Kays Translations

Just another Isekai Lover~

Chapter 40

At night, I arrived at the cluster of warehouses located beneath the art museum, heading toward our designated warehouse alongside the guildmaster.

Apparently, the assessments by the auctioneers had been going on since morning, and even now, multiple individuals were rotating through the warehouses to conduct checks.

In other words, being pushed to the evening slot meant that the Pigeon Company was still relatively unknown in this city.

“Good work, Letty, Melt. Anything unusual?”

“Ah, Same! Not at all~. We just occasionally heard some arguments coming from other warehouses, that’s all.”

“Most likely some people dissatisfied with how their items were appraised. As Melt-san said, there doesn’t seem to have been anything that would cause us harm directly.”

“I see. Guildmaster, so we wait here for the auctioneer?”

“Yes. It seems they’re currently evaluating the warehouse two doors down. However, it’s probably not the auctioneer himself, but rather an exclusive appraiser. Auctioneers usually handle assessments for major sellers.”

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Naturally, not every merchant guild in the city participates in this auction, but even so, eleven companies each present at least five items.

Given that, it’s no surprise the appraisals take considerable time.

While the number of participating vendors is relatively modest, that’s not the case for buyers.

Major merchant guilds with ample capital, nobles, and even royalty in disguise may take part.

Though, it’s said that royalty usually sends representatives instead of attending directly.

In any case, for those offering items, it’s a rare chance to gain recognition from the upper class and powerful companies—a huge advantage.

On the flip side, submitting half-baked goods could ruin a company’s reputation in an instant. Frightening indeed.

“So, which of you two is going inside the warehouse?”

“That would be me. I don’t anticipate any issues, but I am technically a noble, and I’m familiar with how to handle items and what precautions are needed.”

Looks like Letty is going inside.

Considering there are likely many valuable items, if Melt got curious and touched something… yep, this was the right call. Melt, you guard the outside properly.

“I understand. So, Letty and Same will go in. It looks like they’ve just finished with the warehouse next door. Our turn is coming up soon.”

However, the arriving appraiser’s outfit differed from the others’, which surprised the guildmaster.

It seemed that our items would not be assessed by a standard appraiser, but by the auctioneer himself.

“This is your first time participating, correct? You’re with the Pigeon Company, yes?”

“Yes. Here is our Merchant Guild certificate and my personal identification.”

“…Confirmed. You’re listing three items, correct?”

“Yes. Two are owned by our company, and one is being consigned on behalf of this adventurer here, Same. That brings us to three total.”

“I see, a consignment item. …Confirmed. Same-san, may I see your adventurer registration card?”

The man appeared to be in his late 50s.

He had an air of hidden intensity, cloaked beneath a graceful and composed demeanor—an impression not easily forgotten.

“Here you go.”

“Hmm… A Ruby Rank, impressive. Quite rare for someone so young.”

“Not at all—Letty, who’s handling security here with me, is even younger and also Ruby Rank.”

“Hmm? …I see, a member of the Glory Knights, then.”

“Yes.”

“The Pigeon Company has secured excellent security personnel.”

Apparently, there was something about Letty’s appearance that made it easy to tell she was with the Glory Knights.

Could it be her armor? She was wearing light armor…

And just then—

“I’m not with the Glory Knights, so I guess I’m not excellent security?”

Melt said that openly and innocently.

She didn’t seem particularly upset, but her voice had a slight tinge of guilt.

“My apologies. That’s not what I meant. If you’re trusted to be on the security team, then you are equally trusted and respected.”

“I see. That’s good, then.”

I thought I saw the auctioneer’s expression soften into a brief smile.

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…Cuteness is power. Even blunt comments become disarming when they come from someone cute.

“Now, shall we proceed into the warehouse?”

“Yes, I’ll unlock it now—”

“No need. Auctioneers carry master keys. Please make sure to always keep your key on you, and avoid letting it be seen in public.”

“Understood.”

Hmm… Could it be that there’s some kind of security mechanism embedded in the key?

“Guildmaster, it might be best not to insert that key into the lock unless absolutely necessary.”

“Hmm? And what do you mean by that?”

“Probably some kind of security check mechanism is in place.”

Is it magical? Or maybe mechanical?

Same’s mind ran through his accumulated experience and knowledge.

As a Swordsman/Thief, he seemed well-versed in these sorts of things.

“Most likely, it’s a Barrier Lock. If you twist it inside the lock, the key’s plating scrapes off and changes color. It tracks how many times the key’s been used.”

“…Impressive. As expected of a Ruby-ranked adventurer.”

“Haha… Yes, I can see some delicate plating on the key indeed…”

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“Exactly as Same-san said. The key has been triple-plated by the Alchemy Guild. It reveals how many times it’s been used. Once all the plating is gone, inserting it into the lock will make it impossible to remove. This serves to expose overly cautious merchants and to prevent uninformed individuals from using it.”

…Whoa. That’s some seriously high-fantasy stuff—this is getting exciting.

Not only does it function as security, but also as a test for the merchant.

“I see… So it identifies those who frequently check the warehouse?”

“Yes. It’s meant to eliminate anyone unfit to be here. This historic auction is only open to those with the resolve to stand firm against foreign economic interference and self-serving nobles. We don’t want amateurs meddling in this space.”

The aura he had been hiding now radiated outward.

A commanding presence backed by long-standing history—enough to make us instinctively want to take a step back.

“I see… I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Fufu. Still, this time, you saw through it. So I’ve chosen to disclose the secret as a reward. The Pigeon Company is fortunate—both in its security personnel and in its item holders.”

“Yes, I truly believe so. Let’s head inside. We’ve brought something I’m confident will create a strong connection—not just with this museum, but with the entire auction.”

“Heh, I look forward to seeing it.”

And so, wrapped in a faint air of tension, Letty, the guildmaster, the auctioneer, and I stepped into the warehouse.

“…Your former profession was something like a thief or a swindler, wasn’t it?”

“How rude. Though I suppose you’re not exactly wrong. I’ve been a fairly barbaric and violent person. You, of all people, should know that best, no?”

As we descended the stairs leading to the warehouse, Letty, taking the rear guard, asked in a low voice.

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Her tone had changed to something more polite, but she still seemed to harbor some lingering resentment toward me, judging from the slightly biting remark.

So I decided to respond with just a bit of pressure—poking at an old wound, so to speak.

“…I’m sorry.”

“You’re forgiven. It’s good to have that kind of insight.”

If she’s apologizing, then I’ll let it slide.

We continued down the stairs that led underground and unlocked the final iron gate.

Inside, there weren’t piles of cargo as one might expect—only three pedestals lined up neatly.

Each pedestal held a single item: one was a small wooden box, the second was a luxuriously decorated sword sheath, and the third was a somewhat larger box with an air of noble craftsmanship.

“Hmm… Then please show me each item, one by one.”

“Certainly. Let’s begin with this small box.”

The merchant guild president opened the wooden box, which was constructed much like a ring case, opening both from the top and bottom.

Inside, under the dim warehouse lighting, it wasn’t blindingly bright, but there it was—a sapphire raw gem, glowing a definite blue.

That’s definitely the first raw gem I exchanged for money.

“This is a raw sapphire.”

“Hmm… Quite a size. It looks like minimal cutting would be needed. Excellent color. Please tell me the origin of this gem.”

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“Yes. This was discovered by an adventurer exploring the natural dungeon ‘Great Forest of Dream Hill’ in the Kingdom of Golda.”

“I see… A natural dungeon in Golda, huh? If it’s dungeon-born, then this coloration and lack of residue make sense. I suspect it was generated by the dungeon itself.”

“Most likely.”

…They’re talking about dungeon properties I don’t know anything about. Sounds dangerous to butt in, so I’ll just keep quiet.

“I’ll need to do a more detailed appraisal. You’ve already had it assessed on your side, correct? May I see the certificate?”

“Yes, here it is.”

“…Hmm, I see. The quality is well guaranteed. This is endorsed by the Appraisers’ Guild.”

Originally, the guild president was looking for merchandise to save the trouble of transporting large sums of money.

Back then, I sold him this together with raw rubies and diamonds, and it was all bought for the equivalent of fifteen million.

So this one must’ve been worth around five million on its own—but…

“…Very few impurities, and excellent color. I’d say a starting bid of 140 gold coins is appropriate.”

“Oh! Well, I’m quite pleased—it’s a better price than I imagined!”

Seriously? When I sold it, it was 100 gold coins!

…Well, it’s fine, I guess.

“There are no natural dungeons in the Holy City. There are some along the borders, but due to the worsening relationship with Golda, tensions remain high. That’s why adventurers tend to avoid them. As a result, gemstones entering the Holy State are either produced in artificial dungeons or shipped across the sea. A gem of this size and quality is extremely rare in our market—it will likely fetch an even higher price.”

“I see… We must thank the adventurer who brought this in.”

As he said that, the guild president shot me a knowing smile.

Haha… You knew this would happen, didn’t you?

“Let’s move on to the next item. This is just a ceremonial sword sheath… correct?”

“Yes, unfortunately the sword itself has been lost. However—this is the sheath of the treasured sword once used by King Goldanian VI.”

“What!? Is that true!?”

“Yes. As you may know, we operated for a long time as a merchant company in the castle town of Golda. We’d grown to a respectable size. It feels improper to speak ill of another country, but Golda’s financial state has been poor. Some years ago, when they sought a loan from us, we received this sheath as collateral. We have the contract from that time right here.”

“…That royal seal is undoubtedly from Golda… And with the attached certificate of authenticity, this must be genuine…”

“Indeed. It belonged to the former king—renowned both as a wise ruler and a famed dungeon explorer. Though the sword itself has been lost, we believe this sheath holds considerable value, which is why we’ve decided to put it up for auction.”

I see… so that’s one of the royal family’s shameful secrets.

I had always suspected that the royal family of that country had financial troubles—or at the very least, were plagued with all sorts of problems.

Pawning off something that could easily be considered a national treasure… Yeah, that’s definitely shameful.

“…Don’t tell me, the lost sword—if the legend is true—”

“Yes. It is likely still lodged within that dragon.”

“The item’s history, the intricacy of its craftsmanship, and on top of that, the fact that the legend is still ongoing—that narrative weight gives it immense value. It’s a magnificent item. I believe we can safely set the starting bid at 300 gold coins, at the very least. We’ll promote it as the highlight of this auction.”