One afternoon, I was leisurely reading the latest magazine. Although only some sections used photos for now, the number of such magazines was increasing, and it felt like they were getting more interesting because of it.

This particular magazine was running a feature on luxury goods…… a kind of theme that was popular even in the world I came from, and this time, it was titled “Rankings of Phantom Items the Average Citizen Can’t Even Lay Eyes On.”

Indeed, looking at these kinds of items is entertaining, and putting them in a ranked format really drives home how impressive they are. Let’s see, now……

“10th Place: Nifty’s Teacup (Initial Lot A)”

……Wait a second, that’s something I definitely recognize. Eh? Seriously? I did hear that the early batches, which Nebula was directly involved in producing, were very popular, but I didn’t expect it to be featured as a “phantom item”…… Also, what’s with this “A” at the end? I don’t remember there being such a classification…… Let me read the description.

“A teacup from the earliest release of the high-end tea brand “Nifty”, which has been featured in this magazine several times. Commonly referred to as the “Initial Lot”, this series is extremely rare and highly sought after by nobles. On the current market, a set of four cups can go for over 50 white gold coins, making it an item of exceptional value.”

Fifty white gold coins!? I’m pretty sure when they were sold as a limited release in the store, they were going for 12 white gold coins. So the price has quadrupled…… I guess rarity has driven the value up?

“However, even among the rare initial lot, there exists an even more elusive item known as “Type A”. This is an extremely unique product said to have been sold only in small quantities during Archlesia Empire’s Founding Festival, not in Nifty’s regular stores. A distinguishing feature is the brand mark on the back: unlike the later versions which feature three mountains enclosed in a circle, the Type A mark lacks the circle. It’s said that fewer than 10 sets exist worldwide, making this an item truly worthy of being called a phantom item.”

O- Ohh…… Ah, I see now. Come to think of it, the ceramic wares sold at Archlesia Empire’s Founding Festival had temporary branding, so the design was just the three mountains without the circle.

When we created the tea brand, we later revised the logo a bit so it would be easier to print or stamp on things like bags. So, yeah, thinking about it, the ones sold at Archlesia’s Founding Festival might really qualify as ultra-rare.

“9th Place: Midnight Diamond”

……Another one I know. Isn’t that the diamond Sela makes? ……Ahhh, but now that I think about it, Sieg-san isn’t a jeweler and doesn’t own a trading company or anything. Probably only someone like Alice, who comes to buy them directly, actually gets any. That definitely makes them rare.

“A gemstone that shows shifting colors within a nighttime-like hue depending on the angle. With its beautiful design that seems to capture the aurora of the night sky, it’s often whispered about among gemstone enthusiasts…… However, its origin is completely unknown, no one knows where it’s mined, and only an extremely small number are said to exist. The gemstone itself is as hard as orichalcum, making it incredibly difficult to process, so many gemstone lovers are curious about where these finely cut examples come from, but so far, no detailed information has ever come to light.”

Hmmm…… could it be that Alice is intentionally withholding information? If people found out that the Midnight Diamond was that expensive, then a flood of customers would likely swarm to Sieg-san, but she doesn’t really seem interested in making money that way…… In fact, even the money she’s received from Alice is more than she knows what to do with, she ends up sending most of it to Rei-san and Fia-san as an allowance. So maybe Alice is keeping the information hidden out of consideration for her.

It’s probably also part of a strategy to only release a tiny number of them into the market. By quietly distributing a few in places outside Symphonia Kingdom, people might assume they’re being mined over there instead……

Still, it’s kind of surprising how many of these items I’m familiar with have shown up in a row…… I guess I have more ties to these so-called “phantom items” than I thought.

“8th Place: Painting – Seven Planet Series”

……And there’s another one I know in 8th place.


<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [At this rate, I wouldn’t even be surprised if Kaito ends up knowing every single item from 1st to 10th…… Though, I do wonder what’ll be in 1st place. I can guess a few possibilities, like that wine K or something along those lines…… but if you asked me whether that would take the top spot, I’d probably say no.]

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