Chapter 41

I successfully brought the skin and head of the Great Elasmos into Tiara.

It seems that the first subjugation and disassembly were of a rhino magical beast called—Great Elasmos, which is larger than a cow.

I can’t help but think that someone with no experience did well.

If it weren’t for the power of magic, I would probably be in the afterlife by now, and I wouldn’t have been able to disassemble or transport it. Once again, I experienced the greatness of magic in this world—its wonders.

I’ve already presented it to the guild members in the warehouse.

Then, I consulted with the chief about handling it… but he seems to be wearing a grim expression.

“Is there a problem or something?” I asked, but he just groaned without giving me a clear answer.

The chief suggested doing a bit more research, and we decided to discuss it with the guild leader tomorrow.

I wonder… wouldn’t it be settled if the guild were to purchase this?”

On the following day, report the situation to the guild leader along with the chief.

Upon entering the room, the guild leader frowned at the expression on the chief’s face, which seemed to say, “This one messed up again.”

“What happened?”

“Well, you see…Two days ago, I went to the forest, and unluckily encountered something called a ‘Great something.’ By chance, I defeated it and brought back some materials…” 

The incident was explained in about three lines.

“Hold on, hold on, hold on… What? ‘Great…'”

“It’s Elasmos, Guild Leader.”

“Yes, yes, that’s right.”

Since I forgot the name, the chief supplemented it for me.

The guild leader, tapping the desk with his index finger, showed a stern expression, indicating that I should explain a bit more thoroughly.

Feeling I had skipped too much, I reflected on it and explained the events of the holiday in a more organized manner.

“Mizuki, first, why did you go to the forest?”

Neither the guild leader nor the chief seemed angry.

They wore expressions that suggested there must be a reasonable explanation.

Of course, staff members are free to do as they please on their days off.

However, going alone to a known dangerous forest is a different matter.

“I went for magic practice.”

“Magic!?”

“Yes, because I can’t use it in town.”

I explained the need to assess my proficiency in magic based on the recent incident of using magic when attacked in town and the questioning during the Defense Corps headquarters inquiry. 

I also mentioned that I kept silent about the elf magic mentioned in Tinameril’s diary.

“Hmm…”

Though neither of them was particularly knowledgeable about magic, they reluctantly showed some understanding of my reasons.

“So? You brought the skin and head of the Great Elasmos to us, Mizuki?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…”

As I nodded, the guild leader crossed his arms and leaned back against the chair.

“So?”

“To cut to the chase, we cannot purchase them here.”

“What?”

I am surprised by the chief’s answer.

For an adventurer’s guild, what on earth does it mean that they can’t buy materials?

“There’s no one who can appraise them.”

The chief explains while holding a booklet—

“There are no records of dealing with Great Elasmos in Tiara.”

This seems to be the reason.

There is a price listed in the “Material Price List,” at least.

However, that is only for materials that are widely circulated, and for rarely encountered rare materials, it is said to be market price. Great Elasmos falls into that category.

Since Tiara rarely deals with these types of materials, the market price is unknown.

Of course, if you inquire with Yomuyomu, they will probably tell you.

However, a proper appraisal is required, as it involves the quality of the material.

Moreover, the value can change based on the condition of the skin and how it was handled during collection. Therefore, only an experienced appraiser can give the correct evaluation.

If Tiara was the only guild in the wor;d at this time, they might have dealt with it, but there is no record of that. Additionally, prices have changed since then.

In other words, it’s a story of “It’s a loss if Tiara buys it.”

The chief directs his gaze towards me.

“Well, I suppose taking it to Yomuyomu for purchase would be the best option.”

He advises that they likely have a track record, and even if they don’t, there should be someone there who can appraise the material.

However, I shake my head.

“I don’t want to.”

“Huh?”

“If there’s a price in the ‘Material Price List,’ that’s fine. If it can’t be purchased, even the lowest price is okay with me.”

The chief looks puzzled and asks, “Why?”

“No… It’s simply about not making a profit for Tiara if I sell it elsewhere.”

“But if you get it appraised and sold at market price, it could be a considerable amount.”

“If I were an adventurer, I might think that way, but I am a guild staff member here. I don’t want to contribute to the sales of other companies.”

While I’m not indifferent to profit considerations, personally, I find it uninteresting if it can’t be handled within our guild.

“By the way, how much does the booklet say the price is?”

“It’s ‘six large gold coins.'”

“Wow.”

Unintentionally, a sound escapes me. Large gold coins are the highest currency in this country.

By the way, there seems to be an even higher coin called ‘platinum coins.’ However, they don’t seem to be in circulation.

Despite being in front of my boss, I instinctively take out my smartphone from my waist pouch and calculate with a calculator.

When I first came to this town, one night at an inn cost one small silver coin, and in today’s conversion, it’s roughly around 4,000 yen.

Small silver, large silver, small gold, large gold coins, in that order, each four times the value of the previous one. With six large gold coins, that’s the calculation.

“Um… 4 times 4 times 4 times 6…”

Both of them are staring intently at what I’m doing.

It’s the first time the guild leader has seen me use a calculator.

“1.53 million…”

In Japan, it’s roughly the cost of a small car, which is a considerable amount, but I quickly realize my mistake.

“Come to think of it, you mentioned that it’s defeated by multiple parties, right? How many people are usually involved?”

The chief shakes his head, indicating he doesn’t know.

“In my younger days, I think there were about 20 people.”

I involuntarily go, “Oh.”

It’s a common pattern that the guild leader used to be an adventurer.

“Guild leader, were you an adventurer?”

“Hmm… I’ve never defeated the Great Elasmos, though.”

He raises the corners of his mouth, arching his back a bit.

It seems to carry a subtle irony, as if saying, “But I would lose to it…”

No… am I being overly self-conscious? That’s rude to the guild leader.

“Okay, let’s divide by 20… Hmm, about 70,000 yen per person… Subtracting 20% for taxes and fees… 56,000 yen.”

I involuntarily make a grim expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, um, I was just converting the value to our country’s currency.”

The chief seems curious about what I was calculating.

“Indeed… it’s cheap.”

I inadvertently voiced my thoughts.

If it were a group of adventurers, there would definitely be complaints.

Facing that thing with 20 people, shouting “Charge!” and then getting paid only 50,000 yen each – life is cheap.

I don’t know how they fight it, but if it were me, I’d decline, saying, “I’ll pass.” 

Although, in Japan, I think hunting associations pay around 20,000 yen for bear removal. That’s cheap too…

I guess that’s just how it is.

But that creature feels special.

In that case, what’s the market value… I’d want around 100,000 to 150,000 yen.

It doesn’t seem like the kind of creature you can find easily, and if it’s a one-time thing, this seems about right…

I boasted that I don’t care about the purchase price of the materials, but when I actually convert it to Japanese yen, it leaves a lingering feeling.

Especially the horns; I can’t shake the feeling that they hold considerable value.

“Hmm…”

I put away my smartphone and ponder if there’s any clever idea that comes to mind.

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