"What... what on earth is going on? Did I do something wrong?"
I clenched the hunter gossip magazine that had been handed to me and clicked my tongue at a situation I had no way of controlling. It was the first time I'd felt so frustrated in a while.
The opened color page contained an article about a high-level hunter who leads a certain clan scrambling to get their hands on a Treasure Weapon that would be put up for auction at the next Zeburdia Auction.
My name was concealed, of course, but there were only so many treasure-obsessed hunters who also happened to be Clan Masters — anyone who knew what they were looking at would figure out it was me in no time.
The negotiations that had been going smoothly until halfway through were thrown into chaos by interference from unexpected quarters, and Lady Gradius's daughter's intrusion completely torpedoed the deal. The Changing Human Face, which I had almost managed to buy for ten million Gil, would now be put up for auction again through Arnold's hands.
Arnold seemed bewildered by the sudden turn of events, but no one was more bewildered than me.
The unexpected number of people who wanted that seemingly creepy mask was a surprise, and I still had no idea what the count's daughter meant by calling it the strongest Treasure Weapon.
I tried telling Miss Eclair that it wasn't the strongest Treasure Weapon but rather a dangerous one, but she refused to listen.
In reality, the Changing Human Face wasn't the strongest anything. It was simply a Treasure Weapon that let you change your appearance — it had no effect whatsoever on combat ability. You could add muscle to your looks, sure, but your actual strength wouldn't increase. Since it just wrapped your body in flesh, changing your shape too drastically actually came with the disadvantage of reduced mobility.
Well, it was illegal but not dangerous, so technically I was lying too — but even so, trying to snatch it away from under me just because I wanted it? That was going too far.
It wasn't against the rules, sure, but it was clearly a breach of etiquette. Did these people have no sense of morality? Don't ask for morality from nobles or hunters? Ha ha.
However, nobles really do have money.
Eva fixed me with a gaze several degrees colder than usual and asked.
"So, what are you going to do?"
She'd asked me to pay off an unrelated debt, and before the words had even left her mouth, she was scheming to buy a Treasure Weapon.
Whether I thought about it calmly or not, I was a hopelessly irredeemable person. And I'd only report it after the fact. Someone, please deal with me.
But if you'll let me make an excuse — the Changing Human Face might only be available through this auction! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it could change my entire life.
I already had a ten-digit debt, so what was another eight digits or so? It was only a one-percent increase, right? Didn't she see it that way?
"...Please answer me, Cli?"
Ah, right... No, she wouldn't see it that way... I guess I'd just have to give up...
A hunter's income depended heavily on the Treasure Halls they could find. Ten million Gil was a sum that an ordinary person couldn't earn in a year, but for the Mourning Specter, it was an amount that could be covered comfortably in a single expedition.
But when the sum became a hundred million, the story changed somewhat.
Simply ten times as much. The Mourning Specter was a seven-person Party including Elisa, so to earn that amount, they'd need to bring back Treasure Weapons or rare materials worth at least seven hundred million in order to net a hundred million per person.
Only a tiny fraction of Treasure Weapons sold for high prices. Those valued at over a hundred million were called "Hundred-Million Pieces," and they represented a dream for any hunter.
Since the Party also had pooled reserve funds, even earning seven hundred million at once was difficult for their Party.
Well, difficult didn't mean impossible, but even for me, casually dropping a hundred million while already in debt took some nerve.
But the biggest problem was that a hundred million probably wasn't going to be enough.
Eva continued in a carefully controlled voice.
"There's information going around that Lady Gradius is desperate to get her hands on this Treasure Weapon."
"..."
"Several major trading companies seem to be moving to acquire it as well. The price will jump accordingly."
"... Oh, great."
"Don't 'oh, great' me! It's not 'oh, great'!"
An item that had nobles' eyes gleaming with the intent to purchase.
That was a purchasing motivation that put "one hunter wants it" to shame.
The Gradius earldom was a distinguished family that had supported the Empire for generations. The moment you heard they were nobles of Zeburdia — one of the most powerful nations among the great powers — it was clear they were exactly the kind of connection any trading company without ties would desperately want to cultivate.
Treasure Weapons were products of nature and extremely rare. Across all eras and nations, powerful Treasure Weapons had been used as tribute gifts.
Whether that lump of flesh was truly worthy of that status was beside the point — Miss Eclair's declaration of intent to purchase should have reached the ears of trading companies that were already on edge with the auction approaching.
Treasure Hunters earned high incomes, but they weren't the ones with the most money in this country. That would be merchants and nobles.
They probably weren't planning to pour their entire fortunes into this purchase, but for someone drowning in debt, they were overwhelmingly powerful opponents.
Setting the trading companies aside, what on earth did Miss Eclair plan to do with such an illegal Treasure Weapon...
Did she intend to become a Hunter after obtaining the strongest Treasure Weapon? Not a chance. No matter how powerful a Treasure Weapon you had, it didn't matter if the person wielding it was weak — I could personally attest to that from experience.
"So, what are you going to do?"
"..."
"Really think about whether this is something you truly need. Cli, you already have plenty of Treasure Weapons, don't you?"
Eva's words were gentle and coaxing.
But I wanted it. I wanted it no matter what. I wanted it if I could get it. ...Actually, maybe I didn't really need it after all.
I furrowed my brows and raked my fingers through my hair.
If it were just about scraping together a hundred million, that'd be one thing, but trying to outspend nobles or trading companies was impossible. Plus the auction was right around the corner. Even if I started exploring Treasure Halls right now, there was no way I'd have a chance.
Besides, I was a born consumer — nothing like Citry, who could generate as much money as she wanted given enough time.
"...Sigh. If you're going to make that face, why did you even bother asking people for loans and spreading information around?"
"I don't remember doing anything like that... Hmm, I wonder how much is in Lucia's account — no, no, I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"
Eva, the unsung Party member who always supported my sorry behind, was staring at me like I was a piece of trash.
But if you'll let me explain — Lucia had actually told me that if I ever ran short of money for a truly unavoidable reason, I could withdraw whatever I needed.
"You'd rather borrow from some stranger than come to me?" That was the sensible-sounding thing my sister had said.
But... hmm... Oh well. I'd do what I could, and if it didn't work out, I'd just give up.
With the amount I could raise, going up against nobles or trading companies was futile. Citry was like this, and the timing was terrible.
It was a bit rude, but for the time being, I'd just have to ask Tino or someone to come along when I went to the sweet shop.
Right as I reached my conclusion, Citry walked in, slightly out of breath.
"This is exactly why... I hate merchants and nobles. Always, always using the brute force of money and power, underhanded methods, to steal Cli's prey right out from under him—"
Instead of her usual bag, she was gripping a large trunk case big enough to fit a person with both hands.
Her expression was calm, but a fierce light burned in her eyes.
It was sudden, but Citry was fiercely competitive. She had a graceful demeanor, but her inner strength was no less than Riiz's.
My spirit was already half-broken, but Citry still seemed intent on fighting back.
"Cli, I have... money. We can still fight. Those nobles I secretly supplied potions to who turned on me the moment they had the chance, and those merchants who got fat selling the potions I wholesaled to them at marked-up prices — let's give them a taste of their own medicine. Two birds with one stone."
She somehow seemed even more fired up about this than I was — wait, wasn't that the same motivation as before?
The trading companies' interference seemed to have lit a strange fire.
Citry set the trunk down in front of me and unlatched it. What appeared inside were coins that gleamed with a silvery-white sheen — different from the gold coins commonly used in the Empire.
Imperial silver coins — each worth ten times a gold coin, carrying a value of a hundred thousand Gil. Not one hundred or two hundred. The silver coins packed into the trunk spilled over and clattered at my feet.
The expression of the former merchant Eva had gone rigid. Even Eva had probably never seen this many silver coins before.
Normally, for transactions this large involving a trunk full of silver coins, people used checks.
The polished silver coins reflected the sunlight, sparkling brilliantly.
I didn't know how to react... so I asked Citry.
"...Where did these come from?"
Hadn't she said she didn't have any money? The sheer volume of silver coins before me — it easily exceeded a hundred million.
Citry's pale skin flushed faintly as she spoke.
"I saved this up in secret from my sister — it's my wedding fund. There's about eight hundred million in there."
"!?"
"A... wedding fund!?"
So... a wedding fund...
At the unexpected words, Eva's eyes went wide.
The amount was absurdly large for a wedding fund, and when had she started saving? That's remarkably responsible — and do you even have someone? There were plenty of things I wanted to say, but there was no way I could just casually accept money of this importance.
This was heavy. Too heavy, Citry. This wasn't some petty cash she'd stashed away.
"No, no, I can't accept such important money..."
"No. I originally intended to use it for Cli anyway, so I was thinking maybe I could put it to use a little ahead of schedule..."
Citry's ears turned red as she said something that didn't quite make sense.
"Huh...? Wedding fund — don't tell me it's my wedding fund?"
Even though we'd been friends since forever, she'd saved money for someone she wasn't even related to? No way.
"Huh? No, it's my wedding fund...? Think of it as an engagement gift of sorts..."
"Engagement gifts are paid by the man's side, you know."
And besides, they were paid to the person you were marrying.
Citry looked momentarily puzzled, then clapped her hands together.
"That's right... But you know, when it comes to marriage, you have to support each other. And I'm the type who likes to give everything I have... hee hee..."
"Mm-hmm, that's right. Ah ha ha ha..."
Citry could be surprisingly airheaded.
While we were chatting, Eva — who had been silent up to that point — suddenly shook my shoulder.
"What are you smiling about, Cli?! At this rate, she's going to get you married off!"
"Huh...? No, no, that's ridiculous."
Eva's expression was dead serious. What on earth did Eva see Citry as?
It was just one of Citry's usual bridal jokes. Though it seemed she did have a genuine desire to get married.
Me... marriage...? I'd never even thought about it. Since it was supposed to happen once in a lifetime, I should wait until I retired from being a Hunter, settled into a steady job, and then really consider it.
"If I get my hands on the Treasure Weapon at the auction, let's use it as your engagement ring."
No... I really didn't want that. No matter what, a flesh mask was not going to be an engagement ring.
At such an outrageous proposal, I became eerily calm, and Citry continued in a fervent voice.
"If it's all right with you... if you'd be willing... I'd like to receive just one ring from your collection—"
That part wasn't an issue. My collection was precious, but Citry and the others were even more so. Giving up a single ring-type Treasure Weapon was nothing.
But wouldn't that make things far too favorable for me?
Even a Barrier Ring worth eight hundred million was hard to come by.
As I stood with my arms crossed, pondering how I could possibly repay Citry, Eva stepped forward, slammed her hand on the desk, and glared down at the smiling Citry.
"Citry... You said you would pay off all of Cli's debts, didn't you?"
"Huh? No, no, please don't worry about it... Our bond isn't so shallow that it would break over something like debt."
"The number one reason Hunter Parties fall apart is financial trouble! Besides, it's exactly because of attitudes like yours that Cli has become so careless with money—"
"Huh? No, no. If Cli becomes that careless, I'll take care of him, so please don't worry—"
"That's not what I'm trying to say!"
Even when facing a high-level Hunter, Eva's manner remained resolute.
I had asked Riiz and the others to never lay a finger on our staff, but even so, every word she spoke came from the heart.
"Stop making strange promises... to our... Clan Master! What if... rumors start spreading! Hah, hah... The debts — I will absolutely repay them. This time, Citry's wedding fund included. All of it. Is that clear?"
"...Sigh. This is exactly why I hate merchants."
Citry shrugged in resignation. The expression on Eva's face as she watched was tense.
There was nothing I could say. I was completely cowed.
Forget it. Citry's wedding was more important than the Changing Human Face. I'd only thought I wanted it because it was going to be a bargain. I was sorry my sense of money was so warped.
...I felt like I was going to vomit.
"Just watch, Cli. I will absolutely get my hands on it."
"You know, I think we should just pass... It'll definitely be too expensive. There's even a chance eight hundred million won't be enough—"
I tried throwing out random reasons to stop her, but honestly, was there really a line where eight hundred million wasn't enough? It was too much for what the Treasure Weapon could do.
But Citry clenched her fists and leaned forward in response to my words.
"Don't hold back. I can gather more. I'll get it no matter what it takes. Let's start by spreading bad rumors about the Treasure Weapon — lowering the price is easier than raising the money!"
"Ah, yeah... No, no, no... j-just take it easy, okay?"
Looking at the gleam in her eyes, I made up my mind to stop her rampage no matter what it took.