Today Elzbieta doesn't head back to the inn on her own. Instead I accompany her after putting my seal on her quest papers. I bring the newly enchanted dagger along as well, properly sheathed and secured now, since the well worn second hand weapon has become something quite dangerous due to my efforts.

The inn is rather busy this time of the day, as Elzbieta isn't the only adventurer who is done with their chores or quests for the day.

The first I recognize is Szmuel, the short catfolk adventurer. He has his quest papers tucked under one arm, while carrying a long stick, with the sorry remains of several raccoons, well just their recently acquired hides really, tied to it, over his shoulder. It seems his hunt was quite successful.

I greet him with a smile and a nod.

The gesture isn't lost on the pregnant adventurer at my side. She in turn throws me a questioning look.

“Just this morning, when I heard about it, I was wondering if you would take the raccoon quest.”

Elzbieta is quick to shake her head, quite vehemently too.

“No way! I draw the line at foxes. Those can be quite cunning, but if you can get the drop on them, they are pretty easy prey. Raccoons on the other hand … gods and goddesses, I wouldn't mess with them even if I weren't in my current state.”

At this point the young catfolk adventurer speaks up as well.

“Yes, yes! They have a mean strrreak! Very ferrrocious! You have to be quick and nimble to deal with them!”

I nod and so does Elzbieta. Before he can go inside I stop him again.

“I'm not entirely sure Krystina's parents will appreciate you bringing in your prey like this. The stamped papers should be enough to collect your reward. Unless you want to sell them through the guild? So, unless that is the case we could watch over your catch until you are done with the paperwork.”

He tilts his head and blinks at us, while he apparently thinks about my suggestion.

At least Elzbieta doesn't seem to mind that I volunteered us and thus her like that.

Finally he speaks up again.

“Oh. Is see! Don't brrring the frrresh kill where everrryone eats? You tall people don't like that. Is that it?”

This time Elzbieta is the first to nod and I quickly join in.

“Ah, well, if mew could? Please? I'll be rrright back!”

We nod again and the catfolk adventurer perks up. True to his word he is off right away and not much later he is back without the papers. In exchange the purse at his belt seems a little heavier though.

“Thank mew! Krrrystina even suggest someone who will buy the pelts.”

He grabs the stick with the pelts and is off with a wave, his tail swishing about excitedly.

“See mew!”

I wave as well, as he bounds off. He really seems to be in a good mood.

“See you!”

Elzbieta just giggles as she watches our antics.

Eventually we head inside.

I let her take care of her business first as she only is about to collect a quest reward. That shouldn't take too long. Just as expected she only has to hand in her quest papers.

Krystina checks my seal with an inquisitive gaze, probably using a skill of some sort, then she pays out the reward. Then, as Elzbieta is off with a wave to rejoin her usual comrades, Krystina turns towards me.

“How unusual for you to drop by in the evening. What can I help you with?”

I put the sheathed dagger on the counter in between us.

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“Something a little different this time around. I succeeded with my first double enchantment a little earlier today. I doubt there is a market for this around here though, thus I was wondering about selling it through the guild instead.”

Her eyes light up as I explain and as I finish she claps her hand.

“Congratulations on your first double enchantment! That is a serious accomplishment! Will you be doing more of those in the future? If you are open for commissions I could pass a note to other guild offices to advertise your services!”

I snort once in amusement.

“The advertisement wouldn't be free though? Or am I mistaken?”

Krystina shrugs apologetically, but she does in general not look sorry at all.

“Well, yes. It would require a small fee. It would be worth it though. The note would be passed around far and wide. Eventually just about every branch office on the continent would know about your enchanting services.”

That does, indeed, not sound too bad. It isn't what I'm here for today though, thus I shake my head.

“Maybe another day. I only just barely managed to pull off this double enchantment. I really want to be able to reproduce the feature reliably before I do any advertising.”

Krystina's doesn't seem bothered by my rejection of her offer though.

“Understandable. Still, this is exciting news! Good enchantments are viable to draw in some new adventurers. And of course, there still is this thing you want to sell though the guild. There was the bow the youngsters brought in recently and now this dagger. This, on its own, is good news as well!”

I can imagine why she would see it like that. In all likelihood there will be a guild fee involved. Maybe she will even receive a commission herself, based on the sales value of any items she gets auctioned off. I don't mind though. Of course the guild's services don't come free. It's only natural.

Anyway, without her and the services she offers in the name of the guild I would have a lot more things to worry about myself. I really prefer it the way it is. As far as I'm concerned someone else can worry about finding a buyer for my dagger half a continent away.

I get startled out of my thoughts as Krystina drops her thick guide book on the counter. She immediately starts leafing through it as well. The section where she stops appears not quite as well used as much of the rest.

“Which enchantments did you put on the dagger?”

I have a little trouble reading everything upside down but even so I can tell that she is looking at tables of enchantments and their combinations. Most curious. The teachers had something similar at the academy, but these ones look a whole lot more comprehensive.

“The first one was a self cleaning enchantment. The second one is a self sharpening enchantment.”

The young guild official nods. At the same time her fingers dance across the tables until she finds the entry she is looking for.

“A keen weapon then? Well, that is quite something!”

With that information she immediately moves on to the next section of the book.

This one is a little easier to read. Well, in theory at least. It seems to be a list of entries for each possible combination with suggested prices and the likes.

“Hm! Very good! The guild guidelines suggest a starting bid of thirty silver Crowns and a buyout option of sixty should a buyer not want to wait until the auction is done. Would that be alright with you?”

As I nod she disappears under the counter for a moment, only to reappear with an unfamiliar empty form. She starts filling it immediately. At the same time she fills me in on some more details as well.

“For a valuable item like this the guild insists on doing its own appraisal as well. There is a two bronze Crown fee for that. It will come out of the sales price. In addition there is a fee of one tenth of the sales price which will go to the guild.”

Death and taxes. They are both inevitable. Although, no wait, I will still have to pay taxes for the rest that will come my way. I manage not to groan, even if just barely. I just roll my eyes instead, before I speak up to let her know that I have no objections.

“Not an issue either.”

Krystina hasn't even looked up from the form she is filling.

“Very good. Just stamp your seal down here and here and I'll take care of the rest. You should receive your compensation in seven days from tomorrow.”

I do as she asks and quite literally seal the deal. Still, I'm a astonished. Only seven days? I would have expected for the necessary proceedings to take longer.

Krystina must have recognized the look on my face. Or maybe it is a thought anyone using this particular service for the first time has. She winks at me.

“Guild secrets.”

Her voice is a stage whisper. So it probably is not actually a secret. She doesn't elaborate either though. Instead she grabs both a copy of the contract and the sheathed dagger to deposit both in an ornate chest under the counter. The other copy of the contract is, of course, for me.

Just a moment later a sound like a little silver bell emanates from below the counter.

Krystina disappears below the counter again, only to reappear with something that looks like a receipt the next moment.

Then understanding dawns upon me.

“Oh! That is how you do it!”

Of course. Matched teleportation artifacts!

Our local guild representative flashes me a beaming smile.

“We offer a premium message service as well, including any packages that can fit into the chest. Its not cheap though. Like, really not cheap.”

Now I really have to laugh. I can see why they would charge a hefty fee for a service like that though. It isn't because there is a limitation on these artifacts, well, none beyond the size of the chests anyway, but people would bother them all day and night if they didn't.

“Of course it isn't.”