After a quick consultation with Hiiragi-san about Shiraishi-san’s proposal, we decided to accept—with conditions.
Those conditions were as follows...
"So, you'll only trade for magic items or skill scrolls?"
"Yes. If we accept just any drop item, it leads to complications. For instance, with meat-type items, the volume needed to match the value of the water would be enormous, and then there’s the issue of preserving the quality during storage."
If we assumed a rate of a thousand yen per hundred grams, trading for fifty liters of water would mean taking fifty kilograms of meat. Setting aside the sheer weight and space requirements, transporting that much to the surface without the Spatial Storage skill would require constant refrigeration. Raw meat left at room temperature for hours... yeah, there was a good chance the exchange center would refuse to buy it.
For those reasons, accepting meat-type items was out of the question. Of course, we could escape the dungeon and deliver it to the exchange center in a matter of hours, but from the perspective of an ordinary explorer, such goods weren't suitable for high-value trade.
"Also, we’d appreciate it if you could refrain from offering items that have a high circulation but low individual value, such as recovery potions."
"I see. Even with magic items, if the unit price is low, the sheer quantity becomes a burden."
"Exactly. It would be quite a hassle for us to walk around with dozens of recovery potions clattering together..."
"Well, that makes sense..."
While the purchase prices for magic items fluctuated to some extent, the market was relatively stable. As trade goods, they were reasonable enough. However, even among magic items, some were cheap or physically bulky, so we would still need to vet the offerings.
Furthermore...
"But are you really sure about this? You mentioned including skill scrolls in the trade... but you won't know what's actually inside them until you have them appraised on the surface. If you pull a 'win,' you get a great price, but if you pull a 'loss'..."
"I guess so. But even with bad luck, they still sell for about a hundred thousand yen."
Hiiragi-san met Shiraishi-san's confusion with a faint, knowing smile. As Shiraishi-san pointed out, unless you had an appraisal skill or an appraisal item, the contents of a skill scroll were a mystery until they were officially processed. Their value fluctuated wildly depending on the skill recorded inside. It was essentially a gacha. A high-stakes loot box.
High-risk, high-reward. I wasn't sure if it was the most appropriate currency for a barter, but the method certainly felt addictive.
"Ah, right! Anyway, I can assume you'll accept payment in forms other than cash?"
"Yes. Though, as we discussed, we're limiting the types of items we'll take."
"Don't worry about that. We were the ones making a difficult... a bothersome request in the first place. It's only natural for you to set terms. Thank you for considering the barter."
Shiraishi-san and Mita-san bowed slightly, expressing their sincere gratitude.
"In that case, I'll go sort through our loot. I’m sorry to keep you, but could you wait just a bit longer?"
"That's fine. Oh, but please don't be too late. Even for me, it takes quite a while to recover the EP I've spent. I’d like to be back at full strength before we head out tomorrow."
"Understood. I'll be back as quickly as I can."
"Okay."
With that, Shiraishi-san and Mita-san headed back toward their camp at a light jog.
Now then, I wondered what they would actually produce.
Since I didn't expect them to return immediately, Hiiragi-san and I retreated inside the camp screen to discuss the barter with Yuji. Naturally, since this was private, we made sure to use Silent Wall.
"So, what are you planning to take? You mentioned magic items and skill scrolls, but those are fairly rare drops. I wonder how many they actually managed to snag on the way down..."
"Well, at worst, there's a chance they haven't found a single one... but..."
"Based on their reaction, it seemed like they have at least one of each," Hiiragi-san noted.
"True. Otherwise, they would have looked a lot more discouraged."
The expression Shiraishi-san and her companion wore hadn't been one of resignation, but rather the look of someone agonizing over a choice. That suggested they did have the items, but were feeling conflicted about parting with them, even for something as vital as water. They were prizes they’d worked hard to earn; I could understand the desire to bring them home and cash them in.
Besides, as Yuji said, magic items and skill scrolls were rare drops. Even if they bought the water and continued their expedition, there was no guarantee they'd find replacements. It was only human nature to be stingy with such things.
"I see. Well, as long as they actually have them... but skill scrolls, huh?"
"From my perspective, it's a gacha where I already know the outcome," I said. "Though I'll need to pace the wins and losses so it looks like we're only slightly in the black. We have to keep up appearances."
"If we always pull the big winners, it'll be obvious that Kokonoe-kun has an appraisal skill."
"Exactly. So even if they offer a skill scroll, we aren't going to take a major loss. Besides, the water basically costs us nothing to make, so it's a profit the moment the trade happens anyway."
"Oh? Considering I have to spend my EP and put in the work, I wouldn't call the raw materials 'free,'" Hiiragi-san interjected with a wry smile.
"Come on, Hiiragi-san, let's just overlook that part for now. My point is, even if they give us a dud scroll, we aren't losing anything."
"...I suppose."
"If anything, magic items might be more of a headache. You can't tell the value of a scroll without knowing the skill, but magic items have established market rates. I check the purchase lists occasionally, but I don't have the whole thing memorized. If they offer something I don't recognize, I might end up just taking them at their word."
They didn't seem like bad people, but they were still strangers. Even if they weren't trying to rip us off, a misunderstanding could still lead to us being shortchanged. I really wished I had a price list for magic items to use as a reference... but that was wishful thinking. I’d have to remember to print one out before our next trip.
"It can't be helped," Yuji said. "This trade is an anomaly. It's only natural that we're unprepared for it."
"True," Hiiragi-san agreed. "We came here for 'passive interaction,' so this whole situation is a bit of an outlier."
"Yeah, tell me about it."
A quick greeting and setting up camp on a floor with other explorers... that had been the plan. Somehow, it had spiraled into logistics and commercial bartering.
Seriously, how did we end up here?
As the three of us sighed over how far we’d drifted from our original itinerary, Shiraishi-san’s voice called out from outside the camp screen. It seemed they were ready.
When Hiiragi-san and I stepped outside, we found Shiraishi-san looking apologetic, Mita-san holding a plastic tank, and a third man who was slightly shorter than Mita-san. Who was this?
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"It's fine. But Shiraishi-san, who is this...?"
"Oh, let me introduce him. This is Ryoma Hamatani-kun, our party leader."
"I'm Hamatani. Thank you for entertaining our unreasonable request."
"Ah, it's nothing..."
Hamatani spoke politely and seemed approachable, but his eyes betrayed a different set of emotions than the mask he was wearing. Was that... irritation?
"In that case, can we get straight to the water?"
"Ah, yes, of course. But first..."
"Right, I understand. Here."
Hamatani opened the bag he was carrying and showed us the contents.
"Since you requested magic items or skill scrolls, I've brought several items we obtained during this run that should be of appropriate value. Please, feel free to inspect them."
"Alright. Let's see."
Inside the bag were two skill scrolls and four magic items. That was actually quite a lot. The fact that they had so many rare drops meant these people were fighting monsters with significant aggression.
"The skill scrolls are unappraised, so the contents are unknown. As for the magic items, the purchase prices I last checked were 260,000, 170,000, 350,000, and 200,000 yen respectively."
While listening to Hamatani’s explanation, I discreetly used Appraisal Analysis to verify the items. They were all genuine. I couldn't be certain if his quoted prices were perfect, but he didn't seem to be trying to scam us.
I gave Hiiragi-san a subtle nod to confirm the goods were real, and she stepped forward to continue.
"Thank you for being so prepared. So, how much water do you need, Hamatani-san? The items we take will depend on the quantity."
"So payment with these is acceptable?"
"Yes."
"Thank you. Then we'll take fifty liters."
He didn't hesitate. Requesting the maximum amount without a second thought... these people were clearly in the dungeon for the profit. Hiiragi-san was momentarily taken aback by his decisiveness, but she cleared her throat and regained her focus.
"V-Very well. At the rate we agreed upon, the total comes to five hundred thousand yen. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes, that's fine. We'll proceed with that."
"Understood. However, that means..."
With the magic items they’d offered, any combination of two would result in an awkward total based on the quoted prices. In that case, taking the most expensive magic item and one skill scroll would be the safest, most neutral way to avoid an unfair trade.
"Kokonoe-kun? Which scroll do you think we should take?"
Hiiragi-san clearly had the same idea. She was asking me which scroll to pick. Even though I’d already appraised them and knew exactly what was inside...
"Since we don't know the contents, it doesn't really matter, does it? Just pick whichever one you like, Hiiragi-san."
"...Don't go complaining later, okay?"
"I won't. No matter what the result is, I definitely won't complain."
"...If it's a dud, you'd better take my side."
"Roger that."
To an outsider, it might have looked like we were just shifting the blame for a bad gamble, but the reality was different. As an appraisal user, I was giving my word that I wouldn't complain—meaning that no matter what she picked, I knew we weren't losing out.
"Then I'll take this skill scroll and this magic item."
"That's fine," Hamatani replied. "But even if the scroll turns out to be worthless, please don't come back with complaints."
"Of course. By that same token, if the one I picked turns out to be extremely valuable, don't come asking for the difference."
"Haha, naturally."
Hiiragi-san and Hamatani traded light barbs while establishing their boundaries. Financial disputes after a deal were the last thing anyone wanted. Ideally, a third party would have witnessed the agreement, but there was no one suitable around. Still, both of them were negotiating in intentionally loud voices, so the corporate explorer parties nearby likely heard everything. If the worst came to pass, we could try to use them as witnesses.
"Then, please, the water."
"Yes. Mita-san, should I fill that tank you're holding?"
"Yes, please do."
Hiiragi-san took the empty tank and began the water creation process right in front of them. It was a deliberate move to show that nothing suspicious was being added. If she had filled it inside the camp screen, they might have been worried about tampering.
Ten minutes later, Hiiragi-san finished.
"There. It's full."
"Thank you. With this, we can continue our expedition as planned."
"We're leaving tomorrow, so please try not to get your tank broken again. Don't push yourselves too hard."
"Of course. We might not be lucky enough to find another water supply in the middle of a dungeon next time."
With that, Hamatani signaled to Shiraishi-san and Mita-san, and the group headed back to their own campsite.
Sigh. Finally, the troublesome business was over.