The Thunder Dragon's Egg

"More people wanted that item than I'd expected. Of them, I selected the three who offered the best terms."

"Three? And that's after you narrowed it down?"

"Yes. Lately the upper guilds and the palace seem to have developed a demand for beast-taming abilities. Your timing couldn't have been better. They started bidding against one another."

Bald Rufus said it with a smack of his lips, and it didn't sound like a lie.

Even so.

"Is the palace among the buyers?"

"Yes. Honestly, I was surprised myself."

The answer pulled a frown out of me before I could stop it.

"The palace..."

I wanted to say I wanted them out of it, but Jerik's gesture shut my mouth.

"And the other two?"

"Of the guilds, the highest price came from the Drake Guild in District 4. The other offer is from our own Merchant Guild."

"The Merchant Guild?"

"...Yes. Our superiors have taken an interest as well."

"Why?"

"A nobody like me wouldn't know."

Rufus looked awkward as he said it, but their internal affairs were none of our business.

"Let's hear the terms."

"Ahem. To start, the palace offered a flat one thousand gold. No haggling."

"A thousand gold!?"

I flinched. Even Jerik shifted in his seat. The offer was that outrageous.

That's not orange Ability Stone money. That's enough for a yellow one—no, even a blue one, isn't it?

Staggering, honestly.

I'd heard popular Ability Stones traded at ten times list price, but this?

It was a sum that made even me, who hated the palace, bite my lip and think it over.

And that wasn't the end of it.

"But our Merchant Guild's terms will be more reasonable."

"The Merchant Guild?"

"Yes. We've prepared a wallet-type spatial pouch with a capacity of three cubic meters, along with five hundred gold in cash."

"Oh?"

A spatial pouch of one cubic meter usually ran about a hundred gold. The price climbed exponentially as the volume grew, and by that measure the Merchant Guild's offer beat the palace's.

Was a two-cubic-meter one three hundred gold? Three cubic meters would be plenty of room on top of that.

And the cash on the side would be a nice bit of pocket money.

"Then what about the Drake Guild?"

"Those people put up nothing but a single spatial pouch. Ten cubic meters, they claim, but honestly that's overkill. What adventurer needs a pouch that huge? They're not a merchant leading a caravan."

Rufus clearly thought the Merchant Guild's proposal was the most sensible one. Looking at it myself, I could see why.

My case was a little special, though.

For me, the bigger the better.

Until now I hadn't been able to act on it, for the sake of safety. Once I had a spatial pouch, I meant to synthesize every piece of junk the moment I picked it up. Not only the combinations that stripped away penalties—there were cases, rare but certain, where things actually upgraded.

I need to synthesize in bulk and pin down the rules.

If it worked the way I thought, it could practically become a money printer.

And.

"The Drake Guild—that's Mr. Geeks's guild, right?"

"Yeah. You've been getting tangled up with that guy an awful lot lately."

The buyer was someone I already had a connection with.

If it's him, maybe he'll explain why special taming is inflating like this.

That thought was there too. Jerik, though, seemed to be thinking something else.

"Char, one moment."

"Yes? Ah. Yes."

"This is probably just the palace's opening offer. Look into supplying them directly, and you might get much better terms. The palace, after all..."

"Has the most money?"

"...Right."

Jerik's whisper was reasonable. But I had no desire, if I could help it, to do anything that put profit in the palace's hands.

And.

"Would the palace even have a spatial pouch on the order of ten cubic meters?"

"...If you looked, wouldn't they? It's the palace."

"So you're saying they might not."

"...Yeah. At that size it's basically a small warehouse. The bigger the volume, the harder they are to make and the more resources they eat, and there's no real reason to make one in the first ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠place."

"Then we go to the Drake Guild."

"...You've decided?"

"Yes. I need the biggest spatial pouch I can get."

Doing the palace a favor didn't sit right with me either. I left that part unsaid, but the snort of a laugh from Jerik told me he'd caught it.

"...All right. I'll talk to that Geeks and squeeze a little extra out of the deal."

"...Thank you, as always, Master."

"Don't mention it."

Jerik only laughed, a little embarrassed, but I couldn't help being moved all over again.

"Even if you sell elsewhere, the brokerage fee is ten percent. If you go to the Drake Guild, that's at least a hundred gold..."

"...Shit."

If only Rufus hadn't gone and spoiled the moment.

"Whoa."

The Drake Guild's building in District 4 was genuinely splendid. Atop the large, ornate five-story structure stood a magnificent statue of something like a dragon with no forelegs.

"Is that whole statue gold?"

Jerik snorted at that.

"Most of the time it's a statue, but it's probably a guardian as well. An artifact."

"What?"

"Try feeling the mana more carefully."

"Even if you say so..."

There was no way I could sense the mana of a statue—if it even was a statue—perched on top of a five-story building. I was letting out an awkward laugh when someone who looked like a Drake Guild member addressed us.

"What brings you here?"

Before long we were face to face with Geeks again.

"The seller was you, Senior?"

"Strictly speaking, it's this kid. I hear you've met him too."

"Oh, is that so?"

When I bowed from behind Jerik, Geeks smiled and rose from his seat. The muscles were still impressive. More impressive was the small dragon tattoo by his eye, twitching as if it were alive.

"Still a Novice, aren't you? And you got an orange Ability Stone?"

"...I got lucky."

"Hmm. Luck is a skill too. Looks like Senior Jerik taught you well."

"I taught him roughly. He seems to be growing fine on his own, so I feel like helping a bit more."

"Haha. That meddling of yours hasn't changed a bit."

"Do people change that easily?"

"Fair enough. So, are you taking our deal?"

"Mmm. I'm considering it favorably. Sweeten it a little more and I think we can call it done."

"A little more? A ten-cubic-meter spatial pouch is an item that doesn't even have a proper price."

"That's because there's no need to make one. No demand, either. Am I wrong?"

"...Demand depends on the person, doesn't it?"

"You didn't make it yourself. You probably got it in the Labyrinth. Didn't you?"

"...Ha. So this is why seeing you gave me a bad feeling. Fine. What else do you want?"

"The Merchant Guild demanded a fee. On top of that hundred gold, throw in another fifty. That's the price of a meal for you, isn't it?"

"Who in the world eats a meal that extravagant? Even the king wouldn't."

"The king might."

"Ah. Well. Yes. That man, sure."

They seemed to share some private understanding, snorting in unison, and it felt awkward to cut in.

"Well, fine. For your face, Senior, I'll add another hundred and fifty gold. Ah—on the condition that we confirm the special-taming Ability Stone truly has no penalty."

"I'll vouch for that. Don't worry. Go ahead and check."

"Yes. Of course."

The moment the Drake Guild's mage finished appraising the Ability Stone, the deal closed clean.

In that good mood, I slipped in a question.

"By the way, could you tell me why you need this Ability Stone?"

"Hmm... I don't think it's something you particularly need to know."

"I'm curious too, though."

At Jerik's assist, Geeks sighed as if he had no choice and opened his mouth.

"We have information that a thunder dragon's egg will come up at the Labyrinth Auction being held this time."

"What!?"

"A dragonkin that can never be tamed by normal means. So in the end you need an ability. If you can tame it even by force, it would make the finest mount there is."

I couldn't help being shocked.

The Labyrinth Auction. I'd heard of it.

An auction held once a year, rotating among the ten labyrinth cities—ten nations. They said all sorts of rare goods were sold there, but I'd always thought it had nothing to do with me. It seemed a far grander place than I'd imagined.

"A thunder dragon—you mean a dragon...?"

"No. Not a true dragon. They call it a dragon, but it's really a higher drake with an attribute. It has a fair amount of intelligence, which is why they class it as dragonkin, but still..."

Ah.

"Among attribute drakes, a thunder dragon is top-tier for speed. Make one a mount and you could tour the continent in a day, so the whole world's in an uproar right now."

"Ha. If that's the case, I should've sold it for more."

"Come on. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It's still orange, isn't it? Only high grade. The price rose because of the event. Otherwise..."

"Yeah, yeah. Just saying. Anyway, thanks for the clean deal."

"...Well. Same here. Good to see you again, Senior. Novice. You too."

I sucked a breath through my teeth.

He doesn't even remember my name?

It stung a little, and then it didn't matter at all—because of the old-fashioned, patterned belt he handed over a moment later.

"Use it well. It's an artifact I picked up around the fiftieth floor. I took out what was inside, but even the spatial pouch alone makes it a fine artifact. It has a defensive function, too."

"Thank you."

It really was an astonishing item.

A supreme-grade artifact. A high-capacity spatial pouch that doubled as armor, it seemed.

It even restores itself.

The area it covered was small, as you'd expect of a belt, but the defense was plenty. An effect I hadn't expected on top of that left me more than satisfied.

Even so.

Check Additional Information.

A low hum. I'd used the trait out of habit.

Huh!?

The added line was just as startling.

Set items? There was such a thing?

"Well? Not bad, right?"

"Yes. It's really... fine."

But I couldn't let that show on my face.

"Thank you, Mr. Geeks."

I settled my excitement by offering thanks one more time.

"Your disciple has good manners, Senior."

"I keep telling you he isn't my disciple..."

And so a deal that left everyone satisfied came to an end.

A day later.

"It seems the rumored Ability Stone was sold to the Drake Guild."

In the innermost reach of the labyrinth city of Bartus, deep in the heart of the palace, a man dressed as a knight bowed his head.

A creak.

"The Drake Guild? Ah. The Dragon Slayer. That man's guild?"

A man whose face was lost in shadow turned his chair. As if afraid even to glimpse that face, the knight bowed lower still as he answered.

"Yes."

"Ha. The people around him must be puffing him up too much, calling him a rising prospect. Sticking his nose into a palace deal without a shred of fear."

"But we can't touch him. As you said, he's a prospect drawing attention. If only to compete with the other kingdoms..."

"I know."

"...I apologize. I spoke out of turn."

"Tsk. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Still doesn't sit right with me."

"It's only an orange Ability Stone, isn't it? Let it go."

"The grade of an Ability Stone isn't the issue. It's the person who uses it. More precisely, the combination of abilities. Are you still overlooking that possibility?"

"...I—I'm sorry."

"Tsk. Just find out where that Ability Stone was obtained. Confirm whether it was an elite or a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠boss, and commit our full strength to securing Ability Stones. The thunder dragon is one I intend to bring in myself."

"Th-that's..."

"What are you doing? Aren't you leaving?"

"...Th-the source of the Ability Stone is the second floor."

"The twelfth floor? Lower than I expected. Then all the more easily..."

"The second floor."

"...What are you saying?"

As the man at the desk tilted his head, the knight went on.

"The Labyrinth Archives confirmed it. An item brought out by a Novice who completed a second-floor quest."

"...This isn't a joke, is it?"

"How could I dare..."

"Ha..."

For a moment, silence circled the room.

Then—

"If it's the Novice range, no one can run it again anyway. Even the one who did it won't receive the same quest."

"...Yes."

"Hmph. Beginner's luck, was it. I got my hopes up for nothing."

"...Sir. There is one rather unusual detail."

"Hm?"

"That Novice, they say, also brought back a Ruler's Ability Stone on his first trip into the Labyrinth."

"...Born lucky, is he?"

"That's what makes it stranger. He was judged a dropout."

"A dropout? A Summoner?"

"Yes. Only one Ability Slot, and a useless trait besides. He was cast aside from the start."

"One Ability Slot? And a useless trait on top of that?"

"Yes."

"...Heh. Can such a thing even happen? A Summoner? Both?"

"It was so unusual that we left it in the records."

"More."

"After being cast out he lived as a beggar, then worked at a general store, learned martial arts at a hall in District 9, and only then seems to have entered the Labyrinth."

"Is that certain?"

"Information investigated by the Merchant Guild."

"Hmm? The Merchant Guild. Those vulgar bastards smelled money again, did they?"

"...There is nothing beyond that. For now, his pace through the first and second floors isn't even fast among Summoners, so the Merchant Guild concluded that it looks like beginner's luck."

Tap. Tap.

At those words the man who had been drumming the desk opened his mouth after a brief silence.

"Once, twice—it could be coincidence. But if it happens again, report it. There may be an ability in him that we've missed."

"Yes. Understood."

The conversation in the depths of the palace ended there.