The massive iron door opened with a soft sound.
As I looked inside, I couldn’t help but be in awe.
“Wow…”
This was a basement where no light could properly enter.
This was an underground vault where hardly any light entered. Despite the faint illumination, the treasure inside shone so brightly that it seemed like daylight.
Srrk.
The princess put on her round, tinted glasses.
“I don’t like this place much. Every time I come here, my eyes hurt.”
Wow. Is this what it means to be wealthy?
The princess, casually glancing around, looked especially cool today.
‘…No.’
This isn’t the time for that.
First, I should take a look around.
Luxurious metal shelves stretched endlessly, like a massive library.
“Oh, from here to here is my section. You can pick something from these.”
She pointed to three long shelves.
Even just combining the items here, they’d probably be worth billions of Krone.
Was my expression showing too much awe?
The princess smirked.
“This vault is the lowest-ranked one owned by the Imperial family. That’s why outsiders like you can enter. There are much better places.”
Amazing, Your Highness.
While I was still admiring everything, the princess held out her palm.
“Hand.”
Her voice was somewhat forceful and firm.
“?”
“Hand.”
Was she asking for my hand?
I placed my hand in hers.
“My obedient puppy listens well, doesn’t he?”
…This woman!
As she patted my head, I started to feel a bit emotional.
Smirk.
The princess’s eyes narrowed like a crescent moon.
Then…
She picked up a small, finely crafted dog-shaped ornament from a nearby shelf and placed it in my hand.
Even at a glance, it was intricate and looked very expensive.
“If you keep listening to me, I might just give you one of my treasures one by one.”
“…Not a bad deal.”
“Or if you win me over, all these treasures could be yours. What do you think? Want to give it a try?”
Her hand brushed my cheek, and her eyes were so seductive, like those of a fox.
Gulp.
Without realizing it, I swallowed and shook my head.
“I’ll start by choosing something from the Numbers first.”
“Hmph. Trying to slip away, huh?”
Swoosh.
She withdrew her hand after grazing my cheek.
If I’m not careful, she’ll really devour me.
But more importantly, the treasures.
These were the riches accumulated over centuries of the Estrid Imperial family ruling the Empire.
Even though this was just a small portion, it was all laid out before me.
Various ancient relics.
Incredibly fine weapons.
Jewelry encrusted with gems, their price beyond estimation.
‘So this is where Serilia’s necklace was.’
I stared in a daze at one of the most expensive items from Fantasy X Academy. The fact that this was in the ‘lowest-ranked vault’ meant it hadn’t even been properly valued.
‘This really is incredible.’
As I glanced over the shelves, I recognized about 30% of the items.
How much treasure did they even gather?
After taking a walk around, I surveyed the treasures one by one.
This alone is a big harvest.
Being able to pinpoint the location of the treasures? That’s extremely valuable information.
‘Alright, enough sightseeing.’
It was now time to make a decision.
After surveying the area, I confirmed that what I needed most was one of the items deep within the vault, one of the Numbers.
[ Krolux’s Boots (No. 101) ]
These boots, which appear to have holes that make them seem chilly, increase mobility stats immediately just by wearing them.
They significantly enhance movement speed, reaction time, and agility.
Among the ‘shoes’ Numbers, if you are solely focusing on mobility, this is arguably the best choice.
Since it doesn’t consume mana and directly affects physical capabilities, it’s even more outstanding as a Number.
Another Number worth considering.
[ Blue Frog’s Eye (No. 117) ]
This is a drop item from the massive monster ’Blue Frog’, which has hundreds of eyes all over its body.
The Blue Frog is notorious for its ability to perfectly read the flow of mana around it, making it a very tricky and dangerous species to deal with. Every one of its eyes can track mana.
Since it’s the eye of that monster, the [ Blue Frog’s Eye ] is a Number that allows you to visualize the flow of mana.
In other words, using this item makes it much easier to fight against mages or avoid magical traps.
Additionally, when combined with other sensory-related items…
‘You could potentially create a cheat item that allows you to see through almost anything.’
Of course, that’s just a theoretical concept, but with the Blue Frog’s Eye, it might not be impossible.
Finally, there’s one Number that seems a bit underwhelming compared to the previous two.
[ Hourglass of Precise Time (No. 177) ]
This item is numbered in the late 100s among the Numbers.
Its function is clear at a glance.
— Swoosh.
Turning the hourglass gently, I could see the translucent grains of sand slowly flowing downward.
As the name suggests, it is simply an hourglass.
However, two things make this hourglass special.
The first is its sheer beauty.
The grains of sand inside shimmer as they catch the light, sometimes reflecting rainbow hues like a prism.
“It’s pretty, but it’s known as one of the most useless Numbers.”
The princess chimed in, watching over my shoulder.
“Princess, wouldn’t you prefer if I took something useless? After all, it’s still one of your treasures.”
“Do I look like a petty woman to you?”
Asteria crossed her arms and leaned her upper body toward me as if she were angry.
I unconsciously acknowledged the volume that stood out.
“…No, you have a truly large heart.”
“Indeed.”
…Alright, back to choosing the item.
The second unique aspect of this hourglass is how the grains move.
A normal hourglass is inaccurate due to the unpredictable collisions between grains of sand, which introduce small errors.
But the ‘Hourglass of Precise Time’ is different.
True to its name, each grain falls at an exact, constant interval.
If you observe closely, the grains don’t affect each other at all.
It’s as if they defy the laws of physics, falling one by one at a steady pace.
“I’ve made my decision.”
The choice wasn’t difficult.
◆
“Are you sure you’re going with that?”
“Yes.”
The princess tilted her head, looking at me briefly before handing the treasure to the royal guard overseeing the vault.
The guard gave me a quick glance and then asked the princess,
“Is this for donation purposes?”
“Yes.”
“Numbers… If you take it out this time, you will no longer be able to withdraw any more Numbers for donation purposes. Are you sure about this?”
It was surprising that even the princess couldn’t freely withdraw her own possessions from this place.
The Imperial vault was strict in maintaining a thorough withdrawal system.
Well, that’s probably how they’ve managed to maintain such vast treasures.
After receiving the Number, we returned to Asteria’s residence.
“So, what are you planning to do with that?”
“I’m going to break it.”
“… Break it?”
Asteria looked up at me with a stunned expression.
“Why do you look so disappointed?”
“W-well, I thought you took it as a keepsake to remember our time together…”
Asteria muttered in a slightly teary voice, an emotional and melancholic tone that didn’t suit her.
I was so surprised by this uncharacteristic statement that I had to ask again.
“Huh?”
“Huh? Did I say something?”
“…No, never mind.”
Did she say that without thinking?
Or was she trying out a new personality?
Instead of trying to figure her out, I shook the hourglass in front of her eyes.
“More importantly, do you see the grains inside?”
“Yes.”
“They’re not colliding with the other grains, are they?”
“… That’s true.”
“The white color you see is just an aura. It’s merely reacting to the surrounding grains.”
“… Wait a second.”
Asteria’s eyes widened.
Her pink lips parted and closed repeatedly before she finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper.
“Is this… Ether?”
“Yes.”
Ether.
It’s a substance that is both tangible and intangible, able to take form or remain formless depending on the situation.
A mysterious material with the potential to become anything.
It’s even said to be the origin of all things due to its limitless possibilities.
“… Why is this here?”
“… Why is this here?”
Ether is extremely rare.
Because it can become anything, it’s almost impossible to find naturally scattered Ether in the world.
It can only be distinguished by interacting with other Ether.
In other words, you need Ether to find Ether.
Even after collection, there’s another issue.
“… I’ve heard that no one can handle this substance.”
It’s known that no one can manipulate Ether.
Therefore, its classification is unique among the materials of Fantasy X Academy.
[ Beyond Classification ]
That’s why I dare to predict…
This is a material that only I can handle.
