The Ice Spirit Stone
[There it is, Master! The display case on the far right.]
It was a corner shelf.
Stepping closer, I saw a transparent glass shelf packed with colorful raw gemstones. What caught my eye was a blue stone radiating a strange energy… no, a spirit stone.
It looked almost transparent, yet it held deep and pale blue light in fragmented layers within.
Staring at a spirit stone always left my mind strangely blank, as if I were being drawn in.
[Got it. That blue one, right?]
[Yes.]
[Something feels off, though.]
[What do you mean?]
A small sign hung on the shelf with the spirit stone: “Sale! Assorted Gemstones.”
[It’s a spirit stone, and even I can sense its unusual energy, so why is it mixed in with ordinary stones like this? Does no one else realize it’s special?]
[Ordinary people can’t sense the energy at all.]
[Can’t mages feel it?]
[What you’re sensing isn’t magical energy, Master. It’s the spirit’s energy. Only Spirit Masters can detect it.]
[Hmm?]
[Besides, this faint energy would go unnoticed by anyone except a metal-attuned spirit like me.]
That meant we were lucky. No one who could recognize it as a spirit stone had come across it before it ended up here.
After all, Spirit Masters were rare enough that they didn’t usually go around appraising gems in jewelry shops.
“See something you like? I can take it out for you.”
A staff member with excellent sales instincts had appeared right behind me.
I already knew exactly what I wanted.
“That one. Show me that!”
“This one here?”
“No, the one next to it—that one!”
The way the staff member reached into the case felt unbearably slow. I was growing impatient. The moment he pulled the spirit stone out, I thrust both hands forward.
“Give it here!”
“Normally you should wear gloves when handling—”
I snatched the stone before he could finish, unable to hold back my impatience.
The moment it touched my bare palm, I knew. I could feel the strange energy it carried.
It was a chilling cold.
A faint chill that reached my mind rather than my hand. If my guess was right, this was definitely…!
[It’s an ice spirit.]
[…I was about to say that!]
[Ah, sorry.]
[Sorry doesn’t cut it!]
I could figure that much out myself! I’m a Spirit Master too!
“You seem to like it. You have excellent taste!”
The staff member rubbed his hands together eagerly as I turned the spirit stone over in my palm. His eyes made it clear he was determined to make a sale.
“As for this blue gemstone, while its hardness is a bit low, its size makes it perfect for a necklace. If you purchase raw stones from us, we also offer discounted polishing services.”
“Oh?”
“And right now, the stone itself is at a special price—”
“What kind of gem is it?”
“Aquamarine, technically. Though it’s still in its raw form.”
Your pupils just shook.
I might look young, but I’m the contracted master of a metal spirit! I may not care much for gems, but I know my stuff.
“It’s too pale to be aquamarine, isn’t it? And you said the hardness is low. Aquamarine is supposed to be hard.”
“Haha, customer? We can’t know its full potential before it’s polished. Buying raw stone means buying possibility. Depending on how it’s cut, it can become something entirely different.”
“Hmm… The color’s too deep for topaz, though. So what is it? You’re selling it without even appraising it? Or did you appraise it and just don’t know what it is, so you’re selling it cheap?”
“Well…”
The staff member trailed off and avoided my gaze.
If you couldn’t properly identify a gem, it was just a shiny rock. He was trying to scam me because admitting he didn’t know would make it unsellable.
“It’s aquamarine!”
He was going to insist no matter what. Clearly he thought he could fool a kid.
I didn’t know the exact principles behind ancient artifacts or what gems they used, but at least this wasn’t aquamarine.
“Fine, whatever. Call it aquamarine. How much?”
Since I was buying it anyway, nitpicking wasn’t worth the trouble. It worked in my favor that these people didn’t know its true value.
All I wanted was to make it mine and return to the inn. An ice spirit was incredibly appealing to a water Spirit Master like me.
Water and ice. The perfect compatibility.
When I asked the price, the staff member finally smiled brightly.
“It’s normally eight gold, but I can let it go for five gold and thirty silver, customer.”
“Five… gold…?”
“Gasp!”
Hansen and Philo were the ones who reacted first. Five gold was enough to buy a healthy older horse, if not a top-tier one.
This guy really thinks I’m a sucker.
Trying to charge that much when he can’t even classify the gem properly.
[Master, you don’t have that kind of money.]
[No, I don’t.]
The money I’d brought from the academy had all melted away when I summoned Adore. Helping the Shabel Mercenary Corps had earned me a little, but not nearly enough. Rai could produce silver fragments periodically, but even combined they weren’t worth a single gold.
“Seems a bit expensive, doesn’t it?”
“It’s already discounted.”
“Discounted at five gold?”
“Five gold and thirty silver.”
Completely unreasonable. It wasn’t discounted at all—it was overpriced.
“Customer! A raw aquamarine this large is rare. The charm of raw stones lies in each one being unique in the world. This is a special item you won’t find anywhere else. Only here, at Dunhel Jewelry!”
What a con artist.
Watching the staff member’s sales smile as he spouted whatever nonsense came to mind gave me an idea.
“You’re not going to lower the price, are you?”
“Haha, it’s already discounted.”
“Mind if I use the restroom before I decide?”
“Of course. Please leave the gem with me.”
Hansen and Philo were shaking their heads furiously, silently begging me not to buy it, but I headed straight for the restroom.
My brain could be brilliant when it wanted to be.
***
“Rai.”
[Yes, Master!]
“This is a jewelry shop, right?”
[It is.]
“They must have gold bars or something, yeah?”
[Probably rolling around in the safe.]
“Go fetch some.”
Perched regally on the toilet, I gave the order. Rai tilted his head.
[What are you planning?]
“Don’t absorb it. Just bring it back and reshape it into gold fragments. That doesn’t take much mana, does it? It’s transformation, not creation.”
[True.]
“I’ll pay for the spirit stone with those. Shops accept gold fragments as currency just fine.”
Ha, what a genius plan.
This wasn’t theft. It was just circulation!
[Then wouldn’t five gold be enough? A gold bar is worth several times that.]
“That’s why I’m telling you to bring a gold bar, you idiot! If I buy the spirit stone with five gold and only five gold goes missing from the shop, I’ll be the prime suspect!”
[But you are the culprit.]
“Would you rather your master end up in prison for something she didn’t do?”
[I don’t think “didn’t do” is the right phrase here… Actually, it fits surprisingly well. Master! Your linguistic skills are remarkable!]
When I lifted my tail and tried to drop him into the crude wooden toilet, Rai quickly changed his tune.
Below was a writhing pit of maggots.
“Hey, Rai? Put your hand on your conscience and think about it.”
[I don’t have hands. And as a spirit, I don’t have a conscience either… Aaaagh! Save me!]
Creatures that talked back just got a better view of the depths.
“These people stole that thing from the kid in the first place! They didn’t pay a single coin for it!”
[Kyaah!]
“I even paid the kid properly! If anything, it was mine to begin with! And they’re trying to sell it for five gold? What a bunch of villains!”
[Hic, I’m sorry! Master! I don’t know what ten won is, but please spare me just this once!]
For a moment, Rai’s screams made me wonder who the real villain was—but it definitely wasn’t me. I was a righteous person.
Sighing, I closed the toilet lid and rested my foot on it.
“Rai, it’s your fault I get violent sometimes. You provoke your master. I’m normally a very elegant person.”
[Sob sob sob.]
“Understand?”
[You’re too much, Master!]
I opened the lid again.
Rai flailed wildly.
[Kyaah! Anything but this!]
“What was that? Can’t hear you.”
[You’re elegant! Master is elegant! I love you! Milky-white Master! Master is the best!]
What an honest snake.