NOVEL NEXT Chapter 132
“On your departure, we’ll prepare a special guild card for you, Hakuba-sama. Please wait a moment.”
With a soft chime, Deromu rang the bell on his desk. A guild staff member waiting outside the hallway entered the room, carrying a bag in their hands.
“Here is the guild’s purchase amount of 1 million gold. Please confirm it.”
“Yes, everything seems in order.”
Inside the bag was a collection of gold mirror coins, their polished surfaces gleaming like tiny mirrors. Deromu gestured for me to verify the number of coins, ensuring they matched the agreed amount.
“Carrying this many coins might make you uneasy. Would you prefer a check instead? The guild can provide one for you.”
“A check would be better. Things have been rather dangerous lately.”
“Understood. We’ll issue a check for you shortly.”
With that, the bag filled with coins was neatly closed. Alongside it, a bottle of purple potion and the guild card under the name Hakuba Issei were handed over to the staff member. They left to make the necessary preparations.
The check itself, issued by the royal bank, could be cashed at major cities, including the capital. It was enhanced with special magical protections, making it virtually impossible to forge—perhaps even more secure than banknotes from Earth.
“By the way, how will the potion be sold?”
“Primarily through a lottery system for potential buyers. The selling price is set at 1.5 million gold, as per the kingdom’s regulations. Various measures, such as usage restrictions, are in place to prevent resale.”
Normally, a purple potion sold on the black market fetches a hefty price of 5 million gold. Recently, its value has surged even further, with bottles reportedly going for as much as 7 million.
When a potion appears in the guild’s inventory and is sold at the legally mandated price, it’s only natural for hopeful buyers to line up in droves. My initial concern was that someone might purchase the potion through the guild only to turn around and resell it on the black market. While I would still reap benefits from the guild’s gratitude, the thought left a bitter taste.
However, when I inquired about their handling process, Deromu explained that buyers would be limited to adventurers and other non-commercial individuals. Furthermore, the potion had to be used immediately on-site for regenerative treatment—removal from the premises was strictly prohibited.
Hearing this, I was genuinely impressed by how well-thought-out the system was.
“Maxwell-sama will be arriving at the guild in about an hour.”
“Hmm… What should I do in the meantime? Of course, if there’s anything else I can learn from you, I’d be glad to hear it.”
It had been about ten minutes since the guild staff had left to contact Maxwell. Surprisingly, rather than scheduling a meeting for another day, Maxwell decided to come directly to the guild.
While I waited, Deromu, seated on the sofa across from me, asked if there was anything I’d like to do in the interim.
“If possible, once my conversation with Maxwell is concluded, I’d like to start using the closed archive immediately. Could you arrange for permission to access it in advance?”
“Of course. I’ll inform the staff to prepare access to the closed archive following your meeting with Maxwell-sama. Would you like the necessary materials to be brought there as well?”
“Yes, please. That would be helpful.”
The guild building, even larger than our brigade’s team house, stood four stories tall. The closed archive, as its name implied, was located in a remote corner on the second floor, far from any public entrances.
Ordinary citizens could not access these restricted materials. Even high-ranking adventurers or merchants were often denied entry without a solid reason.
“However, I must caution you, Hakuba-sama, that the materials stored in the archive are extremely valuable. Should you accidentally damage any of them, we would be obligated to request compensation. Please be careful.”
“Understood. I’ll handle everything with the utmost care.”
It was only natural to pay for damages caused to such rare documents. However, books and records in this world held astronomical value—far greater than anything I was used to back in Japan.
If someone were to damage these items, the compensation required would be so exorbitant that it could ruin both parties involved. To prevent such mishaps, stringent evaluations and special permissions were mandatory before accessing these materials.
While I waited for Maxwell, I mentally prepared myself for the task ahead, appreciating the guild’s thorough system and the privileges granted to me.