Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating - Chapter 58

Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating

Chapter 58   Mushroom Sale

Finally, the scene I had dreamt of became a reality.

It was time to sell the mushrooms.

Moreover, we had both the Purple Mushroom and the Crimson Mushroom.

Even if one of them turned out to be a dud, as long as the other sold, we would be safe.

If it happened to be a dud, we would simply enjoy it ourselves.

I don’t care if the lord or anyone else remains unaware and misses out on this. Let them curse their lack of knowledge.

As we passed through the gate, we attracted attention with three girls accompanying me.

“Hey, Ed. Your hands aren’t enough, huh? Do you have a third arm or something?”

“As if! There’s no way, man.”

“Where is it? Show us, damn it. I envy you.”

They were mocking me.

Well, maybe it was more like they were envious, but it didn’t bother me.

I don’t have a hidden arm or anything like that. I’m not a demon, after all.

Since we’re familiar with the gatekeeper, we often engage in this kind of banter.

I must admit, having only two hands can be inconvenient.

When Ciel clings to my right hand, Minya promptly secures my left arm.

Meanwhile, Lania follows behind us, waving her hand with a relaxed expression.

Now, who has the advantage here?

Even I don’t know.

In terms of practical benefits, the first two have the upper hand, but mentally, Lania is clearly the winner.

Though she might join in later, who knows?

In a harem, it’s best not to establish a clear hierarchy. Let’s call it a draw.

Forming a circle and playing together is the best, yes, yes.

I’m treated as the “big brother,” and in the future, if a prince riding a white horse might come pick them up.

If that ever happens, I’ll probably cry as the big brother.

Although it doesn’t exist, I think the viewers would be angry with us for that.

Ciel, on the other hand, didn’t mention it, but her plans for a water bath got canceled, and she’s still wearing her worn-out pink dress.

While there’s no one who would call it disgraceful because we live in the slums, there are those who think that way.

We can’t control people’s inner thoughts and judgments.

Sometimes, when a certain lady passes by, Ciel’s hand, which I’m holding, twitches in response.

I felt a little sorry for her.

Maybe I should have brought out Minya’s brown clothes first.

But we’ve already covered more than half the distance.

The Adventurers’ Guild is closer from here.

We arrived at the guild just like that.

The sound of the familiar doorbell brings a sense of relief.

We finally made it.

As usual, we head to the receptionist, an elven woman.

Due to rumors of elven haughtiness, the line is usually short.

I think she’s just normal. Well, I can tell from how Minya is overly cautious that the other side is a pure-blooded elf or something.

We don’t have pedigrees or anything, so it’s hard to say for sure. We’re not cats. Well, Ciel, though.

“Hello.”

“Hello, Elf-sama.”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t address me as ‘Elf-sama’.”

“Understood. Then may I have the honor of using your name, Minya-sama?”

“Well, whatever.”

“Very well, Minya-sama and accompanying guest. What brings you here today?”

“I would like to sell some mushrooms.”

“Mushrooms, you say. Well, that’s fine. Please show them to me.”

Although she sighed mysteriously, it doesn’t cost anything to show them, so let’s give it a try.

I take out the Murasaki and Crimson mushroom from my bag.

“This, this is!”

Unusually, the elf lady’s expression changes.

“Wow!”

“I believe these are Murasaki and Crimson Mushroom.”

“That’s what it looks like to me too. They are quite rare. Humans don’t consume mushrooms very often.”

The lady carefully examines them.

By ‘humans’ she probably means ‘humans’ in general.

Elf folks often make remarks that they don’t consider themselves in the same category as humans.

That’s why there aren’t many people in line.

“Um, alternatively, we can take them as they are. Each mushroom will be exchanged for a gold coin for a total of two gold coins.”

“I see, two gold coins, huh?”

“Or, if you’d like, we can appraise both of them together for one coin. If they turn out to be genuine with a certification, the Murasaki mushroom would be worth four coins, and the Crimson mushroom would be worth three coins. It’s a bit of a gamble, but I trust you’re not someone who would bring fakes.”

The sister’s eyes gleam with excitement.

I see, she’s sizing us up.

But I’m skilled in wielding Elven and Dwarven knives, and Minya is, well, the esteemed Elf herself. Perhaps they’re considering the trust placed in our races separately from personal trust.

As for me, I’m a certified appraiser, so naturally, it’s the latter.

“Through appraisal, then”

“Alright, let’s proceed with the appraisal. First, please pay the appraisal fee of one gold coin in advance.”

“Understood.”

I’m glad I have these little gold coins. They’re dwindling, but I’ll manage.

“Here’s the coin.”

“I’ll take it with a gentle tap.”

“I believe in myself.”

I emit an aura that doesn’t give away my skill in appraisal. Besides, I can’t show the results of an appraisal to others. Even if I were to assert, “I’m an appraiser!” there would be no way to prove it without blabbing about other people’s privacy.

Since I don’t have such a hobby, let’s keep it a secret.

“Ohhh, the first time I’ve seen someone come out from the guild, and a genuine one at that.”

“A monocle, huh? Also known as an eyeglass for one eye.”

A confident male Elf emerges wearing the aforementioned accessory.

Although he’s not wearing a silk top hat, he exudes an air of sophistication.

He strikes a quick pose and gazes intently at the mushrooms.

“Indeed, these are excellent Murasaki and Crimson mushroom. Their freshness hasn’t diminished.”

“That’s right. Understood. As agreed, I’ll pay you seven coins in total, four for the Murasaki and three for the Crimson mushroom.”

The male Elf glances at us, then chuckles disdainfully through his nose before his eyes widen upon noticing Minya, who is absentmindedly staring into space beside me.

“Oh, could it be…?”

“Lord Chimaeras, it’s impolite to appraise indiscriminately.”

“I am aware. However, those pointed ears, that golden hair, that aura—without even appraising, there’s no mistaking it.”

“That may be true, but… we are nothing more than ordinary guild staff.”

“I understand what you’re saying.”

The middle-aged Elf across the counter stares fixedly at Minya.

Though he’s considered middle-aged for an Elf, his face still appears youthful, but that’s somewhat unsettling in its own way.

Could it be that he has questionable tastes or interests?

“How beautiful. So, you’re minya, right?”

“Yes, nyaa.”

“…A descendant of the High Elves.”

If I were a cat, my entire body would be bristling and trembling.

“See, you scared her.”

“Me? Oh, is that so? I apologize. It wasn’t my intention. Please forgive me.”

He gracefully greets us and departs.

So, is this how it is for Half-Elves? It seems like my perception is getting a bit skewed.

With the money from the mushrooms, we’re all feeling satisfied. It’s time to split the bill.

With seven coins, one is for expenses, so we divide the remaining six among the four of us.

Each person gets one and a half coins. We have silver coins, so let’s give them to Lania.

“Here you go, Lania-chan.”

“Thank you very much.”

She turns around gracefully.

“And also, Ciel.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yeah. Since we found the mushrooms ourselves, we’ll split them equally.”

“Equally?”

“Yeah, it means dividing them into equal amounts.”

“Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you!”

Swiftly, she tucks the gold and silver coins into the hidden pocket of her pink dress.

She gently caresses the pocket, treating it as something precious.

“Oh, by the way, if you plan to stay with us for a while, I can hold onto your share as a proxy. If you ever need it, just let me know, and I’ll give it to you.”

“Yes! That’s what I’ll do, nyaa.”

“Oh, yes, of course.”

“Alright, here’s the money, please take care of it. And, um, I’ll be in your care for a while, nyaa.”

Saying so, she bows her head.

Though her clothes are worn-out, only I know that she looks somewhat elegant.

And so, in the end, we reached an agreement that Ciel will stay with us for a while as a member of our family.

We’ll have to explain it to Gid-san and Melun-san.

Also, we need to go to Eldania tomorrow. Looks like I’ll have to take her along with me.

We have enough provisions, so we should be fine, but it will be quite a large group.

The preparations progress quickly amid the bustling activity.