The Transaction

“Oh! That round thingy, right? I remember having them put it over here.”

“Hey, wait! If you’re going to get it, go by yourself! Don’t drag the Marquis into this mess!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Mr. Ding Ming, please don’t worry so much about me.”

Finally, they walked past the intersection and arrived not far from the front of my cage. A messy pile of cargo was stacked there. The Marquis seemed interested in helping personally, but she was ultimately stopped by her subordinate and the goblin. In the end, she could only stand aside and watch the Siren Captain rummage through the crates.

Clang!

During the search, a familiar box broke free from the mountain of goods and tumbled to the floor.

That… that’s my suitcase!

Even in my severely ill state, my eyes widened at the sight of my belongings appearing right before me.

“Found it. Here, Marquis, take it and give it a try.”

“Honorifics! Use honorifics!”

“You’re so troublesome, goblin brat.”

“Don’t call me troublesome!”

The Siren and the goblin continued their bickering, but the cylinder was nonetheless handed over to the Marquis. It was an object wrapped in genuine leather, shaped somewhat like a quiver for arrows. The Marquis, appearing familiar with the design, unbuckled the leather straps to reveal the metal interior. She skillfully manipulated the handle to open the cylinder and pulled something from inside.

This… this is!

With the crisp sound of a rotating axle, a layer of leather that was usually rolled inside the cylinder was pulled out. On the leather, flat openings and binding straps were placed at regular intervals, waiting for tools to be inserted.

“Yes, this is the one.”

She pulled the leather out a bit further; with the click of an internal catch, she let go, and the leather was swiftly retracted back into the cylinder.

“I occasionally see the maids at home using these,” the man remarked.

“Right, Rensha? I also find the design ingenious. It’s not only convenient for storage and access but can also be carried on one’s person.”

After buckling the outer leather straps, the Marquis grabbed the shoulder strap and slung the cylinder over her back.

“I am quite fond of it.”

“As long as the Marquis is satisfied. Well then…”

“Payment can be settled on shore later, correct?”

“O-Of course. Please, feel free, Lord Rensha.”

And here I worked so hard to find it, the Siren Captain seemed to mutter under her breath to the goblin. But the goblin, at an angle where the Marquis couldn’t see, nudged the Siren’s serpentine body with his elbow. I could see the Captain’s expression shift slightly toward something more seductive.

“However, Ding Ming… no, Captain.”

Just when I thought the conversation was over, the topic took a sharp, sudden turn.

Wait… you bastard, that’s mine!

The man called Rensha leaned over and picked up my suitcase.

“A suitcase in the hold… Captain, did you make some new discovery during your voyage?”

The man held up my suitcase with a smile.

“You certainly have an eye for quality.”

The Captain dropped her casual persona and crossed her arms over her ample chest, a wicked glint flashing in her eyes.

“Though I don’t know much about technology, this suitcase is unusual. It must be a specialized item crafted by an artisan of considerable skill—”

“—It belongs to a human.”

That was a bombshell.

The smile vanished from Rensha’s face as he was interrupted. Beside him, the Marquis crossed her arms and knitted her brows tightly. The goblin’s mouth fell open in shock. And the Captain… she wore a treacherous, cunning grin.