Slave Harem in the Labyrinth of the Other World Chapter 146

Hey guys,
mranon here. Here’s your third and final Slave Harem chapter for the week. (Yes, it’s still the same week) See y’all next (this) week. Enjoy the read.
Yours truly,
Loss
“These are Kobold Monster Cards. There are two of them. I have yet to acquire other cards.” “Is that so?”
The weapons merchant takes out the monster cards as per the deal. Two Kobold Monster Cards. He has placed orders for different monster cards but he hasn’t acquired any yet.
There’s a possibility that he’s not telling the truth. He probably wants to bargain with me using cheaper cards. Oh well, even if he possesses other cards, it’s no use. There’s no guarantee that the fusion will succeed.
“Instead, I was able to acquire a staff this time. If it’s of use to you, I can give it to you for cheap.”
The weapons merchant brings out a stick. It’s a staff. Is he selling it because he no longer needs it?
I’m not too sure that he arranged it this time. He must have acquired it earlier, before he bought the Sacred Spear. After all, a short-sighted person can’t be a broker.
“It’s not the best but it’s a staff nonetheless.” “I guess. I knew you would have many in possession.” “I acquired it back then, before I got the Sacred Spear.”
The staff, which the weapons merchant brought out, doesn’t have any empty skill slot. If he fused monster cards with this one, he would fail. I’ll be better off without it.
“There’s this, too.”
The weapons merchant withdraws the staff and takes out another stick. It seems to be called Damascus stick. It’s a stick with a striped pattern. It comes with one empty skill slot.
“Damascus stick?” “So you know, huh? It’s a Damascus stick, indeed.” “I don’t have many stick-type weapons but if you want one, you won’t find many better than this.”
For it’s called Damascus stick, is it made of Damascus steel? Damascus steel weapon with an empty skill slot is valuable, surely. Even if you want to buy one, you won’t find it easily in a weapons shop. Although I don’t need it, I can fuse an appropriate monster card with it.
But I have never seen a Damascus stick at the weapons shop, so it may be risky. Yet this weapons merchant brought it out just like that? Is it a counterfeit and the striped pattern is only there to make it look genuine? Nah, it can’t be a counterfeit for Appraisal is showing it as Damascus stick.
“Thank you very much. Also…” “Is there something else?”
The weapons merchant puts the Damascus stick on the table. Next, he takes out one more monster card from his Item Box. High Kobold?
“To tell you the truth, it’s rare but this time I was able to get my hands on a High Kobold Monster Card. So, how about this? A High Kobold Monster Card in addition to the Damascus stick and two Kobold Monster Cards. Even a Rod of Offerings may not necessarily be equivalent to this offer.”
The weapons merchant offers. As for the High Kobold Monster Card, I know what it’s called, obviously, but what is it used for? It’s my first time seeing it.
I have no idea. What do I do now? I should have brought Sherry with me.
“High Kobold?”
Looking at Luke, I gesture. If there’s anyone who can help me here, it’s Luke.
“In exchange for a successfully fused monster card, it’s not a bad deal. As for the High Kobold Monster Card, it’s rarely exhibited at the auction, so it’s difficult to speculate its market price. It’s my first time seeing one, too.”
Although it’s your first time seeing it, you don’t have any hint of surprise. Doesn’t it feel like they have some sort understanding? He claims that his offer is higher than the market value of a Rod of Offerings but there’s a possibility that it’s actually lower.
I have no idea as to what skill a High Kobold Monster Card gives. But he said that it’s rarely exhibited. So, isn’t it better to acquire it? It won’t be a waste.
“If you think it’s too low, how about additional 3,000 Nars?”
When I was contemplating, the weapons merchant raises his offer.
“I think it’s equivalent to the market price, don’t you think?”
What I mean is, if it were the case, you would include 3,000 Nars in the offer from the outset. It shows your dishonesty.
“Then how about 5,000 Nars?”
He raises his offer further. If the offer with additional 3,000 Nars was equivalent to the market price, doesn’t that make the offer with additional 5,000 Nars higher than the market price? Should I drag it some more?
“I don’t particularly need a Damascus stick.” “Well, how about 6,000 nars then?” “Un” “How much do you want?” “How much do I want? I want the value of the Rod of Offerings.”
I wonder if I should cancel the deal. 30% Up will probably not work, too. I mean, which one will work? 30% Up or 30% Discount? Because I came here with the intention of selling the Rod of Offerings, I only selected 30% Up.
“Very well. Then in addition to three monster cards and Damascus stick, I’ll give you 10,000 nars. Also, I’ll bear the cost in respect of the guild temple usage fee and the weapon appraisal charges. You will surely not have any complaint now, will you?”
This time, he seemed a little angry. Have I angered him? I’m still not fully convinced, though. Should I call the deal off?
“You said that if it’s around the market price there won’t be any problem. I think this offer is adequate.”
Luke interjects. I’m not greedy or anything. It’s not like I’m troubled for money. I’ll get my hands on a High Kobold Monster Card and a Damascus stick, so it’s not that bad. So, is there nothing else that I can do?
“Oh well, it can’t be helped. I think this offer is acceptable. Also, there’s no need for weapon appraisal. I trust that it’s Damascus stick.”
I accept the offer. And receive the monster cards, the Damascus stick and gold coins. 30% Up doesn’t seem to have worked. I put everything in the Item Box.
Thereafter, we proceed to the guild temple. To verify the monster cards. Because I can use Appraisal, I don’t need verification but I can’t say that out loud. Oh well, it’s not like I have to pay for it.
“How was the deal?”
While leaving the waiting room, I part with the weapons merchant and ask Luke.
“It was not a bad deal, in my opinion.” “The ending wasn’t happy, though.” “He’s a merchant, too. He won’t agree to a deal if it’s not profitable for him, so I don’t think he’s angry.”
Was that anger just an act? Brokers are terrible. The weapons merchant gets angry and then Luke cuts in to play it down. Isn’t this a classic yakuza tactic of bargaining? A technique also used by police to draw voluntary confession.
In other words, yakuza and police are essentially the same. I can’t compete with them. I wonder if I should have exerted myself more.
Oh well, it must be around the market price; it was probably not a lie. Nothing can be done about it now. I’ll forgive them this time.
“Since I have acquired a spare card, too, I’ll temporarily withdraw from buying Kobold Monster Cards. However, if you find one for cheap, you can bid on it.” “Understood.”
I cancel the order for Kobold Monster Card and return home. I take out a Kobold Monster Card and prepare the earring.
“Sherry, can you perform Monster Card Fusion?” “Yes, I can.”
After all, she didn’t seem to have overused her MP when she made leather mittens. I mean, if she had overused her MP, she would have refused, right? It’s risky. If needs be, I will have her use recovery medicine.
“Do you know about High Kobold Monster Card?” “It’s the monster card dropped by high-ranked Kobold.”
Sherry does seem to know about High Kobold Monster Card.
“Can it be fused together with other monster cards?” “It seems to be so. If fused together with a High Kobold Monster Card, it’s believed that the skill of a card becomes stronger than if fused together with a normal Kobold Monster Card. However, there has been no account of successful fusion.” “No success?”
I question subconsciously. Is it perhaps a useless card?
“However, just like Kobold, other high-ranked monsters drop high-ranked monster cards, too. There has been a case of successful fusion of a High Kobold Monster Card together with a high-ranked monster card.” “Is that so?” “Furthermore, there has been no instance of successful fusion of a standalone high-ranked monster card. Therefore, it’s believed that a high-ranked monster card must be fused together with a High Kobold Monster Card.”
Are there conditions of use? A high-ranked monster can’t drop a useless card, surely. If you meet the conditions, it can be a powerful monster card. You’re supposed to fuse a High Kobold Monster Card together with another high-ranked monster card, huh?
In other words, if I am to fuse this High Kobold Monster Card, I’ll have to first acquire another high-ranked monster card. So that weapons merchant was actually getting rid of his nuisance. Why do I feel like I have been had this time?
“Oh well, I’ll get my hands a high-ranked monster card sometime.” “Umm, there’s a theory that a master smith can’t fuse a high-ranked monster.”
Sherry conveys apologetically.
“So it’s no use?” “There’s no case of successful fusion by a master smith. However, it’s believed that a high-ranked monster card can be fused by a person with an advanced job of master smith called Sekigan 《One-eyed》.” “One-eyed?” “It’s a job which every master smith strives to get. Only a master smith, who has performed smithing for a long period of time, can acquire it.”
One-eyed — sounds cool, doesn’t it? Dragon Knight sounds cool, too. Yep, when she uses the skill of Master Smith, her hands do glow. If I keep on looking every time, my eyesight will eventually get bad.
“Is their eyesight bad?” “Even though it’s called One-eyed, it doesn’t mean that their eyesight is bad.”
It’s not? Oh well, it would be a terrible job indeed if it made you lose your eye. If you restored your previous job, would you get your lost eye back?
“Can you please fuse these Goat and Kobold Monster Cards with this earring then?” “Yes.”
I pass the earring and the monster cards to Sherry. I’m not using High Kobold Monster Card this time. If I did, it would end up failed, most likely.
I’m not sure whether it can be fused with a normal monster card, nor am I sure if Sherry, a master smith, can fuse it. It’s too big a risk. Because I no longer have the Rod of Offerings, my first priority is to get 2x Intelligence skill.
Sherry fuses the monster card. After the light subsides, an Earring of Offerings was remaining. The 2x Intelligence skill has been attached successfully.
“It’s a success. As expected of Sherry.” “Thank you very much.”
I receive the Earring of Offerings from Sherry. I put it on my left ear. When I use Appraisal, it was not showing. Do I have to remove Sacrificial Misanga?
Only one accessory, whichever is equipped first, seems to be enabled. If I put earrings on both my ears, not both of them will be enabled. I remove Sacrificial Misanga and re-equip the earring.
It’s scary to remove Sacrificial Misanga. Oh well, I’m a rearguard anyway. I won’t be in a crisis as long as I’m casting spells from the back. Thus far, there has been no opportunity for Sacrificial Misanga to activate.
What I’m worried about is when I will have to move to the front in order to use Durandal to recover MP. When that time comes, I’ll equip Sacrificial Misanga. It’s bothersome. Although it’s bothersome, it’s still better than regretting ‘why did I not wear Sacrificial Misanga!?’
Not regretting ‘why did I not wear Sacrificial Misanga?’ but ‘why did I receive an attack when I wasn’t wearing Sacrificial Misanga?’ It’ll be really bad.
Where am I? ‘Go to Murasakino’ ‘Go to Netherworld’ (TN: Murasakino is a railway station in Japan) Just because it was bothersome, this is where I ended up.
There are two more empty skill slots on the Earring of Offerings. I better get a Caterpillar Monster Card as soon as possible and have it fused.
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