The day after witnessing the auction's conclusion.

  ---

  "Good morning, Ingrid."

  "Good morning."

  Yesterday, seeing the troublesome adventurer Ales spectacurly explode to death had somewhat lifted my spirits, though I also keenly felt the terror of auctions. On the way back, I indulged in some delicious food to soothe myself.

  "Breakfast is ready."

  "Ah, thanks. Let's eat together."

  "Yes, excuse me."

  Nell and Amina had returned home, so it's just the two of us in the house now.

  That said, they’ll probably come by around after breakfast.

  Bread, soup, boiled eggs, and something resembling bacon.

  A breakfast so luxurious it would be unimaginable for commoners.

  As Ingrid and I ate together...

  "That auction st night showed up in my dreams. The price of the Fire Dragon’s horn was just too impactful."

  "It can’t be helped. Fifteen million zeni is an exorbitant sum, even for nobles."

  Naturally, our conversation turned to yesterday’s auction.

  Compared to the farcical "Dragon-Sying Spear" bamboo spear auction, the rest of the event was retively mundane—until the final item, the Fire Dragon’s horn, ignited a brutal bidding war.

  "I wonder who ended up winning it."

  "Likely one of the Four Great Dukes."

  "Duke Edelgard?"

  "No, I doubt he participated this time. Had he been there, he would have bid on the bamboo spear, and we would’ve heard his... uncouth shouts. Besides, he already acquired the Marsh Dragon materials from you, Liberta-sama, so there was little reason for him to attend."

  The price skyrocketed as if to decre, *"If you ck the funds, don’t even bother."*

  It was a pure contest of financial might.

  First, the weaker merchants were weeded out. Then, the lesser nobles fell away.

  New-money merchants exhausted their resources, while even among the established nobility, those in decline eventually bowed out. The major merchants clung desperately but still couldn’t reach the summit.

  "That’s how it goes?"

  "Yes."

  After the bidding ended, the venue was eerily silent. The only sound was the auctioneer on stage wiping sweat from his brow—a testament to the battle’s ferocity.

  "Liberta-sama, do you have pns after breakfast?"

  "I’m going out to do some shopping to check on yesterday’s results."

  "You could have just asked me to go."

  "It’s fine, it’s fine. Nell and Amina will probably show up soon, so I’ll leave welcoming them to you."

  "Understood."

  In the end, I couldn’t help but wonder who got the Fire Dragon’s horn. But realistically, the windfall I’d earned wasn’t nearly enough to compete for something like that.

  Since I hadn’t expected much to begin with, the disappointment wasn’t severe. Still, thinking about the materials we might acquire in the future, a tiny bit of greed stirred—but that’s just between us.

  What kind of reaction would a material from a dragon *above* Fire Dragons—say, a Css 7 dragon—get if auctioned?

  With my current stats and gear, sying one is impossible. Even fully equipped with Marsh Dragon gear, taking on a Css 7 dragon with half-hearted preparations would be suicide.

  But it’s not *impossible.*

  If half-hearted prep isn’t enough, then I just need to go all out.

  For a Css 7, that’s still within reach.

  ...Well, doing that would *definitely* draw attention, so I won’t.

  "Alright, I’ll be back in about an hour."

  "Take care."

  With those thoughts in mind, I finished preparing and left the house for my shopping trip.

  My destination?

  "Welcome. You’re early today."

  "Good morning. Yeah, I got my hands on something interesting and couldn’t wait."

  "Is that so? What do you need today?"

  A familiar alchemy shop.

  Since I often make rge purchases here, I’m treated as a valued customer. Even at this early hour, the clerk is in high spirits.

  "Do you have transfer paper?"

  "Ah, that? Sure do."

  Transfer paper.

  A magical item that, when pced over something like a map, perfectly copies its patterns.

  A consumable—once used, it becomes ordinary paper.

  "How many sheets?"

  "Ten for now."

  "Got it. Thirty zeni per sheet, so ten will be three hundred zeni."

  "Here you go."

  "Thanks as always. Come again."

  Each sheet is stored rolled up, tied with string—undoing it activates the effect.

  I stuff the bundle into a leather pouch.

  That’s all I needed to buy.

  With my errand done, I head straight back.

  The return trip is smooth, no trouble along the way.

  But...

  "Even if the journey is trouble-free, it’s meaningless if trouble waits at the destination."

  As my house comes into view, I spot a familiar carriage parked outside—and my steps instantly grow heavy.

  No family crest, but I know *exactly* who it belongs to.

  Problematic.

  "Not like I can just *not* go home, though."

  What could they want this early?

  Steeling myself, I enter through the front door—and sure enough...

  "Good morning, Liberta."

  "Good morning, Esmeralda-sama."

  There she is—the daughter of the ducal house, seated on the sofa with her butler standing beside her.

  "Did you need something from me?"

  "Must you be so cold? I’m sure you can guess why I’m here."

  "Well, vaguely."

  As Ingrid serves tea, Esmeralda-sama rises gracefully and bows her head.

  "I deeply apologize for my family’s misconduct."

  "So that bamboo spear *was* mine after all."

  "Indeed. The servant I ordered to return it to you lied, ciming they had done so while keeping it for themselves."

  "And then auctioned it off? That’s... impressively stupid. Did they really think they wouldn’t get caught?"

  "Precisely because they didn’t expect to be caught. Had they not auctioned it, they might have succeeded."

  Her apology confirms it—the bamboo spear from the other day *was* mine.

  "Forgive my bluntness, but couldn’t the auction listing have been canceled?"

  "By the time we realized, the auction had already ended. I won’t make excuses—it took time to investigate because I hesitated to distrust a trusted subordinate. But doing so would’ve further damaged your trust in us."

  With genuine remorse, Esmeralda-sama expins they’ve since apprehended the culprit.

  "The thief was one of the attendants who accompanied us during the Land Dragon subjugation, along with their accomplices. They coordinated their stories, deying discovery."

  "Ah... I can think of a few suspects."

  "Likely among them."

  "I see. What happened to them?"

  "As servants of our house, stealing from a guest—*you*—and then profiting from it at auction is an unforgivable betrayal. They’ve been... *severely* punished. If you wish, I can have their heads delivered."

  "......I’ll pass."

  Her visit, then, is about upholding the ducal house’s honor.

  This level of formality feels excessive for a commoner, but given my standing, it’s probably necessary.

  "Hearing more might traumatize me, so... this won’t happen again, right?"

  "Of course. I guarantee no one under our house will harm you henceforth."

  "And... no backsh from this? It’s a pretty big scandal."

  "How kind—even as the victim, you worry for *us*. While not entirely unscathed, it’s nothing we can’t handle. Please rest assured."

  Just imagining the punishments sent a chill down my spine. No doubt they were made an example of.

  "However, there’s another issue."

  "An issue?"

  "Regarding your bamboo spear. We intended to return it today, but..."

  "Ah, you don’t have it."

  Steering clear of darker thoughts, I focus on the matter at hand.

  Indeed, despite her apology, neither she nor her attendants carried the spear.

  "Correct. After the auction, we negotiated with the organizers to repurchase it."

  "...Oh? And?"

  "Naturally, we didn’t reveal you as the owner. We simply stated it was needed and offered double the winning bid. But... complications arose."

  Meaning they failed to retrieve it.

  "The buyer isn’t from this continent, and their backer’s house is... problematic."

  "Don’t tell me—"

  "Exactly. There are *very* few houses even we cannot oppose."

  Seems the current owner is *extremely* attached to the spear, refusing to yield even to a ducal house. Worse, their backer is another Great Duke—*not* Edelgard.

  "Additionally, the buyer is an A-rank adventurer. Antagonizing the western continent’s guild isn’t an option. Regrettably, negotiations have stalled. Retrieving it will take time."

  Honestly, Esmeralda-sama’s personal involvement probably backfired.

  The spear was already auctioned as a "Dragon-Sying" artifact.

  Then a ducal dy shows up, trying to buy it back?

  The dubious legend just gained *undeniable* credibility.

  With an apologetic expression, she continues,

  "Truly, I’m sorry. Though it’s no repcement, please accept this as a token of our remorse."

  "Our lord has also approved this. Please take it."

  "Huh?"

  Frankly, I never expected the bamboo spear to be *this* big a deal.

  If needed, I could just make another—no, scratch that. With my new weapon, the old one’s obsolete anyway.

  Without Appraisal skills, no one would even realize its "Weakling’s Proof" effect.

  But refusing would embarrass her.

  Best to accept and decre the matter settled.

  "......Wait, is this—!?"

  "Since you expressed interest during the recent incident, we prepared this. It’s not *quite* the same caliber, but among our house’s possessions, it’s a worthy substitute."

  A vish box. Peering inside, I find a single pouch—a seemingly ordinary bag at first gnce.

  But the faint magical aura gives it away.

  "A Magic Bag. Will it suffice?"

  "Suffice? It’s *perfect*! Should I perform a gratitude dance right now?"

  "While I *am* curious about your dancing skills, let’s save that for another time."

  Its identity? The Magic Bag—an item whose convenience in transporting goods is unmatched, even in my gaming days.

  Admittedly, this is likely the lowest-tier version, but having one versus not is a *game-changer* for future pns.

  My bamboo spear just turned into *treasure*.

  Overwhelmed, I nearly break into dance—but Esmeralda-sama stops me with a smile.

  "Seriously, is this okay? Even if you ask for it back ter, I won’t return it."

  "Rest assured, my father approved. It’s *yours*. Besides, this incident was entirely our fault. Losing the trust of someone who provided Marsh Dragon materials would be a far greater loss for our house."

  Taking the bag from the box, I confirm it’s the real deal—then hug it tightly, making it clear I’ll *never* let go.

  "You value it *that* much?"

  "Absolutely. It may seem trivial to you, but to our house, your worth is far greater than you realize. You *did* save my life, after all."

  Even knowing my reaction is excessive, the bag’s rarity justifies it.

  But her words about my "value" still don’t fully resonate.

  "I see."

  "Yes, you do."

  Something tells me I shouldn’t pry further, so I drop the subject.

  "Oh, Liberta—my father wishes to speak with you soon. Do you have a free day?"

  "Uh, let’s see..."

  Unfortunately, the universe disagrees.

  As much as I’d love to refuse, commoners don’t get to brush off Great Dukes.

  The only mercy is that they’ll accommodate *my* schedule.

  "...Next weekend, maybe?"

  "Then we’ll arrange for that day. Someone will fetch you. Now, if you’ll excuse me—I have other matters to attend to."

  "Next time, give me a heads-up, okay?"

  "Understood. Until then."

  "I’ll see you out."

  And so, my bamboo spear was traded for a Magic Bag—but in exchange, trouble looms on the horizon.

  Bracing myself, I escort her to the door.

  The entrance is just steps away. No further words are exchanged until her attendant moves to open the door—

  "Ah, I nearly forgot. The Magic Bag’s contents are also yours—please don’t hesitate to keep them."

  "Huh? Contents?"

  With that, she departs.

  "Magic Bag’s... contents?"

  The bag itself is already absurdly valuable. Is there *more*?

  Hesitant but curious, I open the bag and reach inside—

  *Clink.*

  Something hard and familiar brushes my fingers.

  "...No way."

  Pulling out a single item, I find a gleaming gold coin in my palm.

  And with that, my mind fshes to the number—

  **5.4 million zeni.**