Interference (3)
People go through life without showing their emotions. Even when happy, they don’t smile. Even when sad, they try not to cry. The reason is mostly because that’s just how life works. To maintain one’s “normalcy.”
But some words and feelings must be conveyed in the moment, or not at all.
“Problem child? Did you just call me a problem child?”
Ellis Éclat—she was different.
“The real problem is someone who can’t even maintain a proper engagement—!”
“Ellie.”
Ellis was clumsy when it came to handling her emotions.
And another reason people hide their emotions is because it benefits them.
“You must be tired from training early in the morning. Go ahead and get some rest first.”
“Huh?”
When I stepped in, Ellis looked at me wide-eyed, as if to ask what I was talking about. Even if Ellis didn’t care much about personal gain, when it came to someone like Michael, caution was necessary.
“I’m asking you, Ellie.”
When I calmly looked into her eyes, Ellis soon nodded, having understood what I meant.
“...Got it. I’ll go grab a good seat with a nice view then. Don’t take too long.”
“I’m counting on you.”
“Professor Frankenstein, I hope you enjoy yourself too. Well then.”
“My name is Lippen... Still as willful as ever.”
Before Michael could even object, Ellis brushed off her skirt and turned away with spirit.
As she walked off into the distance, I stepped forward to block Michael’s laser-like glare boring into the back of her head.
“Pleased to see you again, Professor Lippenstein.”
“Professor, huh... Right, Assistant Professor Rohan. But something’s odd. You seem very close to that problem child.”
In the early development of the story, Michael and Ellis did not get along.
That’s why he always called her a “problem child,” and she purposely mispronounced his name.
I answered without hesitation.
“Ellis is a student I hold in especially high regard.”
More than anything, if we followed the original plot, Ellis would end up siding with Michael.
That had to be prevented. I couldn’t let that bastard steal Ellis.
“Hold in high regard? You’ve only been assigned here for two weeks. Ah, I see. You must be quite ambitious. I suppose that level of effort is to be expected if you’re aiming to become the Captain of the Éclat Knights.”
So that’s how he’s framing it?
He’s trying to paint me as someone blinded by ambition for success?
Laughable.
“Ellis is exceptional. She simply hasn’t found someone to guide her yet, that’s all. But she’ll rise to the highest position in the Empire, above any rank or class.”
Next, he replied in a mocking tone, as if ridiculing my certainty.
“Terrible swordsmanship grades.”
The words that followed were the harsh “evaluations” society had branded onto Ellis.
“Poor attendance, failed credits, bad conduct and attitude overall. Her only redeeming quality is maintaining decent peer relationships. Let me ask you, Assistant Professor of Springwind—do you truly believe someone like that is fit to become a knight?”
“Before that, let me ask you something, Professor Lippenstein.”
I held my breath for a moment.
To think I had to waste my precious page on someone like this bastard.
“What should someone aiming to become a knight act like?”
“I’m no knight myself, so I wouldn’t know. But as anyone would, I can make an educated guess.”
“Ellis is simply lost right now. She’s still young. She hasn’t yet learned how to walk the path given to her.”
“Then that makes her all the more hopeless.”
“...Professor Lippenstein. What do you think our purpose is?”
My argument came down to a single point.
“To become the signposts on that path. And if we can’t do even that—then we have no right to exist, do we?”
Ellis became the problem child of Springwind “because of you.” So you have no right to belittle or disparage her. In fact, you should be ashamed.
Michael said nothing, merely fiddling with his ring, his furrowed brows frozen in place.
Just as he opened his mouth to speak.
―The Royal Auction will begin shortly. All guests who have yet to take their seats, please do so immediately. This is your final notice...
An announcement echoed through the building.
As I turned away, Michael’s voice brushed against my shoulder.
“I’ll remember today.”
When I turned, his collar brushed past my eyes.
I silently watched him enter the auction hall.
What he meant by that, I’d find out soon enough.
***
In the midst of tension, excitement, and light laughter, one person clearly stood out, sulking.
That person was Ellis, seated beside me.
“Ugh, I want a drink. Wanna grab one after this?”
“I thought you quit.”
“Whatever. After seeing such a fine appetizer, how can I hold back?”
“If you’re going to quit something, do it properly so you have no regrets. Stay quit.”
Leaving behind the still-simmering Ellis, I glanced around the hall.
Since it was a royal-sponsored auction, some of the Empire’s most prestigious figures were gathered here.
“Not many familiar faces.”
I recognized a few descriptions I’d read before, but none of them were important.
No luck with character scouting. I’d hoped to encounter someone useful.
―Welcome to the 162nd Royal Auction. Unfortunately, His Majesty will not be joining us today due to a conflicting schedule. We kindly ask for your understanding.
A spotlight lit up to the left of the auctioneer. There stood a dress worthy of any luxury boutique.
―The first of our 87 items today is this dress! We’ll begin at 100,000 ring, with increments of 5,000...
At that moment, a number appeared on the screen behind the auctioneer.
[No. 1321 – 200,000 ℛ]
People seated in the second-floor premium area, including us, glanced around trying to identify the bidder.
But I, arms crossed, only stared at the number on the screen.
“…Coming out strong from the start, huh.”
From the second floor, you couldn’t see who held that number.
1321—that number belonged to none other than Michael Lippenstein, seated in a private room on the third floor, looking down on everything with disdain.
While the auctioneer waxed poetic about the dress, Ellis shook her head.
“The design’s totally meh. Pass.”
And with that, she pulled her hand away from the touchscreen on her armrest.
Watching her, I smirked as something came to mind.
“Ellie. Who do you think 1321 is?”
“How would I— Wait, what’s with that face? Don’t tell me...”
I nodded quietly.
Following my lead with a wicked grin, Ellis reached back toward the pad.
―Ah! Just now, No. 652 has raised the highest bid to 250,000 ring!
From upstairs, it felt like I could hear the sound of a ring being crushed.
I reached for my own pad.
“Keep going.”
“Roger.”
―Now No. 653 has bid 300,000 ring! We can almost hear the consignor's laughter from here!
Time to return the favor.
***
As the auction heated up, Michael’s patience steadily unraveled.
“…Hmph.”
Letting out a long sigh, he gripped his pad.
He had come to the Royal Auction for one reason: to see Ariel smile.
The first item—a dress.
He could already imagine how well it would suit her, so he started the bidding at 200,000, double the opening price.
But the final price he won it at was over ten times that—2.1 million ring.
‘What kind of pests...’
He wanted to storm over to where the 600s were seated and see their faces himself.
But the dignity of the “Private Room” weighed heavily on his status.
As the winning amounts climbed, so too did Michael’s anxiety.
―Bidder 653 has once again raised their bid to 11,801,000 ring! Will they be the one to claim the 67th auction item, the “Trinity Crown”?
Crack
Clenching his left fist, Michael glared holes into the screen.
It had been like this for a while.
Every time he tried to win a bid, Nos. 652 and 653 would outbid him by just a hair.
It felt like his cheek was stinging from slaps that hadn’t even landed.
Those numbers felt like challenges slapping him across the face.
But Michael wasn’t one to back down.
―2 hundred million! Bidder 1321 once again shows the gap with a bold 200 million ring! Looks like they’re in a hurry to head home.
Only then did a pleased smile cross Michael’s face.
‘Come on—try again. I’ll crush you every time.’
He still had plenty of bullets.
No matter how wealthy the others in the room were, they could never match his fortune.
As he basked in that arrogance, he pictured Ariel’s face receiving his gift.
‘She’ll be happy… right?’
And then.
―Ah! Bidder 652 has countered with 221 million ring! Seems we’re not going home just yet!
Grind
With his composure completely shattered, Michael slammed the pad repeatedly.
“…I accept your challenge gladly.”
***
That idiot.
He’s happily buying them, not even realizing he’s walked into a trap.
With [Sixth Sense] activated, I leaned toward Ellis and whispered.
“Stop. That’s enough.”
From the third floor, a faint black aura had begun to drift down.
Just moments ago, it had been white.
My sixth sense told me Michael was at his limit.
So every time he was about to give up, we’d back off just before that point.
I never expected to use it like this, but it turned out to be a surprisingly useful setting.
I did a quick mental tally of the items Michael had successfully bid on.
Looked like he’d already spent around 10 billion ring.
One person donates a billion—another wastes ten times that on luxury.
―Item No. 85, “The Usurper’s Demise,” has been sold to No. 1597 for 3.28 billion ring.
Sure enough, as we reached the 70s, Michael’s winning bids dropped sharply.
Originally, he was supposed to spend around 53 billion ring at this auction—including the pendant.
Now that he’d already burned through over 10 billion, I’d call this a fairly successful act of revenge.
Then, just as I was about to rest until the pendant—the real goal—came up, something caught my eye.
―Before we proceed with the final two items, we’d like to take a moment to introduce a special piece.
A small case was placed on the exhibition table.
I focused mana into my eyes to get a clearer look.
―All proceeds from the sale of this item will go to support marginalized communities. Of course, that doesn’t mean the item is subpar! Rest assured, this ring is a one-of-a-kind token handcrafted by Tony Ferguson, the master of Habledown Workshop… It’s called “Silent Promise.”
A pure white platinum border, and a design flowing like a Möbius strip—eternally unbroken.
So simple, and yet never ordinary. It felt like the embodiment of an untainted heart.
At the very first sight of it, I couldn’t help but think of Grace.
―To confirm the sincerity of our bidders, this item will start at 1 ring...
The next moment, a number appeared on the screen.
[653 –]
Everyone in the second floor—including the auctioneer—turned to look at me in astonishment.
[—100 million ℛ]