It was a gem.

A red gem with nothing special about it.

It seemed to have even lost its luster and needed additional work to take on the form of a gem.

No one else in the auction house seemed interested in the auction item, just like me.

‘How can I make big money with that gem?’

I couldn’t understand it at all and asked Reina.

“Is that really it?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Please believe me.”

I couldn’t keep doubting when Reina said so much.

‘It might be the cliché of genre novels that a worthless thing actually has tremendous value……!’

Thump, thump. With that thought, I suddenly felt my heart pleasantly pounding.

Soon the auctioneer announced the start of the auction through an amplification magical tool.

“It’s said to be the heirloom of a ruined family, and the starting price is 500 Lariette!”

Feeling Reina’s gaze on me, I quickly raised my paddle and said,

“510 Lariette.”

I raised the bid by only 10 Lariette, thinking we should first see what happened.

“510 Lariette! 510 Lariette is out!”

The auctioneer shouted in a fuss.

I held the paddle anxiously, waiting for someone else’s bid.

Perhaps someone else might know the value of that gem besides Reina.

Then a fierce competition might unfold.

‘How much money can I afford right now?’

I was tense with the thought that an unexpected rival might appear, but…….

“510 Lariette. Sold!”

Thump, thump.

‘Rival? Nope, none.’

It was sold off too disappointingly.

I sat there blankly holding the paddle in frustration when Reina looked back at me.

“Let’s go now.”

“Huh? Uhhuh.”

Is it supposed to be this easy?

Exciting, sweaty handtohand bidding battle! Isn’t there such a thing?

I followed Reina out of the auction house, still feeling unreal.

We were led to a room, and an auction house employee came in with a magically sealed piece of paper.

“Please sign the contract.”

Contracts must be done carefully by nature. I looked it over from beginning to end, but there was nothing special.

Only the usual clauses about commission, rights to the auctioned item, etc.

I pressed down my hood again so the staff wouldn’t recognize my face and wrote my name on the contract.

Lili Arcel.

Now a rather familiar alias of mine.

Once I paid the amount in full, the employee handed me a jewel box containing the gem.

“Then, please go home carefully.”

I nodded my head and came out, and it was still bright daylight.

I felt like I had just enjoyed looking around the black market auction house.

Standing there dumbfounded, holding the jewel box, Reina reached out to me.

“May I explain the details at headquarters?”

I nodded, grabbing her escorting hand.

“Okay. Let’s go quickly.”

What on earth is this worthless gem? I’m dying to know.

(This is a time separator.)

Skyhawk Mercenary Group Headquarters, Leader’s Office.

Reina and I sat facing each other with the open jewel box between us.

The gem looked worse up close than it did from afar.

It was scratched, and even cracked.

‘510 Lariette is too much for this piece of junk.’

I glanced at the gem with suspicious eyes and then looked up at Reina.

“How can we make money with this?”

“We can use the gem’s ability.”

“This gem has an ability?”

I looked at the gem in surprise, but it still looked like a cracked gem to me.

‘Did I perhaps get conned by Reina?’

Reina might actually be the consignor of this gem.

……Of course, that was a ridiculous thought. The leader of the Skyhawk Mercenary Group wouldn’t con me for 510 Lariette.

“It’s not an ordinary gem.”

“Then?”

I looked down at the gem, and Reina answered in a low voice.

“It’s one of the Seven Sins’ Sealing Stones.”

“Sealing Stone of Sin? …This?”

I found it hard to believe that this gem, which seemed like it would crumble if stepped on, was a Sealing Stone of Sin.
I knew well about the seal stone, as there was one in the Ferdia family as well.

I learned that the seal stone of sin, passed down from ancestors, is a family treasure carefully stored in the basement of a mansion that only the head of the family and his heir can enter.

Of course, I had never seen the seal stone that Ferdia was keeping.

“Come to think of it, not long ago, the seal stone that Count Ishis of Seomatap was after was Ferdia’s seal stone.”

To get hold of the seal stone of sin at this time, could it be a coincidence?

“But why is the seal stone in the market? The four major families should be keeping it.”

The sacred duty that the five families, including the royal family, were upholding was to monitor each of the sins’ seals.

According to the priests of the Ishtar temple, the seals could break at any time, plunging the world into chaos, and eventually leading to the world’s destruction.

So, it was reasonable to think that there was no possibility that the thoroughly managed seal stone would be wandering the market.

Whether he anticipated my question or not, Reian began to explain calmly.

“The families that sealed the sins include the royal family and make up seven families. But now, only five families remain.”

“That’s right.”