Treasure Weapons are notoriously difficult items to handle.
They're tough for Hunters, but they're just as troublesome for the merchants who buy and sell them.
Some famous Treasure Weapons are well-known among Hunters, but the vast majority that turn up are completely unknown items.
Since they originate from relics of past civilizations, it's rare to find one that can't be used by human hands at all — but they never come with instruction manuals, so confirming their performance requires deep knowledge and expertise.
Appraising Treasure Weapons found by Treasure Hunters is the job of an appraiser.
In other cities, there are places where an appraiser works as a standalone business, but in the Imperial Capital, where the volume of Treasure Weapons brought in is massive, most shops combine the appraisal service with a storefront.
*Magic Tail* was the Treasure Weapon specialty shop we'd visited the first time we found a Treasure Weapon when we came to the Imperial Capital.
As far as Treasure Weapon shops go, it's one of the oldest of the old in the Capital. The owner doubles as the appraiser — a fifty-year veteran who has appraised everything from useful Treasure Weapons to dangerous ones.
Yet despite that long history, there are no other Hunters around the shop. *Magic Tail* is one of those hidden gems that only those in the know are aware of, a famous shop that, paradoxically, hardly anyone ever visits.
I pushed open the aged door and stepped inside, only to be greeted by a grim-faced security guard.
His eyes were as sharp as those of a Hunter who'd just encountered a Phantom, and he glowered down at me and Tinno.
What he was covered in from head to toe was Treasure Weapon gear. From his boots to his chestplate guarding his torso, from his gauntlets to the longsword hanging at his waist — everything radiated the gleam of Treasure Weapons. He was probably the man in this city who, after me, was the most heavily armed with Treasure Weapons.
We'd known each other for nearly five years now, yet his gaze hadn't softened one bit. I recalled how, the first time I'd come here, his stare had been so cold I'd practically felt killing intent, and I winced at the memory as I walked past him.
Despite the shop looking like a run-down dump hardly befitting a business that dealt with customers, inside it was neat and orderly like any proper store, with countless Treasure Weapons displayed in rows.
Aside from us, there were no other customers.
Maybe that lack of visual cohesion was just a Treasure Weapons shop thing.
Glass cases held Treasure Weapons of the jewelry variety, while weapon-type Treasure Weapons hung on the walls, sorted by weapon genre.
Even low-tier Treasure Weapons cost a pretty penny. The total value of the merchandise probably rivaled that of a jewelry store.
I always thought they'd make more money if they set up shop along a main avenue, but the reason they were here in such a remote spot was mostly due to the owner's personality.
Each item had its name and notes on usage precautions written out in meticulous detail.
Tinno was staring intently at a glass case containing ring-type Treasure Weapons. She was probably thinking about the *Finger Shot* she'd won before.
For me, a guy whose hobby was collecting Treasure Weapons, this shop was both a museum and a toy store. Back when I'd first become a Hunter, whenever I had a day off, I'd come here and spend hours glued to the displays, memorizing every name and function.
"Huh? Mastaa, aren't you going to look?"
Usually, I'd take my time carefully checking every corner of the shop for new arrivals, but today my wallet was practically empty, so I endured the agonizing feeling of my chest about to burst and walked straight through the aisles of display shelves.
Tinno, who was frequently dragged along to this shop, let out a puzzled voice at how different I was acting today.
The purpose of this visit wasn't shopping. If I bought Treasure Weapons on credit now, Eva would really be done with me this time.
There was no one at the counter. Security guard or not, it was still a remarkably careless shop.
"I don't have any money today."
"...Ehh!?"
Tinno let out a short, sharp cry and clasped her hands together in front of her body, taking a step back as if trying to hide her purse.
There's no need to be that guarded — I wouldn't borrow money from my junior.
I shrugged my shoulders with a helpless grin at Tinno, who was shrinking back and looking up at me with the eyes of a small animal that had just spotted its natural predator.
"Actually, I'm in debt too."
".........M-Mastaa, I also need money to restock supplies and maintain my equipment. On top of always being squeezed dry by Big Sis, I'm giving Treasure Weapons to you. If you drain any more from me... I'll completely dry up."
"Mm-hmm, I know. Don't worry, I'm not planning to borrow from you. It would just shift the debt over."
"............Uu... H-how much do you need?"
The unspoken message was *please at least leave enough for ice cream*, and Tinno conveyed this with the gestures of a tiny animal. Even though I kept telling her I wasn't going to borrow, it was painfully clear just how little trust I'd built up over time.
"That's why I'm saying I'm not borrowing. Besides, it's a ten-digit number — there's no way you could cover it."
"Te... ten digits...?"
Tinno stared blankly, counting off the digits on her fingers. Her expression was eerily similar to the one Eva had worn when she'd heard the amount of my debt.
I'd known it already, but even for a big-spending Hunter, a ten-digit debt was no laughing matter.
Tinno forced out a dry laugh and said in a trembling voice: "..........As expected of Mastaa. To have someone willing to lend you that much money is... really something. As expected of the Level Eight that everyone fears."
That was a first — being praised just for being in debt. Was she praising me? Or making fun of me?
...Yeah, she was making fun of me. There was no escaping it now.
See, when it comes to money, you should only ever borrow what you can pay back.
"Don't worry, I'm borrowing from Citry."
"!?"
The fearful look on her face froze completely. Right at that moment, the door at the back of the counter swung open with a clatter.
Tinno quickly darted behind me.
The person who emerged was the shop owner and appraiser — the man who, single-handedly, had been appraising Treasure Weapons for fifty years: Marchis.
His hair was completely white, and his face was lined with wrinkles, but thanks to his sharp eyes and his perfectly straight posture, he didn't look his age. The way he stood behind the counter with brisk, vigorous movements was intimidating in its own right.
And as that stern expression suggested, Marchis was a cantankerous man. That was why *Magic Tail* had so few customers.
When he saw me, Marchis furrowed his brow and clicked his tongue with theatrical disdain.
"...Tch. What, I thought a customer had come in, but it's you again..."
His attitude toward me hadn't changed one bit from the first time we'd met.
Well, back then Liliz and the others had done all manner of rude things, so I couldn't really blame him. But he'd probably seen right through the fact that I didn't have power befitting my Level.
He snorted through his nose in irritation and glared at me.
"Hmph... What do you want? ............There are no Treasure Weapons worth selling to you today."
This wasn't because Marchis disliked me specifically — he treated everyone the same way. And honestly, who could blame the customers for going to the Treasure Weapon shops along the main streets where young women worked the front counter instead?
But thanks to that, this shop was always empty, which worked in my favor.
"Old man, it's your attitude that's keeping customers away."
"............None of your damn business. We're doing just fine. There's even a brat who keeps buying up astronomically expensive Treasure Weapons."
That's me you're talking about, isn't it? Being called a brat by a shop owner — what a character.
But his skills were the real deal. He wasn't a bad person either. He wouldn't play favorites, but he was honest and straightforward. I had no idea where he sourced his goods, but he frequently stocked rare finds — Treasure Weapons you couldn't get anywhere else. In other words, I had no reason to avoid him. On top of that, he let me run tabs.
Unlike Liliz and the others, I hadn't taken on a mentor since coming to the Imperial Capital, but in a sense, you could say he was the closest thing I had to one.
"I'm not exactly free enough to deal with every customer who walks in, you know. A customer like you is just about right."
"Well, I for one am grateful that I can always commission work from you, Marchis."
"............I'm busy right now. Got a big job in."
Marchis turned his face away and said in a low voice. He wasn't the type to lie just to turn down work, so he was probably genuinely busy.
I took off the Treasure Weapon I had strapped to my arm and set it on the counter. Marchis's eyes glinted.
"I found this at the *Aleyn Column Ruins*. I'd like to request an appraisal."
"...Aleyn... Treasure Hall Level 1, right? Why would a Level Eight like you be—"
He grumbled but pulled on a pair of black leather gloves and carefully lifted the Treasure Weapon.
He produced a magnifying loupe and examined the intricate patterns carved across its surface.
What was needed for Treasure Weapon appraisal was experience and knowledge. The information accumulated over fifty years of appraising Treasure Weapons in this Imperial Capital dwarfed what I'd picked up in my few years as a collector.
He flipped the bracelet over and studied the markings from every angle, then let out a troubled groan.
"...The *Aleyn Column Ruins* is a Level 1 Treasure Hall. Treasure Weapons barely ever appear there in the first place... but this is most likely an *Outsider Treasure Weapon*."
Treasure Weapon appearances were random, but since the underlying principle was the same — the accumulation of Mana Material — certain Treasure Weapons tended to appear in certain types of Treasure Halls.
If a Treasure Hall mimicked the architecture of a highly advanced physical civilization, then Treasure Weapons from that civilization were more likely to appear. If you wanted Treasure Weapons from a magical weapon civilization, you'd explore Treasure Halls that replicated that civilization's landscape. That was the standard approach, and it was also a major factor in the popularity of different Treasure Halls.
An *Outsider Treasure Weapon* referred to one whose origin didn't match the Treasure Hall it appeared in. Rare, but not unheard of.
And if the Treasure Hall you'd found was the *Aleyn Column Ruins*, that was actually good news.
Looking at my barely contained excitement, Marchis continued in an unusually passionate tone: "That Treasure Hall is believed to be a relic from the era when soulless beings ran rampant across the world, judging from the Phantoms it tends to produce. Treasure Weapons from that era are mostly related to the control of naturally-occurring magical creatures... but this one clearly has a different style and era based on its design. I believe it's from the *Advanced Magical Instrument Civilization*, but... that era was extraordinarily long. The sheer number of Treasure Weapons from it is staggering."
The Advanced Magical Instrument Civilization was said to have flourished for thousands of years — one of the longest-lasting civilizations among all those that had been identified.
In that era, devices called *magical instruments*, which converted magical power into energy to manifest magic, had developed remarkably and were utilized in every aspect of daily life.
Some magical instruments had survived into the modern era, but the thought of them being mass-produced to the point of permeating daily life was almost impossible for me to imagine. They were the polar opposite of the *Advanced Physical Civilization*, in which magical power was supposedly never used at all.
And the Treasure Weapons pulled from that era were, above all else, incredibly varied in type. From trivial household items to combat-useful weapons — the range was truly endless.
However, the fact that I'd never seen one meant it was a rare find. If it turned out to be a jackpot, I might be able to pay off my debt in one go. Not that I'd sell it, of course.
"What does it do?"
I swallowed hard and asked. Marchis gave me a serious look.
"...I don't know."
You don't know?
"...You lost your touch?"
"You fool! If I could determine an item's effect without activating it, every appraiser would be out of a job!"
I sighed, and Marchis twisted his brow and shouted at me.
He had a point. There was always the possibility that this time, I'd found something truly unprecedented.
But if even the deeply knowledgeable Marchis couldn't figure it out, it had to be extraordinarily rare... I'd treat Tinno to ice cream next time.
Marchis retrieved a box and carefully placed the bracelet inside.
"The appraisal will take time. I've got other work lined up. And make sure you pay the appraisal fee. I don't do credit work."
"Of course, I have the money. I'd appreciate it if you could rush it if possible."
...Not that the money is mine.
Tinno, who'd been hiding behind me, tugged at the hem of my clothes as if protesting.
The fee for Treasure Weapon appraisal varied depending on the item's quality, but with Marchis, there was no risk of being overcharged. He always said he didn't do credit work, but one way or another, he always ended up letting me run a tab.
And while Marchis was an appraiser who answered to no one — he had one major weakness.
I sighed and continued.
"That Treasure Weapon was found by Tinno."
"What—!!"
Marchis's expression changed. The already stern look in his eyes grew even sharper, and his voice took on an earnest quality.
Tinno, who had been hiding behind me, peeked out cautiously. The moment Marchis caught sight of her, the look in his eyes softened.
He spoke to her in a voice far gentler than anything he'd ever used with me.
"What's this, the little lady was here after all... What's the matter, hiding back there—"
Marchis was advanced in years. He ran the shop alone, but he had a family.
And — he apparently had a granddaughter about Tinno's age. Black hair, somewhat similar-looking to Tinno.
The great weakness of the lone appraiser was a sweet, innocent girl.
Ever since I'd discovered that, I'd made a point of regularly bringing Tinno along when I visited the shop. Liliz or Citry wouldn't have the same effect.
"I didn't want to get in the way of your work, so I was hiding."
"Is that so? Not wanting to interrupt — what a well-behaved young lady."
She's stronger than me, by the way. She's the disciple of a Genocide-class Monster.
Marchis smiled at her with an expression he would never show me — it was a pathetic sight to anyone watching.
And I was the kind of man who wouldn't hesitate to exploit such a weakness. Showing your guard down was his own fault.
Tinno read my intentions and asked with downcast eyes: "When will the Treasure Weapon appraisal be finished?"
"...As soon as possible — I'll finish it as fast as I can! It's a Treasure Weapon that the little lady worked so hard to find. One week — no, give me five days."
"Five days...?"
"Ngh... No, but I can't make it any sooner than that — with the current job—"
Marchis looked at me as if pleading for mercy.
Old man, if it had been anyone other than Tinno who said that, you'd have thrown the Treasure Weapon at my face and told me to get out. How much did this man hate being disliked? You'd never guess he was a proud appraiser from the way he acted. Truly, nothing is more terrifying than a relative's affection.
It didn't take long to break him. He said in a suppressed voice: "Guh... Klye, you know about this too, don't you!? The annual *Auction*. Just a moment ago, a mountain of appraisal requests poured into the shop. I don't have a single spare minute."
"! Tinno, that's enough."
The Auction. It was a massive Treasure Weapon auction held once a year in the Imperial Capital. I'd always looked forward to it, but with everything going on recently, I'd completely forgotten about it.
Hearing my voice, Tinno fell silent.
Her face was completely expressionless. I had no idea why Marchis was so weak against this particular tactic, but I was the kind of man who wouldn't hesitate to prostrate himself on the ground if it served his purpose.
Using my mascot as a shield, I openly threatened Marchis.
"Then how about I go to the back and have a look at the Treasure Weapon that came in for appraisal? Hmm? You don't care what happens to Tinno?"