With how interesting the mid-tier items have been, I really can't wait for tomorrow. Then again, there is still a good chance of an item I can use showing up today. Even if I knew there would be no good items, I still wouldn't leave early.

This will probably be the only auction I ever have the chance to attend in this life. I certainly don't want to miss out on any of it, besides I don't have anything else I need to do. The current item isn't anything interesting so I get up, wander to the table, and start snacking.

While I am snacking, I keep an ear on the auction so I don't miss out on anything. The auctioneer has a really pleasant voice, just listening to her is worth the cost of admission. It is no wonder that she has so many men pursuing her, just that she hasn't been caught.

It is a testament to her power that no one has managed to force her into a marriage. It makes me a little curious about her story, but not enough to do something stupid. I put such thoughts out of my mind, but then I hear something that catches my attention.

Auctioneer says "Our next item is something of a mystery! It is a stone of unknown origin that has defied all attempts to identify it! The fact that it can't be identified is the only reason it is listed today instead of tomorrow! Who knows how valuable it might be? Bidding will start at one hundred thousand with increments of ten thousand!"

As soon as I hear that it can't be identified I become interested and carefully send out my mana. I only use a tiny amount of mana to try and avoid getting noticed, but it is enough. I can't tell everything about the stone, but I can tell it is slowly generating mana.

If it just contained mana it wouldn't be a big deal, but generating mana is different. Normally only living things can generate mana, so a stone being able to is a big deal. So, I wait until most of the bidders drop out before I place my first bid for the stone.

"270,000!"

Bidder190 "300,000!"

Bidder104 "325,000!"

"350,000!"

Bidder104 "400,000!"

Bidder79 "500,000!"

Just as I am about to bid again I realize that the last bidder is from the top floor. That means I should just give up and let them have it, but I really want that stone. I can't be sure, but it is entirely possible that the stone could be very useful.

Before I decide what to do, I send out a thread of mana to scan the stone again. However, the second I do the auctioneer suddenly turns and looks towards my box. Did she actually manage to detect that tiny amount of mana and trace it to me?

If so, that would make her far more sensitive and observant than I gave her credit for. She only looks my way for a few seconds before she turns away and continues the auction. Maybe it was just my imagination and she was looking towards the bidder.

Auctioneer says "The bid stands at five hundred thousand! Are there any other bids?"

"600,000!"

As soon as my bid is announced the hall gets noisy, no one expected me to continue the fight. Everyone was expecting the higher number to win and the bidding to be over. From the look Henrietta is giving me she was expecting the same thing.

Bidder79 "750,000!"

"1,000,000!"

Auctioneer says "The bid stands at one million! Are there any other bids? One million going once, going twice, sold!"

Henrietta says "Congratulations, Ash! Although, this may lead to problems!"

"I am aware. I didn't ignore your warnings, but I really wanted that stone!"

Henrietta says "Alright, well just be sure to watch your back."

"I will. You should probably make sure people know that we are only business partners."

Henrietta says "Don't worry. The merchant group has enough power that no one will look for trouble with us lightly."

"That's good."

Just then, the stone is delivered by an attendant and I am finally able to scan it properly. What I find is that the stone is actually made up of two different elements. It is the hostile reaction between these two elements that is generating mana.

Out of curiosity I use a strand of mana to put some pressure on the two elements. As soon as I do, the mana generation of the stone increases by more than ten times. What is more surprising is that even though I am putting it under pressure the stone stays stable.

That means that the stone can be safely used as a mana generator, which is great. With this I am one step closer to actually being able to make the ship into an airship. I still need a lot more of the floating metal, but that isn't too big of an obstacle.

Now all that I am really missing is a method of propulsion and altitude control. That is something I might be able to figure out once I improve my knowledge of magic. Or I might be able to find something else like the stone to solve the problem.

For now, there is no need to rush since I don't have a time limit or anything. After putting the stone into my ring I turn my attention back to the auction. Getting the stone may end up causing me some problems, but it is worth it.

Maybe something else interesting will pop up in the auction today, it is worth paying attention. However, as I watch the auction I notice something a little disturbing. Every once in a while I catch the auctioneer looking towards me, or at least my vicinity.

It wouldn't bother me, except she keeps doing it when there are no bids near me. Maybe she really did notice my mana when I was sneaking a look at the stone. I am going to have to be careful of her for the rest of the auction, she is too perceptive.

She also has a lot of influence due to the number of people who are interested in her. With a word from her, the crowd would tear me apart just to make her happy. She should be comparable to an idol from my world, her fans are probably just as insane.

Luckily, the auction should keep her too busy to worry about me, even if she is curious. By the time the auction is over and she has time to look for me, I will be long gone. At least that is how I am hoping things will play out, but I will have to wait and see.

A couple of items catch my eye and I bid a few times, but I end up being outbid. They weren't anything special so I don't mind losing, winning them would have drawn more attention. Every time that I make a bid, I swear I can feel the auctioneer's eyes on me.