GILF Hunter

Mika stuck close to Kria, whom she had met by chance, and toured the party venue.

Although she was a potential competitor for the auction, for now, there was no one else who could help Mika.

Since Kria seemed to participate in such gatherings often, Mika casually asked about the auction.

’But isn’t it incredibly expensive to buy things at an auction like this?’

’It’s not that much more expensive than the market price. Since I wanted to use it for research, I was planning to ask for a concession this time.’

’Pardon? People give concessions like that?’

’It’s an auction for a social club, after all. If someone really needs it, they usually tend to let them have it. Well, there is some competition for truly rare things, but...’

So that was how the system worked....

Hearing Kria’s story, Mika wore a troubled expression.

In that kind of auction, there was almost no chance for Mika, who had suddenly jumped in, to receive a concession.

If a first-time participant said they wanted something like a Mandragora, they’d be treated as someone with no tact....

If there were many outsiders like now, they might not put it up for auction at all.

She thought she could buy it if she prepared enough money, but it seemed there was no hope this way.

’Does Ms. Kria participate in these often?’

’About once a month! Many rare materials come into this shopping district.’

As expected, it seemed one had to mingle in places like this to get their hands on rare items.

...This won’t do. From now on, I’ll have to attend social clubs frequently with Airi.

Mika formulated a belated plan, coming up with a thought that would have horrified Airi if she had heard it.

’We will begin the auction shortly!’

’Ah, looks like it’s starting.’

An announcement starting the auction was heard from one side of the hall.

People who were gathered here and there talking also began to move to watch the auction.

’Ah, over here!’

Mika spotted her group on one side and waved her hand.

Airi and Elena, who had barely escaped the crowd, joined Mika’s side.

Airi sent a slightly resentful gaze toward Mika for slipping away alone... but since there was a reason regarding the auction, she couldn’t complain much.

Kria, who had no other companions, naturally took a spot next to Mika.

’The first item is...!’

The auction began.

Fortunately, it seemed anyone could participate in the auction without restriction, even if they weren’t an existing member.

As expected, items that weren’t particularly special came out at first.

The Mandragora would surely come out at the end.

Thinking that, Mika observed the reactions of the people around her and pondered if she could buy the Mandragora with the money she had prepared today.

She had never participated in an auction, but she knew at least that if competition broke out, it could become much more expensive than the market price.

Mika quietly spoke to Airi and Elena next to her.

’Do you think we can buy the Mandragora?’

’Auctions for social clubs don’t usually overheat to that extent... but still, popular items can go up several times in price.’

’A Mandragora... will surely be popular.’

Mika sighed. Since it was an item like a Mandragora, there were bound to be many people aiming for it.

Kria, who was listening to the conversation, asked.

’Are you here to buy a Mandragora too?’

’Yes. But it’ll probably be difficult.’

’Is it for Airi to use? I heard a lot of those materials go into black magic.’

’Eh... me? That’s...’

Since she couldn’t accurately say why it was needed, a flustered Airi just nodded her head quietly.

There was no need to give detailed information about where it was needed.

And the people nearby who had been quietly eavesdropping on that conversation had their eyes sparkle.

...She needs a Mandragora?

＊　＊　＊

After several items that came out earlier were quickly sold and their turns passed.

Finally, the last auction item appeared. As everyone expected, it was a Mandragora.

’Next is the one you’ve all been waiting for, the Mandragora! The starting price is...’

The people participating in the auction all raised their hands in unison to signal their bids.

The price began to soar with incredible momentum from the start.

Because bids followed without a moment’s rest, it was hard to even grasp what the exact price was right now.

’I don’t think we can buy this at all...’

Kria, who was watching the auction, muttered with a fed-up face.

Usually, when starting, people tend to drag out the bidding while gauging the competition, but this auction saw intense competition from the beginning.

Even though a Mandragora is rare, it shouldn’t be to this extent....

Seeing the momentum of the participants, Kria cleanly gave up on bidding.

Similarly, Mika and Airi also gave up on participating in the auction.

They wanted to try since they had come this far, but looking at the terrifyingly rising price, they didn’t dare to intervene.

Mika’s research hadn’t even properly begun yet. There was no certainty that a Mandragora would be absolutely necessary, so she couldn’t pour out this much money just to buy a single material.

’Phew. Should I just give up?’

’Give up...?! After coming all this way...’

’But it can’t be helped. If the price goes up like this.’

To think they couldn’t even participate in the auction after all that trouble. Airi looked at the auction scene proceeding in front of her with a disappointed face.

Since Airi seemed so disappointed, Mika spoke to her as if to comfort her.

’Still, it was fun, wasn’t it?’

’Fun...?!’

She said it was fun....

You did this to me for fun...?!

Airi trembled with fear after hearing Mika’s shocking review of the party.

In the meantime, the auction for the Mandragora seemed to have concluded as well. A bit of a commotion broke out at the front along with applause.

The final winning bid was several times higher than what Mika had expected.

’Wow... it sold for almost 10 times the price. Better to just go to Prana and buy it directly than to buy that...’

Hearing the winning bid, Kria also muttered with a fed-up face.

Well, auctions for wealthy people are always like this. They are people with surplus money and no time to spare.

In a way, they were buying the few months of time it would take to look for cheap listings or go to a big city where items gathered.

’Shall we head back soon? Now that the auction is over.’

’Heen...’

Since they had failed to secure the target Mandragora, it was the moment everyone was thinking about heading back soon.

Suddenly, the crowd parted, and a middle-aged man who had just won the Mandragora approached Airi.

’Miss Airi!’

’Hik...?!’

Greeting her with a slightly smug face in front of Airi, he spoke.

’I happened to hear that you were looking for a Mandragora.’

’Pardon?! Where, did you hear that...’

’Fufu...’

Of course, the conversation Airi’s group had shared just before the auction started had spread among the participants in an instant.

The reason this auction had overheated was precisely because of that news about Airi.

’To be of help to the research of Miss Airi, who protects this city, I will present this Mandragora as a gift.’

’Wh-what...? But it’s incredibly expensive...’

’If it helps Miss Airi, I am satisfied with that!’

Airi’s reaction was exactly what the other person wanted.

Elena, who was about to lightly advise from the side on how to answer, nodded contentedly seeing how Airi was now handling it well on her own.

’Tch... showing off.’

’If I hadn’t spent all my funds because of the Legion Bug that appeared just last month, I would have bought it...’

Other participants nearby whispered such things and clapped in unison.

Amidst the noisy applause echoing through the party hall, a flustered Mika lowered her voice and asked Elena.

’W-what is going on?’

’It seems competition broke out to give a gift to Miss Airi.’

’They just give such an expensive thing as a gift...?’

’The more expensive the gift, the better.’

Elena explained to Mika, who wore a face that didn’t understand the reason.

’They’re trying to make their name known. If it’s known that they spent such a large sum of money on a good cause, their name spreads that much. There’s nothing like an expensive gift to a celebrity to start such rumors.’

Moreover, if the justification is good, there’s nothing better.

Even though some time had passed, to buy and gift an item that Airi—who was still one of the most talked-about figures—was desperately looking for.

His name would surely be mentioned in various places for a while.

Elena approached the still flustered Airi and whispered softly.

’You don’t need to repay with physical goods, so don’t worry. Just give a simple word of thanks.’

’Pardon...?’

Airi came to her senses at the mention of a word of thanks.

R-right.... I have to say thanks.

Whether everyone was waiting for that, the applause gradually died down as Airi looked up.

When everyone’s eyes were thus focused on Airi.

Airi, who had nodded... collapsed.

’Ah!’

’Airi!’

It was a flashy conclusion to a long party.

＊　＊　＊

Although a bit of a commotion occurred at the end, anyway, the day after the party had safely concluded.

Rumors that Airi’s injuries had not yet healed began to spread.

Details were gradually added to the rumor, and a story circulated that Airi was looking for a Mandragora to treat the side effects of the Great Magic she had used during the invasion.

’A-all of these are gifts for me?’

’Yes. Please sign here.’

A flustered Airi wrote her name on the delivery man’s documents.

Soon, a mountain of boxes piled up in a corner of the lounge. They were all gifts for Airi.

Perhaps because of that rumor, the people who had attended the party had sent various medicinal herbs known to be good for treating wounds or magic aftereffects to Airi.

Coincidentally, many of them overlapped with Mika’s research, so they were items of great help.

...Should we go around to a few more parties like this?

If Airi collapsed a few more times, it seemed they wouldn’t have to worry about materials in the future.

As Mika watched Airi’s back as she organized the gifts with that thought, Airi, feeling an unknown chill, shivered.