Chapter 35: Trade City Heizen ⑬ – The Blue Light
When we got home, Hoss was there, so I told him what Ruma had said.
He quietly answered, “Got it,” and started preparing dinner.
After dinner, Hoss said he had something to do and left the house.
He never came back, even deep into the night.
The next day.
Hoss still hadn’t returned.
Anna Kreutzen and Mineha made breakfast.
I’m worried about him… but it’s Hoss. He’ll be fine.
And he probably left because of Luma.
I don’t know the details.
I don’t know how far I’m allowed to step into it.
So I decided this much: if Hoss really ends up in trouble and asks for help, I’ll help him with everything I’ve got.
“Thanks for the meal.”
“Na!”
“Well then, I’ll be borrowing Lady Dagaa again today.”
“Na!”
For some reason, Gymnema was here again, and Dagaa was perched on his shoulder.
I have no idea what they’re doing, but at least I’m not worried for Dagaa’s safety.
Just… worried for other reasons.
That combination does not inspire confidence.
“Mind if I tag along?”
Bid asked Gymnema, and they agreed without refusing.
Apparently Bid is curious too. If they learn anything, they’ll tell us.
Anna Kreutzen and Mineha handled the dishes.
Shaldina was cleaning. She still had so many places she must clean, she said enthusiastically.
And then the witch, Mineha, and I headed to the basement garbage dump.
“Alright, here you go. The newly adjusted medicine.”
The witch handed me the vial, and I took one pill.
Since it was a tablet, I washed it down with tea from the Crescent Flask.
“Mineha, could you give me a theme?”
“Me? Hmm… how about rings?”
“Oho.”
“Rings, huh.”
I activated Wheel of Fortune and pictured rings.
Green lights appeared here and there in the garbage pit, with a few yellow ones mixed in.
“Well now, how does it look?”
“There’s quite a few.”
I picked up a ring from the nearest green light.
A red ring with a small blue gemstone attached.
“Hey, I just thought of something… Without someone like Arifa with Appraisal, we actually don’t know what these things are worth, right?”
Ah. She noticed.
The witch and I exchanged glances.
“Well well, yes, not knowing what they are is inconvenient. But as long as Wof-boy knows the value, that’s enough. So? How is it?”
“I think I can tell the difference. Mineha, could you pick some up? I’ll direct you.”
“Sure.”
She picked four green-light rings and one yellow-light ring.
“Hmm-hmm. Oh, this is a bone ring.”
The witch delightedly held the creepy ring.
Mineha inspected the yellow-light ring with interest.
“This is definitely a wedding ring. Look—there’s a message engraved inside. From Erik, to Elin, with love.”
Ahh. That’s a flag.
May they rest in peace.
“Yep yep. Everything was a ring.”
“Right, all the ones you mentioned were rings.”
“So… is that a success?”
“Mm-hmm. Looks that way to me.”
“Something’s bothering you?”
Mineha asked, and I hesitated.
It was bothering me… but what exactly?
But something was off.
What? What was wrong?
I stared at the garbage dump. Hard.
This garbage dump… has been strange from the very beginning.
Yes. It’s strange. Something has been off this whole time.
But I didn’t know what.
Maybe it was because of the Gold Eater earlier.
But no—this was different.
Maybe there was nothing.
No. There is something.
I only don’t understand because I’m not capable of noticing—yet.
I looked at the vial the witch had given me.
Seven pills left.
“The witch… This medicine increases sensitivity to relics, right? It amplifies relic effects?”
“Oh my, what’s this about? Yes, it acts on relics. Especially enhancing their effects.”
“…Wof?”
I stared at the vial.
I would definitely get scolded later.
I smirked at myself and swallowed all seven pills at once, washing them down with the Crescent Flask.
“Wh—Wof-boy!?”
“Wof!?”
“—…!?”
Something—shatters.
A transparent barrier I couldn’t touch bursts apart dramatically.
My head feels lighter.
No, my heart.
Something thick that had been covering me is gone— and I only realized it after it vanished.
Even after awakening, I never knew.
I’d been living inside a tiny, narrow world.
But I also learned I can still live like that.
Still, I won’t say ignorance is better.
Knowing is better.
So this… this is growth.
Not awakening—growth.
Wheel of Fortune evolves into
Circle of Fortune.
Circle of Fortune
Reveals all things truly valuable and hidden.
Green = Rare
Yellow = Super Rare
Blue = Extremely rare, Super Ultra Rare
Purple = The impossible Ultimate Rare
Also guides the owner to items valuable specifically to them.
User can freely choose what to display.
“… … … … …”
I was stunned.
Like—what? What is happening?
What is this? What does this even mean?
What is going on?
The relic— and the scene before my eyes— were both unbelievable.
But it wasn’t a hallucination.
It was real.
Because before my eyes—
Countless blue lights were shimmering.
Not one.
Countless.
So this…
This is the true nature of Heizen’s garbage dump?
“What is that?”
Those blue lights… look familiar.
Familiar—
familiar—
Without thinking, I ran.
“Wof!?”
“Hey now, what’s gotten into you?”
It looks familiar. That blue light. So familiar, so similar.
Midway up the garbage mound—somewhere ahead.
I used Vanish to shave away layers.
I can feel it.
The location of each blue light.
How deep.
Where it is.
Circle of Fortune tells me intuitively.
“This one! Found it!”
I unearthed a blue-glowing box.
A red wooden box—
No, it looked wooden…
A majestic bird with spread wings was painted on top.
It almost looked like a bird of flame.
A bird of flame?
“What a fine box.”
“Hm hm. It looks like wood but isn’t. It’s metal. So what about this box?”
“The light looked familiar.”
“What light?”
I opened the box.
Everyone stared, breath held.
Inside was a carefully placed egg.
No—a perfectly egg-shaped case.
“This is a Holy Elixir Egg.”
Golden ancient letters were engraved on the surface.
They read:
“Phoenix Resurrection Egg.”
One of the Three Eggs of Haiyaan.