Weird eerie sounds, soft green atmosphere, slightly dark lighting and weird occult decorations. They really went all out. This is another world so the decorations might not just be decorations, I won't be cursed just by being near them right? It should be alright as long as it doesn't trap or destroy my soul.

"There are some weird things here, look, look, that is an actual human head. Wow, this is my first time seeing a human. They really do have a mushy face."
"Ah, yeah."

In this land where all of the living beings, or anything else, have earth mana seeping into them, every other face is mushy in comparison. Also, that human head is soaked in some kind of weird liquid so it's extra mushy.

"You have a good eye customer, this is the head of the knight lord Thomas who was part of the continental war. When the hero divided the continent he and his 8 guards got trapped in our continent, having no way to return, he waged the war by himself and caused great destruction in the area. It took three towns worth of guard to surround and take them down. He was the last one to be killed and he was in the middle of releasing a curse upon this continent when the three town chief sliced his head using the weapons of his knight guards. A runesmith and alchemist worked to preserve his head in this very jar, after opening it your mind would absorb all his knowledge and skills according to the runesmith. All that technique, and ability that took three towns to take down would all be yours for the price of 10 gold coins."
"Really!?!? Wow that is really good, the fighting technique of a human. However, I don't have 10 gold coins."
"Oh, could you be a student of our very own Mithril Town Academy? Our auction house is on good terms with the school, we even let them auction of their works without commission. As a symbol of this friendship why don't I give you a special discount of 3 gold coins."
"That much?!?! Wait here a bit I will borrow some money. Brill, can you watch it for me? I will go borrow some money from chatterbox."
"Wait, wait, wait, Come with me for a bit."

This is a huge scam, the whole thing seems sketchy at best, if you are unlucky you might receive the curse of that head since he did get beheaded mid-curse. Even if it did give you what he described, a human technique would work well for a human not a dwarf. It is made with the abilities of a human in mind, a dwarf has it's own way of fighting.

"What? I need to hurry before someone buys it or I will miss out on new techniques to improve my fighting power."
"Idiot, if that head came from the continent war like he mentioned then that has been around for 500 plus years. If it really is a good of a deal then why didn't they open and acquire it's knowledge then."
"Ah, that's true. Why didn't they? It's a really good deal. Could it be a reusable item?"
"He said absorb so I doubt its reusable. Even if you did absorb those techniques, do you think you can execute those with a body structure of a dwarf? We have our own way of fighting, forcefully adapting a style that suits someone else's race would do us more harm than good. I thought you were a competent fighter, you should know these things."
"......oh....hahaha, I didn't thought about that. That must be why no one bought it before. This place is really tricky. From now one, I will show you the item first and you help me decide if it's good or not."
"....Fine, but you need to buy me tools for carving. The professional tool set not a normal knife. You will get money from chatterbox for selling some of your carvings so you can afford it right?"
"Alright, alright. It's a deal. As a bonus I won't pick the useless stuff that they sell to attract the eyes of children but the one that cost more and is more useful."

Oh great, I became a living judgement tool. It's a good thing I am getting paid.

There are a lot of things in here. The bad part is the lack of name displays on the items and the fact that I don't know how to judge an item is by what it looks. This is basically an unskipable cut-scene, and worst, I have to initiate it knowing it will happen.

Rings, hoops, dagger, feather, spider, dream catcher? and every kind of doodads.

"Hey, brill. How about these things. I heard these are the cheapest things in the shop."
"Yes they are."

That is one lazy goblin merchant.

"No introduction on these things?"
"This is the ring of fire, that is the crystal spider, over there is the control finger, over there are groups of crystals that explodes in different effects. This is the earing of hardening, that is the sock of nausea and that bracelet is the armoury of the gods. Everything is 50 silver coins each, buy two and get 2 silver coins off."

I see them as mostly junk, I see more interesting things in flea markets. At least when I buy thing there, I know that it won't suddenly activate and bring a weird effect that could possibly endanger me.

"Armoury of the gods?"

Oh yeah, that is a funny name. Good going Victor, since he is the one showing interest, I can be the bad guy who dissuades him when the time comes to buy it. This way I can play the hard ball and keep the price down.

"Oh, you want to know about that? I don't know, that is a bit special."
"Special. I want to know about it!!"

Looks like the interest of this goblin vendor got ignited as soon as someone shows interest. He is starting to build up the 'legend' of the merchandise.

"I don't know, it is a bit of a problem if too many people know about it. I may get in trouble for blabbing about such things."

He says such things while scratching his somewhat outstretch palm. Greasing people with money is good for some cases but not here when we don't even know if we will buy it. Time for this skeptic friend to come in and stop this.

"It can't be helped, we can't have you getting in trouble. Let's go victor, it should be about time we return."
"Eh? We haven't seen a lot yet."
"Let's go."

Catch on what is happening idiot. If I am not counting on you building a strong combat force for me to rely on the future, I would have abandoned you long ago. The same way I am expecting that chatterbox could get me cheaper materials and supply in the future.

Anyway, this should dissuade him from trying to milk us for unneeded bribe, the time limit would make him panic and stop any kind of play he might have to draw us in slowly. The conclusion should be-

"wait, You people don't seem like the kind who blabs so how about we keep this a secret. Here let me tell you how this product came to be. This is a big service you know, I only told you because of the reliability of the academy. Normal customers don't even have that privilege."

-him comparing us to others. He would degrade other people while elevating us to make us feel good and show a certain kind of friendship.

"We only have a bit of time so keep it short."
"Yes! Ok Mr. goblin please tell us about this powerful sounding bracelet."
"This bracelet is one of the oldest product we have here. It was made when the continents were connected, before the hero came into being and when all races still communicate with each other. One day a giant metal fell from the sky-"

Oh god, he is giving us the full backstory pack. So this thing is old and made from something that fell from the sky, what's next. Important details only please.

"-so the elder chiefs of every race decided to combine their powers and create a circlet to symbolize the connection of every race to one another-"

Fast forward!! A button! esc Key! I don't need to know how all the races get along before since you created a war so big that the hero at that time needed to separate the whole continent to shut you up, no to mention how the next hero needed to fill the surrounding oceans with sea monster to prevent you all from sending armies through the sea.

"-as tribes got fewer the power of the circlet shrank and turned into this form."
"This went on for long enough, what does this trinket do."
"Brill, can't you enjoy the story more a bit?"

I don't have time for the hero fan pleasing story.

"What does it do?"
"Don't be impatient, dear customers, I was getting to it. Once a year the chiefs would make weapons specific to their race and let the bracelet absorb it. During calamities they will use the bracelet to call upon all the stored weapons and unleash a deadly storm of weapons. However, the mana needed to power it was so big that all the current chiefs at that time would die having their soul eaten."
"Soul? Eaten?"
"Yes, you need to brand your soul into the item to use it. Don't worry though the less item you let the bracelet absorb the less mana you need to activate it. However, since we don't have any soul branding items in this continent it would be an extravagant bracelet. How about it, it can be yours for the low price of 30 silver coins? The only item that can be absorbed by the bracelet is items made by the person who branded their soul onto the item so it's perfect for you blacksmith students. Ah don't worry about the branding. You can travel to the center land to find elven soul shamans to help you do it. It won't have any effect on your life other than being able to use the bracelet. If you want more than one person to use it though, you need to brand your soul into it at the same time otherwise only the person who has their soul branded into the bracelet can use it until he/she dies."

I doubt it's that easy. If this thing is such a good trinket then it wouldn't be here gathering dust. I wonder what the real problem about this trinket is. The way how he mention about a shaman at the center island is fake too. A shaman won't leave their base for any kind of reason other than the destruction of the world. If they want something they scavenge for it, if they can't find it then they will shelf their plans and do something else. They pretty much leave things to 'fate'. The princess once sought for a shaman during our trip in the forest so she can find some flowers to add to her garden.

However, it might give the option to store weapons, and maybe use it telekinetically. This could be potentially useful, also I may be able to use my [Soul Storage] to somehow taint this weapon with my soul and make it usable. The skill does store the items in my soul so it is bound to be branded by me, this is the same way how monsters in this continent is changed by earth mana.

"We don't really need it, victor go and collect your combat boots and buy the snacks chatterbox. I'll go and look at things for a bit then come back."
"I see that's a shame it does look interesting, I'll go on ahead."

Heh, there goes the idiot. I was supposed to buy the snacks as a trade off for the favor I asked him but now he is going to buy it as if natural.

Now then, I wonder how much this guy will lower the price to sell it to me.

"Ah, customer. How about a special deal, I'll throw in this prototype mana expanding bag that the first sage created. You can get it all for 20 silver coins."
"No thank you, mana isn't a major point that is needed for blacksmithing and I don't think I can build up enough mana to use that bracelet."
"Ah, don't say that. This is useful for you as a real armoury of everything you create."

I already have two storage skills though.

"Don't need."
"How about this, I will also add this ring that can boost your mana recovery. You can get all three for 15 silver coins."
"Fine, fine, Here is 15 silver coins. Give me all three so just let me go."
"Thank you for the business. Have a great day."

15 silver is actually cheap for a mana expanding bag, I am iffy about the prototype part but the mana recovery ring is a great find. I'll make it my soul's goal to destroy this auction house in all corner of the world if this proved to be a fake or problematic. Don't test me, I basically have unlimited respawn right now, I think.

I didn't bother to haggle in my first life here since I had no need for money then but in this life now, I have more need to interact with others. Interacting means money, so I will save what I can and won't let the merchants bring me down.