Inside the room, all manner of congratulatory gifts lay in stacks as the staff busily inventoried them for storage.
Sha Ke picked up the completed register and began examining it with considerable seriousness.
"Tsk, tsk. Those bastard nobles from the [Science Side] really are rich, aren't they?"
He could not help marveling.
Seeing this, Momojiro abruptly signaled to the staff with his eyes, and they all left the room in tacit understanding.
Sha Ke immediately frowned. "Boss Momojiro, what is the meaning of this?"
Momojiro smiled warmly. "Lord Sha Ke, I hear you have a discerning eye, so there is something I would like your help with."
"Oh? Let's hear it." Sha Ke seemed intrigued.
Momojiro casually picked up a gift and chuckled. "Many guests brought gifts today. Among them were distinguished figures from the empire, but also people from all walks of life—with so many items, someone is bound to have passed off inferior goods as genuine treasures."
Sha Ke instantly understood what Momojiro wanted.
"This is what I was thinking," Momojiro said solemnly. "These items will ultimately enter the alliance's treasury, so we naturally must distinguish the genuine from the fake with care. Sorry for the trouble, Lord Sha Ke, but could you help identify the counterfeits among them?"
"Whoa—so you're another Dolong!" Sha Ke leaned back theatrically.
Momojiro looked bewildered. "Well—who is Dolong?"
"Nothing important," Sha Ke said casually. "He used to be a member of my crew. He loved confiscating people's property, but once, while raiding the treasury of a minor god from the [Magic Side], he accidentally triggered a trap and returned to the sea's embrace. He was always asking me to appraise ancient treasures, too."
"Oh, heavens!" Momojiro immediately looked regretful. "What a terrible shame about Lord Dolong—then, Lord Sha Ke, about this matter?"