Side Story: A Normal Girl Working Behind the Scenes of an Auction

“I want you to obtain an Artifact that will nullify the effects of lethal poison, as well as being an exquisite accessory.” Grannis Walter, the head of the House of Duke Walter, stated his request to the merchant he had befriended.

“An exquisite accessory, sir? I would believe something of that nature to be unbelievably pricey.”

“I realize that. But money is no object in this case.”

Enchanted items all shared a common weakness, which was that if the magic item itself was destroyed, then their ability would also be lost. There also existed Artifacts with self-repairing abilities, but those were exceptions to the exceptions. Generally speaking, it was said that the most important thing in preserving a magic item was making sure that the item itself didn’t break. In other words, there were many an enchanted magic item that were prone to having crude designs. That trend was especially prominent among the Artifacts that currently existed, so an Artifact that was also an exquisite accessory piece was extremely rare. If it were an accessory and Artifact as two separate entities, then it would go for anywhere from a few hundred gold pieces to a few thousand gold pieces, but if it were an item of that nature that was two-in-one, then ten-thousand gold pieces would be the bare minimum. It was a price that not even Duke Walter was able to easily pay, and he would need to sell other pieces of art that he owned in order to raise the money. However, there was a reason why he was willing to go that far to attain this kind of Artifact.

“I want to have my beloved daughter take it with her.”

“Would you happen to mean...”

“...Quite. She is to be wed in the neighboring nation.”

They were at war with the neighboring nation, with skirmishes still continuing. It was a result of both nations struggling for fertile land to use to compensate for the food shortage brought on by the population boom—a struggle that lasted for over a hundred years and had caused both nations’ resources to slope toward a decline. In order to resolve this stalemate, the king made a decision. That decision stated that a girl of royal blood was to be wed to the prince of the neighboring nation to serve as a symbol of goodwill between the two countries. And the girl chosen for that task was Duke Walter’s beloved daughter. The fate of the two nations was on her shoulders. While it was an incredible honor to him as a Duke, as a father... it was a very painful choice. Although many people desired peace, there were people who also still wanted war, and from those war-hungry people’s perspectives, the daughter of Walter was nothing more than a nuisance. It was the same as the Artifact. No matter how powerful of an effect it possessed, it couldn’t utilize its power if you destroyed the main component of the item. That was the reason he wanted an Artifact—one that not only could his daughter, who would be exposed to poisoning attempts on a daily basis now, could walk around with anywhere she went, but one that was discrete enough from a single glance.

“The wedding date is six months from now. I beg of you to produce something before then. If you succeed, I promise you that I will make it worth your while.”

“Very well, good sir. I will try my very hardest to find the best of items that suit the young miss,” said the merchant under the Duke’s employ as the Duke bowed to him, but Artifacts themselves only popped up on the market in sparse supply every year. Not only that, but considering that the Duke was specifically after an Artifact that nullified fatal poisons and doubled as a piece of jewelry, it was rather dubious as to whether anybody would even offer one up for sale anytime soon—let alone in the next few years. Regardless of price being no object for the Duke, that wasn’t helping him obtain his coveted item—all the while, the day of his daughter’s wedding drew nearer with each passing hour.

That was, until one day, when a social gathering for aristocrats and nobles was held in the imperial capital. Normally, the Duke couldn’t afford to spend time enjoying social gatherings in any capacity, but as a Duke, he also couldn’t afford to easily brush the event aside and not show up. There was also the chance that one of the aristocrats there knew about the kind of Artifact that he was after. Staking his hopes on that possibility, Duke Walter attended the gathering, but...

“An Artifact that both nullifies the effects of deadly poisons, and also functions as a beautiful accessory?”

“Yes, I wish to obtain it for my daughter.”

“...For Lady Liliane, I see. For a matter such as that, I, well...”

“It’s fine. You are not obligated to tell me anything. This is a great honor, and I myself know that you have pressing matters. I simply remembered that you are well-versed in artistic pieces yourself, Lady Charlotte.”

“Lady Liliane has been a wonderful friend, so I wish to help if at all possible, but... you must forgive me. I do not have a clue as to where to find an item of that caliber.”

“No, I should be the one apologizing for asking such a strange question out of the blue.”

She was the lone daughter of the House of Count Warren. Duke Walter tried his hand at asking someone who was on friendly terms with his daughter, but he hung his head when he realized he wouldn’t be getting the information he seeked.

“Duke Walter, I understand how you must feel. Tomorrow is the day of the auction in the imperial capital. It is just an assumption, but perhaps they will have something that fits Lady Liliane’s needs.”

“An auction...? Yes, I could see that....”

If there were any eye-catching goods like an Artifact that people wanted, it was common for auction-goers to be notified ahead of time so that they could prepare the funds necessary to purchase them. Not having any information come in at this point in time meant that it wasn’t likely that such an Artifact would be appear, but... that didn’t mean that there would be nothing there worthy to give as a gift to his daughter. Duke Walter said his thanks to Charlotte and excused himself. However, the area he moved to allowed Duke Walter to witness something unbelievable occuring in a seat surrounded by people.

Duchess Roadwell was boasting about the gift she had received from her husband to the other aristocrats. The former Duke Roadwell was a great man and was quite friendly to Duke Walter, but... the Duke Roadwell that succeeded him was always at odds with Duke Walter.

He probably just acts stubborn so that no one may take him lightly, seeing as he succeeded the title at such a young age, Duke Walter thought, never approaching him until now. However, today, he had a specific reason to do just that.

The item that Duchess Roadwell was boasting about was the very same item that Duke Walter had been searching for in order to give to his beloved daughter.

“Well? What do you think of this Artifact that I’ve gifted my wife, Duke Walter? Not only a beautiful accessory, but also nullifies any deadly poison.” asked a voice suddenly, right behind the Duke. Realizing that he was being mocked from such an antagonistic tone of voice, Duke Walter squandered his swelling annoyance to turn around.

“My, my, if it isn’t Duke Roadwell. Might I be able to help you?”

“Oh, not really. I just heard word that you’ve been looking for the same Artifact as me and just haven’t been able to find it.”

“Oh-ho...” Duke Walter wasn’t about to make any ridiculous requests for him to sell it to him. And even if he did make such a request, it would only help to stroke Duke Roadwell’s ego. While it was uncertain as to where that information was leaked, it wasn’t hard to imagine that Duke Roadwell had gained information about the item Duke Walter was looking for beforehand and bought it just to get in his way. Duke Walter was positively brimming with disgust.

“I believe searching now would be quite the task, but I do hope you do not lose heart, Duke Walter. If you are motivated, as I am, then I believe that obtaining something of the sort is doable, at the very least.”

How dare this impudent welp mock me so brazenly! Duke Walter almost allowed his thoughts to escape his mouth in fury, but he stopped himself just moments before he could. What Duke Walter needed to do now was find out what he could do for his daughter. With that in mind, he swallowed his anger and prepared to make his exit, but that was when...

“Oh, right. I almost forgot. I don’t think it’s really possible for me to buy up two of the same item, but what do you say to me introducing you to the merchant I asked to reserve it for me just in case?”

“...Oh? Well, I would appreciate that, but...” This clearly wasn’t a gesture of good will, which prompted Duke Walter to keep his guard up, as he wasn’t privy to exactly what this man was ultimately after. His precaution ended up being meaningless, however, because his offer was out of the pure goodness of his heart—at least, that was what he hoped. In actuality, Duke Roadwell already had everything set up, so he was simply showing his hand as a courtesy, meaning that...

“That merchant’s name? Why, it’s...”

The name that he informed Duke Walter of with a devious grin was that of the merchant he had befriended. That night, said merchant appeared at Duke Walter’s estate without even being summoned. There, the Duke met with him, using reason to contain himself from exploding in anger.

“...Duke Roadwell boasted about a certain item to me at today’s social gathering,” he said, glaring at him as if to say that no further explanation was needed. However, his glare was met without an ounce of hesitation by the president of a company who was starting to stand out in the imperial capital nowadays.

“...So they did boast about it, did they? I know how you must feel now.” It seemed like he was practically trying to start a fight.

His voice shaking, Duke Walter asked just to be absolutely certain. “So you sold the Artifact to Duke Roadwell?”

“Indeed, it was I who sold it.”

“Then, do you plan to tell me that you have another of the same item? Tell me, Gratt.” Considering that he was a merchant, it was inevitable that he would sell to a higher bidder, but Duke Walter was never even given the news that he had obtained it.

Depending on your answer, you may come to regret it, he thought, giving off an aura of intimidation. Despite a major aristocrat’s pressure being powerful enough to leave any normal man quaking in his boots, the merchant that Duke Walker befriended—the president of Gratt Commerce—remained unconcerned.

“Before I answer your question, please allow me to inquire about one thing.”

“...What is it?”

“If I were to tell you to bid on a certain item in tomorrow’s auction... would you be confident in winning it, Duke Walter?”

“Tomorrow’s auction, you say?”

He put off pondering what the man’s intent was in favor of searching for an answer, smoothly changing his demeanor. Regarding the auction the following day—the duke hadn’t heard anything about any sort of Artifact being featured. Given that, it would probably be safe to assume that no members of royalty would be participating. That also meant that his biggest sources of competition were the few major aristocrats and Duke Roadwell. The question was whether or not he could beat them out. In terms of total assets, it would be a one-on-one bout between Duke Roadwell and Duke Walter, but auctions weren’t something that you could win just because one’s total assets equated to a sizeable amount. The person who would win an auction was the person who had brought the most money with them at that time. And seeing as how Duke Roadwell had just recently purchased that Artifact with outstanding magic and artistic merits, his amount of cash on-hand probably wasn’t all that impressive. Meanwhile, Duke Walter had been collecting the funds to purchase his daughter’s gift, so if the auction were to take place tomorrow, it wasn’t likely at all that he would lose. And it was the very moment when Duke Walter drew that conclusion that a certain possibility came to him.

“Might you be suggesting that the item I am seeking will be put up for sale at tomorrow’s auction?”

“I have an agreement with my trading partner, so I am afraid I cannot say anything more. However... the only thing I will say is that this is from the good graces of a certain normal girl.”

“...A normal girl?”

“Indeed, once I told her about you, she happily complied with the idea. So, please, make it your mission to participate in tomorrow’s auction. I am sure that you will bear witness to a miracle.”

He wasn’t quite able to wrap his head around this being a “miracle.” The whole matter would be resolved if he were to just sell the item off to him from the start, so he was completely unable to comprehend why he was going through such a roundabout manner. The only thing he could think of was that he was trying to raise the price at the auction, but... nevertheless, he was determined to get the Artifact no matter how high the price. He just didn’t understand the point in making him bid for it. Besides that, there was no way that Duke Walker wouldn’t be informed in advance if the Artifact he was searching for was to actually show up in the auction. That was why, if he were to be truthful, Gratt was spitting nonsense to cover his own back. Either that, or he had gone daft in the head—both doubts spun inside the duke’s mind. However, he was all out of options. Hence, Duke Walter, essentially clutching at straws, decided to show up at the auction.

The day passed, and he arrived at the auction hall. There, he found himself literally witnessing a miracle.

“Wh-What is this...?” Duke Walter uttered, at a loss for words. The people who also looked at the item list clamored in a similar manner. Among the items listed on the parchment, there were Artifacts mixed into the lot. The fact that Artifacts were being put up for auction without prior notice was a surprise in itself, but the real shocker here was located in the descriptions listed.

A brooch with a beautiful design set with a large magic stone. The design was small yet delicate, with the brooch itself being appraised at no less than fifty gold pieces.

That by itself was a relatively shocking price tag. Of course, there are a number of other more expensive pieces of artistic merit, but the small brooch with the fifty gold piece price tag was considerably uncommon. Regardless, this brooch’s true value wasn’t in the design. It was said to be enchanted, and its appraised effects were described as following:

In addition to an ability which nullifies any and all bodily ailments, it is also endowed with a self-repairing ability. Will instantly nullify the effects of fast-acting and deadly poison for the bearer. The brooch itself will repair itself even if shattered into pieces. A brooch made in a normal girl’s free time.

He didn’t know where to begin when it came to picking this description apart. The Artifact was a small, artistically-sound brooch with a powerful enchantment. It was rare enough that it even existed, but the enchantment it possessed was infeasible. It nullified any and all bodily ailments. That alone was outside the realm of Artifacts and encroached into a realm of doubt as to if it was a miracle brought forth by God. Considering what it was, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it with a price tag of ten-thousand gold pieces instead.

However, the startling facts didn’t end there. The brooch was enchanted with a self-repairing ability. It was already in miracle territory at the point it was endowed with that Artifact-grade enchantment, and the fragile brooch having a self-repairing ability was a heavenly blessing. It was literally an Artifact among Artifacts, an item that should in no way exist, but... it was also a piece of work with a self-repairing ability. That clued Duke Walter in to what it actually was.

“This couldn’t be... a part of the Unassigned Series...?”

If that were the case, he could see why they would price such a small brooch for fifty gold pieces, based on its value as a piece of art alone. If it were part of the Unassigned Series, then it wouldn’t be surprising to see it with a price tag of a thousand gold pieces. The brooch had a built-in ability to nullify all bodily ailments. Putting a price tag on it was impossible. Even if he exchanged everything he had—his territory, his social status, the people of his territory—it wouldn’t be a fair trade.

—No. If it’s being featured in the auction, then it’s safe to say the auction price is the appropriate price. It’s positively ludicrous, but in a certain sense, that is the truth of the matter. It is, but... Duke Walter thought, trailing off.

Without informing anyone beforehand, it cut down the financial contenders that could bid with Duke Walter, so it made him wonder what Gratt’s goal in all this was. Thinking reasonably, his goal would be sabotaging any competitors since someone else was exhibiting these to auction, but since Gratt was acting as a representative of the exhibitor, then it wouldn’t make sense if he was trying to sabotage himself. In which case, Duke Walter thought to himself before conjuring up what Gratt told him.

“The only thing I will say is that this is from the good graces of a certain normal girl.”

Why did an Artifact of such caliber exist? Why were they attempting to sell off an Artifact of this caliber? Why did he emphasize the “normal” in “normal girl”? None of this made any sense. But what did make sense was that there was no better item to give his daughter as a gift than the Artifact being exhibited in the auction today. And then...

“Hurry! Scrape together all the gold pieces I have on-hand right away!”

Duke Roadwell and the rest of the aristocrats barked orders at their servants, but... they were too late. There was no one around that could beat Duke Walter with all of the the gold coins that he had gathered for the sake of his daughter. Duke Walter won the bid on the Artifact that would later be named the Angel’s Blessing.

A few days later, the president of Gratt Commerce paid him a visit.

“Congratulations, Duke Walter.”

“Thanks to you, Gratt, I was able to give my beloved daughter a delightfully unexpected present. You have my deepest gratitude. I promise you that I will devote my life to making it up to you.”

“No, as I mentioned the last time, this was all because of the good graces of a certain self-proclaimed normal girl.”

“Self-proclaimed normal girl, eh? You know, I was wondering what you were talking about when you told me that the first time, but...”

In the Artifact’s description, it stated that it was created in a “normal girl’s free time.” That, combined with Gratt mentioning that the good graces of a self-proclaimed normal girl made this possible... Logically thinking, the author of that description and the self-proclaimed normal girl were one in the same. Naturally, a normal girl would never be capable of doing such things. Actually, no human would be capable. However, the Unassigned Series was unassigned because the creator never tried to gain a reputation for themselves. The creator was also said to be the youngest daughter of the True Bloods. The True Bloods were a tribe that suddenly went missing a millennium ago, but since they were said to live for several millennia, it wouldn’t be unusual if they were still living somewhere out in the world even now.

“...Would this self-proclaimed normal girl so happen to be...”

“I do not know.”

“And by that... do you mean ‘don’t pry’?”

“Of course, that is a part of it, but I truly do not know. In fact, if I were to be so bold as to give my personal opinion... I would say she is an angel proclaiming herself as a normal girl.”

“...So she’s an angel, is she? Then was all this a blessing for my daughter?”

“Precisely.”

Duke Walter had meant what he said entirely as a joke, but Gratt nodded in affirmation in seriousness.

“She wants to help any girl in need—that is her catchphrase, so to speak.”

“I see. Any girl in need...”

In that case, she undeniably did all of this for my daughter’s sake. I have to admit that I don’t quite understand why this had to be done on such an overly-grandiose scale, but... angels work in mysterious ways, Duke Walter thought to himself.

The duke’s beloved daughter, Liliane, did eventually marry in to the neighboring nation. However, her life there was far from an easy experience. Those who tried to improve relations between the two nations were on her side, but those who wished for war were constantly after her life. That being said, she stood against adversity and began to win the trust of her husband, the future king, and it was told that, in the end, she made great contributions toward improving the relationship between the two nations. Known as Queen Liliane, she was pivotal as a bridge of peace between both countries. Although people attempted assassinations through several methods, including poisoning, the reason as to why she was able to live such a long life was the subject of much speculation. There was also much absurdity among those speculations, which made it difficult to tell the truth from fabrications, but... the most plausible theory was, surprisingly, an anecdote about how she was being protected by an angel. That was said to be the reason, because once she passed away from old age in her final years, an angel descended from the heavens before all of her mourners... However, nothing was ever said for certain.