Manuke FPS Chapter 167

Published at 16th of November 2021 09:45:51 PM

Kay: Been dealing with the sickies for the last few weeks. :’] As far as I am aware, its not covid, so seasonal flu but more hateful.

My child is the one that keeps getting sick (Refusing to follow instructions on care) so it’s been difficult to kick it. Yeah, the kid is the one that keeps getting me sick.

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“His Majesty the King of Kurtmerga, Prince Kilik, Princess Cyril, and the ladies and gentlemen who participated. Thank you very much for your patience. We are pleased to announce the start of the final day of the King’s Festival!” 

The tables below were full, and many sellers could be seen on the second floor. In the guest room where the Royal Family entered, all of us stood to welcome the king, prince, and princess. Minnea and two other students were also there and entered along with the royal family as part of their tour. I couldn’t see Silvara anywhere, but she was probably outside since she was Minnea’s escort. 

“On this final day of the festival, from high-grade monster materials brought from various labyrinth; there is also an assortment of masterpieces from all over the country, as well as the finest jewelry and antique works of art derived from our country’s history. I assure you that there is something for everyone here.” 

On stage, a man who seemed to be the auction moderator spoke from the podium next to the stage. There was an actual list of the items shown, but despite having lived in this world this long, I had not really learned how to read or write this world’s language. At best, all I could do was write my own name. I could always have others do it for me, and as for reading, I had the auto-translation system.

As the moderator said, all of them were luxury items. I didn’t recognize the names of the artists nor the titles of their works but it was easy to see how high quality they were, especially when I looked at the jewelry and antiquities.

“In addition to that, the final item for today will be the Great Labyrinth Core stone from the Wolf Fang Labyrinth, which was recently conquered. I am looking forward to seeing the final price of that item. So, let’s get started! The first item is the latest work from a certain artist from Veneer —” 

The moderator immediately transitioned into the auction. Simple light meals were placed on the table near me and Maltsan’s sitting, along with glasses of liquor.  There were a lot of items for sale, so it would be a while before they got to the core. Until then, I could only watch the progress of the auction while I enjoyed the food and drinks. 

Similarly, nobles and merchants tilted their glasses below, If you looked closely, you could see Ophelia Dragange who sat on the edge of the venue. She stared at the auction with a stern look, along with her escort knight, Virginia, who was also present.

Apparently, there was no progress in regards to the search for the thief group Nekoyanagi. Since they could not find them, did they intend to wait here to catch them red-handed? 

The festival proceeded smoothly. Merchants and nobles sat beside each other at the tables below and held up paddles to place bids on the items they wanted. Or they chatted with each other. 

“Catalog No. 25, the magical armor ‘Tornado shield”. This was brought back from the Emerald Demon Labyrinth. This magical Armor can use the wind attribute as protection by forming a barrier that consumes mana. The barrier itself is about the size of a regular large shield.” 

While the moderator explained, I saw the armor, which was only about the wrist to his elbow, emitted a green light. Then, the green light became a film as large as the man in the shape of a shield. It looked similar to my CBS. I also was not the only one surprised by the show. Some of the aristocrats shouted in admiration from their seats. 

“This item starting price is only thirty gold coins, only thirty gold coins, everyone! Thirty gold coins!” 

After the introduction and price had been stated, the bidding started the moment it was over and a paddle was raised. 

“Yes, one offer for thirty gold coins! Is there anyone willing to bid higher than thirty?” 

The price then climbed steadily as more paddles were raised one after another. Was that shield really that valuable? 

“Malta, what do you think?” 

“As for me — I would at least be willing to pay 100 gold coins.”

“That much?” 

“Yes. Magic shields are less prolific compare to say, magic weapons. The main premise is that if a shield or armor was left within the labyrinth for a long time, they’d absorb the mana, and then they’d become a magical item. The problem is that an abandoned shield or armor from a labyrinth is rarely left undamaged.”

“That’s quite true.” 

“In addition to that is how strong the effect is. There is no real way to know how durable it is, but having a large shield while it’s actually only a small one is still an advantage.” 

As I listened, I followed the bidding. 

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“We have someone bidding for 99, anyone else?!” 

The price went higher than expected before I knew it —

Pakon! 

A high-pitched sound of the auction hammer being dropped echoed throughout the venue. 

“Alright, we have a winner! The Tornado Shield will be sold for 99 gold coins to customer number 35!” 

When the winning bid was announced, the sound of chatter gave way to the sound of clapping hands. Then, the bidding continued as more items came and went. 

After two-thirds of the planned items having been sold, there was a short meal break. Simple meals like fruits and sandwiches were brought to the table. In this country, where two meals a day was basic – morning and evening – the culture of having a good lunch was sparse. In terms of time, it was more like a snack at 3 o’clock rather than lunch…

“Today, we’ve prepared a fruit muffin cooked specifically for the festival from ‘Cole Bay’, a restaurant that is currently gaining popularity within the capital. There is also a new wine provided by the Marida Trading Company.” 

New wine? No way… 

The muffins and wine that were brought out on carts, and their containers looked somewhat familiar. The container with only the black painted label looked strikingly like the wine from my original world that I’d taken out from the Continental. 

“Malta…” 

“Well, I thought about the various opportunities to show off Shaft’s wine, but I thought it would be best for the Royals and aristocrats to drink it at the King’s Festival. The meal break is held every year, so I thought it’d gain a lot of traction. So, I sold it when you registered the stone core.”

He actually sold it since he knew I’d sell the stone here… When he’s with me, I thought he was just an ever-smiling big-bellied uncle. But it turns out that he’s still a merchant at heart. 

On the first floor, the moderator went around each table to talk about the muffin and wine. 

“The black label did not give any clue to what kind of liquor it is, but I heard the brewery is related to that ‘Black Masked Shaft’. It’s an extremely limited liquor. We had you provide one carefully selected from among them.” 

I could see some stare at the glass filled with Shaft’s wine with a stern look. There was no doubt about the taste. The only question was whether they’d accept the mysterious wine that involved the mysterious mercenary called ‘Black Masked Shaft’. 

However, it seemed that the background was not so big compared to its taste. At first, they might’ve been apprehensive about the wine, whose origin and harvest were unknown, but when they were faced with the mellow aroma and the clear red brick color that came from the glass, they could not help but drink it. I could hear sighs of admiration through my sensor about the wine. 

After a light meal break, the festival proceeded to the final part where the Great Labyrinth core would be exhibited. And the phantom thieves Nekoyanagi should make their move. 

Chapter end