While the auction carried on, I found myself discussing child-rearing with Yoko, Galf, Daga, the Demon King, and Beezel.
"Ultimately, labor is the best way to develop a financial sense," the Demon King said. "I believe that if you work to earn for yourself, you truly learn the value of money."
I could nod along with that sentiment, but it made me wonder—had Yuri ever actually worked before?
"I had her help out in the castle kitchen," he answered.
Impressive. As I was feeling honestly moved, Beezel leaned in to clarify that it had only been for half a day.
"Even if it was only half a day, labor is labor. To work and receive a fair wage in return—that is what matters."
He had a point. Come to think of it, I hadn't been giving the children back in the village any cash for helping out. Was that a mistake? No, wait. I gave them Reward Medals once a year based on how much work they did. I considered those to be their compensation, but...
"From the next item until number one hundred, we move into the secret listings!" the auctioneer announced. "Item Number 90: A Stone Medal with Intricate Crafting! Do not be fooled by its simple appearance. The material of this medal is none other than Death White Stone, a rarity said to be harvestable only within the Forest of Death. Why was such a precious stone processed into this specific shape? Observe the craftsmanship: one side features a lush, magnificent Great Tree. The other side depicts the Agricultural God in a display of divine artistry. How such exquisite detail was achieved remains a mystery. We shall start the bidding at one silver coin!"
Wait... that was definitely a Reward Medal. It even had the hidden patterns I carved. Going by the serial number... it was one I’d given to the Lamia Race. Now that I thought about it, I remembered the Lamias mentioning that the Devil Race workers at Draim's Nest had practically begged them for it, eventually settling on a barter trade. So that was how it got out. The Lamia who reported it had been quite apologetic, and even Gucci had come by later to apologize once he learned of the exchange, but I told them it was fine. Once I give out a Reward Medal, the recipient is free to do as they wish with it—whether they want to display it or sell it is up to them. It seemed it had taken a winding path to end up here at the auction. I didn't mind the sale, but I didn't think Reward Medals held any value outside of the Village of the Great Tree.
"Fifteen silver!"
"Sixteen!"
"Seventeen!"
The price was skyrocketing. Wait... Demon King, weren't you supposed to be sitting this out? And Beezel, if you want one that badly, I'll just give you a few. You're always helping me with teleportation magic, after all. So please, stop bidding. Yoko, could you please tell Tiselle to put the paddle down? Tiselle, stop jumping the price up so aggressively!
"Thirty-two!"
"Th-thirty-three!"
"Thirty-five!"
There were eager bidders at several other tables as well. The Reward Medal was certainly a piece I was proud of, but did they really want it that much? Unless you were involved with the Village of the Great Tree, it was really just a decoration. Wait... why did the bidders look so flustered? Did something happen? Had the price exceeded their expectations?
"Thirty-seven!"
"Thirty-eight!"
"Forty!"
Despite their hesitation, no one seemed willing to back down.
"Forty-five!"
"Forty-six!"
They were really going at it. It was flattering to see something I carved being valued so highly, but it was also a bit embarrassing.
"Fifty!"
"...F-fifty-one!"
Maybe I should just bid and win it myself? Buy back my own handiwork? No, that would be a complete waste of money. I wasn't hurting for funds, but those were village assets. I didn't want to engage in pointless spending.
"Sixty!"
"Sixty-one!"
"One thousand silver coins!"
A hush fell over the tent. The voice came from a table that hadn't participated in the bidding until that moment. I knew that voice. It was Lu. Tia was there too, with Ria and Ann standing ready by their side. When did they get here? More importantly, I gave Lu and the others several medals every year. Why on earth did they want this one so badly? As I was wondering, another voice piped up.
"O-one hundred and one!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd. It looked like a merchant-type man was determined to give it his all.
"Two hundred!" Lu countered immediately, trying to crush his spirit.
The merchant looked visibly distressed. It was clearly beyond his budget. Then, Lu called out again, delivering the finishing blow.
"One thousand silver coins!"
That was it. The matter was settled. As the auction moved on to the next item, I beckoned Lu and the others over to our table. Tiselle tried to go and act spoiled with Tia, but she was jerked back by the leash connecting her to the Demon King. I should clarify—that leash wasn't my idea. It was Alfred and the others who insisted on it. Setting that aside, did you really need to win the bid for that Reward Medal?
"I wanted to solidify the market value of the Reward Medals on the outside," Lu explained.
I suppose the price set at this auction would serve as the benchmark from now on, but... didn't she push it a bit too far at the end?
"One Reward Medal for a thousand silver coins. That's ten gold coins. I thought it was a nice, round number that would be easy for people to understand."
I made those by hand, though. I could easily churn out over a hundred of them in a single day. The entire concept of value was going to collapse at this rate.
"Now, now," Lu said. "More importantly, our items are coming up next."
Right, the village's entries.
"Item Number 95: Snake Wine!" the auctioneer shouted. "As the name suggests, it is a snake pickled in alcohol... but this is no ordinary serpent! Inside this large barrel is a five-meter Bloody Viper. We have the official appraisal results confirming its authenticity. According to the Elder Dwarf who brewed this, the flavor is 'passable,' but the physical effects one seeks from snake wine are... apparently incredible! Furthermore, the five-meter Bloody Viper alone would fetch at least fifty gold coins if sold separately. The Goroun Company is prepared to buy it on the spot, so do not hesitate to... ahem, excuse me. We shall start the bidding at fifty gold coins!"
... Not a single person raised their paddle. Even though it was a steal, considering the alcohol was basically free.
"And now for the final item! Item Number 100: A Full Skeleton of a Grappler Bear! It is exactly what it sounds like—the bones of a Grappler Bear. The skeleton is complete, and the magic stone is included. The appraiser has confirmed it is genuine. We shall start the bidding at two hundred gold coins!"
... Silence. Once again, no one raised a paddle. I suppose it couldn't be helped. They were just bones, after all.
In the end, not a single soul bid on our entries. How embarrassing. Because items ninety-five through one hundred were all our submissions, the grand finale of the auction ended on a total low note. I felt terrible for Michael-san. As an apology, I decided I would just give him the Grappler Bear skeleton as a gift. I’d heard that the magic stone alone was worth quite a bit.
Speaking of magic stones, it felt like there were a lot of them up for auction this time.
"Ah, that's because the Dalfon Company lost its monopoly," Lu informed me.
Up until recently, the buying and selling of magic stones within the Demon Kingdom had been the exclusive right of the Dalfon Company. Apparently, that monopoly had been revoked just a short while ago. That was why there was a sudden influx of people selling off their personal magic stone collections. I see. So that was it. I noticed the Demon King and Tiselle were both smirking... Did they have something to do with that?
"It is not as if we forced the issue," the Demon King said. "The Dalfon Company suggested it themselves."
"That's right," Tiselle added. "I was so surprised when I heard."
They were definitely acting.
Michael-san stepped onto the stage and officially declared the auction closed. Compared to the opening, it was a much more subdued atmosphere. Immediately, the other participants began crowding around Michael-san. Was there some kind of trouble?
"It's a common sight at the end of these events," Beezel explained. "They are likely negotiating for the items that didn't sell."
Was it really okay to negotiate for unsold items after the fact?
"There's no problem at all. Most of them likely realized they couldn't come up with the full payment for high-priced items within the one-month deadline. The post-auction negotiations usually involve adding conditions—like extending the payment period—which means the items often end up trading for even more than the initial asking price."
I see. In other words, there was still a chance our items might sell. I guess I couldn't give Michael-san the Grappler Bear skeleton just yet. What a shame.