The Appraising-Eye Slave Trader ~ A Blind Boy Reincarnated as a Villainous Noble Dominates with the Power to 'See True Talent' ~ - Episode 10: Let’s Judge the Merchandise

Episode 10: Let’s Judge the Merchandise

Kariya looked at me with a puzzled expression as she sliced the bread for my breakfast.

“…So, today you’re going to the regular market instead of the slave market?”

“Yeah. Today, I’m planning to stock up on the ‘non-slave’ kind of goods.”

That’s right—this time, I’m going to look at “things.”

My appraisal eye apparently doesn’t just work on people’s “talents”, but on products and items too.

I used it on muscles before. And I even managed to rewrite a magic circle.

In other words, I can spot “valuable items that no one else has noticed.”

…That realization suddenly hit me just yesterday.

“Having the talent to ‘spot quality’ is basically a top-tier cheat for a merchant. So, it’s worth trying at least once, right?”

I shrugged. Kariya replied with a sigh as she continued slicing the bread.

“…You’ve come up with something weird again, haven’t you?”

“Don’t call it weird. It’s a challenge toward potential.”

“Well then, if you fail, I’ll record it as a ‘weird waste’.”

“You’ve been keeping records!?”

“I want to document everything about you, Ouji-sama. Someday I’ll turn it into a biography. Everything about our days together is already in my diary.”

“Th-that’s scary…”

While we were talking, Varna popped her head in from the side.

“Ouji-sama! Are we going to the market today!? I’m coming too!”

“Y-you’re staying here—wait, well, I guess you can come. Just don’t make a scene, okay?”

“Leave it to me! If I see a red sword, let’s buy it!”

“I just said don’t make a scene… what’s with that weird obsession with red swords…”

As usual, Varna’s a strange one.

Next to her, Lilia was quietly munching on her bread and smiling softly.

“But… you can really tell an item’s value just by looking at it, can’t you, Ouji-sama?”

“Yesterday, when I looked at my own body, I realized something. If I can see ‘physical performance’ and ‘magic flow,’ then I should be able to see things like ‘weapon materials’ and ‘structure of magical tools’ too.”

“I see… That does make sense…!”

“Well, I won’t know for sure until I try. Anyway, today is kind of an experiment—”

I took a bite of bread and grinned.

“I’m going to pull out a real ‘hidden gem.’”

—

The entrance to the market was crowded from the morning.

The lively shouting, the creaking of carts, the unique scent of sweat and spices—

This place is literally a “battlefield for merchants”.

“Alright then… time for a test run of the ‘True Appraising Eye’.”

I lightly closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Then, as I opened them—countless “item windows” lit up vividly in my field of vision.

The first thing that caught my eye was a pile of “junk weapons” thrown together in a corner.

Chipped swords, cracked shields, bent spears.

Junk to anyone else… but I saw something different.

(…This one’s… a “magic silver alloy” sword.)

It looks like rusty iron. But inside, there’s a high-magic-conductivity metal reaction.

If I scrape off the surface, it should reveal a shiny silver luster.

“You’re buying that, young man? No blacksmith even glances at that junk anymore,” 

The old guy at the weapons shop said with a wry smile.

“I’ll take this, that shield, and… this dagger. How much for all three?”

“Well, aren’t you a curious fellow. Let’s say… five silver coins for the set.”

(The real value is worth at least thirty silver coins, maybe more. Not bad.)

“I’ll take them. Wrap them up.”

“Whoa… seriously? You’ve made my day!”

The shopkeeper was grinning. But I was smirking on the inside too.

Next, I went to the herb shelf at a general store.

“Lilia. I want you to look at these.”

She’s been studying medicinal herbs and healing potions ever since that incident. She knows her stuff.

“Ah, yes… these herbs all look pretty normal. There’s even some weeds mixed in that resemble 〈Healing Leaf〉, the recovery plant.”

“Right. But… how about this one?”

I picked up a slightly dried leaf.

《Name: Young Leaf of Sunbright》

《Effect: High-Purity Activation Effect / *Note: Contains Neural Stimulating Properties*》

《Market Evaluation: Low (Appearance Mismatch)》

《Rarity: High / Good for Mixing Support》

《Preservation State: Good》

(…Thought so. It was misclassified based on appearance.)

“If you use this during mixing, it’ll make recovery potions work instantly. ‘As long as it doesn’t go out of control,’ that is.”

“Wha—! That means…!”

“If used properly, it’s equivalent to a high-grade potion. ‘If used properly,’ that is.”

“Ouji-sama, what exactly are you basing all this on…?”

“My eyes.”

That’s all I said before picking out a few more suspicious herbs and approaching the shopkeeper.

“How much for this bundle?”

“Hmm… that’s just leftover stock. How about one silver coin?”

“Perfect. I’ll take it.”

“Ha, you’re an odd one!”

Some merchants nearby were chuckling, saying, “What’s with this weirdo hoarding junk?”

But I’m serious.

Because I “can see”—I can buy with confidence.

Lastly, we stopped by a potion shop. It was where something a little interesting happened.

“Lilia, check this out.”

“Oh—this one… the contents are starting to separate. It’s pretty old.”

“Yeah. But the particles at the bottom—they’re a bit unstable. But they resemble ‘awakening-type’ structures. With some adjustments, this could be used for ‘limit-breaking’.”

“No way…!”

“If my eye’s not wrong, that is.”

I picked up the potion from the back shelf and brought it to the shopkeeper.

“Will you sell this?”

“Huh? That one’s a failed product. You can throw it away if you want…”

“Then I’ll leave three copper coins as a disposal fee.”

“Haha, you’re a strange one! Go ahead and take it!”

I handed the potion to Lilia.

“Let’s stabilize it in the mixing room later. With your magic, you should be able to handle the particle resonance adjustment.”

“…Ouji-sama, you’re truly amazing…! You’re seeing a completely different world…!”

Hearing Lilia murmur that, my heart warmed a little.

(Next is the finishing touch.)

Back at the mansion, I’ll maintain the products I bought—

And sell them for their “true value”.

This day will prove that my eye for value is the real deal.

—

Once back at the mansion, I got straight to work.

First up, the broken sword.

I scraped off the rust and carefully sharpened the blade—until a brilliant silver edge, like a mirror, appeared.

Lilia watched with wide eyes.

“W-wow…! It’s like a brand new sword…!”

“Right? Told you it wasn’t just junk.”

《Magic Silver Alloy Longsword》

《Magic Resistance ◎ / Lightweight / Reaction Speed Boost》

My appraising eye clearly “proved” the sword’s power.

“This one suppresses magic reactions and converts them into slashing force. Perfect for mage-hunting.”

Next up was the unstable potion.

In the mixing room with Lilia, I watched the particle flow and gave her instructions.

“Wrap it in magic just a bit. Spin it to the left. Don’t rush—it’s delicate work.”

“Y-yes…!”

Lilia focused. She was carefully channeling magic through her fingers.

Then—the potion’s liquid briefly glowed a faint gold and blended smoothly.

Success.

“Now we can sell it as a ‘combat-use only awakening potion.’ It has strong side effects, so it’s only for a select group of warriors. But it’ll be valuable.”

Lilia looked at me in awe.

“…Ouji-sama, you really *can* see everything…”

“Well yeah. Being ‘sharp-eyed’ is my strength.”

◆　　◆　　◆

With the finished products in hand, we headed to a merchant guild in the royal capital.

They supply weapons and potions to adventurers and knight orders.

We’d used them before for slave trade info.

“Welcome—ah, Ouji-sama!”

The young clerk who remembered us from before came to greet us.

“What can we help you with today…?”

“Buy this sword. Also, this potion and herb set. What’s the price?”

He took the sword and inspected it—his face instantly turned pale.

“W-wha!? This is *magic silver alloy*!? Is it real!?”

“Yeah. It was just rusty on the outside.”

“Why would something this valuable…!? If we buy it, we can offer you fifteen gold coins!”

Lilia whispered beside me, shocked.

“T-the sword you bought for five silver coins is… now worth fifteen gold coins…!?”

“I’ve got more.”

They called in a specialist to evaluate the potion too.

“W-what is this!? Even top-class alchemists can’t create this kind of particle structure easily! And it’s specialized for ‘combat awakening’… the kingdom’s knights would kill for this!”

“So, how much?”

“E-eight gold coins… no, maybe more than ten, depending on the buyer…!”

(Heh heh heh… jackpot.)

◆　　◆　　◆

That day, everything I sold was labeled “a surprising masterpiece.”

I earned nearly thirty gold coins in total.

And my investment? Just over ten silver coins.

A massive profit.

On the way back, Kariya quietly muttered,

“…Ouji-sama. So you really can tell just by looking.”

“The more people get fooled by appearances, the more my appraising eye shines.”

Next to me, Lilia looked at me with deep admiration.

“Ouji-sama… your eyes are truly a miracle…”

“It’s not that big a deal. Just effort, luck, and a bit of talent.”

I smirked and felt the weight of the coins in my pocket.

(Now I’ve got the funds to buy the next slave.)

(And then… it’s time to start “training”.)

“…Alright. Next time, I’ll find something even better.”

With the “eye that sees true value” as my weapon—

I, too, will take another step forward as a merchant.