My Girlfriends Are Hardcore Yanderes - Chapter 136

Chapter 136: Simple Terms
Asher followed the appraiser to the third floor.

The place seemed to have more of an administrative air than a typical shop. From what he could pick up with his ears, there were muffled voices echoing from behind the walls—discussions, footsteps, and the occasional creak of doors.

At the top, several doors were lined up, each one leading to a separate room. He glanced as a few dogkin workers entered one of them, their arms full of papers and small satchels.

Then, at the far end, a wooden door stood out with a fancier design than the others. Its surface had detailed carvings, and the handles were made of shiny brass.

Brennar stepped forward and opened the door for him without a word. The faint creak of the hinges echoed softly as the room beyond revealed itself.

The owner of the shop was standing near a large, tall window, gazing out over the bustling street below.

She was a tall, elegant woman with dark fox ears and long, dark hair tied neatly into a bun. She wore a finely tailored brown and white robe that seemed out of place in the otherwise simple shop.

‘Maybe foxkin are natural traders in this world,’ he muttered to himself. Just today, he had already met two foxkin in high positions, and both were deeply involved in business related stuff.

Brennar, still holding the enchanted papers, approached her and began whispering.

Asher could hear it everything despite the hushed tone. The appraiser was explaining how an amazing and very talented sorcerer, who wasn’t yet affiliated with the academy, had come to their store to sell high-quality magic items.

When Brennar was done with his explanation, the fox woman gave a small, knowing smile.

Her eyes briefly flickered toward Asher, and with a graceful gesture, she motioned for him to sit.

“Please, take a seat, Sorcerer. There’s no rush,” she said in a tone that was both polite and smooth, as if she were used to making people feel at ease.

Asher sat down without hesitation.

Without breaking her gaze, she turned to Brennar. “Would you mind brewing us some coffee? It’s been a long day, and I think we could all use something to relax.”

Brennar, ever the dutiful employee, nodded immediately and made his way toward a small desk in the corner of the room.

Asher couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

‘Coffee?’

It wasn’t exactly what he had been expecting from this meeting.

He watched Brennar carefully as the appraiser fumbled with the old coffee pot, but all he could think about was how much he’d rather be drinking coffee made by Index.

There was something comforting about her brew—strong, dark, and just the right amount of bitterness.

‘I miss her,’ he sighed, feeling a wave of longing. He hated all the going around in circles, but he didn’t have many options, especially since his teleportation spell has too many flaws.

When Brennar returned with a steaming cup in hand, he placed it in front of Asher, along with a saucer.

Asher didn’t even bother picking up the cup. Instead, he looked at it for a moment, then gently pushed it aside.

“Thank you, but I don’t drink coffee,” he responded casually.

The fox woman’s lips curved into a faint smile “No worries. It’s just a gesture,”

“My name is Thalia, the owner of this small establishment.” She tapped the stack of enchanted papers gently on the table. “So, how much do you want for all of this?”

He leaned back slightly, his hands resting on the arms of the chair. He wasn’t about to give them an easy answer, especially not when he didn’t know the first thing about the value of money in this world.

His lack of knowledge could easily become a weakness. Although the items he provided were simple to mass-produce, the thought of being exploited didn’t sit well with him.

It would tarnish his image; no one would respect someone who was naive or easy to deceive. With that in mind, he chose to proceed carefully.

“Name your price, and I’ll decide if it’s fair,” he stated, keeping his tone neutral. It was a straightforward tactic—let her make the first move and reveal her intentions.

She offered a faint smile, but a glint of caution crossed her eyes.

As a businesswoman, she aimed to offer a price low enough to increase her profit. However, she couldn’t set it too low, or he might not see enough value to return for future transactions.

As she considered her options, she began comparing these enchanted papers to items sold in more prominent areas.

The closest equivalent was magic scrolls, which required at least some knowledge of arcane spells to use and were priced at 10 gold pieces each.

According to Brennar, however, the items Asher was selling could be used effortlessly, even by someone with no prior experience. That alone made them far more valuable than those scrolls.

After a long moment of consideration, she spoke, her voice calm and controlled.

“These are rare items, Sorcerer. Given their quality and the time it must have taken to create them, I’d offer you 400 gold coins for the lot, including the one my appraiser used for testing.”

She set the price at 20 gold a piece, anticipating some kind of reaction. However, Asher’s expression remained unreadable, giving nothing away.

This made her question if it was too low.

“I’m sorry,” she explained, her voice steady but tinged with a hint of worry. “I miscalculated. I’m willing to offer 500 gold coins for everything.”

‘500 gold?’ he pondered. That was a twenty five percent increased.

Thalia kept her eyes on him, studying his face for any hint of his thoughts. The silence stretched, and a flicker of unease crept into her mind. Was he considering backing out of the deal?

Finally, he broke the silence. “500 gold, huh?—” He paused briefly, intending to ask about the value of gold in the capital. Though he believed 500 gold coins would be enough.

Before he could finish, Thalia cut in, her tone eager to regain control of the conversation.

“550 gold coins, that’s my final price,” she offered.

‘Huh?’ He was completely confused. He hadn’t even rejected the price, and yet she was raising it on her own.

“Sorcerer, this store is small compared to others, and to be honest, 550 gold coins could probably buy the whole place. I’m stretching all our funds to give you a fair offer,” she explained truthfully.

She was betting everything on the hope that she could sell these items for more than 800 gold coins to some noble family.

“Deal,” he agreed.

Thalia sighed in relief, quickly standing up to retrieve the gold coins. She was not lying when she said this was almost all the money she had.

She placed the coins inside a satchel and set it on the table. “Please count them,” she insisted.

“No need, I trust you’re smart enough not to play tricks on me,” he grabbed the satchel and tucked it into his robe.

He paused for a moment, locking eyes with Thalia. “I’m wondering if I can buy information from you.”