The lowest price is 3.5 million, way above the previous 2.5 million, and the highest is 8.5 million…?! Over three times the price? This inflation is insane!
Plus, every item’s price proposal has ‘Kima~’ attached, which means you can expect even higher price tags in some cases…?!
The difference of 5 million between the lowest and highest prices is also baffling.
The [Stamina +1400] on the Full Bloom Dress seems impressive at first glance, but since this is a consumable energy stat, its base value is already larger compared to other stats like [Strength] or [Concentration].
The pieces I sent this time should all be identical in terms of being “Soda + Small Miracle + Includes Skill”…
Hmm, this is troubling. Can I really rely on this opinion? Furthermore, since I don’t know why Momo-kun gave this assessment, it won’t be useful for future reference either…
Hence, I sent him a message expressing my doubts. Within a minute, an incoming melody began ringing intermittently.
The signal, set to a light pop sound, indicated he requested a voice call.
Even though I’d never seen his face in-game, talking to someone through voice chat was naturally nerve-wracking—but I steeled myself and touched the call button. I understood why he’d requested a voice chat instead of messaging at this moment.
“Hello.”
A young man’s voice, sounding slightly youthful, echoed near my ear.
“Sorry for the sudden voice chat. It’s a bit complicated to explain, and I thought this would be quicker.”
“Ah, yes. I understand. Sorry for asking all those questions. I just couldn’t believe this price at first.”
“I see. I’ll read out the appraised amount again for confirmation.”
In a matter-of-fact tone, Momo-kun stated the item name and price, unchanged from the previous message.
…Yeah, he really is the businesslike, no-nonsense Momo-kun I imagined.
His voice is close to what I imagined. Although I don’t know what it’s like in reality, I thought he sounded younger.
Considering the depth of knowledge and quick thinking evident in our conversations, his way of speaking feels lacking. To put it bluntly, he occasionally lacks honorifics and social awareness.
Of course, I highly value this kid’s unpretentiousness, and since this is a place for fun, I don’t intend to criticize it.
Even among adults older than me, plenty don’t use proper language or show consideration. Myself included.
Because adults aren’t always the most mature, you know.
Yet his words and actions caught my attention because this is a place for play.
Most people don’t want to bring all that social stuff into games. Especially adults.
This is a place of entertainment meant to offer a brief escape from those constraints. It’s a world of escapism, this place.
Knowing that, there are probably still people whose corporate slave habits and such have become ingrained, and even here, it shows in their speech and attitude.
But Momo-kun’s imperfect words and actions show he’s not that kind of person.
The conclusion I draw. He’s probably just trying to stand taller than he is.
As long as an ordinary person is telling an ordinary story, you wouldn’t really care about the age of the person behind them. But with him, the content of his conversations is just so incredibly insightful. The gaps in other areas stand out in contrast, creating this sense of incongruity or discomfort.
It makes me feel like a tingling unease or an endearing charm.
“…San… Boutique-san?”
“Ah, yes.”
“The above is the price I’ve quoted. Is that okay? Did you hear me?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Although I didn’t hear the latter part, it’s probably okay.
Nodding confidently, but actually just winging it. The “it’ll work out somehow” logic.
Naturally, the earlier analysis of Momotaro-san is also just my wild guess.
I’ll say it again because it’s important. Adults aren’t as mature as you’d think.
Unaware of my biased thoughts, Momo-kun continued in a matter-of-fact tone.
“First, let me briefly explain why I assigned these prices and my personal evaluation of each item. To make the criteria clear, I’ll start with the Full Bloom Dress. This item received the highest score, and statistically speaking, it’s perfect for what you create.”
“Oh… really?”
“The key points are its versatility across two attached effects and skill types, plus its consistent utility for expedition roles. Especially for Boutique-san’s creations, I believe skills are the most crucial factor. This [Mental Focus] is usable by anyone and useful for everyone, making it an extremely valuable ability. It’s safe to say it’s an item everyone wants, ranking among the most popular.”
Huh, really…?
True, [Mental Focus] for improving skill accuracy is a capability that works for both expedition and production roles.
Momo-kun’s explanation is difficult for me to grasp right away since I’m unfamiliar with games. But I get that he’s talking about how many people would want this item.
“Adding another factor, the fact that this is a standalone item rather than part of a set probably makes it more appealing to many players.”
Huh? Is that so? I blinked in surprise.
It is true that when you equip a set, the individual item effects are slightly reduced. But from my perspective, that’s just a margin of error, and since set items come with bonus effects, I thought it would even out in terms of stats…
“I think you should abandon that way of thinking. The higher you climb, the more that ‘margin of error’ becomes a critical factor.”
“Ah, yes. I’m sorry…”
“In terms of effectiveness, Boutique items still can’t be called top-tier. What I want you to focus on more than that is how set items take up special slot space. From a usability standpoint, this is a problem that should take priority over bonus effects.”
Huh, I didn’t know that. Well, now that you mention it, you’re right.
Items in sets that aren’t the main piece often have weak stats. …Or rather, I didn’t really pay attention to that myself, so maybe that’s why I feel even more strongly about it.
Regarding the advanced player field, you can’t afford to be careless about a single piece of equipment. And if what Momo-kun says is true—that ‘this is a world where even the smallest margin of error matters’—then this is an even more serious problem.
But let me say this: set items take longer than single pieces, making them easier to attach Miracles.
Knowing this doesn’t mean I can casually increase single-item production. It’s not like I can easily come up with single items worth investing the same effort and time as set pieces.
That’s precisely why it’s rare and thus more valuable. Looking at it that way, it makes sense from my perspective.
“Still, these factors pale in comparison to whether a skill is attached or not, and whether that skill is useful or not. Once you acquire a skill, you can use it freely regardless of equipment. Frankly, the more advanced a player is, the less meaningful this item becomes at that point. Sorry if that rubbed you the wrong way. As I mentioned in the message, I’m solely discussing performance right now.”
“Yeah. I get that, so no need to worry.”
“At the same time, I said that the more advanced you are, the more you value precision. For example, even during that temporary period when you have to slot this item just to acquire a skill, the more comfortable it is, the better. This means that while performance in terms of effects and required slots is certainly preferable, it’s not the only factor. Because it meets all these detailed points, and above all because the skill it comes with is extremely powerful, I’ve placed a minimum value of 8.5 million on this Full Bloom Dress.”
Since I know nothing about the advanced player world, I was barely keeping up with Momo-kun’s explanation… or rather, I felt like I was slightly lost. Still, what he said felt convincing. I couldn’t understand it, but somehow it seemed trustworthy.
“I know this has gotten lengthy from the start, but let’s proceed by analyzing other items based on these factors. Next, Reiito’s Haori. The skill attached to it [Night Vision] is also useful and promising in terms of popularity. However, this item falls short of the previous dress’s value for three reasons. One, as you probably already know, is that it’s part of a set. Second, while the skill is appealing, it’s likely slightly less versatile than Mental Focus. And third, the effect and the skill’s purpose are mismatched.”
“Ah, so it’s a skill meant for expeditions, whereas the effect is for production purposes?”
“Yeah. The fact that it boosts [Craft] and [Dexterity] already makes it highly refined. These two are an absolute must-have combo for production players. But if I had to nitpick, I wish the skill itself was also production-oriented. All things considered, the minimum price is set at 6.5 million Kim.”
I see. So it’s not just about the skill being strong or the effect numbers being big—the combination and purpose matter too.
“Next, talking about Cold Breath Boots, [Horse’s Eye]—this skill has a really bad reputation.”
“Huh, really!?”
“It seems useful for expeditions at first glance because it widens your field of view, but it’s incredibly awkward to use. People call it ‘’the shitty skill guaranteed to give you 3D motion sickness’.”
Oh, I see. If you think about it calmly, suddenly having your field of view expanded to 350 degrees means you can’t possibly move normally.
But I thought that sort of thing could be handled with some programming work… Turns out Kimakura really doesn’t care.
Even so, it still carries a 3.5 million price tag?
“Since the collection equipment itself is rare, each sub-skill is also extremely rare. Horse’s Eye is no exception.There are many who would want it without knowing the skill’s reputation, and even if they did know, I think there would still be people who want it.”
“There are people who want it even if they know? Even if it’s useless?”
“There are certain people in this world—collectors, wealthy individuals with surplus funds, or those who simply desire rare items regardless of their usefulness. This is not to say they lack value. At the very least, they make for good conversation. Although it seems to be receiving harsh criticism, this shoe’s effects beyond its skills are actually quite excellent. The hottest new field right now, [Flying Flower Snowfield], is filled with ice attribute monsters and related gimmicks, just like the name suggests. Some mobs even use blizzard-like skills, so the set bonus isn’t bad either. So if you can overlook the skill, this is actually a prime item right now, perfect for selling.”
Hence, a minimum price of 3.5 million.
Hmm, as fashion has trends, there are also trends in performance? That was a blind spot for me.
Even if I could recognize their significance, I would have difficulty keeping up with those trends.
“Finally, regarding the [Leisurely Young Lady’s Summer Dress]…”
Momo-kun began, then hesitated for a moment. Having explained the appraisals without pause until now, this pause made him feel a bit flustered.
“…I did assign a minimum valuation of 5.5 million, but this one has the most unpredictable fluctuation range.”
“Huh?”