Chapter 90: The Skill failed?

"Oh," I say, instantly understanding his implication. I had discussed this with Anastasia before we arrived, knowing she would likely encounter many acquaintances here as a former merchant in the Imperial Capital.

"Well, I don't care about her past. She is my person now, and as such, she is under my protection," I declare, flashing a smile at Anastasia, who stands behind me. Her chest swells with pride at my words.

"You don't have to worry about anyone harassing Miss Anastasia in this auction, Michio-sama. All the merchants here are shrewd individuals who wouldn't risk upsetting a rich customer over something so trivial," Luke says with a slight bow.

"Still, I am not one to stand idly by if someone insults her," I reply with narrowed eyes. What's the point of having so many cheats and being reborn if I can't even protect my woman's honour?

"That won't come to pass, Michio-sama. In fact, there are even a few fallen Noble family members being sold in today's Big Auction," Luke says with a wry smile. "So I assure you, Miss Anastasia won't be the target of anyone's gossip today."

"Oh! Is it common for fallen Noble family members to appear in Auctions?" I ask, intrigued.

"There has been... unrest in the Imperial Capital's noble circles," Luke replies with a sigh. "Many Noble family members are being accused and tried. Whether the accusations are false or not is secondary, but it has certainly fueled the slave trade, that's for sure."

"And why is there unrest among the nobles?" I ask curiously, as this wasn't mentioned or explored in the original novel.

"I am sorry, Michio-sama... I can't answer that," he says, bowing deeply. "If you really wish to know, perhaps you could seek out an Information Merchant. They charge a fee, but their information is mostly reliable," he offers, noticing my displeased expression.

Hmm. It is likely that this is information he gained through his connection to the Elf Duke. If that's the case, he can't disclose it to a third party like me, who might be affiliated with an opposing faction. This also implies that the unrest is indeed something significant.

'Do you know anything about this, Anastasia?' I ask her through the Party Link.

'I am sorry, Master. I haven't heard of anything like that. It must have happened in the past three months since I lost all my contacts after being captured,' she responds apologetically.

'It's fine. Let's just keep it in mind for now,' I reply, shelving the matter as something to investigate later.

"Alright, let's move on to business, then. Luke, show me what you were able to purchase," I say, shifting the conversation.

"Gladly, Michio-sama," Luke replies, taking a relieved breath before muttering a spell to open his item box.

"Michio-sama, this is the Ant Skill Crystal," Luke states, placing a black skill crystal on the table. "Someone has been snatching up Ant Skill Crystals for the past month, driving up prices. The last three auctions had them at around 5,500 Nars. I barely managed to secure this one for 5,600 Nars," he adds.

"That is acceptable, I suppose," I reply, understanding the reason for such a high price. The Ant Skill Crystal is used for poison-related skills or poison resistance—essential necessities for higher labyrinth floors.

"This is the Goat Skill Crystal," he continues, producing a white crystal. "These are always in high demand among Wizard Parties. The last three prices were 5,200, 5,300, and 5,400 Nars. This one was slightly higher, but I managed to get it for 5,500 Nars," he says, gauging my reaction.

"Alright," I respond evenly. Goat Skill Crystals are used to add the Increase Intelligence effect to equipment, making them a prized asset for wizards.

"And these two are Kobold Skill Crystals," he says, setting two green crystals on the table. "Kobold Skill Crystals are consistently in demand. The last two auctions sold them for 5,100 Nars each. I acquired these for 5,200 Nars each," he says confidently.

"Hmm, that is also acceptable," I reply, though I mentally sigh. Kobold Skill Crystals are essential for enhancing skill fusion, so their popularity is no surprise.

From the numbers Luke mentioned, it is clear the merchants in the guild are operating with a unified strategy. By slightly outbidding each other, they ensure prices steadily rise, allowing everyone to profit. This is the challenge when mercantile unions control the auctions—they can manipulate prices as they see fit.

"As the winning bidder, you can verify them all at the Guild Temple for just 10 Nars each. Normally, the cost is 100 Nars per item," Luke informs me patiently.

Guild Temples are specialized locations where Intelligence Cards for equipment and Skill Crystals can be checked. Without them typically, one would have to rely on a trustworthy Armour or Weapon merchant for such verifications.

Skill Crystals of different types often share similar colors. For instance, the Sheep Skill Crystal I found in the labyrinth is also white, just like this Goat Skill Crystal, this is one of the reasons that makes their verification a necessity. 

"Anastasia, what do you think?" I ask while mentally informing her that the crystals are genuine. She understands my powers, so she should grasp what I mean.

Anastasia steps forward and examines the Skill Crystals carefully, touching each one. "They seem good, Master. Although, the prices are a bit steep," she replies honestly.

"Hmm. I trust my Anastasia's judgment," I smile at her before turning to Luke. "And of course, I don't think you would cheat me, right? So, there is no need for a check this time." I decide against spending extra on verification for now, though I do plan to visit the Guild Temple eventually.

"As you wish, Michio-sama," Luke replies, though he looks at me with a hint of puzzlement.

"Also," I continue in a firm tone, "since every crystal this time is priced higher than its previous bids, I won't be giving you a bonus for this transaction." I don't bother checking the previous bids myself, trusting that Luke wouldn't falsify figures for something as publicly accessible as auction data. After all, there are booklets in the waiting room detailing the prices of items sold over the past month, which anyone can check.

"I understand. I will strive to serve you better next time, Michio-sama," Luke says with a respectful bow.

"Alright, how much is all of this?" I ask, activating my 40% off discount skill.

"5,600 for the Ant Skill Crystal, 5,500 for the Goat Skill Crystal, and 5,200 each for the two Kobold Skill Crystals. Additionally, there was a 500 Nars fee to be paid in advance for each order, as this was a special request Michio-sama made, and you had only paid in advance for one order, the remaining three advance fees of 500 Nars each must be paid now... But this is the first time we are doing business, so the total will be just 22,400 Nars."

Doing some quick math, I realize the total should come to 23,000 Nars. With my 40% discount, that would bring the price down to 13,800 Nars. But that is not what Luke just said.

So did my omnipotent discount skill fail?

No, in fact, the skill did apply, but only to Luke's commission, reducing it from 1,500 to 900 Nars. It didn't apply to the auctioned items themselves.

I suspected this might happen, as a similar situation occurred in the original story. Since I am not technically transacting with Luke—he is merely a middleman with a fixed amount to give to the seller—the discount skill can't be used here.

At last, I have found the weakness of my OP skill. It is not as broken as I thought!

I count out 2 gold coins and 24 silver coins, placing them in front of him. In the end, I have made a profit of just 6 silver coins. While this type of brokerage is the easiest way to acquire the skill crystals, looks like the profit margin for me has gotten quite low from what I had predicted earlier.

I would have had no other choice but to accept this deal in the past, but now, I have another path ahead of me… and that path is Anastasia herself! Although, utilizing that path successfully will require quite a bit of time and careful planning from both her and me.

I gesture for Anastasia, and she collects the skill crystals, placing them in the Explorer bag.

"Thank you for the business, Michio-sama," Luke says, extending his hand for a handshake, which I return. 

"I am somewhat satisfied with it," I say, making it clear that the prices could have been better.

Although I didn't make much profit off this deal, the plan has always been to acquire skill crystals at these prices in silver coins, then have Sherry add them to weapons with skill slots. We can then just sell those weapons for ten times the profit, keeping only the best ones for the party members.

This profit is mainly because I am the only one who can see the empty skill slots. Which enables Sherry to each time successfully fuse skill crystals into an equipment, unlike other Master Smiths who fumble around until they accidentally find an item with an empty slot.

"Michio-sama, should I continue buying the skill crystals then?" he asks earnestly.

"Yes, our agreement will remain in effect unless I say otherwise. I will be needing many more skill crystals for my future teams, especially since there is such a small chance of succeeding in skill crystal fusion," I reply with a fake sigh. 

There is no avoiding the Imperial Merchant Guild if I need to acquire skill crystals quickly and in bulk. Unless I find another, more direct source, which would be much more profitable for me in reality. As only through a direct transaction, can my ultimate discount skill actually shine!

"Understood, Michio-sama," he nods, "Then may I ask for the advanced payment of 500 nar for the order?" he asks with a polite bow. 

"Yes, here it is," I say giving him 5 silver coins, "And do you have any advice or internal information about today's auction?" I ask, curiously.

"Hmm, I don't know much about the morning auction. As an Armour merchant, my interests lie more with the auction that happens after the noon bell rings," he says, rubbing his chin.

I raise an eyebrow, surprised to learn that there are two separate auctions happening.

'Do you know about the second auction, Anastasia?' I verify the information with her through our party link.

'Yes, Master. On the day of the Big Auction, the morning session is for slaves, and after the noon bell, the venue switches to an auction for equipment and other rare items,' she tells me concisely.

Fascinating. It makes sense, but this second auction wasn't mentioned in the story. Alhough, Michio did leave the auction immediately after his first purchase, so that could explain why he must have missed it.

"Michio-sama, for the afternoon Auction, I have heard there will be rare Orichalcum weapons available. Additionally, skill crystals are often sold in bulk during these events. If you are looking to amass a significant number, this could be a great opportunity," he says earnestly. "Therefore, I would advise against overspending in the morning session, as you may find yourself short of funds for the later event," he adds.

"Alright, thank you for the advice, Luke," I reply, although I know my spending will largely depend on the girls available during the Auction. We shake hands before parting ways, he bows politely once more and heads towards the waiting room.

"Thank you, Master, for what you said back there," Anastasia whispers, her fair face tinged with a red hue as she looks down, avoiding my gaze.

"You are my woman and family now, Anastasia. Of course, I will defend your honor," I say, gently caressing her purple hair. She responds with a bashful yet radiant smile.

We return to the waiting room, where the long line of people were still present. However, I notice another counter to the side with a much shorter line. People there seem to be handing over papyrus documents along with their payment before being allowed entry.

I realize this must be where the Invitations come into play. Anastasia and I step into the shorter line, ready to attend the Auction for real!

***

IEU097 has used his points to claim an extra chapter!

I sincerely thank you for your support!