This wasn't a rare occurrence in Ravencrest. Many high rankers in the city preferred to keep a low profile with their activities. They had accumulated a lot of enemies and threats over time. Because of this, it was common for them to have someone of lower status handle their dealings.
These lower-status individuals would take care of tasks like selling dungeon loot and other such activities.
So what did that imply? It meant that the boy standing in front of him was no ordinary person. He had the backing of powerful figures. This changed everything. He had to deal with the boy as if he was dealing with someone of high status.
Vyn smiled upon hearing the shop master's words. This was exactly the impression he wanted to create. He needed the shop master to think he was connected to influential people. Things were moving smoother and easier than he had anticipated.
Vyn knew from the beginning that selling high-rank monster materials was no easy feat, especially for a low ranker like himself. It was a risky endeavor. He was certain that anyone he tried to sell these materials to would investigate his background.
If they discovered he was just a mere nobody, being robbed would be the least of his worries. There was a real possibility that he would be assassinated.
Now, with this new impression he had created, if this strange shop master had any devious plans in mind, he would be forced to reconsider. The shop master would think twice now that he believed there were powerful figures behind Vyn.
"Well, enough with that. You haven't given me an offer yet, or don't you have any intention of buying these materials?"
Vyn asked in a straightforward tone, not wanting to waste any more time.
"Oh no, why would I fumble the opportunity to buy something so precious? I'm sorry for the delay, but before I make my offer, I would first like to appraise its rank to be sure of its true value," the shop master replied hastily.
"…"
Seeing Vyn's silence, the shop master quickly added, "It's not that I'm saying this isn't an A-rank monster. I can obviously tell how unique it is from a glance, but it is just a compulsory procedure."
"Very well. Please be quick about it," Vyn replied, giving his approval with a slight nod.
After Vyn gave his approval, the shop master left the room and quickly returned with a large device. It had cart-like wheels for easy mobility. Vyn quickly recognized this device as an arcane grading machine. It was crafted from enchanted metals and adorned with intricate magical runes. The machine had a sturdy platform with four elegantly carved wheels.
The merchant carefully placed the monster material on a small pedestal within the assessment chamber. This pedestal was equipped with sensors designed to detect the material's properties.
Once the cart was stationary, the detection runes on the wheels activated. These runes created a magical field that penetrated the material. They measured its magical energy, density, and overall quality.
Vyn was quite in shock as he watched this scene unfold before his eyes. Although he had sold several dungeon loots in the past, those transactions had always been at low-rank merchant shops. Those shops normally couldn't afford a machine of this caliber.
This was the first time he had seen such a sophisticated machine in action, and he couldn't be more impressed. The machine was a marvel of technology, a gleaming apparatus with intricate mechanisms.
The internal mechanisms of the machine whirred and clicked as it analyzed the readings from the material Vyn had brought in. It then sent the data to the Display Panel. The Display Panel lit up in a dazzling array of colors, each representing a different rank of the material:
E Rank: Dull Grey
D Rank: Brown
C Rank: Green
B Rank: Blue
A Rank: Gold
The shop master watched the display for a brief moment before nodding in satisfaction. He seemed to understand the machine's output instantly.
"The fact that all the lights are lit up means the material is of the highest quality the machine can measure, which is an A rank. If it wasn't up to an A rank, the Gold light wouldn't have lit up,"
He explained, his tone both informative and slightly condescending, as if he intuitively felt that Vyn didn't understand the metrics of the machine.
Vyn nodded, trying to appear unfazed.
"I know, let's bargain the price," he said, his voice steady. He couldn't afford to show any weakness that would arouse suspicion. As someone supposedly backed by powerful figures, he felt it was necessary for him to seem knowledgeable about how such a system worked.
"Alright,"
The shopkeeper agreed, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.
"Based on what is here, it's really, really much and coupled with the high quality and rarity of the material, I'm willing to offer three hundred gold coins."
Vyn found this offer very puzzling. He hadn't expected such a high offer from selling the materials. It was true that A rank materials were very rare and precious, and he hadn't sold one before to be familiar with the actual range of prices they commanded. But three hundred gold coins? That was a huge fortune!
It had been over two years since he had last been in possession of gold coins, when he first arrived in Ravencrest. But now, the concept of holding gold coins seemed foreign.
He had actually estimated that getting fifty gold coins for the materials would be a good bargain. But what was this he was hearing?
Although he was quite excited by the offer, he suppressed his feelings and kept them hidden. He covered his excitement with a veil of a twisted frown and a look of suspicion.
From his experience dealing with several merchants, he knew they all had a disgustingly greedy personality. There was no way this young-looking merchant would offer him a price above the actual market value. Instead, he would supposedly try to cheat him for his own benefit.
This meant the three hundred gold coins offered could actually be way below what the material was worth!
Vyn's expression was devoid of any excitement. Instead, he wore a look of profound disappointment.
"Three hundred? That's your offer?"
Vyn's voice was calm but carried an undertone of disbelief.
He deliberately left out the words "gold coins" in his response. It was a strategic move to make the offer seem less valuable and establish a more advantageous position for himself.
This tactic was meant to convey that he had dealt with similar situations many times before and that the amount offered was trivial to him.
In fact, it worked perfectly. Hearing Vyn's casual dismissal, the shop master couldn't help but panic a little.
The rarity of A-rank materials was undeniable due to the infrequency with which the dungeons appeared. Even when these materials did show up in the market, they were quickly snatched up by powerful and wealthy trade centers and organizations.
The shop master had only once had the chance to buy a piece of A-rank material, and he remembered how exorbitantly expensive it had been. This particular material, with its unique properties, should be worth even more than regular A-rank materials.
He couldn't afford to miss out on this opportunity.
"How about I increase my offer to five hundred gold coins?" he blurted out, his voice tinged with desperation.
Vyn remained silent, his expression unreadable. He didn't even blink at the mention of the increased offer. The shop master tried his best to gauge any changes in his demeanor, but there was nothing.
Vyn's face was a mask of calm indifference.
"Alright, how much do you want?" the shop master asked, finally giving in, his voice tinged with resignation.
Vyn let the tension in the room build for a few moments before he spoke again. He wanted to make sure the shop master fully understood who held the upper hand in this negotiation.
"Hmm… well, since this is our first time doing business together, I don't want to pressure you too much or cause you a loss," Vyn began, his tone thoughtful and measured.
"I aim for very fair and conducive terms for the sake of future deals. Therefore, I'm willing to hand these materials to you for the low price of nine hundred gold coins."
He spoke in such a sophisticated, contemplative, and convincing manner that the shop master felt like he was dealing with a seasoned con man rather than a teenager.
Vyn's calm confidence made it hard to argue.
"Nine hundred? Would your conscience even let you accept that if I give it to you?"