While relaxing in the park with Illness-san, I saw the large gate at the entrance open. It seemed like more visitors had arrived…… but if the gate opened, did they come by carriage?

As I wondered about it and casually turned toward the gate…… I was stunned.

[……Eh? A flying carpet!?]

[A treasuuuure. Quite a rare siiiight.]

[……Treasure? Errr, so it’s not a magic tool or some kind of magic?]

What entered was not a carriage, but a flying carpet with what seemed to be a couple sitting shoulder to shoulder on top of it. Their appearance gave off a distinctly noble-like vibe, but more than anything, it was the flying carpet that took me by surprise.

Flight Magic is quite advanced, and for magic tools, even if it doesn’t require something as big as those used for a Teleportation Magic Tool, you’d still need a large magic crystal. In fact, flying platforms or boards are usually quite large.

However, the flying carpet that had just entered was thin, and I couldn’t imagine there being a magic crystal with the necessary magic formulas inside something of that thickness. I had assumed the people riding it were using magic to make it float, but…… I overheard the unfamiliar term “treasure.”

[Yeeeees, it’s quite rare, so it’s understandable that Kaito-sama doesn’t know about iiiiiiit. Treasures aaaaare, in simple terms, iteeeeeems with special effects that current magic tools cannot replicaaaaaaate. They’re sometimes discovered in ancient ruins and have properties similar to magic crystaaaaaals, which allows for their use in ways like thaaaaaat.]

[I- I see, so they’re something like ancient OOPArts in this world.]

(T/N: OOPArts, Out-of-Place Artifacts)

[Their difference with magic tools’ magic crystaaaaaals is that treasures can’t have their magic formulas rewritteeeeeen, and each treasure has only one specific effeeeeeect. They are incredibly valuable iteeeeeems, and when discoveeeeeered, they are sometimes auctioned off to wealthy nobles, merchants, or royaltyyyyyy. That carpet was likely obtained through such meeeeeeans.]

[Heehhh…… For something that rare, it must fetch an extremely high price, so probably only those with significant wealth can get their hands on it huh.]

So such OOPArts-like items existed in this world huh…… I had no idea…… but indeed, when I think about it, it makes sense. In manga or games, there are often stories about strange magic being embedded in items made from the materials of special monsters. So in a world where magic exists, it’s only natural that mysterious items like that would also exist.

[There are alsooooo people who travel around investigating ancient civilizatiooooons and ruins in search of such treasuuuuures. Among the people Kaito-sama knoooooows, Hapti-sama could be considered something of a treasure hunteeeeeer.]

[Ahh~~ I see, she did mention something about treasure hunting. She claims herself more of a chivalrous thief though……]

Well, Hapti-san is Alice after all…… That being the case, I can see her doing that. The search and management of these unknown items are likely handled by Alice———- or rather, the Phantasmal King’s camp. Heck, there’s also a good chance that Alice has some influence over those treasure auctions as well.

If I were to summarize it roughly, Hapti-san’s work as a clone likely revolves around treasure hunting.

[Do you think there are still undiscovered treasures out there?]

[I suppose soooo. Especially in the Demon Reaaaaalm, where many various species of Demons have perished in the paaaaast. Perhaaaaaaps, during the chaotic times of the paaaaaast, powerful Demons might have hidden away some of those as their possessiooooons. Some treasures have been found deep undergrouuuuund, so it’s certainly possibleeeeee.]

[Heehhh…… there’s a certain sense of adventure and romance in that idea.]

[Kuhihi, indeeeeed. The thought of discovering an unexpected item does evoke a sense of adventure, doesn’t iiiiiiit?]

If the opportunity arises someday, I’d like to learn more about treasures. Perhaps the Royal Museum or some similar place might have them on display, and I might be able to see them for myself.

<Afterword>

<Treasures>

Items imbued with magic power that can’t be replicated by magic tools, their original materials unknown. They are extremely rare and valuable, and there are even treasure hunters who search for them.

……In truth, these treasures are actually “special items that Shallow Vernal once created as an experiment”. They were scattered across the world to test how Demons and others might use them. These items are remnants of the era when Shallow Vernal was still making trials and errors, trying out various things in the past.

Serious-senpai : [……So those things really came from her!?]

? ? ? : [Yeah, most of the mysterious and unreplicable things in the world were just Shallow Vernal-sama testing this or that…… As expected of the origin of most things.]