Arrested
Askal pulled his hat down low and hurried away the moment he spotted the Jewel Frog evangelist in the plaza.
'Those lunatics…'
Ever since he'd accidentally written the evaluation price of a jewel frog as four silver instead of one, the situation had spiraled completely out of control.
What had been trading at twenty silver just yesterday morning was now going for twenty-five.
How did he know? Because of this.
Jewel Frog Market Price: Currently 25 silver.
The merchants' guild had set up an official stall and started selling the creatures outright. Inside the cages, the jewel frogs croaked mournfully.
"Oh, customer. You've come to buy a jewel frog, I see. An excellent choice. Now this little fellow here..."
Someone approached the merchant and whispered in his ear. The merchant's eyes changed instantly.
"One moment, please."
The merchant walked over to the notice board.
Jewel Frog Market Price: Currently 30 silver.
"The price has changed slightly, sir."
What kind of market was this?
Askal stared at the merchant's greedy eyes and spoke in disbelief.
"Isn't this illegal? I was under the impression that breeding jewel frogs requires official permission from the state."
The merchant clicked his tongue.
"We get customers like you sometimes—people who heard some nonsense somewhere."
He pointed to the bottom of the notice board. The text was printed in tiny letters, so small that anyone with poor eyesight wouldn't be able to read it at all.
This jewel frog is being sold for food purposes and fully complies with imperial law. The buyer assumes all responsibility after purchase.
"If you're not buying, stop interfering with business and get lost. Plenty of people here actually want to buy."
Askal felt burning stares on his back. At some point, a crowd of people wanting to buy jewel frogs had gathered behind him.
"One for me!" "Two for me!" "I'll take everything you've got!" "Hehe. Purchases are limited to two per person. Please wait your turn."
The buyers were either wealthy-looking merchants or middle-aged men who clearly had money to burn.
It didn't make sense, but at least it still fell within the realm of a strange fad. There was still a chance it would die down.
Similar speculative frenzies in his previous life had been somewhat exaggerated, after all.
The next day.
"Director, look at this. It's that jewel frog everyone's talking about lately. Isn't it cute?"
Susia—who was openly part of the wealthy class—held up a frog in her palm and proudly showed it off. The frog croaked obediently on her hand, either because it had been tamed or because it was desperately trying not to fall to the floor.
"Susia. How much did you pay for that?"
"It was going for twenty silver?"
Thank goodness. The price had dropped just as he'd expected.
It seemed the empire still had plenty of sensible people. It was ridiculous for a frog with slightly unusual patterns to cost thirty silver. Even twenty silver was excessive. The proper ending would be for the price to return to its original one silver.
Askal opened the newspaper.
Is the Jewel Frog a Delusion?
If there's one creature that's been the undisputed talk of the empire lately, it's the jewel frog. These innocent creatures, which were once nothing more than a part of the ecosystem, have been dragged from their streams and turned into objects of speculation. Why?
We can only lay the blame at the feet of one man: Askal Erindale, Director of the Imperial Evaluation Department.
It is time to wake from this delusion and return the jewel frogs to nature.
— J.S., Editor-in-Chief
"Brilliant writing."
Indeed. Now he understood why the price had suddenly dropped. It was thanks to this J.S. from the Empire Magazine, who had coldly criticized the jewel frog speculation frenzy.
Whoever he was, he seemed like a respectable person with both common sense and a sense of justice.
"It's time to return the jewel frog to nature, Susia."
"What? But I spent half my allowance this month on it..."
"What kind of imperial official would commit an illegal act? Breeding jewel frogs without a permit is against the law."
At Askal's persuasion, Susia sniffled and carried the frog over to the window.
"You have to survive out there in the wild, Sapphire."
The jewel frog's back sparkled in the sunlight.
'Sapphire?'
Normally, jewel frogs had shiny green backs that could sometimes look like emeralds if you squinted. But the one Susia had raised was a brilliant sapphire blue.
The jewel frog leaped toward a tree across the way.
'Well, variants exist. It probably won't change anything.'
Askal filed away the remaining documents and prepared to leave work. Tonight he'd stop by the plaza and grab a simple sandwich for dinner.
Jewel Frog Market Price: Currently 50 silver.
What on earth had happened in the meantime?
Askal's eyes widened.
"Wait, the jewel frogs that were only twenty silver this morning are now fifty? Isn't this fraud?"
"Oh, it's that picky customer again. The one who never buys anything."
The merchant clicked his tongue once more.
"Take a good look."
He pointed at the frogs inside the cages.
"These are the original jewel frogs. Thirty silver. They're the most popular—nice, neutral colors that everyone likes. We call them Emerald Frogs."
"And these are the newly discovered variant jewel frogs. Also known as Sapphire Frogs. Forty silver."
"Now this one is truly special. Look at that beautiful obsidian-like sheen. Truly radiant, isn't it? These Obsidian Frogs are fifty silver."
Askal answered in disbelief.
"They're all the same frog, aren't they?"
"No. Tsk tsk. This is why amateurs shouldn't get involved. If you're not buying, then leave."
Once again, he felt burning stares on his back. When Askal turned around, he was stunned.
Previously it had been wealthy older people buying the frogs. This time, the age range and professions were completely different—ladies with parasols, young men and women, and even an old man with a cane had come to purchase jewel frogs.
"Out of the way, boy."
"Yes, sir."
Askal obediently stepped aside.
His prediction had been completely wrong.
The jewel frog craze that should have died down had instead entered a new phase with the discovery of new variants.
"Breaking news!!!! A Diamond Frog has been discovered!!!!"
"I'll buy one right now! Sixty silver!" "Sixty-five!" "Seventy silver!!!!"
Askal squeezed his eyes shut.
The Jewel Frog Frenzy Descends Into Madness
Incredible events continue to unfold. The price of jewel frogs has now surpassed seventy silver. Simply because of different patterns, they have become more expensive than a horse.
The empire's economy is falling into chaos.
The man responsible for this situation, Askal Erindale, must be condemned. He should take responsibility before the citizens of the empire, publicly apologize, and resign from his position.
— J.S., Editor-in-Chief
"He's insane. Is he truly a master with the pen?"
His arguments were logical, his criticism sharp as a blade. J.S. was truly an indispensable critic for the empire.
The line "Askal Erindale must be condemned and should resign from his position" especially struck a chord in Askal's heart.
"If only there had been more critics like him, the empire might not have walked the path to ruin..."
Askal wiped away a single tear with the back of his hand.
'Wait a minute.'
Suddenly, a lightning-like thought flashed through Askal's mind.
'I have to take responsibility for this situation?'
He picked up a quill.
The Empire Magazine had a column where people of social standing or fame could publish their opinions. And Askal certainly met those qualifications.
Without a single pause, Askal began scribbling away.
'J.S., you're excellent, but I was called a genius by my parents from a young age. Allow me to show you my true writing talent.'
There Is Something Invisible Within the Jewel Frog
— Askal Erindale, Director of the Imperial Evaluation Department
The article Askal submitted was published in the Empire Magazine. It was a piece defending the jewel frogs.
If one examined the content closely, it was full of empty rhetoric and flowery nonsense, but Askal knew one important truth.
People didn't read articles carefully anyway.
What mattered wasn't what was written, but who had written it.
Things began to unfold exactly as Askal had predicted.
When he went to the plaza wearing his hat pulled low, he observed the atmosphere.
Jewel Frog Market Price: Currently 80 silver.
'So far, so good.'
As expected, the price of jewel frogs was skyrocketing without limit. There is no such thing as an eternal bubble. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the bubble burst.
Jewel Frog Market Price: Currently 99 silver.
The next day, when Askal returned to the plaza, he witnessed a bizarre sight.
People had begun tying strings around the jewel frogs' bodies and taking them for walks. The frogs hopped around in pain but could not escape their leashes.
'I'm sorry, little frog. But this madness will be over soon.'
And one week later.
We are no longer selling jewel frogs. That's right. We've gone completely bankrupt.
"It burst!!!!!"
Askal couldn't contain his joy and shouted in the middle of the plaza.
The bubble had finally gone pop.
He found the latest issue of the Empire Magazine at a stall and bought it with a satisfied smile.
The Jewel Frog Has Fallen
It was a straightforward and excellent headline.
Askal began reading the article word by word, savoring every line. As expected, the editor-in-chief had written a piece condemning him. He particularly liked the part that said he must take responsibility.
"Are you Askal Erindale, Director of the Imperial Evaluation Department?"
"...I am."
Imperial guards wearing swords approached Askal as he was reading the newspaper.
In a calm voice, Askal said, "So this moment has finally arrived. Am I to be dismissed from my position?"
But the atmosphere was strange.
The imperial guards grabbed Askal's hands, pulled them behind his back, and forced him to his knees.
"Askal Erindale. You are under arrest on charges of market manipulation."
Wait.
'Now that I think about it, according to imperial law, the minimum sentence for market manipulation is...'
Maximum penalty: death.
He had gotten far too caught up in the excitement.
When Askal opened his eyes the next day, he was in prison.