Newbie Merchant Curse

After accepting the four giant spider cocoons, the Black Ops went back, heading towards their stall at the Open Market.

Each of the members of the Black Ops is dragging giant spider cocoons. The fact that they can't store the giant cocoons either inside of the Storage Skill of the Storage Bracelet or the Storage Spell of the Item Bag already gives Vier an anxious feeling about what is inside of the giant spider cocoons.

After all, only those that have their own Mana can't be stored inside the Storage Skill or Spell, and having their own Mana mostly means that they're living creatures.

...Whatever is inside this cocoon is definitely alive...

However, Vier's greed won over her guilt and curiosity. Because if Vier indeed manages to sell these giant spider cocoons, then whatever is inside will be a problem for whoever buys them.

When the Black Ops get back to their stall, it's already around three in the afternoon. After taking a noon break while eating some snacks, the Black Ops stall is now back to business.

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Hours have passed and the sun is about to set in less than an hour.

Most of the items that the Black Ops received from their Dwarf teacher have already been sold. Only the four giant spider cocoons are left being displayed at the front of their stall.

...Well, it's a very unusual item. It's no wonder no one wants to buy them...

Since the Open Market is about to close soon, the Black Ops has already accepted that they won't be able to sell the four giant spider cocoons. Until another group of familiar Adventurers arrive in front of their stall.

"Huh?... Aren't you the members of the Adventurers Party Dwarf Cat-eared Elf?"

The one who speaks to the Black Ops is Kole, the leader of the Adventurers Party Oreo Sky. Behind him are his companions, Ebom, Tawny, and Auryn.

"We're the members of the Iron Rank Adventurers Party Oreo Sky. We met at the meeting during the Admission Exam result. I'm Ebom. This rude guy is our leader, Kole, and these two are Auryn and Tawny."

Not trying to be rude and scare the group of four young girls, Ebom introduces their group to the Black Ops.

"Of course, we remember your group. We're the members of the Bronze Rank Adventurers Party Dwarf Cat-eared Elf. I'm Mifumi and this is Vier and Felin. Rozze is also an Adventurer and my Retainer."

"Retainer?..."

Kole became confused upon hearing Mifumi calling her friend a Retainer. He is clueless about Mifumi's real identity until Ebom slaps him on the back of his head before explaining what he doesn't know.

"You, idiot... Don't tell me that you don't know that Ms. Mifumi is the daughter of the town's Lord."

"How would I know that, Ebom?!"

Seeing the two-man comedy act in front of them, the Black Ops try their best to hold their laugh so as not to be rude to their senior Adventurers.

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"So what are you selling at your stall?"

The Oreo Sky browse the items on display at the Black Ops stall. And to help their juniors, each member of the Oreo Sky buys a Knife to be used for the dismantling of Monster Materials.

Aside from the Knives, Kole also got interested in one of the giant spider cocoons and bought it at the price of 1L Gold coin before leaving the Black Ops stall.

"Why do you think Mr. Kole bought the giant spider cocoon?"

Vier didn't try to rip off Kole to earn 1L Gold coin. Instead, Kole is the one who offered to buy one of the giant spider cocoons at the price of 1L Gold coin.

"Because I told him that there is treasure inside, Vier!"

"I think he is more interested in the cocoon material, Felin-chan."

"You're maybe right, Mifumi-sama. After all, he was looking very intently at it. Anyway, we need to close our stall soon."

The Black Ops start storing what is left of their items as they close their stall. But while they're taking down their stall, something unexpected happens.

...rattle...rattle...rattle...

"Huh?... What is that sound?"

"Vier-chan! The largest spider cocoons starts moving!"

"It is going to hatch?"

"It's not an egg so that's impossible, Felin-chan."

"Let's move away, everyone."

With Rozze's instruction, Vier, Mifumi, and Felin take some distance away from the largest spider cocoons.

The largest spider cocoons continue rattling moving side to side like something is trying to come out from the inside while everyone, not only the Black Ops but every other stall owner and customer around them, stares and waits anxiously to what will happen.

When it finally stops moving...

...Boom!...

...The largest spider cocoon explodes scattering all of the spider web all over the place.

"Damn it!... You, crazy Alchemist!"

...Ehh!!! Why is she inside the giant spider cocoon?...

What everyone saw came out from the largest spider cocoon was a tall girl, around 2 meters tall, with tanned skin and black colored hair.

...This girl is kind of familiar...

Vier, Mifumi, and Felin try to remember where they have seen the girl that came out from the largest spider cocoons while Rozze steps in front to protect her friends as she glares towards the suspicious girl.

The tall girl was able to calm her anger upon noticing the stare of all the observers around her.

"Ehh?... Where am I?... Where are my friends?"

When the tall girl looks at the Black Ops, asking them for her inquiries, Vier, Mifumi, and Felin are finally able to remember where they have seen and who exactly is the tall girl.

She is one of the four members of the Iron Rank Adventurers Party Poop Shape Cloud.

Vier, Mifumi, and Felin saw their group complaining to Misaki at the end of the Exam result meeting as to why their Adventurers Party name has been changed from the name Poop Shape Cloud to the name Arachne Star.

However, those thoughts are not important right now to Vier and Mifumi. Even the innocent Felin can understand what they did wrong.

After all, the Arachne Star is a group of four people. If the tall girl is looking for her friends, considering the number of giant spider cocoons and the fact that she comes out from one of them, then it only means one thing.

"Hey!... Does anyone know where is the other giant spider cocoons? There supposed to be four of these, right?"

All of the observers looked at the Black Ops, giving the tall girl the idea that she should direct her inquiry to their group.

Upon realizing what is really inside those giant spider cocoons, only a panicked expression can be seen by the tall girl when she looks at the members of the Black Ops.

"Hey... Do you girls know..."

...We're very sorry!!! Please forgive us for selling one of your friends!!!...

After the commotion, the Black Ops, along with the tall girl, immediately look for the Oreo Sky.

Thankfully, Kole, who bought the giant spider cocoon, is still around looking for more items to buy in the Open Market while dragging the giant spider cocoon with him.

Kole immediately agreed to return the giant spider cocoon the moment that Felin told him that it was not treasure that was inside but some weird scary girl.

Once all the remaining spider cocoons have been recovered, the Black Ops are now back in their stall, kneeling and bowing their heads on the ground while begging for forgiveness from the person who was inside the giant spider cocoon that they sold.

"Pfft!... I can't believe I got sold while I'm inside that cocoon... Hahaha!... And only for the price of 1L Gold coin... Hahaha!..."

...We're very sorry!!! Please forgive us for what happened!!!...

"Come on... There's no need for all of you to apologize... Your group didn't know that we were inside of those giant spider cocoons, right? So none of this is your fault."

"Aster-chan is right! All of this is because of that crazy Alchemist!"

Noa, the tall girl, says those remarks as she forcefully tears apart the other giant spider cocoons with her bare hands. After opening one of them, a beautiful blonde-haired girl came out jumping towards Noa and clinging to her while crying like a child.

"Noa-chan!... Waahhhh!... I'm so scared!... It was so dark and I wasn't able to move!... Waahhhh!..."

"Please stop crying like that, Akane-chan. People are looking around us."

"But... Sob... Sob..."

"Please get off me for now. I still need to get Ms. Mika out of the last cocoon."

After rescuing the last person inside the giant spider cocoon, the Arachne Star gives their gratitude to the Black Ops for rescuing their group from the crazy Alchemist before saying goodbye and going back to the place they're staying.

"I can't believe we actually sold Ms. Aster, the famous Oracle Witch, for the price of 1L Gold coin."

With Mifumi's remark, Vier watched the Arachne Star leaving with a single thought on her mind.

...The effect of the Newbie Merchant Curse is really scary...

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PoruShark Writer's Note

Here are the characters' concept designs for the members of Oreo Sky and Arachne Star / Poop Shape Cloud. Look at the comment.