EP.128 The General Store Owner is a Treasure Goblin (7)
Though she couldn’t even imagine it, I knew a lot about Erintina. I knew she was a character inspired by elves, her past, and even what would happen in her future. Erintina paused for a moment before speaking.
“Surprisingly, you’re right.”
“Is that so?”
“This item suits me perfectly. The spirits told me so.”
“Spirits?”
“Yes, my ability is to summon spirits.”
Feigning ignorance, I replied, “Is that so?”
“Most people are surprised when I summon spirits, but you weren’t. It’s as if you already knew I could handle them.”
Seems like my acting wasn’t very convincing. She caught on right away.
“It wasn’t anything too surprising. As you can see, this artifact gave me some clues about your abilities.”
“This artifact?”
“Yes, do you have any idea what it might be?”
“No, I’m not sure. The spirits just insisted I must have it. I also feel an inexplicable desire for it.”
Despite her words, Erintina probably had some inkling about the artifact’s nature. But she was careful not to reveal too much, likely to avoid giving me any advantage.
She didn’t know if I was aware of the information she had. If she revealed the true value of the item, I might raise the price. I found this game of ‘push and pull’ and ‘bargaining’ with Erintina quite amusing. Especially when it came to disrupting her plans to get it cheaply.
‘Trying to get it on the cheap, are we?’
I smiled, conveying that it was out of the question.
“Then it seems only the spirits recognized it. They must have sensed a being like themselves sealed within.”
“…There’s a spirit sealed inside?”
She seemed more surprised that I knew about it than the fact that a spirit was sealed.
“Isn’t that why you were initially indifferent but then showed interest?”
I looked at her, indicating she shouldn’t think of lowering the artifact’s price any further. Erintina shrugged, admitting defeat.
“I completely lost. I usually have a good win rate in deals, but nothing works on you.”
Her success in deals likely wasn’t due to her eloquence but rather her stunning looks, which made merchants willingly become suckers.
“The merchants dealing with you probably had to sell their goods, but I’m not in such a desperate situation. Won’t another spirit summoner eventually visit my shop? They’ll be delighted to take this artifact then.”
“Hearing that makes me want to buy it even more.”
Her beautiful face frowned, perhaps at the thought of her unique equipment ending up in someone else’s hands. Even her angry expression was beautiful.
‘Her looks are truly unfair. Life must be so easy with a face like that.’
I thought my kids were quite good-looking too. But Erintina was a character the game developers had put a lot of effort into. She was very popular as a result. The feeling of seeing a character beloved by many players come to life as a ‘person’ before me was indescribable.
‘Just looking at her could mesmerize you.’
Her beauty was so stunning it made you question how someone could look like that. It was said that beauties in the past could bring down nations, and with looks like hers, it seemed entirely possible.
“I’ll think about it and come back.”
Erintina’s rational side showed in her decision to think it over, even when it came to her unique equipment.
“I’ll be waiting as long as you need.”
“Promise you won’t sell it?”
She asked, showing she wasn’t entirely devoid of possessiveness. I firmly declined her request, as if asking what she was talking about.
“As a merchant, I can’t make any promises.”
“…You’re not an easy person.”
Erintina left the shop, unable to hide her lingering attachment. As soon as she left, the shop was filled with the children’s voices, as if it were a miracle they had waited quietly.
“Wow~ She’s so pretty.”
“I’ve never seen anyone that beautiful before.”
“Hmm, it’s frustrating, but she is a bit prettier than me.”
“Vine, were you always like this?”
“Why? She’s really pretty.”
“But the teacher we saw earlier was just too pretty.”
“Hey, I’m not bad-looking either.”
“Sure, her hair color is special, so she’s pretty.”
The kids seemed to have been mesmerized by Erintina’s appearance and only snapped out of it later. After expressing their admiration for Erintina’s looks, the kids turned their attention to me, as expected. I decided to take their excitement in stride.
“Mister! Mister! Mister!”
“Please, just call me once.”
My ears are going to burst.
“Boss, boss! I was so surprised earlier. You really seemed like a merchant!”
“I am a merchant.”
“No~! It was different, you know?”
“Yeah, yeah!”
“You weren’t like that with us, right?”
In their minds, I was probably always the pushover who practically gave them things for free. Seeing me haggling properly must have surprised them.
“You need to haggle like that to make a living. I was just doing what was necessary, so why are you making such a fuss?”
“You always said you had plenty of money and didn’t need us to pay much.”
“I never sold anything cheap. I always got the right price. You guys insisted on paying more.”
“Dummy, boss.”
“This time, you might actually be a dummy.”
Even a kid called me a dummy. How low can I fall? Still, I stand by my actions. How could I earn their trust if I showed them I was money-hungry from the start?
‘Selling unique equipment is important, but it’s essential to build relationships with those you need to connect with.’
The kids misunderstood my kindness as being a pushover.
‘Of course, it would be nice to get close to Erintina too.’
But I’m not foolish enough to sell things cheaply to someone who can pay for them. It’s not like I’m short on money, and she’s not a student.
I have no interest in being taken advantage of by someone who can earn money on their own. Besides, would Erintina appreciate me selling her something cheaply just to win her favor?
‘Absolutely not.’
Erintina is used to receiving kindness from others because of her stunning looks. So, being strict and negotiating might actually pique her interest. She’s probably sick of people being overly nice to her.
“If that teacher comes in, she’ll be super popular, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. She was talking about spirits earlier, and I’m curious. I’ve never seen a spirit before.”
“Maybe I should’ve just asked her to show us.”
“Hey, that would be too rude.”
“Right, I heard spirit summoners usually cherish their spirits. They wouldn’t want to make them a spectacle.”
“But why did the teacher who’s coming next year come so early?”
“Maybe she came early to get used to the place? She must’ve come from far away.”
It’s fine for the kids to chat, but…
“Why are you here looking all scruffy?”
I wish they’d get to the point. If I let them go on, my ears might start bleeding.
“Oh, right!”
The kids suddenly looked suspicious.
“What is it?”
Sensing something was off, I frowned, and Shine stepped forward.
“We’re going on a trip!”
“Oh, okay. Have fun.”
It’s not unusual for them to go on a trip after exams. I thought they’d take over the shop and bother me, but it’s a relief they’re leaving on their own. But their next words completely caught me off guard.
“So, you should come with us, mister!”
“What?”
“Come with us. Ariane said there’s a villa an hour from here. The valley there is supposed to be amazing. Come with us, and we’ll make sure you have fun.”
“…”
Did they just invite me to go with them?
“Wow~ Look at the boss’s face.”
“He looks really shocked.”
“I mean, is it really that shocking to be invited to hang out?”
Did they think I’d be fine after hearing that? I was almost curious enough to want to peek into their mysterious minds. What do they plan to do with me there?
“Oh~!”
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
“Are you planning to have me enhance things while you play?”
“Gasp!”
Their reaction made it clear who the mastermind was behind this plan to take me on a vacation.
Even though Ariane was small and seemed to be hiding, it was obvious.
“So, it was you.”
“Heh, heh. Boss, I’m not someone who gives things away easily. I’ve prepared everything so you can relax.”
“Sure, you’ll have me sit comfortably and then ask me to enhance things.”
Ariane, who was obsessed with enhancement and always chanted for a +12, was definitely capable of planning this.
“You guys! What are you going to do if you get swayed by what she says?”
When I scolded them, Shine and Fran spoke up.
“No, we really suggested it with good intentions!”
“That’s right. Ariane suggested it first, but we thought it would be nice to spend a vacation together. That’s why we offered.”
They really are still kids. An adult joining their playtime would just end up being a hassle, having to look after them. Who would accept such an offer? I was definitely going to refuse.