Chapter 75: That Damned Dog

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: That Damned Dog

Hesia was impressed. ’This shopkeeper seems pretty honest.’

’The more expensive items have higher profit margins, yet he’s actively considering the best value for his customers.’

But his goal wasn’t to buy; it was to sell.

"So... how much is it, exactly?"

The shopkeeper held up five fingers.

Hesia ventured a guess, "Five Golden Shields?"

The shopkeeper smiled and shook his head. "You must be joking, little brother. It’s 50 Golden Shields."

50!

A jolt of joy went through Hesia. ’50 Golden Shields! Doesn’t that mean the one in my bag could also sell for a fortune?’

But he quickly sensed something was off. A sky-high price of 50 Golden Shields seemed unusual for a shop in a shady alley like this.

’Who would come here to buy it?’

He didn’t let it show on his face. Instead, he played along and immediately pulled the dark red Crystal Core from his bag. As the shopkeeper stared in slight astonishment, he said, "What a coincidence, boss. I have one that looks just like it. Do you buy these?"

This smooth "ask the price before showing the goods" maneuver clearly caught even the experienced shopkeeper off guard. He froze for a moment.

But the shopkeeper quickly composed himself. His gaze fell upon the Crystal Core, and after a brief glance, he asked, "This one of yours, what Demon’s Crystal Core is it?"

Hesia answered truthfully, "A Thorny Wild Boar."

Hearing this name, a flicker of shock flashed deep in the shopkeeper’s eyes.

Then he frowned and shook his head regretfully.

"A Thorny Wild Boar... what a pity."

Hesia’s heart tightened. "Is there a problem?"

"A big one," the shopkeeper sighed, placing the two Crystal Cores side by side. "Look here, little brother. Although they look similar, the intensity of their Magic Power fluctuations is completely different."

"The Crystal Core of a Frenzied Snake Lizard has pure and violent Power. But a Thorny Wild Boar’s... how should I put it? It’s all for show. The Power inside is impure and muddled, leading to an extremely high failure rate for Enchantment, and the effects are greatly diminished."

He paused, then said in a "this is for your own good" tone, "To be honest, no one in Copper Nail Lane usually buys a Crystal Core of this Quality."

Hearing this, Hesia’s heart sank—not from disappointment, but from vigilance.

’This whole speech... it’s too smooth, too practiced, as if it’s been rehearsed countless times.’

’Especially that line, "no one usually buys," it’s a classic lowballing tactic. If nobody really wanted it, a merchant wouldn’t waste his breath; he’d just tell me to leave.’

Sure enough, at that moment, the shopkeeper changed his tune.

"However, seeing as you asked for the price before taking it out, you must be a new Adventurer trying to make your way in Rose Town, looking for a fair price. I was an adventurer in my youth, so I know it’s not easy for you guys. How about this? I’ll give you my best price—5 Golden Shields! What do you say?"

From 50 Golden Shields to 5.

One was heaven, the other, earth.

Hesia sneered inwardly.

’First, he dangles an inflated, sky-high price to whet your appetite. Then he devalues your item until it’s worthless. Finally, he pretends to be a ’good guy’ and throws out a seemingly ’fair’ lowball offer...’

’This routine is just too classic.’

’And when I think about those two "passersby" at the door who were praising the shopkeeper to the heavens, who are still wandering around nearby like pre-programmed NPCs...’

But these were just his suspicions. He needed to confirm them.

"Sorry, boss, I need to think about it!"

He tossed out the sentence and calmly turned toward the door.

In the instant he passed by Bruce, a light tap of his foot and a single glance conveyed the command.

Bruce understood immediately and silently remained near the shop entrance.

...

「Ten minutes later, man and dog met at the corner of the alley.」

"Hesia, that shop is definitely shady!"

"What happened?"

"Report! Those two guys at the door! Every time a customer walks in, they go up to them and praise the shopkeeper with the exact same words! They say he’s a traveling merchant and his stuff is cheap! I listened for a while, and they repeated it at least three or four times!"

A flash of understanding crossed Hesia’s eyes.

’They’re shills, just as I thought!’

Inside the shop, as the middle-aged shopkeeper watched Hesia leave, his face showed no sign of anxiety. Instead, a confident, victorious smile appeared.

He was all too familiar with this kind of reaction from novice Adventurers.

The kid was most likely making an excuse to go out and compare prices, which was exactly what he wanted.

The shops near the entrance of Copper Nail Lane were all shadier than the last; none of them dealt in Crystal Cores legitimately.

After that kid made a round asking, the prices he’d hear would only be lower than his offer of 5 Golden Shields.

Years of experience had convinced him that after hitting a few walls, this kind of greenhorn would most likely come back and obediently make the deal.

After all, low-level Adventurers who managed to get a Crystal Core from a Thorny Wild Boar usually did so out of sheer luck and were completely clueless about the true value of such materials.

He glanced at the so-called Frenzied Snake Lizard Crystal Core on the counter—that thing was also from a Thorny Wild Boar. It was a prop he’d bought not long ago for 13 Golden Shields.

That kid just now had a naive look on his face. He’d probably gotten that Crystal Core through a stroke of dumb luck.

Even seasoned veterans had fallen for his time-tested combination of tricks. How could a wet-behind-the-ears kid possibly see through it?

He was certain the kid would never discover the trickery involved.

So, he leaned back leisurely against the counter, picked up a Golden Shield, and began polishing it slowly, patiently waiting for his prey to walk back into the trap.

However, as time ticked by, the man and his dog never returned.

The smile on his face slowly faded, his patience gradually replaced by agitation.

He walked to the doorway and peered out, but they were long gone from the alley.

"Dammit!"

...

Hesia finally understood.

"This Copper Nail Lane is nothing but a den of swindlers! Each one is shadier than the last!"

The first shop was trying to get something for nothing.

The second shop not only had shills working with them but also a complete set of verbal traps that had almost gotten him.

But giving up just like that and going straight to Four Seas Currency left a bad taste in his mouth.

The major trading houses were reliable, sure, but their prices were also rock-solid low. He’d never get a high price there.

’You really have to keep your eyes peeled when buying things from these ’cutthroat’ shops.’

Unfortunately, he had no experience in this area and had no idea how many more tricks these old dogs had up their sleeves.

’If only I could get an entry to make me shrewder.’

’For example, maybe I could get entries like [Shrewd] or [Business Acumen] to drop from naturally business-savvy creatures like goblins or Dwarves?’

’But distant water can’t put out a nearby fire. What should I do now?’

His gaze fell on Bruce, who was panting beside him with his tongue out, wearing a "praise me, quick!" expression.

The swindlers’ strategies were all designed for humans. An Adventurer’s eyes and ears could be deceived, but what about a dog’s?

An idea sparked in Hesia’s mind: he could have Bruce gather intelligence for him.

Meanwhile, he could use the time to buy a piece of Cloth Armor.

The price for something like that was transparent, only a few dozen Silver Scales, so it wouldn’t affect his budget for buying a Scroll.

Besides, acquiring defensive gear was a higher priority than any other item.

Speaking of which, he had originally planned to use the hide from the Thorny Wild Boar to make a simple set of Leather Armor, but Hulk had quickly shot that idea down.

Hulk believed: "The Thorny Wild Boar’s hide is too thick. The Leather Armor made from it is very inflexible. While the defense is decent, I wouldn’t recommend you use it."

Hesia thought he had a point. After all, being able to dodge an attack was often much safer than tanking it.

Buying a common piece of equipment was far simpler than selling an expensive material. As long as you had a little bit of judgment, you wouldn’t get scammed.

Thinking of this, Hesia said to Bruce:

"Bruce, let’s split up. You go wander around the alley and see which shops the real veteran Adventurers are willing to enter. We’ll meet back here later."

Bruce didn’t move right away. Instead, he spoke up, "Hesia, why are we wasting our time here? Can’t we just go to Four Seas Currency? There definitely won’t be any scammers there. And maybe... we could even run into Miss Annis."

When Hesia heard that, he was suddenly filled with exasperation.