Chapter 91 : Chapter 91
Chapter 91: Auction (2)
“Excuse me, but weapons are not allowed.”
Homer and Kanan presented their swords in turn.
Watching the guards approach to inspect even our belongings, I contemplated my Phantasmal Ability.
‘I shouldn't.’
I could deceive them if I put my mind to it.
But I didn't want to use it needlessly and get caught by Bahab.
‘There’s nothing to gain from overusing it.’
The adopted son of Mectera and a Phantasmal Ability was an unimaginable combination.
The more I hid it, the better.
The more it remained hidden, the sharper the dagger would become.
“Let’s avoid any confusion for now.”
“Hm?”
Haryun’s inspection was being conducted in a different room.
I watched the guard, who had taken our swords and subspace pouches, leave. With Haryun gone, it was a good time to get our stories straight.
“Homer Harkinwagen, for one, I know everything.”
“Surprising.”
Homer gently removed his mask.
He had secretly mentioned Aran’s name, but I hadn't expected him to figure out I was a Harkinwagen.
“What about Koral? Is it okay to impersonate him like this?”
“I'm receiving help from Degrate. The head of the Koral Merchant Guild is dead, and I’m disguised with an illusion.”
“So as long as we don’t cause a scene here, we won't be found out.”
“Yes. However, we must be wary of Bermann. I heard he was particularly close with Koral.”
“That’s fine. If it looks like we’re about to be discovered, I’ll stop him.”
How? Homer asked, but I did not answer.
Homer was puzzled, but he decided to trust the confidence he saw in me.
“Was this the relationship between Harkinwagen and The Unsetting Sun?”
“It’s because we admire the same person.”
He was talking about my past life.
I furrowed my brow.
‘Homer, I’ll have Aran fix that guy later.’
The Unsetting Sun and the Sword Tower.
I felt the need to investigate those two in detail someday.
“Why go so far for someone who’s dead?”
“What wouldn’t we do when they’re selling his sword?”
“That’s also true.”
I had nothing to say about this matter. I would do the same if I were in their shoes.
If I were to substitute it with my master's memento, I would act just like them.
“The money.”
“We scraped together everything we have.”
The Sword Tower, The Unsetting Sun, Degrate, and Harkinwagen’s slush funds.
And on top of that, Aran's personal savings.
“Actually, I swiped Koral’s as well. This alone should probably be enough. The rest is for just in case.”
“You stole it?”
“Koral deserved it. Why else do you think he became a target for Degrate?”
“So there was more than one client?”
“For a long time, the slaves who steadily escaped or were helped pooled their money for the request.”
“He deserved to die then.”
But why go to such lengths?
That thought also crossed my mind. I could understand Degrate and Aran, but I didn't want to for the rest.
‘Are they rolling in money?’
I could also set aside The Unsetting Sun.
I still didn't know about those who resembled the worshipers of the Black Land.
‘Lete Dujeu. Why is she doing something like this?’
Having become the Head of the Sword Tower, she should be faithful to the present. What was she going to do with a sword she couldn't even use?
“But what if you fail?”
“We’ll have to overturn it.”
Homer replied instantly.
“Harkinwagen will?”
“No. It would be Koral.”
“The Unsetting Sun. Kanan, is that your opinion as well?”
“Yes, we came prepared.”
“You’d risk your lives to get a sword used by a dead person?”
“We have no intention of doing that in Bahab. We will use the crows to track them.”
I frowned.
Whatever happened, Homer had the ability to survive.
But what about Kanan? This guy was bound to die in the battle Homer would start, with no one to even recognize him.
“Doesn't The Unsetting Sun have any fighting power? Why is a guy who was almost sold as a slave doing here?”
“We do. Quite a lot, actually. But they are not in a position to easily enter the Empire.”
“What did they do to be barred from entry? Anyway. If you’re going to overturn it, do it without this guy.”
Seeing Kanan after a long time, he was still familiar.
Familiar, and even welcoming. I couldn't just leave Kanan be.
“I’m fine……”
“Of course, that was the plan. Kanan’s duty is transportation.”
This time, too, Homer answered immediately.
It seemed to be one of the scenarios they had considered.
“What about you, Young Master? Didn’t you say you were after Remeter?”
“That’s not important anymore.”
“Hmm. With Sir Exa’s sword on the line, the Black Land bastards can't be important.”
“Of course. I’ll cooperate as much as I can.”
And give me the sword, if possible.
I smiled back and clasped Homer’s hand.
Bermann.
That Sword Master, a loyal subordinate of Akarr and in charge of Hella, was the person Homer, disguised as Koral, was most wary of.
“You’re late. Lord Bermann was waiting until just a moment ago.”
“Ah. I’m terribly sorry. I must go and greet him after this is over.”
Entering just as the auction began.
The intention was effective. Bermann, who had been waiting in the auction house, was said to have left as the auction started.
“If you need anything, please press the call button in front of the table.”
Hella’s auction house was an unfamiliar sight to me.
A moderately sized room with no windows. The guide called this room Koral’s seat.
“I see. So it’s a private auction.”
Number 3. Homer saw the large numbers painted on the left and right walls. Koral was bidder number 3.
Naturally, the bidders couldn't even guess each other's identities. It would proceed strictly by numbers.
“That’s right. I heard there’s a separate facility for public auctions.”
“You know a lot, my lady.”
“I’ve heard many rumors about Bahab. They’re famous, you know. Being a Hero Family.”
“But today’s auction isn’t famous. It’s a Hero Family that put a comrade’s memento up for auction.”
“……”
Haryun believed that was just a baseless rumor.
No, even if it were true, there must be a suitable reason or justification for it.
Slander. Haryun barely managed to shake off the conversation between me and Homer that had resurfaced in her mind.
“Ah. Now that bidder number 3 has entered, I will explain again.”
The wall in front of them became a broadcast screen.
As if to welcome them, the blue-masked auctioneer bowed from beyond the screen.
“If you wish to bid, or if you want to raise the price you’ve bid, please press the button on the corner of the table and speak.”
There was a button on each corner. Four in total, and as it happened, we were already sitting in front of each button.
“Voice modulation magic is in effect, and all bidders’ voices will be broadcast as the same voice.”
Homer nodded as if satisfied.
Haryun was the same. The environment of a private room dispelled her anxiety that someone involved might recognize her.
“You can receive the item as soon as the bid is won. It will be instantly transmitted to the center of the table.”
A small magic circle was engraved in the center of the table. A transmission spell. I couldn't read the formula, but I trusted the auctioneer's words.
“Then let us begin. This is the second item. This too is something you cannot find on the market. It is the young of a Kaneltura, which was presumed to be extinct due to the Doom Species.”
Screech- A cry like glass being scratched, two pairs of jeweled eyes. I recognized it immediately. It was a magical beast that had inhabited the North, near Serepes.
“They’ve got all sorts of things. Most would have been classified as rare species.”
The Doom War was a conflict between the Doom Species and humanity.
And between them were the magical beasts.
The Black Sea. In the land beyond the Black Land, magical beasts were said to still be thriving, but many of the continent’s magical beasts had disappeared.
Pushed out by humanity and devoured by the Doom Species. This was the era after that. An era where both the Doom Species and, consequently, the magical beasts had almost vanished.
“Wow. Is this the Black Land, or what?”
“They can handle things like magical beasts.”
“It happens sometimes.”
“Is that so.”
I casually replied to Haryun and Homer's reactions. I didn't particularly want to accept it.
Though pushed back by the Doom Species, magical beasts were undeniably a public enemy of humanity. And Bahab was treating such a creature as a product.
“Three thousand, we will start at three thousand.”
The starting price was 3,000 gold coins.
As befitting a gathering of a few distinguished guests, the amount was large. That was true even considering it was only the second auction item.
“We won’t be bidding on anything else.”
Numbers 2 and 4 competed, and number 4 won the bid for the young Kaneltura.
I dismissed that number. Remeter of the Black Land wouldn't have come all this way to buy a magical beast.
The value of a Kaneltura lay in its jeweled eyes. Or as an ornamental piece. Not something Remeter would covet.
“Is there anything you need, Young Master?”
“Watching.”
I watched the auctioneer on the screen, who was chattering away. The tenth item. Nine items had already been sold.
The pace was fast. The auctioneer didn't drag things out. There was no need to heat up the atmosphere. The opponents were all distinguished guests overflowing with money.
‘Soon.’
The items that had come up before were all rare and precious, but this was an auction house.
The starting and winning bids would only get higher, and indeed, Elder had not even been mentioned yet.
“This next item…… I dare to declare. I am certain that this is something that cannot be handled even in Kolona of the Black Land or the grand auction house of Porho, the center of trade.”
The auctioneer’s words grew longer.
He wasn't just building hype, thinking it wouldn't be won. Excitement was visible in his eyes beyond the blue mask.
“Something that can only be seen here, in Bahab’s Hella! The race of the World Tree, which rotted and fell due to the Doom War!”
The World Tree.
The race that was cared for by that giant tree and had protected the World Tree.
Warriors who stood on the side of humanity and fought against the Doom Species.
Spirit users who lost their spirits along with the fallen World Tree, something not seen in this era of peace.
“Do they count dealing in Elves as acceptable too?”
At my hollow laugh, Haryun lowered her head and scratched her palm.
“As you can see, the condition is extremely good. There are traces of minor illnesses, but it is hard to believe this is an Elf who has lost the World Tree.”
The connection with the World Tree was severed.
Elves forcibly cut off from the spirits each gained a major flaw. They suffered physical defects and mental erosion.
In that respect, the Elf on the screen could be said to be in the best possible condition.
Her complexion was pale, but her eyes were clear. Many minor wounds were visible, but they were all scars. They had healed perfectly and didn't seem to hinder her movement.
“Since the end of the war, this is the first time an Elf of this quality has been discovered. And I am confident there will be no more in the future.”
The auctioneer did not state a starting price.
There was no need to set a minimum value. The participants were big shots who would not be ignorant of an Elf's value.
“Thirty thousand.”
“Forty thousand.”
“Fifty-six thousand.”
Since being recognized at the Selection Ceremony.
I had been receiving a not-insignificant amount of money for my upkeep every month. I had saved it up as I had nothing else to spend it on.
Furthermore, telling me not to be outdone in Bahab, Medeoban and Orde had given me several years' worth at once.
“You don’t have money?”
But the bidding price instantly surpassed the amount I possessed.
“Pardon?”
“I said, don’t you have money?”
I asked Haryun.
I couldn't borrow money from Homer and Kanan. Their money was for Elder.
“……”
Haryun’s eyes narrowed as she looked at me.
“What are you looking at?”
“What are you going to do with an Elf if you buy one?”
I suddenly glanced to the side.
Homer and Kanan were also looking this way with suspicious eyes.
“What do you mean, what am I going to do? I have to send her back where she belongs. If that place is already ruined, I’ll send her somewhere safe.”
Of all the misunderstandings, it had to be that kind of wretched one.
I furrowed my brow.
“Are you all crazy? Instead of suspecting me for buying her, shouldn’t you be cursing Bahab for pulling this crap?”
“……”
“Ahem.”
Haryun lowered her head again, and Homer and Kanan avoided my gaze with a dry cough.
“I would like to do so myself… but I don’t have the luxury.”
The statement about focusing on the present and not straying from it was nothing more than a plausible excuse for settling for reality.
I didn't like the Homer who had compromised with reality. The eyes that had chased ideals on the battlefield were no longer there.
‘They call him the Gimlet of the Empire… that Homer.’
The backwoods Harkinwagen who followed the past Exa was no more.
Homer had matured. In other words, he had adapted to reality.
He still respected Exa, harbored dissatisfaction with Bahab, and disguised himself as Koral to retrieve Elder, but… that was it. He did not aspire for anything more.
‘But I’m doing the same thing.’
Enduring what I wanted to do, waiting until I could do it.
I had no right to blame Homer for living in reality.
‘Him and me.’
We were no different.
Though we were sharpening our blades on the inside, we were conforming to the reality before us. Even with the traitor Akarr within reach, I couldn't bring myself to think of killing him.
I wanted to grow stronger quietly, waiting for that day.
“However, I can remember the bidder’s number, and the crows will be able to find them.”
Those words were the best Homer could do.
It was the path that I was currently aiming for.
“Number 11! Sold!”
Number 11.
A number that had not participated in any of the previous auctions. Perhaps that guy’s goal was the Elf from the very beginning.
“Number 11. The last number. When the auction is over, I’ll have to let James know.”
I reluctantly accepted those words.
I didn't think Haryun, who couldn't lift her head, would have more gold than the winning bid.
No, Haryun no longer had the composure to watch the auction. The true face of Bahab.
Haryun was not yet strong enough to face it.
‘I didn’t know they would deal in Elves too.’
I had just intended to plant a small seed.
In a bind, I scratched the back of my neck. I hadn't known Bahab was this rotten.
Haryun’s body was trembling. I had no idea how to comfort her.
‘I feel like I should do something… but the only comfort I can offer here is to curse the auction house, right?’
And that auction house was run by Bahab.
Comfort here meant nothing but backbiting. I could do it to someone else until they were sick of it, but it was difficult with Haryun.
“…Well. Want to go out first?”
I said after some thought.
With this level of reaction, wasn't this like lighting the fuse of a bomb rather than planting a seed?
There was no need to watch Elder's auction. The existence of the Elf was a huge shock to even the participants, Homer and me.
“…No. I’ll watch until the end.”
Eventually, venom filled Haryun’s eyes as she stared at the screen.
‘This wasn't the effect I was hoping for.’
My feelings grew complicated.
Until the auctioneer returned, I couldn't take my eyes off Haryun.
“This is the final item. However, before we reveal it, there is something our bidders must do.”
Slam. The group turned around at the same time.
Someone had entered. A magician, a 6th-circle one at that. I, who had identified the mana caught in my Sword Net, placed my hand on my waist.
‘Ah, it’s not there.’
Looking to my side, I saw Homer doing the same thing. They had surrendered their swords before entering.
“There is no need to be tense. We at Hella simply wish for the existence of this item not to be known to the outside world.”
About the final auction item.
I will not divulge what I have seen, heard, or handled to the outside.
“You just need to swear to that. The visiting magician will assist with the procedure.”
A Mana Vow.
If broken, the one who made the vow is shunned by mana. They lose the mana they have built up.
The final auction item demanded that level of security.
‘It’s definitely Elder.’
An item of that caliber.
The three, excluding Haryun, had their eyes lit up.
A crystal ball on the corner of the desk blinked.
Akarr Bahab placed his hand on the crystal ball and infused it with mana.
—Your Grace.
“I am listening.”
The voice from the crystal ball was quite unfamiliar even to Akarr.
The man was a subordinate who always responded with documents or pre-arranged signals rather than words.
—Simurtr Mectera has entered Hella’s auction house.
“How?”
Today was a special day.
A day to dispose of the memento of Exa Baperr, which he hated to see, but held more lingering attachment to than anything else. A futile thing, yet he had decided to dispose of it on His Majesty's order.
—It seems he had a connection with the Koral Merchant Guild.
“Did Paeltke Koral come himself?”
—No. He sent a proxy. There was nothing suspicious, but if you command it…….
“That will be all.”
—However, Koral might gift it to Simurtr Mectera. If Mectera finds out about this……
“If they find out?”
A note of anger crept into Akarr’s voice.
If Mectera found out?
—I have misspoken.
Nothing would change.
Would a protest come? He could just deny it. Would they demand proof? A preposterous notion. Such a sequence was the struggle of the weak.
It did not suit Bahab, nor was there any need for it.
If His Majesty the Emperor were to move, he would have to present it, but that was unlikely.
In the first place, it was a memento leaked under his orders.
“They will take the Mana Vow. Nothing will change even if Simurtr acquires it. Mectera will not find out. What about Remeter?”
—They seem to be aiming for after the auction.
“I look forward to it.”
—Hella may suffer damage.
“If it can be used for verification, then so be it.”
As long as Simurtr proved his worth.
Akarr would readily nod his head even if Hella were destroyed. He was that talented an individual.
“If no flaws are found, you will have to pay the price for the damage to Hella.”
The possibility of a flaw.
The man who was reporting now was the first to create that possibility.
If damage occurred to Hella, the one to take responsibility would not be Simurtr.
—I am aware.
“Good. How is Hejel?”
—His guard, Alex Bemal, was spotted in Hella.
“Hoh. Without using the Crimson Flame?”
The Crimson Flame of Bahab.
That knight order was already under Hejel’s control.
He had thought that if Hejel were to make a major move, he would naturally use the Crimson Flame.
—Yes. It seems he was concerned Your Grace would find out.
“Tsk. He still has much to learn.”
And the fact that he was laughably defeated by Simurtr.
This was a situation to eliminate a competitor. If so, a Bahab should have acted without caring what others thought.
He should have used the Crimson Flame he controlled and given it his all.
“Jeremiah Abolte will be important.”
Simurtr couldn't help.
He was in a position where he had to deal with Remeter. Even if the timing luckily matched up, his body would not be sound after dealing with Remeter.
—Yes. It is presumed that he will target Jeremiah Abolte first. Currently, Jeremiah is waiting at the entrance of the auction house.
“He will die.”
—Yes.
When Hejel was born, Akarr chose a knight to be his guard. As his own child’s safety was at stake, he selected the most loyal one.
It was the same when Haryun was born. He had considered the Swelling Flame, and though his origins were not trustworthy, for that very reason he selected the most devoted Jeremiah Abolte.
“I see. Hejel is lucky.”
Alex Bemal and Jeremiah Abolte.
If the foreign element called Haryun were removed, the cogs would naturally turn towards Alex Bemal.
That was Jeremiah Abolte’s limit. His loyalty was commendable, but fitting for his lowly birth, his predetermined limits were clear.
“Leave Hejel and Haryun be. Focus solely on Simurtr. Record everything without fail.”
—Yes.
“No. I will go myself. It shouldn't be too late if I go now. If I am late, halt the auction for a moment and make it so that I am not. Prepare a mask.”
White.
That quality that made him remember his lingering feelings, remember Exa.
Akarr Bahab desperately wanted to confirm it for himself.