Unlike usual, the road to the Magis Tail was extremely crowded.
The Order of Knights in charge of maintaining security in the Imperial Capital was out in force, controlling the people who had gathered with an onlooker's spirit.

It seems that Magiz's Tail has been robbed.
Ava brought this information to me when I was in the Clan Master's office at dawn, thinking about the future.

The time was last night. The culprit is a party of criminals (Red) who steal specific items upon request - the Shadow Links. They are a group of hunters and thieves who sometimes use the Treasure House as a place of work.

Occasionally, some Hunters will give up on the Treasure House and use the power they have cultivated by absorbing Mana Materials to commit criminal acts. These are the ones who have decided that attacking people is more efficient than risking their lives to fight illusions and demons.
The Explorers Society calls such parties of dangerous former hunters who are found to be engaged in illegal activities "Red" parties, and bounties are offered for them.
The difference between them and Sitri, whose level was reduced to minus due to a penalty, is that while Sitri is classified as a good hunter, they are completely criminals.
Many hunters who spend all their time fighting demons and illusions have little sense of ethics. The Red Party, who have no hesitation in killing and stealing, and who have the skills of hunters, are a major enemy of good citizens and hunters.

Eva says that dealing with them is a headache for small merchants who can't hire guards all the time. To fight off the Red Party, you'd have to spend a lot of money and hire more than your fair share of hunters, so there's that.

'I knew it would come sooner or later, but ...... it looks like the idiot has already fallen for it.'

Citrie makes a disgusted sound, but I am not concerned. I probably could have looked in the mirror and seen myself pale.

All I did was find a treasure that I wanted a little and ask for a loan from a fellow hunter to get it before the auction.
However, as the days went by, things got bigger and bigger, and I ended up causing damage to the treasure store that has been taking care of me.

I swear to you, I did not anticipate such a situation at all. I may have been careless in some ways, but I'm just a hunter, even if I am level 8.
The object is not a treasure with a story or a history. How could I have imagined this situation?

I held my stomach in knots, but Sitri was unconcerned.

'I had no idea that there were still forces in this city that would try to break into a treasure store, even at night,....... If I had done my research properly, I might have been able to show you a different path. ......'

'......Well, what can you do?

It is fortunate that the robbery was only an attempt.

The Knights were on the scene and the public was quarantined, but they used the authority of high level hunters to get through.

The area in front of Magiz's Tail was like a battlefield.

There was a huge crack in the road, and the metal fence surrounding the store had been completely blown down. The signboard had fallen to the ground, and the wall of the house across the street was covered with countless bullet holes and bloodstains.
The quaint old door was snapped in half, and the smell of burning objects hung in the air.

A voice shouted from the back of the store with the door gone.

'We have a job to do! We'll never make it to the auction if we have to worry about one or two robbers! d*mn it, they're all dancing around the words of the kid... guards? I don't need guards! We have bouncers too! We have excellent bouncers! I'd rather have someone to help me clean up the store than an escort!

That's what you sound like when you're in a bad mood. I wonder if he'll forgive me if I apologize.
I should've at least brought Tino with me.

Oh, no. I don't want to go in there. But I can't not go in.
I looked around, took a deep breath, and stepped into the half-destroyed store.


§'!


'! Hey, kid! How dare you do this to me!

'What can I say? ...... I'm sorry ......'

As soon as he saw my face, Mr. Murchis yelled at me with the expression of a young man, and I shrank back.

The inside of the store was just as bad as the outside. The shelves had collapsed and the counter had been sliced in half, as if a battle had broken out inside. Even so, the glass cases holding the treasures did not have a single crack, which was quite impressive.
It seems that aside from the damage to the equipment, no one was injured. Inside the store, as usual, there is a man standing guard, armed with a full body armory. The man is always unsociable, but today he seemed to be in a good mood.

Treasure stores that handle high-priced goods have a higher quality of security than ordinary stores. In particular, Maggie's Tail, which is located in a remote area that even the Knights don't often enter, boasts an ironclad security system that belies its appearance.
In the ten years since it opened its doors in the Imperial Capital, the Magiztale has never been robbed.

'd*mn it, if you're going to rob me, come in the daytime! In the daytime! Thanks to you, I'm having trouble sleeping!

Mr. Marchese said irritably. He had large dark circles under his eyes.
With this commotion so close to the auction, even Mr. Marches, who usually seems to live longer than I do, seemed to be overwhelmed.

But at any rate, I am glad that he is safe. If Mr. Murchis had fallen victim to the robber's blade, I would have had a bad night's sleep.
While I was inwardly relieved, Mr. Murchis was checking his surroundings.

'Hey, Cry! Where's the little girl? If you're not coming to visit me, bring your daughter! I'd rather not have you! You're interfering with my work!

It's like ............ didn't even bother to come.

The knight is checking the traces in the store with a fed up expression. If you're not sure what to do, you can always ask him.

'I've brought Sitri instead. Please give me a break with this one. ......'

'Don't be silly, you can't replace me! Hmmm? Citri, that wasn't your handiwork last night, was it?

You're a spirited old man. You're a better hunter than I am.
Citri frowned and replied in an offhanded way.

You'll be able to get a lot more than that. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for and what you can do to help.

It's a good idea. If you're not busy, you can help me clean up the mess. The only thing my employees can do is stand there.

The guard, who was standing within earshot, did not seem to be displeased by Mr. Murchis' outburst. He stood upright, looking straight into the air. Is that a scarecrow?
Sitri begins to clean up the mess without a trace of disapproval. I sat down at the broken counter, took another look around and said.

'You look unusually beaten up. Did you get hurt?



'I'm not hurt! There were three thieves who were hunters. It was our guards who destroyed the store! It's been a long time since he used his treasure, so he said he couldn't take it easy! d*mn it! I'm not lending you the treasure trove to destroy the store!

Isn't this the work of a ...... robbery?

The guard himself doesn't move his gaze when pointed out. I wonder if it's because freaks gather around freaks. And how skilled is he that he can destroy the Red Party just by using the treasure he has equipped? At least he seems stronger than me.

Satisfied with his shouting, Mr. Murchis took a sip of water and sighed deeply.

'So, what do you want? I don't need compensation, I'm in the black with Red's bounty. And my grandson came to visit me.'

'No, but--'

'I don't want an apology for the rumors either. There's no such thing as the most powerful treasure! If there is such a thing, I want to see it!

Mr. Murchis said what he wanted to say, and slammed his fist on the counter.
There is no such thing as the most powerful treasure, but there is no such thing as the most powerful treasure, is what he has been saying for decades.

Apparently, he doesn't trust rumors one bit.
Whether it's because he trusts me or because he doesn't, either way, his stubborn words lighten my spirits somewhat.

I smiled and decided to end it like a good story.

'The most terrible treasure - perhaps the most terrible thing is not a treasure, but the human heart.

'Shut up! What's scary is that you're the center of attention just because you're trying to buy a treasure!

Frowning, Mr. Murchis shouts at me. You're absolutely right.
He sighs deeply and agrees.

'Yes, man's folly knows no bounds.

'Shut up! Don't talk nonsense!

Compared to that, how much is a ten-digit debt?
By the way, if you think about it calmly, won't the debt disappear after marriage?

Sitri is cleaning up the mess in a hurry. I don't know what kind of persuasion he used, but he even involved the knights who came to inspect the scene and gave them instructions. I guess it won't take long to clear away the rubble.
The Magus Tail also serves as Mr. Marches' home. If we don't put a door on it at least, it's a problem before security. I'll talk to Eva about it when I get back to the Clan House.

'Oh, by the way, were you able to appraise that thing?

No matter how it happened, that treasure is already the center of attention in this Imperial City.
I don't know why Miss Eclair misunderstood it as the strongest treasure tool, but once the ability is confirmed, this fuss will be put to rest.
The use of shapeshifting treasures is restricted in the Imperial Capital. The noblemen have a reputation to uphold, and the bidding price should be greatly reduced.

It's a good idea to take a look at a few of the more common ones.

'...... Oh, yes, that's right. I've gone through the materials and checked a few things, but I'm going to go with no ability assessment.

The answer was as I expected, and I dropped my shoulders.

Mr. Marchese takes pride in his work, but that's why he doesn't hide the risks and doesn't bet his life on the appraisal.

'The risk of use is S. Masks are often troublesome. Facial expressions show a person's true nature, and masked treasures that cover them up are often those that bring about mental and physical changes. Many of them have restrictions on their activation conditions. I tried to activate it using a golem, but nothing happened. Considering the shape of the mask, it probably needs to be a living thing to activate it.

'............ I see.'

'It's not good at all. If you bid on it knowing that, it is your responsibility.

That's what I'm talking about.
If you're looking for the best way to get the most out of your business, you're going to want to make sure that you're getting the most out of your business.

The items that were appraised and the appraiser's findings are also disclosed when the treasure is displayed. If you write down what Mr. Marchese just said, many of the hunters who were desperately trying to buy it will wake up.

But then, the last remaining hurdle is that Miss Eclair. I don't know why, but she's haunted by the vision of the most powerful treasure. A noble lady wouldn't understand the weight of Mr. Murchis' words,
The Chamber of Commerce won't come down unless Miss Eclair gives up her bid.

'The party symbol in Cry's place is also quite an ugly shape, but the risk of that flesh mask is even greater. It doesn't make sense to me why everyone is so desperate for it.'

'I'm the one who's in the most trouble, it's like it's all my fault. Honestly, I wish the auction would end soon. In the first place, no matter how strong a treasure you have or how familiar you are with it, it doesn't matter if your body is weak, right?

The strong ones are strong even if they don't have a treasure trove, and the weak ones are weak even if they do. That's why the members of the Ghosts of Sorrows never stop studying.

According to Citri, the most important "characteristic" of the present age is human strength.
In the past, civilization was well developed, but the strength of the human species was not so great. In the present age, civilization is not so advanced, but the strength of the human species is the best.

'...... all crap. They are all too idealistic with their treasures.

Mr. Marchese nodded his head in agreement with my words.

I sorted out the situation and assumed the worst and the best.

The best-case scenario is that the lady, the Chamber of Commerce, and the other hunters give up on getting the treasure, and I get it at a discount.

And the worst case scenario is that the Lady or the Chamber of Commerce obtains the treasure, uses it without fear of risk, finds out the effect, and comes at me with a different effect than expected.

It's too unreasonable to say, but the other party is a noble lady who doesn't know what she's going to do. As we are far inferior in terms of power, we don't know what we will face.
I don't need that treasure anymore. I'll take it if you give it to me, but I don't think I'll use Citly's wedding money to get it.

But at any rate, since I'm the one who started the commotion, I should take precautions.
I don't want to do it because it makes me feel very uncomfortable, but if you leave such troublesome things unattended, they will become even more troublesome later.

'I'm going to take into account what Mr. Marches said and talk to Miss Eclair once more. ...... Will you follow me?

When I asked Citry, who was busy cleaning up, he put his hand on his cheek and smiled like a prodigal.

'Of course, Cry-san. Let's let that Ark-san's favorite girl get to know us better.