Solion Impel.
The capital of the kingdom.
As befitting a capital, wealth from all over the kingdom flows into Solion Impel.
There are high-end restaurants where a single meal costs as much as a month’s living expenses for an average family of four.
There are designer clothing brands that only make custom dresses and suits for nobles.
There are also jewelry stores that buy and sell artifacts and gems of considerable value.
There was such a building on Purewell Boulevard, which could be called the luxury street of the capital.
It’s a three-story building with its exterior decorated with black ebony wood.
The gold-plated sign reads “Daniel & Farrell”.
A guard in a stylish suit stands watch at the door with a sword at his waist.
The level of various magical devices installed for security must also be extraordinary.
On the third floor of this building was an expert appraiser from Daniel & Farrell.
The appraiser, wearing a purple velvet vest, examined a crown with a magnifying glass.
“Hmm…”
This man has appraised rare gems and ornaments all his life.
It was rare for an exclamation to come from his mouth.
“This crown belongs to the barbarian tribes of the north. How could it remain in such perfect condition?”
And now he examines a small silver knife.
“This is a silver knife that a daughter of an influential family in the Empire would use. See the dragon pattern drawn on it? It’s an accessory that only a lady of very high status could wear. Its value goes without saying, of course.”
There was a hint of excitement in his tone.
The merchant who brought these items just smiled softly and remained silent.
“It’s a pity about the gold coins though. Unfortunately, all the patterns are damaged…”
Among the items the merchant brought were also gold coins made in an old style.
“If these were Seirun gold coins, we could have put them up for auction and gotten four times the gold value.”
The only flaw was that the patterns on the gold coins were scraped off as if by a knife.
“By any chance, how did you acquire these items…”
The appraiser asked cautiously.
Actually, such questions are usually taboo.
But the jeweler’s desire boiled over and he asked anyway.
“Haha.”
Roil, the merchant who brought the items, just smiled gently.
The appraiser immediately apologized.
“I’m sorry for my rudeness. Would you like to go down to the reception room? I’ll finish the appraisal and prepare your payment.”
“Thank you.”
“How would you prefer to receive the payment? You can take it in gold coins, but it might be quite heavy…”
“Half in royal bank notes, half in imperial bonds, please.”
“An excellent choice. Then, let me escort you.”
A servant waiting behind led Roil and Amain away.
And the appraiser began to examine the items Roil had brought again.
A smile spread across his face.
The merchant called Roil is not a regular customer who has maintained a long relationship with Daniel & Farrell.
Of course, his membership level is not high, so there will be a huge commission fee.
The appraiser will also earn quite a bit of income.
‘No, should I raise his membership level and cut the commission fee a little?’
He even had thoughts he rarely had.
But he was a trading partner worth it.
Despite hearing the name for the first time, somehow there was an air of merchant experience about him.
The items he brought were also amazing. It would be nice to maintain a good relationship going forward.
The appraiser was thinking this.
Suddenly, someone approached and picked up one of the gold coins.
“This looks like a Seirun gold coin.”
“What…!”
Who dares to touch an item the senior appraiser is examining?
The appraiser looked up angrily and froze.
It was a familiar face.
“It seems to have had a preservation spell on it, but the pattern is damaged. Looks like it might be looted goods, doesn’t it?”
He was an unremarkable-looking man.
He looked tired with shadows under his eyes, and wore glasses, which was his distinguishing feature.
But the appraiser stiffened.
He knew that the man before him belonged to the ‘Sparrow’s Nest’, the intelligence agency that could catch even a flying bird.
“Looted goods? It could have been legitimately excavated from a dungeon or somewhere similar.”
“Why deliberately damage the pattern then?”
“It’s not unusual for them to be distributed that way…”
“Who sold it? Can I meet them?”
“That’s not possible.”
The appraiser flatly refused.
Daniel & Farrell also buys artifacts and such, so the intelligence agency sometimes comes looking like this.
But how could he carelessly disclose customer information?
“It seems they haven’t been gone long.”
“I told you I can’t say.”
“Have they left? Contact information… No. Reception room?”
“…”
The appraiser just kept his mouth shut.
But then the intelligence agent suddenly grinned.
“So they’re still in the reception room.”
No, damn it, how did he figure it out?
The appraiser was flustered.
This is why dealing with intelligence agents was always difficult.
It was as if they could see right through people’s minds just by looking at their facial expressions.
The agent immediately turned around.
“Wait! Please don’t…”
“Oh.”
This time he turned back without smiling.
“So it is the reception room.”
Was he just guessing from the start?
The appraiser wanted to punch that expressionless face.
Of course, he only imagined it.
“…I didn’t tell you.”
“Of course not.”
The intelligence agent walked down the stairs, leaving behind the appraiser with a miserable expression.
The reception room was on the second floor.
It’s a beautifully decorated room befitting the caliber of customers who visit this place.
An oriental imported carpet covers the floor, and gorgeous tapestries hang on the walls.
Luxurious sofas and tables are scattered under the chandelier.
On this afternoon, there were only two guests in the reception room.
Amain and Roil were having a quiet conversation with refreshments in front of them.
The agent approached them.
Thanks to his trained cold reading skills, he catches numerous pieces of information even in the midst of this.
A young man, wearing expensive clothes.
But his beard isn’t properly groomed.
A face accustomed to smiling.
He looks like a merchant, but his skin is tanned. Does he go on trading expeditions himself?
He doesn’t seem like someone who would come across such artifacts.
And a child.
Not very similar to his father.
White skin and cream-colored blonde hair make him look like a child of a noble family.
The clothes he’s wearing are completely new. He’s dropped cookie crumbs, so he hasn’t received etiquette education.
Huh.
Oh.
The agent’s steps came to an abrupt halt.
The child is playing with his hands.
He might have learned magic. A bright blue mana sphere moves between the child’s fingers as if alive.
It’s an surprisingly precise mana control.
To have such skill at that age.
Is it innate?
Of course it must be innate.
The man accompanying such a raw talent.
And selling high-value artifacts.
Somehow, their clothing and behavior seem unfamiliar with the ways of the world.
The intelligence agent’s previous deductions crumbled like dominoes.
And finally, everything fell into place.
They were certain where these people in front of them had come from.
“Excuse me…”
As the intelligence agent appeared and stood still, Roil asked, seemingly flustered.
“Who are you?”
The agent clicked their heels together and answered.
“I’m a swallow who happened to stop by a swallow’s nest.”
“What?”
Roil’s expression twisted strangely.
The agent calmly continued speaking.
“You’re from the magic tower, aren’t you? I’m sorry for disturbing your rest.”
“Ah…?”
