in Wonderland.
In his younger days, he had accomplished the great feat of traversing the four continents and had even served as a kingdoms auction manager, boasting exceptional skill.
As one of the ten greatest merchants across the four continents, his ability was beyond question.
No merchant could ever perceive the value of an item as accurately as Ned.
When he stepped down from his position as the kingdoms manager, the Rona Kingdom lost a great treasure.
The reason this universally acclaimed merchant, once called the greatest on the continent, had come to Lutetia was simple.
He wished to return to his birthplace in his later years and live out the rest of his life.
What good was earning a fortune, or attaining great honor and power?
It is said that a salmon is only truly happy when it returns to the river of its birth.
Much like Instructor Olsen in Hemona Village.
Fortunately, it seems theres work for me in this city as well.
The first emotion Ned felt upon arriving in Lutetia was relief.
At the time, Lutetia was not as prosperous as it is now, and the exchange was nothing more than a sign on a building, existing in name only.
He naturally took on the role of manager at the intermediate exchange, overhauling it from top to bottom.
You have a talent for managing an exchange.
Would you like to work with me?
It was during this process that he met Rachel, a junior manager.
Ned used all of his abilities to transform the exchange, creating the complete form it has today.
That was the Lutetia Intermediate Exchange.
Over the past few years, Ned had met countless people while working at the exchange.
He had met numerous individuals who called themselves outsiders and had even watched over the fledgling days of those who would later be called Rankers.
In the process, he had appraised items he had never seen before and even handled legendary artifacts.
But no item had ever been as remarkable as the one before him now.
Like the sheet music displayed on the exchanges status board as Todays Hot Item.
Presently, Neds gaze turned to Yuhyeon.
I had a feeling he was different from the moment we first met.
Silvery hair that seemed to hold the moonlight, and a refined aura one would only find among nobility.
Though he was dressed like a novice adventurer, Yuhyeon exuded an atmosphere distinct from other outsiders.
Is he really a novice adventurer?
That he had even made such a mistake upon their first meeting said it all.
His suspicion and anticipation grew even more when he couldn't immediately appraise the value of the sheet music.
Even using the Merchants Eye that had made him one of the ten greatest merchants, he had been unable to determine its exact worth.
Still, he had estimated it would be worth at least 500 gold.
Didnt I tell you last time? The value of this sheet music is immeasurable.
In all my time working at the Lutetia Intermediate Exchange, Ive never seen anything like this.
Neds words were not a lie.
Every one of the farmers who are called Rankers among the outsiders participated in the auction.
As a senior manager, he had checked every single person who had placed a bid.
Among them were outsiders like Hwaseong Subak Nongwon, who had reached the rank of Ranker as a farmer.
In fact, weve even received inquiries from above. Theyre curious about who you are, Yuhyeon.
Even the nobility had been contacting him, asking for the identity of the sheet musics creator.
They offered substantial sums if he would just connect them.
Of course, bound by the Merchants Oath, he had not given them an answer.
The value a person holds is far more important than a few coins right in front of you.
This was also why Ned had shown Yuhyeon such favor, even offering him a commission rate of 3.
And hadn't the results proven him right? A single transaction had yielded a profit of 5820 gold, excluding the commission.
It was a figure that approached the highest price ever recorded in Lutetias history.
As I mentioned, the remaining gold, after deducting the commission, has been sent to your mailbox. Have you checked it?
Ill check now.
Yuhyeon checked his mailbox, his eyes trembling slightly.
Just as Ned had said, the mail contained a sum of 5820 gold.
How am I supposed to describe this feeling?
They say that when you experience something truly absurd, you become surprisingly calm, don't they?
Earning the massive sum of 58.2 million won in one go felt like it was clearing his head.
A feeling that was neither too surprising nor too subdued.
Ned watched Yuhyeon and asked casually.
Do you perhaps plan to continue creating and trading sheet music like this in the future?
Trading
Yuhyeon stroked his chin and nodded.
The cooldown for duplication was seven days, and it was limited to five copies.
Its possible, but it wont be easy to trade a large quantity regularly. Theres a limit on the number of duplications.
I see. Considering how much effort musicians put into creating a single piece of sheet music, that seems only natural.
If the supply is delayed, the price will likely drop compared to now, wont it?
Hmm
Neds eyes narrowed.
To be honest, it seems inevitable that the price will fall, regardless of supply.
Inevitable?
The market is currently fluctuating due to the appearance of this unprecedented sheet music, but as it becomes more common, its value is bound to decrease.
He quickly added an explanation so as not to be misunderstood.
However, an average market price will soon be established. Rarity aside, the effect of the sheet music is undeniably excellent. Its impossible to put a price on it for now, but
Ned continued.
Based on its effect alone, I believe it will show a value of 200 gold per sheet. No other life-skill-related sheet music has ever reached such a price.
Two hundred gold
Are you perhaps dissatisfied with the price?
No, Im more than satisfied.
Yuhyeon gave a gentle smile.
I didnt create this sheet music to make money in the first place.
Two hundred gold was a nice way of putting it; on average, four sheets would amount to a sum of 800 gold.
Who would be unhappy about gaining a means to earn 8 million won every week?
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to Yuhyeon.
What if I were to bring in and sell other kinds of sheet music besides the work song?
O-Other kinds besides the work song? D-Do you have more?
There was other sheet music besides the work song?
Neds eyes twitched.
No, not at the moment, but I was thinking of trying to make something else.
Of course! As long as theres demand, you can sell any item!
Thats good. Then Ill try to create some other sheet music.
Yuhyeon gave a gentle smile.
Why wait for the duplication cooldown to come up?
If there was none, he could just create something different.
Then I shall be waiting, Yuhyeon.
Ill see you again very soon.
Yuhyeon said to Ned in a firm tone.
After leaving the exchange, Yuhyeon immediately checked his mailbox.
It was to receive the payment for the sheet music sold at auction.
Ting!
The auction proceeds for Sheet Music: Work Song have been delivered to your inventory.
The auction proceeds for Sheet Music: Work Song have been delivered to your inventory.
.
.
Gold Owned: 5943G
It was just after he had received all the payments and checked the amount in his inventory.
Ting!
Achievement Unlocked!
You have successfully earned a profit of 5000 gold as a novice.
This is a dazzling achievement!
You have acquired the title Tycoon of the Starting Village.
Description: You, who have earned a profit of 5000 gold as a novice, have the makings of a great merchant, dont you?
As an achievement reward, all stats except Divinity and Charm will increase by 3.
A series of notifications and messages appeared before his eyes.
Yuhyeons eyes narrowed as he looked at them.
I cant believe it, no matter how many times I look.
His inventory held a total of 5943 gold, including the money he had saved up previously.
In cash, that was roughly 59 million won, and after exchange fees, he would be left with 57 million won.
Sangcheol said it took him three months to earn his first 50 gold.
He had said that for the average person, it took three months to earn their first 50 gold.
Of course, profits varied wildly as ones level increased, but even so, earning over 100 gold was by no means an easy feat.
Hadnt Hwarangs item sold for 1500 gold in the early days?
And that was the auction price for a legendary-grade item.
Ive earned four times more than that Hwarangs item.
Earning such a large sum of money all at once felt like it was shattering his sense of real-world finances.
Isnt this the first time Ive earned this much money, aside from the prize money for winning the Queen Elizabeth Competition?
It was a dazed, unsettled feeling, as if he were in a dream.
I should exchange it for now.
Yuhyeon decided to immediately exchange the 5000 gold he earned from the auction.
943 gold would be enough to play the game without any issues, and the rest was to be set aside for living expenses.
With this money, I could even buy a capsule machine.
Even after buying a brand-new capsule machine, he would still have 20 million won in cash left over.
With that much of a buffer, he wouldnt have to worry about his rent dipping into his security deposit for a while.
The fees for a capsule room arent exactly cheap.
Paying for 50 hours at a capsule room cost 1 million won.
Even if he paid 30 million won, that would only be 1500 hours.
Since a year is roughly 9000 hours, buying a capsule machine was actually the more profitable choice.
He said the work song alone would bring in about 200 gold in profit.
According to Ned, his future earnings from the work song would be around 8 million won per week.
Calculated monthly, that was a staggering 40 million won.
Of course, there was no guarantee the market price would always hold, but even so, buying a capsule machine wouldn't be an impossible dream.
No hesitation. Ill buy it.
Yuhyeon nodded with a positive expression.
So, what should he do with the 20 million won left after buying the capsule?
First, I need to buy the virtual instruments I need for composing.
He could skimp on other things, but he felt he could finally buy all the virtual instruments he had struggled to afford due to being tight on money.
To Yuhyeon, this was just as important as Wonderland.
Because it was a necessary step toward achieving his dream of becoming a musician.
Ill be able to focus on composing much more comfortably from now on.
Making a significant income as a composer in the real world was not an easy task.
But if he could generate a steady income in Wonderland, that would change everything.
He could earn money while pursuing his dream.
I need to work even harder from now on.
To do that, he needed to use his time in Wonderland wisely.
With that thought, Yuhyeon looked around.
Four levels left until level 20. Since I promised Ned Id bring him new sheet music
The minimum level requirement to undertake the hidden quest from Gessin was level 20.
Since he had promised Ned new sheet music, he figured he could gain the remaining four levels while composing.
And there were a few things I was curious about.
He still had several questions about composing.
How much did the effects differ by grade, how would the duplication cooldown or number of copies change, and so on.
Should I wander the plaza again to find inspiration?
Yuhyeon was looking around when it happened.
Excuse me, may I ask you something?
Just then, a womans voice reached his ears.
He turned his gaze, and a name appeared above her head.
Ting!
NPC: Weaver Helen
Confirming she was an NPC, Yuhyeon spoke calmly.
Yes, what is it?
Are you perhaps the musician who created the work song for the farmers?
If youre talking about the farmers of Lutetia, then yes, thats me.
Y-You are? What a relief!
Helen said hesitantly.
I came here because I have a favor to ask.
A favor?
Could you create a work song for us weavers?
Ting!
A quest has been generated.
Sub Quest: Create a Work Song for the Weavers
Grade: D
Restriction: Yuhyeon
Reward: Greatly increased affinity with Helen and the Weavers Union, a small amount of EXP
Failure: Slightly decreased affinity with Helen and the Weavers Union
Description: Helen heard the rumors spreading among the farmers of Lutetia and sought you out. Please create a work song for her and the Weavers Union.
A work song
Yuhyeon murmured to himself as he looked at the message.
Perfect timing.
He had just been wondering what kind of song he should make.
Yes, Ill make one for you.
Yuhyeon said with a gentle smile.