Earth Dungeon 67.1

 Test

Chapter 67.1. Negotiation

Serika sat with her legs crossed, wearing a sly smile that seemed to come naturally to her, and her attitude exuded authority. She didn't seem to possess a typical teenager's mindset. 

Meanwhile, Karin indulged in a delicious bite of chocolate cake. I came here to negotiate with you, though.

"Wasn't chocolate supposed to be bad for cats?" 

Onions, chocolate, and all that.

"I'm not a cat; I'm a human-nya. I don't share the same weaknesses as cats-nya." 

Karin winked as she waved her fork and resumed eating her cake. It seemed she had no intention of engaging in conversation. Was the negotiation entirely Serika's responsibility?

"Now, I'd like to introduce you to someone with a unique skill [Block]. I only found out recently during the commotion with Azure Dragon."

"[Block]? It sounds combat-related, doesn't it?"

Shizuku told me what that skill is. However, that's the girl I had taken an interest in.

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it? It's like a defensive skill. But it's different. [Block] is a skill that analyzes the structure of buildings and identifies what needs fixing. It falls under the knowledge category."

"Hmm... Knowledge category, huh? We don't really need knowledge about buildings in the inner town, with skilled construction workers and machines. But can she actually use it? I can't afford to start from scratch at Level 0."

I narrowed my eyes at Serika's proud smile and asked with a tone of skepticism. After all, I was pretending not to know the girl's capabilities. Still, a knowledge-based skill seemed like a niche one. Considering the effort it took to level up, it made some sense.

Shizuku had informed me that [Block] wasn't originally intended for combat. The light wall the Dwarf girl had used during the Azure Dragon incident was apparently just a model for constructing buildings. The real purpose of the skill was to scan the structure and analyze how to repair it. That's a highly useful crafting skill, [Block].

"Don't worry. She's at Level 3. Originally, she was said to be able to build walls with just one skill. But once she reached Level 3, she realized she wasn't quite that powerful. Only I, with my [Appraisal] skill, understood."

Appraisal? Well, all right.

"Well, it's lucky for me. But it's unfortunate for her. But there's one more thing. I can't offer that high a salary, you know? I don't know what the pay is like in the inner town, but—"

"It's not the same. Let's discuss this when you meet her in person. We'll leave that to your discretion."

"If things go south, I'll stop the monthly payments. And, basically, you'll have to cover the expenses she incurs. Let's say we pay you for up to 12 potions per month. If that works for you, we can accept your proposal."

It was clearly a rip-off. But let's consider it an initial investment. The higher a skill's level, the more enjoyable it becomes. Sorry, but I won't be paying it back.

"Deal! Great, I'm glad you agreed. If you had refused, I was planning to introduce you to an outer town construction company. Can you wait a bit while I draft the contract?"

"No need. There's no such thing as dealing with the residents of the abandoned town. Right?"

I clapped my hands and rose to my feet, raising an eyebrow and flashing a wry smile at Serika's smirk in response to my words.

"Heheh, I like you. Well then, let's make a verbal agreement. I'm Kamishiro Serika. NICE TO MEET YOU."

The last line was delivered with a somewhat strange intonation by the albino beauty. What's that all about? 

I glanced at Karin briefly, and she returned a wry smile, indicating there was no significant meaning to it.

[Let's merge with a goblin. We might become a depraved slime, though.]

I raised an eyebrow at Shizuku-san's odd remark. Goblins don't have a sex drive, and the statement had an unsettling tone too.

"Well, our association might be short-lived, but nice to meet you."

Seemingly satisfied with my response, Serika nodded and leaned back on the couch, her eyes sparkling. It appeared the conversation wasn't over yet.

The creaking sound of the old springs on the couch accompanied Serika as she continued. The catgirl says another round of cheesecake and pulls it out of the box.

"My real proposal is this. Do you know who defeated the Kouryuu?"

"I haven't claimed to be the one who defeated Azure Dragon." 

I replied honestly to Serika's question, as I looked at her with her ruby-like eyes. I'm an honest man, Karin.

"I see. Then, do you have any of Azure Dragon's materials? The ones who defeated it took only the most valuable fangs and scales," she inquired.

"I rule that region, you know. I've heard about Azure Dragon The military hauled away a massive snake on a truck. I was hoping to have it grilled and eaten. At the very least, it has never been sold in my market." 

"Hmm..."

Serika examined me closely, and then, with a look of amusement, she sighed and turned to Karin.

"It's no use; Sakimori can see through your skill. Everything we just discussed has likely been validated as truth, right?"

"Nyan?! You know about my skill-nya?! It's never been exposed-nya!"

I watched as Karin dropped her fork in surprise. I knew why you were waiting for me to finish a conversation with Serika, despite her being perfectly capable of negotiating herself. You wanted the Truth Detection skill, didn't you?

I smiled at the bewildered Karin, and she seemed taken aback by my demeanor.

"Your skill concentrates mana in your eyes. Normally, you wouldn't be able to see without using [Mana Perception]. There's only one other person I know who can naturally perceive it besides me."

"The charade is over. So, if this conversation is finished, should I go?"

If you were hoping to confirm Shizuku's presence, I'm afraid you're out of luck. She seems to have decided to become a mysterious girl.