Chapter 16: You're Requesting Again...?
Brian was waiting for the artifact to change and produce light. If it glows in a translucent green light, then it means that his ring fulfilled the client's conditions while it will not produce anything if it does not.
The whole process only takes three breathes so he does not need to wait for long to answer his own worries. A pleasant ambiance surrounds the balance scale. It was small but there was a hint of green light around the Ring of Vows he placed.
Brian smiled wryly when he saw the results. He can only thank the client's girlfriend for having the ability to wear the ring.
When the transaction was a success, the silhouette was gone for a second before appearing again soon after. From the looks of it, the person behind took something behind the counter.
"Here is your Spirit Repellant Lantern."
<Spirit Repellant Lantern>
<Description: A lantern with unknown origins, lighting it up will repel bad omen within the distance of the fire can light through. It has not been used a lot so the lifespan of the lantern is almost the same as when it was brand new… (User lacks more knowledge to know more details)>
<Potential: D+>
An eerie black lantern passed through the magic glass and was placed on the counter table near Brian. There were actually cobwebs on some parts of the lantern waiting to be cleaned. This just to show how this item has not been used for days or even weeks.
"Can I look at the catalog once again?" Brian have not held his traded object yet, and he already wanted to trade once more.
"Hm?" The silhouette showed a brief surprised tone to his or her voice before using the magic to bring up the lists again.
Nothing changed among the catalog, except for one request which is already gone. The client just needs to visit here to claim his item so Brian's interest has chnaged straight away.
Brian did not trade his ring for nothing. He already saw a request that wanted something that could be related to the lantern. More specifically, the client wanted something to help his bad luck in exchange for another item Brian is not really sure of.
The man who requested for that kind of item should have listed his request earlier than the client who wanted a gift for his girlfriend because both requests are still on the board before Brian manage to deliver his ring.
Brian is confident his newly acquired lantern will produce green light when placed on the balance scale. In fact, he already had a plan ahead and can do this give and take for at least three more times.
That was good and all, but there were some problems that needed to be address before he can be a hundred percent sure about what he is doing.
The issue of him not knowing exactly the value of the items even with appraisal is still not solved. It does not mean he can sell it for a high price if his Appraisal skill showed a high Potential grade. A good set of clothes made from cheap materials will have a grade above the average, but it does not mean he can sell it to purchase a land.
Although the same kind be said vice versa. An item of a lower grade Potential might be the item he can finally used to finish his quest. Only circumstances can tell if he was trading for something with lower or higher value.
This style of bartering did contain a lot more risk, but what is risks in the eyes of a retired gambler. So when he gave back the lantern in exchange for the horn of a magical beast, he did not hesitate to proceed to the next step.
"If dear human can excuse me, can I ask… Does dear human have an item in mind?" The silhouette started to doubt the actions of Brian.
It was not weird for a customer to use their service consecutively. However, that case only happens when the customer trades for two different items. They never have a client that traded an item just to use it to trade for another item in their list.
"I don't have something in mind. I'll just see how far I can go."
'What is his business here? Is he playing around?' The silhouette cannot help but think when looking the face of the indecisive customer.
Fortunately for him, there were no other people or else the human customer would be creating a line behind his back. He did not even touch the object he requested but instead just asked him to show him the catalogue once more.
This scene repeated for five times until Brian finally could not see anything he can trade into. Brian predicted he would only be able to barter three times more, but when see the descriptions of the items following it with his appraisal skill, he was still able to move up the ladder.
His continuous transaction made the man behind the service think of adding a charge for fulfilling a request. However, he stopped his petty thoughts because it will not do anything good at all.
From having the Ring of Vows to ending up with a pearl that could increase a mage's mana slightly, Brian is confident that it can be sold more in Soliel and can trade it much easier.
There was nothing on the list he can barter for his magical pearl anymore. Brian can only wait for the next day hoping that someone will add something from the list. Coincidentally, two customers entered the fray after Brian and Paia left, but he said to himself that he will see the changes tomorrow.
It was almost nighttime when they ended so when he and his daughter came to visit Raju's household, the family of 14 has already had their dinner. They invited them once again, but Brian declined politely with the reason that he needs to fix things in their own house.
Paia has some energy left since she did not do anything for almost half a day in the Auction House. Brian felt bad for letting his daughter accompany him in his boring business so he brought out the simple doll toy he secretly purchased for Paia.
She happily receives the gift. Paia kissed her father on both of his cheek to show her gratitude.
Brian was in his best mood when he started cooking for him and Paia. The dish he decided to make was a simple vegetable stew. He never cooked for himself when he lived the life as a noble. But as a man part of the army, he learned to mix something palatable here and there.
Doing their routine before sleeping, this would officially be the end of first day where the father and daughter have become independent. This day can be considered a huge success.
Paia was already asleep in his arms. While she was enjoying her stay in her dream land, Brian contemplated their experience so far.
'Asti, the masked man, Raju and Raine… We are really lucky to have met kind people along the way. In my current situation, I have more enemies than friends but that means I should only cherish the relationships I have further… I wonder what is currently happening back in Auzeweth.'
He was ill for longing a little bit although he immediately removed the thought to think more on what lays ahead.
From tomorrow onwards, he would be doing the same bartering activity. And if he plans to become an independent merchant later on, he needs to apply for proper citizenship to be able to conduct his future businesses.
Brian knows there were still a lot of things to deal with before he can have what you can call a comfortable life. But he only needs to take each step slowly.
"I don't expect everything to be smooth sailing. However, the last thing I want to do is regret because I did not do my best. This would be my third life, figuratively. I cannot make no more excuses for how my life will play out."
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