บท 29: Selling Labyrinth Loot 2
Garen grunts, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "You've got a point, lass. Consistent supply is worth its weight in gold. Well, not literally if all you bring me is from the lower floors, but you do get the point." He looks back at me, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Alright, I'll play along for once, but 60 bronze is still a stretch. How about 45 bronze coins? That's more than what I would give to my friend's son who is also a novice explorer like you two."
I keep my expression steady, despite the urge to accept his offer immediately. The Lesser Barter ability is pushing me to aim higher. "How about 50 bronze coins, Garen? Five more coins should be nothing to a well-off and long-established merchant such as yourself, while for us beginners it can be the difference between life or death."
Garen's eyes flash with a mix of amusement and respect. He leans forward, placing his large hands on the counter. "50 bronze coins, huh? You're a shrewd one, even playing to my heartstrings. Alright, 50 it is, but only if you promise me that you will treat your slave well in exchange, youngster. My grandma used to work as a maid for the Fujimori clan and she was very well treated. In fact, she and my grandpa were the ones who established this shop using their accumulated savings thanks to her high salary. I don't know nor care how someone from that clan lost their freedom, but I still don't wish to see her mistreated."
We are both taken aback. Ayame, especially, looks shocked by this revelation. Her eyes widen, and she stares at Garen with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. "Your grandmother worked for my clan?" she asks, her voice soft but incredulous.
In the meantime I realize that the fact that just looking at Ayame was enough to recognize her origins means that there are very few asian-looking individuals on this continent, with the possibility of her extended family being the only ones becoming quite plausible.
Garen nods, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Yes, she did. Spoke highly of the Fujimori family. Said they were honorable and fair. So, when I see you here, I see a bit of that old respect and loyalty. I don't know how the clan does these days, but back then working for them was a great honor for us common folk."
Ayame's expression softens, and she bows her head slightly in gratitude. "Thank you, Garen. I appreciate your concern and your fair dealing. I promise, Quinlan has treated me with respect and fairness."
Garen nods, satisfied. "Good to hear. Now, let's get you those 50 bronze coins." He counts out the coins and hands them to me. I pocket the money, feeling a sense of joy and relief.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Garen says, his tone warmer now. "Remember, rare materials fetch a good price here. Keep me in mind."
"We will," I reply. "Thanks for the deal."
As we exit Garen's Monster Emporium, the clink of the coins in my pocket is a reassuring sound. Then I give said pouch to my lovely companion because good luck to any petty thieves who attempt to take it from her. The streets are quieter now, with only a few people still out and about.
"Good job in there," Ayame says, her eyes reflecting a mix of admiration and curiosity. "I didn't know you were good at bartering."
I shrug modestly. "It's nothing special, but thanks for the praise." I then can't help but grin at her. "Reliable supply, huh? I didn't think my precious samurai was capable of spouting such nonsense."
Her cheeks redden to a tomato shade. "It was the first time I did something shameful like this… I… I was just trying to help you out, but if I knew he had old ties to my family I wouldn't have said those things… I feel so guilty right now."
I pat her shoulder lightly, "don't mind it, Ayame. The merchant way of life is just as hard as the combatant's from a certain viewpoint. These people have the thickest skins in the world. Since it's very easy to tell your social status due to your iron collar, he should know that the only way for you to become a slave is that you were exiled from your clan, which means you don't have a way to verify his story anyways. Maybe he made all of this up to seem more likable. I honestly wouldn't be surprised even if the 50 coins he paid was too little for our haul in reality. Anyways, if we decide to live in Aldoria for the time being after we are done with our errand we can come back to this shop and see if a long term relationship is possible between us."
Her body seems to relax a little upon hearing my reasoning. Doing 'bad things' for a good girl like Ayame must've been hard mentally.
"I didn't know it was so easy to tell that you were from that clan. Doesn't that mean we have to worry about someone kidnapping you? You might've lost your value as a political hostage but what about some petty revenge? Or what about random powerful men who simply wish to 'try out' an exotic beauty like you? I wasn't aware that people from your continent were so scarce. Aren't we in danger?"
She thinks for a few seconds before replying. "Not particularly. Of course, danger is always around the corner, but while you can only find people with my features in the clan, said clan has over a hundred thousand members. If people realize that I was the heiress to the clan things might change, but the fucke- I mean the rude individuals of this continent say that we all look the same to them. Also, taking me from you by force would be foolish because doing so would alert the slave house and the authorities. This collar binds my life but in a way also protects it. Otherwise there would be no reason to title slaves with different work types. If the master is stronger than the combat/labor/service slave he or she could just force themselves upon the slave, however, the contract protects the slave from becoming a sex slave."
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