Mr. Murchis informs me that he has been contacted by the owner of the Reverse Face, and we head out to negotiate.
Next to him as an escort is Citri, who didn't show any displeasure at the offer of debt that was made before his tongue was dry.

'Don't worry. Our research will be delayed a bit, but we can make up for it to some extent by converting spare materials and stock potions into cash.

'I'm sorry?'

'You have nothing to worry about, Cry. I really don't want to, but I'll borrow money from the bank in case of emergency. Alchemists have a great advantage in getting loans. ......'

'......'

'My sister will help me. ...... It's an absolutely necessary treasure, isn't it? I'll use any means I can to collect it.

'............Yeah, that's right. ......'

'As for us, ...... we can do it later. I really don't want to, but we can do it later.

Citry clenched his fists with a look of even sadness on his face. I don't have the courage to start talking about the sweet shop now.
Apparently, Citri and the others had something they wanted as well.

Even I couldn't make Citri put up with that for my own sake. I withdrew my offer, but it was too late. Not only today, but Citly had a tendency to put me before himself.

Smiling in a good mood, he continued.

'But first, we need to determine the amount of money we need. ...... In case of emergency, we can deal with the owner, Hunter. I'm good at negotiating.

That smile was terrifying. There is not a day that goes by that I don't resent my lack of ability to see what emotions are hidden inside me.

But what are you going to do about it? ...... I'd like to see this go down peacefully if possible.
Liz went all the way to the treasure house to help me with my money. Apparently, she's going to go through the less difficult treasure halls. I've never heard of raiding the treasure house, but I didn't have time to stop her.

I owe him big time. Am I a pimp? Am I a pimp?

But there's still hope.
We've set up a good bargaining position. Depending on the outcome, we should be able to save Citri a lot of trouble.

Direct negotiation is a double-edged sword. It has the advantage that you can get the treasure you want first, but there is a possibility that the other party will underestimate you.
There are many cases in which a high price is offered in negotiations, but in the actual auction, there are no other bidders, and in the end, the bidder is able to win at a much lower price than the negotiated price.

This time, the target's treasure is not good looking. If you are a normal hunter, you would consider not bringing it back, and your opponent would want to get rid of it as soon as possible.
Hopefully, you can get it very cheaply.

It would have been a little easier if I knew the owner, but since the treasure was taken from a distant treasure house and the hunter who brought it in was apparently from another country, there was little hope.

'If the owner was mild-mannered, I wouldn't have to be so rough with him. ......'

Citri's comments are very disturbing.
She's an alchemist with a weakness for physical combat. The comment was probably just a joke, but Citri has a greatness that makes a joke more than just a joke.
The sky was clear and cloudless, but my heart was filled with anxiety.


§§



The designated place for negotiations was a tavern next to the Imperial Capital Branch of the Explorers' Association, the Challenger's Learning Ground.

It's said to be the most famous tavern in the Imperial Capital, crowded with hunters returning from the Treasure House for 24 hours and 365 days, and if you want to know the freshest rumors around the Imperial Capital, this is the place to come.
The quality of the drinks and food is not good, but the prices are low, and it is often seen that new hunters who tend to be poor gather here and have a lively time. There are many seats and reservations are available, so it is a good place for discussions.
I've been to this place many times, but I've been away since Liz and Luke were banned.

I don't know how long they've been there, but I weave my way through the hunters who are still drinking in the middle of the day and head for the table where we're meeting.
He checked his seat from a distance. The sight of the hunters surrounding the table made me stop in my tracks.
Citri's eyes widened unusually, and he put his finger to his lips in surprise.

'Oh, ...... well, well, well, ......'.

This is a disaster. .......
You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few things that you need to know, but you'll also be able to find a lot more than just a few things that you need to know.
There are not many hunters who have a party of eight, so there is no doubt.

There should be plenty of hunters coming in from the outside this time of year, but why do I have such a bad draw? .......

The only thing I have is Citri. You'll be able to't do anything about it if your opponent is a level 7 vanguard type.

Maybe I should just go home. .......

For a moment, such a thought crossed my mind, but Mr. Marches is involved in this negotiation. He took the trouble to set up this meeting despite his busy schedule, and no matter how much he's a pedophile suspected of being in love with Tino, he can't afford to lose face.

In the first place, it was Liz who came to the fore, and there is a possibility that she may not remember me,.......
Yes, she must not remember me. My face is rather plain, if I do say so myself, and I was sitting at the far end of the room. At least, if I were in Arnold's position, I wouldn't even remember, let alone forget.
As I stood there, trying somehow to pull myself together, Sitri approached the table without paying any attention to me.

He had just gotten into trouble the other day, and yet he was so bold. I hadn't made up my mind yet, but I couldn't let him go alone, so I hurriedly followed his small back.

Arnold looks up at the approaching shadow. He still has the same sullen look in his eyes.
Please, just forget about it. My desperate plea goes unanswered, and his face contorts violently.
Crony A next to me looks at me and Sitri and raises his high-pitched voice.

'Oh, you guys are--'

'Thank you very much for agreeing to negotiate with us today. Mr. Arnold!

Without being intimidated by the expression on his face, Sitri called out cheerfully first.
His eyes were not acting, but shining brightly.
I'm not sure if you've heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it. .......

Arnold clicks his tongue to show off and points with his chin to the seat facing him.
I sat down, suppressing my stomach, which was aching with tension.

Then the negotiations began.


§ § § §


Arnold Hale could not decide what to do with this unexpected negotiator.
He had a history with the man who had beaten him in the tavern on the first day. However, Arnold was not so foolish as to attack him immediately.

He suppressed his simmering anger. Above all, there is no woman here who has directly attacked Arnold. This means that even if I beat up everyone here, I won't feel better.

Since Arnold was silent, the other members who were about to speak up held their tongue.
It seems that everyone has something on their mind, but now is the time for surrender.

As usual, the "Thousand Transformations" was an unfamiliar man.


He looks unconcerned in front of Arnold. His body is slender for a hunter, and he doesn't have much muscle. He doesn't look very strong, he's a gentleman. He has no weapon, but he wears a necklace, earrings, and a ring on each finger of his hand.

Isn't he a close combatant? No matter how much research I did, I couldn't find anything about what kind of fighting style 《Senhenhen Banka》 uses.
Whatever the case may be, the fact that he is unconcerned in the face of a level 7 man with whom he had just taken hostile action the other day, he is no ordinary person.

On the contrary, the woman next to him was full of quiet energy. The color of her hair and eyes, and her face resembled the Zekage who had beaten Arnold and the others before, but if that woman was "moving," this one was "still.
His appearance is neat, and his skin, which is still white from the sun, is unblemished. Her every move is graceful, but at the same time, there is no gap.
He was mimicking, but if you looked closely, you could see that the energy within him was much the same as that of the Zekage.
The reason why Arnold could see through the mimicry was probably because this woman's mimicry was lower than that of the Zekka.

A member of the Ghosts of Sorrows. Definitely one of the stronger ones.

She licks her lips.
But right now, Arnold has the upper hand.

There's someone who wants to negotiate a purchase of the treasure you entrusted to him.
You'll be able to find a lot of people who are interested in this kind of thing, but I didn't expect it to be the Ghost of Sorrows.

Originally, I had hoped it would be enough to pay for one drink. However, it is a different story if there is someone who wants it.
With the exception of a few trashy items, useful treasures are expensive. In some cases, they can be sold for more than a billion dollars.

After introducing herself, the woman who called herself Citri said with a smile.

'Mr. Cry's hobby is to collect unusual treasures. That's why Arnold's treasure caught my eye...'

'It's a rare item brought all the way from Nebula Nubes. It took a lot of work. It won't sell for that cheap. You don't need power to sell it to a wealthy man. Isn't that right, Mr. Arnold?

Stingray smirked at Citri's words and looked at Arnold's expression.

I'm not sure what to do. I'm not sure what to do with it.

Ray's words were a bluff. At the very least, there was no one in Nebulanubes who would take that mask. Even a nobleman with a taste for the unusual would be selective. No one would want a flesh mask that looked like it was cursed.

Citry suppressed his mouth and made a troubled expression.

'I see. ...... I understand the situation. I'm sorry to say, but I don't think there's anyone in the Imperial Capital who would want that creepy mask. It's not like Mr. Cry is saying he really wants it either.

The negotiations were still in the jab stage.

Hearing that voice, the eyebrows of the [Thousand Transformations] twitched.
His expression became distorted for a moment. Seeing this, Aei looked puzzled.

It was an all-too-obvious change in expression. It was a problem before poker face.
If it was this obvious, it was hard to tell if she was really upset or if she was just pretending to be.

I guess we can't be too careful.

'We're not saying that we don't want to sell either.

'It's probably more expensive for us to buy it than to sell it at auction. I don't think there's anyone else who can compete for that item. Isn't that what you think, too, Arnold-san, who is certified as a high level?

I was right. Arnold and the others had been told about this beforehand when they requested the appraisal.
Hunters and nobles alike are cautious about purchasing treasures.
Although there are not that many, there are some treasures that pose a risk to their owners. And such tools generally have a "look" to them.

It is a big disadvantage for a treasure tool to look bad.

'That's not fair.

So Arnold crossed his arms and slumped down on his chair. He glared not at Citri, but at the Thousand Transformations, and said with all his might.

'That's the item we discovered the hard way. But we don't know its effect yet. It's better to throw it away. It's better to throw it away.

It was said that the mask might not be able to be appraised.

There are two main methods of appraising a treasure trove. There are two main methods of appraising a treasure trove: investigation based on accumulated information and trial run.
If the former method fails, the latter is used, but appraisers are human beings. Obviously dangerous treasures may be returned as unappraisable. In fact, the mask was sent back to Nebula Nubes.

The appraiser that Arnold and the others brought in is a man who has been an appraiser for several decades and is well known as a skilled appraiser even in this Imperial City. If the item is returned by that man, there will be no one in this city who can appraise it.

If that happens, the mask will be sold only for collection purposes.

'You seem to have an idea of the effect. I can't put a price on it at this point. Would you like to tell me what kind of power you have?'

It was just a shakedown.
Information is money. There's no one who's willing to tell you. But I hope it's one of the things that raises the price.
Sitri next to me frowned in disgust.

And then the "Thousand Changes" next to him opened his mouth with a serious face.

'I can't ...... tell you that.'

'Hmm ......'.

The answer was as expected. Just when Arnold was about to raise his voice and complain, the 《Thousands of Changes》 smiled in annoyance and said something unexpected.

'But if there's one thing I can tell you - if I'm right, it's that it's a little dangerous. Even the laws of this country restrict its use. You'd better get rid of it.