Item Synthesis 1-8 part 3

 

Chapter 1-8 : To The Market (part 3)

 

「Oji-san, what is that?」(Kako)

「As you can see. It’s a magic bag.」(old peddler)

I knew it! So magic bags do exist in this world! But… I didn’t expect they would look like a worn-out leather bag.

After showing me the magic bag, the old man grabbed something like a burdock root about fifty centimeters long from his stall and put it into the magic bag.

No matter how you look at it, the burdock root wouldn’t fit in the magic bag. It would either stick out or break through the bag, but no. It did fit in the bag.

「Whoaa…!!」(Kako)

「Hm? Ojou-san, you look like you haven’t seen a magic bag before.」(old peddler)

「Yeah, this is the first time I’ve seen one!」(Kako)

「I see. This is a magic item that was made using ancient magic technology. A magic bag can hold anything about ten times its size.」(old peddler)

「Ten times? That’s awesome!」(Kako)

Now I really feel like I’m in a fantasy world!

「Unfortunately, since humanity lost ancient magic technology long ago, magic bags can’t be made anymore. You can only find them in some old ruins. That’s why most magic bags look so worn out.」(old peddler)

「I see. But, if they mostly look worn out, how do you know they won’t break soon? Judging from the way your magic bag looks, it may break anytime soon.」(Kako)

「Well, they’re much more durable than they look, you know. It’s because they have preservation magic applied to them, so they can be used for a very long time despite their look.」(old peddler)

「Hee… So not only can they hold a lot of stuff but they’re also durable. Incredible. Aa-ahh~ I wish I had one.」(Kako)

「Then, would you buy this one?」(old peddler)

Saying that, the old man held out the magic bag in his hand for me.

「Eh? Are you sure? Isn’t it a valuable item for you as a peddler?」(Kako)

「Don’t worry, I have another one.」(old peddler)

He took out another magic bag from his pocket and showed it to me as he said that. For some reason, the one he just showed me was much cleaner than the first one.

「I just bought it from another peddler. This one has more capacity than the old one, so I don’t need the old one anymore. Actually, there’s a unique custom among merchants where you sell your old magic bag to a new merchant once you get another one.」(old peddler)

「That means… You bought this old magic bag from another merchant?」(Kako)

「Yeah, so many years ago, and I want you to have it this time. If you want to buy it, of course.」(old peddler)

「So, it looks worn out not only because it was found in an ancient ruin, but also because it had been used by many merchants before you.」(Kako)

「Exactly.」(old peddler)

「Whoa… somehow I can feel the history behind this magic bag…」(Kako)

I feel like the main character who received a starting item from an NPC in a game’s tutorial.

The amount of items I can store in my sling bag is limited, so having a magic bag will definitely make my life easier.

I want to buy it, but I’m sure it will be very expensive.

「Umm… How much is it?」(Kako)

「It’s quite expensive, but I will sell it for three gold coins special to you.」(old peddler)

Three gold coins, huh?

If I’m not mistaken, one gold coin equals 150,000 yen, so three gold coins equals… 450,000 yen!? (about three grands)

Wow, that’s so expensive!!

I can’t believe this worn-out bag has the same price as a branded bag that famous celebrities usually have.

Well, unlike branded bags, this one is a magic bag that can hold many items, so 450,000 yen is a fair price… Maybe?

I have a lot of money but I save most of it in the bank. I don’t have much in my pocket right now.

「Uhh… I don’t have that much with me now. I can go to the guild and take more money from the bank, but…」(Kako)

「How much do you have now?」(old peddler)

I used some to pay for the inn and return Nyat’s money, so now I only have…

「One gold coin, forty-three silver coins, and eight copper coins.」(Kako)

「Hmm…」(old peddler)

The old man folded his arms and thought for a moment.

「Alright. I’ll sell it for all the money you have now.」(old peddler)

「Eh? Are you really sure? It’s about half the price you offer.」(Kako)

「I don’t mind. Making money is important, but the encounters with a young, promising merchant like you is also important so that I can hand down this magic bag to the next generation. So? You want to buy it or not?」(old peddler)

Hmm… He gave me a fifty percent discount, but it’s still expensive in my opinion.

I would be really shocked if it was a scam, but I did see him put a long burdock root in it with my own eyes, so the magic bag itself seems to be genuine.

Before I buy it, there’s something I need to ask him first.

「By the way, how much do magic bags normally cost?」(Kako)

「The market price for magic bags with the same capacity as this one is around twenty gold coins.」(old peddler)

「T, Twenty gold coins!?」(Kako)

150,000 yen X 20 = 3,000,000 yen!?

You can buy a decent car with that amount of money!

He said he would sell it for all the money I have in my pocket right now. In other words, he sells it to me for around six percent of the normal price!

After learning the normal price, I feel like the price he offered was incredibly cheap!

Alright. I think I’ll buy it! I can just go to the guild to take more money from the bank after this.

「Ojou-san, have you decided?」(old peddler)

「Alright! I’ll buー」(Kako)

「ーKako, hold on-nya!」(Nyat)

When I was about to make a deal with the old man, suddenly Nyat, who had returned before I knew it, stopped me.

「Don’t buy it-nya! He’s scamming you-nya!」(Nyat)

「Nyat!?」(Kako)

「He’s trying to sell an old, half-broken magic bag to a new, inexperienced merchant like you-nya.」(Nyat)

「Eh? So what he said about this magic bag was all lies!?」(Kako)

When I turned my face to the old man, the friendly smile on his face disappeared. He glared at Nyat and clicked his tongue.

「Tsk. Oi, Mr. Catto, you shouldn’t interfere with someone else’s business! God dammit…」(old peddler)

He then immediately started packing his things. He was trying to run away since his fraud had been exposed.

I thought he was a kind old peddler… I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t shocked.

「There are many bad people like him in this country-nya. If you want to work as a merchant, you’ll have to be careful not to get fooled by them-nya.」(Nyat)

「…Alright.」(Kako)

This is my second day in this town and I almost got scammed. I should be more careful next time.

This old man almost fooled me by selling his old magic bag at a high price, but honestly, it didn’t stop me from wanting to have that magic bag.

I’m still curious about that magic bag. Besides, there’s something I want to try with it.

Before the old man finished packing his goods, I asked him.

「Oji-san, wait. How much is your old magic bag actually worth?」(Kako)

「「…Huh?」」(Nyat & old peddler))

Listening to my question, Nyat and the old man looked at me with astonished faces at the same time.

「Ojou-san, I tried to scam you but you still want to buy it?」(old peddler)

「Look. I’ve never said that I didn’t want it, haven’t I?」(Kako)

「…Uhh… Well, I think an old magic bag like this is worth twenty silver coins or so.」(old peddler)

「That’s much cheaper than the price you offered! Would you sell it to me?」(Kako)

「Hey, Kako! Are you out of your mind-nya!?」(Nyat)

「Nyat, this time he’s not trying to scam me. Twenty silver coins is the actual fair price for this old magic bag, right?」(Kako)

「Well, I think it is, but you shouldn’t buy it-nya! It’s just a waste of money-nya!」(Nyat)

「Ojou-san, what this Mr. Catto said was true. It’s just an old, half-broken magic bag. I wouldn’t buy it if I were you. You never know when it will break.」(old peddler)

「What happens if it breaks?」(Kako)

「The contents will come out all at once and make a mess. I don’t recommend you buy it. You can’t fix a magic bag without ancient magic technology. You should buy the one with better condition from someone else.」(old peddler)

「Seriously-nya. Don’t buy it-nya!」(Nyat)

「It’s okay. I want to buy it because I’m kinda interested in it for some reason.」(Kako)

「Ojou-san, are you serious?」(old peddler)

「Yup. But, Oji-san, because you tried to scam me, I will only pay for eighteen silver coins.」(Kako)

「I don’t mind, but… Don’t complain if it breaks sooner than you think.」(old peddler)

「I know, I know.」(Kako)

I handed him eighteen silver coins from my bag and received his old magic bag.

「Thank you, Ojou-san… And… I’m sorry for trying to scam you…」(old peddler)

「It’s okay!」(Kako)

When I looked at the old magic bag with a smile on my face, Nyat and the old man looked at each other.

「She’s a strange girl…」(old peddler)

「She is-nya…」(Nyat)

「Hey, that’s rude! I said there’s something I want to try with this bag, didn’t I?」(Kako)

「What exactly do you want to do with it-nya?」(Nyat)

「An experiment! Well, you’ll see later~ Anyway, let’s continue walking around this market!」(Kako)

Alright. It’s time to look for other things for my experiment!

 

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