By Zephyria 
The auctioneer enthusiastically threw both arms up.
“Anante’s Diamond! It’s a diamond famous as a national treasure of the Bivan royal family. She, famously said to be second only to the sun in beauty, is also famous as the origin of the conflict between Bivan and Yulan. There’s a legend that Nox, the King of Bivan at the time, proposed with this very diamond to win her heart!”
Even from afar, its dazzling brilliance, so striking it was visible from a distance, captured everyone’s attention. The gasps erupting from the audience below could be heard all the way up here. The auctioneer held up several portrait replicas, passionately detailing how grand and happy the lives of those who wore this diamond had been.
His oration continued.
“There is a very sad story as to how Anante’s Diamond ended up rolling all the way to Owen. You all know that the Crown Prince of Bivan has been rejecting all his arranged fiancées and being stubborn this season, right? That’s because his fiancée, the one he fell in love with, was… Gloria Liberty, a single mother with two children!”
“Hoooh…”
“The Queen of Bivan, unwilling to pass on her greatest treasure to a daughter-in-law she disapproved of, came to Bardiol with this certificate of authenticity! Asking us to find a suitable owner for a jewel that only suits the most noble! Will there be a noble soul present today who is worthy of Anante’s Diamond? Two hundred gold! We’ll start at two hundred gold!”
This…
No matter how many times I thought about it, no one seemed suitable except Ruben. Tap, tap, I tapped the table with my placard as I had been taught. I had thought it was expensive, but it was only natural for the price of a jewel to inflate, especially for a gem with such a rich and storied history.
Marianne, who had been watching with her arms resting on the table beside me, let out a cough.
“Are you… buying this too?”
“…Does it not seem good to you, Marianne? I think it’s pretty.”
“It is pretty! But… Oh, is it okay for us to do this? Are we still alright?”
Tedros, catching Marianne’s gaze, smiled faintly and nodded.
“Yes… We are… still alright…”
At that moment, a light flickered on at the window sill over there. Having already learned from several experiences that it was a sign someone else was tapping their table, I tapped my placard again.
“Two hundred twenty! …Two hundred thirty! Forty! It’s quite fierce! It’s only natural! Anante’s noble radiance, even four hundred seventy years after her death, still… Ah! Two hundred eighty! Two hundred eighty is in!”
“…”
“Three hun-dred! Three hundred! Three hundred gold! Three hundred gold! Is there no more? Really? Anante’s Diamond! Never to appear again…!”
Rubel stopped my hand as I raised my placard again.
“…Mikaa.”
“…”
“This… I don’t think we need to buy it.”
Why…? Of course, Ruben is beautiful enough without wearing jewels… As I hesitated, regretting it, the child leaned his forehead against my shoulder and whispered.
“If I wear that, I won’t be able to go out and play with you…”
“Can’t we just leave it in the palace and go out? Jewels are only worn when needed.”
“No, that’s…”
Ruben hesitated for a moment before murmuring.
“…If it’s going to be a diamond, I’d prefer pink…”
“Ah.”
If it’s not to your taste, then there’s no need to buy it.
I readily put down my placard. The auctioneer, who continued to shout hoarsely for a few more minutes, declared the jewel sold to another bidder for three hundred gold. While I felt a pang of regret, a jewel should ultimately please the wearer, shouldn’t it?
Still, thanks to the many fine jewels that came up, I had more than enough to fill Ruben’s birthday gift.
Ruben had also coveted the necklace with the pink diamond. Later, a ring made of the same gem would be fine, and a brooch wouldn’t be bad either. I had already won bids for a brooch of a suitable color and a music box powered by Mana Stones.
It was done. Thinking of presenting these treasures to the child, telling him they were early birthday gifts, my heart felt warm.
After that, several more jewels and land deeds passed by. We all sat and remained in our seats until the auctioneer, his voice hoarse, announced the end of the event.
A moment later, a soft knock was heard. After confirming the Spirit had leaped into my arms and hidden, Benjamin opened the door. Behind the gatekeeper who had first guided us, three attendants entered, each carrying a treasure wrapped in precious cloth.
“Did you have a pleasant time? We are here to help you confirm your purchased items immediately. You may choose to inspect them here and take them with you, or have them delivered to a designated location.”
“Yes. Please send the items here…”
Tedros, hiding a pre-prepared note, slipped it into the gatekeeper’s hand. No one present was unaware of the few gold coins that came with it, but no one made a show of it either.
“I was expecting more ‘interesting’ items. Can we not inspect them here?”
“Of course, it is possible. However, we may need to move to a different room… If you wouldn’t mind, may I guide you?”
“By all means. One must go through some trouble to obtain something good.”
Before moving, I was asked to inspect the condition of the jewels. I opened the lids of the boxes and looked. Ruben knew more about inspecting jewels than I did. After the child meticulously checked them, he gave a slight nod, and the attendants bowed deeply, closed the box lids, and withdrew.
I tried to hold back my curiosity, but it was unavoidable.
“…Do you like it?”
Ruben looked at me, then at the attendants carrying the boxes away, and suppressing a smile, replied.
“Yes. Thank you.”
That’s a relief. While the superiority of a gift cannot be measured by its price, wasn’t it quite well-received, considering the heart put into it, as the auctioneer had so eloquently described? All I wanted was for them to know that whenever I saw something precious and beautiful, I thought of Ruben.
With a light heart, I was pleased to be able to find that fellow named Nadi.
❖ ❖ ❖
I had thought we might be walking down a corridor on the seventh basement level, but that was not the case.
We sat on a sofa in front of a high magical barrier. The stage was lower than our seating area, and instead of an auctioneer, two Sword Masters stood guard before a door that opened within the barrier. The gatekeeper who had guided us here, seemingly acting as the auctioneer, did not leave and spoke.
“The Heterogeneous Races that will appear from now on each have distinctive characteristics. Please observe them carefully, and when you find one you like, tell us, and we will inform you of the price.”
“And if the price is not to my liking?”
“Then you must purchase another. We are confident that all prices are reasonable.”
Come to think of it, the Spirit had hidden in my arms to avoid the heat.
I wondered if these Sword Masters were the same kind of people who captured and brought in these Heterogeneous Races. It always made me uncomfortable to see those with power wield it arbitrarily. There wasn’t much difference between capturing mercenaries and handing them over to Black Magicians, and capturing people and selling them like this.
Had I come here too casually?
Disturbed, I remained silent. Soon, a cage opened, and something crawled out, half-rolling forward. Judging by its build, it seemed to be an adult, but it was impossible to tell if it was male or female, its body covered in scabs. These were not ordinary wounds. Covered in a thick, heavy shell as if it were armor, the creature let out a guttural growl.
[Is that him?]
[No! Nadi is prettier.]
Seeing that the rest of the party showed no particular reaction, the gatekeeper signaled to the other side. Then, a Sword Master inside the barrier opened the opposite door to let him in, and reopened the first door to bring out the next one.
After we let pass a fellow with bulging veins on his face and another with wide, flat feet.
The fourth one to appear, as soon as he left the door, immediately grabbed the neck of the nearby Sword Master and began to choke him. His hair, black and swaying like seaweed, brushed against his shoulders. His skin was dark, and a pattern carved from his right shoulder to his wrist stood out conspicuously.
I had only seen markings carved into the skin with ink a few times in the Central Plains. Those from the Evil Sect would hire skilled artisans to engrave snakes, dragons, mice, or tigers on their bodies, and then give each other nicknames.
However, what this person had carved was neither a lotus flower, nor an animal, nor clouds, nor letters. It was impossible to know what he had so extensively carved and revered.
The robust, muscular man, crying out in an unknown tongue, was eight feet tall and possessed a formidable martial physique. He had subdued one Sword Master in an instant, but he could not block the blows raining down from behind him, and stood his ground even after being struck. And then.
[Nadi!]
“…Nadi?”
I suppressed the Spirit’s joyful thrashing with my hand.
Is this him?
Is this the ‘Nadi’ they said was so pretty, cute, and kind?
Unconsciously, I echoed the Spirit’s voice, and the man looked directly at Ikyun. Between his wild, black hair, his eyes, which were hard to distinguish between green and blue, flashed. Seizing the moment, the two Sword Masters seized the fellow.
The struck man spat blood onto the floor and glanced at Ikyun. But that wasn’t important. As soon as I nodded, Tedros immediately signaled to the gatekeeper.
“I like him. I want to buy him. How much?”
“Four hundred and fifty gold.”
“Agreed.”
Nadi’s gaze was fixed on my chest. It seemed he was looking at the Spirit, not at me.
However, even though my objective was achieved, I couldn’t bring myself to smile. It weighed on my mind that I couldn’t buy and release all the others who had appeared before him, and all those who would come after.