****(POV)

There is something weird about him.

The appraiser that just visited our guild.

Somehow, he looks way cleaner than the first time I saw him.

In his appearance that is.

Still, there is clearly something on his mind.

Something that seems to be consuming him entirely.

At first, I think it's because of his dead friend, but then I understand.

It is not that at all.

That only accounts for the little bit of frustration I can feel in him.

No, there is something more.

Whatever that new project of his is, he is extremely invested.

So much that he asks for an advance payment.

He that never seemed to care about gold that much.

Still, at least that lets us work with him.

He is clearly talented.

Yet he has been holing who knows where in the past few weeks.

At least he hasn't visited any competitor.

He came back straight to us.

Many in the guild are thinking that we shouldn't trust him.

After all, there was that report of us losing a valuable shipment because of him.

But then I did some digging and found out that he was just paying some idiots back.

They had insulted him and tried to use him as a sacrifice to bandits.

Truly a dumb way to proceed.

Then again it wasn't surprising.

One of them only had gotten the job thanks to a relative.

He was never merchant material.

My gut tells me this young man doesn't have any bad intention toward us.

Thus I head to the auction house.

Before long I am waiting in the VIP room.

I announce to my colleagues that he will be joining us.

Some are grumbling.

Our full-time appraiser is actually happy about it.

After all the youngster is able to see through all illusions.

I still have no clue how he does it.

To be honest, he doesn't seem to even know himself.

He is a total mystery.

Just as the event is about to start he finally appears.

[Hey guys, how is it going?]

As usual, he sucks at small talk.

Then the event starts.

He diligently describes everything he sees.

Thanks to it we actually manage to get a few treasures early on.

Ones that look plain at first glance but obviously host secrets.

Items with valuable-looking pills inside.

Items with hidden compartments holding some secret techniques.

We pay instantly and ask an attendant to bring these to us already.

A perk of being a VIP.

We quickly manage to confirm that everything he says is veridic.

The way the other bigshots of the guild look at him change.

They also can't help but send approving glances my way too.

After all, I am the one that insisted we use his abilities.

Even while his background is unknown.

The auction house keeps going.

We are clearly the obvious winners.

We barely spend and we still acquire many valuable treasures.

Before long comes an intermission.

The atmosphere is joyful.

One of them at some points mentions that he heard that our new appraiser was a baker.

It seems like it a sensible topic.

The youngster seems to be getting sad.

Then I subtly tell them to change the subject.

After all, it got destroyed.

It is since then that he seems to have disappeared.

Working on god knows what.

Then the auction resumes.

There are many quality weapons and armors shown.

These things are especially popular nowadays.

Yet he seems to disdain it all.

This is something that confused me a lot in the past.

But then I heard a rumor about a man destroying a dwarven sword easily.

Turned out to be him.

He is a man of many talents.

Sometimes I wonder if the bakery was just a cover for training with the old man there.

Maybe his discernment was the result of combat training.

One's senses are vital to a fight after all.

The sooner you perceive every of your opponent's moves the quicker you can react.

Before long the auction is coming to an end.

There is one last item.

A huge rock.

At first, we are all skeptical.

Especially seeing the initial bidding price.

Let's just say it is in proportion to the size.

That is when the youngster tells us we need to buy it.

No matter what he says.

When he starts describing the interior, we can't help but disbelieve.

This should be an exceedingly rare and invaluable treasure.

A Mana Blessing!

It increases the rate of training of anyone sitting nearby tenfold.

Such a thing is enough to create an army from scratch in a matter of months.

It is that insane!

For an individual, it is bound to attract disaster.

For a faction, this thing is worth more than any talent!

Just having that in one's headquarters will attract members like flies.

People would be joining the sect just for the sake of such training efficiency!

None of us have ever seen any.

We can't help but become excited.

We try and make sure not to show any greed for it.

Sadly it seems we are not the only ones with a way to estimate it.

Before long it becomes a harsh bidding war.

Hundreds of thousands of golds are now in play.

The youngster is saying we should maybe stop.

He doesn't seem to realize the value of that thing.

We keep going until finally, we manage to outbid our rivals.

The worst one being the Golden Lion guild.

We quickly write a note to promise payment.

Even for us, this sum is close to impossible to get.

We will have to sell most of our businesses in the city to manage it.

Also to empty our treasury entirely.

We organize everything.

Before long we are extremely broke and yet joyful.

The rock is sitting in our guild building.

For some reason, the youngster hurried away.

We kept praising his insight for we would have otherwise lost the opportunity of a lifetime.

Yet he remained humble and simply said he had things to do before leaving.

Anyone would have been bragging about it, yet he simply wanted to work on that project of his.

All the bigshots are now sucking up to me.

They know this single move will bring us to new heights.

As well as bring me an incredible status across the entire continent.

True wealth.

Then starts the unveiling.

A professional is slowly carving it out.

Before long appears a mana blessing in all its glory!

"Wait, there is something wrong…"

Then we all notice it.

There is no mana at all coming out of it.

Oh god no!

Nononono!

This is when I realize that this guild is finished.

That I am finished.

My life is over.

Every effort I have ever done reduced to zilch.

In front of us is a dried mana blessing.

Nothing more than a very big and pretty gem.

One that has lost the only property that makes it worth it.

We just spent everything we had on trash.

This is a disaster!