It took about half a minute.
The brown-haired receptionist returned, this time accompanied by a middle-aged man wearing a sharp black suit, a pocket watch glinting on his chest, and a pair of polished single-lens glasses perched on his nose.
At a glance, the middle-aged man's demeanor shifted to seriousness.
His eyes locked onto the bone chain that Minori carried, and after only a heartbeat, he spoke respectfully.
"This way, sir."
He gestured politely toward a door behind the counter.
Minori gave a slight nod, picked up the package, and silently followed.
—
As Minori departed, the tense atmosphere in the hall broke almost instantly into a low uproar.
Until now, many had only speculated.Now they were certain.
The two black chains were unmistakably bone chains from an evil hound.
"That little evil spirit dog he has... it must have been born not long ago, right?"
"If raised properly, it could grow into a level 45 monster!"
"Tch. A beast like that—so cunning—it'll rip your throat out the moment it's strong enough. Not worth the risk."
"Still... that black-haired boy dared to tame it. Must be a monster summoner, no?"
"Maybe a beast tamer instead."
Various voices filled the air.
The adventurers' earlier chatter about the Tob Forest was abandoned; discussing the strength of an unknown, dangerous figure was far more engaging.
Hidden among them were several who remained silent—their narrowed eyes watching carefully, weighing this newcomer.
Even without conscious realization, most understood one thing:
The boy named Minori was not someone to provoke lightly.
—
Had Minori overheard their discussions,he might have allowed a rare smile of satisfaction to surface.
This was camouflage.
True disguise was not about concealing oneself completely—but rather about feeding false information to others, encouraging misjudgment.
The presence of the little evil hound at his side was deliberate misdirection.Even if the deception were later uncovered, the core false assumptions would persist.
A simply furnished, very quiet room.
Minori carefully placed the wrapped package atop a table and sat down silently upon a nearby sofa.
He waited calmly as the middle-aged man prepared.
"Please relax, sir. This will take a moment."
The man set down a cup of black tea respectfully before Minori and then, wearing pristine white gloves, began his examination.
With practiced movements, he lifted the bone chain.
"The gloss and hardness are excellent,"he muttered appreciatively.
"An adult evil hound's bone chain."
His fingers traced the surface until reaching the break point.
There, he paused.
"The severing is a little rough... but a simple polishing should restore it."
—
Satisfied with the physical inspection,the appraiser raised both hands over the chain and softly chanted: "Magic Detection."
A soft blue glow formed between his palms.
The skill notification appeared before Minori's inner sight.
[Second-Tier Magic: "Magic Detection" identified.][Required Level: 8–14.][You meet the conditions. Do you wish to spend 1 skill point to learn it?]
Minori's crimson eyes flickered faintly with thought.
"No,"he replied inwardly.
Magic Detection was a weak identification spell—barely capable of sensing magical energy within objects or on persons.
Not worth spending a precious skill point.
—
After a few seconds, the middle-aged man canceled the spell.
A trace of regret lingered on his face.
"Normally, the bone chains of an evil hound retain some of their latent magic... however, when the creature dies, the magic dissipates.Removal further weakens the remnants. Your chains are in good condition—better than most—but the price will be slightly affected."
His voice remained respectful.
—
"Will it sell quickly?"Minori asked, masking his impatience.
"Of course,"the appraiser answered at once."High-grade magic materials like these are always in demand. With a little processing, they can become fine equipment."
The man offered two choices:
Wait three days for an auction to find the highest bidder (with a 10% commission),
Or sell immediately to the guild (for a slightly lower price but no commission).
Minori thought briefly.
"What price if I sell to you directly?"
The man straightened his back and answered promptly.
"360 gold coins for one chain. 720 gold coins for the pair."
Minori's eyes narrowed faintly.
A better offer than he had anticipated.
Given the rarity of such items, it was acceptable.
"Agreed."
The middle-aged man bowed and left quickly.
—
Within a few minutes, he returned.
In his hands were two coin purses.
One bulging heavily, the other noticeably flatter.
"720 gold coins in total,"the man explained carefully."For your convenience, I have already exchanged some for platinum coins."
He placed both purses on the table.
"Here are 34 platinum coins and 40 gold coins."
Platinum coins?
Minori frowned slightly.
He had heard of them, but never seen one.
The numbers, too, seemed peculiar.
He reached into the purse and drew one out.
The coin's weight was immediately apparent.It was heavier than gold, though it appeared pale like silver.
Turning it over—
His eyes sharpened.
A dragon's head was engraved on the reverse side.
A dragon.
In this world, dragons were beings of terrifying power—living legends.
And yet—
Platinum coins?Platinum Dragon King?
The thought flickered through Minori's mind like lightning.
The little evil hound at his side, sensing his master's shift in mood, bared its fangs slightly.
"Ah-hou..."It gave a low growl, menacing.
The middle-aged man's face turned pale with fear.
Hurriedly, he bowed and spoke fast:
"Apologies, sir! Platinum coins circulate differently from normal gold or silver.Here in the Kingdom, the exchange rate is fixed—twenty gold coins to one platinum.But elsewhere, it's even higher."
"Platinum has priority in major transactions between nations.Still—if you prefer gold, I can exchange it immediately!"
He leaned back fearfully, hands raised slightly in surrender.