Chapter 36: Haggling

They were led out of the guild after Teri got his money back. Rina was stealing glances at the tank. She knew that he would have a hard time — now.

"Hey, Teri, do you want to become a part of the Slime party?" She blurted out. Thomas looked to her.

"Uhm, Rina," he began, but then saw the hopeful gaze of the tank, and sighed.

"Yes, Teri, do you want to be our tank? We can make sure you have better equipment, and that you have plenty of fresh food during missions," Thomas offered his hand, and Teri shook it.

"You won't regret it, Tommy," Teri said, and Thomas's brows furrowed.

"My name is Thomas," the summoner told him.

"She calls you Tommy," Teri protested. 

"She has a name, it is Rina. Our siren friend really is called Thomas. But you know what, party leader, both I and Teri will be happier if we call you Tommy," Rina batted her eyelashes at Thomas, who blushed.

"Well, if it would make you happy," Thomas sighed. He knew he had no chance with Rina. She was slender and petite, like a pretty pixie. He was fat and average. Besides, he didn't want to ruin their friendship.

"You know, your voice is very melodic," Teri commented. It was like a balm to his ears. Now that he was not worried about employment, he felt like he could hear the voice better.

"Don't you start," Rina giggled at Thomas's words, and hooked her arm around his.

"Come on, Tommy. We need to sell the loot. I just hope they take the golden door as it is," Rina then began to march them back towards the market district.

"A door? You took a door from a dungeon?" Teri could have sworn that was against the rules. Had he read it in the adventurer's handbook? He couldn't remember.

Rina pocked her tongue out at him.

"We do things differently in the Slime party. Leave no treasure behind, that is our motto," she said, and then stopped when the door to the pawn shop was before them.

They entered, and Thomas went, with Rina still hanging by his arm, to the counter.

"Hello, we are here to sell," then he emptied the contents of the bottomless bag he was carrying.

"Is that a door?" The shop owner's eyes were wide. This must be the most brazen party he had ever come across.

"It is. We believe it is made of gold," Rina chimed in.

The shop owner took out some magical instrument and filled it with mana. Then, he allowed for a drop to fall on the door. A screen appeared.

<Item:

Door;

Material:

Gold: 80%;

Titanium: 15%;

Ebony: 5%

Worth:

300 gold coins;>

"Titanium?" The shop owner hit the door a couple of times. "And 15% at that!"

"We would like to sell everything, not just the door," Thomas said. He was pointing at the pile of gems and ebony just lying around.

"Let me just dial up the appraisal," The merchant began to drip from the device onto the piles. Soon, he was ready to tell them his offer.

"I am afraid that I can't buy all this off you," he said, and then laid a hand on the door. "You will have to find a different buyer for the gems and the ebony, but I can take the door."

"Because of the titanium?" Rina asked. She had heard once it was a rare metal. But had never believed much in that.

"Two hundred gold coins for the door," the merchant offered. All three began to protest.

"Two hundred? Your device said three hundred," Rina said, as she stomped her feet.

"Yes, and we can take the door elsewhere, if you are unwilling to pay us fairly for it," Thomas protested.

"Come now, don't be greedy, man. How much titanium has ever even gone through this shop? And, the gold from the door could be melted down and turned to jewelry. You stand to profit more than three hundred coins," Teri said. He had not been there when the door had been taken, but he still felt that it was within his best interest to protest.

"Two hundred and fifty," the shop owner's hand was not leaving the door.

"If you try to cheat us one more time, we will travel to a different town, if we have to, but this door will end up in a different pawn shop," Rina snapped. A sweat drop fell down the merchant's forehead.

"Fine, three hundred. Your lot are not generous in the slightest," he grumbled and began to tug at the door, only for Thomas to place his hand on it.

"Four hundred, just because you tried to cheat us," he snapped, and the merchant began to shake his head.

"This is robbery, it is!" He began, but then looked at the door. There, under all this gold, was the priceless titanium. Honestly, the door costed much more than even four hundred, as the merchant liked to doctor his appraisal tool. "But fine. Be that way."

Rina began to take back all the rest of the things in the bottomless bag, and Thomas was handed a heavy coin pouch.

"I have many things to offer, if you'd like?" The merchant made a wide sweeping motion with his hands, and the three looked around. They knew that the greedy man wanted to get some of his money back, but the merchandise did look enticing. 

"You will accept some of the other treasures as barter," Rina told him in a no-nonsense tone. "Or we are leaving."

"You would skin me alive, if you could," the merchant pretended to be down on his luck, while in reality, he was smiling brightly. "But I am generous and accept. See, it is not so difficult."

"Yes, it is not. When the deal is in your favor," Teri said. He looked around, and saw a massive shield that glimmered in the light of the shop. It had a purple crystal in the middle. "Is that an evolving shield?"

"Well, yes, but..." the merchant didn't want to sell it to the three. He wanted to get rid of some of his junk, not of his treasure.

"Can we take it, Tommy?" Teri asked, and Thomas nodded. The merchant's shoulders slummed.

He got a torn look on his face, when Rina found the only ice resistant necklace in the entire shop. But that was not the worst, for Thomas picked up a bracelet that the merchant had no desire to sell in the slightest and which he had used from time to time. The overpriced charisma bracelet that was his pride and joy. The merchant whined when the three gave him the treasure they have collected from the dungeon in exchange for his three best items.

"We will come back soon," the evil archer threatened him, or, at least, her chipper tone sounded like a threat to him.

"And we will accept another barter deal, so stock up," the tank was gloating about the misfortune that had visited the shop. The shop owner turned to the party leader, waiting for the final nail in the coffin.

"We will recommend you to other freelancers," he said, and the merchant pointed at the door.

"Get out and don't come back without more titanium!" The shop owner snapped, and he was answered by chuckles from the three. They did go out of the shop, but the damage was done. Worse, he had not even managed to get all of their gems.