I Became a Mythical-Tier Tamer Due To A System Error Chapter 97
On a weekend morning at Yggdrasil, in a private room of the Speltz Hall girls’ dormitory.
Linne drank her coffee as she opened a booklet titled, 「September Week 4 Catalogue」.
The booklet contained information about items listed for auction at the ‘Auction House’ in the great city of Dorados.
She carefully examined the goods that were put up for sale there.
「Bate’s Piano」
「A Masterpiece by the Painter Darain」
「500 Seeds of Young Horse Grass from Southern Kvarasan」
「Saint Pavarov’s Golden Egg」
….
None of them were particularly interesting.
As she kept flipping through the pages with an indifferent look, a peculiar page caught her attention.
It was a section introducing several high-priced premium items.
Among them, Linne’s eyes focused solely on one.
「1kg of Clovarium」
「Mined on September 21st at Finjer Gold.
Light in weight, and highly resistant to magic and vibrations, making it ideal for defensive equipment.
Renowned as the finest material used by the Empire’s honorary generals……」
「Auction Starting Price: 200,000 Gold」
As expected of a high-value item, the page contained a large photograph and a lengthy description.
After reading the part about ‘Clovarium’, Linne closed the catalogue.
……It had appeared on the listings after a month.
She reached for the communicator and spoke.
“I’ll be going today. Please prepare.”
[Understood.]
Ending the short communication, Linne put on her academy uniform coat.
For about a year, she had purchased every top-tier material that appeared in the Auction House.
If it was for the sake of the ‘Great Work’, it was a necessity.
“……It’s soon.”
She quietly muttered as she looked at the desk, then stepped outside.
The photograph in the frame on the desk was obscured by the dazzling sunlight.
The Auction House of Dorados, one of the three great auctions.
I looked around the area. Among the passersby, there were even a few students.
From the Academy, it took about three hours by mana carriage to reach this place.
Since it was relatively close compared to other auction venues, wealthy noble students occasionally took part as well.
‘Since it’s not exclusively for ultra-expensive items, at least the accessibility is there.’
Rather than just magnates flaunting their wealth, it was mainly professional investors and companies.
And also the heirs of affluent families.
‘The better your eye for spotting the potential of an item, the easier it is to profit here.’
As one of the Academy’s sponsors, the Auction House even had catalogues of auction items displayed in a corner of the Main Building.
I had taken one of those catalogues to check today’s auction listings.
‘……Even Young Horse Grass is here. Exactly as I remember.’
The auction items were just as I had seen in the game.
There was a particular reason I remembered the listings for the fourth week of September.
‘The Clovarium that comes out this week was especially cost-effective.’
The evaluators had judged it based on the surface alone, concluding it was of average purity.
But hidden inside was high-purity Clovarium.
During gameplay, the starting price set by the Auction House for this Clovarium had been 200,000 Gold.
I estimated the hammer price would be around 500,000 Gold.
But in reality, the true value of this Clovarium was close to 4,000,000 Gold.
‘That’s roughly an eightfold difference.’
Forging a shield out of high-purity Clovarium was something I found very appealing.
‘It’s like carrying around endgame-tier armor from the early to mid-episodes.’
That alone made it equipment capable of preparing me for Lunatic difficulty.
For someone like me, who preferred insurance, having one reliable piece of armor was a considerable advantage.
Even if the final bid far exceeded expectations, I couldn’t miss this chance.
‘Of course, I’m the only one who can recognize its true value.’
Since the high purity was hidden within the ore, no one would know until it was smelted.
‘Which means, no matter what, this is something I must buy.’
I pulled the wallet from my coat pocket.
‘As for the money I currently have…….’
I had only prepared a mere 5,000 Gold.
Not even enough to touch the starting price, let alone win the bid.
And it wasn’t like I could expect support from my family.
‘They treat me like an abandoned child, not even sending a letter during vacation.’
Financial help from the family was impossible.
But I could still ‘use’ the prestige of my lineage.
‘Since I’ve already finished the livestock shed work, I won’t be late even if I leave now.’
I looked straight ahead.
This was the Academy’s carriage depot.
Around twenty four-wheeled carriages stood in line.
But no horses were visible anywhere.
「Carriage Rental Slip」
That was what was written on the piece of parchment with a seal I held in my hand.
‘So I just have to place this on the carriage?’
As I brought the parchment to the carriage, the seal glowed blue.
At the same time, the parchment dissolved, and blue mana spread around.
The mana gathered together one by one, and then……
– Neigh!
It formed into the shape of a translucent horse.
That would be the one to pull the carriage.
Since it ran purely on mana, no coachman was necessary.
I boarded the carriage.
The windows opened wide, and the space inside was cozy. The seat was soft as well.
Once rented, the carriage could be used for the next 24 hours.
‘Well then…… let’s go.’
As I thought it, the carriage began to move, accompanied by the horse’s cry.
The bustling streets of Dorados were dazzling enough to earn it the title of the City of Pleasure.
The night streets, glowing with luxurious lights, were lined with hotels, casinos, and various shops.
Fountains powered by mana lights and even a giant Ferris wheel added to the abundance of entertainment.
Many people looked as if they were enjoying a holiday.
‘In modern terms, it feels like Las Vegas.’
Thinking this should be far enough, I got off the carriage.
– Neigh!
Even without my command, the carriage headed elsewhere.
I knew it was going to the designated carriage storage, so I didn’t pay it any mind.
What caught my attention was something else entirely.
‘This is the Auction House.’
Not far from where I stood.
The largest building in the area entered my sight.
It was a massive marble structure supported by dozens of pillars.
Its majestic and elegant appearance resembled the Parthenon of Greece.
But I didn’t walk toward it.
The auction was scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.
The clock hands still pointed to 7. There was time to spare.
As I strolled leisurely, I eventually reached a splendidly decorated casino.
Everywhere was filled with slot machines and numerous gambling tables.
I wasn’t fond of gambling, but coming here was part of my plan.
‘There were gambling contents in the game too.’
Mini-games the developers had thrown together carelessly.
Games that required no skill, where wins and losses were determined purely by luck, with money exchanged.
‘There were quite a few players who did nothing but gamble, instead of hunting monsters or living academy life.’
For them, the allure was that luck alone could bring success without skill.
That said, I didn’t particularly enjoy gambling.
Even in the game, I only played a few rounds for fun, never getting deeply involved.
Clatter—!
The sound of marbles rolling caught my ear nearby.
I turned to see a roulette wheel spinning at a table.
Five people sat around the table, surrounded by onlookers.
Clatter……
“Ugh……! No!”
“I wonnnn!”
As the sound of the rolling marble ended, both wails and cheers erupted at once.
A middle-aged man standing nearby grabbed the shoulder of the man sobbing face-down.
“If you’re broke, get lost already!”
“Agh!”
The man was weakly thrown aside by the next challenger.
Two of the people at the table clicked their tongues and stood up.
“Anyone else sitting in? If not, let’s just start already.”
The new challenger, a middle-aged man, placed a pouch heavy with money on the table.
He was smiling as if to appear confident, but his hands were shaking and his face was drenched in sweat.
“There are two challengers this round.”
The man in a neat white suit spoke.
He looked the most relaxed out of everyone here.
That man was the ‘Dealer’.
“It’s my number.”
“I’ll choose this as my number.”
The roulette wheel had a total of 50 numbers engraved, and the rules of participation were simple.
The Dealer selected ten numbers, and each participant selected ten numbers.
If the marble landed on a number they chose, they won.
The winner took all the stakes.
If the marble landed on an unchosen number, leaving the spot empty, the game was void and replayed.
“Each challenger, 1,000 Gold to start.”
With a faint smile, the Dealer tossed the marble onto the spinning roulette wheel.
Ping, clatter……
The marble spun around the board.
One might think magic could be used to cheat.
‘But gambling tables are fundamentally anti-mana fields.’
The game restricted magic.
Special magic prohibited the use of mana.
Thanks to that, neither the guests nor the Dealer could cheat.
As I watched the endlessly rolling marble.
……I discovered her, by complete accident.
Among the crowd watching the game, a certain figure radiated an undeniable presence.
The moment I laid eyes on her, a chill ran down my spine.
A woman with an eerie presence, like dawn breaking through the darkness.
‘……Linne.’
Her silver-white hair flowed down like silk, gleaming brightly.
Our eyes met for the briefest moment.
“……”
And that was all.
She gave me no further glance.
Someday, facing her would be inevitable.
But for now, nothing good would come from getting involved with Linne.
‘She has no interest in me anyway, so there’s no need to worry.’
Our meeting at the orphanage had been unexpected, and this time was the same.
‘Knowing her, she’s not here just for fun.’
Rather than gambling, perhaps she was here to join the auction.
‘……Well, that’s none of my concern.’
I turned my eyes back to the gambling table.
The marble had already stopped on a number.
“Yes……!”
The middle-aged man took a deep breath, spreading his arms to scoop up all the money from the table.
It seemed he had won.
But he didn’t stand up from his seat.
“……All in!”
He wasn’t satisfied.
He placed everything he had won so far, along with all the money he had brought, onto the table.
The total was a staggering 5,000 Gold.
The spectators stirred noisily, while the other participants at the table jumped up in alarm and hurriedly left their seats.
None had the courage to join such a crazy game.
“Running away, you cowardly bastards? Get lost already!”
The man smirked and spoke to the Dealer.
“My numbers are 3, 5, 10, 11, 17, 22, 33, 40, 46! Nine numbers total!”
This rule was only possible in a one-on-one duel with the Dealer.
The fewer numbers the challenger picked, the lower the chances of winning, but the higher the payout.
The man’s bold gamble drew even more spectators to the table.
“Dealer Kumar, I’ll accept your challenge.”
The Dealer alone remained perfectly calm.
Ping, clatter……
The marble was thrown onto the spinning roulette wheel.
The result came quickly.
“……Ah, aaaghhh!”
The man howled as all the money on the table was taken away.
I quietly looked at the Dealer.
‘……Cheating.’
Since magic was restricted, it wasn’t a trick of mana.
‘It’s sleight of hand, making the marble land on the number he wants.’
According to the game’s settings, trained Dealers at casinos often used such tricks.
So it was true.
‘In the end, it’s a game the challenger cannot win.’
A rigged board.
With small bets, they let the challenger win as bait.
But once a fortune was staked, they ensured the challenger lost.
I barely held back a laugh.
“Now then, is there no participant willing to challenge Dealer Kumar?”
Though there were plenty of onlookers, perhaps after seeing a fortune taken before their eyes, no one stepped forward.
I was the first among them to move and take a seat at the table.
“I’ll participate.”
I answered while locking eyes with the Dealer’s composed face.