“What’s up? Cute, right?”
Millia looked up at me, smiling while wearing a snow-white rabbit mask made of who-knows-what. With her red eyes, the mask suited her well.
“I, I…”
“Are you a cat?”
A striking black cat ear mask caught my eye. It was the one that Elisa picked after a long contemplation.
“Isn’t it c-cute…?”
As she said that and looked at me with expectant eyes, Elisa’s ears turned red.
“Yeah. It suits you well.”
“Hehe…”
[Wow… it’s a flower garden! Flower garden.]
“Shut it.”
“Sorry?”
“Not you, the magic book. It just keeps chattering away.”
“Johann! We should head in soon!”
“Got it. Illusion.”
[Be careful; it won’t last long with your watery magic.]
As Rue said, my magic, like dilapidated water, couldn’t hold for long, but it was certainly better than the suffocating mask. I frowned at the damp and sticky sensation clinging to my face and touched my cheek with my hand.
“… I’d better just wear a regular mask.”
“Wow, it looks like a monster. At least no one would dare touch you.”
At Sif’s words, I glanced at Millia. Millia also looked up at my face with a peculiar expression, adding one more remark.
“Why are you wearing a Kraken on your face?”
… Does it look like that?
“W-well, I think I look cool…”
“No need to force a compliment.”
I dispelled the magic. Rather than waste magic here, I might as well wear an uncomfortable mask. With a normal face back, I examined the masks on display. However, they were all rather cute in size and design, making them unsuitable for me.
After wandering around for a while, I found a large mascot costume in the corner. It had a rather familiar design. Should I go with this?
“Hey, how much is this?”
“5 gold coins, sir.”
“That’s cheap.”
“It’s been here for so long that no one has bought it. It feels wrong to sell something old at a high price…”
Considering that the children’s masks were about 1-2 gold coins each, this was indeed a bargain, so I picked up the mascot costume without hesitation and asked the vendor.
“Can I try it on?”
“Of course.”
With the shopkeeper’s permission, I dusted it off and slipped on the costume.
It felt a bit uncomfortable. Breathing was a bit tricky, and it was quite suffocating. But since this was the only size that fit my head, I pulled out five silver coins from my pouch and placed them on the counter.
“Take care of it.”
“Johann, is that horn real?”
“Of course, it’s fake.”
“Can I touch it?”
At Millia’s words, I knelt and bowed my head. Sensations flickered around my ears, and my head tingled a little. It seemed my hair was getting caught in the mascot’s fabric.
“What is this? It feels squishy. So boring.”
“It kinda looks like a doll…”
“It seems like a pretty high-end material?”
“Cut it out. People are staring.”
With three beauties around, I was bound to catch attention, whether it was good or bad. As soon as the three kids pulled their hands away from the costume, I stood up.
The view through the eye holes was narrow. The mascot was designed this way, so there was nothing I could do about it, but it still felt uncomfortable. Still, the intimidating appearance might keep away some pesky insects. I adjusted the suit a bit and turned to Sif.
“Sif, from here on out, let’s call each other by our nicknames instead of our names.”
“Call me Black Tail. That’s what I go by here.”
“Then I’ll be Dullahan?”
Isn’t that a bit too direct? It’s not like anyone would suspect me, though.
I glanced at the band around Millia’s neck. I couldn’t help but stare after mentioning Dullahan. Seeing it up close, the rough design was kind of an eyesore.
Maybe I should have it made with a higher-quality material. It’s hard to say I have good artistic sense, but at least I could manage something that would suit a girl. I etched “make a new neckband for Dullahan” into my mind.
“I-I’ll go with Rose…”
Rose, huh.
Elisa’s face turned slightly red as she said that. Is she embarrassed? I rolled the word around in my mouth like candy before finally letting it out.
“Rose. That’s a nice nickname.”
“Hehe…”
“What will you call Johann?”
“… Call me Minotaur.”
Not that I had anything better in mind, so I declared the name of the Minotaur mascot. It was a name I wouldn’t have to put much effort into since it would be discarded eventually, anyway.
“Minotaur?”
“Yeah.”
“That sounds so thrown together…”
“Uh, true…”
“Johann, you have no talent for naming, do you?”
The response was a bit too subtle. I sighed as I watched the three little kids gossiping.
——————–
“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Robron’s Auction House! I am Caliba Robron, the overseer of this auction house! We’ve operated for three generations!”
A middle-aged man with a flattering appearance made grand gestures, announcing the start of the auction. I stood behind the three kids, feeling like their bodyguard, scanning the surroundings. At a glance, the people around were dressed in luxurious clothing.
The items being auctioned off had significant prices, so it was noticeable that they were accompanied by bodyguards. I couldn’t help but think that some influential figures might be present, making me gaze at the masks that obscured people’s faces.
Crows, peacocks, wolves, bears, cats, pigs, tigers… Are there tigers here too? There’s even a plague doctor mask. Each mask seemed unique, possibly for personality appeal. As I was entertained by this, I caught sight of a blonde person wearing a blue butterfly mask in the corner.
When our eyes met, the butterfly mask hurriedly turned its head away.
… I feel like I’ve seen that somewhere. It looks like they changed their hair color too.
Since I couldn’t directly ask, I decided to forget about it.
There’s no need to pretend to recognize anyone.
“… The first item is! Griffin’s Eye!”
Griffin’s Eye, huh. What was that used for in the game? I think it was for crafting a wind-elemental staff… As I recalled, people began to comment on the displayed Griffin’s Eye.
“Oh, it looks very intact. I’ve heard that sound Griffin’s Eyes are rare…”
“It seems a skilled hunter caught this one.”
“I just happened to need a material for a staff; this is perfect.”
Most comments seemed pointless. It looked like a rather dull item for an opening, as not many people were chatting. I looked down at Millia, who tugged at my sleeve with a curious expression.
“Is Griffin’s Eye something amazing?”
“For a wizard mainly using wind magic, it’s quite a useful item.”
“I see~”
“You’re quite knowledgeable…”
“Making tools requires a lot of knowledge.”
I brushed off Elisa’s compliment while watching the somewhat dull auction unfold. The first auction was nearing its end. With so few people raising their hands, only three or four were competing.
“300.”
“300 gold coins bid! 300! Is there anyone willing to raise it?”
Is this it? Personally, I’m not sure if Griffin’s Eye is worth 300 gold coins. Maybe it’s because I’m too used to gaming; after all, in games, most materials could be obtained through grinding.
“300 gold coins! Griffin’s Eye has been sold for 300 gold coins! Not a bad price!”
What will the second item be?
I hoped at least something more interesting than Griffin’s Eye would come up.
“Next item is… Drake’s Heart!”
This is a bit boring again. If they keep showing this kind of stuff, there’s no point in coming to the auction. Something unique needs to appear for it to be enjoyable.
As items continued to roll out one after another, only on the fifth item did some rather intriguing goods start to appear.
“It seems many are disappointed with the items we have showcased so far! But this time it’s different! The fifth item to meet your expectations is! Behold!
A magic sword created by the dwarf artisan Eitri! Salamander!”
…Oh.
I never expected to see that magic sword here. It’s a unique weapon that’s hard to buy at the beginning but awkward to use afterward, often referred to as a “trophy.” It’s more practical here in reality, though.
“Wow, Johann—”
“Call me Minotaur.”
“Minotaur! That sword is glittering a ton!”
“Uh, it looks like there’s some extraordinary magic on it…”
“I think it’ll go for more than 1000 gold!”
“1000 gold, huh? That’s expensive…”
If I had the materials, I feel like I could produce something of a similar performance. Mimicking the magic engraved on a weapon wouldn’t be easy, but I do have a method to somewhat recreate it. But I need the materials first before I can think of imitating or anything.
That means I need to acquire as many materials as possible in the black market.
“1300!”
“1400!”
“Is it possible it could even exceed 2000?”
“If it’s made by Eitri, it’s worth that kind of value. The best magic sword he made, Frost Breath, has been auctioned for 5000 gold coins, right? That’s the kind of item that collectors drool over.”
“Thinking about it, it’s quite ironic. Weapons that should be rolling around on the battlefield end up as mere collectibles.”
As the serious conversations of the guests flowed past me in one ear and out the other, I watched as the fifth magic sword was passed to a man wearing a pig mask with a sigh of deep regret.
Still seems a bit dull.
Just as I couldn’t suppress a yawn from sheer boredom, the auctioneer spoke again.
“Were you satisfied with the fifth item? Perhaps some of you might be disappointed and ready to vacate your seats! But it’s still too early for that! The very last item of today’s auction is a ‘Magic Book!’”
“A magic book…”
“I heard there haven’t been any new found magic books recently…”
Robron’s declaration turned the quiet auction hall into whispers. He grinned, as if he had been waiting for this moment, and clapped his hands.
“But, the main dish comes after the appetizer! Since the appetizer hasn’t finished yet, please, just a little longer, bear with us!”
So, he wants us to keep watching until the end.
[It smells like dirt; I knew there had to be a magic book here.]
“Dirt…”
[But it’s just a cheap magic book compared to me.]
Compared to that mysterious magic book, it might be true. However, since it was still a significant item, I signaled a waiter for a drink and leaned back in my chair.
“Well then, it’s time to introduce the sixth item! Perhaps gemstone collectors will be thrilled! Next item is! ‘Lava Quartz!’”
“What’s that?”
“Never heard of it. Do you know it?”
“Never heard of it either…”
“It doesn’t seem very pretty for a gem. The purity looks low too. Its collecting value seems to have diminished.”
“Still, it’s something new, so collectors might light up with excitement, right?”
“Well… it feels like a bait item. The intention of presenting something big afterward seems obvious, don’t you think?”
… Why is that gem showing up here?
An item that should only be obtainable in the mid-to-late game?
I continued to gaze at the Lava Quartz, unable to hide my surprise at the emergence of an item I’d always wanted to acquire.
I have to buy it!
The god of spending has descended upon my pouch!
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