“Then head back first.”
After quickly finishing the hunt around the 200th floor underground, I was about to send the members of Smile Handmade back to the surface.
“Wait a bit, Yuma is still in the toilet.”
“That’s taking a while. Well, today, we certainly got to see what an A-Class party is like.”
“The same to you. Those six Succubi were quite a sight.”
Those six-colored Succubi were already stored away when we returned to the hut.
“Speaking of which, Sekki, are you participating in the Auction?”
“As a buyer. I thought about putting up dried meat from Sweet Matango, but it seems unlikely to sell unless there’s a considerable amount.”
Clarice was chatting happily with Yas, the Magician. I felt a pang of jealousy. Yas did seem to be around my age. Then, Dwarf Half Jeeha joined them. What could they be talking about?
“Sorry to keep you waiting! Since I had time, I cleaned up too.”
Yuma emerged from the toilet looking refreshed. I couldn’t fault her for that refreshing demeanor.
“Alright then, I’ll be waiting in front of the Hero Reception.”
That refreshing group swiftly boarded the Magic Lift. Clarice, however, stuck to me.
“Hehe, I’m happy.”
“Huh? Happy about what?”
“That you seemed jealous.”
Ehh, how did she know?
“You could see right through me?”
“Of course. With an expression like that…”
“Ugh, I was that obvious…”
I felt a bit dejected.
“It’s okay. I was just asking about the processing method for the bones I gave you.”
“Huh? That Magician can process them himself?”
“No, he’s going to ask a Blacksmith at the Free Forge Market.”
So, the Sky Market in the West District, where various items are sold, apparently has many Blacksmiths who can strengthen items.
“Deles, about that, I’m thinking of taking a bit of a gamble.”
“Eh, are you betting at the Stadium? Or perhaps Nina will be participating?”
“No, that place is currently being prepared as an Auction Venue.”
Oh, right. Oops.
“Um, if not, then it’s about the Blacksmith?”
“Ah, I intend to have the bones strengthened. Whether into a sword or a staff. Swords are better in terms of difficulty and rarity, but demand is low. So, generally, it’ll be a staff. I plan to raise the level of thirty-eight bones by four stages.”
“Um, what are the chances of that?”
The first stage of turning materials into weapons, for bones, is almost 100%. However, to make them stronger requires the Blacksmith’s skill and luck.
“If I can make one, that would be good. The problem is, what kind of staff should it be?”
“A Magician’s staff, or a Cleric’s staff?”
“Lord Derus, though the difficulty increases, there are also Sage staves and Illusionist staves.”
As expected of Saint Clarice, she’s very knowledgeable about staves.
“If it’s successful, we can put it up for Auction. If it’s not good enough, we can use it ourselves.”
“But Blacksmiths who have a high success rate also cost a lot of money, don’t they?”
“Indeed. Fortunately, many renowned Blacksmiths have gathered for the Auction.”
“Nina, do you have anyone in mind?”
“I do, but he’s exclusively a sword craftsman. He’s an apprentice to the Blacksmith who made that Berserk Sword.”
Ah, that’s reassuring.
“Then perhaps we should consider a sword?”
“The Darkness Bone Sword is difficult to use. Its strength isn’t particularly high either.”
“What kind of opponents would you use it against?”
“It becomes the only effective physical weapon against Light Attribute gaseous or spectral enemies, but such places are rare.”
“Conversely, that means in such places, it’s where it truly shines.”
It certainly doesn’t sound like it would sell well.
“That’s why it’s better suited as a staff.”
“Excuse me, Lord Derus. I was asking about a Blacksmith skilled in staff enhancement, but it seems I gave the impression of being all cozy together. I apologize. Tonight, I will sincerely serve you in bed.”
“No, no, it’s fine. I see, staff enhancement. If it fails, it all disappears, doesn’t it?”
Nina nodded quietly. Unlike Anju, her nod had incredible conviction and presence.
“So, Deles, is there anything you have that can be put up for Auction?”
“Yes, once we finish reporting at the Adventurer Guild, we’ll proceed with the paperwork at the Commercial Guild.”
“There are still four days until the Auction. If it’s going to be displayed beforehand, the sooner the better.”
The Magic Lift returned. Before boarding, I got the Fairy Ring back from Helen.
“Deles, speaking of which, slaves will also be up for Auction on the second day, won’t they? Will you sell Helen?!”
“!!”
Helen was speechless. Nina, too, was a troublemaker.
“Um, Nina, you’re joking, right?”
“Ah, but I recall Helen saying she’d do as she pleased.”
“…”
“Oh dear, Helen has fallen silent. Please forgive me.”
“Indeed, it would be a waste to sell her. I’ll give her to Deles.”
(She’s saying whatever she wants, but there’s nothing I can do about it.)
Including a slightly dejected Helen, we returned to the first basement floor of the Adventurer Guild. Upstairs, we entered the Hero Reception as a joint party. Generally, there is no sharing of materials.
“Congratulations, Helen has reached Summoner Level 52!”
“Today too?! N-no way, I’m leveling up consecutively…”
Yes, her reaction was natural.
“Tomorrow, I’ll have you level up again, alright?”
“Yes! I will do my best.”
A motivated Slave is wonderful.
“Nina Starlights, you’ll be joining us again tomorrow, won’t you?”
“Ah, at the same time, please.”
“Then, I’ll be here.”
We parted ways with the refreshing group.
“Oh, is it that late already! I need to go pick up Anju.”
“Understood. Now, Deles, after this it’s the Commercial Guild, but what about after that?”
“Hmm, ah! The Information Broker! …No, it’s too early for that.”
“Let’s just confirm the location. We can also check out some Blacksmiths at the market while we’re at it.”
“That sounds good. We can wander around until dinner time.”
First, before anything else, we need to complete the procedures for the Auction items.
(How much would that thing actually go for here?!)
And so, we headed towards the Commercial Guild.
