Chapter 22: Selling Loot
Whatever sector awakeners resided in, the Royal Trade organization was one of the most, if not the most, prestigious places where they could exchange their loot for monetary value.
However, Leonard had no desire to associate with the organization in any way, much less contribute to its influence by selling the monster remains he had gathered to them.
So he chose the next best alternative. Their main competitor, the Relic Exchange agency.
Because they didn’t have headquarters in the Lower Sector where he lived, he had to head to the Middle Sector.
Fortunately, there wasn’t really a fee for climbing to the Middle Sector, unlike the Upper Sector. He was simply prohibited from sleeping on the streets, as he would immediately be thrown back to where he came from.
He came to a stop before a colossal building with more floors than he could count. From what he understood, the higher the floor he could access in the trade, the higher his status and benefits.
Entering the structure, he headed toward the woman waiting at the reception.
"Hello, I would like to sell my loot." He greeted politely.
The receptionist glanced at his backpack briefly before turning to her computer and beginning to type.
"First time here? You’ll need to register." She explained, then proceeded to ask him a few basic questions.
"Common Bloodline, recently awakened..." Following protocol, she marked him as low priority and sent him to the second floor, where he was told to wait for an appraiser who was going to assess the value of his items.
Twenty minutes later, an older gentleman with an exquisite mustache and a silver monocle accepted his case.
"Hello, I’m Spencer, your appraiser for today. I usually work on the higher floors, but we’ve been short-staffed lately, so I’ve had to take on cases from the lower floors as well. I apologize for the delay."
Leonard nodded, understanding that as a beginner, it would be impractical to expect the same treatment the regular clients received.
Spencer was inwardly pleased. Usually, when people awakened their Bloodline, they became arrogant, overestimating themselves and growing increasingly impatient. Leonard’s demeanor was certainly appreciated.
"May I see the goods?" Spencer asked, beginning to examine the loot.
"Is that a Wraith’s robe? Jewelry belonging to Skeleton Apprentice Knight... even Skeleton Knight?"
Spencer was taken aback. Judging by the fact that Leonard had carried his loot in a simple backpack, the appraiser had expected mostly junk harvested from Level 1 or Level 2 monsters...
Yet the deeper he dug through the bag, the more fascinated he became.
"This is..."
His eyes narrowed in silent astonishment. Using his monocle, he focused on the crimson ring Leonard had picked up after slaying the Lowborn Vampire.
"Excuse me for a moment." Spencer said, glancing at his phone to recheck Leonard’s record.
No matter how many times he read it, the information stayed the same: a Common Bloodline, recently risen to Level 5.
"If I’m not mistaken, one of the Relic Exchange agency’s main selling points is complete secrecy when it comes to the items we trade... I sincerely hope that rule remains unbreached now and for the foreseeable future." Leonard exclaimed, keeping his voice composed.
Spencer blinked slowly, then nodded with a knowing smile.
"But, of course. Rest assured, your information is safe with us."
This wasn’t a comforting lie they told their clients, but the actual truth. With their competitor, Royal Trade, gaining traction, they guaranteed secrecy primarily to stand out and attract a larger customer base. Slip-ups weren’t allowed.
"Let’s see... after withholding 5% of the total value as a fee for the trouble of selling the items at our own expense. I estimate the total payout to be 10,000 credits. Are you satisfied with these conditions, or would you prefer to sell them elsewhere?"
Leonard found the terms acceptable. It was better than Royal Trade’s 10% fee, and he knew that trying to sell the gathered loot on his own would take too much time and possibly earn him less in the long term since he wasn’t experienced in accurately judging their true market value.
"Thank you for doing business with us." Spencer said as he handed him a card. "And please, if you ever come back, you can contact me directly to handle the examination of your loot."
Raising an eyebrow, Leonard took the card and saved the number in his phone, just as he had done with Winston and Arabella. He knew appraisers could serve awakeners exclusively, but he hadn’t expected to be noticed so quickly.
It was rare for Spencer to offer his services exclusively, especially to a newly awakened individual. Yet his professional instincts tingled, a signal that there was more to Leonard than met the eye.
"And one last thing, Mister." Spencer’s words halted Leonard at the door.
"I believe you would benefit immensely if you used a portion of the funds to buy portable storage. It would allow you to carry entire monster corpses, not just their most valuable parts. A smart investment for the future."
Leonard had to admit the suggestion sounded intriguing.
"You mean things like a dimensional storage ring?" He asked for confirmation.
Surprisingly Spencer shook his head.
"No, my proposal is to get a rune with similar properties engraved on yourself. Although smaller in capacity, the storage would be accessible only to you and cannot be separated from you, preventing it from being lost or stolen."
Liking the sound of that, Leonard questioned where he could get the procedure done.
"Actually, you are in great luck. For a short while, Lady Cassandra has come down from the Upper Sector and is offering her superb runic services to anyone who can afford them."
Spencer answered with a faint smile. "And please... Make sure to mention that I am the one who referred you to her."
After getting the location where Cassandra was, Leonard left the building. The first thing he did was pay the month’s rent via bank transfer.
"2,000 credits have been transferred from your account." Leonard felt a great weight lift from his shoulders as he read the notification on his phone.
Since he was already in the Middle Sector, he decided to get the rune engraving procedure done.
Spencer’s request to be mentioned had reassured him. It felt more credible knowing the appraiser had a direct incentive rather than a hidden agenda.
"Is that really the right place?" Leonard murmured, stopping in front of an old-fashioned wooden house.
He knocked on the door. A voice called from the other side.
"Come in."
Taking a deep breath, he entered.
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