At the mention of one hundred million, the auction house went utterly silent.
All eyes turned to me, glaring with envy. Their looks seemed to suggest I was an adult who’d wandered into a children’s squabble.
The auctioneer, face twisted in confusion, finally managed to speak. “W-wait a moment. Did you just say one hundred million? Right away?”
Though their face was a mask of panic, underneath it simmered resentment. They were clearly displeased with this unexpected turn of events.
After all, if things had gone as planned, the bidding would have climbed steadily to a hundred million. Now, thanks to my interruption, I’d ruined their fun.
Or perhaps, if things had dragged on, it might even have reached two hundred million?
I let out a dry chuckle and nodded. “Yes, one hundred million. If anyone wants to go higher, feel free. Not that I expect anyone will.”
“…”
No one answered.
Normally, this would be the moment when the madness of the auction took over and the numbers would creep ever upward. But with the price leaping straight to the top, everyone was left deep in thought.
Was it really worth that much?
Wasn’t a million gold more reasonable?
I watched them, humming a little tune to myself, easily predicting their thoughts.
Lucky me. I thought they’d start the bidding in the millions.
If the opening bid had been in the millions, it would have shot up to a hundred million in no time.
Of course, the hangers-on would have dropped out along the way, but you never knew what might happen.
“So, is the auction over then?” I asked.
“…Is there anyone who wishes to bid higher?”
At my question, the auctioneer added their own, scanning the room with a pleading look. But everyone else kept their mouths tightly shut and their paddles even tighter.
“…If there are no more bids, I’ll begin the countdown.”
The auctioneer, on the verge of tears, was about to start counting down.
But someone burst in, huffing and puffing, determined to disrupt the proceedings.
“Waaaait a minute!”
The auctioneer, delighted by any excuse to delay, turned with a beaming smile at the interruption.
I also turned my head toward the racket, and found a sulky adolescent in the throes of a full-blown tantrum, jabbing his finger at me.
“Are we even sure that bastard has a hundred million?! How do we know he’s not just tossing out empty promises so no one else can have it?!”
Crimson hair, a face that managed to look thoroughly unpleasant—even with a mask in the way—and a personality quick to flare up.
I knew exactly who this little brat was.
The youngest of House Artezia, Martin Artezia.
He was shouting at me, finger stabbing the air.
I let out a dry, mocking chuckle. “All this fuss over a mere hundred million?”
“…What?”
“Maybe a hundred million is an unimaginable sum for beggars like you, but not for me. If you’re short on cash, try keeping your mouth shut instead of whining.”
“…You crazy piece of shit.” Martin bristled at my taunt, clenching his fist hard.
If it weren’t for all the eyes on him, he’d probably have ordered his guards to kill me right then and there. Or maybe Makio had stepped in to stop him?
Either way, Martin took the bait and bellowed back. “Do you… even know who I am?!”
“Sorry, can’t tell with that mask on. Then again, I probably wouldn’t know even if you took it off.”
Acting tough when you don’t even have a hundred million—how pitiful.
Martin, catching the implication, shot to his feet and screamed, “You bastard!”
He looked ready to lunge at me at any moment.
But the auctioneer’s voice swiftly cut through Martin’s theatrics before things could get properly out of hand. “That’s enough! If the guards have to step in, things will get very messy, don’t you think?”
“…Fuck!” Martin collapsed back into his seat.
The infamous troublemaker of Duke Artezia’s House, suddenly meek—all thanks to the threat of the guards. Or, more precisely, the sort of things that tended to happen once the guards got involved.
Even if you weren’t dealing in slaves, the black market was still the black market. A place for selling illegal goods, where the underworld did its business.
If it ever became public knowledge that someone had been here, the whole family would find themselves in a rather sticky predicament.
House Artezia would probably have to strike a secret deal with the Emperor. The kind of deal where House Artezia bows its head and hands over the good silver.
I doubt they’ll actually be punished. This is House Artezia, after all. But their honor will take a tumble, and they’ll have to part with a few lucrative privileges as penance.
I nodded in a bored sort of way.
Just like that little brat Martin, I couldn’t let it be known that I was here, either.
Family honor was one thing, but if the Elder Council of Praha caught wind of this, they wouldn’t simply sit still.
They’d almost certainly try to toss me out, one way or another.
Can’t have that happening.
Once Martin and I finally quieted down, the auctioneer let out a relieved breath and spoke up. “Glad we managed to avoid a proper brawl. Now then, Participant 58? Would you like to place a bid?”
Martin flinched at the auctioneer’s question.
But still smarting from my earlier jab, he threw out his next bid with burning pride.
“One hundred million, two hundred gold!”
“Yes, we have a bid of one hundred million, two hundred gold. Any further off—”
Before the auctioneer could finish, I raised my paddle. “One hundred ten million.”
The room began to stir again.
I ignored the commotion and fixed Martin with a cold, flat gaze.
Seeing the proud little young master only raise his bid by two hundred gold at a time, that suggested his wallet was feeling a bit under the weather.
If he’d had access to the family fortune, I’d be the one outmatched here. But if that were the case, he wouldn’t be pinching pennies in public.
Now’s the time to grind his pride into the carpet.
Imagine—a boy who’s never known the meaning of “not enough money” suddenly unable to buy what he wants. The thought alone was enough to make my heart do a little jig.
“Grrr…!” Martin glared at me, gnashing his teeth. Then he raised his paddle and yelled, “One hundred ten million, one hundred gold!”
“One hundred twenty million gold.”
“…One hundred twenty million, one hundred gold.”
“One hundred thirty million gold.”
“Fucking… Are you serious?! For that kind of money, you could buy an estate in the Imperial Capital!” Martin spun toward me and shrieked.
I shrugged my shoulders and replied, “Chicken?”
“YOU SON OF A FUCKING CUUUNT!”
Martin tried to lunge at me, but his bodyguards barely managed to restrain him.
“Huff— Huff—”
Martin, struggling to tamp down his fury, shot the auctioneer a glare and snarled, “I’ll get the money! Just wait!”
“I’m afraid that’s not allowed. You may only participate with funds you can pay immediately,” the auctioneer explained.
“Then, fuck it, let me buy it on credit!”
“That is not permitted.”
Martin continued to erupt with rage, while the auctioneer responded with calm.
The two faced off, but Martin’s temper eventually snapped. He sprang to his feet.
“Aren’t you getting up?!” He barked at Makio and the bodyguards sitting beside him.
The bodyguards rose and followed after him.
Once Martin’s group had left, the auctioneer let out a sigh and carried on with the auction.
“…There was a bit of a commotion, but we must finish the auction. Are there any more bids?”
The auctioneer swept his gaze across the room. But with one hundred thirty million on the table, no one dared to compete.
The participants sighed and shook their heads.
“…If there are no further bids, I’ll begin the countdown.”
The auctioneer began to count, and…
“With this, all items have now been sold, and I declare this auction closed.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The crisp sound of a gavel signaled the end of the auction.
* * *
Meanwhile, Makio followed Martin out, biting his lip in frustration.
Damn it…! To lose the Supreme Elixir of all things…!
If only he’d gotten his hands on it, he could have finally escaped this rampaging brat!
Makio’s face twisted into a scowl.
Even before the auction, he’d promised the little Artezia bastard that he’d buy the Supreme Elixir and hand it over.
In return, of course, House Artezia would sponsor him.
Missing out on such a golden opportunity—what a wretched turn of events.
What a damned situation.
Who could say when another elixir of that caliber would appear?
Until then, Makio would be stuck playing nanny to this accursed troublemaker.
Makio clicked his tongue inwardly, his anger bubbling up.
But only for a moment.
His mind wandered back to the man who had just made a fool of Martin.
The man had his face hidden behind a mask, but his voice, his hair, even the company he kept—every detail seemed determined to remind him of someone.
All signs pointed unmistakably in one direction.
…Louis Berg. It’s definitely that bastard.
The same scoundrel who’d once made a fool of him had now done the same to Martin.
Certain that the masked man was Louis, Makio carefully opened his mouth and began, “Young Master.”
At some point, his way of addressing Martin had shifted to “young master,” but no one seemed to find it odd. After all, he was now thoroughly Martin’s patron.
“What.” Martin shot him a glare that promised dire consequences for any nonsense.
…This little brat.
Makio swallowed down a murderous urge and forced himself to continue. “I believe I know who those people were.”
“…!” Martin’s eyes flipped in rage. “Tell me. Now. I’ll destroy him and his entire family.”
His tone was thick with menace. If Makio named the culprit, Martin would gladly oblige with a bit of noble carnage.
Makio’s lips curled into a cold smile. He didn’t care much for Martin, but there was someone he liked even less: Louis Berg.
As they say in the East: Use one barbarian to subdue another.
If Martin took care of Louis Berg, well, nothing could be more ideal.
Makio, satisfied, finally revealed, “They were with the youngest of Berg County—Louis Berg.”
* * *
“I don’t know how long we’re going to have to wait.”
I sat behind the auction hall, waiting for the goods I’d purchased.
Next to me, Lancelot was grumbling under his breath. “Do you even think about what you’re doing? Who spends a hundred and thirty million gold like that?”
I didn’t bother answering. This wasn’t something I needed to deal with anyway—our designated fixer would handle it.
Sure enough.
Thump!
Kai kicked Lancelot in the shin, saying, “Quiet down. People might think it’s your money we’re talking about.”
“Argh! You little lunatic!”
Kai ignored Lancelot’s dramatic squawking and looked straight at me. His eyes all but flashed a sign reading, “Praise will be accepted here.”
I chuckled and gave the boy a quick ruffle on the head. “Thanks. I’ll be counting on you again.”
“Just leave it to me.”
Lancelot, off to the side, was howling about what utter nonsense this all was, but as any sensible person knows, the best way to deal with noise is to block your ears and carry on.
So we spent a brief moment ignoring Lancelot as if he were a particularly loud piece of furniture.
Then the auctioneer arrived, glass case in hand, containing the prize.
“Here it is.”
The auctioneer carefully handed me the glass case, wearing a hollow smile. “I never thought I’d have to sell this for less than two hundred million.”
“Well, it’s not like anyone else here had the money anyway.”
“True enough. That’s how it is.” The auctioneer chuckled dryly and nodded in agreement.
Apparently, the other auction-goers had no idea what this elixir was really worth.
Who knew they wouldn’t prepare even a hundred million…
Well, the casino owner could blame me for that particular bit of misfortune.
I took the glass case from the auctioneer and said, “Thanks for your trouble.”
“Yes, sir. I hope to see you again next time.” The auctioneer bowed his head in farewell.
But then, as if struck by a mischievous thought, he grinned and added, “Oh, and do be careful. There are always plenty of thieves lurking around here.”
I nodded at his warning.
He was, in his own way, letting me know that others might be lying in wait to snatch this prize.
“Thank you.” With a light word of thanks, I set off—completely unaware of the robed figure watching me from the shadows.
“…It’s been a while.”
A soft voice echoed in the spot where Louis Berg had stood.