Tondemo Skill - 529 - Clasp Purse (Patreon)

After being overwhelmed by Marie-san’s enthusiasm, I did my best to calm down by taking a sip of the tea set on the table.

Oh my, the tea served here is as delicious as always.

I took a few more sips of tea, hoping to dispel my fatigue before going into the main point.

“I’m here because I have a little souvenir for Lambert-san. And, a request…”

With that, I took out a piece of vivid green skin from my [Item Box].

“Um, if I recall correctly, this is the skin of something called Hunter Green Ananconda, I think?”

I had never seen anything in Lambert-san’s shop in this colour, so I thought he, of all people, would know how to appreciate it and decided to gift it to him.

Also, since it’s so unique, I should get Lambert-san to help me make some small items as souvenirs for my servants.

“M-m-mukouda-saannnn~~!”

For some reason, Lambert-san was wailing my name?

“Oh my, oh my,” Marie-san’s smile trembled under a troubled expression. Suddenly, she turned up the wattage of her smile and beamed at professional service industry smile at me. “Mukouda-sama, I must attend to the customers outside. Do please excuse my presence.”

“Ah, yes, go ahead,”

Marie-san’s section was always busy after all. I’m sure she must have lots of things to do-

“Marie~!!”

“Eh?”

Why is Lambert-san clinging to Marie-san like that?

Tsk, these normie couples, are they showing off in front of single people now?

Feeling somehow angered, I poured more tea for myself and chugged, hoping to fill up the hole in my heart. (My poor crying heart)

“Darling~ do your best to take good care of Mukouda-sama~”

With a final beam, Marie-san shook off Lambert-san’s clinging hands and swept out of the room.

I stared at Lambert-san. This person was plump and good-natured, with not an evil bone in him. Haahh… even so, doesn’t he look like someone who is more fitting to be called ‘uncle’ than I? A young man in his twenties? Isn’t it strange for this plump, uncle-like person to have a young and beautiful wife?

Is it the money? Truly?

But if it’s money, don’t I have plenty myself?

Why haven’t I experienced any ‘fateful encounters’ yet?

I have never dated in my previous world, but I never thought it would be the same after I had travelled into this other world.

“…goodness me, what should I do? Mukouda-san’s ignorance of the world is at such a level that I have no idea how I should communicate with him anymore…”

“Hm? Did you say something?” I twitched up right. Had I been too busy complaining about Lambert-san that I actually missed what he said?

“No, no, it’s nothing. Haahh…”

Wh-what’s with that sigh? I think I should be the one sighing here!?

“Mukouda-san.”

“Yes?”

“I really can’t accept this as a… gift, you know?”

“Eh? Why not? It’s a souvenir, not a gift. I also have a request…” I trailed off at Lambert-san’s serious expression.

“Mukouda-san, do you know that Hunter Green Anaconda skin is not something that should be handed over either as a gift or a souvenir? This is a very valuable item. Laster, a piece of Hunter Green Anaconda skin was sold an auction at the Royal Capital at almost 1000 gold coins.”

“1000 gold?” I guess that’s pretty expensive… wait, how much did my mansion cost me again?

“That’s right. I participated in that auction and had the opportunity to view the skin. It had many injuries on it, either from its final battle with the Adventurers or something else was not made clear. What I’m trying to say is that that imperfect piece of skin fetched 1000 gold at an auction.”

“Imperfect…”

I took another look at the Hunter Green Anacoda skin in my hands. It was… in perfect condition.

“You understand now? This beautiful piece of skin…” Lambert-san stroked the brilliant green reptile skin gently, “is worth at least 1000 gold.”

“No, that’s…”

I mean, sure it’s valuable, but not to me, not as it is anyway! The only thing I could do is sell this, but Fer and Co. have already earned so much money for me that I’m actually troubled to find ways to spend it.

Since Lambert-san is in the leather-work business, I thought it would be a good souvenir for him because of the brilliant colour…

“Are you really sure, Mukouda-san? Because I’m not the type to be so shameless as to accept something this valuable from with you with just a ‘Yes, thank you~’ without making sure that you understand what you are giving away.”

“But… my request…”

Ugh, I’m already losing in this negotiation. Merchants are truly different from Adventurers.

“Hahh… can this request somehow offset the value of this skin?”

“That… well…”

“Mukouda-san?”

“Um, I thought I’d make a few small things with the skin for… for everyone who had been working so hard for me…”

“Hahhh…”

Wh-why are you sighing and shaking your head like this, Lambert-sannn???

“By everyone working for you, meaning your slaves, right? Mukouda-san?”

“Yes, they are important employees of mine, so…”

That’s right, without them, every time I’m dragged into a dungeon or other, your supply of shampoo and soap would be cut off, you know?!

Therefore, they are indispensable! Indispensable, I say.

“Mukouda-san is the only person I know who would give even a small item made with the Hunter Green Anaconda skin, hahaha…”

“Ah, that…”

“Haahh… I understand, I shall accept this commission. Let’s make some small trinkets with this incredibly rare and valuable Hunter Green Anaconda skin for slaves, hahahahahahaha.”

Lambert-san is laughing, but… why did it sound like despair?

“Hahahaha… in that case, ahem. 1200 for the skin!”

“What? Impossible, I’d commissioned part of it to be made into items of my choosing, so, no way! 120 gold!”

“Kuuhh… you really have no idea what’s in your hands, do you? You’re only commissioning small items, not even a large bag or belt. 1000! That’s the standard price from the auction!”

“Impossible, craftsmanship should be paid, an artist rewarded, even if I provide the materials, I have to pay for the skills! Um, um, 300 gold!”

“You are getting better at this, how about 800 gold!”

“500!”

“750!”

“450!”

“It went down?! 650!”

“600!”

“Deal!”

Haaahh... haah…

Bargaining… sure is hard…

“Hey, are you really fine with 600 gold?” asked Lambert-san.

“As the seller, I’m happy with this price. So, it’s fine!”

Please put yourself in my shoes, the only thing I have in access re materials and Drop items. I can’t really go home and throw gold coins at my people, right? That would be too vulgar. I want to gift them something unique and cool!

“A-anyway, let’s talk about the leather items. The thing I’m thinking about commissioning is a special purse for coins…”

“Purse for coins? Aren’t all the money in coins?”

“Aha, yes, that. You know how regular Adventurers and townsfolk carry their money in sacks or drawstring bags, right?”

“Indeed, but for true leather, a drawstring would wear out the material, so a small strap and button contraption is used to close the purse…”

“What I’d like Lambert-san to make is a clasp type bag.”

“A clasp? I’m not sure I had ever heard of one…”

“See, it’s made of metal, and surrounds the mouth of the bag. It closes like a frog’s mouth, so it’s sometimes called a frogmouth bag…”

“A… frog mouth?”

“… I’m not explaining this very well, am I?” I laughed as I opened up my [Item Box] and withdrew some paper, an ink bottle and a quill that I had purchased out of curiosity before. I then sketched a crude drawing of what I wanted on the rough, low quality, locally made paper.

“…so the bead on this metal part will keep the purse close, like a clasp!”

“Goodness, such a fine and simple design~” Lambert-san held up the drawing, admiring the simple drawing with a thoughtful look on his face. “I do believe that we could have the purse made in three days.”

“Ou, as expected of Lamberts~!”

“Also, ahem, is it alright for us to sell this clasp-type purse from our store?”

“Sure? I guess that’s fine?” I said, unsure why he was bringing this up.

“Thank you very much! I can tell that this is going to sell very well~!”

“Haha…”

“Naturally, I’ll make sure that Mukouda-san get’s a cut of the business.”

“Eh?”

“Now, time to get back to work! Things are going to get busy around here!”

“Oh, wait, Lambert-san…”

He had left.

“… it’s just a clasp-type purse, isn’t he making too much of a fuss? Oh well, time for me to leave too, I guess.”

Fer and the others must be waiting for me.

[Gumihou: Ah, I wonder how much money he’d rake in from this…]