The ray was puzzled by his obviously suspicious attitude.
The "Thousand Changes" is looking at Arnold with a serious expression.

Arnold has been a hunter for a long time.
Being a treasure hunter is a job that requires more than just a high level of fighting ability.
Needless to say, combat ability is the most important factor, but the trials that hunters must go through are not limited to treasure halls and demons.

In order to become a successful hunter, one must have a high level of communication skills, such as the ability to negotiate for the appropriate sale of treasure and demon materials obtained from the treasure hall, and connections to influential people. The deputy leader of 《Foreign Mist》, Aei, is mainly in charge of this task, but Arnold has also come to understand it to some extent while dealing with merchants and nobles from all over the world.

His intuition was telling him. The aloof man in front of him--the "Thousand and One Changes"--was lying.

'It's a bit dangerous, isn't it?

Arnold's eyebrows twisted as he stared at him, and the Thousand Transformations backed away slightly.

Arnold frowned as he watched its behavior.

The law restricts its use. It's a little dangerous. That's not the kind of thing you want to talk about in a negotiation.
Then why do you want it?" It was easy to foresee that he would get defensive.

According to the information Aei had researched, the Thousand Transformations was an excellent tactician, with an eye for everything.
Why would such a thing like that be trying to negotiate in such a poor manner?

There had to be an agenda in his words.
The man in front of him looked at Arnold, who was silent, as if he was testing his strength.

''You just lied to me, didn't you?

''Yes!

'A little dangerous. I'd better let it go. That's what I thought. You're measuring me, aren't you?

In response to the shaking, cold sweat trickled down the cheeks of the Thousand Transformations. Nice mimicry. Even with Arnold's eyes, it looks like he's in a real hurry.

That's right. "Danger. You'd better let go.
It's as if he doesn't want Arnold to let go of the treasure.

At that moment, a revelation landed in Arnold's mind. All the pieces of the puzzle were connected.

Did he really think he was a level 7 idiot?

Next to him, Sitri was smiling, but his eyes had a cold glint in them, as if he were looking at a bug. The light behind his eyes could not be hidden from Arnold, even if his outward expression was deceptive.

The stingray next to me looks up at Arnold with a look of fear.

'Mr. Arnold?

'.................. Fine, I'll sell it to you. That's right, ...... eight million guineas--no, ten million guineas. I'm not going to lose, you'll have to pay me by the ears.

It's a lot of money for that creepy mask, but a high level hunter can easily pay it, that kind of money.
I'm sure you've heard of it. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do that.

I'm not sure if Arnold's reaction was unexpected or not, but his friends were buzzing. However, Arnold, the leader of the 《Misty Thunder Dragon》, has the right to make all decisions. If the flesh mask sells for 10 million guilders, he will be satisfied.

The ray next to me looks at Arnold with dissatisfaction.

'Mr. Arnold, are you sure?

'Yes. ......

I'm not sure if you'll be able to find a way to make it work, but I'm sure you can.

I'm not sure what to make of that. ....... It's true that your woman got the better of me, but that's not the same thing as this. I'll just pretend it never happened.

'......? Oh, that's ...... it, I'm so sorry.'

As if puzzled, the "Thousand Changes" scratched his cheek.

In the first place, it is quite unnatural for a high level hunter of level 8 to come out to negotiate directly in order to obtain a slightly dangerous treasure tool.

The change of expression is unnatural because of the "too natural" nature of the "thousand changes". The information you're offering is just that.
Words laced with lies. The relationship between self and self.

Remembering the fearsome mask of flesh that he had left with the appraiser, which was inexplicably physiologically repulsive, Arnold felt a chill run down his spine for the first time in a long time.
He took a slow breath and looked into Krei Andrich's eyes, which had a troubled expression on them.
It is said that eyes speak louder than words, but the black irises remind us of darkness, and all we can sense is bewilderment, not the emotions hidden behind them.

But why did he come to such an obviously unnatural negotiation? The situation was a little complicated, but if you put yourself in the other person's shoes and think about it calmly, the intentions of the man in front of you were obvious.

Perhaps that mask of flesh was not just a "little", but something so dangerous that the level 8 hunters were in a hurry to retrieve it.
And the "Thousand Transformations" is planning to "force" that treasure onto Arnold and the others. No, he probably changed his strategy to that from the beginning.

He didn't lie when he said it was an illegal treasure.
And then there's the personality of the "Thousand and One Changes" as inferred from the stingray research.

There was only one conclusion to be drawn.

By chance, he learned that an extremely dangerous treasure was going to be auctioned off, and he decided to negotiate directly with the owner in order to get it before it fell into the hands of other unknowing people.

The goal is probably to stop the use of the treasure and make sure it is destroyed.
According to Ei's research, the Thousand Transformations had solved many crimes in this city before. It may sound naive, but there are men everywhere who can move even when it's not in their best interest to do so.

But then an unexpected problem arises. The party with whom he was negotiating happened to be the party with whom he had a conflict.
It is fatal for a treasure hunter to lose face. The other hunters around you will look down on you, and your clients may regard you as unreliable.
In fact, Arnold's gut churns when he thinks back to that time. For hunters, face is sometimes more important than money.

Realizing at a glance that there was little chance of success in the negotiations, the "Thousand Transformations" immediately changed course.

That's right. He deliberately used suspicious attitudes and words to upset Arnold and the others so that they would withdraw the item itself.

The purpose of the 《Senhenhenbanka》 is to prevent the use of that treasure - to put it more precisely, to prevent it from being auctioned off and used by nobles, big merchants, or criminals who like rare things. or criminals.
In other words, it's best to keep it yourself, but you can also achieve your goal by having Arnold and the others drop the auction.

A dangerous treasure. It's better to let it go.
If you say so, it's only natural that you won't want to give it up at all costs. Especially when it's your sworn enemy.

But Arnold won't be fooled.

'Do you think I'm a fool? Do you really think I'm going to be stubborn about a treasure that's got some sort of history? ......? I'm not sure what you're talking about.

'What ......?



It was an obvious bluff. Certainly, if Arnold had been a low-level hunter who hadn't yet swallowed the anger of that day, he might have taken him at his word and withdrawn the item.
He might have assumed that it was a treasure that Level 8 would want even if he lied.

But if you think about it calmly, what would be the benefit to Arnold and the others by withdrawing the item?

That treasure is a horrible thing to look at. A cautious hunter would not think of using it.
Arnold can't imagine wearing that mask, and he'd do everything in his power to stop his friends if they tried.
I've heard that it's a dangerous treasure, so it would have to be stored very carefully, and it would be a meaningless burden.

Or, is it a strategy to buy time by forcing them to withdraw the item? It's also possible that they're trying to discredit Arnold and the others by accusing them of having something dangerous in their possession. In fact, there is a possibility that there are other criminal organizations that are targeting the items, and that their assassins will attack them.
In the worst case scenario, they could provoke Arnold into using the mask and then bury him with it.
According to A's information, Chika is not a bad guy, but Arnold and the others are hunters from the outside. They could use any means at their disposal.

Many possibilities instantly flashed through Arnold's mind. Arnold doesn't know the power of the mask. He hadn't actually seen the information about the "Thousand Transformations" with his own eyes.
Therefore, his predictions are only possibilities, but no matter which possibility he hits, it's certain that things won't turn out well for Arnold.

When I think about it, I feel that the somewhat dumb face in front of me is a terrifying thing with a fierce determination.

I look at the "Thousand Transformations" that has been keeping silent since a while ago.

Perhaps he was being tested. I wondered if Arnold was good enough to realize his true intentions without being fooled by his ostensible acting and blatant lies. If he is, he'll be able to see the truth.

What would have happened if he had been too dumb to read the intentions of the "Thousand Transformations", or if his eyes had been clouded by anger?

And in that case, what choice would Arnold really have?
How could he make this man who had so blatantly tried to manipulate him swallow the most? What would be in the best interest of Arnold and the others?

Dare we completely defy the intentions of the Thousand Transformations and sell it to some nobleman or merchant? Even though they have no connections in this Imperial City? In the first place, selling a treasure that is known to be dangerous to a powerful person is the work of an unthinking fool. It's not hard to imagine which one people will believe, the one who has done a lot of good in this place, or the one who just came here, Arnold. The risk is too high.

Do you want to use it yourself? A treasure so blatantly dangerous that even a connoisseur would hesitate to appraise it? Arnold is brave, but he's not suicidal.

Do we refuse to negotiate and just sell it at auction? We could, but it's unlikely the treasure would sell for much. And in that case, it's probably the "Thousand Transformations" in front of you who will win the treasure. There's no way to limit the bidders.

Keep it in the party? That's exactly what's in the palm of the hand of the Thousand Transformations for no one's benefit.

After countless thoughts, the answer was simple.
Negotiate and sell out. But - taking advantage of this strategy, he would sell it for a reasonable price that he couldn't refuse.

There's no risk on Arnold's side, and it's the most advantageous. There's no great disadvantage on the Thousand Transformations side either. It's the best solution.

'Well, what do we do now?

Am I reading too much into this? Of course, that's a possibility.
It is possible that the dangerous treasure is a misunderstanding of the Thousand Transformations, or--although it is extremely unlikely--there is no possibility that the Flesh Mask is a useful treasure.

However, if it was a useful treasure, then he could just point out the fact that he lied in the negotiations, and in the first place, regardless of whether it was true or not, that treasure was unnecessary for the Misty Thunder Dragon. Even if it's useful, I don't want to wear it. It's better to get rid of it now.

Don't make the wrong decision. You take a fist, you take a fist back. Venting your anger now is a fool's errand.

The reason I'm asking such a high price is to at least pay back for the thousand transformations I've tried.

Ten million guineas. That's not a price you can put on an unappraised, dangerous mask of flesh. When he lifted his lips and smiled, the only three Level 8s in the Imperial Capital looked somewhat miserable.
I'm sure he understood that Arnold had seen through all of his intentions.

It would be unexpected that the person he was trying to trap would be so calm.
And yet, there was no way he could not accept those words.

We've won this game.



'...... I understand. I'll take it for 10 million guild--'

'Wait a minute!

Just as I was about to say this, a male hunter sitting at the table next to me suddenly intervened.
He had dark brown hair and a scarred face. An older man I didn't recognize. To begin with, Arnold didn't have any acquaintances from the Imperial City.
When he glared at him, the man-hunter raised his hands in an exaggerated manner, smiled bitterly, and said.

'I'm not looking for a fight. That treasure--I'll buy it for twice that amount.

'............? What did you just say?

Stingray gives a quizzical look at the unlikely intruder. The [Thousand Transformations] also had a dumbfounded look on its face.

If it was unexpected that there was a hunter who would buy that mask of flesh for 20 million guild, it was also unexpected that an unrelated man at the next table would suddenly raise his voice.

As for Arnold, he doesn't care who he sells it to. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for, and how you can get it.
I'm sure he just heard you say that the Thousand Transformations is a dangerous treasure.

Citry had a pained expression on his face.
Starting with the stranger, hunters everywhere in the tavern began to stand up and shout.
Everyone's eyes are serious.

'Wait, I'll give you 25 million!

'Wait. I've had my eye on you for a long time! I'll give you 30 million!

'This is the treasure that the Thousand Transformations is trying to acquire regardless of the means. I'll give you 40 million!

'You're just trying to resell it! Stay back!

'Hey, what the hell is going on? What the hell are these people doing?

Stingray stood up and looked around the tavern in a panic.
Before he knew it, there was a lot of shouting going on in the tavern. The look in their eyes made you feel like they were going to kill you. Some of them even started to fight each other.


All of them were shouting the prices in high spirits. A drunkard was looking at the sudden auction with a blank stare.

'Forty-two million!

'Forty-three million!

'd*mn it, I'll give you 45 million!

'You don't have that kind of money! You're in debt, what are you talking about?

'Shut up! I'll sell my equipment to buy it!

What? What's the joke? Do these guys really want that flesh mask that badly?
...... still have some information I don't know? I'm not sure what to make of it.


Why do these people want such a fearsome treasure? What's going on?

I'm not sure what to do.

'Haha ...... Cry-san, you're trying to borrow money here and there, you should have ...... asked me from the start.'

'Ehh ......'.

The price of the meat mask went up and up and up, despite my sigh of distraction. One of the drunks stood up dazedly and began to conduct an impromptu auction in an exuberant voice.

The situation was no longer under control.
Arnold doesn't know if the hunters around him who are raising the prices are really trying to buy the treasure.

'One hundred million'.

And then, in the midst of the storm of angry voices, a dainty voice rang out.
The hunters, who had been gradually raising their prices, all looked in the direction of the voice.
On the table where the bottle had fallen, a luxurious-looking white dress fluttered to life. At her waist hung a sword that did not resemble her young limbs.

'That most powerful treasure ...... will be purchased by Eclair Gladys for 100 million! Do you like that?

'Ah. This is why I hate aristocrats and merchants. ...... Cry, why don't you just back off?''

Citry sighs weakly and tugs on Kry's sleeve.
The girl who called herself Eclair Gladys smiled confidently and stared down at the "thousand changes".