Episode 13
"Frey, why are you sweating cold sweat..."
"...From now on, don't call me by my name."
".....What?"
Urgently cutting off Isollet's words, I fell into thought while cold sweat poured down my entire body.
'...I thought all three of them wouldn't move recklessly at this point in time? Did they have too much pent-up resentment?'
The item I'm trying to secure now is the 'Stone of Domination,' one of the items the Demon King will use in the future.
That artifact, which has the property of suppressing and dominating its target, will be treated as 'cheap decorative jewelry' at the auction starting shortly and will go for just 1 gold.
So I had planned to buy the useful items appearing at today's auction one by one, then purchase the Stone of Domination at a reasonable price... and at that moment, I would leave the Demon King's army that would burst into the auction house to Isollet and slip away gracefully.
But all the main heroines have gathered at this auction house.
They probably think they can dominate me with that Stone of Domination... but as long as I have the 'Protection of the Stars,' I won't fall to most mental domination abilities. In other words, the main heroines are completely wasting their time.
'...By the way, do these guys even have the money to buy that thing?'
Kania has no money.
Though she's the butler of the Ducal household, she sends most of her money to her younger sister, so she usually only carries a few copper or silver coins as emergency funds.
And thinking about it, the same is true for the Saintess Perloche and the Imperial Princess Klana.
Perloche is in a position where even the Pope nominally can't treat her carelessly within the religious order, but due to her pure personality, she has been exploited by the leaders.
Because of that, naturally, her personal assets don't exist.
Most of the assets went to the bishops and the Pope, and because of her own pure personality, she donated whenever assets appeared.
Of course, there's a possibility she asked the religious order to bring money, but even though she experienced the previous loop, it seems unlikely that the Saintess, whose personality remains unchanged, would have gotten money from bishops or the Pope.
And Imperial Princess Klana also has no money.
One might say it's nonsense for an Imperial Princess to have no money, but for her, who is at the bottom of the succession hierarchy, it's not nonsense at all.
Her siblings, while jealous and envious of her innate beauty and intelligence, also fear she might climb above them.
Thanks to that, she has been kept in check by all five of her siblings, and despite being an Imperial Princess, she has lived a destitute life.
Anyway, the conclusion is that they are currently in a situation where funds are very insufficient.
'Besides, these guys shouldn't even be here right now?'
Today is the day Kania goes to meet her younger sister once a month.
She was someone who would meet her sister no matter what happened, so I was slightly relieved, but I got hit in the back of the head.
And the Saintess has to perform a sacred ritual at the religious order today. It's an essential ritual held only once a year, so the religious order must be in chaos by now.
In the Imperial Princess's case, there's a major event today to decide her fiancé. From her position of needing to grow her influence, absenting herself from such an occasion without permission is a huge risk.
In other words, to dominate just one me, despite not having a single penny, all three main heroines have come here, giving up attending places they absolutely must go to.
Really, I'm so grateful I could cry.
'...At least Irina not coming is a relief.'
Irina wouldn't have been able to come even if she wanted to because her status wouldn't allow her to get a pass. After all, at this point, she's just a commoner Academy student.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for waiting! Then, we will now begin the auction!"
Having been lost in thought for a while, I snapped to attention at the auctioneer's booming voice.
The only item I absolutely must purchase here today is the 'Stone of Domination,' but I had planned to buy a few other items that would be useful in the future as well.
However, with the main heroines' intrusion, that plan has become uncertain. I guess I shouldn't buy anything except for the most useful and cheap things.
"Then, the first item! A decorative box with pure white color and intricate carvings! We'll start at 1 gold!"
Having made up my mind like that, as soon as I saw the first item, I started preparing to bid by writing the price on the panel in front of me.
Of course, I'm not being spendthrift. That box is actually a hidden element of the game.
According to the prophecy book, when an auction event occurs on the Evil One route, a decorative box containing a kit that helps with Evil One activities sometimes appears at the auction.
The ancestor said it's something called an 'Easter egg' by the 'developer,' a being similar to the world's creator god... I still don't know what that means, but since it's the ancestor's words, that thing will definitely be worth buying.
It's not an essential item, but since the ancestor advised that having it would be helpful in various ways when acting as the Evil One, I should buy it.
"...Yes! 5 gold has been offered! Is there anyone who will offer a higher price?"
When I offered 5 gold, some people who were about to raise their panels glanced at me and then quietly put their panels down.
They probably were going to bid 2 or 3 gold, but when I offered 5 gold, they gave up, not wanting to lose face so early.
"3...2...1...Sold! Sold! The decorative box is sold for 5 gold!"
When the auctioneer declared the sale, the staff carefully wrapped the box in cloth and handed it to me.
"...Normally when a sale ends, do you receive the item right away like this?"
"...Even so, illegal is illegal. It's quite different from legal auctions that safely deliver to your home."
"...For something like that, it doesn't seem like particularly dangerous items are coming out though."
Isollet muttered with a blank expression as she looked at the ruby necklace that came up as the next auction item. But that's because she doesn't know anything.
Even this decorative box alone has a setting that it's an item stolen from the artisan Rosinante.
And the ruby necklace Isollet is looking at with a blank expression right now has a curse that makes people go crazy after wearing it for 3 days.
This auction house is a place where items obtained through illegal routes or cursed items are traded.
"Well, being in a back alley in the first place is illegal."
Of course, if I told her that fact, Isollet, who has a strong sense of justice, would likely cause a scene before the 'Stone of Domination' even comes out, so I was making appropriate excuses when the auctioneer suddenly shouted loudly.
"This item is a quite precious one even among items that have come out recently! If it weren't for the secret weapon that will decorate the finale of today's auction, it might have come out in the last order!"
"Why on earth are they seasoning it like that?"
"Probably that's nothing special either? From the auction house's perspective, they have to raise the price as much as possible to increase fees, so gilding is essential..."
"It's the lost sword technique manual of the Bywork family!"
".......!!!"
Hearing the shocking words from the auctioneer's mouth, I felt my mind go blank and stopped speaking.
"...Did I hear that wrong just now?"
"...Uh, well... probably that seems..."
"This noble sword technique manual was said to have been lost 450 years ago during the conflict between the Bywork family and the Moonlight family, but... recently we obtained it in complete form!"
"...You quietly get out of here. There will be some commotion for a moment."
"Wait, wait! Wait just a moment!"
Isollet, who had been glaring at the auctioneer speaking in an excited voice, quietly put her hand on her sword and tried to rise from her seat, and I urgently grabbed her.
"You're going to cause a scene here? With the Empire's notable figures gathered?"
"...Let go."
"You won't even be able to catch the terrorists or expose the mastermind behind them?"
".........."
"And since I brought the professor here, if the professor causes a problem, I'll be put on the auction house blacklist? So..."
"...Give me the panel."
".....Huh?"
While I was sweating cold sweat trying to stop her, Isollet pointed at my panel and spoke.
"...First, I'll secure the manual, stop the terror, and then destroy the auction house."
"No, I mean the Empire's notable figures are..."
"...Give me the panel."
"........."
At her words filled with killing intent, I had no choice but to hand over the panel, and she began to prepare to write on the panel with her eyes wide open.
"The starting price is 1,000 gold!"
But upon hearing the auctioneer's words, she opened her mouth wide and started rolling her eyes.
"...Why? You said you'd secure the manual first?"
"Th-thousand gold is... too high a price..."
"...At that level, isn't it appropriate?"
Looking at me tilting my head in confusion, Isollet, who had been looking at me with a bewildered expression, started speaking while sweating cold sweat.
"A thousand gold... even if I save my instructor salary for several years..."
"...Yes! 5,000 gold has been offered! Starting strong!"
"Eek!"
Watching the price of her family's manual start skyrocketing, she began glancing at me furtively.
"...Why?"
"H-help... help..."
"...Hm? What? I can't hear you well?"
"Ugh..."
When I made a puzzled expression, Isollet turned her face bright red and hesitated for a while before finally forcing out the words with difficulty.
"...Help... me..."
"Yes! Sold for 25,000 gold! Today's highest price!"
"...Ah."
But at the same time, the manual was sold at an outrageous price from her perspective, and watching that scene blankly, she briefly sighed and then lowered her head deeply.
"..........."
"...Oh, looks like it found a fitting owner?"
"...Shut up."
At my cheeky voice that followed, she raised her head again and began glaring at the person receiving the manual with a murderous expression.
'...It really did find its rightful owner.'
Of course, I had said that after discovering through information search that the person who took the manual was the head of the Bywork family, but to Isollet, it probably sounded like I was teasing her.
[Acquired 1pt Evil Point! (Unintentional Evil)]
Confirming the small Evil Point that came in as payment for unintentionally teasing Isollet, I began to watch the auction proceed while calming the fuming Isollet.
"This item is the 'Potion of the Transcendent'! We'll start at 500 gold!"
"One of the Moonlight family's heirlooms, if you brew tea in this 'Moon's Teacup' and drink it, your sagging skin will..."
"Don't be surprised! It's the 'Fierce Fire Sword' that burns everything! A beloved sword used by the previous Sword Saint!"
Quite a few useful items passed by, but since I needed to save money because of the main heroines targeting the 'Stone of Domination,' I was just licking my lips, and before I knew it, the last order of the auction arrived.
"Then, now we will introduce the item that is both the highlight of today's auction and will decorate the finale!"
Hearing the auctioneer's voice, I raised my head and began to look at the item that came up on the stage.
"...It's the Hero's armament!"
At those words, commotion began to spread around us.
"It's the legendary armament said to have been used by the Star Hero 'Hanbyeol Raon Starlight' who repelled the Demon King that almost swallowed the world 1,000 years ago! It's an honor to present this to you all!"
"........!"
When the auctioneer finished explaining in an excited voice, Isollet began looking at me with a flustered expression.
"Th-that's actually..."
"...Not my business. Don't ask me."
"But..."
"I told you, I don't know?"
When I answered irritably, she quietly closed her mouth and began looking at the gleaming Hero's armament with anxious eyes.
'...For a fake, it looks quite convincing.'
But knowing well the fact that the Hero's armament is carefully sealed in a secret room in the Ducal household basement, I just started indifferently gauging the fake's quality.
'...It doesn't even glow until awakening, the wrist decoration pattern is completely different, and there's not a single scratch. Well, I guess that's the limit of a fake?'
I was playing find-the-differences when the auctioneer shouted with a bright smile.
"Fifty thousand gold! Fifty thousand gold has been offered! Is there anyone who will offer a higher price... ah, fifty-five thousand gold! Fifty-five thousand gold... oh my! Seventy-five thousand gold has been offered!"
People whose eyes lit up at the words "Hero's armament" started going berserk. I wanted to tell them it's fake, but since the majority are corrupt people and they wouldn't believe my words without revealing my identity, I decided to leave it alone.
"...150,000! 150,000 gold has been offered! Although the auction house hasn't been around for long, the highest price in history has been offered!"
The madness that continued for a while finally subsided after the highest price in history was offered.
"3...2...1...Sold! It's sold! The Hero's armament has been sold for 150,000 gold!!"
When the Hero's armament was sold for 150,000 gold and handed to the buyer wrapped in silk, everyone around began looking at him with envious eyes.
'...Tsk tsk, sucker.'
Of course, I glanced at that person with pitiful eyes and started waiting for the event that would soon occur.
"...Yes! Then, we will conclude today's auction with thi... hmm?"
On the other hand, the auctioneer, who was about to conclude the auction with a bright smile perhaps because of the record-high revenue, suddenly frowned when a staff member approached and whispered in his ear.
"Hmm, ahem, ladies and gentlemen! I apologize! It seems there was an omitted item among the auction goods! We are truly sorry for causing disruption to the auction proceeding!"
""............""
"Then, we will introduce the 'Stone of Mystery' to you all! When appraised, it turned out to contain an unknown power, a curious object!"
The auctioneer shouted with a deliberately bright expression, but unfortunately, the item sold before that was the Hero's armament that broke the record for the highest price, so the people whose excitement had completely cooled didn't even give a glance to that shoddily shaped stone.
"Uh... um... then, we'll start at 10 gold!"
The auctioneer, who was watching people's reactions for a moment, perhaps because they had already made enormous revenue, offered the 'Stone of Mystery' at a bargain price without much attachment.
'...Good, this is where it starts.'
The 'Stone of Mystery' that people aren't even glancing at is the 'Stone of Domination,' an item I absolutely need right now. I must secure that thing by any means necessary.
"Yes, 15 gold has been offered!"
When I carefully raised my panel while checking the main heroines' reactions, the auctioneer shouted while looking at me with a surprised expression.
"...Of course, there's no one who will offer more than that, right? Then, I'll count! 3...2..."
When the auctioneer started counting, I swallowed hard and desperately prayed inside that the main heroines would be dozing off from the fatigue of the long auction...
"1... ah, one hundred gold! One hundred gold has been offered!"
When the Imperial Princess eventually raised her panel and joined the bidding, I sighed and lowered my head deeply.
"No one will offer more than one hundred gold, right? Then... count, wait a moment! Th-thousand gold has been offered!"
When even the Saintess started bidding with her panel, I, who had my head bowed, silently wrote eleven hundred gold on the panel and started the war.
.
"Te-ten thousand gold!! Ten thousand gold has been offered!!"
The nerve war that continued for a while started to reach its end when I, who was getting anxious, raised the price significantly.
"Ten thousand five hundred fifty gold! Ah, ten thousand five hundred fifty-one gold! Ten thousand five hundred fifty-two gold!"
When the Saintess and Imperial Princess, sweating profusely, started writing smaller amounts, I smiled a triumphant smile and raised my panel once more.
'...You shouldn't ignore the financial power of the Ducal household."
"Ah! Fifteen thousand gold has been offered!"
""........!""
At those words, the Imperial Princess and Saintess, who flinched, looked at me for a moment and then started writing prices on their panels with trembling hands...
"...From now on, price increases will only be accepted in increments of one hundred gold or more!"
Hearing the auctioneer's declaration, they dropped their panels powerlessly and lowered their heads deeply.
"Is there no one who will offer more? Then, I'll count! 3...2..."
'...By the way, do those guys even have as much money as the amount they wrote? If so, where on earth did they get it?'
I, sensing victory, started guessing inside where they got the money...
"Th-thirty thousand!! Thirty thousand gold has been offered!!!"
"......!"
Suddenly someone offered double the price, and I was startled and looked at that person.
".....Hmm."
'...It's that eccentric collector who bought the Hero's armament for 150,000 gold earlier?'
After sweating cold sweat for a moment, I closed my eyes tight and raised my panel.
"Forty thousand gold! Forty thousand gold has been offered!!"
".........."
Now that I didn't have much gold left to use, I threw a gamble, and fortunately, it seemed to have worked as he lowered his panel and started pondering.
'...That guy already spent 150,000 gold in the fierce bidding earlier, so he must definitely be short on funds. If he bids less than fifty thousand gold here... there's hope.'
"Yes! Forty-five thousand gold!"
'...Good.'
Before presenting the price again with the panel, I glanced to the side and saw the eccentric collector quietly watching me. I stared at him for a moment, then raised my panel.
"...Forty-six thousand gold has been offered! Ah, forty-seven thousand gold! Forty-eight thousand gold!"
Like that, the eccentric collector and I, continuing our fierce battle, finally reached the endpoint of a long war.
"Forty-nine thousand forty-nine gold has been offered! Seeing that the number is written down to units, it seems like you've written your entire fortune!"
Having presented all the money I had on hand, I smiled broadly and looked at the eccentric collector.
"..........."
He was standing with arms crossed, quietly lowering his head.
"Done, it was close but... I won."
"I'll count! 3...2...1..."
I finally breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in my chair...
"...Hah."
".....!!!"
When he sneered and raised his panel at the very last moment, I ended up being appalled.
"Fifty thousand fifty gold! Fifty thousand fifty gold has been offered! Finally over fifty thousand!!"
"...Amateur."
Looking at him who sneered with a heavy voice, I started regretting what happened earlier.
'...Damn it, if I knew this would happen, I should have accepted that 150 gold as a gift back then.'
If I only had the one hundred fifty gold that came as the second clear reward for the sudden quest, I could have driven the wedge in, but like this, I'm about to have the Stone of Domination snatched away by some eccentric collector.
"I'll count! 3...2...1..."
'If this happens, my plan will have a disruption...'
I, who was planning to escape from the auction house as soon as I received the Stone of Domination, grabbed my head in despair at this unexpected situation...
"Fifty thousand one hundred fifty gold! Fifty thousand one hundred fifty gold has been offered! My, why is something we didn't expect at all selling so well?"
Suddenly, Isollet, who had been quietly watching our competition from beside me, wrote fifty thousand one hundred fifty gold on her panel and raised it, and I looked at her with a horrified expression.
"...What are you doing now?"
"I'll lend you a hundred gold."
"...Why?"
When I asked in bewilderment, she looked coldly at her father who was treasuring the Bywork manual and answered.
"...Cleanup costs."
"No, wait a moment. That person is..."
"I'll count! 3...2...1..."
I was trying to stop Isollet from committing unfilial conduct when the auctioneer started counting, so I carefully looked at the eccentric collector.
"............."
The eccentric collector was clenching his fist and quietly glaring at us.
"...Amateur kid."
.......!"
The moment I returned the exact words he had said to him, the auctioneer shouted loudly.
"Sold! It's sold! The 'Stone of Mystery' has been sold for fifty thousand one hundred fifty gold!!"
Hearing those words, Isollet grabbed my arm and started heading toward the Stone of Mystery that was coming down from the stage.
"...What's wrong?"
"After receiving that, you leave immediately. I have business to attend to."
"No... I mean..."
"...I'll stop the terror and recover the manual while I'm at it, so you take care of the cleanup with the Ducal household's power."
"This is crazy, does she think I'm some stylish mastermind ruling the underworld? I'm just the first son of the Ducal household living for my own excellence... huh?"
I was trying to somehow persuade Isollet who was thinking of me as some kind of mastermind who could handle most things by just snapping his fingers to use his subordinates, when suddenly someone rose from their seat.
'...Kania?'
Kania, who rose from her seat, started emitting black energy from her right hand while glaring at the 'Stone of Domination.'
Seeing that, I muttered the conjecture that came to mind and urgently started running toward where the 'Stone of Domination' was.
'...Come to think of it, Kania didn't participate in the bidding at all? Then don't tell me, from the beginning she was planning to steal the Stone of Domination...!'
- Snap!
'...Fuck.'
While I was urgently running toward the Stone of Domination, when Kania snapped her fingers and black energy burst from her body started covering the auction house, I muttered in disbelief.
"I didn't pour in all that life force for you to do this..."
When the black energy created by Kania's black magic completely spread through the auction house, the people who were puzzled started collapsing one by one.
And in that situation, I witnessed the Imperial Princess who protected her body with solar mana, the Saintess who wrapped her body with holy power, and Kania who was staggering for a moment with blood in her mouth, all starting to run toward the 'Stone of Domination' at once, and with dead eyes I took out the decorative box I had in my embrace and started rummaging through it.
.
"...This is quite an amusing situation."
On the other hand, the eccentric collector who was watching that scene with interest,
"Isn't that right? Demon King?"
Was quietly taking in that scene while sending a signal somewhere.