So I'm a Snake, Who Cares?

Chapter 220: The Serpent Thief (1)

Heilit Langrey is a very famous hero.

She's one of the eight heroes known to be the most renowned and powerful in the kingdom.

While most others are distinguished individuals like knights, magicians, or academy directors, Heilit Langrey is a hunter.

Hunters are those who hunt monsters.

Naturally, it's one of the 3D jobs - dirty, dangerous, and difficult.

Because of this, hunters weren't treated with much respect as a profession.

The hunters' guild where such hunters gather was viewed similarly to the adventurers' guild and rogues' guild.

In other words, it was considered a den of thugs.

The hunters' guild by the river in Solion Impel's 9th district.

'Black Den', commonly known as the Dark Den, was no exception.

The first floor of Black Den operates as a tavern like any other guild.

Even those cleaning their nails with daggers there are all hunters.

All the skilled hunters in Solion belong to Black Den, so even those passed out drunk face-down on tables are veterans.

And the usually gloomy Black Den was now filled with energy.

Because their Guild Leader had returned.

"Langrey-! Langrey-!"

"Uhahaha!"

She was completely drunk, standing on top of a table.

Whenever she brought back something precious, they always held parties like this.

"Do you know how much I got!"

"Langrey! Langrey!"

"Here! Look!"

She held up a leather pouch high.

A jingling sound rang out.

Just by looking at the bulging pouch, you could tell it wasn't a small amount.

"Ten gold coins for whoever guesses right!"

This sparked a storm of cheers.

"100 sola!"

"Shit, it has to be more than that! 300 for me!"

Other equally drunk explorers shouted out amounts.

Caught up in the excitement, they kept raising the amount until it reached enough to buy all of Solion Impel's 9th district, but.

"Right, it's 500 sola. I got 500 gold coins!"

"Woaaah!"

The shop rang with cheers.

500 sola. A fortune that a commoner might never touch in their lifetime.

In truth, this was an amount that top-tier hunters like Langrey could receive for completing difficult requests, but.

"That's insane!"

"Is our guild going to be rich now!"

There were no fools here who would point that out.

They shouldn't dampen the Guild Leader's soaring spirits.

The hunters shouted praise-like words.

"I'll be loyal for life!" "Aah! Please spit on me!"

"Woaaah!"

As the atmosphere reached its peak.

Langrey's drinking habit that appears when she's in a good mood activated.

"Damn it, you guys. I love you all!"

She reached into the pouch and started throwing gold coins.

Though the force and speed of the flying coins were almost like throwing daggers.

The hunters here weren't ordinary in their movements either.

They jumped up and down catching the gold coins.

Where did she earn this money from?

"Hahaha, I really am a genius."

It was thanks to the special monster corpse Heilit brought.

'A wingless and legless wyvern queen's offspring that died in a crystal transformation petrification trap in Pelerian's dungeon, stolen from a wyvern nest.'

She sold it for a high price after its rarity was recognized.

This wasn't unusual.

Langrey would find something she liked, bring it back, and show it off everywhere.

After enjoying it thoroughly, she would either put it in her collection storage or sell it outright.

The crystal wyvern specimen she obtained this time went into the sale category.

"Man, to think that creepy thing sold for 500 sola."

The hunters who collected Heilit's scattered gold coins chuckled.

"Well, there are nobles who collect weird things."

"Wonder if they'll use it as a specimen. Having something like that displayed in a room would give you bad dreams. Hahaha."

Since it was covered in crystal, it should naturally be beautiful.

But if you look carefully through the translucent crystal, there were crushed blood and flesh-like pieces floating inside.

It seems the insides were preserved in a mashed state when it was caught in the crystal transformation petrification trap.

That's all the hunters thought.

==

Evolution Day 16.

'You traitor.'

I will definitely get revenge.

After all that praise.

To think she'd sell me off after just one day!

I feel so foolish for getting happy over a little praise.

"You finally realized?"

'Don't add fuel to the fire.'

"Besides, they weren't exactly calling you pretty from the start."

I felt good when the bearded explorers praised me.

But soon after, I realized their "praise" was a bit ambiguous.

'Amazing!', 'Ooh, terrifying!', 'This'll sell for a lot!', 'Ugh, creepy.'

Especially that last one definitely didn't seem like praise.

"It took you a whole day to notice that. Impressive."

'Thanks for the compliment. But I'm so frustrated.'

"That wasn't a compliment... nevermind."

Well, that much was fine.

After all, I'm in a position where I'll finish evolving in just fifteen more days.

But to think she'd cleanly sell me off the very next day.

Langrey wrapped me in purple velvet cloth and placed me in a luxurious leather case.

Then she took out her Guild Leader seal and made something like a certificate on the spot.

She took me to what seemed to be some kind of 'dealer'.

She added all sorts of ridiculous storytelling.

The dealer wore a monocle on his right eye and took out something like a magnifying glass to observe me.

"It seems to be writhing as if alive?"

"Because it was hit by crystal transformation magic. You could say it's half alive."

"It's certainly a precious item. I'll buy it."

Langrey was overjoyed.

And left with an enormous sum of money.

Evil one.

If we meet again, we're enemies.

I was placed in some box and moved somewhere.

After Langrey left, I heard the dealer talking with someone.

"Isn't 500 sola too expensive for something so creepy and crude...?"

What bastard is this!

I felt angry at this ridiculous evaluation. I waited for the dealer to say something quickly.

"True, it looks hideous. I can even sense ominous magical power. But well, there's demand for these things too. There are quite a few eccentrics with strange tastes."

"Still, 300 sola would have been enough..."

"300 sola would be sufficient."

But the humans depreciated me in pairs.

I lost some confidence.

"But that woman is a hero, isn't she. It's not bad to maintain connections by showing a little 'consideration' like this. And also..."

"Yes."

"I know the richest and most powerful among the eccentrics with strange tastes. I can sell it directly to them."

"As expected, you had a plan."

Kyaak, I was destined to be sold to an eccentric with strange tastes.

And truly, not even a day had passed before I was moved again.

I must have been sold again.

While I was wondering where I'd been moved to this time.

Creak.

The leather case opened and light came in.

A man who appeared to be a servant picked me up while wearing gloves.

He looked at me carefully and muttered.

"Really, I can't understand the masters' tastes. Paying 700 sola for something so ugly..."

You should consider yourself lucky.

If I could use my skills right now, I would have shot a beam at you immediately.

By the way, the price went up from 500 to 700 sola.

This isn't bad.