1.
Fire, wind, earth, water.
And even the Five Elements represented by wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
No matter the direction, imbuing equipment with the energies and powers that exist in the world requires commensurate effort and skill.
That effort and skill might lie in the method of ornamentation or the method of refinement, but the most cost-effective option was simple: use good materials.
The problem was that rare materials were no different...
To obtain better materials, something more precious, immense effort was required.
"...So this is meteorite iron?"
"That is correct. Flowing out from the divine realm, passing through the heavens, and falling to the earth..."
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[Pebble] [☆☆☆☆☆]
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[It is a rock.]
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Of course, you could run into scammers like this.
In the end, the key was not to look too desperate.
"...Wow, meteorite iron. Incredible."
"...Are you serious?"
Especially in a place like this, the identity of the acquaintance you came with could be important.
I turned to look at the woman beside me, who was staring at the pebble in fascination.
She had a black hood wrapped tightly around her head and wore a white mask.
I was dressed the same way, but bright red hair stuck out in tufts from beneath her hood...
And she even had huge sunglasses perched over her white mask.
Then why did she even insist on a disguise?
Of course, it was Yeomhwa.
This was how it had happened. Yeomhwa, bored out of her mind, came by the workshop...
I told her I was looking into materials for this round of equipment crafting, and she thumped her chest, told me to trust her, then dragged me off somewhere.
Cordelia's analysis had just been completed, and I had been in the middle of choosing materials anyway, so I agreed.
Our destination was an anonymous auction house in the southern part of the Empire.
Apparently, it was a place where you could buy and sell valuable goods without revealing your identity...
Before the auction began, you could browse goods at the stalls spread out by the entrance like this.
"Your big sister knows places like this. Just trust me. Shopkeeper, how much is this?"
"Three hundred thousand gold."
"No, that's way too cheap!! I'll take it... ngh?!"
Pinch.
I gently pinched Yeomhwa's thigh, and when she flinched and turned toward me, I was able to get us away from the stall.
"Why...?"
"I have a good eye. It was just a rock."
"Gasp..."
How did someone like this even possess Marcus Tmir's Grimoire?
We had rushed here on a whim, but once we reached the south, something occurred to me.
"But Amy, didn't you say your family home was in the south?"
"..."
Portanya, was it? I seemed to recall hearing it was a port city.
For the record, Amy was Yeomhwa's alias for this auction-house trip.
And as for me...
"...I'll bring Luca and visit someday~"
I was Luca.
Yeomhwa paused for a moment, then lifted her sunglasses with one finger... but all that was underneath was the white mask.
Why did sunglasses over a mask piss me off so much?
"Sounds good."
We passed between the stalls and entered the auction house.
For the record, this outing was not an officially approved one that Dolores had permitted.
Yeomhwa had only unilaterally notified her... so I had to bear the barrage of DMs.
[Lionel]: I'm doing fine, nothing's wrong....
[Lionel]: I'll return as soon as we're done.
Even while we searched for our seats inside the auction house, I sent messages to soothe Dolores.
She seemed to have calmed down somewhat, so I drove in the final nail.
[Lionel]: I'll make sure to hold Yeomhwa's hand tightly so I don't get lost.
This was the key point—Lesson One in reassuring Dolores.
It was what Mama always said.
To hold hands while walking around.
[Mama]: You don't have to hold on too tightly, Lionel.
Hm...?
[Mama]: When you come home, let's make sure you go to sleep promptly and not too late today, Lionel.
[Mama]: I'll be in my office, so make sure to knock on my door before you sleep, all right?
"..."
Ah.
...This was one of Dolores's hardline protests. If you don't sleep, neither will I.
There was no helping it tonight.
Just as I was preparing to make that sacrifice and close the DM window...
"...?"
[Seren de Lumiere] [21]
...Huh?
She'd sent quite a lot of messages.
Had I really not checked them for that long?
I was about to type a reply at least, but...
Bang, bang!
"We will now begin the auction. We ask all attendees to please take their seats."
With the announcement, the lights inside began to dim.
Squeeze...
Yeomhwa, beside me, gripped my hand tightly too.
"Luca, let's sit here."
"...Sure, sure."
I closed the message window for now. I should reply a little later.
But when I turned my head...
"...?"
There was only one seat?
Yeomhwa sat down as though it were only natural, gently took hold of my waist with both hands...
Swoop.
"Oh."
And placed me right on her lap.
Something soft, squishy, and plush pressed against my back, while her arms wrapped around the front of my waist.
"You can see well, ri... Lu, Luca?"
"...Yes."
My line of sight was unobstructed, at least.
Rock, rock...
"Hehe."
With her nose buried against the nape of my neck, Yeomhwa gently swayed her body as though satisfied.
"I want to kiss you, but I can't because of the mask."
"Do it in the carriage..."
And so Luca ended up watching the auction nestled in Amy's embrace.
Only now did I take in the auction house's interior. Naturally, there was a podium at the front where items were displayed.
The seats were arranged in a circle facing it.
A blue stone was embedded at the end of each chair's armrest.
"Putting mana into that means you're placing a bid."
Tap, tap.
"Since it's an anonymous auction house, it means your voice won't be revealed either."
In fact, the spaces between seats were fairly wide, likely to protect everyone's identities.
According to what Yeomhwa had told me before we came... this place often handled goods that tower-climbing parties and guilds had diverted through the back door.
Items whose origins were exceedingly difficult to reveal, but whose quality was guaranteed.
So it would not be strange for equipment, materials, elixirs, or anything else to show up.
In a way, it was the perfect place for me.
And I really liked the phrase "leaked out the back door."
It might be a headache from an organization's perspective, but the consumer's perspective was the complete opposite.
Besides... when it came to selecting materials, there was no chance I would get ripped off.
Like with that pebble earlier.
After we waited a while, the lighting over the podium brightened a little more.
"Thank you for waiting. Now then... let us unveil today's first item!"
At the auctioneer's gesture, a square case covered in cloth was brought up to the podium.
Rustle.
When the cloth was removed...
Inside the large glass case was a pink liquid in a finger-sized flask.
"...There is no need to explain it. Once every six years, an elixir said to emerge from the temple of the Goddess of Lust...!"
"...Lustia?"
Then that was...
Most likely an aphrodisiac or a virility tonic—something in that vein.
Flash, flash.
"We've confirmed another bid! Are there any more?"
Blue lights flashed everywhere throughout the audience.
I thought they were putting on fireworks.
"..."
First impressions really were important.
They were starting with an item that had very obvious demand.
"Interested, Amy?"
I asked teasingly, but...
"...Amy?"
"..."
Our Amy did not answer.
Well, then.
The auction continued after that.
An ancient tome said to contain someone's secret art, a mask that changed its wearer's face when mana was infused into it...
Even shoes that could erase your presence for a brief while.
There was quite a variety, but they were all around three stars, with four stars being the highest-rated equipment.
They were pretty underwhelming by my standards, but...
Flash, flash.
The auction house's lights looked like a club.
Nothing but blue flashes. Seriously.
Everyone sure looked excited.
They looked truly terrible, but considering the average quality of equipment in this world, perhaps it could not be helped.
"..."
Ugh, this was boring.
In the end, while keeping my eyes fixed ahead, I began thinking about something else.
Cordelia.
In my mind, I pictured Cordelia's every feral movement...
Cordelia porn, for short.
It really was that explicit.
The direction I had in mind, first of all... was that I wanted to reduce the sword's weight to the absolute limit.
I wanted it to be so light that you would wonder whether she was even holding it.
I wanted it to be a sword that became one with Cordelia.
You know, unity of sword and self.
Of course, the blade mattered too, but the part that ultimately touched the hand was the grip.
The grip's material... and its shape were important too...
I needed to make a masterpiece of a grip that fit perfectly in her hand.
There was a limit to what I could tell by watching videos.
...Didn't I need to at least hold her hand?
When she came to the mansion soon, I should hold her hand for thirty minutes...
"Yawn..."
Thinking about it made me yawn.
"Li... baby, are you sleepy?"
Yeomhwa whispered softly from behind me.
"Want me to cover you with my clothes? Want to sleep?"
"No."
Shake, shake.
I turned my head and opened my eyes wide.
Let's hold out a little longer.
After several pieces of equipment and virility tonics found owners...
"Haha, the atmosphere is certainly heated, isn't it?"
The auctioneer smiled and spread his palms wide.
"All right, then! As a brief change of pace, let me introduce several minerals and crafting materials."
"...Huh?"
What change of pace?
Now things were finally getting interesting.
But then...
There was rustling all around us... and people began rising from their seats one after another, heading for the exits.
It seemed they were really going to take a break.
Probably a smoke break or something.
It made sense. This was a world where the concept of crafting high-grade equipment barely existed...
To these people, a mineral auction seemed to be the so-called "seasoned eggplant" segment wedged between the fun parts.
"...Heh."
I leaned more comfortably into Yeomhwa's embrace.
If the competition was going to leave... then it was an absurdly sweet deal for me.
And so the auction for materials began...
Oh, right.
All the money used at today's auction would be coming from Yeomhwa's purse.
"It's your allowance~"
That was what she had told me before we left.
Big sisters who gave generous allowances were always welcome.
"Our first material is a mineral extracted from the web of a Giant Spider..."
A tiny box was brought onto the podium.
When its lid opened, I saw a clump like a wad of white thread compressed tightly into a wax ball.
Let's see.
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[Spider Web Stone] [★★★★★]
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[A mineral extracted from a Giant Spider's web.]
[When heated to ultra-high temperatures, it regains its powerful viscosity before hardening.]
[When completely melted, an adhesive surface the size of a fingernail can withstand up to ten tons of load.]
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"..."
Holy shit.
This was insane.
This was seriously ridiculous.
There had always been one thing that disappointed me whenever I made equipment...
The lack of usable adhesive.
Cutting grooves so components could fit together and driving in pins was all well and good, but whenever I had to insert pins and secure every tiny fucking decoration, it was far from the first or second time it had driven me crazy.
So every time I needed it, I collected rubber tree sap and struggled to somehow use it as adhesive...
'This works?'
Just being able to fasten things with that would make designs vastly more flexible.
There were shapes I had given up on because I had no way to attach them.
I slowly looked around.
How many chances would you get in your life to participate in an auction?
At times like this, it was all a battle of nerves.
Don't make it obvious that you want it...
Press, press.
I pressed Yeomhwa's thigh.
There was something Yeomhwa had told me—if there was something I wanted to buy, I should press her thigh.
Then, she said, big sister would take care of it.
'Big sis, buy that for me, please!!!!!'
Press, press.
"Don't worry."
Yeomhwa whispered into my ear as if to reassure me.
Hum.
The stone embedded in the armrest flashed with light.
"Bid of five thousand gold!"
For reference, the highest price today had been five hundred thousand gold for a four-star piece of equipment.
That was about fifty million won.
Someone might ask why anyone would burn fifty million won on spiderweb, but if we won it, this would be an all-time steal.
Considering the value of the output I could make from it... anything under two hundred thousand gold was an absurd bargain.
Even three hundred thousand gold would not feel bad.
Please, everyone, go piss.
Just as I clutched my racing heart...
"Any further bids? Three, two, one. Yes, sold!"
"...?"
"Huh...?"
We had successfully won it.
We had won it incredibly easily.
No one coveted a five-star material.
Even the auctioneer was...
"Haha, please prepare the next item!"
He briskly sent the mineral backstage as though he had just cleared away a burdensome piece of luggage.
"...What was that?"
"Ea, easy. I told you to trust your big sister, didn't I?"
We got this for five thousand gold.
"..."
My instincts were screaming right now.
I had a feeling.
This place today was...
"The next item is... ah, yes, there is no particular explanation for it. It is a moss-covered rock!"
"..."
"It is an exceedingly precious, precious mineral... and perhaps even suitable for ornamental purposes? Yes, um... as you can see, it has abundant greenery, so it appears likely to be very good for the respiratory system as well...!"
A moss-covered rock that the auctioneer was desperately trying to sell while sweating profusely.
Green moss grew over a rock the size of a human head.
It looked ordinary enough that I would have believed someone had picked it up from a nearby mountain, but...
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[Growth Stone] [★★★★★]
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[A mineral lost in the deepest reaches of the Great Forest.]
[For countless years, it absorbed life force near the World Tree's roots.]
[When supplied with mana, it regenerates damaged sections to their original state.]
[Its regenerative nature remains even when fused with other metals.]
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『It does not die even if it breaks.』
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"..."
Oh, my head.
Press, press.
First, big sis, buy that for me.
After giving Yeomhwa's thigh a squish, I pondered for a moment.
So this place today felt like it was going to become my personal honey pot.
With equipment, at least a basic appraisal device could identify the number of stars.
Even if you did not know the detailed effects, the star rating gave you a rough sense of how much money to invest.
But minerals were entirely different. Appraisal devices could not read them at all.
In the end, you had to identify them by examining their appearance and determining where they had come from.
If it was a famous, well-known mineral, that was one thing... but if the material's origin was not even clear, there was no choice but to rely on the viewer's intuition and discernment.
In that sense, that rock...
"Should we try five thousand gold...?"
Yeomhwa, who had told me to trust only her, was already asking me for advice.
"Let's just throw out one thousand gold."
"Ah, yes, little one."
Hum.
"Sold for one thousand gold!"
A material containing the secret art of the Children of the Forest and the life force of the World Tree...
We acquired it easily.
Ah.
What was this empty feeling?
It felt like I had wasted half my life.
I should have come here sooner.
"Was it like this when you brought things to me too?"
"Yeah... I just swept up everything I saw..."
Ah, so that was it.
It was not that Yeomhwa's purse was fat. It was that the fish outnumbered the water.
After several alchemical materials found owners, the auctioneer placed an item on the podium with a particularly confident expression.
And then...
"Sold for two hundred thousand gold!!!! The jewel containing a dragon's breath has been sold for two hundred thousand gooold!!"
A dragon's breath.
On the outside, it was a beautiful gemstone, exceptionally clear and shimmering brilliantly, but...
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[Dragon Dung] [★☆☆☆☆]
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[The feces of a thousand-year dragon.]
[It hardened over a long period of time and took on a transparent luster.]
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Someone had suffered the disaster of buying dragon shit for two billion won.
"..."
A truly historic catastrophe.
What was that person going to do?
"...Aren't you buying that?"
"No."
I did not have a hobby of buying someone else's shit.
Such was the world of auctions, where appearances mattered more.
I nodded.
Yeah, this was enough.
Thinking I had profited more than enough, I was about to shift my position and lean comfortably into Yeomhwa when...
"The next item is..."
When a new case was brought out from backstage, the auctioneer's voice grew somewhat dejected.
"...Ah, yes. It is a mineral."
His confidence plummeted.
On the stand sat a boulder as large as a person's upper body.
Its surface was pitch-black and uneven.
But... strangely, whenever I turned my head... its color changed.
"Yes, it is a rather unique mineral, its black surface mixed with blue surfaces... It is presumed to contain metal..."
Rustle.
The auctioneer turned through his pages as he read.
"Its place of origin is currently unknown as well... yes, the starting price is one hundred gold. We will begin bidding."
In the end, he trailed off and finished as though giving up on selling it.
But I...
"..."
My eyes were wider than they had ever been since I was born as Lionel.
It felt as though my body were being pulled straight forward.
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[Beyond-Heavens Meteoric Iron] [★★★★★]
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[A metal that left a celestial realm beyond orbit, crossed the sky, and fell to the earth.]
[It was exposed to heat reaching five thousand degrees during its fall, losing its original form.]
[Yet its essence was not harmed in the slightest.]
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[Restoration possible.]
[Upon restoration, its original name and sealed unique attributes will be unlocked.]
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『One god is still searching for the vanished ingot.』
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Meteorite iron.
"Ah."
The rock I had seen at the street stall outside the auction house came to mind.
Wow.
There really was a genuine one here?
Squeeze...
"Mmh..."
I immediately grabbed a handful of Yeomhwa's soft thigh.
A metal that had fallen from the celestial realm, arrogant enough to be five stars despite having neither a name nor attributes.
And yet...
"Shall we start at one hundred and fifty gold?"
I could not resist this chance for an absurdly easy steal.
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