Checking the Trade Records at the Trade Guild
It was clear that Marquis Vardmoi didn’t have any Skill Crystals for Magical Tailoring.
So, who might have them?
To investigate, I decided to stop by the Trade Guild on my way back.
Alizée might know something.
“Skill Crystals for Magic Sewing and Magic Weaving, you say?”
“Yes. I thought you or the Trade Guild might have some information.”
“Let me check. While I can’t guarantee any transaction records exist for Skill Crystals, I’ll see what I can find.”
“Thank you, Alizée.”
After Alizée left the room, we waited for the results.
It must have been an extensive search because it took her about an hour to return.
“Thank you for waiting. To cut to the chase, there are records of transactions involving those Skill Crystals.”
“Really?!”
“However, all of them are over ten years old. There have been no transactions in the past decade. It’s likely nobles are purchasing them directly.”
I see. That’s what I suspected.
When I asked Alizée about the possibility of me heading to a dungeon to mine for Skill Crystals, she wasn’t in favor of the idea.
No surprise there.
“Lady Lily, please remember that you’re a target. We have no idea when or which faction might send assassins after you. In this situation, you must avoid drawing attention to yourself.”
“Isn’t there any way, Alizée?”
“Even if there were, I’m with the Trade Guild, and dungeon affairs are outside my jurisdiction. Perhaps you should consult Melanie?”
Melanie? She’d definitely oppose it.
As I frowned, Alizée sighed and offered a potential solution.
“The main reason you cannot venture outside freely is the threat posed by three factions: the Third Prince’s faction, the King’s brother’s faction, and the Gaze Church. A short walk within the city could likely be managed with Plum, Talat, or the members of the Wildcat Claws. However, going outside the city remains a significant risk.”
“That’s true…”
“The biggest concern is whether any of those factions are lying in wait beyond the city. While we had no issues retrieving the Kiblinki Saltas last time, there’s no guarantee this time will be the same. That’s why we should consider using the additional resources we now have.”
“Additional resources… you mean the Kiblinki Saltas?”
“Yes. They’re capable of using mind-reading, are they not? Anyone attempting to follow you out of the city could be caught at the gates. As for ambushes outside the city, Kiblinki Saltas’s abilities should help detect them. While the risks remain, this approach might slightly increase your safety.”
So the risk would still increase.
There doesn’t seem to be a way to avoid that.
The reason Alizée made this suggestion, even knowing the risks, is likely because she understands I have a tendency to find loopholes and push forward with my plans regardless.
In other words, if I can’t be stopped, she wants to pave the safest path possible ahead of time.
It’s a bit rude, but I can’t argue since she’s not entirely wrong.
At least I now have a clearer idea of how to go about mining Skill Crystals.
Next, I’ll need to convince the Kiblinki Saltas.
Forcing them isn’t my style, so I’ll have to negotiate carefully.
What do you think about this chapter?
