Overlord: Welcoming the Birth of the King
Chapter 71: Magic Detection, Platinum Coins

After about half a minute.

The brown-haired woman who had left earlier returned with a middle-aged man dressed in a black formal suit, wearing a pocket watch on his chest and a monocle, looking like an appraiser.

The middle-aged man immediately became serious upon merely glancing at the bone chains on the package.

"Esteemed sir, this way please."

The middle-aged man spoke respectfully to Tang Zheng, extending his hand in an inviting gesture toward another section of the counter.

Tang Zheng gave a slight nod, picked up the package, and followed the middle-aged man toward the back.

As Tang Zheng departed.

Many adventurers in the hall erupted in murmurs. What was mere speculation earlier now confirmed that those two black chains were indeed the bone chains from a Hellhound.

"That young Hellhound following him must have just been born, right?"

"Once fully grown, it becomes a magical beast with a threat level of 45!"

"Hellhounds are notoriously cunning creatures. Even if raised, they'll likely kill their caretaker the moment they gain enough strength to rebel."

"That black-haired kid daring to tame such a creature might be a Beast Summoner."

"I'd guess he's more likely a Beast Tamer."

Various discussions arose in the hall. Clearly, debating about powerful figures was more engaging than their previous topic about events in the Great Tob Forest.

Some adventurers in the crowd remained silent, lost in thought. But most seemed to share the impression that this suddenly appearing Tang Zheng wasn't someone to provoke.

Had Tang Zheng heard their discussions as he left, he would have undoubtedly worn a satisfied expression.

What is disguise?

Disguise is about making your opponents miscalculate your information. The young Hellhound's presence itself served as a layer of misdirection.

Peeling back this deceptive layer would only make the revealed information appear more credible.

In a simply decorated, quiet room.

Tang Zheng placed the package on the table and sat on the sofa, calmly waiting for the middle-aged man's appraisal.

"Please enjoy some tea while you wait."

The middle-aged man brought over a cup of black tea, respectfully placing it before Tang Zheng before speaking.

"Take your time." Tang Zheng nodded.

Only then did the middle-aged man sit on the opposite sofa. Wearing pristine white gloves, he carefully picked up the bone chains for examination.

"The luster and hardness are both of excellent quality."

"These are indeed bone chains from an adult Hellhound."

The middle-aged man gently ran his fingers along the bone chains, his eyes gleaming. When he found the broken ends, his movements paused:

"The fractures are somewhat rough, but nothing major. Just needs some polishing."

Then.

The middle-aged man set down the chains, raised both hands toward them, and softly chanted: "Magic Detection!"

A faint blue magical glow flashed from his palms.

Buzz—

[Second-tier spell 「Magic Detection」 detected. Required level 8-14. Current conditions met.]

[Consume 1 skill point to learn?]

Seeing this notification on his status panel.

Tang Zheng blinked in surprise, giving the middle-aged man an appraising look. He hadn't expected this appraiser to be a magic caster.

"Decline."

He thought to himself simultaneously.

「Magic Detection」 was among the weaker detection spells, only capable of roughly gauging an item's magical intensity or detecting if someone carried magical items.

Its practical combat applications were limited.

After a moment.

The middle-aged man dispelled the magic, his face showing a hint of regret.

"When a Hellhound dies, part of the magical energy in its bone chains dissipates. Especially during the extraction process, additional magical energy is lost."

"Special methods are required to prevent this. However, your bone chains remain remarkably intact, though this does slightly affect their value."

The middle-aged man looked up at Tang Zheng, explaining respectfully.

"Can they be sold quickly?"

Tang Zheng felt some disappointment at this answer.

"Of course."

The middle-aged man quickly nodded. "High-quality magical materials like these can easily be crafted into magical weapons with minimal processing."

"If you're not in a hurry, we can find the most suitable buyer within three days to fetch the highest price."

"Naturally, we'd take a 10% commission."

"For immediate sale, we'll purchase them directly at a lower price, with no commission required."

Both options had their pros and cons.

After brief consideration, Tang Zheng asked, "How much will you pay?"

"360 gold per chain. 720 gold for the pair." The middle-aged man straightened his back and answered promptly.

Tang Zheng's eyes flickered. This price actually exceeded his expectations.

Though considering the value of magical items in this world, it seemed reasonable.

Seeing Tang Zheng's agreement.

The middle-aged man's face brightened noticeably. He quickly stood and left, returning after two or three minutes with two money pouches—one noticeably plump, the other much flatter.

"720 gold coins. Since carrying them would be inconvenient, I took the liberty of arranging an exchange for platinum coins."

The middle-aged man placed both pouches on the table, sliding them toward Tang Zheng. "Here are 34 platinum coins and 40 gold coins."

Platinum coins?

Tang Zheng frowned slightly at the term. He'd heard of them but never seen one before.

Moreover, 34 platinum coins plus 40 gold coins didn't seem to add up correctly.

"Grrr..." The young Hellhound seemed to sense Tang Zheng's suspicion, baring its sharp teeth at the middle-aged man.

The man paled and hastily explained: "The exchange rate for platinum coins differs from the standard gold-silver-copper conversion rates across kingdoms—or rather, across all nations."

"20 gold coins exchange for one platinum coin. In some smaller nations, the rate is even higher."

"Moreover, platinum coins hold higher priority in all countries. Of course, if you prefer gold coins, I can immediately—"

The man's voice carried a hint of panic as he leaned back nervously, eyeing the Hellhound warily.

Platinum coins, huh.

Tang Zheng didn't respond immediately to the explanation. Instead, he reached into the pouch and withdrew a platinum coin.

Its color resembled silver, but it felt noticeably heavier and thicker than a gold coin.

Suddenly!

Tang Zheng's eyes narrowed. On the reverse side of the platinum coin, instead of the crest of the 「Li Yestige Kingdom」, was engraved the image of a dragon's head.

Dragon!

Tang Zheng's gaze sharpened.

Dragons in this world were all extraordinary beings.

Platinum coins?

The Platinum Dragon Lord, perhaps?