Chapter 113: Smartphone
Upon hearing the word “smartphone,” my thoughts momentarily froze. A smartphone, after all, is that device with various apps that allows you to send emails and make calls. I never expected such a convenient magic tool would exist even in this Otherworld.
“Now, is there anyone who would like to place a bid!?”
The auctioneer’s voice echoed, but I was too preoccupied to pay attention.
But wait a minute. Just because it’s called a smartphone doesn’t mean it’s the same magic tool we know. For all I know, it could be something entirely different—like a cooking pot that heats up when you place it on a fire or something—
“One million!”
Before I knew it, I snapped back to reality as I heard someone bid on the smartphone.
“…Shuu, that’s definitely the smartphone we know, right?”
Rio’s words came right after, and I reconsidered my earlier thoughts. I enhanced my vision to scrutinize the smartphone being auctioned, and indeed, it looked just like the ones back home. Although I couldn’t see the volume or power buttons from this angle, I could make out a USB port for charging and what seemed to be a headphone jack.
Wait, didn’t the auctioneer say it was unidentifiable? What made me think it could be a cooking pot? Am I just overreacting?
“…It seems so.”
“Why is a smartphone in this world?”
“I don’t know, but when we were summoned, we definitely didn’t bring any luggage with us.”
“—One million one hundred thousand!”
While I was talking with Rio, a second bid was placed. Given that the item was still shrouded in mystery, the bidding speed was rather slow.
“One million one hundred thousand! Is there anyone else?”
“One million two hundred thousand!”
When the auctioneer prompted for more bids, I found myself shouting without thinking. Rio didn’t seem to mind, either. I was simply overwhelmed by the urge to keep something from Earth close to me.
“One million two hundred thousand has been bid!”
“Surely it won’t turn on anymore, right?”
“I think so, but…”
Nine of us were summoned, including myself, but it’s possible that others were summoned as well. I couldn’t imagine Shimizu and the others bringing a smartphone that somehow made its way to this kingdom. There had to be other summoned “seniors” out there. No other explanation made sense.
“Is there anyone else? …Then this ‘smartphone’ will be sold for one million two hundred thousand Fron!”
With the successful bid, applause erupted around us. However, since there weren’t many bids, it wasn’t an overwhelming cheer. Still, a successful auction is a successful auction. I felt a sense of satisfaction for winning my first bid.
“How did you find the auction?”
It was hard to gauge if the first day was a great success, but after it concluded, Fleur asked for my thoughts.
“It was my first time participating, but it was quite interesting.”
“Hmmm… There were some cute accessories, but when I thought I could probably buy them at a regular store, I didn’t feel inclined to bid.”
“Oh, I totally get that. If it feels like it’s just being sold normally, it’s hard to get into it.”
“Haha.”
I had won the smartphone, but it still cost one million two hundred thousand Fron. Considering my funds, it was a negligible amount, yet I hesitated to spend it.
“Let’s go pick up the item we won.”
“Okay.”
As the crowd began to thin out, we stood up from our seats. We turned down a corridor that led away from the main flow of people and arrived at the pickup area for the items. In fact, this was the room where items were delivered for the auction.
Unlike during the delivery, a simple counter had been set up. Several staff members were lined up, and a few people were exchanging items in front of them. They were likely the winners of other bids.
Soon enough, it was our turn. After paying one million two hundred thousand Fron, we were done. I examined the smartphone closely, and it looked just like the ones I had seen back in my world.
“Still no power, huh?”
“I doubt it can be charged…”
I pressed and held the power button, but it didn’t respond at all. It seemed completely out of battery. In fact, it was almost impressive if it still had any charge left.
“Um… Do you two know what that is?”
As I fiddled with the smartphone, Fleur hesitantly spoke up.
“Oh, sorry. I was a bit curious about why we won the bid…”
Rio and I exchanged glances at Fleur’s words. We hadn’t mentioned that we were summoned from another world to the Arclight Kingdom. How could we explain a tool from such a world? It wasn’t that we were trying to keep it a secret, but explaining it felt like a hassle.
“Well, it looked similar to something we know, so I thought it was nostalgic and decided to bid on it.”
“Eh? …So that means—”
“We don’t have confirmation yet, but it might be.”
At Rio’s continuation, Fleur’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Isn’t that incredible!?”
What’s with that reaction? Isn’t she overreacting a bit? To us, it was just a smartphone, an ordinary item.
“After all, even the Second Magic Research Institute couldn’t decipher it!”
I had thought it was no big deal, but Fleur’s words revealed the reason behind her astonishment.