Goosebumps rose on the back of his neck. In the depths of the alley, the man's presence didn't fade. Kazuki kept walking without stopping his feet. ――This is bad. Really bad. --- That morning had started normally. The stone pavement of Karaku was wet with morning dew, and his shoe soles made damp sounds against it. On both sides of the street, low stone buildings lined up, all a similar burnt-brown color. This town, which thrived as a relay point on the trade route crossing Merchant's Pass, suddenly filled with people once morning came. Cargo wagons arrived from the south, traveling merchants heading north passed by, and the market was already open in Migratory Bird Plaza. "Won't you buy some dried Labey fruit!" "How about magic stones, cheap!" The voices of peddlers flew back and forth. The smell of food, the smell of earth, and the cold air of morning. Kazuki wove through the crowd of people and crossed the plaza. Fujidou Kazuki, 18 years old. He was 170 centimeters tall, with a slender—or rather, just thin—build. Black short hair and glasses with slightly bent frames. A white shirt and black slacks made him stand out a bit in this town. On his left temple was a small burn scar that would be noticeable without his glasses. His deep brown eyes moved constantly today. As he walked through the plaza, he found himself checking the goods on the stalls. It was an occupational habit, or rather, it had become a reflex. He unconsciously touched the medal hanging around his neck. The certification of the Tilnada Alchemists' Guild. It was made of metal, small, and not impressive at all. But it was a genuine alchemist's certificate he'd obtained by passing yesterday's exam. ――A 35% pass rate, and I barely made the minimum. The written exam had been easy. Materials science, history, regulations—he'd read through his father's notes and the guild's reference books thoroughly and thought he'd gotten nearly perfect scores. The problem was the practical exam. All three basic transmutations had passed at a "barely" level. He remembered well the subtle expression on the examiner's face as they stamped his passing grade. And for good reason—Kazuki had almost no magical power. In a world where about 12% of the population was said to have some magical aptitude, Kazuki had fallen completely outside that range. He couldn't produce fire or manipulate water properly. Even for an alchemist, low magical power was harsh, but he'd managed to get his certification because of his Appraisal Eye ability. Appraisal Eye was a mundane magic that consumed little magical power. When he brought his hand close to an object and concentrated, he could read information about the material's composition, manufacturing date, and market value. No incantations or tools required. But precision depended on knowledge. Thanks to reading through the books and investigation notes his father had left behind, Kazuki's Appraisal Eye precision was far higher than that of ordinary alchemists. That was the one thing he was confident about. ――With Appraisal Eye alone, I won't lose to anyone. Muttering that to himself, Kazuki turned into an alley. --- His first client was Olbeck, an antique dealer. Two alleys in from Migratory Bird Plaza stood Fujidou Appraisal Hall. The sign was handwritten by himself, with thick letters saying "We appraise anything." Next to it was the general store "Marry's Shelf," whose owner Marry had introduced him to this job. "Olbeck's got a bit of an attitude, but he pays," Marry had told him last night. Remembering that, Kazuki entered the antique dealer's back storage. It stank. That was his first impression. A mixture of dust, old wood, and something like rotting organic matter. A single magic stone lamp hung from the low ceiling, casting thin light. It was the cheap type powered by a silver coin's worth of magic stone, and the light flickered yellow. Shelves were cluttered with goods piled haphazardly—there was no telling where to start. "So, I want you to appraise everything." "[serious]...Everything, you say?" "Everything. Just tell me if any of it's worth anything." Olbeck laughed, his fat belly jiggling, and left the storage. Kazuki pushed his glasses up and stood before the shelves. A deep breath. ――Let's do this. The first item was a stone lying on a low shelf. About the size of a fist, rough and jagged. Kazuki brought his hand close and concentrated. Information flowed to him. "[serious]A magic stone from the hills, 17% magical density. Current market value is about three silver coins. Though with that crack in it, it might be worth a bit less." He jotted it down in his notebook and moved to the next item. This time it was pottery. White with blue patterns, it looked beautiful. When he touched it, information about its age came to him. "[surprised]A kiln from about seventy years ago. Before the Elfgard collapse... If I attach a proper appraisal certificate, this could fetch a higher price." The Elfgard Kingdom had fallen thirty years ago, so this pottery was made when the kingdom still existed. Before the Collapse War redrew the continent's map. Collectors would pay good money for it. That's how Kazuki proceeded with his appraisals. An old iron knife, a worn leather bag, mysterious metal parts. He brought his hand close to each one, reading the information. Moving between shelves under the magic stone lamp's light, taking notes. "[serious]This is a copper alloy. Manufactured about twenty years ago. No particular value." "[serious]This one is... ah, a tool for drying medicinal herbs. Usable, but there are plenty on the market. About one silver coin's worth." When he'd worked his way to the back of the storage and rounded behind a shelf, something moved. A rustling sound in the darkness of the corner. Kazuki spun around and directed the lamp's light toward it. It was a rat. But not just any rat. "...That's huge!" It was the size of a cat. Its gray fur was matted, and its black eyes reflected the lamp light. The moment Kazuki spoke, the rat bolted. He reflexively stumbled backward and crashed into a shelf. Clang, crash, crash, crash. Materials from the shelf tumbled down. Stones and metal fragments of various sizes rained around him. "Whoa!" He crouched down, shielding his head with his arms. After a while, the noise stopped. Materials were scattered everywhere. The rat was gone. Kazuki slowly stood up and adjusted his glasses. He surveyed the scattered items. Did he remember where everything had been? He could do this. "[serious]...Okay, this is the copper alloy from before, and this is the rusty clasp that fell from that shelf's middle section. That one is one of the magic stones that was lined up on top of that shelf." He brought his hand close to each item to confirm, then returned them to their original positions. With Appraisal Eye, he could tell where they belonged. He finished cleaning up in less than five minutes. "...I have to admit, this is convenient." He chuckled softly and returned to appraising. --- It was some time later when he reached the corner of the storage. In a corner where dust-covered wooden boxes were stacked, Kazuki casually opened the bottom box. Inside were scraps of cloth, mixed with junk. A rusty button, some kind of key, a chipped bead. And a gold coin. It was old. You could tell at a glance—the surface was blackened. But it had the proper weight of real metal. Kazuki picked it up and, without thinking much of it, felt it in his hand. He used Appraisal Eye. The next moment, information came. The volume was different. "...Huh?" The information was orders of magnitude beyond what came from ordinary items. Data flowed like a wave crashing over him. The material's composition, the casting date, and then— A winged lion and a crescent moon. Something stirred deep in his chest. His hand holding the coin trembled slightly. Kazuki knew. He'd read about it many times in his father's notes. The royal crest of the Elfgard Kingdom. The winged lion and crescent moon were the symbol of the kingdom that once ruled about 60% of this continent. And a royal crest gold coin was something only royalty was permitted to possess—a ceremonial piece. Made from a special alloy, the casting date was... "Thirty-five years ago... right before the kingdom fell." But there was more. Faintly, barely perceptibly, there was a residue of magic. Something like bloodline authentication magic. Proof of royal status. On the black market, a single coin would fetch over five hundred gold coins. Yet here it was, in the bottom of a dusty wooden box in the back storage of an antique dealer in Karaku, tossed in with junk. Olbeck didn't know. That's why he'd left it lying around carelessly. Kazuki took a deep breath. His hands were shaking. Calm down. Calm down, I. "[serious]This appears to be an old silver alloy coin. Perhaps a commemorative piece. Given its condition, I don't think the market value is particularly high." When Olbeck returned, that's what Kazuki told him. He wasn't lying. He hadn't said it was silver alloy, and he hadn't said it was worthless. He'd just said "not particularly high" and added "I think." In the report, he'd included the gold coin. But he'd written it vaguely as "old metal currency, details unknown." He finished the job and received ten silver coins as payment. As he left the shop, Kazuki kept thinking. Had it really been the right choice? Should he have properly disclosed the coin's value? But if word got out about what that coin really was. If the Velmont Trading Company, which had a base in Karaku, heard about it. The converted grain warehouse on the east side of the plaza served as their office, and he'd heard there were always five people stationed there. ――It's better not to get involved. That should have been the right judgment. --- When he passed through Migratory Bird Plaza, his neck prickled. Kazuki thought his senses were sharp. Otherwise, his Appraisal Eye precision wouldn't improve. Those senses were telling him something. He didn't stop walking, but let only his eyes move. He stopped in front of a fruit vendor and picked up a grape-like fruit, pretending to examine it. From the corner of his eye, he checked behind him. About ten meters back, a man in a black coat stood there. Not a market customer. The way he was standing was different. He wasn't looking at merchandise. And where he was looking was at Kazuki. As a test, he deliberately turned into a narrow alley. Not the way out of the market—a side route, a narrow alley. Not the kind of path a shopper would choose. Yet the man followed. "[scared]...You've got to be kidding me." He muttered under his breath and picked up his pace. Not too fast, but definitely faster. He turned down three more alleys and slipped into the back entrance of Fujidou Appraisal Hall. He locked the door twice and leaned against the wall. His heart was racing. In the quiet storage, he stood like that for a while. He didn't have the composure to check the street outside. He just steadied his breathing while connecting the pieces in his head. ――The coin. Being followed. Are these connected? He wanted to think they weren't, but he couldn't. --- When night fell, Kazuki pulled out his father's notebook. In the living space on the second floor, from the back of the deepest drawer of an old desk. Under the thin light of a magic stone lamp, he opened the thick notebook. His father Raiji's handwriting filled the pages. Neat, meticulous writing. The handwriting of his father, who had died five years ago when Kazuki was thirteen. He'd died in a cave-in while investigating Elfgard ruins. Kazuki didn't remember much. How he'd felt when he heard the news. But he still opened this notebook from time to time. He wanted to know how far his father's investigation had progressed. And he simply couldn't believe the cave-in had been an accide