--- Hunter 23HX443---
Hunter 23HX443 watched as the merchant's eyes lit up and new that she made a mistake somewhere. A quick review of her words... and nothing stood out to her. She'd implied that the sale needed to be made to avoid the city but it was not as if the line was moving fast so that seemed acceptable.
She had specifically made mention of the fact she needed it to be a good price, but she didn't believe that mattered to the merchant. She was going to be gouged, she knew that... but it was annoying to not quite understand where the mistake had been made.
Then the merchant was speaking and Hunter 23HX443 needed to turn her thoughts back to the present. "Well, the only thing I can offer you is my personal map that I use to help plan my travels. I don't exactly wish to part with it, but I am a merchant at heart so if you can offer me proper payment for the old thing I guess I can let go of it..."
Hunter 23HX443 waited for the merchant to say more but... clearly they weren't going to. Hunter 23HX443 nearly let out a hiss but it'd be hard to hide just how snake-like it sounded with her aura already working overtime. The delicate balance she needed for 'ignore these features' and 'ignore me' was tight and adding something like that to it would be quite a lot.
Hunter 23HX443 considered her options and couldn't come up with one better then "What are you looking for specifically? As I said, I am a hunter by trade so I can offer you some bones, pelts, even a bit of meat. I am strong and the contents of my backpack weigh a bit more then they might seem. So, what are you after?"
"Well, I'm primarily after coin," said the merchant... though Hunter 23HX443 could immediately tell it was a lie. Hunter 23HX443 bit the inside of her cheek lightly to stop any annoyance showing. She didn't know if it was a lie she could call the damned man out on. "So... for a map like this? Well I don't want to give it up so that adds to the price... and it's not exactly local.
Not what you'd consider local anyway, it covers most of the kingdom you see... which means it will have to be more expensive then you might like. I DO have to by a fresh map with the money you're giving me after all. So... I'll say, twenty gold coins for my copy?"
Hunter 23HX443 shifted her body to make it look like she was angry as she glared back at the merchant and tried to look like she was thinking about the offer... but she had piles of gold bars in her ring. 'Twenty Gold Coins' meant nothing to her in this context. *I seem to have rushed into this. I should have snuck into the wagon first and tried to uncover the man's coffers.
As it stands I have no idea if this is a reasonable price at all. No, that is untrue. I know it is unreasonable but how unreasonable? Is ten gold a suitable price for a map? Or just one? Perhaps I should simply bypass that issue?*
The cut was almost certainly still a few steps above what even the best jewellers could manage on this world but that was fine. Hunter 23HX443 pulled the bag out and made a show of reaching in to grab just one of the gems. "Is this sufficient?"
The merchant's eyes drifted just slightly the bag before snapping back to her face, searching for something. Clearly he found it because after a few moments of thought, and some obvious examination of the gem, he said, "I'm afraid not. It's a good start certainly but for a proper map that will save you at least two days of your time? I think I'll require... at least two more of that quality,"
Hunter 23HX443 didn't even bat an eye at that. She knew it was more than she should be paying but that wasn't really the point. She needed it to seem reasonable and the merchant had clearly picked up on the fact she had placed, perhaps too many, gems in the bag. Asking for two more was reasonable when the bag contained an even twenty after all.
Plus, as long as the others watching didn't notice anything too amiss this was fine. So Hunter 23HX443 made a show of thinking about it for a few moments before reaching into the bag and retrieving two more gems and handing them over.
The merchant examined them for a bit once they were in his hand and tried to hide his astonishment at the quality. He was no gem merchant, but his uncle WAS and he could tell Hunter 23HX443 was massively overpaying... and that she didn't care. Deciding it was time to seal the deal, just not too quickly or notably happily. "Well, I suppose this is sufficient," said the merchant with a huff.
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He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. He deposited the gems inside, folded it nicely again, and then returned it to his pocket. He made a show of slowly getting up and rummaging around for his map before handing it over, a fake tear in his eye. "This map has been my loyal companion for most of my journeys.
So it is truly a shame to give it up... but I understand your desire to avoid the crowds in town so hopefully it serves you well. Even if you are underpaying a bit... I suppose it's an older map,"
Hunter 23HX443 glared at the merchant for a bit, just until the man was overcome with a full body shiver, before nodding and turning away. It's what he deserved for being such an awful actor. Hunter 23HX443 debated vanishing in place, or speeding off... but that too would be more trouble then it was worth.
So she simple took off at a decent pace, careful to ensure that anybody looking at her would overlook the fact that she didn't have any legs. No sense inviting last minute trouble after all.