I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 364

Chapter 70: The Snake-Eyed Witch

“Hex, is this auction reliable?”

“My lord, it’s not about reliability.”

In the carriage, facing the inquiry from the Prince of the Southern Seas, a robust and cheerful young man grinned widely, showing off his bright white teeth.

“The master behind the underground auction is actually the Academy, used to trade some banned items monitored by major powers.”

“And the auction time isn’t fixed; it only happens when there are enough rare artifacts to display, so you can rest assured, the underground auction will definitely not disappoint you!”

Hearing this, Jason’s mood improved slightly.

After the clan dispute incident, the prince from the south had lost a lot of weight, his eyes lacking their former brilliance, making him look quite gloomy.

In a word, salty.

A whole year’s effort went up in smoke, especially losing to a junior, which was quite a blow.

However, the true misery is not the salty fish but the one who wants to be a salted fish but gets dragged up and thrown into the sea.

The failure in the clan dispute, secretly using the “Howling Tide Iron Guard,” and its destruction together stirred up an uproar domestically, with nobles putting pressure on him like three massive mountains on Jason’s shoulders.

So even if Jason wanted to give up, he had to handle the domestic issues first.

The nobility was furious mainly because the “Howling Tide Iron Guard” was funded by them.

To calm their anger, the best way was to bring back another treasure as compensation.

Of course, the nobility wasn’t lacking in connections; he quickly contacted an adventurer who owed his father a favor from back in the day, learned about the underground auction, and specifically came to seek an artifact to rival the “Howling Tide Iron Guard” to make up for his failures.

Initially, Jason was a bit skeptical about what good stuff could be in such a messy place, but after hearing the introduction, he perked up.

How could the items auctioned by the Mage Academy be mere mundane things?

The carriage soon arrived at the destination.

Disguised, Jason, under Hex’s lead, crossed through an alley and arrived in front of an underground tavern.

However, the bizarre scene that greeted the Prince of the Southern Seas made his face darken instantly, and his mood plummet.

Why on earth was the guard at the auction a burly man dressed only in fishnet stockings, looking all shy?!

That’s right, just fishnet stockings, with nothing underneath!

Such a shocking sight left the Southern prince deeply shocked, enough to overlook the fact that the guard was an Extraordinary Being.

“Hex, are you sure this auction is really reliable?”

“……Probably?”

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In the dimly lit flickering lights, countless figures wearing masks and cloaked in robes mingled in the spacious exhibition hall.

All around, the walls displayed various rare monster specimens or magical herbs infused with extraordinary power, each one so striking it drew admiration for their otherworldly nature.

If the decorations were so exceptional, the auction items were needless to say.

People eyed each other warily, exchanging only the bare minimum of conversation with acquaintances, lacking the usual noise of misunderstandings.

Those who came were either wealthy or powerful representatives of factions. But in any case, they adhered to the principle of keeping a low profile.

For one, this auction operated in a gray area and wasn’t exactly a glorious affair, and secondly, it attracted numerous notorious and daring extraordinary beings – getting noticed by them was no laughing matter.

Even the usual nobles didn’t dare flaunt their power here for fear of stirring up trouble.

Until that enchanting shadow arrived, accompanied by a man in a black robe.

In an instant, it was like a ripple spread across the lake, triggering waves of whispers.

“The Snake-Eyed Witch! She actually came!”

“But the person beside her… I’ve never seen him before.”

“What a bold fool, daring to share the witch’s bed! He must be tired of living!”

Some scoffed.

Many had set their sights on the witch previously, but all met grim fates.

Anyone with any knowledge of the underground world knew to first be captivated by that enchanting figure, only to retreat from their infatuation due to her vicious methods.

“Heh, you’re the fool. To be able to flirt with the witch mustn’t be someone simple; that’s the renowned A-Rank adventurer, the Sword Demon!”

After the initial buzz of discussion, more attention turned towards the witch.

Partly out of caution and reverence for her, and partly from curiosity about the newcomer.

Just an A-Rank adventurer wouldn’t normally attract such attention.

The attendees were either affluent or powerful, and even if not extraordinary beings, they encountered many intriguing personalities regularly.

However, the Sword Demon had made waves by defeating one of the seven major thief groups, the Black Claw, led by Andy.

It’s known that the Black Claw had already slain numerous A-Rank adventurers, so being able to defeat them spoke volumes about one’s strength!

Such a formidable partner for the witch was certainly not unexpected.

And this pair easily became the center of attention, causing onlookers to feel apprehensive.

Wherever Leanna went, those around seemed to retract like hedgehogs, instinctively releasing hostility.

Noticing everyone’s vigilance towards Leanna, Roy couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless: “You seem quite popular, huh?”

“What, are you jealous?” Leanna casually glanced away but quickly lost interest, refocusing on Roy: “But you’re not too shabby either; there are plenty of people interested in the mysterious Mr. Sword Demon.”

Leanna raised her slender hand and called over a beautiful maid carrying drinks.

The servants here were dressed in black clothing and skirts, looking tightly wrapped but accentuating their figures.

Leanna took a champagne flute from the tray, eyed the maid, and smiled: “How about letting her keep you company?”

“There are quite a few girls eager to serve an A-Rank adventurer, you know.”

Along the way, Roy had seen plenty of attendees getting hands-on with the servants, and the maid before him had no signs of resistance, approaching him with a flattering smile, unabashedly leaning in.

Until Roy waved his hand, and she left, looking somewhat disappointed.

“Looks like I suit your taste better, huh?” Leanna’s smile grew even brighter.

Seeing Leanna behaving as casually as usual, or even more so, Roy couldn’t help but remind her: “We’re here to get some serious business done.”

“That’s why I said to relax; an infamous adventurer being too tense might just scare those cowards.”

Were it not for the black mist obscuring Roy’s face, he would’ve rolled his eyes at her.

Come on, it’s because this witch usually wreaks havoc that everyone’s afraid of her!

But Leanna wasn’t wrong.

Among the seven most wanted criminals in the underground world, though some have switched positions, it had been a while since anyone lost their life.

An adventurer who had killed one of the seven most wanted and managed to escape unscathed would indeed put serious caution into the hearts of the underworld’s villains.

In any case, they looked like trouble to outsiders.

“However, these are all small-time players; the real threats aren’t them…”

Just as Leanna finished her sentence, a brazen teasing voice came from nearby.

“Hey, isn’t that the little witch? Long time no see, and you’ve actually learned to bring a partner like a grown-up?”

A short-haired lady dressed provocatively, flanked by several attendants, cut through the crowd, blocking Leanna’s path with a mocking smile.