“It’s much faster than going around asking each person.”

If anyone knew about this stone, they would certainly be interested.

Moreover, since there were about three black stones, there was no significant problem in selling one.

It seemed that Lawrence understood Valige’s words, and he disappeared somewhere with the stone handed over by the duke.

A moment later.

“Now! This object is a stone that gives off a very mysterious atmosphere! Starting from 10 silver coins!”

As the red curtain covering the black stone was drawn, the bustling hall suddenly grew cold.

“Where did you bring this strange stone from to sell drugs!”

People who had been very expectant exploded here and there when the unremarkable black stone appeared.

At that moment, the confused host tried to calm the people down and hurriedly presented another item.

“I’ll buy that stone.”

While gulping down a bottle of liquor and hiccuping, an old man expressed his intention to buy.

“Good, good! If no other buyer, then I will end at 10 silver coins!”

Bang. Bang. Bang.

In case the old man might change his mind, the auctioneer quickly banged the wooden hammer and hurriedly presented another item.

Due to the unidentified stone, the atmosphere had subsided, but it was revived by a new magic stone.

At this, Valige approached the old man who had bought the black stone without any more interest in the auction.

“Do you know what the stone you just bought is?”

“Surely, I didn’t buy it without knowing what it is!”

The old man, whose nose was already red from drinking heavily, spoke defiantly.

“I know, that was the ‘Sea King’s Stone,’ a magic stone. The value of a magic stone depends on how much magic it can contain, and the Sea King’s Stone is an object that can contain the most magic in this world.”

Listening carefully to the old man’s story, the duke asked.

“But, everyone seemed not to know about this stone.”

“Well, that can’t be helped. There aren’t many wizards who can fill the Sea King’s Stone with magic. So, there are few wizards who know about the hardtofind Sea King’s Stone.”

“Then, do you know wizards who can use three or four of these magic stones?”

At Valige’s question, the old man who was momentarily blank showed a sly smile.

“Ha ha, young sir, you joke too much. To fully charge one Sea King’s Stone, the power of twenty ordinary wizards would be needed, not to mention several of them by a wizard. There’s no way such a person exists. Unless it’s ‘him.'”

“Who is that person?”
There was a magician who had such tremendous magical power that he was called a god. Well, a figure who had died a thousand years ago, but…….

Lawrence, who was going to ask the old man about the magician, closed his mouth at the words that he had already died long ago.

“If you have nothing more to say, I’ll be on my way.”

Duke Valige, watching the gradually departing old man, muttered in a seemingly serious voice.

“It doesn’t seem like we should be doing this here. Let’s proceed with the planned work quickly and return to the empire as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Although the identity of the magician could not be known, one thing was certain: someone with immense magical power had attacked them.

‘The fact that someone with that level of power has sided with the empress is a serious matter.’

It was when Valige turned to leave, as if he had no more business here.

“Now, finally! The item you’ve all been waiting for……! ‘Ratnapura’!”

The Duke’s footsteps stopped at the excited announcer’s shout.

“Do you see this brilliant violet color? A bracelet made of Ratnapura, which is mined in very small quantities even in the Madagascar region!”

When the presenter unveiled it, a bracelet made of purple shining gemstones appeared.

The brilliantly shining gemstone did not have any extravagant workmanship, giving a simple impression.

And Valige and Lawrence’s expressions suddenly hardened as they carelessly looked at the bracelet.

“Your Grace, that bracelet, could it be……?”

Lawrence looked at the shining bracelet on the stage with an astonished gaze.

A bracelet made of magical stones called ‘Ratnapura’. It was a bracelet owned by the Fermanence family, and Valige had given it to Lina.

“It’s probably just similar, right? There’s no way it could be here…….”

It shouldn’t have been here. If the auctioned bracelet is indeed the ‘Ratnapura’ owned by Fermanence, that means…….

“……We’ll know if we check it ourselves.”

(This is a time separator.)

Finally, after spending 50 gold coins, an absurd sum, the bracelet came into Valige’s hands.

“After the auction ended, I looked at the bracelet in the accommodation, and it seems to be the one owned by the Fermanence family…….”

There could be countless bracelets made of Ratnapura, but unless it was a massproduced item, there was no way there could be a bracelet with the same design as this one.

“It was the last bracelet that disappeared with the young lady. So, this is…….”

Lawrence firmly closed his lips, as if he could not continue to speak.

“Philip, you start searching all the pawnshops from Balkan to Hadenberk, and find out who brought this bracelet.”

“……Yes, I understand.”

There was no emotion to be read in Valige’s eyes as he gave the order, but one thing was clear.

He was denying something and struggling to hold back.

Finally, the vague foreboding became tangible and weighed him down.