Tohka and Origami set their trays down and sat in the chairs across from her. “What are you up to lately, Kurumi?” Tohka asked. “Do you have one of those job things?” “Yes, well.” Kurumi nodded. “Something like that.” Origami turned a sharp gaze on her. “Is it in the investigation industry?” “Oh my, oh dear. You do have your ear to the ground, don’t you?” Kurumi was not particularly surprised that Origami had accurately guessed her extracurricular activities. While she didn’t advertise the fact that she specialized in Artifacts, it wasn’t as though the detective agency itself was tucked away in some secret location. Origami was known as the smartest person on campus; it was no surprise she had figured out what Kurumi was doing. Origami narrowed her eyes. “Up to your old tricks again?” “Hee-hee-hee!” Kurumi grinned. “Who can say really?” “…” Origami narrowed her eyes but pressed no further. Maybe she trusted Kurumi in her own way, or maybe she understood Kurumi would never show her cards in the first place. Even if it was the latter, did that not show some trust in Kurumi as well? At any rate, Kurumi had no intention of revealing that she was in search of the Artifacts. But she still needed a sounding board. “Say, Tohka, Origami?” she said as casually as she was able. “Could I ask you to join me in a little idle chatter while you enjoy your lunch?” “Sure. What’s up?” “…” Tohka tilted her head while Origami remained silent. “This is all hypothetical,” she continued. “Say a thief broke into a manor and stole a number of items. But then this thief sent those items to an unspecified large number of third parties. Why exactly would they do that?” “Hmm.” Tohka frowned. “Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?” “Hee-hee-hee!” Kurumi giggled. “Please think of it as a thought experiment.” Origami pondered for a moment, then said, “…I can think of several possibilities.” “Would you mind sharing?” “One—it’s a Robin Hood situation,” Origami began. “Two—continuing to possess these items would, for some reason, be disadvantageous.” “Mm-hmm.” Kurumi put a hand to her chin. These were indeed possible. “Disadvantageous, you say. How so?” Origami shrugged. “Depends on what the items are. If they’re too big, there’s the issue of storage and the increased possibility of someone discovering them. If the items are poisonous or explosive, it’s possible that storing them at all becomes a risk. And in the case of expensive food items and other items that are difficult to store long-term, the thief may not be able to consume or use them up alone.” “I see.” Kurumi nodded. “Hmm.” Tohka raised her eyebrows into an inverted V. “Did someone’s food get stolen? That’s rough…” Tohka was a serious glutton—one look at her tray was enough to understand that much. She stared sadly at the wrapped hamburger she held, and Kurumi couldn’t help but smile. “No, this is just a hypothetical. No need for concern.” “If you say so…” Tohka unwrapped the burger and polished it off in the blink of an eye. “If it were me, I’d eat them all before the thief could get them.” Kurumi stared at her. “…You are about the only person who would be able to do that, Tohka.” “Hmm. Then I’d share what I couldn’t eat with you and Origami. If it’s a choice between that or some stranger thief coming and taking them, I’d way rather give them to my friends.” Tohka handed one of the hamburgers piled on her tray to both Origami and Kurumi. Origami returned her offering. “No thanks. I’m ingesting the necessary nutrients.” “I, too, shall refrain. I’m not hungry at the moment, so—” Kurumi went to give the food back, before stopping. A single eyebrow twitched up on her forehead. “Better to give it to a friend than keep the stolen goods yourself…?” “Huh?” Tohka looked at her curiously. “What’s wrong, Kurumi? Did you actually want it?” “No, no.” She shook her head. “I do apologize, but I must be going. Something came up that I need to check on.” Kurumi packed up her things and walked off, leaving behind a stunned Tohka and Origami. “…” In the office of the Tokisaki Detective Agency on the second floor of a mixed-use building quite close to the station, Kurumi was staring down a line of objects set out on her desk. A dark gray bullet engraved with a curious design. A lipstick brush in a glass bottle with elaborate workmanship. A kitchen knife shining with a bewitching glow. A ring with a pattern like a pair of fairy wings on it. These were the Artifacts she had recovered thus far. Normally, they were kept in a specially made Artifact vault, but she’d taken them out to examine them anew. The Artifacts were not the only things on her desk. They were joined by paper wrappers and boxes. Yes. The packaging used to send the Artifacts to the culprits in each case. Naturally, these had already been examined for fingerprints and other identifying marks, but nothing had been found that might lead to the perpetrator of the raid. But this wasn’t Kurumi’s focus now. Narrowing her eyes, she picked up the wrappers and scrutinized them from every angle. In each case, the paper seemed quite old, though it was not of poor quality. It was almost brittle under her fingers, like it would easily tear if she applied the slightest force. The addresses inscribed on the front had also seen the passing of several seasons. And the addressees were not the perpetrators of her cases. That much lined up. The perps had testified that the packages were not sent to them personally but to a parent, grandparent, or some other relative who had already passed away. This was a curious commonality. And it wasn’t that she hadn’t wondered about it before now, but to be honest, she couldn’t make much sense of it. When she considered it from a certain point of view, however, she did feel like there was some meaning in the fact. “…If such a thing were to happen,” she murmured, slowly standing up. “This might very well require a reassessment of everything from the first case on.” “Tohka. Tohka!” “Hmm?” Tohka lifted her face when Kurumi called out to her on the Saito University campus. “Oh, Kurumi! So you came again today, huh? You need something?” “Yes.” Kurumi nodded firmly. “I have a favor to ask of you, Tohka.” “Huh?” Tohka opened her eyes wide in surprise. “Dreaaadful news!” A girl screamed as she nearly tumbled into the room, flinging open the door engraved with the words TOKISAKI DETECTIVE AGENCY on the second floor of a mixed-use building not too far from Tengu Station. Her perfectly curled ringlets, the dress that was far too showy to be everyday wear—each element of her look screamed “little rich girl.” Coupled with her erratic entrance, a single glance was enough to make an indelible impression on any observer. But seated on the far side of the room, Kurumi merely rolled her eyes, not showing the least hint of surprise. “If you were a bird, Matsurika, you would be a rooster crowing at dawn.” “At least compare me to a female bird!” the girl—Matsurika Sukarabe—shrieked as if that was far too insulting. “What’s the matter, then?” Kurumi asked smoothly. “Please have a look at this! It was delivered to the mailbox downstairs!” Matsurika placed the item in her hand on the desk. It was an envelope of thick white paper, and written on the front was TOKISAKI DETECTIVE AGENCY, KURUMI TOKISAKI. The top of the envelope had already been neatly cut open, and the paper inside was peeking out. Kurumi looked up at Matsurika with a frown. “Is it right for you to open my mail, Matsurika?” “I do sincerely apologize!” Matsurika snapped her fingers out and struck a pose. “However, given that we cannot reject the possibility of postal items containing dangerous substances, I took the liberty of opening the envelope after examining the contents with X-ray and fiberscope!” “…Is that so?” Kurumi narrowed her eyes, and rather than further voice her displeasure, she picked up the envelope. While Kurumi was resigned to the pointlessness of pushing further, Matsurika had also made some sense. At the very least, the sender of this letter was someone who knew that Kurumi had opened a detective agency here. Considering the work she and Matsurika were doing, there was no harm in being cautious. “The sender’s name is not written on the envelope, huh?” she noted, turning it over in her hands. “And I suppose you looked at the contents?” “Yes. Please take a look yourself.” Matsurika nodded, urging her on. Kurumi pulled a letter folded in three out of the envelope and dropped her gaze to the page. Mechanical writing spelled out the following message: INVITATION TOKISAKI DETECTIVE AGENCY MISS KURUMI TOKISAKI, YOUR PRESENCE IS REQUESTED AT THE ARTIFACT AUCTION TO BE HELD AT THE LOCATION BELOW AT FIVE PM ON OCTOBER 20. “An invitation, is it?” Kurumi said. “And for tomorrow evening. This is quite sudden.” “Yes,” Matsurika agreed. “Not to mention it’s an Artifact auction. What do you think?” “It does push the boundaries of credulity, doesn’t it?” Kurumi stroked her chin, setting her mind to work, and continued. “If nothing else, the sender knows we’re collecting Artifacts. Whatever their true intent, they contacted us knowing that at least.” “I…suppose so.” Matsurika nodded slowly. “Assuming this auction will actually happen, we are looking at perhaps four possible outcomes.” As she spoke, Kurumi held up a finger. “One—the sender is the descendant of a magician in possession of Artifacts, like yourself, Matsurika. They learned that we seek Artifacts, and so they sent this invitation, thinking they could sell theirs for a high price.” “That is a possibility.” Matsurika nodded her head. “It’s true our family doesn’t have a monopoly on Artifacts.” Kurumi held up another finger. “Two—the sender received a package from the culprit behind the raid on the Sukarabe estate, like the offenders we’ve seen thus far.” “That could also very well be the case. But to sell off a precious Artifact you obtained like this…” “It may be difficult for you to believe, Matsurika, but more than a few people in this world would prefer money even over an Artifact that surpasses human knowledge.” Matsurika looked shocked by the mere thought. Given that she was the heir to family wealth, the idea may not have felt real to her, but Kurumi wasn’t interested in explaining it to her. She held up a third finger. “Three—it’s someone collecting the Artifacts lost from the Sukarabe estate, just as we are.” “As we are…?” “Yes.” Kurumi nodded firmly. “We still have absolutely no idea why the culprit raided the Sukarabe storehouse, but it is a fact that the stolen Artifacts have been sent to a variety of people. In which case, it wouldn’t be strange for someone else to pick up on this just as we did and try to collect the scattered Artifacts.” “I-in other words,” Matsurika said, her face flushing with excitement, “you have a rival—a Great Detective of the West?!” “I don’t know about the west part,” Kurumi said, a bead of sweat on her forehead. “And what’s possibility number four?” Matsurika asked excitedly. “Right. The final possibility…” Kurumi held up a fourth finger and narrowed her eyes sharply. “…is that the person holding the auction is the very person who raided the Sukarabe storehouse.” “Wha…?!” Matsurika gasped. “Th-the culprit who stole the Artifacts from us?!” “Exactly. They would have enough Artifacts to hold an auction, and they would know who we are and that we’ve been collecting the Artifacts—to be more precise, they would know who you are, the Sukarabe heir. Is there any doubt that they meet these conditions?” “…No,” Matsurika said slowly. “But why on earth would they hold an auction?” “I can’t speak to their objective,” Kurumi responded. “But while we’re on that topic, isn’t sending the Artifacts you worked to steal to a large number of people itself quite irrational?” “W-well, yes, but still…” Matsurika crossed her arms awkwardly. “In that case,” Kurumi said, “it’s also quite possible this is a trap to take the Artifacts we’ve collected.” “…!” Opening her eyes wide, Matsurika furrowed her brow. “T-true. Now that you mention it, you’re exactly right. But even if the auctioneer is not the perpetrator of the raid, isn’t the possibility of a trap still quite high?” “Goodness! How clever of you to come to that conclusion. I expected nothing less.” Kurumi smiled and clapped. “Oh, well.” Matsurika scratched her head bashfully. “I have witnessed a number of cases from your side, Kurumi—Wait, no!” She shook her head vigorously back and forth. “Why, it’s too dangerous! We’d be moths to a flame!” “Precisely. It’s extremely risky,” Kurumi agreed. “But I believe I shall go toward the flame nonetheless.” “…?!” Matsurika stared at her, baffled. “But why?!” “Please think a moment. If this letter is authentic, the chance to obtain Artifacts would slip away from right under our noses. Not to mention the fact that this is not a one-on-one transaction but rather an auction.” “Wh-what do you mean…?” Matsurika asked, puzzled. Kurumi smirked. “As you know, an auction is a competitive purchasing environment. Items are put up on the auction block, and the customers who desire them assign those items a price they’d pay. The one who indicates the highest price is the winner. All of which means it is more than likely that customers besides us will have also been invited to participate.” “Oh…!” Matsurika’s eyebrows jumped up. “Exactly.” Kurumi nodded theatrically as she continued. “Whoever the auction organizer is, it’s a certainty that others who know about the Artifacts will be there. Some may even be in possession of Artifacts themselves. It’s quite possible the engineer of the raid on the Sukarabe storehouse, or someone of that ilk, will be taking part. Even if it doesn’t lead to us obtaining any new Artifacts, don’t you think this information alone is worth a few gold pieces?” “I-indeed,” Matsurika said uneasily. “But that’s only in the event that the auction is real, yes? If all of it, including that, is a trap…” “Then we simply burn it all down, including the trap itself.” Kurumi grinned. “At least we will have learned something about whoever is targeting us.” “…!” Matsurika got a look on her face like the scales had fallen from her eyes. She dropped her head and began to laugh. “Heh. Hee-hee-hee… Aaah! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” She lifted her face, now free of any trace of worry or hesitation. “It’s exactly as you say, Kurumi! To catch a lion, you must be a lion!” She was brimming with her usual enthusiasm as she shouted. “We must get to preparing ourselves immediately! From what I can see, the auction is to be held on an isolated island. I will go ahead and charter a boat. I’ll contact you once the departure location and time are settled!” Before Kurumi could say anything in response, Matsurika charged out of the office. “Matsurika. Matsurika!” “Mmmngh?!” Having left the Tokisaki Detective Agency on the second floor of the mixed-use building, Matsurika was just about to get into the car she had waiting near the building when she heard a voice calling to her and turned toward it. She found Kurumi poking her face out of a small window on the second floor. “Ah, Kurumi!” she called cheerily. “Did you still need something else?” “I wouldn’t go so far as to say ‘need.’ But—” A car horn blared from somewhere at the perfect time to drown out the rest of her sentence. Matsurika frowned and put a hand to her ear. “I’m sorry! I can’t hear you! Please say that one more time!” “It’s nothing terribly important,” Kurumi said. “You said you were going to arrange for a boat, yes? I get terribly seasick, so I would appreciate it if it were a boat that doesn’t rock too much.” “Understood!” Matsurika grinned. “I will keep that in mind and arrange for a luxurious passenger ship!” “…No, that would be too conspicuous,” Kurumi said, sighing. “And we probably won’t be able to dock such a boat, so please keep it to a reasonable size.” “That is also a good point! I understand and will take care of it!” Matsurika replied brightly before whirling around and jumping into the car. On the day of the auction, Kurumi and Matsurika made their way to the venue noted in the letter, a Western-style building located in the center of a small, isolated island about two hours by ferry from the mainland, which no doubt normally saw few visitors. The building’s sooty roof and vine-covered facade gave it a disturbing air, like that of a haunted house. Well, given that the owner had built the structure in such a hard-to-reach location, they were almost certainly a bit off the beaten path already. Perhaps they were a passionate mystery fan, or an old castle aficionado, or…they regularly held meetings they would rather keep on the down low. “We’ve found ourselves in quite the situation yet again, hmm?” Kurumi sighed as she looked up at the magnificent, eerie building. “Indubitably!” Matsurika threw her head back, a daring smile spreading across her face abruptly. “This is the perfect stage for us!” “Hee-hee-hee,” Kurumi giggled. “How brave. To think, you were so bewildered when the invitation first arrived.” “Heh. Once I resolved myself to the task, I became the lion!” “Wouldn’t that make you a coward in some respects?” “It makes me prideful!” Matsurika proclaimed, laughing loudly and at length. “Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh!” A tired smile crossed Kurumi’s face, and she walked toward the venue down a paved path with weeds sprouting up here and there. As they drew near the entrance to the Western-style building, a man in a tuxedo bowed respectfully. “Welcome,” he said. “Thank you for coming. Would you be so kind as to show your invitation?” “Of course.” Kurumi replied and pulled the envelope she’d received out of her handbag. The man checked its contents and bowed deeply once more. “Miss Kurumi Tokisaki from the Tokisaki Detective Agency and her companion, Miss Matsurika Sukarabe, yes? We’ve been expecting you. Right this way, please.” He opened the door and urged them inside. Kurumi and Matsurika exchanged a look and then nodded at each other before stepping into the building. The interior was quite different from the exterior. While the decor and furnishings were similarly showy, they had been cleaned and maintained very carefully. Perhaps no one had bothered to maintain the exterior. Which might have been the owner’s preference, a tactic to intimidate visitors, or because they wanted to make it look from the outside like the building was hardly ever in use. “Please make yourselves comfortable,” the man said, opening the large door at the end of a long hallway. “The auction will begin shortly.” Kurumi nodded and slipped through the door. On the other side was a large ballroom with a stage of sorts at the far end that had curtains drawn across it. A number of chairs were arranged facing this stage. “…” Four individuals were already waiting there. The instant Kurumi and Matsurika stepped into the hall, all four turned their eyes on them. One was an older, mild-mannered-looking gentleman with a beard. Another, a man in his thirties wearing an expensive-looking suit. Third, a high school girl in pigtails. And the last, a girl about the same age as Kurumi and Matsurika with long hair the color of the night and wondrous eyes like crystals. For some reason, she wore black gloves. The four, an assortment of ages and genders, looked away from Kurumi and Matsurika at the same time, as if they’d prearranged it, and focused on the stage once more. The encounter made Matsurika swallow hard. She spoke to Kurumi in a quiet voice, “…Are these the people competing with us today in the auction? The fellows on the right are certainly something, but the ladies on the left are unexpected. A bit on the young side, no?” “Do you think so?” Kurumi replied. “I would’ve thought the Vampyre case taught you a thing or two about appearances being a tad unreliable in ascertaining age.” “You’re absolutely right.” Matsurika opened her eyes wide with a gasp. “Now that you mention it, I do feel like I can see a mature cunning incongruous with their appearance. Are they perhaps using some kind of Artifact?” The girl with her hair in pigtails glared at them. She may have actually overheard her. Matsurika gasped and hid behind Kurumi. “Please do be careful,” Kurumi remarked coolly. “Your speaking voice is quite loud.” “…I will make a note of that,” Matsurika said apologetically. Her volume seemed a tad more restrained now. Kurumi sat down in a nearby chair together with a contrite Matsurika. “Oh dear.” Matsurika’s eyebrows jumped up on her forehead. “I’m sure I…” “Is there something the matter?” “Oh, no. It’s simply the other young lady, haven’t we seen her somewhere before?” “Hmm?” Kurumi turned her eyes on the girl with the night-colored hair and slowly shook her head. “No. I have never seen her before. Is she perhaps an acquaintance of yours?” “No, that’s not it.” Matsurika cocked her head as she furrowed her brow. Kurumi sighed and changed the subject. “There is one thing I’d like to check on before this begins.” “Hmm?” Matsurika turned to her. “Oh, yes. What might that be?” “A simple matter really. What exactly does our budget look like?” Kurumi quietly, narrowing her eyes. “If real Artifacts are indeed being auctioned off, I would like to acquire as many as possible, whether they are items stolen from the Sukarabe storehouse or not. This is not a one-on-one transaction but an auction, so I would like to know just how deep our pockets are here.” “Oh, yes. That makes sense.” Matsurika nodded dramatically and beckoned Kurumi toward her with a hand. Kurumi brought her ear in close, and Matsurika whispered the amount. “…Hrrrk!” Kurumi choked. “Oh my!” Matsurika cried. “Are you all right, Kurumi?” “…Y-yes. I was just a little surprised is all.” Matsurika furrowed her brow nervously. “Will that not be enough?” “…No, I’m sure that’s plenty,” Kurumi replied, sweat beading on her forehead. Just then, the lights above them dimmed. A spotlight popped on, creating a pool of light on the stage ahead of them, and the curtains were drawn to either side. A woman in lingerie stepped forward, a mask covering the top half of her face. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am terribly sorry we have kept you waiting. We will now begin the secret auction. We have carefully arranged a number of fine and rare items from around the world. Should any of them meet your high standards, please do place a bid.” The masked woman bowed to a smattering of applause from the audience. “Now then, for our first item…” She raised a hand, and two girls in sexy bunny costumes walked out of the wings pushing a large cart. They moved in perfect sync—most likely twins. The only differences between them were their hairstyles and the size of their chests. The twin bunnies walked to the center of the stage and removed the white cloth on top of the cart between them to reveal a small bottle with a bizarre design containing strangely colored liquid. “Artifacts—items of profound mystery said to have been created by magicians. This is one such item. A single sip will fill you with strength, two will heal any ailment, and three will return the strength of a young tree to an old tree of a body. Behold the wonder drug Nectar, hailed as the Drink of Immortality.” The masked woman’s words generated a furor of excited whispers among the buyers. Did they doubt this description and assume it was a joke? Or were they shocked that such an item was actually being put up for auction? “…! Kurumi!” Matsurika whispered theatrically. “…Yes.” Kurumi nodded. “Nectar. That’s one of the Artifacts on the Sukarabe inventory register.” The miracle drug, Nectar. This was the Artifact she had previously suspected was in use during the Vampyre case. “Doesn’t that mean that the organizer of this auction is the person who raided our house or someone who received a package from that person?” Matsurika asked. “We don’t know that yet,” Kurumi told her. “If multiple Nectars were produced, we can’t say for certain whether this is the same item once safeguarded by your family, Matsurika.” “…True. I haven’t checked all the Artifacts with my own eyes, so I don’t know what it would look like either.” “That said…” Kurumi turned a questioning gaze on her, and Matsurika nodded as if to say they would do whatever it took. The masked woman raised her voice. “We shall start the bidding at ten million.” This was an exorbitant amount for a single bottle of a drug. But the moment the masked woman spoke, the guests seated before the stage raised their hands one after the other. “Fifteen million.” “Twenty million.” “Twenty-eight.” “Forty.” The price shot up. The fact that the buyers didn’t so much as bat an eyelid before calling out higher bids was proof that they believed in the authenticity of the bewitching drug set out on the dais. Kurumi slowly raised her hand and quietly declared, “Three hundred million.” “…!” The other bidders gasped. Anyone would. She had suddenly placed a bid significantly higher than any of the others thus far. And this was exactly what Kurumi wanted. Rather than haggling with incremental increases in price, Kurumi could nip in the bud any opposition, which would no doubt be to her advantage. This was her plan not only with Nectar but with the others to come as well. Of course, she could only make such a power play thanks to the absurd wealth of the Sukarabe family currently at her disposal. “…Three hundred one million.” “Three hundred three.” “Three hundred five.” “Five hundred million,” she called out to pull away from the pack. The other bidders pinched their mouths shut as if overwhelmed by Kurumi’s intensity. “Five hundred million. Do I hear five-oh-one? No? Going once, going twice, going three times! Very well. Sold for five hundred million!” the woman in the mask declared. The two bunny girls clapped in celebration for the winning bid. “Now then, onto our next item. This, too, is a rare treasure with profoundly mysterious powers.” As the woman in the mask spoke, the twin bunny girls wheeled out the next cart. And thus the curious auction continued. “Here we have our next item.” Once an auctioned article was taken off to the wings of the stage, a new cart arrived in its center. Ten items had now been bid on since the start of the auction. Kurumi had won them all. Some had not been listed in the Sukarabe register, and others were of dubious authenticity, but when Kurumi questioned Matsurika with her eyes, the other girl would nod as if to say, “Go for it!” So Kurumi had opened their fat wallet as far as it would go to win the items. Perhaps it was indeed a bit much to have bought all the items; the other bidders had been shooting glances at them for a while now. But Matsurika didn’t seem the least bit bothered. In fact, she wore a toothy smile on her face, no doubt because they’d managed to lay claim to a large number of Artifacts. She looked as though she had even forgotten that the perpetrator of the raid on her house might be in the room with them. “Hee-hee-hee!” she giggled. “What do you suppose the next item is? I can’t wait to see!” As if in response, the cloth covering the cart was removed to reveal a gold pocket watch with elaborate handiwork. “‘If only I could be in that moment one more time.’ ‘If only I could shine a light on a truth shrouded in darkness.’ Haven’t we all had such thoughts at least once in our lives?” the masked woman began. “This is Urd’s Watch, an Artifact named after one pillar of the three goddesses of destiny in Norse mythology. It is said to make these dreams of returning to the past a reality. Simply set it to a particular time, sit back, and watch. Or see a person of interest in the past.” Excited chatter filled the room. Naturally so. Should its ability be legitimate, no secret in the world would be safe. It would be an easy feat to find the weaknesses of anyone in power. Every person alive has one or two things that they’d prefer to keep hidden. The Artifact could even allow its user to amass an enormous fortune, depending on how skilled their use of it was. Put another way, this Artifact was too dangerous to allow in the hands of someone with nefarious intent. Kurumi had to get this item and keep it safe, no matter how much it cost. Although she would be lying if she said her intentions were completely pure. “Bidding shall start at one hundred million yen,” the masked woman declared, urging them on, and the bidders began to raise their hands one after the other. “Two hundred.” “Four hundred.” “Five.” “Seven.” The price went up at a brisk clip. Kurumi raised her hand to pull past the others the way she had thus far. “Twenty—” But she cut herself off. The reason was simple. Matsurika was pushing her hand down. “Matsurika…?” Kurumi blinked repeatedly, confused. “…Stand down, Kurumi.” Matsurika shook her head, sweat beading on her forehead. “We must not bid on that.” “Mm-hmm. May I ask why?” Matsurika lowered her voice to a whisper so that the other participants couldn’t hear. “…That is most likely a fake.” “Oh my, oh dear…” Kurumi narrowed her eyes sharply. The intricate golden watch shined alluringly on the cart under the spotlight. Kurumi could spot no definitive differences between it and the items that had come before it. “Do you have any evidence to base this claim on?” she asked. “…Of course I do,” Matsurika replied. “What exactly?” “Oh. There was no record of any such Artifact in our ledger.” “I find that a bit strange.” Kurumi stroked her chin thoughtfully. “There have been other items not in the register. And items of obviously dubious authenticity. Why are you concerned about this now? We still have plenty left in our war chest, yes?” “Well…” Matsurika faltered. Kurumi peered at Matsurika’s face as she continued. “It’s almost as if you’re afraid of Urd’s Watch, an Artifact allowing one to look into the past, falling into my hands.” “…?!” Sweat dripped down Matsurika’s face. “Goodness! Did I hit the nail on the head? Hee-hee-hee!” Kurumi giggled. “There’s no need to be so concerned. Every person alive has one or two things they’d rather keep to themselves. I wouldn’t dream of taking a malicious peek into anyone’s past.” “Y-you wouldn’t?” Matsurika’s tension eased the slightest bit. “No.” Kurumi grinned. “I simply wish to use the watch in the burned remains of the Sukarabe storehouse.” Matsurika tensed once more. “Oh my, oh dear, you look quite pale, Matsurika!” Kurumi continued in a theatrical manner. “Are you all right?” “F-fine. Anyway, why would you want to…?” “Now that’s a strange question, hmm? The site of the storehouse fire is the scene of the Artifact theft. If we could see what happened there on the day of the crime, the true identity of the perpetrator of the raid, which has been thus far shrouded in darkness, would perhaps become clear. Even you, my dear Matsurika, must understand that.” Kurumi’s gaze abruptly grew sharper. “Or would it be inconvenient for you to have the storehouse remains investigated? There can’t possibly be something you’re still hiding from me?” “Wh-what…?! Why, there’s nothing of the sort, of course!” Matsurika cried out and leaped to her feet. The other bidders, the auctioneer, and the bunny girls sent startled gazes her way. “Oh my, oh dear,” Kurumi cooed. “What are you in such a panic for? Please calm yourself.” “I am not in a panic,” Matsurika insisted. “I am simply saying it is a waste to bid on an obvious fake!” “…Miss. Please lower your voice. We are in the middle of an auction,” the masked woman cautioned her from the stage. Not only had Matsurika suddenly started shouting, but she was also now declaring the item currently up for auction to be a fake. A word of warning was to be expected. Matsurika was breathing heavily, her shoulders heaving, as she was losing her temper as she looked up at the masked woman. “Excuse me,” she said flatly. “We shall not be bidding on this particular item. Please, the rest of you, do have fun.” “Oh my, oh dear.” Kurumi widened her eyes rather deliberately. “Whatever is the matter, Matsurika? You are being quite forceful.” “…Say what you might!” Matsurika snapped in response, her gaze sharpening abruptly. “But these are my funds!” Kurumi shrugged in exasperated resignation. “That is true. I won’t go against my sponsor’s wishes, of course.” She turned her eyes toward the stage and raised a hand as if to say, “Please continue.” The masked woman appeared baffled by all this, but she nevertheless cleared her throat and continued with the proceedings. “…Well then, our current top bid is two billion five hundred fifty million. Going once… Twice…” Just then, the dark-haired girl yelled out, “Two billion six hundred!” The other participants appeared to hesitate for a moment, but eventually, they sighed in defeat. “Two billion six. Going once, going twice, going three times! We have a winner!” the masked woman announced, and the bunny girls clapped. The girl clenched a gloved hand into a fist. Matsurika let out a sigh of relief and sat back down in her chair. She didn’t so much as glance at Kurumi. Almost as if she thought that if she did meet Kurumi’s gaze, she would see right through her to the depths of her soul. And yet… “And now we come to our final item,” the masked woman said, as the next item was wheeled out. “Wha—?!” The moment Matsurika saw it, she began to sweat once more. It was a single outfit. A Gothic Lolita-style dress that appeared dyed with darkness and blood. It came with a headdress, long gloves, and even boots. The whole ensemble emitted a strange pressure. “Divine Dress Number Three—Elohim,” the masked woman explained. “Spirits—uniquely catastrophic creatures said to have once appeared in our world. This is the magical costume that clothed one Spirit specimen known as ‘Nightmare.’ It is said that the wearer of this costume may dive into any shadow.” Matsurika opened her eyes so wide, her eyeballs threatened to pop out of her head, and her hands began to shake. “Th-that… What is that doing here…?” “Oh my, oh dear.” Kurumi peered at Matsurika’s profile, her own face twisted up into a smile like she was deeply enjoying the spectacle. “Is there something the matter, Matsurika? Surely you haven’t seen this item before?” “…! N-no, how could I have…?” Matsurika’s voice trembled, and her eyes darted around the room, looking anywhere but at Kurumi. She was very obviously not her usual self. “No, I suppose not.” Kurumi crossed her arms and nodded theatrically. “And look at it. What a horrendous design. You would be far too embarrassed to wear such a garment, yes?” “Uh?!” Matsurika whirled around with a gasp. “Oh my, Matsurika!” Kurumi sounded thoroughly entertained. “What is the matter? You look almost as if someone were speaking ill of a precious, beloved treasure you’ve kept tucked safely away?” “K-Kurumi, you…” Matsurika gritted her teeth with a shiver of fear. Then the bidding began. “Now then, we shall start the bidding at three hundred million yen.” “Five hundred.” “Seven hundred.” “Eight hundred.” “One point two billion.” One after the other, the participants named their price. The pace was quicker than for any other item thus far. “Wha—?! H-hey!” Matsurika cried out in a panic. But the participants took no notice of her. The dispassionate bidding war continued. “K-Kurumi?” she asked. “Aren’t you going to raise your hand?” “No.” Kurumi shook her head firmly.
Chapter 12
31 min read