With my [Appraisal] Skill, I Became the Top of the Streaming World - Chapter 40

 The Intersection of Circulation

Early in the morning, I opened up Shio's monthly record app—which was fast becoming a fixed daily routine—and filled out the status column.

The light intensity within its shell remained stable while continuing its microscopic increase. Its reaction to the mana nutritional fluid had grown faster than the previous week, and its overall movement inside the vessel had increased by a surprising margin. I hypothesized that its sense of self was beginning to bud, bringing along a natural curiosity toward the world.

When I used the fine-tipped dropper to deposit the Management Bureau-issue mana nutritional fluid, Shio crawled along the bottom surface of the vessel to draw closer. Once it finished drinking, it remained suctioned to the glass on the feeding side for a while. When I pulled the container slightly toward me, its eyes turned to look straight at me. It shifted its gaze around the room, and then, as if losing interest, slowly made its way back to the center of the vessel.

"I'm glad to see you're growing without any issues."

Shio offered no particular reaction to my words.

◇

The update from Asada arrived before the morning was out.

“We have extracted the detailed data regarding the overlapping recovery zones across multiple confiscated items. We also have some accompanying pieces that were attached to the confiscated evidence. We’d like you to run an appraisal on them.”

“How many accompanying pieces are there?”

I texted back, and a reply came after a short delay.

“Just a few items. They aren't the actual talismans, but rather small miscellaneous goods. I think it will be faster for you to just look at the real things.”

“I’ll be there this afternoon.”

I sent the confirmation, and an acknowledgment came back shortly after.

"Let's get this errand wrapped up quickly."

Once the afternoon set in, I transferred Shio into its containment vessel and secured it inside the carrying case. Checking inside before closing the lid, Shio shifted its posture slightly within its shell. Showing no signs of distress or resistance, it settled in quietly.

I packed my appraisal tools and phone into my bag and left the apartment. Upon arriving at the Management Bureau, I cleared my permit through the administrative reception desk and walked down the back corridor.

◇

When I stepped into our usual briefing room at the Bureau, it was considerably more cluttered than last time. Spread across the desk were printed maps and logs, two sheets of recovery location notes, and several small plastic evidence bags.

"These are the cross-referenced results from our logs," Asada said.

At the same time, he pivoted a map toward me.

"The recovery locations for the two talismans are completely separate. However, we also seized their circulation logs during the confiscations. When we trace back the routes of where each piece originated, where it traveled, and where it was bought and sold, a specific segment emerges where their paths directly overlap."

Two lines were drawn across the map; though their starting points were entirely different, they merged along a certain stretch of the route.

"We can't say for certain. Based on text records alone, it could just mean their paths happened to be close. However, there are too many overlaps to write this off as a mere coincidence."

Asada placed one of the small plastic bags on the edge of the desk.

"Furthermore, we found a few miscellaneous items that were accompanying the evidence. Normally, these aren't objects we actively catalog, but they happened to be mixed in while we were organizing the files."

Inside the bag was a tiny metallic fixture. It was a sealing clasp roughly one centimeter in size, its surface bearing a faint inscription. It was heavily weathered and felt profoundly degraded to the touch.

The carrying case at my hip gave a slight wobble, and a dim light leaked through the seams. Shio turned its head toward the metal clasp, shifting its position slightly within the vessel. The reaction was weak, however, and it stopped moving almost instantly as if losing interest. After securing Asada's permission, I set the case down on the desk; Shio remained perfectly still, keeping its gaze directed toward the clasp.

After verifying its behavior, I pulled the clasp closer and focused my [Appraisal] on it.

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Inbound Identification Clasp (For Relay Management)

Rarity: E

Status: Used (Spell-matrix scars remaining)

Danger Level: None

Estimated Value: None

Spell-Matrix Scars: Faint remnants of a management symbol matching the same lineage as the two confiscated talismans.

Structure: An identification tag used for relay storage when managing multiple talismans in bulk. Rather than being attached to individual talismans, it was deployed to bundle and store them during temporary accumulation and relay stages.

Notes: Because it retains a management symbol identical to the lineage of the two confiscated talismans, there is a high probability that the talismans were consolidated in the exact same location prior to being split up into separate circulation channels. This strongly suggests the existence of a shared intersection during relay storage before they were recovered at separate sites.

--------------------------------------------------

"This isn't an ordinary sealing clasp," I announced. "It was deployed as an identification tag during relay storage, and it retains a management symbol identical to the lineage of the two confiscated talismans. While those two talismans were recovered from entirely different channels, this clasp points to a phase that predates that split. There was a period when the talismans were still kept in a single location."

"Meaning there was a centralized accumulation point?"

"I can't say for certain, but the probability is quite high. It's not that the ultimate recovery locations are overlapping—it's that their shared intersection during the inbound stage is overlapping."

Asada froze mid-motion.

"You can read all of that from a single metal clasp?"

"I only caught it because this clasp retained a used spell-matrix scar matching the talismans' management symbol. If that remnant hadn't been preserved, I wouldn't have been able to tell you anything."

Asada gave a deep nod.

"Which means... rather than viewing these as separate influxes, it's far more accurate to assume they originate from the exact same manufacturer."

"Everything aligns perfectly if you look at it that way. The true intersection isn't the recovery site; it's the temporary accumulation point during the inbound transit. Still, even if we keep gathering more physical evidence, I don't know if we'll be able to trace any further back using items alone. If that's the case, it'll be faster to pin down the locations indicated by the logs and investigate the physical sites."

Asada looked up from the map. A brief silence hung in the room.

"Are there any specific elements we can use to narrow down our reading of the records?"

"The fact that the formats of their identification marks are so close is what catches my attention. Typically, items like this are numbered sequentially based on the order of production, yet the talismans we recovered traveled down completely separate channels. Meanwhile, this clasp preserves a record proving they were managed together. If we investigate the relationship here, we might grasp their intent—what routes they were flowing through and what criteria dictated their distribution. Furthermore, since we can narrow down the accumulation site to a certain degree this time, we might even be able to trace it all the way back to the manufacturer if things go well."

Asada cross-referenced the records against the map several times.

"I'll pass this information up the chain. I expect we'll be sharing this with the investigation teams and our affiliated partners."

"Are you going to make a move?"

"We will establish clear priorities and take action. The moment something else comes into focus, I'd like to count on your judgment, Makabe. There will undoubtedly be more scenarios like this where we'll need you to read the physical evidence."

"...Do you already have the next target in mind?"

Asada flipped through the stack of records, stopping his finger on a specific entry.

"Based on the cross-referenced inbound logs, a temporary holding area within the perimeter maintenance sector has surfaced as a prime candidate. It's a relay zone where multiple cargo shipments pass through, but there is a specific window of time where the logs fail to cross-reference properly."

"I see. You've managed to narrow down the scope a lot more than I thought."

"Hearing your analysis just now made a few things click into place, that's all. I'll contact you again the moment we have more items requiring an appraisal."

"Understood," I replied, gathering my gear.

Asada gave a polite bow, and I returned the gesture before exiting the briefing room.

While walking down the corridor, Shio suddenly moved inside the carrying case entirely on its own. It wasn't near any spell-matrix scars, nor did it seem to be reacting to anything in particular. A faint light bled through the seams of the case before settling down after a short while.

"Did you find something that caught your eye?"

Naturally, Shio didn't offer a response.

◇

That night, I booted up my stream for my 30th run. The plan was to clear through the Shinagawa Pier No. 7 Dungeon starting from B1F.

"Hey everyone, thanks for tuning in. Today, we're going to be clearing our way down starting from B1F."

I unclipped the belt case slightly to present it to the camera. Catching on to the movement, Shio shifted slightly inside the vessel.

"The little guy is accompanying me today as well."

I secured the case back onto my belt and began pressing deeper into the dungeon.

Shio is here again!

at this point it's just a regular party member lol

definitely feels like a set package with the scavenger now

I moved forward while checking along the base of the pathway walls, just like any other run. After clearing through a section broken up by heavy elevation drops, I spotted a scrap of cloth bearing sealing residue sitting near a hairpin turn. My appraisal clocked it as scrap material containing a degraded spell-matrix, with an estimated value of around 3,000 yen. I bagged it and continued onward, but I didn't come across anything notable for the rest of the dive.

"We had a pretty light haul today, unfortunately. Let's hope for better drops next time. I'll be closing out the stream here."

With that, I ended the broadcast.

◇

The moment I stepped out of the Shinagawa Pier No. 7 Dungeon, I felt a distinct sensation pressing against the carrying case. When I popped the latch open, Shio slowly began crawling out, using my hand to climb its way up.

"Well... this is a first."

It extended its limbs, securing a firm grip around my wrist. Once it managed to find a comfortable position, it went completely still right there.

"Heh... I guess a day like this isn't so bad either."

Paying careful attention to ensure Shio wouldn't lose its footing, I made my way back home just like that.

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