Kaito turned to Iris and asked, "Is there a meeting room?"
Iris nodded. "Yes, my Lord. There is a meeting room. If you'd like, I can guide you there."
"Okay, let's go," Kaito replied.
The two made their way to the meeting room. It was a simple, modest space, but the air of quiet authority that the room held was undeniable. Kaito took a seat in the chair at the head of the table, the chair of the family head. The others sat next to him, gracefully positioning themselves in the chairs, their posture elegant and poised.
After a brief moment of silence, Kaito asked, "Are there any assets left?"
Iris hesitated for a moment before answering, her voice soft but steady. "There are no physical assets, my Lord, except for this house. We do, however, have a few gold coins. To be precise, we have 12 gold coins and 7 silver coins."
Kaito sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Oh ho, it's very dire," he muttered. "For now, can you please give me the coins?"
"Yes, my Lord. Wait just a moment," Iris replied.
She stood and quickly made her way to the next room. Moments later, she returned with a small pouch, which she handed to Kaito. As he touched the coins, something strange happened. A pop-up window appeared, but it seemed like only Kaito could see it. The window simply read: "To trade, say 'shop' in your mind."
Without hesitation, Kaito thought the word. Instantly, a screen appeared in front of him, displaying a search bar and a list of categories: Food, Weapons, General Items.
Kaito clicked on the Food section and began scrolling through the list. There were all sorts of items—fresh greens, instant ramen, fruits, cheese, butter—everything one could imagine. He then moved on to the Weapons section, where he found an array of items: knives, guns, tasers—anything one could think of. Finally, he explored the General Items section, which had day-to-day household items like paper, clothes, utensils, and even things like batteries, solar panels, and other products that could be sold or used.
After taking it all in, Kaito turned to Iris and asked, "Can you tell me the prices of a few items I'm interested in? Paper, clothes, utensils, and fruits—especially the fruits?"Iris nodded and replied, "The price of clothes and utensils depends on the material and quality. As for fruits, commoners can rarely afford them, but nobles are quite fond of fruits, especially those from distant regions, not from around here. As for paper, it is very hard to produce, so it holds a high value. Each piece of paper costs about two silver coins, which is roughly six months' worth of a commoner's salary."
Kaito looked at Iris and asked, "Can you explain the currency system?"
Iris nodded and replied, "Yes, my Lord. There are five types of currency: iron coins, copper coins, silver coins, gold coins, and platinum coins. The exchange rates are as follows: 10 iron coins equal one copper coin, 10 copper coins equal one silver coin, 10 silver coins equal one gold coin, and 100 gold coins equal one platinum coin."
Kaito removed the gold coins from the bag, and a prompt appeared in the shop: "If you want to sell, imagine selling the item in your mind."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Kaito decided to sell one silver coin. The result was instant—¥10,000 for a single silver coin. Then, after another moment's thought, he sold one gold coin, receiving ¥100,000 in return.
Curious, he decided to browse the shop. To his surprise, the prices of items were in yen, the same currency from his old world. Taking Iris's suggestion, he searched for paper and found multiple options. After considering his choices, he decided to purchase a packet of drawing paper. It contained 100 pages and cost him ¥1,500.
Suddenly, a packet of drawing paper appeared in front of Kaito, and the money was automatically withdrawn from his account in the shop. Curious about its potential, he turned to Iris and asked, "Are there any merchants who would be interested in buying this kind of paper?"
Iris politely requested, "May I take a look at the quality first, Your Majesty?"
Kaito handed the packet to her. Iris examined the paper carefully, her expression shifting to one of pure shock. The quality of the paper was leagues above anything available in the market—easily a hundred times better.
"If sold to the right person," Iris said, still slightly amazed, "you could easily get about five silver coins for just one sheet of this paper."
Kaito raised an eyebrow in surprise."Where can we sell it, then?" he asked.
Iris answered calmly, "There is a Merchant Guild in the city, my Lord. You can sell or buy items in bulk there, but first, you would need to join the guild and pay the registration fee."
After a moment's thought, Kaito decided it would be best to visit the Merchant Guild personally. Turning to the others, he announced, "Iris and I will head to the Merchant Guild."
Iris immediately responded with a slight bow, "If we are going to the Merchant Guild, my Lord, we must take at least one of the guards with us. It is for your safety."
Kaito nodded in agreement. He gathered the packet of papers and stepped outside the mansion. Standing at the entrance, he called for the guards. Almost instantly, they appeared out of nowhere, their movements so fast and fluid that it hardly seemed human.
Facing the assembled knights, Kaito spoke in a clear voice, "One of you will accompany me to the Merchant Guild. The rest of you stay here and continue protecting the mansion."
The knights, masked and silent, nodded in perfect unison, ready to obey without hesitation.
They exited the mansion and began heading toward the central district of the city. The city, known as Crestfall City, was famous for its Merchant Guild and the many shops bustling within its grand central market. The Grimveil estate wasn't located in the heart of the city, but rather on its quieter outskirts.
After about thirty minutes of walking, they finally reached the towering building of the Merchant Guild. As they stepped inside, Kaito's eyes briefly scanned the busy scene: merchants clad in fine clothes and jewellery chatted loudly, exchanging deals and gossip alike.
Approaching the front desk, Kaito and Iris were greeted by a receptionist who gave them a courteous smile."How may I help you today?" she asked.
"I wish to sell a few items," Kaito replied calmly.
"And what items might those be?" she inquired.
"Paper. Very high-quality paper, brought from a land far away," Kaito said, presenting himself with a casual air.
The receptionist nodded politely, then asked, "May I see your Guild ID, please?"
Kaito shook his head. "I don't have one."
"In that case," the receptionist explained, "if you wish to buy or sell items through the Guild, you'll need to register for an ID. There is a one gold coin registration fee."
"Sign me up," Kaito said without hesitation.
"Can you read and write?" the receptionist asked.
"Yes," he answered.
She handed him a simple registration form, asking for his name, age, and place of origin. Not wanting to reveal his real identity or the Grimveil name, Kaito filled out the form using a false name — Eric. He quickly completed the rest of the form and handed it back along with one gold coin.
"Please wait for a moment," the receptionist said before disappearing into the back room. A few minutes later, she returned carrying a thin metal necklace with a small emblem — the Guild's crest — along with a plate engraved with the name Eric.
"Here you are, Mr. Eric. If you wish to sell or buy items, proceed to the counter over there. Your goods will need to be appraised first," she said, pointing to another desk.
Kaito thanked her and moved toward the appraisal desk. Behind it stood a massive, muscular man with a stern face. The man looked at him expectantly."What do you want to sell?" he asked in a deep voice.
Kaito had already removed the plastic and labels from the paper packet beforehand. He carefully handed over a single sheet of pristine drawing paper.
The muscular man gave it a glance and immediately shouted a name.
A thin, scholarly-looking man rushed over in response. Taking the paper with careful hands, he examined it closely, running his fingers gently across its surface.
"This… this is the finest paper I have ever seen," the thin man declared, his voice filled with awe. "The smoothness, the firmness, the quality—it's beyond anything on the market. I have never encountered anything like this before."
Hearing the appraisal, the large man behind the desk leaned in, curiosity flashing in his otherwise stern expression."How much are you looking to sell this paper for?" he asked, his tone surprisingly respectful now.
Kaito, keeping his voice calm and businesslike, replied, "I am open to offers. What price would you suggest for a piece of this quality?"
The thin man, still admiring the paper, spoke quickly, "If you sell it in bulk to merchants, you could easily demand five silver coins per sheet. Perhaps even more if you find the right buyer. For something this rare, nobles and scholars alike would compete for it."
The muscular man grunted in agreement. "It's not just paper. It's a luxury item."
Kaito gave a small nod, hiding his satisfaction."I have around one hundred sheets of this paper," he said. "Would the Guild be interested in purchasing them?"
The two men exchanged a brief look. Then the thin man spoke again."If you are willing to sell all of them, we can offer you a premium price. Five silver coins per sheet, as stated. That's five hundred silver coins in total, which is fifty gold coins."
Kaito pretended to hesitate for a moment, tapping his finger lightly on the counter as if weighing his options. Then he smiled faintly."Deal."