Why?

Ryu waved a hand, and the cracked pieces of the World Gem soared toward him. He pressed the pieces together, and though they didn't magically fuse once more, he could still get a feel for their strengths when they were whole.

The World Gem of the Griffin Race was without a doubt their greatest asset and the source of their talent. It was what housed their soul, the core of the Bloodline, the source of the World Pupils…

It was quite a special item, and a rare material to be sure. Though, it could be said that it was a valuable item without any sort of market. After all… who the hell would dare to offend the Griffins by distributing such a thing?

There were almost certainly black markets out there, but they were under such secrecy that defining them as rare didn't quite do them justice.