"Long time no see, Airmid."
Tiona greeted her with a bright smile and an energetic wave.
"I assume your presence here means the mission has been completed, correct?"
Airmid's calm voice carried across the shop as her gaze swept over the group... pausing briefly on Judas.
She gave him a polite nod, which Judas returned in kind.
Having been both a frequent customer and one of her former patients, they shared a quiet, mutual familiarity.
"That's right. We got the goods right here."
Tione said confidently, raising a jar filled with clear water.
Airmid's eyes narrowed slightly as she inspected the item from a distance, her expression as composed as ever.
"Let's discuss it over the counter."
She said, motioning them forward.
Tione handed the jar to her, and Airmid examined it up close.
"Cadmus spring water... and the quantity meets the requested amount," she murmured, nodding in approval.
"The Dian Cecht Familia is extremely thankful to the Loki Familia for completing this request."
She straightened her posture slightly.
"Here is the promised reward. Please accept it."
With that, Airmid lifted several crates filled with potion bottles and placed them neatly on the counter.
Tiona's eyes sparkled immediately.
"Ooooh~!"
"Woah! This many? I swear this alone looks like enough to buy a whole mansion!"
She exclaimed, hefting one crate with both hands.
"Elixirs of this quality, produced by the Dian Cecht Familia, are valued at around 50,000 valis each."
Lefiya added, gently running her fingers along the sleek surface of a bottle.
"Mn."
Ais nodded quietly.
'Huh... these are even higher quality than the ones I usually buy.'
Judas noted as he examined the crates, impressed.
Just then, Tione pulled something out of her bag.
"Airmid, actually... while we were deep in the Dungeon completing the mission, we happened to acquire a rare drop item."
She unfurled a rolled piece of fabric.
"If you can give us a decent price, we're willing to sell."
Airmid took the item, her brows lifting slightly as she felt the material.
'Soft...'
The fabric shimmered faintly as she unrolled it... smooth and lustrous.
"That's Cadmus Skin," Tione said proudly, leaning in.
"We were lucky to find it. It's a VERY rare item that's VERY hard to get."
Tione continued, deliberately emphasizing every key word like she was negotiating for her life.
Airmid examined it carefully.
"It appears to be genuine. This is top-class crafting material. We can offer 7 mill—"
"15 million valis."
Tione interrupted immediately.
Ais, Lefiya, and even Tiona whipped their heads toward her, eyes wide.
Judas' eyebrows shot up.
'Fifteen million... that's about what I earn from three dungeon dives on the lower floors... and that's if I get lucky.'
What followed was a surprisingly fierce back-and-forth.
Tione argued with a big smile.
Airmid countered with a serene expression that never cracked.
Tiona occasionally threw in a supportive "Yeah!"
Lefiya stressed quietly in the corner.
Ais blinked.
Judas merely watched everything unfold.
'I didn't know Tione had this kind of game...'
He genuinely learned something new about her.
Finally, after what felt like a minute of verbal swordplay—
sigh
Airmid let out a breath.
"12 million. That is the highest price I am willing to offer."
Tione's grin widened as she shook Airmid's hand.
"Hehe... thank you, Airmid. I knew we'd come to an understanding."
As several hefty bags of valis were placed on the counter, not a trace of shame crossed Tione's face.
If anything, she looked proud... absolutely glowing with victory.
Sometimes, to negotiate a great price, you needed a thick skin.
And Tione's was practically legendary.
...
Being the only man in the group, Judas naturally ended up carrying most of the stuff they had just obtained.
『Telekinesis』
With a simple thought, several crates filled with potions and a few heavy sacks of valis lifted off the ground and floated neatly behind him in a small orbit.
Ais, Tiona, Lefiya, and Tione watched the scene unfold... and all four reacted in their own way.
"What a useful magic."
Tiona breathed out, eyes sparkling.
"More magic...?"
"And it's also a no-chant spell..."
Lefiya muttered in disbelief, torn between awe and professional jealousy.
Her ears twitched in irritation, but even she couldn't hide how impressed she was.
"Hey! Be careful not to drop that crate."
Tione warned sharply, her gaze locked on the crate filled with expensive potions... as if staring hard enough would keep them from falling.
Ais, in contrast, simply stared with quiet fascination, golden eyes fixed on the drifting items like she was trying to understand how it worked.
"Anyway, let's hurry back home and put the money away."
"Holding this much cash in the middle of the street feels a bit scary."
Tione said as she strode forward.
"Ah... Tione, I have to head to the Goibniu Familia to have my weapon repaired."
Ais said quietly.
"Oh right! I'm going too. My Urga got destroyed during the expedition."
Tiona added, lifting her empty hands with an exaggerated sigh.
Hearing those words, Judas blinked, a thoughtful look crossing his face.
'Right… they did mention encountering a new monster species during the expedition.'
During the meeting, the Loki Familia executives hadn't only discussed how to handle the situation with the Freya Familia... they had also gone over what had transpired deep within the Dungeon.
'Giant, caterpillar-like monsters that could spew acid, if I remember correctly?'
It wasn't ordinary acid either.
The substance was potent enough to corrode weapons and armor entirely, eating through steel as though it were nothing more than butter.
That was precisely why Finn had advised everyone to bring equipment with the Durandal attribute on their next expedition.
Since their attempt to reach the fifty-ninth floor had ended in failure… it was only a matter of time before they tried again... this time, far better prepared.
'The Deep Floors of the dungeon… I wonder what they're like.'
Judas couldn't help but feel a spark of curiosity.
"Alright then," Tione nodded.
"Me, Judas, and Lefiya will head back first."
With that, Ais and Tiona peeled away in the opposite direction.
"See you later, Ais! Tiona!"
Lefiya waved enthusiastically, and Judas offered a casual nod as the two vanished into the crowd.
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