GILF Hunter

Chapter 363 Con artist

’W-why is this person here?’

Everyone stopped in their tracks with bewildered faces.

Inside the room, brightly lit by the light of torches hanging on the walls, a merchant who had already spread out his wares looked as if he had been waiting for customers to arrive.

If the location hadn’t been the Labyrinth, he might have looked like an ordinary merchant.

The Labyrinth is a place where anything can happen. Everyone knew at least that much common sense, but this was a sight they truly hadn’t expected.

’Could other people just wander into the Labyrinth?’

’Normally, they shouldn’t be able to...’

The members all looked at Ian without a word.

They were probably asking how this person was here, but... even Ian couldn’t know that.

At a festival stall, in the depths of the Labyrinth, or in the remote wilderness—he was a merchant who just appeared randomly anywhere.

’Because it’s the Labyrinth...’

’Does being in the Labyrinth mean anything goes?’

Rin muttered as she stared intently at the merchant who was calmly waiting for customers with his wares spread out in the middle of the room.

And then she recalled the memory of when she first met this suspicious merchant.

He had been incredibly suspicious from the very first time she saw him. His appearance was strange, the items he sold were strange, and in the end, he even disappeared all of a sudden.

When she first saw him, she wondered what kind of merchant he was.

...But if she thought of it as something related to the Labyrinth, it somehow made sense.

Anyway, having confirmed that what was in the event room was a shop, Ian moved inward.

’Wait, be careful...’

’It’s okay. I’ve seen it in other exploration reports from the Guild; they said the merchant has never attacked first.’

Lia, seeing this merchant for the first time, tried to stop Ian with a wary face, but Ian said it was fine and approached the merchant.

A few items were placed on the display mat.

’Welcome. Would you like to look at the goods?’

The merchant spoke to Ian as he approached, letting out a creepy chuckle.

Ian stepped in front of the merchant and first checked the items for sale.

It was important to first identify what kind of shop it was.

Whether it was a stall, an exchange, a gambling den...

Because depending on the case, he might have to turn back immediately without touching anything.

The items on the mat were ordinary leather pouches.

Fortunately, it was just a simple, ordinary stall.

The members following behind Ian also checked the items.

To Lia and Airi, who were seeing the merchant for the first time, these were items of unknown nature, but to the rest of the members who had met him once before, it was a familiar method.

’They’re here!’

’It’s all pouches this time... Are there no books?’

Rin, Mika, and Tanya gathered in front of the merchant.

’...?’

Lia and Airi looked at each other with faces that said they had no idea why the three were reacting that way.

They thought he might be selling something special, but only pouches with unknown contents were placed on the mat.

Lia approached the merchant with a wary face.

’Is this person okay? He’s suspicious...’

’It’s fine!’

Rin answered confidently to Lia, who asked while staring fixedly at the suspicious merchant’s appearance.

’Kuku...’

A suspicious chuckle leaked out from the merchant hooded in his robe.

’...Probably.’

Rin said with an expression that was a bit less confident than before.

’Is he a merchant you’ve met before by any chance?’

...Setting aside the suspicious appearance for a moment, Lia asked the members who were browsing the items in front of the mat.

Listening to the stories, it seemed they had all bought items from this merchant in the past.

’Yeah. He visited us just when we had moved into the base.’

’Back then, he sold some really great items for cheap.’

At Lia’s question, everyone started talking about what kind of items they had received.

’Mine was a gem... and after I gave it to them, the fairies started following me around.’

’I got a barrier grimoire.’

...Wait, those are actually amazing items.

Lia, who had thought he would at most sell some decent luxury goods, was slightly taken aback.

And finally, Rin answered.

’Mine is a necklace.’

’Ah... the one you wear every time you go out?’

Lia recalled the necklace Rin always wore whenever she went out.

Somehow, she had thought it was a luxurious necklace that didn’t fit Rin’s usual spending habits. She only now understood where she had obtained such a thing.

’...Why would he sell things like that for cheap?’

After hearing the members’ stories, he felt even more suspicious.

When Lia looked at the merchant with a doubtful gaze, the suspicious merchant, with his robe pulled down low, let out a suspicious chuckle... ’Kuku.’

Ian, who was examining the goods in front of him, stood up.

’Are you going to buy?’

’No, there’s nothing I particularly want to buy.’

Ian shook his head since there were no items that caught his eye this time. The other members’ eyes sparkled upon hearing that.

’Then can we buy them?’

’I don’t mind... but something trivial might come out.’

’We know that!’

Seeing that Ian had given up, it seemed there were no standout items, but still, you never know when it comes to luck.

Most of all, the items they bought last time were so impressive that it wasn’t easy to give up.

Once Ian gave permission for them to buy if they wanted, everyone gathered in front of the merchant.

There were 4 items.

There were 5 people.

’No, I won’t buy.’

’Ah, really?’

Lia shook her head while looking at the suspicious merchant. She had heard the explanation, but somehow she didn’t feel like buying anything.

’Then let’s each buy one. The order is...’

’Should we draw straws?’

Since Lia had opted out, the number of people and items matched up, but this time a long conversation ensued to decide the order of choosing items.

After even the order of choosing was decided, Mika, who ended up with the first turn, stood in front of the merchant with a nervous face.

Mika looked down at the items placed on the mat.

Back then, she was a complete rookie mercenary who knew nothing, but now her eye for things had improved quite a bit.

’....’

Even so, the items were all inside pouches, so the contents were completely unknown.

Just in case, Mika pointed to one pouch and asked the merchant.

’What is this?’

’It contains a very important item needed for exploring the Labyrinth.’

’...How about this one?’

’It contains an item that can save your life in a crisis situation in the Labyrinth.’

Right, this was exactly the kind of merchant he was.

She asked what the contents were, but just like before, the only reply she got was that he himself didn’t know what was inside.

Mika nodded and, after long deliberation, chose one pouch.

’Is it my turn now?’

Following Mika, Rin, Tanya, and finally Airi each picked up a pouch.

The price of the goods was paid by borrowing gold coins that Tanya always kept in her backpack for emergencies.

The members, each holding a pouch in their hand, exchanged glances and nodded.

And then they each pulled out the item inside their pouch.

A sandwich.

A light orb.

And holy water.

’...?’

Everyone stared blankly down at the items that came out of the pouches.

Could it be that these items only looked ordinary on the surface, but actually had special abilities hidden within...?

While having such thoughts, everyone checked again, but no matter how much they looked, they were just ordinary items.

’Ah... he’s gone!’

’What?!’

Mika, who had looked back at where the merchant had been, cried out in bewilderment.

Just like last time, the merchant who had finished the transaction had vanished without a trace in the brief moment she looked away.

’C-Con artist!’

Standing next to Ian, Lia looked at Mika shouting that with a somewhat pathetic expression.

’Wait, don’t look at me like that! He really gave us good things last time!’

’People who get scammed all say that.’

Mika spoke to Lia with an aggrieved expression.

To call it strictly a scam... it wasn’t that the merchant had lied.

For example, on a high mountain peak, things like water or ramen are sold for several times their price. This is because even ordinary items are precious in that environment.

The prices were outrageous, but this was inside the Labyrinth. There were plenty of situations where one barely managed to recover with such food or consumables sold by the merchant in a crisis and succeeded in escaping.

’...Eh?’

While everyone was discouraged like that, Airi’s voice was suddenly heard as if she were surprised.

Everyone’s attention was focused on Airi. In the hands of Airi, who had belatedly opened her pouch, was a redly glowing stone.

Seeing the items that came out before, Airi, who hadn’t expected much, picked up the red stone with a bewildered face.

’Ah!’

’Airi! You succeeded!’

Everyone gathered around Airi.

A stone as smooth as a gem, emitting a faint red light. Even at a glance, it didn’t look like an ordinary item.

Seeing that, Mika looked at Lia with an expression that asked ’How about that?’.

’See! It wasn’t a scam!’

’Why are you the one being proud?’

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[Stone of Charm]

- Charm Item

- [Charm +10] while in possession

- Increases the probability that people will attempt to start a conversation

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Airi carefully held the expensive-looking stone with both hands and looked at Ian.

’I-is this something good...?’

’...Yes. It’ll be helpful, so keep it in your bag.’

’Ye, yes...’

Perhaps it would be slightly helpful in overcoming her timid personality.

Knowing nothing, Airi tucked the stone into her bag.