Chapter 15 – The Initial Costs of the Journey

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There is a place called the Napole Trading Company.

It’s a trading company that deals in materials and treasures from the labyrinth.

They handle items produced in the labyrinth, wholesaling them to both individuals and organizations.

I was familiar with the Napole Trading Company.

When I was working at my master’s workshop doing silverwork, I occasionally had dealings with them.

There were times when my master needed labyrinth silver, or conversely when someone from the Trading Company requested silver crafting—and on those occasions, I’d sometimes run into them.

While heading back from the labyrinth, I decided to stop by the Napole Trading Company to sell the furs I had obtained inside.

“Ati, pull your hat down a bit further.”
“Yes.”

Perhaps because of its connection to the labyrinth, the Trading Company was always crowded. So, I told Ati to wear her hat lower.
Since Ati is a Dark Elf, I intended to keep that fact hidden—at least while we were on this continent.

“――Oh, Harold-san.”

I had just entered the Trading Company.

A man called out to me as I was looking for the purchasing counter.

It was a man I recognized; he often came to negotiate commission requests at my master’s workshop—his name is Tooth.

He’s the sort of person who, because of his work, is often out and about, but today, by chance, he was inside the Trading Company.
That worked out perfectly.

I briefly explained that I wanted to sell the furs I had obtained in the labyrinth.

“Well, I see… that won’t be a problem at all, and since it’s a special occasion, I’ll handle the appraisal myself this time. I can manage that much. But switching careers to become a labyrinth explorer? And what’s the reason for that?”
“There are various reasons. I needed money to head to the Southern Continent.”
“Sounds like there’s a story there. In that case, I won’t pry any further. …The purchasing counter is this way.”

Tooth guided me to the purchasing counter, and, as he declared, he began appraising the items himself. A familiar face makes things easier for both of us.

Now then… there are eight furs.
These appear to be the pelts of monsters found only in that labyrinth.
The purchase price was 1,500 robs each, meaning that this sale would yield a total of 12,000 robs.

Now, eight pieces might sound like not many.
But in reality, that isn’t the case.
Since they are bulky, the amount one can carry by hand is actually quite substantial.

It would be nice if there were a handy tool to carry even more.

Now that I think of it, I feel like I once heard about a tool like that. However, I’ve never had any dealings with such devices, so I can’t recall the details. I never paid much attention to matters unrelated to daily life or making a living…

“I’ve added a little premium to the purchase price. The usual market rate is 1,400 robs per piece, so I’ve marked them up by 100 robs each.”

It seems he did add that extra premium.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely.

“Not at all… Well, I’m glad you didn’t try to tan them yourself with some amateur technique. When you present something tanned in a haphazard manner, it causes trouble for us.”
“I just didn’t mess with them because I don’t know how to tan properly.”

There’s no way I’d know anything about tanning leather, being a former silverworker.
I did briefly consider experimenting with it, but thanks to Ati’s advice, I decided against it.

――For items like these, it’s better to sell them as they are.
――Unless you can tan them as neatly as a professional leatherworker, there’s no need to attempt it. In fact, it might lower their value.
――Sometimes, even a rough job is better—that’s when the items are likely to spoil, such as when it seems like they’ll take too long to transport or when the temperature and humidity are extreme.

That’s what he said.

Ati herself could tan a little, but she wasn’t quite at a craftsman’s level, so it was decided that delivering the furs as they were would be best.

“Hahaha. I don’t dislike that honest streak of yours, Harold-san.”

Tooth laughed without reservation.
Since his tone lacked any hint of sarcasm, it wasn’t particularly off-putting.

“Then, here is your payment.”

I confirmed that there were exactly 12,000 robs and accepted it.
Then, as I put the money away, I suddenly thought:
For just testing the waters, this felt like a pretty good sum.
Since my daily wage at the master’s was about 7,000 robs, this was nearly double that amount.
Perhaps thanks to Ati’s skill, I only used eight bullets—the same number as the furs—and that made for a pretty favorable ratio.
If I keep at it, I might earn around 30,000 robs per day even in the shallow layers.
And if I venture into the middle layers—the frontline of the safety zone, as Ati calls it—I’d obviously earn even more.

This might let me save up for the journey faster than I imagined.

Now, the travel expenses to the Southern Continent… hmm… come to think of it, how much does it cost?
Since it’s on the subject, I might as well ask Tooth.

“By the way, I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“Do you know how much it costs to travel to the Southern Continent?”

The Napole Trading Company, if I recall correctly, is also connected with trading companies on other continents.
They should be well-versed in these matters.
It wouldn’t hurt to get some information, even if only as a reference.

By the way… during our conversation, Tooth kept glancing at Ati repeatedly.
Since her collar was visible, he must have guessed that she was a slave, yet he still seemed bothered by something.
However, when it came to Ati, I had no obligation to disclose anything, so I made it clear not to pry.

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If we were to travel to the Western Continent, it would be 3,000,000 robs for the two of us.
If we were to go directly to the Southern Continent, it would be 10,000,000 robs for the two of us.
For a passenger ship, just the fare alone… costs roughly that much.

The reason the direct route to the Southern Continent is oddly expensive is that there is an underwater labyrinth stretching from the Northeastern Continent to the Southern Continent, from which aquatic monsters spill out and run rampant.
Therefore, even though it takes longer, traveling via the Western Continent is the least problematic option both financially and in terms of safety.

As for living expenses, they vary depending on the conditions in each region, but I have a rough idea.
Taking into account the possibility of earning money along the way, I figure that the total initial funds required would be the above ship fare plus around 2,000,000 robs.
—That’s it. That was Tooth’s assessment.

I listened to his explanation and decided without hesitation to take the Western route. There was no need to rush, so safety came first.
The initial cost would be about 5,000,000 robs. I now had a rough target amount in mind.