Chapter 13
[Sold for two hundred gold coins to customer number 770!!]
Bang bang bang!
Applause followed, and Callias unconsciously clenched his fist.
'You wouldn't know.'
To ordinary people, a dwarf slave was nothing more than a disobedient midget.
But to Callias, they were more precious than any treasure.
"You can sign here."
"Mm."
Hiding his excitement, he signed, and along with the verification documents, the dwarf slave bound in iron chains made his appearance.
"They're shackles made from an artifact, so you don't need to worry about escape."
"I see."
He said it proudly as an artifact, but it was merely a bit sturdier than ordinary shackles.
'His condition is worse than I thought.'
Small cuts here and there, and his nutritional state wasn't great either.
Probably because he wouldn't listen.
Because they don't know how to handle the dwarf race.
"Your name is... Dexter. Dexter, right."
At that, the dwarf's eyes, which had been like dead fish, turned toward him.
Dexter.
There was no way he wouldn't know that name.
He was originally someone with slave status who would wander from place to place.
Due to his truly twisted fate, he couldn't properly utilize his own abilities and lived his entire life as a slave, only spreading his will in his final years.
He was a being with quite useful traits—originally, a existence similar to a Golden Goblin for players.
Meeting him would be immeasurable good fortune.
But a being difficult to encounter easily.
The wandering dwarf blacksmith, Dexter.
Meeting him was fortune.
"Dexter. Don't you want to forge a hammer."
A flinch.
Dexter's body trembled slightly.
"I can provide the workshop and minerals you need. That is the courtesy and respect I can offer to the Hammer God, Tundra."
Eyes shaking immeasurably.
A face showing considerable surprise.
Intelligence returned to Dexter's eyes.
"In return, it will suffice if you help me once when I desire it."
Just as the pilgrims of God Valterus search for their own swords.
Dwarves consider forging a hammer to offer to their god as their lifelong wish.
Dexter.
He didn't know how the fellow had drifted to this place, but even having become a slave, he couldn't refuse the instinct carved into his bones.
Dexter furrowed his brow.
I could tell that wasn't an intention to refuse. He was probably judging the truth of my words.
First, bestow grace upon them.
Show them respect.
Build trust that way.
That is how to win over a dwarf.
"I'll hear your decision next time. The next auction is still ongoing."
When I signaled Brans with my eyes, he cleverly took Dexter away somewhere.
It seemed there were various other procedures to complete. Thanks to that, I comfortably participated in several auctions.
[A cloak said to have been made by the great Sacred Gold Artificer Eldora before coming of age. The Twilight Cloak!]
The Twilight Cloak.
'Where was it again, an artifact modeled after the sacred relic of god-creation, I think.'
The Twilight Cloak is an artifact that blocks heat and cold just by wearing it.
Moreover, it doesn't tear easily from ordinary attacks and also cushions the impact of falls, making it an indispensable artifact for pilgrims traveling to various places.
A famous Sacred Gold Artificer of the Empire.
A limited edition with only thirty pieces released by Eldora!
[Starting at five hundred gold coins!]
It was outrageously expensive for the price of a single cloak. Five hundred coins was enough money to construct several buildings. But the price of the Twilight Cloak skyrocketed.
[Ah! Customer 466 bids six hundred! Seven hundred! Eight hundred again! Ooh! Customer 466 bids one thousand!]
The price doubled in an instant.
"Damn expensive."
The remaining money after winning the holy water ingredients and Dexter was about two thousand four hundred gold coins.
I hesitated briefly before raising my hand.
[One thousand two hundred! Customer 770 bids one thousand two hundred!]
One thousand two hundred gold coins.
At that point, as if they had made a pact, no one raised their hand.
No, they couldn't.
Time passed.
Bang bang bang!
[The Twilight Cloak goes to customer 770!!]
It was won with a single bid.
'......'
The Twilight Cloak was certainly a good artifact, but I tilted my head wondering if it was worth one thousand two hundred gold coins.
It stung to think I might have been ripped off, but what could I do.
'It won't hurt to have it.'
Besides, he had the dwarf slave.
Dexter.
If I coaxed him well, I could raise the quality of the various artifacts obtained here by another grade.
'It was a necessary expense.'
The gold coins pained me, but the golden light that the Three-Color Eye had spoken of would resolve that.
"Please sign here."
After finishing signing the documents presented by the staff member who brought the Twilight Cloak, I immediately put on the cloak.
"It's light."
There was no sense of weight at all.
The auction house was underground, and with many people gathered, the heat made it somewhat humid and warm, but the moment I donned the cloak, the discomfort disappeared. Just this much made the expenditure of one thousand two hundred gold coins hurt a little less.
"Good."
It enveloped my entire body without any discomfort or sense of weight.
Quite satisfactory.
A flinch. Just then, killing intent was suddenly felt from below the auction house.
Glancing down, there was someone among the people seated on the 1st floor with notably white hair.
'Water-colored hair.'
Even with a black half-mask, those eyes were clearly directed at me.
Looking closely, it was the person who had first bid on the Twilight Cloak.
Probably ran out of gold coins.
'Even so, to radiate killing intent.'
They must have wanted it quite badly.
I looked down at him instead and showed him a victorious smile.
The killing intent deepened.
They probably wanted me to be frightened, but that wouldn't happen. This was none other than Trista. There was no reason to be afraid.
From the killing intent they emanated, they seemed quite a capable fighter, but so what.
If they don't like it, they should go save up some money.
Of course, the Twilight Cloak was mine now.
Something they couldn't obtain again.
Even if they gathered money, they wouldn't be able to get it.
Heh. For some reason, a smile wouldn't leave my lips.
"Let's see, next is......"
The few items that came out next were utterly useless.
Famous ceramics of some fallen kingdom, or statues and such.
And finally, the last item of the auction.
The moment I first saw the catalog, I had thought I absolutely must obtain this item.
[In the East, Sarira. In the West, Holy Relic. And here, the stone hardened by a saint's divine power, called the Holy Stone!!]
'Holy Stone.'
Where a saint who had no higher place to ascend died and was cremated, a Holy Stone forms.
The Holy Stone is a crystallization of divine power.
Moreover, since it's a saint's divine power, it's a stone containing first-class or higher energy.
Holy Stones of saints are originally managed by the religious order, but occasionally, Holy Stones smuggled out like that appear as auction items.
'The size is small.'
About the size of a candy.
But the energy and quality of divine power emanating from it were extraordinary.
'If I train with that, the quality of divine power would greatly increase.'
In an emergency, I could extract divine power from it, and it could also be used to cultivate the power of the soul contained in corpses.
Not only that, but it would also help with the repair and enhancement of artifacts, so it could be utilized in various ways.
'The Holy Stone being a bit small is a flaw, but... still, I can't not have even that much.'
[We'll start at one thousand gold coins.]
One thousand from the start.
As expected of a Holy Stone.
Seeing that they didn't give any additional explanation, it seemed difficult to reveal its origin.
Well, there probably wouldn't be anyone here who cared about such things. None other than a Holy Stone.
The reason that sacred thing appeared in an underground auction house wouldn't be legitimate.
When the Holy Stone appeared and the holy energy spread widely, people's eyes changed.
Eyes flashing with greed.
'What should I do.'
Winning it would certainly be good.
Because it has uses everywhere.
It could immediately greatly increase Arusando's energy, and it could also be used as a training aid for Manhwabongyuk.
It could also be used for manufacturing holy water and enhancing artifacts.
However, the problem was.
[It's here! Two thousand gold coins!!]
It was too expensive.
I didn't have enough money.
I wondered if something could be done using Cedric's name, but probably not.
'That woman must have a lot of money.'
The water-haired woman who had glared at me earlier was in competition with another fellow.
The price rose without pause, now approaching three thousand coins.
'She must have given up on the cloak because of that.'
It was unfortunate, but there was nothing I could do.
It wasn't urgent, and there would be another opportunity someday.
The Holy Stone was eventually sold for three thousand six hundred gold coins.
'That woman lost the bid again.'
The water-haired woman had her item snatched away again.
The person who won the bid was an obese noble, someone seated in the same 2nd floor VIP section as me.
The woman glared at the 2nd floor again, then seeming angry, left the auction house.
'How pitiful.'
But it was none of my business.
I then bought a long double bag worth six hundred gold coins that came out as the last auction item. This too was a kind of artifact, with more space inside than met the eye, allowing many items to be stored.
"Is that everything?"
"Yes! I've got everything."
They were the poisonous herbs I had ordered in advance and the supplies needed for manufacturing holy water.
Brans, holding an armful of those things, and Dexter, bound in chains, came into view.
Toss.
I threw the double bag I had just received to Brans.
"Whoa!"
"Put them in there. It'll all fit."
"Huh? No, these can't all fit in... oh, they go in."
"Brans."
"Sir!"
"Hurry up."
The exit was already crowded with people heading out.
Tch.
When I clicked my tongue, the staff member who had been in charge of me approached.
"I will guide you to another exit."
"There was another exit?"
"It's an exit that only VVIP members can use."
"Guide me."
The staff member who nodded removed the curtain on the 2nd floor wall, revealing an exit.
A hidden passage available only to VIPs seated on the 2nd floor.
"This way."
"Mm."
Leading Brans and Dexter, I slipped out of the Black Market.
* * *
"Commander. We conducted surprise inspections on all personnel coming out of the Trishi underground auction house, but..."
"There wasn't anyone."
"Yes, Callias was not present."
"Hmm."
Raiven took off his glasses and took out a handkerchief to wipe them.
'If Sir Cedric had helped a little, things would have been easy.'
If the second-in-command of Trista had lent his strength, things would have proceeded easily.
All they needed to do was blockade Trista and conduct inspections.
But Cedric refused with a somehow pleased expression.
So it only left an unsettling feeling in his heart.
"What shall we do now?"
Deluin asked with a gloomy face.
Raiven remained silent for a moment.
'He has no ties to this place.'
Therefore, if he entered the auction house, he would have to come out through here.
His facial features could be changed, but his unique divine power and eyes couldn't be deceived.
In particular, the ash-gray pupils, one of the characteristics of the Jervan family, could not be hidden by anything.
'Then why isn't he here?'
They searched everywhere that could be searched.
Now this was the only place left.
"It can't be helped. We have no choice but to strengthen the inspections. Request assistance from Trista's guard unit. Strengthen the inspections at the gates and request reinforcements."
"Yes!"
Oh, and.
"Did you not see her?"
"Yes, she was at the auction house. She looked extremely angry."
"I see..."
Raiven, who had been pondering something, finally gave an order to Deluin.
"Interrogator Deluin. If possible, keep track of the pilgrim Esther's location at all times, covertly. She must not find the apostate first."
"Understood!"
Watching Deluin's retreating back as he ran off, Raiven tilted his head in doubt.
"But why was she angry?"
He couldn't understand.
* * *
Step step.
Callias was walking along a single path with glass panels on both sides.
To his right and left, he could see nobles who had been together in the 2nd floor VIP section.
The figure of a noble walking leisurely with elegant steps.
'The one on the right won the magic beast, and the one on the left won the Holy Stone.'
He was inwardly curious about their identities, but decided not to pay attention.
There were mountains of things to do besides that.
He had to hurry and set up a manufacturing facility to make holy water, and he had to experiment with the formulations.
'For the holy water, since it's an issue of injecting divine power, I'll have to struggle for a few days.'
Even for holy water made somewhat perfunctorily, there could be no absence of divine power.
Although Callias's divine power was 4th class, it was still right to make holy water while injecting divine power.
Insurance was always better to have more of.
"The cloak suits you well. Congratulations."
A voice awakened his thoughts, striking Callias's eardrums.
"Ah, yes. You also won the Holy Stone, sir. Congratulations."
He was the portly man who had won the Holy Stone. With a stylish mustache below his half-mask, he looked like an impressive noble.
"Haha, it was a rare opportunity, so I overextended a bit. But... sir, do you perhaps handle a sword?"
"...Yes. How do you know that?"
"I have a bit of an eye for such things, and I noticed your right hand. The calluses characteristic of those who wield swords were impressive. Moreover, seeing you don the Twilight Cloak immediately after purchasing it, I thought you might be a wandering knight, but surely not."
A wandering knight was a breed searching for their lord. They wouldn't have the wealth and honor to win the Twilight Cloak at auction and sit in the 2nd floor VIP section.
"......"
"My apologies. It's a bad habit of mine."
He stroked his mustache and continued speaking.
"But come to think of it, I remember seeing those eyes a long time ago. Ashen pupils and hair as dark as pitch. Could you be a scion of the Jervan family?"
"...I left the family a long time ago."
"My, my apologies... I didn't ask with any ill intent."
A noble with enough wealth to easily win the Holy Stone.
Seeing that he knew the characteristics of the Jervan family, he was quite a high-ranking noble.
Callias activated his Three-Color Eye.
The color surrounding him was golden.
"Then what is it."
Step.
The noble's footsteps stopped.
Callias also stopped his feet.
"Do you not want the Holy Stone?"
"What do you mean?"
"I can give it to you."
The noble took out a jewel box from his coat and opened it toward Callias.
The moment it opened, a holy energy that seemed to purify the sinking air spread out.
A saint's Holy Stone.
It was the item that had just been won at auction.
"There must be a condition."
"I want to borrow the power of Jervan."
Callias's eyes shone brilliantly.