The auction venue was wrapped in a sweltering heat.
The seats arranged around the large central stage were divided into three sections.
There were the general seats, where merchant guild members and wealthy citizens sat. The hunter seats, an isolated section where Treasure Hunters were guided. And the VIP seats, reserved for nobles and other specially invited guests.
The loudest of them all were the hunter seats.
The Zebuldia Auction was open to anyone who paid the admission fee, but for ordinary citizens, the ten-thousand-gil entry cost was steep enough to give one pause if there was no specific purpose beyond idle curiosity. As a result, the general attendees tended to be upper-class types who carried themselves with a certain quiet refinement. Treasure Hunters, however, were a different breed.
For Hunters above a certain Level, a ten-thousand-gil admission fee was hardly cause for hesitation. They were, after all, people who lived by the moment.
The hunter seats looked nothing like the others. Weapons and outside food and drink were still prohibited, of course, but with so many hot-blooded members gathered together, crude laughter and shouting erupted here and there without cease.
The seats were arranged in tiers so everyone could see the stage clearly. We had been guided to a high position within the hunter section, giving us a panoramic view of the entire area.
Suddenly, just a few meters away, a shrill, threatening voice rang out.
"Huh!? You were just staring at Liliz and the others, weren't you!? Who do you think you are? I'll give you five seconds. Speak."
"Wh— what are you—"
"…Hey, can someone go stop her for me?"
Liliz was already menacing a Hunter in the seat right next to us.
She had grabbed the arm of a large male Hunter who towered over her by a full head and was glaring up at him with sharp eyes. Compared to the diminutive Liliz, the man was two sizes her bigger, yet he was the one turning pale.
His captured arm creaked audibly under her grip. Her strength was far beyond what her appearance suggested. She could snap an arm or two without batting an eye, and she wouldn't hesitate to do so.
The man twisted his body in pain, trying to step back, but with that disparity in strength, he couldn't move an inch.
I nudged Smart — the well-behaved one, who had been sitting beside me minding her own business — and she stood up, calling out to the troublemaker Smart.
"Sis! Klye-san says to let him go!"
"Aww, again? That's boring."
"Whoever you're intimidating right now is probably nothing special anyway! Now come on, sit down already."
"…Tch. Scram. Listen up? If I see that filthy face of yours in front of Liliz again, I'll beat you to death."
When Liliz finally let go, the man fled as if his life depended on it. Poor guy — he'd even paid the admission fee… This was pushing "survival of the fittest" a bit too far.
The commotion had silenced the venue for a moment, but the clamor quickly returned. A little scuffle like this was just another day at the office. I really wanted to quit being a Hunter. Set up a dessert shop somewhere far away and spend the rest of my days in peace.
"I'm sorry, Klye-san. My sister gets worked up over small things…"
Citry whispered an apology in her soft voice. Hearing this, Liliz turned on her sister next.
Glaring at her threateningly, she yanked hard on Citry's arm.
"Don't you dare use me as a shield to suck up to Klye! If you'd handled things properly beforehand, insects like that wouldn't come crawling around! And seriously, what? When did I ever give you permission to sit next to him? Don't touch him! Stay at least one meter away from Klye!"
"If you hadn't been so slow, this wouldn't have happened! You should have done your scouting duty properly! Besides, I paid for my ticket too… Right, Klye-san?"
"Hah!? What does that have to do with anything— Right, Klye?"
"Mm-hmm, that's right. …Oh, there are quite a few other Treasure Weapons up for auction besides that one. Ah… 'Dog Chain,' huh… Well, large chains tend to be bulky without being all that powerful."
I crossed my legs and let my gaze fall on the catalog we'd been handed at the entrance.
Each Treasure Weapon listing included its name, characteristics, effects, the exhibitor's name, and the appraiser's name. Danger rating. Discovery location.
Every item put up at the auction was quality-guaranteed by a dedicated appraiser, but that didn't necessarily mean it was the real deal. It didn't happen often, but if you were unlucky, you could end up paying a fortune for a counterfeit.
The auction was both a test of discernment and a place to build connections.
Rare books, weapons, art, and jewelry were also on display, but the only items I was interested in were Treasure Weapons.
Sure enough, for an auction held only once a year, a quick scan of the catalog revealed several items that caught my eye.
Next year, I was definitely saving up enough money to attend properly. This time, I had been far too unprepared.
Way below us, I could see Tinno nervously discussing things with Gregg and the others.
And further off, near the ceiling, in the VIP seats that were clearly built differently from the rest, I could see Eclair sitting with a tense expression.
Perhaps because it had generated so much buzz, the item we were after was being treated as the headline lot and wouldn't appear until the latter half.
The matter apparently settled, Citry took the seat to my left and Liliz the one to my right. It was finally a little quieter.
And so, the Zebuldia Auction — which had been weighing on my mind for so long — finally opened its curtains.
§ The Zebuldia Auction's system was simple.
Each item had a minimum price set, and from that floor, prospective buyers would call out their bid amounts.
The smallest increment for raising the price varied by item, but it was usually in units of ten thousand gil, one hundred thousand gil, or ten million gil.
Once the highest bid was called, one hundred and twenty seconds were given. If no one raised the price further, the highest bidder won the item.
Once you placed a bid, cancellation was impossible. If for any reason you could not purchase the item at the price you had offered, the bidder would face criminal charges and severe penalties.
There were various ways to bid. You could hold up a board with your price written on it, call out your bid, or use the designated hand signals.
"—And with that, the 'Mirror Shield' is sold to bidder number 413 for fifteen million gil!"
Thunderous applause erupted across the venue. True to its name, the wondrous shield that reflected light like a mirror was carried offstage.
As the auction progressed, the voltage in the venue kept climbing — like a smoldering ember slowly catching fire.
"Now then, moving on — Entry Number 15. The legendary chain clan of the advanced magical civilization's most renowned Treasure Weapons — the mightiest among them all — a chain-type offensive Treasure Weapon—"
The announcer's voice reverberated in my skull. My body was burning.
There was only one item I was after. Everything else before it could be called the warm-up acts, yet the fervor of those around me seemed to have spread — my heart was pounding wildly.
Why, oh why was the 'Changing Human Face' scheduled for the latter half? If it had been in the first half, I might have had enough leftover money to bid on other Treasure Weapons!
"Klye-san, your face is red."
"…It's nothing."
"Don't worry. I will absolutely, by any means necessary, stake my honor on it and acquire that item. Please rest assured. If our current funds aren't enough… I'll sell the house."
Without any idea what I was thinking, Citry clenched her fist. There was absolutely no way I could ask her to spare some funds for bidding on other items.
Fierce regret washed over me.
Damn it — if I'd only saved even a little — no, if only Luke and the others had come back sooner— Wait. That's right. I had Lucia's savings. I had Lucia's savings! …Hey, is it really okay for a brother to just freely spend his little sister's savings?
As I fidgeted nervously, items kept coming up one after another.
Whether the timing was good or bad, it seemed like nothing but Treasure Weapons were being presented.
A chain with mysterious power, a ring, a cape that allowed underwater breathing, boots that let you float in midair for exactly one centimeter. A crystal ball that predicted the weather with seventy percent accuracy, a sword that could adjust its blade length from thirty centimeters to three meters at will.
I wanted them. I wanted them all. I wasn't a Treasure Weapon user. I was a Treasure Weapon collector. I didn't need them to be powerful — I just wanted them.
Desires I normally kept buried surged to the surface.
Rare Treasure Weapons were being sold for pennies. Perhaps because the headline lot was still to come, the bidding amounts were casual and reckless.
Damn it — if the 'Changing Human Face' were cheaper, I could have had all of them.
You're not buying these as investments, are you? Are you really going to use them? I would. I'd treasure them, so please, let me have them.
Enough. The 'Changing Human Face' — was it enough? Quantity over quality?
Watching unknown merchants and Hunters scoop up Treasure Weapons right before my eyes was like silently watching the girl of your dreams being stolen away.
No — but if I went this far only to lose the bid on the 'Changing Human Face,' I wouldn't be able to face everyone who had worked so hard on my behalf.
My knuckles turned white from how hard I clenched my fists. I held back. If I let my guard down, I would have cried out.
Why wasn't I filthy rich? Damn it — was this my limit?
Tinno kept glancing my way. She looked like she was eagerly awaiting a signal from me at any moment.
I'd already told her which item I was after, but her diligence in confirming it every time — that was just her earnest nature. And right now, that admirable trait was working against me.
She was pressuring me. Tinno was pressuring me.
"Mastaa, are you really not going to bid on that? If you don't get it here, you'll never have another chance!" — I could clearly hear Tinno's voice in my head.
Was this an auditory hallucination, or was it the truth?
I hadn't been this shaken even when the Wolf Knights surrounded me in White Wolf's Den, or when I realized the Citri Slime had gone missing.
The phrase "palm-sweating tension" didn't even begin to cover it. Both hands were trembling, and I felt a tingling numbness in my fingertips. Pressing my palm to my chest, I felt a pounding heartbeat as intense as if I'd just sprinted at full speed.
My throat was parched. I wanted water.
I wanted a Treasure Weapon water canteen that produced infinite water! I wanted a ring that kept your throat from going dry when equipped! Someone stop me! Damn it!
Tinno was — Tinno was telling me to buy Treasure Weapons. She was saying I was worthless if I couldn't even secure a Treasure Weapon at this level. She was saying I'd lost the right to call myself a Treasure Weapon collector.
Was it really okay? Did the 'Changing Human Face' truly warrant betraying the expectations of my junior?
I brushed back my sweat-dampened hair and stared hard at the stage. The moment of choice had arrived.
The 'Changing Human Face' was still a ways off. This was an auction, but my greatest enemy was, without question, myself.
Not to brag, but I was weak not just in body but in willpower as well.
I gritted my teeth. Held my breath and endured. I wanted to close my eyes and cover my ears, but doing so would be tantamount to admitting defeat.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"…Yeah. I'm fine."
Liliz peered at me with a worried expression.
I closed my eyes and engaged in self-reflection.
Here I was, utterly useless in combat, and even in a situation like this I was completely helpless?
No — not entirely. Sure, I was a small fry. But precisely because I was a small fry, I couldn't betray the expectations of those who still believed in me.
If I gave in to temptation and joined in bidding on other Treasure Weapons right now, what would Marchis and Eva — who had gone to so much trouble on my behalf — think? What would the Clan members who watched me run around borrowing money think?
They'd probably think I was a hopeless person who couldn't even exercise self-restraint. Well, okay, I was admittedly a hopeless person who couldn't exercise self-restraint…
Most importantly, what would Citry and Liliz think? If I spent the money I'd worked so hard to gather on purchasing other Treasure Weapons, what would they say?
After a moment's thought, I opened my eyes and nodded.
…Yeah. They'd probably let it slide without saying a word.
Well, I'd raised an amount far exceeding the two hundred million I'd told the young lady about, so spending a little should be manageable.
Holding back would only be more stressful.
Without my noticing, the trembling in my body had stopped. I took a deep breath, steeled my resolve, and raised my head.
I solidified my wavering resolve by speaking it aloud. The voice I wrung from the depths of my throat was terribly hoarse.
"The time… has come."
Very well — your tyranny ends here. I'll show you what I'm truly capable of.
Burn this image into your minds — borrowing money from childhood friends to go on a Treasure Weapon shopping spree, this appearance of the 'Thousand Transformations.' Just then, being carried onto the stage was a massive suit of black armor.
Standing tall as though a person were inside it, its imposing presence silenced the venue. Nearly four meters in total height. A giant shield and sword scaled to match its body were displayed alongside it, though they were clearly not meant for human use.
Then again, perhaps Anthem could equip it?
As everyone held their breath, the announcer read the description.
"Next up is Entry Number 44 — a giant metallic puppet recently discovered near the Imperial Capital. Rest assured, it does not move. Its armaments are integrated, so the armor cannot be separated, but that shouldn't be a problem. Total height: three meters ninety, with no hollow interior. It has been confirmed to be made of a special metal. You could melt it down, you could display it, and if you just took the sword and shield, they'd have value as weapons. It does, however, weigh nearly three tons in total — assuming you can even lift it, that is — Starting price: thirty million gil!"
So it was a puppet, not a weapon.
The craftsmanship was certainly impressive, but… I didn't need this. Nowhere to put it, either.
As I let out a sigh of relief, Citry suddenly murmured beside me in a stunned voice.
"Aka… sha? Why?"