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One of the cashiers noticed us first and addressed us.

“Welcome, would you like the bill?”
“Ah, err. Yes, for this.”

Finia was surprised with this reunion, but still managed to show the clerk the item in question. I did the same and we paid our separate bills. At that point, Bill finally took notice of us and turned around.

“Oh my, if I’m not mistaken… You were called Finia?”
“Yes. A long time… it hasn’t been, huh? Who knew we would be meeting again so soon.”
“You are quite right. It has only been a few hours.”

He extended his right hand with a radiant smile. A handshake was both a greeting and an act of finalizing a negotiation. This time, it was probably out of friendship, though. Finia returned the handshake with a smile of her own.

“Are those souvenirs?”
“Yes, for the memory. Lady Nicole and I gave each other one.”
“Haha, you seem to be quite close indeed!”
“Are you here for work, Mr. Bill?”

I asked while tilting my head as innocently as I could. Because while it was according to my wishes, it was still far too convenient to be meeting him here in such a short time. Bill answered without showing any signs of doubt at my question.

“That’s right. Buying things is my work, after all. I was thinking of selling these souvenirs in the capital.”
“This handkerchief is quite a fine work, too.”
“Oh, you get it! The hemmings are quite sturdy and the embroidery is stylish on top of it. I’m sure they’d sell very well even in the capital.”
“In that case, I should’ve raised the price a bit more.”

The man who Bill was talking to commented in a joking tone. The man I initially thought to be one of the clerks turned out to be his negotiation partner.

“That would be troubling. If the buying price rises, it would put me in a heavy loss!”
“Hahaha, I’m just joking. I look forward to your continued patronage.”
“Of course. But please save me from the rising prices, okay?”
“That won’t happen as long as the prices of raw material don’t suddenly jump up.”

Looking at how they acted, it seemed that Bill was acquainted with him long before he met us. He seemed to be quite suspicious due to how low the prices were.

Either way, I just needed to fulfill my own goal now.

“Oh, right, Mr. Bill, do you know what this is?”

I retrieved the ring and dagger from my bag and showed it to him. I took the dagger under the pretext of self-defense. Unlike the Katana, this one was easier to handle and was more advantageous inside the town.

“Oh… They seem to be tools with some kind of Magic. I have to appraise it to find out more.”
“Right. I don’t know what kind of Magic they have.”
“Hmm… Well, this is hard to bring up, but…”
“Hmm?”

It seemed that Bill caught on to my intention, he answered apologetically. It wasn’t the wording of a good-natured old man, but instead that of a merchant.

“When it comes to appraising an item, I can’t do it for free. Even if we are acquaintances, that is still part of the business.”
“Ah, is that so?”

Item appraisals were surprisingly demanded. The current magic and system differed greatly from the Magic of old times, so it was impossible to guess what Magic something had without appraising it. A lot of such items could be found in ruins.

And to appraise such items, people often asked for compensation. It wasn’t something he could do for free just because we were acquaintances.

“Yeah, I got it. How much would that be?”
“It would be 50 silvers per item. I know it is quite pricey, but…”

It was an amount that would last you for ten days at an inn. But when it came to Magic items, many of them were far more valuable. Still, I didn’t carry that much on hand now.

“Mgh, I don’t have enough…”

That wasn’t exactly the case. I secretly took money from those kidnappers. I already had that much hidden somewhere. But I didn’t carry it with me on a trip.

“Lady Nicole, let me pay it.”
“But…”

50 Silvers was quite a big sum. After coming to this town, Cortina has been paying her, but it should’ve still been a painful amount for her. Of course, Finia at first refused to be paid, but given Cortina’s pushiness, she couldn’t manage it in the end.

“It’s okay. I don’t have anything to spend on, anyway.”
“Is that so? Then, please. I’ll definitely pay you back later.”
“Okay.”
“I mean it, okay?”
“You don’t have to emphasize it so much…”

Finia took a gold coin from her waist purse and handed it over to Bill. He accepted it and put it in his pocket.

“I have certainly received it. Well then, are you fine with doing it here?”

We were at the forefront of a souvenir shop. Anyone could be listening to our talk. Moreover, I didn’t know what I could expect. It was an item from the kidnappers, so there was a chance it was something dangerous.

In that case, it was better to move somewhere without outsiders.

“Here would be a little…”
“Then, the inn I’m staying at is nearby, so let’s do it there.”
“Are you sure?”
“I can at least treat you to some fruit juice.”

He withdrew his merchant’s expression, replacing it with a beaming smile.

“It would be my pleasure to have tea with pretty ladies like you!”

Those words, at least, came from his heart. That much I realized.