Chapter 23
“Most importantly, since Mine came, we’ve had fewer difficult customers and our workload has decreased so much!”
The woman with glasses said this while blushing.
“We actually wanted to approach you, but you had this unapproachable elegance… Plus being on different floors…”
Hmm.
‘How did I actually work?’
It was an internal question, but the brown-haired young man spoke up with perfect timing.
“That’s right. I saw it last time! When you did that amazing appraisal of the pigeon blood ruby!”
‘This ruby isn’t natural.’
‘W-what? Of course it’s natural!’
‘You shouldn’t insist it’s real when it’s been lead-treated, sir. Can’t you see this rainbow effect? This appears when lead is filled into a ruby…’
‘…Hah! Well! H-how dare you call me a fraud! Don’t expect to see me here again!’
“I was so impressed then. Your appraisal was so precise and cold that the difficult customer couldn’t even argue…”
“Yes. It would have been better if you were on the second floor with us…”
…Apparently, I’d been acting as a troublemaker deterrent without realizing it.
“Thank you for the compliments.”
“T-then, would it be okay if we greet you when we see you?”
Lira and Agnes still shot disapproving glances from the side. They didn’t seem to like this sudden change in attitude.
‘But what’s the point of being cold here?’
Baeksan nodded.
“Then while we’re at it, would you like to have lunch together tomorrow?”
It wasn’t because she was particularly interested in them. She just thought it was necessary to appear normal, as Elize had said.
But not knowing her true thoughts, the appraisers’ faces brightened considerably.
“We’d love to!”
At that moment, there was suddenly the sound of rushing footsteps.
“Lady Mine!”
Lady?
Turning her head, she saw the third floor mages crowding around with sparkling eyes.
“P-please have a meal with us too…”
“Ah. Then the day after tomorrow…”
“And have a serious discussion about ancient magical formulas…”
“I’ll pass.”
* * *
Morinus left Sophs. Though not unemployed, I heard he transferred to a quite decent guild.
Still, it must have been a blow to his pride since it was below Sophs.
After that, Baeksan’s daily life returned to normal.
She began building appropriate relationships, having meals with first floor officials one day, second floor appraisers another, and third floor mages once a week.
‘Now Elize won’t pull any more troublesome stunts like that.’
A few days later.
Unusually, Elize came down to the first floor and said,
“Mine. Please come up to my room for a moment.”
Baeksan naturally read the system window first.
[Elize Barrett]
Highly excited about the upcoming Gahasu auction.
Gahasu auction. She had read about it before.
‘It was when I appraised Pavela’s Egg, surely.’
[Gahasu Auction]
The highest level auction in the Levelrace continent, held in Orquenina. High-quality auction items…
As she tried to read the detailed description, Lira suddenly whispered from beside her.
“Elize looks really intense? Mine, did something happen? Did you do something wrong?”
“Intense?”
“Don’t you think so?”
Baeksan paused.
‘Right. Normally people can’t see the system windows.’
If she hadn’t been able to ‘read’ it, she would have surely felt the sharp expression too.
Baeksan briefly touched her temple and stopped thinking about it.
“Anyway, I’ll be back after going up.”
“Be careful!”
What’s there to be careful about?
When she knocked on Elize’s door, Elize opened it immediately.
“Minervina!”
She seemed to have been pacing in the room. Elize spoke, forgetting even to offer the sofa.
“Do you remember the King Tigris Colossus’s sacred jewel you appraised recently?”
“Of course.”
“Ah! That’s good. Actually, our Sophs Guild is planning to put it up at the next Gahasu auction.”
Baeksan fell into thought for a moment. What did that have to do with her?
That’s when Elize’s blue eyes sparkled.
“Of course, we’ll participate as buyers too. Would you like to come along?”
At those words, Baeksan smirked.
She could understand this even without the system window.
“How much will you pay me?”
“We’ll give you 50% of the increase in price from your reappraisal of the winning bid.”
“Make it 80%.”
“That’s difficult. We need to make something too.”
“Sophs just needs to sit and gain more money and prestige. And you still want 20%?”
“There are personnel costs for selling the items…”
“Those are costs you’d have even without me.”
Baeksan said this while leisurely examining the end of her braided hair.
At her relaxed attitude, Elize let out a groan.
Actually, Baeksan had nothing to lose. She didn’t need a large sum of money right away.
But it would be different for Elize. She had to run the guild and somehow make good use of a sage worth 30,000 gold.
[Elize Barrett]
Her goal is to surpass the competing guild ‘Ulysses.’ She’s planning to use ‘Baeksan’ to establish their position as an information guild at this Gahasu auction.
People with many responsibilities are easy to manipulate.
“You need to surpass Ulysses, right?”
“…!”
Elize flinched as if hit right on target.
“In exchange, I’ll help you thoroughly at this auction.”
“…”
“We might even make an enormous profit margin?”
“…”
After hesitating, Elize finally sighed.
“Minervina… sometimes it’s like you can read minds.”
“I can’t go that far.”
Baeksan cut her off firmly. She knew her life would become difficult if they discovered she could do something similar.
Elize probably hadn’t really thought that either, as she just raised both hands in surrender.
“Alright. 80%.”
“An excellent choice.”
“But if you make even one mistake…”
“I’ll return everything.”
“Good.”
Contract sealed.
* * *
The Gahasu auction was held at ‘Eugenie’s Hall.’ Arriving at the venue, Baeksan stared blankly at the magnificent hall.
How should she put it…
“Looks like a ballroom, doesn’t it?”
At Elize’s words that seemed to guess her thoughts, Baeksan nodded.
“Why is the auction held like this?”
“That’s tradition for you. It’s also to respect art… not money.”
Pretty sure she was about to say money just now.
Elize pretended not to notice and skimmed through the auction catalog.
Sophs was putting up four items today.
The highlight among them was the ‘Haunted King’s Sacred Jewel’ that Baeksan had appraised.
Baeksan was disguised as Elize’s attendant, wearing a robe.
Thanks to this, she could see Elize’s sharp demeanor very well.
[Elize Barrett]
Very excited.
It’s good that her boss is in a good mood, anyway.
‘Still, an auction. Not bad…’
Baeksan secretly stroked her chin.
With the system window, appraising items’ worth was no trouble at all.
‘Make a big score at the auction?’
The problem was that she didn’t have the funds for it.
‘It would be better if something like the Blue Moon Fair happened again.’
While thinking this, someone crossed the corridor to approach Elize.
“Miss Barrett.”
[Elize Barrett]
Wants to punch Bobido.
When Elize’s status window changed, Baeksan observed the approaching person.
He was a man with a notable thin twisted mustache and a split chin.
‘Looks like someone who would embezzle.’
[Bobido Françoise]
Middle manager of the ‘Ulysses’ Guild. In charge of auction and business expenses. Desperately trying to build achievements through art auction price differentials.
Despite looking like he would embezzle, surprisingly he doesn’t.
…I hope he doesn’t read my thoughts. Though saying that won’t help.
‘So this is Ulysses.’
It would be good to know about the competition.
[Ulysses]
The largest and finest information guild in Orquenina.
Once did dirty work but cleaned up their past after the ‘Era of Joy.’ Their position as an information guild far surpasses Sophs.
Just then, Bobido stood before Elize.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. It’s so hard to catch you these days!”
“What do you need, Mr. Françoise?”
“I just stopped by to say hello.”
Bobido smiled with his eyes while dusting off his mustache.
“We’re in the same industry, aren’t we? Seems like we have enough of a relationship to share information and build friendships.”
