18 Divine cat Mii-chan, also known as Mii-sama.

The next day is a day off, so I woke up at six in the morning and had breakfast. Mii-chan is also full of energy, happily munching on her cat food. “Is it delicious, Mii-chan?”

“Mii~”

Watching Mii-chan, I thought about what to do for provisions. Typically, preserved food isn’t the tastiest. Unlike a world like Japan, where food culture is highly developed, this world probably doesn’t offer much in that regard. So, I wondered if I could use Mii-chan’s bag to keep warm meals stored.

I asked the innkeeper for a cup of hot water and had Mii-chan store it in her bag. If it stays warm until lunchtime, I’ll prepare fresh food and have Mii-chan store it. Freshly cooked meals are always better.

Next, I headed to the craftsman’s workshop that the weapon shop owner had recommended yesterday. The craftsman district is on the west side of the city. Although I hadn’t been there before, I heard there’s also a craftsman’s guild nearby. When I arrived at the address given, it turned out to be a workshop rather than a shop.

“Excuse me, is anyone here?”

“Mii~”

“It’s rare to have visitors here,” came a voice from inside. A gentle-looking old man with white hair appeared from the back. I had expected a more rugged-looking person since I was looking for a craftsman.

“I’m here to have a leather armor repaired and resized.”

“Hmm. Let me see it,” the old man said as I handed him the leather armor.

“Oh, dragon hide, is it? This is indeed a very high-quality hide. The inside isn’t great, but it’s still a good piece. Even I wouldn’t be able to craft something of this caliber.”

The old man is really praising it. It seems like a pretty good piece of equipment.

“So, how would you like it repaired?”

“What do you mean?”

“Whether to repair it as is, or to add something more to it.”

“What would happen if you added something?”

“Well, if it were up to me, I’d insert a thin layer of hard leather or metal between the hide and the lining. Even as it is, it won’t be pierced by arrows, but it’s somewhat lacking against sword or spear attacks.”

“That would make it heavier, wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, it would. You seem to lack in strength, so it might be better to leave it as is.”

“Then please repair it as it is.”

“Mii-chan.”

After that, they made adjustments to the size. It’s a bit big now, but the old man says it will fit perfectly once I build up some muscle. In the meantime, he’ll adjust it with a belt.

The repair will take about ten days, which is just right. I had to pay half upfront, fifty thousand ret. It’s quite a sum, but the old man says once the repair is complete, this hide armor could sell for over five hundred thousand ret. That’s how good it is. If I think of it as an investment in protecting my life, it’s quite a bargain.

I told the old man that I would pick up the item after returning from my work in the neighboring town, and then left the workshop.

I decided to head to the Willar Tool Shop. I wanted to see if they could buy the ring I got from the bazaar. I hoped that Mr. Schwarz would buy it at a fair price. He surely wouldn’t try to cheat me.

“Welcome, Miss Mii and Mr. Nero. It’s good to see you.”

“Mii~”

Why is Mii-chan addressed with “sama” and I’m just “san”? I wanted to ask, but it seems too discouraging, so I decided to let it go… I responded with a wry smile.

“What kind of item are you looking for today?”

“First, could you take a look at this and see if you’d be interested in buying it?”

I handed the ring to Mr. Schwarz. He took out a magnifying glass-like device and began examining it carefully. After a while, he said:

“This is a fine piece. I can’t determine the exact age, but it seems quite old. I’ve seen a similar antique design in the capital city, but this one appears to be of better quality. Where did you get this?”

Mr. Schwarz seems like someone who cannot be easily deceived. I felt as though he could see right through my inner thoughts.

“I found it at the bazaar yesterday and decided to buy it.”

“Mr. Nero, you must have a good eye and be very fortunate.”

“No, I’m not an expert. I have an appraisal skill. I may not be able to tell the quality of an item, but I can at least determine if it has value or not.”

“Is it alright for you to share such secrets?”

“I’m not sure. I just felt like lies wouldn’t work on Mr. Schwarz.”

“I see. Mr. Nero, did you appraise me?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Why don’t you try appraising me now?”

Schwarz Willar
Male
Former Baron
Truth-Seeking Eye
Business Talent
Swordsmanship
Horsemanship
Etiquette

It felt like I had seen something extraordinary.

“Did you see anything?”

“Yes, quite a lot…”

“The Truth-Seeking Eye, as it is called, is an innate ability. It’s known in the world as an extraordinary power.”

Extraordinary abilities are innate skills that are part of one’s body. For Mr. Schwarz, losing his eyes would also mean losing this ability. Such abilities are often referred to as gifts from the gods in society. Unlike skills that can be learned, these extraordinary abilities are often unique and can be difficult to use, with some even being called gifts from demons.

“My Truth-Seeking Eye allows me to know whether a person is telling the truth. Conversely, this ability caused me difficulties when I was younger. Still, the fact that you felt something without appraising me means you might have intuition or luck.”

“No, I don’t have those. Only something like luck enhancement.”

“I see. In that case, it seems you still need more training. As you continue to develop both mind and body, such abilities will naturally emerge.”

“I see, so people in this world don’t know about the vessel of the soul. But according to Mr. Schwarz, there might be hints of intuition or luck skills. If you continue to train, they might develop.”

“This ring would be highly desired by collectors of such items. So, I have a proposal: You could either sell it to me for five hundred thousand Ret or I could sell it to a collector and split the proceeds six to four, with you receiving the larger portion.”

“Hm. So, Mr. Schwarz, does that mean you’re confident you can sell this ring for over two million Ret?”

Mr. Schwarz showed a look of surprise for the first time since I arrived.

“Forgive me, but how did you come up with the two million figure?”

“I figured the purchase price would be about seventy percent of the selling price, so I calculated from there.”

“Impressive! So you did that calculation in your head just now. Mr. Nero, you might have a knack for business. However, seventy percent is about the level of a decent merchant. Very well, as a thank you for showing me such a valuable item, I’ll tell you honestly: I have connections with collectors who would likely pay at least three million Ret for this.”

“I see… Understood. I’ll sell it to you for fifty thousand Ret now.”

“Hmm. And why is that?”

“Because I want to establish a better relationship with Mr. Schwarz rather than just focusing on money.”

“Better relationship?”

“Yes. I came to this city with the intention of becoming a hunter. But since my time here has been short, I don’t have many people I can trust. Mr. Schwarz, with your wealth of life experience, I would like to consult with you if needed. I want to cherish this rare encounter with someone like you. I believe that a meaningful relationship with you will be a greater asset to me than just money.”

“A once-in-a-lifetime encounter… I somewhat understand the meaning.”

“It’s a saying from my homeland that emphasizes the importance of cherishing a once-in-a-lifetime meeting.”

“That’s a wonderful sentiment. It resonates with the mindset of a merchant as well.”

“Mii~”

“And of course, with you, too, Mii. But I feel that with you, it’s more about sharing our fates together.”

“Mii~?”