Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 41
A sound of someone gasping could be heard from somewhere.
Whether it came from the auctioneer or from Letty, it wasn’t clear.
But what was certain was that, for a moment, silence filled the entire warehouse.
“No way… It’s far larger than the previous item… Is this genuine?”
“Here is the certificate with the same appraiser’s signature as before.”
“This… deserves a proper, thorough appraisal.”
The auctioneer moved a desk over from within the warehouse and began lining up various tools.
They were likely measuring devices and lighting instruments—probably operating via magical mechanisms.
“…Incredible. There’s barely any need to cut it at all. There are hardly any sections that would be unusable as gemstones in this raw stone. This size, this clarity, this deep blue… It’s undoubtedly sapphire. Same-san, could you tell us the background of this item?”
“Of course. Actually, I was also the one who brought in the previously appraised sapphire. Originally, while exploring the Dreamhill Great Forest, I discovered the remains—now fully skeletal—of what appeared to be an adventurer who must’ve died some time ago in a river. Admittedly, it’s a bit shameless, but I searched the leather pouch found with the body and discovered a raw gemstone. Along with it, however, I found the adventurer’s journal. It seems the original owner was a cautious person who hid his wealth across multiple dungeons. This particular sapphire was one I discovered hidden inside the ‘Scorched Earth Canyon.’”
“A hidden treasure left by an ancient adventurer…? Given how large and flawless this raw stone is, it can only be dungeon-born. In that case, it might be best not to reveal the full background. Stories that hint at death are unnecessary… But no, even such tales are overshadowed by this brilliance… Guildmaster, I must admit, it may have been premature to promote the earlier item as the main attraction. Let us designate this one instead, with an appropriate title, as the highlight of this auction.”
“Oh! To think it would receive a name of its own! By all means, please do so.”
It seemed events were unfolding just as the guildmaster had predicted.
But—
“Please wait a moment.”
At that point, Letty, who had remained silent until now, raised her voice.
“What is it, Letty-san?”
“Is something wrong?”
“…Same-san, when exactly did you visit the Scorched Earth Canyon?”
“Hmm… Over a month ago, I think? Guildmaster, do you know the exact date?”
“Yes, it was when we traveled from Golda. There should be a record at the border checkpoint. As Same-san says, it was about a month and a half ago.”
“…Then, Same-san might have been the last adventurer to enter the Scorched Earth Canyon. To obtain such a treasure at that timing…”
“The last…?”
It seemed Letty wasn’t objecting out of personal dislike.
What did she mean by “the last adventurer”?
“At present, the area surrounding the Scorched Earth Canyon is under strict guard by the kingdom. I can’t disclose the reason due to a royal directive. Same-san, after this auction, would you be willing to visit our clanhouse again?”
“Hmm… Sounds like there’s a complicated situation going on. Understood.”
“I have no further comments about the gem. I apologize for the interruption.”
…What’s going on? Did something happen in the Scorched Earth Canyon?
“If it’s a state matter, then we shouldn’t pry too much. Very well, let’s return to the appraisal. Regarding the name… Let’s see. In the past, we had a sapphire titled ‘Eye of the Sky.’ While it surpassed this one in size, this stone’s coloration is superior. Then perhaps… ‘Eye of the Deep Sea’ would be fitting. A profound, endlessly dark blue. Unlike Azure, it has clarity. Truly worthy of the name ‘deep sea.’”
“Oh… ‘Eye of the Deep Sea’! How honored I am! To receive a name akin to the ‘Eye of the Sky’ that once adorned a royal scepter!”
“I’ll have my staff begin promoting it right away. As for the starting price… With a stone of this size, it surpasses the limits of what can be naturally produced. A miracle born in a dungeon. Frankly, we’re unsure how to price it. But why not match the starting price of the Eye of the Sky—5,000 gold coins?”
What…!? You’ve got to be kidding me! This is the same type of gem as the first raw stone! Sure, it’s bigger and cleaner, but can the price really change that much just from size!?
If I remember right, one gold coin is worth around 50,000 yen… so that’s… 250 million yen…!? That’s absurd… that’s beyond astronomical…
“…I was prepared for this. This will be the largest amount of money our company has ever dealt with. Same-san, we’ll leave the final decision to you—does this price work?”
“…Honestly, I’m shaking a bit. If that’s the starting price, the final bid is going to be something unbelievable. That’s an amount far too large for an individual to handle. But… refusing to sell or lowering the price is out of the question. I accept.”
“Understood. Then the starting bid shall be 5,000 gold coins.”
I didn’t even have the courage to ask how much the Eye of the Sky had eventually sold for.
With hearts pounding, everyone finished the appraisal and left the warehouse.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave now. I’ll inform the auction attendees immediately, and the museum director as well. This may very well become a national treasure.”
“Haha… Even I’m starting to get nervous. I’m counting on you.”
The auctioneer hurried off, leaving behind the guildmaster, Letty, and Melt, who had been standing guard outside.
“What, what? Did something happen?”
“…Melt, let’s take our guarding duties very seriously from now on. This is no longer just a regular security job.”
“???”
“Ahh, it’s something pretty amazing, so just be sure to guard it well, okay?”
“Got it! It must be worth a ton! I wonder if it’s enough to buy a house!”
More than enough, I thought. But there are guards from other companies too, so best keep that to ourselves.
I raised a finger to my lips, signaling for silence.
“Shh… okay?”
“Right. …You could probably buy a mansion, not just a house…”
Yeah, no doubt about it… It’s over 250 million yen, after all…
“Well then, we should get going too. We have tomorrow’s venue meeting and a talk with Shuris-sama, after all.”
“Right. Melt, Letty, I’ll be heading out now. Take care of the security.”
“Yup! I’ll guard it properly! After the auction, let’s go eat something nice, okay? I bet we can afford to splurge a little! I really want to eat a big hunk of meat!”
“Hahaha, sure. I’ll treat you to a place with some delicious meat.”
“…Somehow, I feel off-balance when I’m around Melt. But I swear on our clan’s name—I’ll protect this with everything I have.”
“Got it, Letty.”
At this point, calling it a simple security job no longer applied.
And so, leaving the two of them behind, the guildmaster and I departed from the museum.
The Next Day – Auction Day
The auction was scheduled to begin at 7 PM, but as the evening approached, I was still alone in my room at the inn, deeply troubled.
“Seriously…? There’s a dress code…? Well, I guess that’s obvious.”
I was worrying about what to wear.
This world is more developed than I imagined—even in terms of fashion technology.
But it’s still not at the stage where you can mass-produce standardized clothing. Let alone formal wear appropriate for a high-class event like an auction—that’s not something you can prepare in a single day.
Which meant I needed to find some kind of outfit—or even equipment—that would be acceptable to wear to tonight’s auction.
“Something that looks like formal wear… I do have a tuxedo, but… probably not the right look. It needs to be fancier…”
At the very least, the people from the other trading companies and those I saw around the noble district yesterday were dressed much more elegantly.
Honestly, I stuck out like a sore thumb.
So then…
“Should I just go with something that looks impressive?”
Like the “Holy Knight Full Set,” or even the stronger “Radiant Wyvern Series.”
That one was among the strongest gear in the game and had a pretty popular visual design.
Actually, it’s the same set I used for dungeon clearing as Same. But still, wearing it in the real world takes some serious guts.
“Ugh… desperate times call for desperate measures!”
Time to suit up in the Radiant Wyvern Series! It’s flashy, it’s gorgeous, it even has auto-regen! I look like some kind of legendary hero—it’s super embarrassing!
“…I mean, yeah, I knew it, but… Same really does look cool, huh.”
I geared up and checked my reflection in the mirror.
Yup, super fancy. Not over-the-top, but clearly crafted with exquisite detail and beautiful metallic shine.
There’s a faint bluish tint with light and dark gradients that bring out elegant patterns.
I turned off the helmet setting, and instead of my usual beginner sword at my waist, I equipped a beautiful blade that matched the armor’s grandeur.
This wasn’t part of my main or combat-ready gear—just a purely “fashion item.”
You know the kind—doesn’t perform all that well, but it looks amazing. Happens in every game.
“Alright, let’s head to the clan home first… Kill some time with Shuris-san… Then off to the Pigeon Trading Company. Ugh… walking around Lindblum in this getup is gonna be so awkward…”
When I left the inn, the landlady gasped and said, “What in the world!? Dressed like that—you look like some kind of knight commander!”
Okay, but it’s not that weird… right?
“Excuse me, it’s Sam-san. I came to meet up with Shuris-san.”
“Wha—!? Same-san!? What’s with that gear…? You look like a royal guard—or no, that’s like general-level armor!”
“Ah—well, it is a high-society event with nobles attending… So I thought I’d dress accordingly.”
“Dress accordingly…? That has to be custom-made… Who are you, man…?”
“Let’s just say I’m a man of many secrets.”
The gatekeeper at the clan home was the same guy I once gave a potion to when healing Letty’s injury.
Please don’t ask any more questions.
Anyway, despite his surprise, he led me inside.
“! You startled me… Welcome, Same-san. The captain is still getting dressed. Please wait here.”
“Got it, thanks, Alice-san.”
While I waited in the lounge, I could hear murmurs and whispers all around me.
The atmosphere… was incredibly uncomfortable.
“Judging by his strength the other day, I figured he had some fame somewhere, but…”
“What crest is that? Those dragon-scale-like patterns… Is it native to this continent…?”
“Where’d that armor come from? No way that’s from a workshop for adventurers or mercenaries…”
Well, it’s self-made! All my crafting skills are maxed out!
Took me a whole real-life year to gather the materials. MMO players know what I mean—endgame gear material grind takes forever.
Honestly, I should’ve just saved money and bought it off the market. Way faster. Though ridiculously expensive.
But that’s fine! Crafting it yourself is all about the romance!
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Same-san. Well now… so you went with armor too? And such magnificent armor at that.”
“Shuris-san, thanks for having me. You look incredible too—elegant and strong. Is that ceremonial or formal wear?”
“Fufu, if you mean it looks that beautiful, thank you. But technically, this is my battle attire. The dress parts are all woven from the fibers of the ‘Sacred Tree Arias’ bark. The armor segments were crafted by the ‘Golden Thread Maiden’ of the Spirit Nation, Hamsterdam. Not to brag, but I’d say it’s currently the most expensive and high-performing armor set out there.”
“Whoa… That’s some serious pedigree. I’ll be honest, I don’t even know what half those names mean…”
Hamsterdam… it really exists!
What’s this Golden Thread Maiden, though?
Could it be… a female golden hamster?
Just imagine a giant little hamster forging armor with a tiny hammer…
“Still, I must say, Same-san, your armor looks to be of considerable quality as well. From what I can tell… mithril silver, with some kind of spiritual material… possibly components from a high-level monster. That blue pattern—it’s not decorative, is it? It’s the will of that beast manifesting itself. Actually, in this case, perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a blessing. I’d say it rivals my own armor. You’re clearly no ordinary adventurer.”
“Hmm… well, yeah, I guess I’m not exactly ‘ordinary.’ But this isn’t something I usually wear, you know? I only put it on because I didn’t have any formal wear or noble-style outfits.”
“Oh, is that so? I could’ve sworn you were some noble born and raised.”
“Wait, is that really how I come across?”
“Judging from your manner of speaking and your breadth of knowledge, I figured you were from a good household. But I won’t pry any further. Shall we head to the trading company?”
Hmm… seems like this world has a slightly lower average level of education—or rather, access to education is probably limited to certain people.
Although maybe that varies by country.
“Oh? That sword at your hip… it’s different from your usual one, isn’t it? Mind if I take a closer look?”
“Wha—hey, Shuris-san!?”
At that moment, Shuris-san leaned in close and reached for the sword at my waist as if embracing me.
Is she some kind of weapon enthusiast!?
“Hmm… it looks like a ceremonial sword, doesn’t it?”
“Yup. Average performance-wise, really.”
“Indeed, it doesn’t seem to be made from any special material. But the finish is beautiful, and it looks to perform better than your typical sword. The blade’s been finely honed… not cast, but forged properly—hmm, maybe an alloy?”
…Yeah, I have no idea.
“Alright, now we really are off.”
A man and a woman, both clad in strikingly beautiful armor, walking through the streets together.
Naturally, we attracted plenty of attention…
By the time we arrived at the Pigeon Trading Company, the sun had already begun to set.
“Welcome, Same-san, Shuris-dono. Thank you both for coming. We’ll be traveling by carriage today, rather than on foot. It’s already being prepared out front, so please wait here for a moment.”
The president of the trading company, dressed in more flamboyant attire than usual, greeted us in the reception room while we waited for the preparations to be completed.
It didn’t seem like the distance to the auction required a carriage, but I suppose this kind of formality is expected at such events.
“Still, with Same-san also in armor, it’s almost like we’re escorting a VIP with two bodyguards. Of course, Shuris-dono is already quite the presence, but I imagine Same-san will also draw quite a bit of attention.”
“Yeah… I’m starting to regret not going with a slightly more modest set of armor. Do you think your company could maybe help me acquire formal wear appropriate for events like this in the future?”
“Of course, we’d be happy to. But really… if you already own such splendid armor, isn’t it fine to wear it? High-quality gear like that is a mark of a capable adventurer.”
“Well… when people stare too much, it just makes it hard to move around…”
Ahh… please, please let me go unnoticed at the venue.
Well, I’m sure the nobles are used to seeing all kinds of extravagant armor. Probably.