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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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…Calm down.
I pinched the back of my hand, desperately trying to cool down my burning excitement.
Keep your head cool, your heart hot, your head cool, your heart hot, your head hot, your heart cool… Wait, that’s not right.
I racked my now-cooled brain.
Lava Crystal.
A gem formed from solidified lava infused with mana, found near the crater of the volcanic region, which appeared in the mid-to-late game. It was a material used to craft near-endgame equipment with fire attributes.
It could be used as an enchantment material on its own, but that fact probably wasn’t known yet at this point in the story. The recipe was a dungeon reward.
Therefore, few people would know the true value of this stone.
Compared to the previous items, there would be significantly fewer competitors.
But that meant I had to plan my strategy even more carefully.
What if I just raised my hand?
What if I threw in a huge sum of money?
With luck, I might be dismissed as a shill, but if I was unlucky, I could lose all my money or fail to win the bid.
If I missed this opportunity, I wouldn’t be able to obtain it until the second semester of my second year at the earliest. I had to plan meticulously to ensure a satisfactory transaction.
I suppressed my urge to raise my hand and started observing.
The auction hadn’t begun yet.
The auctioneer, a man named Rovlone, was pausing for a moment, probably trying to gauge the mood of the attendees.
I still had plenty of time.
First, I had to identify my competitors.
I quietly scanned the crowd, looking for potential rivals. Most people seemed disinterested in this item, but there were a few who showed interest in the Lava Crystal.
“Lava Crystal… I don’t know what it’s used for, but I’ll buy it anyway. Hehehe…”
The Pig Mask, who had readily spent a fortune on the magic sword.
“Interesting material. The bidding shouldn’t be too difficult. I might give it a try.”
The Wolf Mask, who seemed to be an experienced adventurer.
Two notable competitors.
The Pig Mask was the main threat.
I recalled the amount of gold I had brought.
500 gold coins.
Considering the materials I had originally planned to buy, I could only spend about 300 gold coins. It wasn’t a small amount, but it wasn’t a lot either.
The Lava Crystal was incredibly cheap compared to its value in the game, but the people here didn’t know its true worth, so they wouldn’t spend much.
My competitors were likely to have more funds than me.
The Pig Mask, who had readily spent 2000 gold coins, was obviously wealthy, and the Wolf Mask had bid up to 1000 gold coins during the magic sword auction. I was at a significant disadvantage in terms of capital.
A direct approach, outbidding them with a large sum, was unlikely to work.
Let’s think again.
What are my weapons?
“…Rue, can you hypnotize that man?”
[T/N: I believe rue is talking to him mentally and not on the page so I won’t do the page shit for now]
[Impossible. There’s some kind of barrier interfering with magic. I could force it if I had more mana… But with your measly mana, it’s impossible.]
The easiest option was out of the question. I had anticipated this to some extent.
Hypnotizing him with magic and forcing him to drop out of the bidding was off the table. Then the next option was… to make him question the value of the item.
How could I do that?
“Now, let’s begin the auction for the ‘Lava Crystal’! The rules are the same as before! To place a higher bid, you must bid more than the previous bid!”
As the auction began and everyone’s attention shifted to Rovlone, I quietly spoke to Milia and the girls.
“Milia.”
“Hweeek?!”
Don’t make weird noises. People are staring.
I casually glanced around and, after confirming that the people who had been watching us had lost interest, I looked at the three children and said,
“I need you to do something…”
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‘As expected, there are few participants.’
Calibra Rovlone, the owner of the auction house, scanned the crowd with sharp eyes, a smile playing on his lips.
Lava Crystal.
It was the most ambiguous item among the items on display at this auction. It wasn’t even meant to be a main attraction, just a filler to give the guests a break before the main dish.
‘I received it in exchange for a debt, but I have no idea what it’s used for.’
He had commissioned an appraiser, but the only information he received was that it was a “stone imbued with fire attribute mana.”
He might be able to sell it to a mage for a decent price, but compared to the more aesthetically pleasing Flame Stone, which also contained fire attribute mana, it looked too plain.
Rovlone had dismissed the idea early on.
The main attraction of today’s auction was the ‘Grimoire of Noam,’ so there was no need to fuss over such an insignificant pebble.
Therefore, Rovlone expected this auction to end with a paltry sum.
“Now, those who wish to purchase this gem, please raise your hand! The starting bid is 5 gold coins!”
“10 gold coins.”
‘The head of the Lawrence family, one of the most renowned wealthy families on the continent… A bigger fish than I expected.’
He was a frequent VIP at this auction house, so Rovlone recognized him even with his mask. He always wore a pig mask.
Rovlone pointed at the Pig Mask and shouted,
“10 gold coins! 10 gold coins! Anyone else? Is there anyone brave enough to challenge him?!”
“That person is…”
“I was going to bid, but I’ll have to pass.”
“There’s no need to waste money here when there’s another grimoire auction coming up.”
Sighs and resignations filled the air. Rovlone cursed inwardly at the lackluster atmosphere.
With a big shot joining the bidding from the start, no one dared to challenge him. It was an unfavorable situation for Rovlone, who wanted to maximize his profits, but he couldn’t do anything about it, considering the next item.
Rovlone concealed his disappointment and shouted,
“Are there any higher bids? Then the Lava Crystal goes to this gentleman…”
“20.”
‘This might not be so boring after all.’
There it was.
A competitor.
The Wolf Mask called out his bid in a low voice and crossed his arms. He seemed indifferent, as if he didn’t care whether he won or not.
The Pig Mask, seeing this, immediately raised his hand and placed a higher bid.
“30 gold coins.”
“Hmm. 40.”
“50 gold coins.”
The auction, which had been expected to be a dull affair, was becoming quite interesting.
People who had been using the restroom or chatting started paying attention again. It was a good thing for Rovlone.
He could hype up the crowd before the next auction began.
The only downside was that the winner was practically decided.
‘It’s a shame that Master Lawrence is guaranteed to win.’
It might have been more entertaining if the competition was between less prominent bidders, but the Lava Crystal had served its purpose by attracting Lawrence. Even if it sold for 50 gold coins, it wouldn’t be a loss.
Just as Rovlone, with a somewhat satisfied expression, was about to declare the end of the bidding due to the lack of further bids…
From a corner of the audience, a small hand raised, placing a new higher bid.
“100 gold coins!”
“Miss?”
Everyone’s attention turned to the new competitor, drawn by the sudden three-digit bid and the bewildered male voice.
‘What? It’s a child?’
‘She’s spending 100 gold coins on that stone?’
The large man wearing a bull mask, who seemed to be the girl’s escort, started to dissuade her in a flustered voice.
“100 gold coins is too much for that stone, miss. You should save your money for the grimoire auction, shouldn’t you?”
“Y-Yeah, Mi- I mean, Chi- friend, I, I think, th-this is, a wa-waste…”
“That’s right, that’s right. You came here for the grimoire, right? You should save your money to bid on the grimoire.”
Their voices were small, but loud enough to be heard by those around them.
The two girls, who seemed to be friends of the red-haired girl, and the man who seemed to be their escort, tried to dissuade her, but the red-haired girl stubbornly retorted.
“But it’s pretty! It’ll look beautiful if I process it and display it!”
The crowd’s faces fell as they watched the girl respond to the man like a spoiled child.
‘Whoever she is, she seems like a spoiled brat.’
‘She’s ruining the fun.’
‘A young lady with no taste or decorum… I wonder which family she’s from.’
Rovlone frowned slightly, sensing the change in the atmosphere caused by the red-haired girl’s participation. It was good that the bid had increased to three digits, but this would kill the excitement.
The auction had to proceed, however, so Rovlone clapped his hands loudly and shouted,
“Now! 100 gold coins! A whopping 100 gold coins! Are there any other bids?”
“150.”
The ruthless Wolf Mask raised his hand and declared his bid.
‘Is this the end?’
“Ugh! 200!”
“Miss, you’ll be scolded by your master.”
“B-But I want it… I can buy the grimoire next time…”
‘Huh. What a spoiled brat.’
‘She’s a boring opponent.’
The Pig Mask and the Wolf Mask, who had been observing the situation, smirked at her childish behavior.
They both had the same thought as they placed their hands on the armrests.
There would be no more bids.
Competing over an insignificant item by raising the price would only make them look like they were bullying a child.
They had no reason to make a spectacle of themselves to obtain the Lava Crystal.
In the end, they both cleanly gave up on it.
‘It’s over.’
After almost a minute of silence, Rovlone sensed the end of the bidding and declared,
“200 gold coins! The Lava Crystal has been sold for 200 gold coins! The lady with the rabbit mask, please claim your item after the auction!”
‘I won for less than I expected.’
The sole victor of this battle smiled contentedly.
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