The Merchants’ Guild also stood on the central avenue.
The interior was calmer than the Adventurers’ Guild. Everyone conversed with serene smiles plastered across their faces. Neon approached the receptionist.
“We’d like you to buy some white opal mushrooms.”
Neon spoke with a faintly triumphant expression. The receptionist, however, looked slightly troubled. Her face practically said, Here comes another child who gathered white mushrooms while dreaming of striking it rich.
“White opal mushrooms must be appraised. The appraisal costs 200 G per mushroom. Is that acceptable?”
That was fairly expensive. Most people probably brought in nothing but ordinary white mushrooms. Perhaps they had raised the fee to discourage masses of pointless appraisals.
“That’s fine.”
After giving Neon a look that seemed to say, What a troublesome child, the receptionist stepped into the back to summon an appraiser.
“She didn’t believe us at all.”
“No, she didn’t. But that just means we’ll get to wipe that look off her face!”
Neon grinned like the mischievous girl she was. The receptionist returned with a bespectacled man in his thirties standing behind her. He was probably the appraiser.
“How many mushrooms have you brought?”
“Four.”
“Four?!”
The receptionist cried out in surprise. I didn’t think it was anything worth that reaction.
“S-sorry. Most people bring them by the hundred…”
I see. If they couldn’t distinguish them, their only option was to bring large quantities and improve their odds. It was practically gambling.
Even the appraiser looked as though he had decided this would earn him almost nothing.
“Then, if you will excuse me… Wh-what?!”
The moment the appraiser began, he shouted.
“Th-this truly is… a white opal mushroom!”
The appraiser stared in astonishment. But the shock wasn’t over yet.
“Th-this one too! And this one! Th-th-this one as well! Every last one is truly a white opal mushroom!”
The appraiser trembled from the shock. The receptionist looked equally stunned.
“Are you certain? No one has ever brought us only opal mushrooms before.”
“I can hardly believe it myself. I thought I had made an error, so I appraised them several times. But it is true.”
He looked at us as though we were something frightening. Apparently still unable to believe it, the receptionist stepped away and called for a second appraiser.
It was rather sad to be trusted so little.
But these were unquestionably genuine. The second appraiser also declared them real, and at last they seemed to believe us.
“Of course they are!”
Neon proudly thrust out her chest.
“Please accept our sincere apologies. The purchase price is 2,000,000 G. We will waive the appraisal fee.”
The receptionist bowed honestly.
“It’s all right.”
I answered with a smile.
“This is incredible! No one has discovered how to tell them apart except through Appraisal. Do you possess that skill?”
I knew they would ask. How should I answer?
“He’s a mushroom doctor!” Neon suddenly declared.
“A mushroom doctor? You can distinguish them?!”
“That’s a secret!”
Whispers began spreading around us.
“Apparently, he’s a mushroom doctor.”
“They say he can identify white opal mushrooms.”
“So he’s the real thing…”
“Amazing. He must be a renowned scholar even in the imperial capital.”
Neon’s false rumor spread farther and farther. And so, the Merchants’ Guild came to recognize me as the Mushroom Doctor.
After leaving the guild, I handed Neon half of the money: 1,000,000 G.
“Half for each of us, for now.”
“Are you sure? The plan was mine, but you did most of the work.”
“Creating differences in matters like this only breeds resentment later. Besides, without your plan, we’d never have obtained this money. This is fair compensation.”
Neon smiled brightly at my words.
“Thank you, Sibyl! I’m so glad I met you!”
“So am I, Neon.”
And so, our first job ended in success. Perhaps because I had survived a life-or-death adventure, excitement kept me from sleeping much that night. Even so, my heart felt strangely fulfilled.