Black Market
Ecology of Metals had finally ended up in my hands.
The winning bid was twenty platinum coins.
Number Eighteen had refused to yield, driving the price higher and higher, but in the end he could only bow before the wealth of Cain, whose veins ran with the blood of a high alchemist.
Sera, who had been watching the auction, had gone off to get a drink for her dizziness. She seemed unable to believe that a mere book could be worth twenty platinum coins—enough money for a commoner to live half a lifetime without lifting a finger.
For anyone who was not an alchemist, that reaction was only natural.
"Thank you, Lord Cain. Still, twenty platinum coins feels like far too much."
"Not at all, Seri. What you gave me is worth more than twenty platinum coins. It was not merely an entry ticket—you also pulled me out of a difficult situation. My dignity, and a great many other things besides, were preserved because of you. If anything, I feel what I have given you is still insufficient."
"No, it's more than enough. I just happened to pick up the special entry tickets, that's all."
"Hahaha. If there is truly such a remarkable place where one can simply pick them up, you must take me there sometime."
Cain clearly took my words for a lie. His entire manner said he was certain no one could simply find special entry tickets lying around.
At this point, even I found it strange.
Even a man as wealthy as Cain could not obtain a special entry ticket—so how had those cheap thugs managed to get their hands on three of them?
The cartel?
They said this black market was hosted by the cartel, so those thugs were likely cartel members. If so, it meant the cartel was actively encouraging human trafficking and selling people—and the Empire partnering with such a cartel to run a black market was suspicious enough to be thoroughly suspicious.
Typical of a nation that had banned alchemy on a grand scale.
"By the way, will you be joining the next auction as well?"
"Yes. I have an item listed. It didn't appear in the second round, so it should come up in the third."
My potions had not been brought out by the end of the second auction. If they were going to appear at all, it would definitely be in the third.
The appraiser had called them precious potions, but I did not believe they were on the same level as something like a fragment of a ground dragon's heart—the caliber of item reserved for the fourth round.
At least, that was how I saw it.
After all, in terms of production cost, they were worth no more than about twenty silver coins.
"In that case, it would be best if only the two of you enter this auction. I will meet the alchemist I promised to introduce you to earlier, then return to match the end of the auction."
"You're not interested in the auction yourself, Lord Cain?"
"It is less a lack of interest than the fact that it was never in my plans. I never imagined a special entry ticket would fall into my hands. But thanks to you, the opportunity has presented itself, so I intend to take a light look at the fourth auction."
With Cain's resources, he would be able to enjoy the fourth auction thoroughly.
"Yes. Then I'll see you again later."
"Indeed. Enjoy the auction, and we shall meet again soon."
After seeing Cain off on his way to greater endeavors, I headed to where Sera and Apte were resting.
"...Why are you eating that?"
"Mmmph, nuh eading id, jusht holdin' id in muh mouf."
"You're not eating it, you're just holding it in your mouth? So why on earth...?"
I took the book out of my mouth and answered.
"Because I like it so much."
No, I understand that you like it—but why are you holding it in your mouth?
Sera clearly wanted to ask that, yet she clamped her mouth shut, conscious of Apte beside her.
A wise decision.
No matter how thoroughly Apte kept VIP secrets as a guide, revealing that I was an alchemist still did not strike me as a good idea.
"It seems I may be interrupting your conversation. Shall I step away for a moment?"
"Loro, your acting is so clumsy that Lady Apte already noticed. Please try to be a little more natural next time."
"I-I'm not acting!"
"I will forget everything I have heard today, so please do not worry yourselves."
"Even if I told you that Loro is actually the disciple of the Third Calamity, you'd still forget it?"
Apte looked at Sera and gave a bitter smile.
"My... that one might be a little difficult."
"Huh? Huh?! I-I'm not! Lu—Seri, what the hell are you talking about!!"
"You heard her, Loro. Be careful from now on."
"I'm telling you I'm not!!"
I dodged Sera as she lunged to cover my mouth and turned my steps toward the auction hall.
About fifteen minutes remained until the next auction began. I intended to spend that time reading Ecology of Metals.
Even after the auction began, I devoted myself entirely to Ecology of Metals.
Like the second round, the third auction offered a good many curious items, yet none of them proved as useful as the knowledge written in Ecology of Metals.
The book recorded the characteristics and locations of nearly every metal known to exist on the continent, right down to the places where rare metals had last been discovered.
The contents were not particularly kind, however. There were no maps—only rough descriptions such as "the outskirts of a village in such-and-such direction from such-and-such city."
Even that was helpful enough. I felt I had drawn roughly ten Lulus closer to completing an aerial bombardment golem.
Especially intriguing was the fact that the author—Aldietta Raulin—had prepared metal storehouses. Of course, those storehouses were said to be packed with every manner of trap to keep thieves out, but Ecology of Metals also contained the methods for disarming them, so that was no problem.
At this point it was no exaggeration to call the book a treasure map rather than a dictionary of ecology.
I could not even begin to estimate how much time and effort had gone into writing something of this caliber. She must have traveled extensively, studied enormously, and endured countless trials and errors simply to determine each metal's properties.
I found myself wondering whether most high alchemists possessed knowledge of this level.
I did not know for certain, but Aaron, at least, had possessed even more. He had been able to answer every single question I asked him. Setting aside interference with the flow of mana, he might well have held every scrap of knowledge in the world inside his head.
Aaron, however, could not be counted among "most high alchemists." By rank alone he was 9th Tier. One could not place an alchemist of such lofty attainment on the same plane as other high alchemists.
So if one set Aaron aside... just how much knowledge did the other high alchemists possess?
Even as I raced through Ecology of Metals, memorizing as I went, my heart pounded at the thought of meeting other alchemists and exchanging knowledge with them.
As soon as the third auction ended, I would have the chance to speak with the alchemist Cain was bringing. Beyond that, I might find manuscripts left by other alchemists. I might even be lucky enough to buy one at an auction, just as I had today.
"...Is it that interesting?"
"Yes. Extremely interesting. Once I've memorized it all, you should read it too, Loro."
"...What? Memorize it?"
"Yes. Almost all of it—no, all of it. I've memorized it. Your turn now."
I handed the book to the dumbfounded Sera and turned my gaze to the auction already underway.
Not long after, the potion I had listed came up.
"Our sixth lot is a fortification potion. I trust some of you already recognize its value from the name alone. I shall proceed directly to the description. This fortification potion is believed to have been refined by a high alchemist of at least the 6th Tier—one of the few remaining on the continent."
The moment the words "high alchemist" were spoken, the atmosphere among the guests shifted.
"It is a potion whose efficiency is of an entirely different order from the lowest-grade physical-enhancement elixirs currently available. According to the appraiser, it demonstrates a minimum efficiency of 1.3 times, and side effects are virtually nonexistent. Even the slight side effect that remains amounts to no more than a mild urge to urinate, so one may as well say there are no side effects at all."
I glanced around and already saw people gripping their number paddles. Wise guests who had recognized the true worth of a genuine potion refined by an alchemist.
"...Are you a high alchemist?"
"In spirit, at least."
I gave Sera's whisper a suitably vague answer while keeping an eye on the crowd. If someone bid a fine price, I was prepared to pay them a quiet visit later and gift them an Explosion Potion as well.
"Five bottles as a single lot. The opening bid is ninety gold coins."
The instant they heard the starting price, every guest in the hall lowered the paddles they had been holding.
I could only blink at the sight.
Only moments ago their eyes had been blazing as if they meant to buy it no matter what—so why had they all suddenly gone quiet?
People ought to be consistent, no matter the time or place.
This was exactly why non-alchemists were hopeless.
Just as I was thinking that, Number Eighteen raised his paddle.
I knew it. A guest who had recognized the value of Ecology of Metals would certainly recognize the value of this potion as well.
"Ninety gold and ten silver."
Number Eighteen. I knew you would do this.
With Ecology of Metals he had jumped straight to five platinum coins—so why was he adding a mere ten silver this time?
I nearly raised my own paddle to speak, then remembered the notice I had seen at the entrance. Bidders were forbidden from deliberately driving up the price of their own lots.
In that case, as long as it was not the consignor themselves...
I jabbed Sera in the side.
"Hyaau?!"
Number Eighteen turned his head in our direction. Our voices had come from this side when he was buying Ecology of Metals as well; his temper was no doubt thoroughly frayed by now.
I met his gaze squarely, then looked back at Sera.
Her expression was hidden behind the mask, but she would have understood my meaning. I trusted the money-loving Sera.
"Uh... ninety-one gold?"
The Sera I trusted lived up to my expectations.
Number Eighteen let out a sigh that was pure exasperation as he looked at Sera and me, then raised his paddle.
"Ninety-five gold."
He immediately fixed us with a fierce glare. The mask hid his eyes, but the fierceness was unmistakable all the same.
Sera, sitting right beside me, also turned to stare at me as if to demand what on earth I thought I was doing.
I ignored them both and jabbed Sera in the side again.
"Hyaak?! Th-that... ninety-six gold."
"...One platinum coin."
I lowered the hand I had been about to jab with.
"One platinum coin! We have a bid of one platinum coin! Are there any further bids?"
The auctioneer glanced around the guests for a moment, then clapped his hands once—crack!—and spoke brightly.
"If not, the sixth lot is awarded to Guest Number Eighteen. Congratulations!"
Clap, clap, clap—
I applauded vigorously from among the non-alchemists.
Number Eighteen was still glaring at me. Sera was glaring at me just as hard.
I ignored them, of course. The next item was also one of my potions, and I needed to concentrate.
This time it was recovery potions—fully fifteen bottles.
"The opening bid is thirty gold coi—"
"Thirty-one gold."
"Hic?! Thirty-five gold...!"
"Thirty-six gold."
"Ugyahak... th-that, forty gold..."
"......Fifty gold."
This potion, too, was awarded to Guest Number Eighteen for a full fifty gold coins.
After the third auction ended, while we were gathering our things to leave, Guest Number Eighteen walked straight up and addressed us without preamble.
"You there, Number Thirty-Eight. Why aren't you moving according to the plan? Why act on your own?"
Apparently he had not approached us simply because we had interfered with the auction.
"Why that reaction? Don't tell me you never received orders from above? Or if not that... could it be that you—"
Number Eighteen's hand moved toward the sword at his waist.
Watching him, I suddenly recalled the number engraved on the special entry tickets. But that was not a problem to dwell on right this moment.
"Yes, it's me, so please don't worry. Upper management wouldn't make a mistake with something this important, would they?"
I answered first and thought later.