Chapter 307 – Yureena’s Father and the Stones
Chapter 307 – Yureena’s Father and the Stones
After looking over the stones with his tradesman’s eyes, Yureena said,
「...so, let’s talk first about what an appropriate price is.」
「You’re right.」
「Excuse us...son-in-law...」
Yureena’s father took a stone in hand, and looked it over seriously.
After a bit, he took a magnifying monocle, placed in his eye, and looked it over again.
Well, maybe appraised it would be a better statement than “looking it over.”
「...my father can also appraise gems.」
「I see...」
Yureena said, whispering past Cruz to me.
I could see he was focusing on looking every part of the stone over.
I remained quiet so nothing would interfere with him.
「ry....」
Shiggy began to cry while flapping her wings, but I stopped her.
「Shhhhh...」
「...」
She clasped her little claws over her beak.
Femm just sat, quietly.
Femm always knows when to remain quiet. Very able to know what’s going on.
On the other hand, Yureena’s mother was busy feeding Moofy.
「Mooo」
「You really are cute, Moo-chan. I wish you were mine.」
「Mooompf mooofph」
I could shut Moofy up as well, but not if Yureena’s mom was making a racket herself.
If I had to shut Moofy up, the mom would have to shut up as well.
So it was hard for me to say anything, and I looked over at Yureena.
She nodded.
「Mother.」
「What is it, Yureena?」
「Father is appraising the stone.」
「You’re right. I guess I’ll have to stay quiet, even though there’s no point.」
「Why do you say that?」
I asked, and the mother responded,
「Well, you said we can’t cut the stone to make it more beautiful, right?」
「You’re right.」
「Well, then seeing if it has defects, it’s color, it’s translucence, it’s all pointless.」
「I guess you’re right.」
Then she smiled at me and went to petting Moofy.
「Is there something other than appearance that determines the price of a spirit stone?」
「Yes, there is.」
「Then I guess a rank amateur can’t determine the worth of a magic or spirit stone just by looking it over...right?」
「I think that’s correct.」
Yureena seemed to understand this, as she answered her mother.
Well...then why was her father appraising it?
「Hmph.」
After a few minutes, the father took the stone and placed it on a shelf.
「Did you figure something out about it?」
「Son...this stone you have...is very mysterious.」
「As a magician, I certainly agree. However, you’ve appraised it as something strange too?」
「Yes. It refracts and reflects light very strongly.」
「Which means...」
「Well, that’s a characteristic of gems with very high qualities. However, it’s not hard like a gem...in fact, it’s quite brittle.」
It seems that the father had quite an experienced opinion about the gem as an appraiser.
It was a softish stone...or rather brittle.
In other words, cutting it would be hard, and it was of no use for rings or necklaces.
「It’s hard to give it a hard price like most gems...」
「I see.」
「Son...this leads me to the question...what’s the use for this thing?」
「...Well, I’m guessing you can use it to summon spirits and as a catalyst for spirit magic.」
「And maybe as a material for alchemy too!」
Yureena said.
Yureena had Shiggy on her knee, and petted her while feeding her a snack.
Femm moved over to Yureena’s mom as well.
Femm probably wanted to be petted and fed as well.
Yureena’s father looked over at his wife and then said,
「You said, for alchemy?」
「Well, I’m not that sure about it, but I heard it’s a secret ingredient for some alchemy.」
「I see.」
I guess as a holy woman, she knew something about alchemy as well.
「I don’t know how it’s used, but I know that some alchemists would pay a high price for it.」
「So without putting a high price on it, it will be bought up quickly?」
「Yes! I think so! So dad, I also think it’s important to determine price, as it’s used to summon spirits.」
「Hm?」
Yureena explained why to him.
If you summoned an army of Jack Frosts, the resulting blizzard would be so intense it could stop an army.
「Even during the summer?」
I answered his question.
「The effect would weaken considerably during the summer. I think it would be hard to use the Jack Frosts then.」
「So just during the winter? There aren’t many armies moving in the dead of winter.」
「I think it would also be effective in the early spring and late autumn.」
「I see.」
「Also, these stones don’t just summon ice spirits. There are sylphs of wind magic that can attack with mighty gales.」
「Gales?」
「Enough to possibly stop an army, and outside of town, it can cause great damage.」
Yureena’s father gave another「Hmmm.」
「I guess we can’t just slap a price on these then.」
「Even so, I don’t think there’s many that have the casting power to use these stones correctly.」
A normal spirit magician might only be able to use these to increase their casting power.
Yureena’s father then seemed to think the price over after hearing about how terrifyingly they could be used.