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Medicine Merchant Auction
「You’re late, aren’t you? Your food has gotten cold.....what’s with that outfit?」
Khan - who was sitting in the inn’s dining hall - sighed in relief. That was understandable. It was already deep into the night, well past dinner time. Why was I wandering around at such a late hour?
「Ah, yes, umm.....I thought it would be fine to wear clothes that can get dirty」
「Even so, there is a limit to how shabby it looks, isn’t there?」
Fluffy things were so terrifying.
After that, I was able to pinpoint the merchant I was looking for and let down my guard. I felt a strange sense of security and confidence as I mingled with the group of dogs and instinctively let my guard down. The comfort of fur touching my body. And also, the fact that the dogs were paying their respects to me.
In the midst of that pleasant feeling, I was almost falling asleep. However, I suddenly came to my senses and jumped up. The sun was setting, and I was lying completely naked on the ground. The surrounding dogs were keeping their distance, looking at me with puzzled looks on their faces.
I returned to being human thanks to the self-imposed conditions. That was a good thing, but the situation was bad. It would be bad if the guards were to discover me, and I also could not afford to be attacked by the dogs, so I took on the form of a dog again. This time, I was not stupid enough to bury myself among those furs again. I hurriedly ran off, trying to get to the inn.
But the dogs saw this and chased after me. Thanks to that, I ended up stuck with a massive dog parade throughout the whole town of Korapt in order to shake them off.
And I finally made it back after such a terrible hardship.
「Did you meet Gruvy or something?」
I was physically fine but completely exhausted mentally, yet Khan would not stop questioning me.
「I was not. You can check it out yourself」
「Hm, then, why were you late?」
I had no choice but to explain. He would take up the blame if the slave the family owns escapes. You normally could not leave the town without a pass, so there would be no problem, though. Still, he was probably a little impatient with me taking so long to return. Well, I left the gold coins behind when I left, so I think I earned their trust, though.
「I went to check out medicine」
「Medicine? Judging them?」
「But, all the items scheduled for auction are stored in the warehouse」
「Aah」
「So I was upset I couldn’t check them myself, even though I was taught how to distinguish them by smell」
「So that’s why」
Khan’s mouth curved sarcastically. I see, I suppose it was fine if I messed up here. It could bring the impertinent slave boy down a peg.
「So, I was trying my best in my own way to check them somehow」
「Hahahaha.....the guards wouldn’t let you through, right?」
「Yes」
He laughed when he saw my depressed face.
「Well, this is also a good experience. It is not always possible to judge items and make deals under favorable conditions. The result doesn’t matter, so do as you like」
「Yes」
You’re kidding. They did not tell me anything while knowing that everything could go wrong depending on luck. No, was this also part of their education? The world of business dealings was certainly unreasonable.
In any case, I had already finished judging the drugs. There was no way I was going to fail that easily.
「It’s late already, go eat and sleep. We are leaving early tomorrow」
Khan stood up from his chair after saying that.
I bowed and sat at the table. Honestly, the food here tasted better compared to the food served in Viscount House. It was the same on our journey here. So I could not help eating a lot recently, but.....I was not feeling very hungry right now. That was only natural. I left the inn having eaten lunch in the early afternoon, and it was not long before I transformed into a dog. With my physical sense, it felt like it was still around evening at most. But I had to eat and sleep.
The next morning. I woke up at dawn and had a simple breakfast of just soup and salad. I had been provided with a bit of water and bread just in case I got hungry on the way. I also brought the gold coins with me.
We were going to the auction hall right now. Each of us has our own destination, but to me, Khan was going to guide me. That was because children could not enter the auction hall alone in the first place. He would accompany me to the medicine merchant’s auction hall and inform them that I was a servant of the Viscount House.
Although I would be on my own after that. The auction was planned to be over before noon, more or less, so I would have to return to the Viscount House’s stall by myself. And before dusk, all business dealings would be over. From dusk into the night would be another time for information exchange that doubles as a festival. I’m sure I would just be staying at the inn at that time.
The stone illuminated by the morning sun cast a long shadow that was out of proportion for its size. Taking in the clear early morning air, Khan and the others kicked the gravel under their feet.
Once we got to the site, the rest went pretty smoothly. Khan pulled my hand and we quickly walked to the hall. He showed the way to my destination while telling me a brief explanation about what to use as a landmark when we joined up again.
When we arrived at the auction hall for the medicine merchants, Khan quietly spoke to the attendant at the entrance, saying that although the child was still young, they wanted them to treat me like an adult, so that I would take responsibility for myself. And with that, he quickly walked away.
I sat down and looked around me again.
I wondered if all auction halls had a similar shape. The seats were set in a fan shape. A stage was prepared for the person at the base of the fan-shaped area. Everything was made of wood this time. It looked old and slightly dirty, which indicated it had been reused for several years. I’m sure it would probably be dismantled and returned to the warehouse once this season was over.
Last time, I was the product at the stage. This time, I was the one purchasing from this side.
Incidentally, the auction for a large number of items, such as medicines, may sometimes use a special format.
For example, even if someone told me to get 100 kg of tsumaraka bark, I would end up in trouble. I would be unable to purchase it in its entirety. I would like to buy some, but I couldn’t purchase such a large amount. So, each person specified the preferred amount of money and quantity they wanted to purchase with a hand signal. First, you rang the bell at hand, and when the attendant looked your way, you leaned forward and specified the price and quantity you wanted to purchase. The attendant looked at it and took note. Who would buy and how much.
And when the time comes, they would start to check from the bottom. For example, let us say that the seller offers to sell 10 kg of tsumaraka bark at a starting price of 1 silver per kg. In response, A offered all 10 kg for 2 silver, B followed by 3 kg for 3 silver coins each, and C offered to purchase 2 kg for 4 silver coins each. So, C would secure 2 kg for 8 silver coins, B would secure 3 kg for 9 silver, but A would get half of what he offered, 5 kg, for 5 silver coins. If, D comes in this transaction after C, and wants to purchase 5 kg for 5 silver each, A would be unable to get any.
Still, this was an auction, so you could not bid lower than the previous bidder. In that case, it was possible to harass the other participants by specifying that you would like to purchase only a small amount at a high price in the beginning. But, there was an unspoken agreement that this kind of thing should not be done. If someone were to act in this way, the seller could end up with a large amount of unsold items, and the participants who hoped to purchase at a fair price would also be disappointed. Every year, there were some idiots who broke this kind of taboo, and it seemed that once they do, they would be blacklisted forever.
This time, it was really a race against time. On the way here, Khan had taught me the hand signal and the auction format used here. And I guess it was thanks to my Business Dealing skill, as usual, I was able to learn the hand signal naturally. Still, it seemed like the deals were completed quite fast, and unless you stayed alert and paid attention to the other bidders’ hand signals, you would not be able to tell whether your order had gone through or not.
But, being flustered in this place was something only amateurs would do. Unless trading was something as natural as breathing, you'd better estimate your budget and purchasing patterns in your head beforehand. For example, I was going to buy the Teka leaves for 20 silver per kg, so I would ring the bell once the price passed 17 silver coins. Every single item here had its market price. So as long as you do not order outside of that market price range, you should be able to somehow get the amount you need. There were multiple merchants selling the same items, so even if you could not get the first one, you might be able to get it the second time.
But, I think I was going to change my plan for today for a bit. The aim was no longer just the items.
Footsteps echo on the stage. A young man with sharp eyes came on stage.
「Dear guests, has everyone here? This is the auction for a medicine merchant. You haven’t made a mistake, have you?」
He quickly mumbled in a businesslike manner. What was with his tone that lacks any cheerfulness, even though this was supposed to feel like a festival?
「Ummー, well then, I think it is time for us to get started. Dear guests, do you have the schedule on hand? If not, please let us know, as we are distributing them」
Despite saying that, he probably understood that there were no such clumsy merchants at this stage. I quickly looked around at the guests. Roughly 70% of the seats were filled. Actually, this medicine auction was not that popular. Certainly, Korapt was a medicine-producing area, and that was why people bought them here regularly. Truly valuable and rare medicines were not sold here but traded at the auction for valuable items.
「Now then, let’s get started. First, putting up for sale by Ihaik Ishol, Bota fruit, 2 Dren ドレン. Starting from 3 silver coins per Kuun クーン」
The man acting as the host rang the bell while saying that. There were 3 people acting as clerks waiting below the stage, standing ready with nervous expressions. Their job was to check the guests’ hand signs and take notes without making any mistakes. It would lead to trouble if they mess up, so their responsibility was huge.
Incidentally, Dren and Kuun were the units of weight in this world. There seemed to be some minor difference, but as long as you recognized the unit as Dren equivalent to a tonne, and Kuun equivalent to kg, then you would not be far off.
A little while later, a bell rang. A young man in a distant seat was sending a hand sign. 4 silver for just 1 kuun, huh? Apparently, Ihike had gained a bad reputation as a speculator. The man who ordered such a small amount probably had some prior information. Perhaps the reason he only purchased a small amount in the smallest unit was to check the quality. Or he could be a fake buyer paid by Ihike himself.
But, not everyone probably understood the situation. Among the people were those who looked nervous. Their faces looked like they were about to place a bid but managed to stop themselves. I was sure they must have received some advice from their senpais. Maybe something like, ‘Don’t act rashly if no one speaks up’.
「……it is time. Then next」
It was unfortunate, as Ihaik would probably be unable to get a good business in Korapt anymore. It would be great if everyone forgot about it in a year’s time, but merchants had an unusually good memory. Unless a newcomer he could trick showed up, he would not be making any profit.
「Number 26, Gash Yokona. 70 kuun of Teka leaves. Start from 13 silver coins for 1 kuun」
Here it is.
While I was here, I wanted to buy some Teka leaves from him. I was planning to purchase them with a budget of around 20 silver coins, but in the worst case, I was prepared for the price to jump up to 25 silver coins. I had to be careful if there were a lot of people who purchased in the 23 silver coin range. In that case, the amount I could purchase would be reduced to 80%.
Being able to get a certain price in this kind of place was like a status symbol to merchants. How high would the price be? This, in other words, shows how much people trust you. And sure enough, it seemed that people had quite a lot of trust in Yokona as the price gradually rose.
A middle-aged man sitting nearby raised his hand to signal a bid of 17 silver coins. I rang the bell while sneaking a look at the expressions of the people around me. There was someone who rang the bell before me, so I signed after that person. After making sure it was my turn, I stood up and sent my sign as planned. For a moment, the clerks had a puzzled look on their faces, knowing it was a kid, but then they immediately recorded my sign.
Now, it was time to brace myself. Who would bid and how much? A total of 17 kuuns(kg), which was not a lot by any means. My initial bid was 5 kuuns, meaning 10 gold coins. However, other merchants had prepared hundreds of gold coins here. One large bid was enough to blow my bid away.
An old man in the distance bid 20 kuuns for 21 silver coins. So there were 45 slots left. Another man bid 10 kuuns for 22 silver coins. 35 more. Think. In case the bidding went further than this. The closer to the very end I could secure my bid, the better. In other words, I would get it cheaply.
It was hard to imagine but what if there was a large bid of more than 25 silver? At that point, I couldn’t suddenly say 「 I will bid for 25 after all」. This was a chicken race.
10 kuuns for 23 silver. Even so, this was still a bit cheap compared to the usual market price. What to do? Should I ring the bell? There were 25 slots remaining. A bell rang in the distance. 15 kuuns for 24 silver. Meaning, if there was someone who bought more than 15 kuuns next, I would be unable to buy any Teka leaves. I reached for the bell.
But, let’s take a deep breath here. Khan said. Before ringing the bell, take a deep breath, exhale, and look around. When I noticed it, the surroundings had fallen completely silent. Everyone was hesitating to bid, thinking that the price may have gone up too much. The auction had only just reached the middle stages, and there were e still other merchants selling Teka leaves.
「……It is time. Next」
I’m glad. I let out a sigh of relief.
I still had other medicine to bid on, so I could not let my guard down, but at least for now I could feel a peace of mind.
The auction ended safely just before noon.
I was able to purchase the materials as planned. I would probably be able to get a small profit even if I were to bring them back and sell them. But, my real aim went beyond that. I would compound and mix them all by myself and turn them into medicine in demand for this season. This would make the price increase even further.
However, that aside, I had a plan. I kept my eyes fixed on several men quietly slipping out from the back door. I fixed my gaze on one of them, a somewhat stout middle-aged man wearing a long robe. His dark brown, stiff-looking beard stood out. On his head was an exaggeratedly large Central Saharian-style hat. His face was lined with countless wrinkles, most of them were no doubt the result of repeated forced smiles.
「Thank you for the good deal」
He looked caught off guard when I greeted him, but he immediately corrected his expression, and a smile returned on his face.
「It is my pleasure. And.....you are?」
He seemed a little unsure about his choice of words. Well, that makes sense. He would not believe that a kid like me would participate in this auction. But since some merchants were bringing their entourage, he might think my master was nearby. But, if someone were to send an apprentice or a slave to greet him, then his tone would have been completely different.
「My name is Fay, Khan’s apprentice, a merchant from Pyris. You are Gash Yokona-sama, yes?」
Khan’s name was well-known. And he had a look that seemed to say, ‘Ah, I see’ But, when he looked around, Khan was nowhere to be found. And so, what was a kid doing here all alone? His face showed a hint of puzzlement.
「That is true. By the way, which one is your master?」
「Yes. The master is in the central square. I wanted to personally greet you today so I decided to get in touch」
He let out a surprised sigh, hou. He just entered from the back door to check on the sales of his items, so he still did not know I had placed an order for one of his items.
「I have also purchased a small amount of the Teka leaves from Yokona-sama」
「You did? By yourself?」
「Yes. I was entrusted with the transaction」
「Hoh, that is, amazing, isn’t it」
It was not strange for a young merchant to approach a senior merchant and build a connection. They make an information network like this after all. Only, I was still too young.
「I am still inexperienced but I’d be grateful to receive your guidance while this market is still being held」
「No no no, you’re already so wise despite being so young. As expected from an apprentice of a Viscount's House. Please come again tonight」
Hearing that, I bowed. Now the greeting was done.
Honestly, there was no need to call out to him, but he looked like he might actually be useful.
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Gash Yokona (42)
・Material Human Form
(Rank 5, Male, 42 years old)
・Skill Fores Language Level 5
・Skill Hanfan Language Level 5
・Skill Ruin Language Level 5
・Skill Business Dealing Level 5
・Skill Medicine Compounding Level 4
・Skill Woodworking Level 3
・Skill Sewing・Leather Craftsman Level 3
Empty (35)
------------------------------------------------------
Which one should I start with for the time being?
There's no point in taking away Fores language. It would cause a huge commotion if something abnormal suddenly happened. Having said that, I would have to throw away a skill if I want to steal a skill I had not learned. I actually want another language skill but I had to endure it for now.
So that leaves Business Dealing and Medicine Compounding, huh. In that case, the latter.
……ah, but, it was impossible to steal the experience immediately. That was because I had snatched the dog’s body yesterday afternoon. 24 hours still hadn't passed, so I could not use Piercing Hand.
This was why, I tried to buy Yokona’s produce even if it was a bit of a stretch. So I planned to introduce myself as a customer who purchased his items and as a junior merchant.
But, with this, I too, could become an advanced pharmacist. My level will probably also increase. Khan provides the book to fill in the knowledge I was lacking.
What was left was the Business Dealing skill. I would approach him again the day before we leave Korapt and steal his skill. What will happen to Yokona, deprived of his skill that was central to his business? But it was his bad luck to meet me here. After all, setting aside he was Detel’s enemy, there was a reason to resent him. Thanks to him selling Detel carelessly, I got seriously hit by Myluc.
Just thinking it like this might mean I had become soft. Immediately after I was brought to the slave housing facility, I had planned to steal experience and skill, no matter from whom it was. But, the problem in reality, except for a few adults, people around me were only children with abilities not worth stealing. And, my own life would immediately be threatened if I were to take the adults’ skill.
And before I knew it, I had become someone with a weak heart who hesitated to steal the experience even from someone with no relation or connection with me at all. Of course, there was also the strong fear of 「Having my true ability exposed」 but still.....
It seemed like I had let my guard down because the life-and-death experience and the days back in Linga village had ended.
My original plan was to spend the last days freely and steal a bird’s body from outside the town, but I will not do that now. That would mean throwing away the body of the dog I had just stolen yesterday. Well, it was fine to change it, but it was a body I had taken after so much trouble, and a life has also been lost. Since I would be using Piercing Hand elsewhere, I could probably deal with the bird’s body another time.
After that, nothing happened in our days in Korapt, and once we finished our 4-day stay, we left the town of Korapt.
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