Chapter 28. Catching Two Rabbits (3)
Episode 28. How to Catch Two Rabbits (3)
By the midpoint of the auction, I had already secured seventeen items.
-"The next item is Brynhildr's Pendant!"
To an outsider, it might seem like I was bidding indiscriminately, but in truth, I was only purchasing what I genuinely needed. And now, it was about time to stop.
Not only had I exhausted my knowledge of items from my previous regression, but the maximum estimated price for the meteorite was 3 billion zeni. To secure it reliably, I'd need at least triple that amount—around 9 billion.
The following auctions were dull. Since I wasn't participating, even bidder No. 77, who had been competing with me earlier, seemed to lose interest.
A brief lull settled over the venue, and the wealthy merchants, entrepreneurs, and nobles who had been cautiously observing finally began joining in.
Then, at the very end of the auction, the item I had been waiting for finally appeared.
Meteorite.
Starting bid: 500 million zeni.
Minimum increment: 20 million zeni.
-"Yes! Bidder No. 123! A first-time participant today! 500 million zeni!"
I immediately recognized the owner of that number.
Sylvia.
Seems she's finally considering forging her own sword.
I had no intention of clashing with her right away, so I remained silent.
But even without my interference—
-"Bidder No. 904! 520 million zeni! No. 33, 540 million zeni! ...... No. 77, 800 million zeni! No. 1028, 980 million zeni!"
The price soared relentlessly.
-"Yes! No. 128, 1 billion zeni! From this point onward, increments will be 50 million zeni!"
-"No. 77, 1.1 billion zeni!"
-"No. 128, 1.2 billion zeni!"
A duel unfolded between No. 77 and Sylvia. 1.3, 1.4, 1.5... By the time the bid reached 2 billion zeni, the auction hall had fallen so silent that even the sound of breathing had vanished.
-"No. 77, 3.5 billion zeni!"
When the bid far surpassed the estimated maximum of 3 billion, the man from No. 77 scoffed, as if victory was already his—as if winning the bid was equivalent to some grand triumph.
But.
Sylvia didn't back down.
-"Ooooh! Just as bidder No. 77 sets a new record, bidder No. 128 counters with—4 billion zeni!"
The moment 4 billion was announced, a groan escaped No. 77. He clearly hadn't expected such an outrageous counteroffer.
He whipped around, glaring at No. 128—but then realized who he was facing.
Sylvia.
When she returned his gaze with a murderous glare, he immediately shrank back into his seat.
Come to think of it...
That bastard.
Isn't that Brener Winston?
No wonder he was fixated on something so impractical.
'If he had bought all the things I purchased and just stored them away, he might've become a tycoon by now.'
Meanwhile, Sylvia looked genuinely pleased. That expression—Finally, I got what I wanted!
I glanced at her briefly before turning away. Then—tap. I touched the crystal ball.
-"Aah! Just when we thought bidder No. 128 had sealed the deal at 4 billion, bidder No. 99 joins the fray with an astonishing—4.5 billion zeni!"
""......!!!""
Gasps erupted throughout the hall. No one had imagined such a bid.
Whirl! This time, Sylvia's glare was directed at me. We didn't make eye contact, but I could feel it—the sharp, honed edge of her killing intent.
Her eyes seemed to say:
—You too?
An eerie hostility prickled my skin, but I didn't turn around. And it wasn't like I'd done anything wrong. I was just here to buy what I needed.
From the very beginning, I'd told her we might end up as competitors.
A moment later, Sylvia lowered her gaze and touched the crystal ball.
-"Yeeees! Bidder No. 128 raises the bid from 4.5 billion to—5 billion zeni!"
The audience rippled with excitement. Even No. 77 sucked in a sharp breath. No matter how much nobles loved extravagance, even they had their limits—this meteorite wasn't worth that much.
Even if it was the first one to appear on the market in three years.
I remained silent, sinking into thought.
And asked myself:
Do I really need this meteorite?
Sylvia is also a vital asset to the North, isn't she?
The answer came immediately.
Yes, I do.
I needed to find a master craftsman and forge my own sword. It was true that Sylvia was a key combatant for the North, but I was the one who needed to grow stronger the most—the one who knew the future.
'Given the meteorite's unique property of storing its owner's mana, it'll become an invaluable weapon—essential for both swordsmen and mages alike.'
I touched the crystal ball again.
Tap.
-"Bidder No. 99, 5.3 billion zeni!"
The hall erupted once more. Every attendee alternated their gaze between me and Sylvia.
Some whistled in excitement, others clapped, and a few even stood up, shouting in amazement.
The reason for their exhilaration was obvious—Sylvia and I, who had faced off in the Golden Star Tournament finals not long ago, were now locked in a financial battle.
-"Bidder No. 99, 5.3 billion zeni! Any higher bids?"
The auctioneer's voice boomed, sensing a jackpot. But Sylvia didn't touch the crystal ball.
No—she couldn't. She'd run out of money.
Her fists clenched so tightly they trembled. Steam might as well have been rising from her head. She must've been desperate. But—
-"Final call! Going once, going twice—sold! For 5.3 billion zeni! The legendary meteorite, fallen from the heavens, now belongs to bidder No. 99!"
In the end, I won. Naturally. The difference in ammunition was too vast.
Clapclapclapclapclap—
The VIPs applauded me, and I acknowledged them with a brief nod.
And so, the auction at Unique Rain came to a close.
The auction was over. Roman gathered all the items I'd won and loaded them into the car.
Brush, brush. I dusted off my clothes and stepped outside when—
Whap. Someone slapped my shoulder.
"Hey. Sion."
It was Sylvia. As expected of an Intermediate Knight on the verge of becoming a Senior—her grip hurt more than I'd thought.
We'd both fought in the finals, yet she seemed to have recovered faster than me.
Is this what talent looks like?
Annoying.
"What."
Sylvia's sapphire-like eyes studied me. I'd expected her to be furious, but surprisingly, her expression was bright.
She grinned widely.
"Lucky you. Getting your hands on the meteorite."
"......Thanks."
"You've grown into quite the knight. Going all out for the meteorite like that."
Sylvia assumed I'd pushed myself to secure the meteorite for my own treasured sword.
Just as she had. That I must've been just as desperate. A reasonable assumption.
In a way, she wasn't wrong—but the fact that she could empathize like this was proof she was part of the top 1% nobility.
"But. Why'd you buy all that other stuff? Still clinging to vanity?"
"Nah. Either I'll use them or sell them later."
"......Huh?"
"Lots of expenses coming up. You'll see."
Sylvia didn't fully understand, but she let it slide with a 'Well, whatever.'
Simple, yet upright.
That was Sylvia.
And precisely because of that—
I needed her as an ally.
"Sylvia."
"Yeah?"
"Let's head back together. Got something to discuss in the car."
She hesitated briefly. Since she was also staying at the Karsen estate, there was no harm in sharing a ride. But—
"You're not still into me, are you?"
"I told you, no."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Fine. Might as well. You stole the meteorite—least you can do is give me a ride."
I didn't steal it. Whatever. Instead of correcting her, I took the lead. When we reached the black sedan, I opened the door for her.
"Thanks."
Sylvia got in, and I sat beside her. Roman was in the driver's seat.
Vroom—
The car glided forward smoothly.
The snow that had seemed eternal by late August now melted into trickling streams.
As the northern landscape passed by like a panorama, I broached the subject.
"The Inspection Bureau is establishing a Special Investigation Headquarters. Want in?"
Sylvia was strong. And she'd grow even stronger. In pure swordsmanship talent, she surpassed me by leaps—if she survived, reaching Knight Master would be trivial.
'Having her under my command would be like gaining an army.'
"......Hm. What's that?"
"A department to purge corruption within the North."
"Pfft. Nah. I want the front lines."
"Even though this is more important right now?"
"What're you talking about, Sion? Monsters come first. Regular agents can handle internal affairs."
"If it were just about catching petty criminals, we wouldn't call it the Special Investigation Headquarters. I'm talking about crushing corrupt power. Their private forces are beyond what ordinary agents can handle."
"......You're serious?"
Mid-conversation, a thought struck me—When was the last time Sylvia and I talked like this, so openly? Maybe this was the first.
"Yeah."
Sylvia fell deep into thought. For a long while. Knowing that haste required patience, I simply watched the scenery and waited.
Eventually, her expression firmed with resolve.
"Fine. But I have a condition."
"What?"
"Tell me how you got so strong so fast."
"......Hah? Suddenly?"
"Yeah. You improved ridiculously fast."
"When we turned twenty, during the knight aptitude test, the mana in your core was pitiful compared to others."
She wasn't wrong. Back then, my aura couldn't even beat Yoen Hashman, let alone qualify as a knight.
"But during the Golden Star Tournament, your mana was beyond imagination. How? How'd you accumulate so much so fast? Did you take some elixir?"
Her question caught me off guard—but ironically, it was exactly what I'd hoped for.
"Yeah. I got my hands on an S-rank elixir."
"Whoa. How the hell...... Did the family head give it to you?"
"Nope. I obtained it myself."
"......Lucky bastard."
If there was one thing knights desired more than meteorite, it was an elixir that could explosively amplify the mana in their cores.
B-rank elixirs? Both Sylvia and I had consumed those to the point of nausea—we were high nobility, after all.
But past the Intermediate Knight stage, ordinary elixirs were useless. At minimum, an A-rank was needed—and those were rarer than meteorite, with prices and acquisition difficulty several times higher.
And S-rank?
The pinnacle of fortune.
And.
I still had Ice Dragon's Breath left. At least S-rank—maybe even SS.
Since I couldn't consume it anyway, Sylvia was the perfect candidate.
"Sylvia."
"Yeah. What?"
She seemed a bit deflated. Amused, I smirked.
"I'll give you one too."
Her head snapped toward me. All traces of nonchalance vanished.
Her eyes widened into saucers, sapphire pupils glittering.
"Give me what? Don't tell me—"
"An S-rank elixir."
"Holy shit!"
Sylvia swore uncharacteristically, sucking in a sharp breath. Joy bloomed across her face—but then she suddenly schooled her expression.
"Sion. Wait. You're not... giving me this as a condition to date you, are you—"
"Shut up. Please. It's not like that."
At my exasperation, Sylvia burst out laughing. For some reason, she looked happier than ever.
'Is she... teasing me now?'
"One condition. Join the Special Investigation Headquarters and serve loyally."
"......That's really it?"
"Yeah."
At my firm answer, Sylvia laughed brightly—the most cheerful I'd ever seen her.
"Deal. I'll inform the Director."
"Thanks."
"But you have to give me the elixir, okay?"
"Ugh, do you really think I'd scam you? Come to my room as soon as we get back. I'll hand it over."
"But how'd you get it?"
"Not telling."
"You've gotten so secretive."
After that, we exchanged trivial chatter until we arrived. I might've been imagining it, but—
Through the rearview mirror, Roman's face was beaming.
Separately.
The August sun continued to bathe the North in warmth.