FVN Chapter 30 Unfair Dealing
Chapter 30 Unfair Dealing
Robert leaned forward slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto Ashok's eyes, searching for any hint of hesitation or deception in the calm surface of his expression. Ashok, however, remained still, his gaze unwavering. A minute passed, though it felt much longer. Robert's eyes flickered slightly, his grip on the situation slipping. With a subtle sigh, Robert broke the stare and looked away, his posture betraying a hint of frustration.
"Follow me," Robert finally muttered, his voice strained as he stood up, clearly conceding defeat in this silent battle of wills.
Robert walked over to the main entrance, his eyes narrowing as he peered out into the street. He glanced left, then right, scanning for any sign of unwanted attention. Satisfied that no prying eyes were nearby, Robert reached up and flipped the hanging sign from {Open} to {Close}, and locked the door.
He returned to the counter, his footsteps quiet, and casually slid the chair he'd been sitting on aside. Beneath it, hidden from casual view, was a thick, ornate rug. Without hesitation, Robert grasped the edge of the rug and gave it a quick, practiced tug. It shifted easily, revealing a trap door beneath it, slightly worn but solid.
With a grunt of effort, Robert unlocked the trap door, the metal hinges giving off a faint groan as it creaked open. The trap door revealed a ladder leading to an unknown.
"Make sure to watch your step and close the trap door as you enter," Robert instructed, his voice carrying the weight of someone who had long been accustomed to this hidden world. Without waiting for a response, he turned and descended into the darkness below, his boots scraping softly against the rungs of the ladder.
Ashok lingered at the edge of the trap door, his gaze fixed on the thick darkness below.
'This kind of darkness comes nowhere even near the Abyss.'
Ashok grasped the ladder and began to descend, his body moving fluidly with practiced ease. Once his body was deep enough into the passage, he reached the edge of the trap door and, with a simple motion, closed it securely behind him, just as Robert had instructed.
Ashok's feet touched the stone floor after descending about fifteen steps. He looked around, his eyes adjusting to the dimness of the hidden cellar. The faint flicker of a match broke the silence, followed by the soft hiss of oil as Robert, already at the bottom, kindled an old oil lamp. The flame caught, flaring brightly for a moment before settling into a steady glow. Robert hung the lamp carefully on a wooden pillar, its light casting long shadows across the room.
The light from the oil lamp revealed a short cellar filled with artifacts shining all over.
"Pick whatever you need. I will tell you the Price." Said Robert, as if stating a rule.
Ashok's footsteps echoed softly as he walked deeper into the cellar, his shadow stretching long over the artifacts, falling across the shelves.
'Everything here is a Mid Game Equipment that can be upgraded and taken to End Game.
This Old Crook must have earned quite a bit dealing with these in the Night Market. To think this stock of artifacts will further increase in the future, as expected from one of the managers of the Night Market.'
'Just look at the best ones.
Holy Censer, belonging to the Historical Sun Church
Demonic Whip, once wielded by one of the Generals of the Demon King.
"Fine," Robert muttered, feigning frustration. His voice carried a note of exaggerated exasperation, as though he were conceding against his will.
"I get it. You don't need an appraisal. But don't come crying to me later when it turns out to be worth less than you think. I don't do refunds."
In the game, Ashok had raised Robert's favorability to the max, which meant he knew all about Robert's tricks and how he operated. The old man's antics were hardly a challenge for him.
"I'll still take it. Just tell me the price," said Ashok.
'This brat is definitely not a young noble. Those young masters are fools. Always too eager to throw their money around, too gullible to see when they're being played. Now what should I do? Appraise it from my pocket?' the thought of spending money from his own pocket made his stomach churn. 'Ha! If only I chose to be a Mage.'
Finally, Robert gave up and said "Three Gold Coins."
"THREE GOLD COINS! MY ASS. For an accessory artifact that doesn't even look good. 80 Silvers"
"Do you know how much you're lowering the price? This is worth at least 2 Gold 70 Silvers. No more."
"I care for your age. So, 90 Silvers."
"2 Gold 50"
The Haggling kept going till the old man finally put a stop to it at Two Gold and concluded "Just Leave. If you can't pay that much."
Unlike the driver, who had relied purely on sheer willpower to endure Ashok's presence, Robert had been using his aura to protect himself from the relentless pressure which was extremely taxing.
'Just where is this brat getting all this mana to maintain this kind of pressure?' Robert thought, irritation mixing with a tinge of disbelief. 'But isn't he late for the Academy whose uniform he is wearing?'
"Ha!" sighed Ashok and muttered, "Just for your age". With a simple flick of his wrist, two gold coins appeared in his hand.
'I would have lessened the price even more if I had the card.'
"SPATIAL MAGIC!" the old man suddenly shouted in surprise.
Ashok had not been wearing any kind of storage ring, bangle, or any of the usual magical accessories that would indicate spatial storage. The coins had simply materialized out of thin air. So, the only explanation for Robert was Spatial Magic.
But Ashok wasn't one to clear Robert's doubts. Instead, he decided to mock him further, a small smirk curling on his lips as he casually leaned back. "Don't get that shocked over small things in this age? What if your heart stops from the shock?"