The Useless Skill Became The Most Powerful

005

"Are you not buying?" Ronan replied flatly, looking at the young merchant who was still examining him from behind his spectacles.

The merchant cleared his throat and adjusted the black robe covering his shoulders. His eyes moved towards the bag Ronan was carrying before returning to his face, and for a moment, he seemed unsure of what to say.

Ronan could tell that the man wasn't from the town. Although he had dressed like the other merchants and arranged his stall to look ordinary, he appeared unfamiliar with the people who visited the market. Otherwise, he would have recognized Ronan immediately, just as the other merchants had.

It wasn't difficult to understand what the young man was thinking either. Ronan's clothes were worn and stained with blood, and nothing about his appearance suggested that he was a Hunter capable of obtaining valuable crystals.

However, unlike the others, the merchant seemed to be making an effort not to look down on him.

"Well, I do buy crystals," the young man replied, sitting upright. "But you should know that this isn't the kind of place where people come to play around."

Ronan raised his eyebrows slightly.

"What makes you think I'm playing around?"

The merchant hesitated. He glanced at the bag again, then sighed and leaned forward, lowering his voice.

"Listen, if you need somebody to help you with a few credits or some cash, you can always ask. There's no need to pretend you have crystals to sell." His tone was surprisingly gentle, almost as though he was advising Ronan rather than insulting him.

Ronan looked at him for a moment without responding.

The merchant seemed to take his silence as confirmation. He reached into his robe, brought out a few notes and stretched them across the counter.

"Here, take this and stop causing trouble," he said, trying to sound stern.

Ronan glanced at the money in his hand. It was barely enough to pay for a day's meal, yet the young man was offering it to a complete stranger without expecting anything in return.

He wasn't sure whether to be amused or grateful.

"Seems you don't want to buy," Ronan said, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. "But I appreciate the offer."

He turned around and began walking away.

The young merchant watched him leave, his fingers still holding the money he had offered. He had expected Ronan to accept it immediately, especially considering his appearance, but the young man hadn't even attempted to negotiate for more.

"Wait," the merchant called.

Ronan stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"You said you have crystals to sell?"

"That's why I came here."

The merchant studied him again, his gaze moving towards the bag. There was something about Ronan's response that made him reconsider his earlier assumption. He didn't seem desperate for a handout, and despite the condition of his clothes, he had approached the stall with the confidence of someone who knew what he was carrying.

The merchant glanced towards the neighbouring stalls, where several Hunters were gathered, before lowering his voice.

"Come inside. We can discuss business there."

Ronan followed his gaze towards the doorway behind the counter.

Most merchants conducted their business openly, displaying their crystals and negotiating prices where everyone could see them. The young man's decision to take him into a private room only strengthened Ronan's suspicion that he was trying to conceal his identity.

He nodded and followed him inside.

The room was small but neatly arranged, with a wooden table at the centre and several shelves along the walls. Unlike the dusty stall outside, everything appeared carefully maintained, and the furnishings were of a quality Ronan wouldn't have expected from a merchant who barely attracted customers.

The young man removed his hood but kept his spectacles on as he moved towards the table.

"Have a seat," he said, gesturing towards a chair.

Ronan sat opposite him and placed the bag on the table.

The merchant adjusted his robe and straightened his back, apparently trying to recover the authority he had displayed outside.

"Now, let's see what you've brought."

Ronan opened the bag and began removing the crystals he had collected from the Mother Worm's nest. He placed them carefully on the table, starting with the smaller ones before bringing out the A-rank crystal he had extracted from the dead beast.

The merchant leaned forward, examining the crystals with growing interest. He picked up one of them and turned it between his fingers, studying its colour and the patterns running through it.

Then Ronan brought out the eggs.

He placed them beside the crystals, including the unusual egg Darius had taken from the nest before abandoning him.

The merchant's expression changed immediately.

His eyes widened behind his spectacles, and the crystal he had been examining slipped from his fingers onto the table.

Ronan noticed the reaction and followed his gaze, expecting him to be staring at the A-rank crystal.

But he wasn't.

The young man's attention was fixed entirely on the unusual egg.

He leaned closer, examining the markings across its shell, before slowly raising his head towards Ronan.

"How do you have that?”