Chapter 34

Watching the ongoing auction was surprisingly entertaining.

What we had here was a live display of wealthy people’s extravagant spending habits.

From my perspective, I wasn’t even here to buy anything, but this spectacle had become quite the fascinating show.

Especially when one could see people throwing away massive sums of money over clearly useless items, either engaging in pointless ego battles or just trying to play tricks on each other—it certainly made for some thrilling drama.

However, amongst the many people here splurging their cash like it was nothing, one person stood out prominently to me.

“The next item is a legendary elixir, Dragon Snot (Ultimate Stream). This genuine article has been quality assured, sourced directly from dragons residing in the Eastern Region. It is said to be exceptionally effective for skincare among women. The bidding will start at 1000 Talents.”

“1050.”

“1200.”

“1240.”

Inside a small glass vial, the translucent liquid started to climb in price.

Looking at the insane amount attached to this tiny item, barely the size of a yogurt container, I couldn’t help but wonder just how effective that snot really was.

At that moment…

“3000.”

“…”

A woman’s voice rang out from directly behind me.

I turned my head slightly to glance at the source of the voice.

A woman, wearing a White Crow Mask, similar to me but the complete opposite.

Seeing her raise her hand, calling out a price that was more than double the previous bid, I instantly understood.

‘That’s her item too…’

Numerous items had already come and gone, but any item she expressed interest in was guaranteed to be hers.

The reason was simple.

“3240…”

“6500.”

“6500! 6500 has been called! Any other bidders?”

The moment her opponent dared to show competition, she would double the price immediately.

With such a fierce display meant to intimidate any challengers, everyone else was left with no choice but to sheepishly withdraw.

She was literally throwing around money as if it were water, claiming everything she desired… it was as if she were proclaiming herself the queen of this realm.

As I watched from the front, I became increasingly curious.

What on earth does this crow lady do to have such an abundance of money?

Of course, with my position, striking up a conversation wasn’t really an option, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.

I didn’t have the luxury to satisfy a trivial curiosity anyway.

‘Come to think of it… isn’t it about time?’

The enjoyable spectacle was nearing its end, so I subtly tried to check my pocket watch.

At that moment…

“…Tch…”

What came into view was a particularly large-looking box.

Seeing it made me instinctively frown.

‘Has it already come out? That’s a bit sooner than expected…’

The box was tightly sealed, yet it still had a few ventilation holes drilled into it.

Moreover, it was oddly wobbling as well.

And in this moment, without needing the auctioneer’s explanation, I could instantly guess what was inside.

It was only logical.

Having secured the Sword of Ebram, the only reason I remained here was because of what was wriggling inside that box.

At that moment.

“…Finally coming out…”

“!!”

That aforementioned woman’s voice echoed from behind me.

Her voice was full of palpable anticipation, causing me to feel a slight twitch of irritation about the situation, wondering if it might become a hassle.

‘Given the circumstance… should I consider participating in the auction now?’

If a person with such financial power was involved, they could very well be a high noble or even royalty.

Taking something from someone like that could lead to an annoying aftermath later.

In this situation, the best course of action was to crush her “desire” here and now.

So, I made my decision and raised my hand.

“10,000.”

“!!”

“W-What?! 10,000?!”

My actions interrupted the auctioneer before any description of the item could be given.

Even the auctioneer was momentarily at a loss for words as they stared at me—having just thrown down the highest bid of the day.

And after a brief pause…

“Ah… Haha, I certainly didn’t expect someone to recognize the value of this item so promptly. The bid is now 10,000 Talents! Is there anyone who would like to challenge this extraordinary amount?”

“…”

The auctioneer spoke in an excited tone.

However, the room fell into a silence.

10,000 Talents was an unprecedented high starting point—it carried significant weight.

At that moment…

“15,000!”

“!!”

“15,000 Talents has been called!”

That White Crow Mask lady spoke with a hint of tension in her voice.

This time, she didn’t double her bid as before—very likely realizing this amount was even a stretch for her.

In response, I gladly delivered another blow.

“30,000!”

“30,000! A staggering amount of 30,000 has been declared! Is there anyone else willing to contend with this transcendent figure?”

“…”

The auctioneer looked at the White Crow Mask woman while speaking.

She hesitated, her hand fluttering a few times as if she were weighing her options deeply.

But then…

“…Tch.”

With a frustrated click of her tongue, she ultimately dropped her hand.

“Alright! This item is now sold to the Black Crow for 30,000 Talents!”

As the auctioneer announced the result, the attention of all onlookers shifted to me in astonishment, realizing I had just defeated her for the first time in this auction.

Furthermore, it implied querying the worth of “that” hidden inside the box, valued at 30,000 Talents.

However, it mattered little how they regarded me or that item.

What was truly important was that I had sidestepped the emergence of an annoying rival.

And above all,

I wasn’t planning on paying any money at all.

The reason was simple…

—Boom!!!

“Ugh!”

“What the…!”

A sudden, colossal tremor erupted.

In the wake of it, those in the auction house began losing their balance, toppling over.

“Gahhh!”

“What… what is happening! Get out of the way!”

“My… my leg!!!”

While I stood firm amidst the chaos without any issues, the formerly orderly auction house spiraled into sheer pandemonium in an instant.

Not just a few, but thousands of people were falling and entangled in the chaos.

Consequently, many suffered injuries, and even those fortunate enough to escape unhurt found themselves down and unable to rise in the midst of the turmoil.

Thanks to the gently sloping terrain of the auction house, it could have been considerably more dangerous.

Then…

—KABOOM!!!

An even louder and clearer crash shook the air.

It sounded as if something had exploded right nearby, instilling a sense of foreboding among the already startled crowd.

At that moment…

“F-Fire!”

“There’s a fire on this side! Everyone, evacuate!”

A sharp voice broke through from somewhere.

Simultaneously, dense smoke began to creep in.

I couldn’t be sure if there really was a fire, but the smoke permeating in had effectively ignited panic amongst those who had been hesitating.

Thus, as one person finally made their move…

*

“Gah!”

“What… what is going on all of a sudden?”

Just as I was about to apologize, suddenly beset by an overpowering tremor, Achroiel found herself seated on the floor.

Not just her, but Elkana and Ambasha, along with all the soldiers present, appeared equally stunned, unable to react.

Something seemed amiss.

Feeling a deep sense of foreboding, Achroiel attempted to issue orders to her chief to ascertain the source of this sudden shock and explosion.

However…

—BOOM!!!

Another searing detonation and quake shook the building.

“Ugh!”

This one was even stronger than before.

Achroiel decided not to speak but to draw her two holstered guns instead.

“This isn’t good. You all stay put, and everyone else follow me. I need to assess the situation myself…”

At that moment.

—RUMBLE…

Another ominous tremor seemed to shake the ground.

Could it be that ‘enemies’ had already broken through the outer guards and were approaching us? Achroiel, along with her soldiers, turned their attention to the exit.

But then…

“…Huh?”

A strange sensation washed over her.

The direction of the increasingly loud noise wasn’t ahead…

But behind them.

—CRASH!

“!!!”

The auction house door burst open violently.

Almost immediately, a multitude of people began pouring out, resembling an explosion.

“A… what the hell is this? Ugh!!!”

A literal wave of people rushed out from within, colliding into Achroiel and her soldiers like a flood.

“Damn it! Everyone stay calm! W-What’s happening?!”

“Fire! There’s a fire inside the auction house!”

“Run quickly! If you don’t get out now, you’ll be burned alive!”

Fearful shouts erupted all around.

Caught in the torrent of panic-stricken people, Achroiel struggled to swim against the tide, trying to assess the situation…

But her attempts ultimately ended in failure.

If it had merely been 5,000 enemies approaching, it would have been easier to handle.

Dealing with them by taking them out as they came would have been a straightforward task.

However,

The 5,000 here were all high nobles from various nations across the continent who couldn’t be approached carelessly.

Even Achroiel, no matter her power, found herself utterly helpless in a situation where she couldn’t use her strength to subdue them.

In essence, they were in a scenario where their own allies were falling prey to an ambush from behind.

Amidst the seemingly unending wave pulling them in like a tide, Achroiel and her navy were swept away.

When they finally regained some semblance of composure, their bodies had been forcibly ejected outside the Central Hall building.

Even so, the narrow passage continued to spew forth crowds frantically.

Ultimately, Achroiel and her subordinates had no choice but to patiently wait until every last person had exited.

At that moment…

“Wait… where did the two of them go? Elkana and Ambasha…?”

“?! Oh… come to think of it…”

Right when she was about to make an apology, both of them had mysteriously vanished.

Filled with worry that something might have happened to them, Achroiel found herself compelled to stay outside until enough chaotic people had filtered out.