While the newly appeared Imperial millionaire was systematically conquering the auction houses in the hall one by one, another mage, one who had never truly been outdone in terms of wealth, was walking over from the other side.

It was none other than Zandani of House Alzadrc, a fourth-year Valdrogard student.

“Senior. Aren’t you being too wasteful?”

“Wasteful?”

When a Valdrogard junior who was also researching gem magic in the divination magic guild spoke with concern, Zandani instead asked back.

Wasteful.

Where, exactly, was there any waste in what Zandani had just done?

“Even so, paying extra to buy things before the auction starts seems a little too... wasteful...”

“Hahaha.”

Zandani laughed pleasantly.

This junior, who was highly regarded even within Valdrogard, sometimes showed timid behavior despite outstanding talent.

“B-but tomorrow is the exam. Shouldn’t we study magic instead of going hunting?”

“There’s nothing to worry about. The professor is coming too. Friendship among students is more important than magic, isn’t it?”

Since this was that sort of junior, the reaction just now was understandable.

Negotiating beforehand to pay a large sum and buy things before the auction started.

From some perspectives, this could indeed be called wasteful.

But it was not wasteful at all.

“Because entering an auction house as a Valdrogard student and engaging in undignified haggling would be more wasteful.”

“Yesss...”

The junior trailed off.

The words seemed to be understood, but if one looked closely at the face, it was clear the junior was not convinced at all.

Couldn’t we just participate in the auction and save money?

The junior briefly considered asking students from other magic schools whether the strange one here was actually the junior.

After all, students from other magic schools did not seem to buy things at higher prices like this...

Eastern Gatherers’ Guild Reagent Auction — Large Stock of Rare Reagents

“Oh!”

Having just discovered a decent auction inside the hall, Zandani straightened the clothes and approached the manager.

“I would like to purchase in advance...!”

“I’m sorry.”

“?!”

Zandani was shocked.

There was something money could not solve?!

“Why? If you are refusing because of the large amount of gold coins to be paid, please look at this crest and reconsider.”

“How could I dare doubt the credit of such an esteemed person from House Alzadrc?”

The manager hastily explained without losing courtesy.

“The reason it is impossible is that someone has already purchased it.”

Eastern Gatherers’ Guild Reagent Auction — Large Stock of Rare Reagents

Completed

Along with those words, the manager hung up a sign. Only then did Zandani realize that someone else had been one step faster.

“How dare someone...!”

“Uh, isn’t it all right for other people to do it too?”

“I won’t forgive this!”

Zandani was genuinely indignant.

The junior was flustered by this behavior, which was so unlike the good-natured senior who usually never got angry no matter what happened.

“Think about it carefully. What if we can’t buy the gems we need because of that bastard who got there first?”

“That would be... somewhat annoying... but there’s nothing we can do about it, right?”

Despite the junior’s words, Zandani ignored them and moved on.

Being beaten once was enough. As a Valdrogard student, Zandani could not lose again when pride was on the line.

However, it was not long before Zandani had to face frustration again.

“I’m sorry.”

“Someone else.”

“Got here first...”

“Grrrr!”

It had felt so pleasant when Zandani was the one doing it, but being on the receiving end was this infuriating.

Zandani stamped a foot and looked around.

Now it had become a serious problem beyond mere pride.

I need consumables for the second semester.

Though Zandani usually treated gems and reagents lightly, as cheap things, being unable to secure them at all would become troublesome in its own way.

Even if purchases were made through other connections, that would take time, and the quantity would be insufficient.

“If we use them sparingly...”

“No! We need to have plenty.”

The world called it “waste,” but Zandani did not realize that.

Passing by 【Ancient Chess Relic Auction】, 【Cheating Items for Mage Cards Auction】, 【Southern Wine Auction】, 【Petroguard Art Exhibition Auction】, 【Eastern Rider Guild Mount Auction】, and others, Zandani desperately searched for auctions focused on gems and reagents.

“!!!”

In the middle of it all, Zandani stopped in place and opened the eyes wide.

A flashy flyer had caught Zandani’s eye.

“Senior! That’s Vagni’s Red Diamond!”

The junior also shouted in surprise at the fact that a diamond crafted by a mage who had made a name with fire elements hundreds of years ago had appeared.

The moment Zandani saw it, all the miscellaneous gems that had been missed so far were erased from the mind.

I have to buy that!

“Manager! Manager! I’ll buy that! Five times the...”

“Five times, you say?”

I’m not too late!

“Yes!”

“Please wait a moment.”

The manager standing in front of the hall sent a paper bird to someone. After a moment, the manager made a troubled expression.

Zandani, who had briefly been feeling victorious, felt the heart sink at that expression.

“Wh-why?! What’s wrong?”

“There is someone else who made a preliminary bid, and that person offered ten times the price. I’m sorry. According to the rules, that person...”

“Grrrrrrr!”

Zandani let out a scream from deep in the lungs like an Einroguard student who had failed an exam.

It was so humiliating.

The most painful thing was that Zandani’s own choice to be petty had caused it to be stolen away!

“Vagni’s Red Diamond was already sold? The auction hasn’t even started yet. The big spenders came early.”

“That’s right. From what I heard, a mage from House Wardanaz bought it.”

“Ah. That fifth-year student from Einroguard?”

“Fifth-year? Wasn’t it fourth-year?”

“!!!”

Zandani had a lightning-like realization.

There was only one mage from House Wardanaz who would buy reagents like this here.

“How frustrating...! If I had known it was House Wardanaz, I would have acted accordingly!”

If Zandani had known the opponent was from a great noble house, Zandani would never have been careless.

Zandani would have moved while anticipating that tremendous wealth.

Just wait and see. Next time, I absolutely won’t lose. Even if I have to stake Valdrogard’s pride on it!

***

“You picked up something quite useful!”

Lady Azirmo, no, the Great Artist, was quite satisfied.

To think the Artist would obtain Vagni’s Red Diamond here.

Vagni, an excellent fire mage, used to inscribe magic onto gems instead of spellbooks.

If they were unlucky, it would be magic that was already known, but if they were lucky, they might obtain some rare magic of Vagni’s that no one knew.

“Make sure to write to me when you break it later.”

“Yes. ...Yes?????”

Lee Han, whose mind was particularly confused today, cried out two beats late.

What was he supposed to do how?

“Why?”

“Did you say to break it?”

“Well, you have to break it...? Why do you think this gem is red?”

“Isn’t it because people who broke gems shed tears of blood from regret?”

Lightly ignoring the youngest junior’s nonsense, the Artist answered.

“It would be difficult to peek at the magic dwelling inside without breaking it. Vagni wasn’t such a kind mage to begin with. ...Wait. You aren’t refusing to break it because it’s precious, are you?”

The Artist, who had been speaking, asked after thinking that it seemed unlikely.

Just like when the Artist had bought the gems earlier, this junior’s attitude evoked a strange sense of discomfort.

He was clearly from Blue Dragon Tower and from a great noble house, wasn’t he?

“H-h-h-how could that be?”

“Do you perhaps already have debts?”

The Great Artist sent a suspicious look.

In fact, debt was not particularly surprising for mages from Einroguard. One of the professors was already one of the Empire’s most notable debtors.

When one craved a certain magic but realistically could not afford to prepare for it, would one take on debt to obtain the magic, or postpone it for later?

Einroguard mages usually fell into the former category. The more skilled they were, the more likely they were to suffer from the temptation of debt.

And considering the youngest junior’s abilities...

“Do you think I’m Professor Verdus or something? I’m not.”

“The way you deny it so strongly makes it even more suspicious. You have a tendency to be stingy about spending gold in strange areas, which makes it even more suspicious.”

“When I have to spend several more years at Einroguard, wouldn’t it be stranger to develop wasteful spending habits?”

Lee Han’s words made sense.

The strict Skull Principal did not even let students from wealthy families freely bring in their fortunes.

If one developed wasteful spending habits just because one was wealthy, one would suffer after returning to Einroguard.

However, the Artist shook the head.

“If you’re worried about that, learn the knack of gathering gold instead of acting like a miser. That madman is also generous about what you earn during the semester.”

If the Artist had advice to give juniors from Einroguard, there were two things.

Namely, labor and smuggling.

The latter varied too much depending on the situation and location to advise carelessly, but earning income during the semester was something the Artist could give advice about.

“Hmm. I am working fairly hard to gather money, though...”

The Artist chuckled at the junior’s cute remark.

How much could a student who had only spent one semester of second year possibly have gathered inside Einroguard?

“Tell me. I’ll listen and give you advice.”

“Starting with what I worked on during Club Week last time, plus the gold coins I earned during vacation...”

Lee Han counted off the commissions he had steadily completed in his spare time and their compensation.

Even without including the inheritance he had received from the chamberlain or the silver coins he had received from friends, the Artist’s face was colored with shock.

Why was someone who had already gathered that much acting so pathetically poor?!

“I heard I’ll start taking commissions in earnest from the second semester. What kind would be good?”

“Hmph. You’re already doing well enough on your own.”

“!?”

***

“How could they grow a mandragon in such a short period?”

“I can’t believe it. No matter how I think about it, it has to be trickery.”

“Watch your words. Are you insulting Professor Willow’s honor?”

“...That’s not it, but Professor Willow is human too. Couldn’t there be mistakes?”

The members of the Imperial Gardeners Club currently gathered in the hall had only one question.

What method could possibly have been used to grow a mandragon in such a short period?

“Ahrak’s purple poison?”

“That has limits. It’s impossible.”

“Arkan’s growth elixir?”

“That would leave traces.”

“Dragon’s flame?”

“Stop talking nonsense. Why don’t you say it was an ancient mysterious watering-can artifact instead?”

Even those who prided themselves on being plant experts were all the more troubled because they could not guess at all.

How troubled must they have been for nonsense like dragon breath to come up as a hypothesis?

“Lady Azirmo will also be attending. It seems Lady Azirmo has an interest in the mandragon.”

“Indeed. That makes sense.”

The mandragon that had appeared this time was certainly worth taking an interest in.

Setting aside its effects, this was the first time such a mysterious mandragon had ever appeared.

“Lady Azirmo might know. That one is a truly excellent mage.”

“Certainly...! Good thinking.”

Just then, they saw the noblewoman entering the hall. The Empire’s gardeners welcomed the noblewoman and immediately showered the guest with questions after the greetings.

“You’ve come, Lady Azirmo! Have you seen this mandragon?”

“Yes. I came because I heard the rumors.”

“Do you perhaps have any guess as to how this was grown?”

“Well? Do you have any guesses?”

The Artist, who had been tilting the head, also asked Lee Han.

Perhaps the junior might present a different opinion.

Lee Han answered without much thought.

“They used dragon’s breath instead of sunlight to accelerate its growth.”

“...”

“...”

“Stop talking nonsense. You might as well say it was grown with an ancient mysterious watering-can artifact.”

The Artist refreshingly scolded the junior.