'I can't believe it. I've been to six different places and I haven't found a single one! Not even one?'

'Yeah, yeah. It's so crowded this time of year.'

Liz, who had returned after a few days, spoke enthusiastically.
Regardless of the result, she seems to have returned without any serious injuries. Even though his certification level is lower than the appropriate level, I've never heard of him laddering to the six treasure halls, but his face doesn't show any fatigue.

'I was wondering if I should go on an expedition or look for a bounty hunter. But you know, bounty hunters take a long time to find and redeem, and if you go on an expedition, the auction might start while you're traveling, right? If you can't make it in time, I thought it would be better to increase your funds by selling the drops of the phantoms and demons you killed. Yes. This is what I've been exchanging for!

Liz smiled and handed me a large leather bag as if to push it to me.
The income from the sale of demon materials and phantom drops is not something a hunter can afford to lose.
In particular, unlike treasure and phantom drops, which require a lot of luck to obtain, demon materials can be obtained without fail by defeating the demon, so some hunters with a certain degree of advanced fighting skills focus on demons.

The bag that Liz gave me was filled with gold coins. It's not a big deal, but you'd have to work really hard to get this much.
Sitri, who was looking at the bag, frowned and said.

'Sis, you're useless.

'...... Huh? I'm not sure what to do. I'm sorry, it's my fault.

Sorry, it's my fault. .......


The auction period has begun, and the imperial capital is overflowing with people.
The Zebrudia Auction is held for one week. During this period, the Imperial City is in a festive mood.
The main streets are lined with stalls, and small auctions are held here and there in place of the main auction. The Explorers' Association is overflowing with requests, and it's a time of profit for merchants and hunters alike.

I've been preoccupied for a while now with the Transforming Human Face, but if I think about it calmly, I'm sure there are other useful treasures up for auction. I can't afford to buy them in my current economic situation, but I'm a little sad that I can't participate in the festival.

I walked through the crowded streets, flanked by Lizzie and Citrie. Pickpockets are frequent, but you don't have to worry about being a victim of one with Liz.

'Hmm... You can't reach billions even if you include your sister's money. ...... You don't save money.

'It can't be helped, right? I've been putting all my energy into conquering the castle, and the results are in the hands of Luke and the others. ......'

It's a treasure house that no one has conquered in a long time. It's a great way to get the most out of your day.
In our party, there is a rule that if any member leaves the party in the middle of a battle, he or she will not be allowed to bring back the results.
If that rule had not been in place, and if Liz and Citrie had brought back even a little treasure, the outcome of this auction might have been different.



'Yes, ...... the timing was bad. Normally, I can get a little more advantageous .......'

You've made all the moves you can and it's still not enough. .......
Citri looks up at me.

'The odds of winning at this stage are probably something like seventy percent. If Kry-san doesn't say no, I can play more moves. ......'

'NO. Enough, Citri, you've done enough. Thank you.'

'Oh, no. ......'

Sitri smiles softly at my words.
Sitri was more intelligent than Ryss, but he had a tendency to go into things too deeply. Perhaps that was the fate of all good people.

'That's right! Krai-chan, if you can't get your hands on the treasure .......'

I hugged my right arm tightly, and Liz smiled confidently as she held me close.

I'm going to steal it from that little shit.

'............ The other party is a nobleman, you know?

No, you don't have to be a nobleman to steal.
That's not the role of a Thief. Stealing from people is a crime.

What? What's wrong with that? Don't worry, I can't defeat a bunch of peace-loving knights!

'Sis, if you do that, Kry-san will be suspected! If you want to do it, you can go to ...... and make it look like a robbery.''

'Stop it.

Stop. Don't you guys have brakes?
I know it's just a joke, but if people hear it, they might think you're serious.

The venue for the Zebrudia auction was a chalk theater in the center of the Imperial City.
It is usually used for concerts and plays. In the sophisticated marble building, people of different ages, genders, and outfits were lined up.

I wonder how many of them are here for the purpose of auctioning off items. How many of them will end up competing with us? At this point, I can only hope that the auction will end happily.

The entrance was divided into nobles, hunters, and others. Needless to say, the nobles had their own entrance, but the hunters were assigned a special entrance because it would definitely cause problems if hunters and ordinary people were put together.
The entrance fee for the Zebrudia Auction is one hundred thousand guilders. The most crowded and unique part of the auction is the entrance for hunters.

First of all, the attire of those gathered is different. Why would they come to an auction wearing full body armor? Their postures are also different, and some of them are carrying weapons, as if they misunderstood something.
If you are participating in an auction, you must be a high-level hunter with a lot of money, and there were some familiar faces.

Among them, I noticed a group that I knew.
A boy with fiery red hair that seemed to pierce the heavens. A strong, mature man with dark brown hair. A brown-haired female bandit and his apprentice, who was clinging to my right arm. It's been a long time since all the members of the Darkpot were here.
There are a few people around me that I don't recognize, but even I wouldn't mistake Tino's face for any of them.

I couldn't decide whether to talk to Gilbert, Greg, or Luda, so I ended up talking to Tino.

'Tino here. Did you guys come to buy something too?

'! Masuta! Good morning.

The members of the Yami Nabe look at me, their expressions twisted in a slightly uncomfortable manner.
I wonder if they started working together after forming a party together.


At any rate, it's good to see that Tino has made some friends.

The Gilbert boy and Master Greg are shrinking under the glare of Liz's eyes.

'We've come to see Masutaa's bravery. They were just about to go to the auction, so we thought we'd join them.

'Tino, you change your character when you're in front of the [Thousand Transformations], don't you?

Tino gave Gilbert a disdainful look as the boy muttered.
It's not my intention, but I'm the one in the middle of this auction. The man next to Gilbert is looking at me with curious eyes. I can hear him whispering. It's very uncomfortable.

'If you're going to come, you should have come with us, whether you can see the bravery or not. ......'

'............ its ...... since you didn't invite me ......'

'......'

Sorry. I'm really sorry. I'm really sorry that you even lent me money. I didn't notice at all.
But I have an excuse. ...... Yes! Maybe it would be better if you went with Luda and the others instead of with me. I even want you to change your position.

Luda is looking at me accusingly. I wonder if she knows that I owe money to Tino.

'Oh ...... ummm ...... ummm ............'

Tino is staring up at me.
What should I say to him? I could ask her out now, but she has a prior engagement, and I don't think she'd feel comfortable around Lise and Cicely.

Then I had an idea.

'............ Tino, if you don't mind, would you like to participate in the auction on my behalf?

'............What? A proxy ......?'

Zebrudia Auctions has a system of agents.

As the name implies, it's a system in which you appoint someone to participate in the auction on your behalf.

We also go to the auction, but we don't raise our voice, we signal Tino with our own sign and ask him to raise his voice on our behalf.
This is mainly used by successful bidders who want to hide their identity, and in this case, since it's a known fact that I'm aiming for the "Convertible Face," it's not very meaningful, but it will help people enjoy the auction.

Tino's eyes darkened at my suggestion. Citrie narrowed her eyes and gave a small nod.

'...... I see. ...... That's not bad. I don't know what your daughter will make of it, but I can confuse her. ...... It might be a comforting thought. But are you sure? I think you wanted to bid on it yourself, didn't you, Cry?

Indeed, I love auctions.
The catharsis of participating in a heated auction and bidding for the item you want is wonderful, but I think you should give it up for once.

'I've already participated many times last year and the year before. This year is a mess. ...... Come on, Liz. Don't look so covetous.

I'm not sure if I wanted to be a surrogate or not.
It's just too unpopular.

I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I've seen it before.

'............ Yes. Tee, you've got to win this thing.

'Yes, sir! I'm sure you can handle it, sister! I'll make sure I win that treasure!

I'm not sure what to do.
It's a good thing that you've got a good idea of what you're looking for.

A carriage approaches the nobleman's entrance. From the carriage, bearing the familiar emblem of the Gladys family, comes a girl in a pure white dress, followed by an elderly man in a butler's uniform.
When Miss Eclair looked around and spotted me, she stared at me with a look that made me think she was a year younger than me.

There was not a trace of the stunned expression she had shown me at the end of the negotiations. Apparently, he had collected more than 200 million.

Citry squeezed my hand without showing any expression. The look on his face from the side is still a smile.
However, I could see the anxiety that was buried deep in his face.

I'm not sure if I've ...... lost this one.