Tre, having shifted back from her professional persona to her usual self, addressed the bewildered An.
"Oh, An, you can relax now too. We'll save the shop talk for another time. Let's just forget about work for a bit and have some fun at the party!"
"A-Ah, um... Y-Yes."
"An," I added, "it might be a bit overwhelming, but Tre is a trustworthy person, so you don't need to worry. If any issues come up regarding the negotiations, I'll step in to help, since I was the one who introduced you."
"N-No, please don't speak of responsibility... If anything, I’ve already incurred such a debt to Kaito-san that I couldn’t possibly repay it in a lifetime. I don’t even know where to begin thanking you..."
"No, no, that’s an exaggeration."
An bowed to me, her gratitude clearly sincere. I could tell from her tone and the look on her face that she truly considered this a life-altering favor.
"It’s not an exaggeration," she insisted. "I never dreamed we’d be offered an exclusive contract with the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company. It’s a miracle. My guild members are all so hardworking and skilled, but as their representative, I felt like a failure because I couldn't secure the pay or work they deserved. The most talented among them could have left for better-paying associations, yet they stayed... I’ve always wanted to find a way to repay that loyalty."
"I see. In business, there are times when technical skill alone isn't enough."
"Yes. That’s why having this connection with the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company is so incredible."
It seemed their lack of negotiating power was a far more crippling issue than I’d initially suspected. They were essentially a small business; since they had to hunt down their own contracts, having the right connections and the silver-tongued ability to secure them was a matter of survival. Without that, they were likely forced to take whatever scraps were thrown their way just to survive.
"Hmm, this might be a bit of a personal question," Tre began, "but what’s the average monthly salary in your association? Just a rough estimate is fine."
"Um, well... for example, my salary is about 2000R a month at its lowest, and around 5000R at its highest."
"What? For the representative of a medium-scale association with seven Grade 1 specialists? That’s... Wow, you’re being severely underpaid. It wouldn't be strange for a Grade 1 Mining Skill Qualification Holder to be making five times that amount."
"I'm ashamed to say it, but beyond our lack of negotiation skills... our connections are also very weak. Because we get so little work directed our way in the first place, we usually can't afford to take a strong stance. We have to take whatever we can get."
It was a classic trap. Since they were desperate for work, and the clients knew they could just hire another guild, An's association was forced to accept bottom-barrel rates just to keep the lights on and the members fed.
"I see, I see. Well then, An," Tre said thoughtfully. "This will probably have to wait until after we’ve signed the formal contract, but if you'd like, our trading company can dispatch personnel to handle those kinds of external negotiations for you. If we sign an exclusive contract, you'll have to prioritize our work, but that doesn't mean you can't take on other projects on the side."
"Wait... Is that really all right?"
"Yeah. Well, let's discuss the specifics of all that during the formal meeting!"
"T-Thank you! Thank you so much!"
An bowed, her expression one of overwhelming relief. Seeing how much she’d been struggling, Tre’s offer was clearly a godsend.
"By the way, Tre," I asked, "I'm not very familiar with it, but is a Grade 1 Mining Skill Qualification really that impressive?"
"Oh, it's quite a feat. Mining qualifications start at Grade 7. There are ten levels in total: Grade 7, Grade 6, Grade 5, Grade 4, Grade Pre-3 Certification, Grade 3 Certification, Grade Pre-2 Certification, Grade 2 Certification, Grade Pre-1, and finally Grade 1. Grade 7 and 6 are basically for apprentices, so the real professional work starts at Grade 5. Most people advance through an annual exam, but those only take you as far as Grade 2. To even qualify for the Grade Pre-1 or Grade 1 exams, you need proven results and high-level recommendations. Only a tiny fraction ever make the cut."
"I see. So Grade 1 holders are the absolute elite."
"Exactly. Of course, if you look at the entire Cruel race, there's a fair number of Grade 1 holders, but having seven of them in a single medium-scale association is incredible. High-purity Magic Crystals are especially difficult to mine; you can't really entrust them to anyone below Grade Pre-1."
Given how vital Magic Crystals were to this world, it made sense that the industry managed these certifications with such rigor.
"Then you’re quite the specialist, An."
"N-No, it's nothing like that... It's just that both my parents happened to be Grade 1, so I've been learning from them since I was small."
She shook her head bashfully. With her petite frame and humble attitude, she had a certain small-animal charm about her.
Serious-senpai: "Ngh... No, stay calm. It's fine. She hasn't tripped my Heroine Sensor yet. For now, it's leaning toward 'safe.'"
???: "She's a rare female character with blue-white skin, you know."
Serious-senpai: "Stop that! Don't try to bait me with her uniqueness! There are definitely people out there who have a thing for that!"