Chereads / Danmachi- Merchant of Orario / Chapter 17 - To Sell is to Live

Chapter 17 - To Sell is to Live

After selling to the one adventurer from the Loki familia no one else came. With Domnus very much wanting to pay the Goibmiu familia so he would no longer be in debt, Domnus decided on something insane, to sell draws from the Deck of Many Things.

The Deck of Many Things looks like a simple card deck, its effects activate when a card is drawn. Once a card is drawn it will began glowing and activate. The effect is determined by a symbol on the front of the card. The deck never seems to loose cards.

Domnus had only seen it been activated three times.

The first had a picture of a Jester the effect would either give you a ton of XP, or allow you to draw two more cards. The second was a Key which immediately gives you a magic weapon, the Key is where Domnus's sickles came from. The final time he saw it activate was with what looked like a skull, which summons a grim reaper to kill whoever drew the card.

The previous owner of the deck is the one who pulled Jester and Skull. After his death Domnus took the deck but only pulled it once.

To sell a single draw from this deck would be a gross misuse of an item which should not be where it is in the first place. However, Domnus needed the money so his hands were tied.

Putting up new sign of the deal an adventurer immediately took notice.

"Hello!" a friendly adventurer greeted Domnus, "What is this 'Deck of Many Things' that I could draw from?" she asked.

"It's a deck that can do many different effects," Domnus says trying to be mysterious, "It could change your life forever,"

"Interesting ," the adventurer says looking at the price of three thousand valis, "So anything can happen?" she asks making sure.

"Yes anything, not even I can tell you what this can do," Domnus said masking that he knows almost nothing about the deck.

"I'll try it out!" the adventurer said while handing over the money, "Who knows? It may change my life forever," she said with a smile.

Taking the money and grabbing the deck from his bag Domnus thought that this was a decently nice person.

"What's your name?" Domnus asks the adventurer.

"Oh, my name is Atossa!" she said with a smile drawing a card.

As soon as the card left the deck it began to glow Atossa took a look at the face of the card revealing that it was a bright green gem in the front.

The card then disappeared from her hand. Twenty five pieces of jewelry then fell at her feet to the amazement of both Atossa and Domnus.

"Anything," Atossa repeated Domnus's words in amazement as she looked at her new jewelry.

"Yes," Domnus said with a smile, "You got really lucky though," Domnus said while putting up the cards.

"Hmm" she hummed , turning back to Domnus, "Could I do it one more time?" she asked

"Are you sure?" Domnus replied, "Bad things can come from this," Domnus warned.

"Well," she said back with a smile, "Let's just hope I'm that lucky again," she said.

"Well if you think so," Domnus said.

"I think this will be enough," Atossa said taking a few of the jewels off the ground and putting on Domnus's stand.

"That will do it," Domnus said while taking the cards out, "Here's hoping," he said.

"Yes, let's hope," she said drawing another card.

As she drew the card and looked for the picture, she saw the spire of a tower. The card glowed once more but this time a much more intense light. Domnus couldn't see Atossa from beyond the light.

As soon as the light died down Domnus looked for Atossa. But all that was left was her armor, weapons, and jewels.

With a heavy sigh Domnus picked up the all of her things and through it into his bag. New things to be sold another day.

As he was doing that Domnus found her guild identification card. Having at least some decency Domnus elected to give it to the guild office after he was done with work.

Tapping on his stand the thought of closing off the Deck of Many Things because of what just happened was never considered by Domnus.

Was it because Domnus simply didn't think of that option or because he didn't care about it didn't matter as a new adventurer came to his stand.

"Hello," the adventurer greeted, "May I ask about the Deck of Many Things?" he then asked.

"It's a deck that when a card is pulled anything could happen!" Domnus said with a smile selling his product once more.

"Anything?" the adventurer said confused.

"Just about!" Domnus said only knowing four effects, "So, what do you think?"

"I think I'll pass," the adventurer said, "Lucks never been one of my strong suits," he said, "What else do you have for sale?" he then asked.

"What do you need?" Domnus replied.

"Well, do you have any thing magical," the adventurer asked.

"What kind of magical?" Domnus asked in return.

"You know," he said, "Staffs, spell-books, wizardy things," the adventurer said giving examples of what he's seen in story books

"I do have a spell-book," Domnus said, "Give me a moment," Domnus said turning to his bag.

Under the starry eyes of the adventurer Domnus pulled out red book with a drop of water on its front.

"You just swing like so," Domnus said swinging the spell-book upwards.

A small water ball then appeared from the book and started flying upwards unaffected by gravity.

"How long will that be up there?" the adventurer asked starring into the sky watching the water ball.

"The ball only lasts for thirty seconds, or when it hits ten monsters, or when it ricochets five times," Domnus said, "It's," Domnus tried to say.

"It can ricochet!" the adventurer yelled out.

"Yes, now do you want to know the name or not?" Domnus asked the adventurer annoyed.

"Sorry, yes I do," the adventurer said worried he may not be able to buy the book.

"It's called the Water Bolt," Domnus said holding the book up, "And it can be yours for one thousand valis!" Domnus finished dramatically.

"That's cheaper than the cards," the adventurer said to himself, "I'll take it!" the adventurer then said pulling out one thousand valis.

"Thank you for your business," Domnu said handing over the Water Bolt for the money, "And be careful," Domnus added.

"Yes yes I will," the adventurer trying to throw a water ball into the air as soon as he had his hands on it.

"Wait a minute," the adventurer said looking at the Water Bolt, "Why doesn't this thing work?" he said turning around to Domnus.

"You just need to get your practice in," Domnus explained.

"Oh," the adventurer replied, "Well, see you later!" the adventurer said before leaving.

With a happy customer Domnus began to think back to not too long ago. Back to his first customer who drunk the potion. Domnus hadn't seen him in a while.

Though, through the crowd Domnus couldn't pick a specific person out so perhaps the first customer didn't anything to do with Domnus.

On the other hand, the last time Domnus saw him is when he drunk the potion, so why hadn't he come back for another?

These questions lingered in Domnus's mind, but were inconsequential to his actions. After all he had seen quite a few of his customers die. Some being their fault some being his.