**Chapter 19: Day 19 – Noon – Omu'i Guild**
No one picked a fight with me. No one made eye contact. No one even looked my way. And the crowd automatically parted like I was Moses.
Fine by me—convenient, actually.
I headed to the reception counter anyway.
"Sorry… this is everything I have. Please have mercy. I'll definitely, definitely pay the rest later. For today… please…"
""""Please…""""
Wait—no, I'm not robbing you! I'm not even an adventurer. Unemployed, homeless (cave dweller), suspicious guy alert!
"Haruka-kun, sorry… the magic stone cash-out isn't finished yet because there's way too many. And even for what we've appraised, the guild doesn't have enough cash on hand. Sorry, but… could we split the payment?"
""""Please…""""
Whoa—what is this? At least they're not mistaking me for a robber. But they definitely think I'm shady? I'd think the same.
"Normally we'd return unappraised stones, but… Haruka-kun isn't an adventurer, so we shouldn't buy them at all. Still, letting this much flow to outside shops would be a problem… or rather, a waste…"
According to the guild master old man's explanation, the guild takes a 10% handling fee on magic stone sales. It's headquarters rules—they have to take one-tenth of the volume.
This fee supports the adventurer guild and adventurers, so selling stones elsewhere is forbidden—violation means expulsion.
But I'm not an adventurer. I don't rely on the guild, and I can't.
They gave special treatment and called it gratitude, yet felt guilty about taking the 10% cut.
Since I'm not an adventurer, I could sell to regular shops with no issue (and no complaints). They'd lowball me, so they kindly offered to buy—but the amount was too huge to cash out at once. On the flip side, dumping so many cheaply would crash prices and hurt guild operations.
"Of course we can't order you… and I know we're not in a position to ask… sorry."
He seemed really torn up about it, but honestly I didn't care. They were asking while acting all hesitant, so the talk wasn't progressing.
But one small voice from the receptionist onee-san (with huge bags under her eyes) sealed it:
"If we can buy/sell this much… bonus… new clothes…"
"It's fine? You guys pulled an all-nighter, right? Give her the bonus or whatever?"
It's fine anyway—no bookstores. Money's useless without books.
"Even if I can't register, the class rep group did, and probably some acquaintances too? Four of them are new, I think? With 24 people to look after, it's fine—don't worry, seriously."
A relieved atmosphere spread. The receptionist onee-san was bouncing excitedly. Oh—got scolded. Yeah, I get it… I'm always… in trouble.
Anyway—they gave me 8 million Ele? Are they stupid? No wonder they ran out of cash. Haggle a little!
"8 million? Most were F-rank stones, right? Lowest rank?"
The scolding receptionist stepped forward with a smug face and started explaining. I can't Escape the lecture, huh…
"Ah~ yes, see, S-rank is legendary, impossible to defeat, best to run away. A-rank is disaster-level, also run away. B-rank maybe if the whole country tries? C-rank maybe if the guild gathers everyone? D-rank only if top-tier adventurers gather? E-rank if top-class struggle hard enough? Everything else is F. Just F. Only F. If there was D-rank or higher the king would display it."
Useless, these ranks are meaningless.
No wonder everything was F-rank. Value makes no sense.
"F-rank splits 1–10, plus/minus for 30 sub-ranks."
"Why stop at F? Why not use up to Z? Super confusing!"
"That's one of history's mysteries. But this time the highest was F10+, first time we've seen it. Most others were F8~5. Honestly F10+ alone is over 10 million Ele—guild would go bankrupt."
That receptionist was the one crying at the buy counter earlier, then glaring at the end. Appraiser? Knows a lot.
"Really okay? This is… way too good a deal for you. Honestly not something we can ask… no benefit for Haruka-kun at all…"
"It's fine. Anyway, when more stones pile up I planned to sneak them through class rep group to sell to the guild secretly? Also planned to leak guild info secretly?"
"Please don't say that out loud in front of the guild master and all staff… not secret at all, right? We'd have preferred that… but you noticed anyway…"
In the end—long-term payment plan. Long-term means if something happens to class rep group connected to me, full recovery or dump to shops. Can't refuse, flexible terms, guild as ally = higher safety. Or rather—I threatened them, so they'll work hard.
"Then—shopping time? Any recommended shops?"
Funds acquired I got way more than expected.
Got shop locations too, so let's go?
"Haruka-kun… can I talk a sec?"
Soon as I became rich, class rep appeared?
"Begging? Collecting? Extortion? Or… you want a bear?"
"No more bears! And no begging, collecting, or extortion! The opposite!"
Amount was bigger than expected—she's panicking. Classic worry-mom mode.
"Ah—the entrusted portion? Nah, it's fine? Might need it sometime?"
"But a whole bag of magic stones! Huge amount! Scary to hold?"
I entrusted one bag of stones to class rep—for emergencies, injuries, weapon breaks, cash shortages. Dangerous otherwise. Emergency + loan use, but higher than expected—troubled her.
"Extra or unnecessary then just return? Probably?"
"That 'probably' is the 'whatever' kind, right? Money is important!"
Cave rent free, mushrooms free infinite harvest, clothes permanent guarantee (never tear), no bookstore… what even is money in my life?
Above all—loner = socializing costs permanently free!
"So hold onto it. For important times. If not needed you got lucky, right?"
"Yeah. Thank you. I'll use it carefully—for everyone."
Finally persuaded class rep—time to shop?
"Bro—said I'd repay, right? Got a good shop—introducing you."
Oh it's the spear old man. Good shop incoming.
Some place to kyaa-kyaa, ufufu with isekai beauties? Cave only had gobu-gobu, ugu-gugu goblins.
"Still before noon, you know?"
Just in case? Like, pretext… Search shows 20 enemies behind? All girls?
"No—not that kind of shop—weapon shop. Bit unusual, hard to find, but good place."
What a useless old man. Return to Green Wolves? Yeah,I already pulverized, but maybe they'll accept?
Hmm—Lv9 can't equip anything, but money now, good shop might have something for class rep group—worth checking? Repayment and all.
Just go see? Return later—whatever. Kinda wanna see real isekai weapon shop… kyaa-kyaa ufufu even more, seriously.
**Day 19 End**