[ WP ] You run an RPG pawn shop . You haggle with adventurers who try to sell loot they 've acquired .

`` I'm not buying this,'' I said flatly, pushing the bloody bag back towards the adventurer without looking inside. 
 
 `` Wait, what?'' he said, scratching his head nervously. `` What do you mean?'' 
 
 `` I mean I'm not buying fifteen goblin hearts from you!'' I said. `` What am I supposed to do with fifteen goblin hearts?'' 
 
 `` Sell them?'' he asked. 
 
 `` And who in this town is going to buy fifteen goblin hearts?'' I asked in return. `` Is there a goblin heart market that I was n't aware of?'' 
 
 `` Maybe the butcher...'' the adventurer said. 
 
 `` We do n't have a butcher in this town,'' I said, rubbing my forehead. `` We have a hunter's guild. They hunt food and pelts for the town and then sell them. Goblins, however, do not have enough meat for the hunter's guild to even bother with hunting them. Plus, they're sentient creatures. No one in this town would enjoy the eating a creature that could possibly have a conversation with you. Even if that conversation amounts to `` kill you'' and `` give gold.'' 
 
 `` Then maybe a wizard could use them,'' the adventurer said. 
 
 `` Did any of these goblins throw fireballs at you while you killed them?'' I asked, poking the sack. It squirted green blood on the counter. 
 
 `` Uh...'' 
 
 `` Thought so,'' I said, cleaning the blood with a rag. `` Goblins are not inherently magical. Do n't get me wrong, they can definitely learn how to cast magic, but that does n't make their innards magical. Only creatures with *innate* magical powers have magical guts. Dragons for instance and any dragon relative. Sorcerers' magic comes from within. But not goblins. So no. Their hearts can not be used for magical purposes.'' 
 
 `` I get it, I get it,'' the adventurer said with a sigh. 
 
 `` Why did you even cut their hearts out?'' I asked. `` I mean, to take the time to cut into the chest of fifteen goblins just to cut their hearts out. I mean, why? Just... *why*? 
 
 `` I thought they'd be worth something!'' he said. 
 
 `` Worth more than their weapons? Or swords?'' I asked, crossing my arms. `` Because if you came here with fifteen sets of arms and armors, then you'd be leaving here a rich man.'' 
 
 `` I know,'' he said with a sigh. I shook my head and waved the flies away from my head. The bag was starting to stink. Morbidly curious, I took a look at the hearts inside the bags. I squinted. 
 
 `` Are you sure you were fighting goblins?'' I asked. 
 
 `` Yes I was fighting goblins!'' he said. `` I'm not that stupid.'' 
 
 `` I ask because these look like hobgoblin hearts,'' I said. The adventurer furrowed his brow before looking in the bag. 
 
 `` They do?'' he asked. 
 
 `` Yeah,'' I said, pulling one out. The adventurer gagged. `` Did they have black stripes?'' 
 
 `` I thought those were tattoos,'' he said, swallowing. 
 
 `` Most people do,'' I said. `` But they're hobgoblins. Look, these hearts are a lot smaller than goblin hearts. Plus the extra ventricle is a dead giveaway. Yeah, these I can use.'' 
 
 `` They're magical?'' he asked, excitedly. 
 
 `` Hell no,'' I said. `` Remember what I just said? No, the extra ventricle has a gland that secretes a venom in small doses that. The local hospital has been researching it, trying to find a cure.'' 
 
 `` Great!'' he said. `` So how much are they worth?'' 
 
 `` I'd have to examine each one closely to make sure they're intact,'' I said, sifting through the bag, releasing more flies. `` But, the going rate would be about 500 gold per gland.'' The adventurer tried his best to hide his excitement. 
 
 `` So how long is it going to take?'' he said with a grin. `` To examine them?'' 
 
 `` Hm? Oh, I ca n't do this now,'' I said, putting the heart back in the bag. `` The shop closed ten minutes ago.''
