kscans

Chapter 82 - Two Friends, or a Friend Comes From Afar (Part 2)

"Well then... that means the remaining items are the problem..."

This time, the items Adon had swindled... convinced Yuri to put up for sale were,

"The Gambitt Grizzly’s pelt, bones, and gallbladder, the tree heartwood, and... that writing tool called a pencil."

"Is he not selling that knife?"

"...The head chef took it..."

"The one with fire magic... That... you might not get it back, you know?"

"Indeed... the hope is slim. ...He was in quite a state."

When he was explaining how its sharpness increased when magic was channeled through it, the head chef must have actually tried it himself and was ecstatic with the result. He had gone straight into test production without seeming to hear a word Adon was saying. ...At this rate, there was little chance of getting it back.

Adon looked sullen at the magnitude of his loss, which he had brought upon himself by carelessly showing it off. Seeing this, Old Man Audel spoke up as if he couldn’t bear to watch.

"...Shall I give you my share?"

"No... thank you, but this is my own blunder. It wouldn’t be right to impose on you."

"Still so rigid... Well, if anything happens, just let me know."

"My apologies..."

"So, do you have any leads on where to sell the other items? With things of that quality, you can’t just put them up for auction, can you?"

"No. One by one might be manageable, but all at once would be very bad. Especially that writing tool, the pencil. It’s clear it will cause a huge uproar if it becomes known."

"...Is it that big of a deal?"

"Of course it is. Unlike a pen, it can write on slightly rough paper without issue, and it’s easy to use. There’s no worry of ink smudging, and you can write with the ledger in hand. Think of how convenient that is, and how much time it saves. For a merchant, time is irreplaceable. No one would be stingy with money for a convenient tool that can save it."

"Hmm... what do you intend to do?"

"I’ll narrow down my contacts and subtly sound out those who seem tight-lipped. It will have to be after we’ve settled on a price. There’s also the matter of the clay... until then, I’ll have to ask Yuri-kun and you to stay here..."

"Well, that should be manageable. ...What about the other things?"

"The Gambitt Grizzly pelt should be fine to put up for auction. It’s not that rare, and it’s possible to hide the source. As for the bones and gallbladder, I have someone in mind who will take them without asking questions. I’ll send a messenger tomorrow."

"Is there no one in this city?"

"No. They reside not here, but in the domain capital... Fransel. There are more high-class customers over there."

"Hmm... so, at the earliest, three days... we should probably allow for about five days..."

"It will likely take that long."

There was also the workshop at the Adventurer’s Guild that Yuri wanted to attend, so five days shouldn’t be a problem, but if it took longer... he would have to consult with Yuri and his granddaughter. As Old Man Audel was thinking this, he looked up again and asked his friend.

"So, that leaves the heartwood..."

"Yes... in a way, this is even more troublesome than the pencil..."

Adon replied, his brow furrowed in distress.

"Oh? What’s so troublesome about it?"

No matter how hard it was, it was still wood, so he could just take it to a lumber merchant...

"...is what you’re thinking, aren’t you?"

"...You’re saying I’m wrong?"

"Completely wrong. First of all, that wood is not just any heartwood. It’s a material known among us as Rosewood. It’s not only hard and strong, but also has a dense grain suitable for detailed carving, and it reveals a beautiful wood pattern when polished. ...On top of that, it conducts magic power extremely well."

"That is... quite... a perfect material."

"And we’ve obtained a long piece of it. With that length, it could be used for fairly large sculptures, or as a staff since it’s still long. ...And we only have one. ...You understand?"

"...Wherever you take it, the places you don’t will complain, right? And if you cut it in two, you’ll be chided for not bringing it in one long piece?"

"Exactly. Knowing that, few material suppliers or lumber merchants will dare to touch it."

"...The moment you bring it up, rumors will spread, and you’ll be the one getting squeezed, right?"

"Exactly."

"I see... this is indeed a troublesome matter..."