I had planned to spend some serious gold at the auction, but things hadn't gone according to script. At this rate, I’d barely be able to part with a hundred gold coins. Most of that was earmarked for whatever Prada had her eye on. She wasn't eyeing the pieces the nobles had recently offloaded; her sights were set on the artifacts that had been on the roster from the very start.
"Wait, maybe I should just give Prada more freedom?" I mused.
"If you give Prada-san a blank check, won't she just bid until the price hits the ceiling?" the Civil Official Girls pointed out. "She seems like the type who won't quit until she wins," another added. "And if she refuses to back down, she'll just drive the price up for everyone else."
I saw their point. "Then what’s the move?"
"We shouldn't leave it to Prada-san alone. Maybe she should lead a team?" "Right, the teammates can keep her from going on a stampede." "Wait, why even include her then? Why not just send the team without her?" "Because Prada-san actually has a discerning eye for art." "Fair point. So, the real question is who to put on the team." "Who can actually keep a lid on her?"
And thus, Team Auction Winning Squad was officially formed. Prada was the nominal leader, responsible for selecting the items. Joining her from the Village of the Great Tree were Frau and Malbit, while Village Four provided Bell and Yor. They would be the ones to set the bidding limits and handle the actual transactions. Finally, Bulga and Stifano, the Ancient Devils, were assigned to the team to act as Prada’s brakes.
The two maids protested at first. "But we have to look after Lananon-sama and Kukulkan-sama!" They only relented when Rusty ordered them to go, telling them to treat it as a working vacation. I felt a bit guilty, but I was grateful for their help.
"Well, if it’s only for the duration of the auction, we can manage," they said. "But honestly, if Prada gets serious, we won't be able to stop her." "Is she really that much of a handful?" I asked. "Yes. As long as she’s just playing around, it’s fine. But if she truly locks in... well, even the two of us together would struggle to hold her back. Prada is one of the few who can actually go toe-to-toe with Lord Gucci."
That was impressive. "If it comes to that, just back off. Stick to buying time." "Are you sure about that, Village Head?" "Yeah. Besides, Dos and the others said they’d be dropping by."
Bulga and Stifano froze. "Lord... Dos?" "Is someone else coming, too?" "Raimeiren is going as well," I added. "She’s bringing Hiichiro and Gural along for the trip." "..." "...W-We should probably tell Prada. Right now. Knowing that will prevent a lot of trouble. Beton is going to be there as part of the caravan, right? We should make sure she knows, too." Stifano’s voice was urgent, so I agreed to let them pass the word along.
With the auction still a few days off, I settled back into the slow pace of village life. Since it was summer, the Ice Monster was the local celebrity. He was a natural cooling unit, and Kuro’s pups were constantly huddled around him. He didn't seem to mind the attention.
His only rivals were the temperature-regulating magic tools. Whenever the Ice Monster saw one of those machines running, he would wordlessly walk over and flip the switch. I guess he considered the room his territory. Everyone let him have his way; as long as the room stayed cool, nobody cared whether it was a spirit or a machine doing the work.
Come to think of it, Urza still hadn't come to pick him up. I wondered if that was okay, but my thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the High Ogre maids and a gaggle of children. "Ice-san, could we trouble you for a favor?" One of the maids held out a basket of fruit. The Ice Monster took it and methodically froze the contents. "Thank you. This helps us so much." She bowed and turned back toward the house with the kids skipping happily in her wake. They were clearly headed for some frozen fruit snacks. I had a feeling that even if Urza did try to take him back, the kids would stage a protest.
One afternoon, I headed down to the edge of the reservoir. The Pond Turtles were basking on the banks, soaking up the sun. It was a picture of peace. I set up my camping chair in a spot where I wouldn't disturb them, popped up a parasol for shade, and leaned back for a nap.
I had just settled in when something heavy landed on my stomach. I looked down to find Raigiel, the Father Cat, staring back at me. "It's sweltering out here, you know. You didn't have to climb on top of me." He didn't seem to care. I gave up and let him stay.
The Ice Monster appeared and silently erected a pillar of ice beside me. The cool radiance was a blessing. If there had been a breeze, it would have been perfect. Then again, if I wanted a climate-controlled environment, I should have stayed inside. This was about enjoying the great outdoors. Still, I wasn't about to complain about the ice pillar. That was just smart planning.
About thirty minutes into my relaxation, a group of Mountain Elves arrived. They were lugging something large toward the water. An experiment, maybe? I set the cat down on the chair and walked over to investigate.
It was a ship—a large model of a two-masted carrack, about two meters long. The masts were nearly as tall as the hull was long. They explained that they wanted to test it in the reservoir first. If it floated, they’d take it to the pool to show the kids. Good thinking—showing a sinking ship to children was a great way to give them a permanent fear of the water.
It was big, but surely no one was actually going to sail in it. The center of gravity would be too high; it would capsize instantly. The Mountain Elves just gave me a knowing smirk. Then, out came a dozen fist-sized spiders—Zabuton’s children.
Wait, were the spiders going to crew the ship? I had to see this. When I expressed my interest, the little spiders tied on colorful pirate bandanas—red, white, blue, black, and green. They looked ready for action. They scrambled onto the deck as the elves lowered the ship into the water. The spiders climbed the riggings and unfurled the sails with professional precision. It was an incredible sight.
The only problem was the total lack of wind. "Does anyone here know wind magic?" One of the elves sprinted back to the mansion and returned with Lu. "I'm actually quite busy," she grumbled. "Sorry, Lu. Just a little help?" "Fine, fine. A breeze... like this?"
Lu conjured a gentle wind, and the ship glided out toward the middle of the reservoir. As it reached the far shore, the spiders executed a perfect U-turn. Even against the wind, they tacked back and forth, tilting the hull as they worked the sails. It was a sight to behold.
Wait. The ship looked... lower than before. Was it sinking? The spiders on deck began to scramble in a panic. Water was definitely getting in. I started to move to help, but the Mountain Elves just smiled. "It's fine, Village Head. Rest easy." "Is this part of the show? Is it unsinkable?" "No, it's a genuine leak. It’s definitely going down." "Hey!"
"But look!" Tiny lifeboats were lowered from the side of the carrack. The spiders abandoned ship in an orderly fashion and paddled away. "We made sure there were enough lifeboats for every crew member," the elves said proudly. The safety precautions were top-notch. On closer inspection, every spider was even wearing a miniature life jacket.
"Alright, everyone ashore! Roll call!" Once the spiders made it back to the bank, I checked the numbers. Everyone was accounted for. "I saw one of you trying to go down with the ship," I noted, looking at one specific spider. The others had practically had to drag him into a boat. "Why did you stay?" The spider gestured—he was the Captain. "You idiot! Value your life! We can always build another ship." He seemed to take the lecture to heart. He was taking his responsibilities a bit too seriously for a first-time experiment.
The Pond Turtles eventually retrieved the sunken hull. As the elves poked at the leak, I realized the problem. "Investigating the leak is good, but that ship went down way too fast once it took on water. You didn't partition the hull, did you?" I explained the concept of watertight bulkheads—minimizing damage by sealing off sections of the ship. "Ah, right. The inside was just empty space for the weights." They had copied the look, but not the engineering. Still, the rigging and sail mechanics were incredible.
"Next time, let's take a trip to Shashato. I have a few sailing ships docked there. I've left them in the care of the Goroun Company, so they don't feel like 'mine,' but they're the real deal. Seeing the actual engineering should help your research." "Really? We'd love that!"
Lu, still lounging in the chair with Raigiel in her lap, watched as I made plans with the elves. "Naturally, you're coming too, Lu." "I suppose I could find the time," she said with a smile.