The Villainess That Was Once A VRMMO player-Chapter 18，Part2

Mage Guild [Part 2]

The Spirits behaved oddly in that they would not consider any actions an act of [hostility] unless it was perceived to be a direct harm to the beings they attached themselves to.

For example, if you throw something and it hits the target, that would be considered a hostile act, but if somebody threw something and the target was not injured, it would not be considered a hostile act.

In short, even if Alice was startled when the dirt-covered pretzel in her hand burned, Spirit couldn’t understand if it was an attack or not because it was not a direct attack on her.

But, well, I got stares from the male customers around me, as expected. Only one, an old lady, the stall owner, apologetically bowed to me as I paid for the food.

I might have been shortsighted, but I instantly decided that persuasion was impossible.

When I was about to get tangled up with the male customers, a female staff member from the Mage Guild intervened. I put away my break revolver, which I prepared for the moment to shoot everyone in the knees, leaving my hands open.

–

When I entered the Mage Guild amidst the needle-like stares from the male staff, I was greeted by a female staff who meditated without me having to say a word.

“I am sorry. We have no prejudice against subhumans, but that little girl seems to be a comfort to the male staff, and we couldn’t risk causing problems with aggressive customers…”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Thank you very much. So, how may I help you? I understand that you are not a regular adventurer, but are you here to buy spellbooks?”

“Advanced spellbooks. And may I see the grimoires you are researching?”

“That is kind of…”

After all, identification was required for the sale of advanced spellbooks. It would be like buying a gun in the US.

To see the spells being researched, I needed to join the guild, but since I was hated by the male staff now, it might be challenging to join the guild, I was told. Either way, I didn’t have any proper identification.

Then I muttered something about buying from a Commerce Guild, which was fine, and the female staff member who heard this grabbed my hand.

“Do you by any chance have a Commerce Guild ID?”

“Nn”

The ID for the Commerce Guild did not require any personal information. Only actual performance: how much you sold and how much you bought: determined the rank you achieved, which was a guarantee in trust. ｂｅ𝚍𝚗ｏｖｅ𝚕．𝚗𝚎𝚝

The female employee was surprised at the silver card I showed her.

I have delivered quite a few weapons and purchased quite a few grimoires in the past two years.

This silver card was something that a medium-sized trading company with a dozen or so employees would have in the Royal Capital.

“If this is the case, I can sell directly to you, although it will be a bit informal.”

It would seem that selling spell books to the Commerce Guild was also a business that took advantage of the inadequacies of the law, such as trusting the identity of someone from the Commerce Guild, and that I, with the ID of the same Commerce Guild, would be allowed to buy them, broadly speaking, considering that I am a member of the same Guild.

“However, only direct personal purchases from me, not from the surface. For the business coming from the Commerce Guild, both guilds will add a charge of 10% each for a total of 20%, but if you buy them directly from me, how about 5% on top of that to cover direct expenses?”

“Deal.”

The female employee and I grin and shook hands firmly. We made good business.

I was also able to get a copy of the pre-research memos to be handed over to the Guild in exchange for information once I knew the spells.

–

Time went by, and I continued my research with Spell Books and Grimoires provided by the Guild. I continued my life, dividing it to research and making cosmetics with Meiya’s continued pestering when one morning, my brother Dirk suddenly announced.

“Today in the evening, a friend from the academy, a legitimate son of the Duke of Prata’s family, will be coming to visit me. A subhuman like you should not leave your room, don’t let him find you, okay? You never know what anyone might be interested in, including a subhuman like you!”

“…”

I didn’t answer without being told. What’s that? The Duke of Prata… as I remembered, that family was where the other Villainess belongs to, the Villainess Flare.

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