ALAITD

Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Dungeon Merchant

Lysette searches for Mimics—or the treasure chest—while magically burning or freezing the monsters she encounters during her search, but she doesn’t find it.

“There aren’t a lot of treasure chests or mimics around.”

Leonhardt, who is moving forward, says dismissively without looking back.

“I wonder if it has anything to do with territory.”

At that moment, something appears in front of them in the corridor.

A shadow, like a small, squat mountain with legs, is coming toward them.

There is no indication of hostility.

It appears to have noticed them and it comes to a halt for a brief moment. Then he lifted his right hand into the air.

“Oh, that’s Leonhardt!”

His thick voice echoed through the stone corridor, cheerful.

“It’s been a long time, Kanatsuchi.”

Kanatsuchi was a small, stout, well-bearded dwarf with a large bag on his back that seemed to cast a mountain shadow.

“I assumed you were dead because I hadn’t seen you in a long time!”

“Hahaha—Nice to see you again.”

“Can you tell me who that young lady over there is? —Is she a new acquaintance of yours?”

“Something along those lines. Her name is Lysette. Lysette, his name is Kanatsuchi, a merchant in the dungeon.

—A merchant?!

That explains why he has so much luggage on his back. Lysette was taken aback by the fact that he was walking around the dungeon by himself, doing his business.

—How in the world does he avoid monster attacks? How does he spend his time in the dungeon? I can’t stop wondering.

“Hello, my name is Lysette. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh, thank you very much. So, while you’re here, why don’t you take a look at my merchandise?”

“Food ingredients!” Do you have any cooking supplies?!”

“Huh? Have you run out of food? I have some, but it’s pricey.”

A circle is formed by the merchant’s fingers.

“Uh… I don’t have any gold at the moment…”

She spent the gold she earned from the Adventurer’s Guild on the alchemist’s workshop.

She raises her gaze to Leonhardt.

“I don’t have much in my hand right now. All my money is in the bank.”

“I only take cash.”

“Well…”

Lysette ponders, and then an idea occurs to her.

“If you’re a merchant, do you also buy? I’d like you to look over these items.”

She takes an item from her bag and pulls out a unicorn hoof. She got it from a unicorn she encountered in the first layer.”

“A unicorn’s hoof? That’s a good one. I’ll pay 20,000 for each.”

Before he can even describe the item, Lysette has already figured it out and set the price.

“You have to be kidding me.”

Lysette took a bold step forward.

“Aren’t you going to turn them into coasters and sell them to the nobility and the church for 100,000 gold and up? —You can make ten coasters out of them, which is worth at least a million gold. I require at least 200,000 gold.”

When a poisoned glass is placed on top of a unicorn’s hooves, it is said to emit smoke. They are the preferred choice of powerful people who are afraid of being poisoned, and they are a sure-sale commodity despite their high price.

Knowing this, she kept it. to either sell it for cash or process it herself. She can’t just sit back and watch them be sold cheaply.”

“Kah! This is why I don’t like amateurs who only consider the price! Processing, distribution, and labor costs all add up to a loss of 200,000 gold! 50,000!

“150,000.”

“80,000! I can’t go any higher!”

“100,000! I have other ways to get money.”

She’s not bluffing. She should be able to get a good price for it if she gives it to the alchemist.

Lysette’s sincerity may have been communicated, but the peddler groans bitterly.

“Damn… Okay, 100,000.”

“We’ve struck a deal!”

Lysette nods satisfactorily and pulls out the remaining three.

—Fufu, unicorns have four legs. Four hooves in all.

“What the hell… I lost! I’ll take them all for 500,000.”

The peddler’s luggage was full of hopes and dreams.

“Wheat bread, sugar, butter, even eggs!”

“Those are harpy eggs.”

“That is unusual… I’ll have some of that as well.”

“You have a sharp eye.”

The pleasant business negotiations came to an end quickly, and Lysette purchased nearly all of the merchant’s produce for 200,000 gold.

“It was a great deal.” Thank you very much.”

“Hahaha, it’s my pleasure, but I had no idea you were so knowledgeable about Unicorn coasters… were you a real aristocrat…”

“Does Kanatsuchi-san go through the dungeon by himself?”

“…Yes. This place is like my garden.”

As he spoke, the peddler’s eyes were filled with pride, familiarity, and kindness.

Even a dangerous dungeon like this must be a vital place for Dwarf merchants.

“Great! I’d appreciate it if you could give me some survival advice.”

“That’s a story for another time. Now I must depart. Don’t die.”

The merchant repacks his belongings, exchanges good wishes, and continues up the path Lysette and the others have taken. Perhaps to the surface.

“At long last, we can eat something delicious! Leon-san, let’s make some food right away.”

“…You’re a tough cookie, aren’t you?”

Lysette smiled brightly. That is the highest praise.