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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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Chapter 92: Auction House (2)
***
When it was time for the auction, a man wearing a mask stepped onto the stage.
“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for participating in today’s auction.”
His voice echoed throughout the theater. All eyes turned to the man.
“As we’ve previously informed, the auction items will be presented in the order listed in the catalog we provided. If you’re interested in any item, please write down your bid on the placard.”
Damien glanced at the placard he had received in advance. It was enchanted, allowing him to freely write and erase.
“Let’s begin the auction! The first item to introduce is a bundle of Moon Dreamgrass!”
A woman, also wearing a mask like a man, appeared, pulling a cart. On the cart lay something resembling celestial weeds shining in sky-blue.
“As you all may know, Moonflower is a rare plant that only giants can harvest. Hence, even if you try to order it from herbalists, you won’t get it.”
Damien was familiar with the plant. To be precise, it was among the dark magic knowledge imparted by Dorugo.
“It looks pretty, but you should be cautious. It’s a dangerous toxic weed that induces extreme hallucinations. Considering its rarity, we’ll start the bidding from 20 gold coins!”
People in the audience began raising their placards. The auctioneer shouted busily.
“21 gold… 24 gold! I see 27 gold right away!”
Damien listened intently in the adjacent room. He heard Alexander and the woman’s voices.
– Your Majesty, Moon Dreamgrass is an item Marina must acquire at all costs.
– No need to rush. I have plenty of money.
Sounds of writing were heard. Soon, the auctioneer shouted loudly.
“35 gold! The current highest bid is 35 gold!”
No one else raised their placards. Then the auctioneer asked again.
“Any more bids? If not, the item is sold for 35 gold…”
At that moment, Damien raised his placard. Written on Damien’s placard was 60 gold.
“60 gold! We have 60 gold!”
Jumping from 35 to 60 gold, but Damien remained unfazed.
He knew it was essential, as mentioned from the other side.
– 60 gold? Is that weed worth that much?
– While Moon Dreamgrass is indeed hard to acquire… It may seem a bit expensive, but at this price, it will surely be of sufficient value.
A voice filled with perplexity came from the adjacent room.
– Your Majesty, Moon Dreamgrass is essential.
– Can’t it be obtained elsewhere?
– It’s such a rare item… You could commission it from giants, but it will take time.
– Damn it!
Cursing and sounds of writing were heard. Eventually, the auctioneer shouted.
“70 gold! 70 gold! This is the highest bid we’ve had for Moon Dreamgrass at our auction house!”
Damien didn’t raise his placard this time. He focused on the sounds coming from the adjacent room.
– Your Majesty, if the price goes up again…
– Don’t worry. I’ve got plenty of money.
At the mention of overflowing money, Damien wrote down a number on his placard and raised it again. The auctioneer shouted excitedly.
“90 gold! 90 gold! I didn’t expect such enthusiasm from the first auction!”
As Damien increased the amount, Alexander became annoyed.
– Who the hell is it? Damn it, let’s see who wins!
– Your Majesty, please calm down. The price has become too high. There are still many items we need to acquire. Raise the bid one more time, and if the other party raises again, let’s give up.
Upon hearing this, Damien lowered his placard. If there was no intention to participate from the other side, he would withdraw as well.
“100 gold! 100 gold! Do we have any more bids? Anyone?”
Thus, Moon Dreamgrass became the property of Alexander. Although he obtained the desired item, the atmosphere in the adjacent room was not so good.
– We’ve incurred losses from the first deal. I won’t let whoever it is off easily if I catch them.
Soon after, the next auction item was presented, and the auctioneer shouted, pointing to the item.
“Now, the next item is the Basilisk’s Eye! Just hearing the name is enough to know. It’s an extremely dangerous item that must be handled with care!”
The Basilisk was a monster known as the king of snakes.
True to its name, it resembled a giant serpent and was said to curse anyone who looked directly into its eyes with petrification, turning them into stone.
– Your Majesty, it’s finally here. That’s something we absolutely can’t afford to miss. It’s the most important item.
Damien smiled at the woman’s words.
To an alchemist adept at handling poisons, the Basilisk’s Eye was an invaluable treasure beyond compare.
This time, it seemed appropriate to start the bidding at a high amount from the beginning.
“Considering its rarity, let’s start from 50 gold! Please write down your bids!”
The competition was fierce due to the difficulty of clearly seeing the Basilisk’s Eye.
Placards were raised from various corners. Even without Damien’s intervention, the price rose sharply.
“74 gold! Is there anyone else bidding?”
As the price almost doubled, no one raised their placards.
– Now, we should also write down our bids.
Alexander’s voice came from beyond the wall. Damien also prepared to raise his placard.
“90 gold! We have 90 gold…”
Before the auctioneer finished speaking, Damien raised his placard.
“130 gold! 130 gold is the bid! I didn’t expect such fervent desire for the Basilisk’s Eye!”
At that moment, cursing erupted from the adjacent room.
– Who is it! Who dares to raise the bid by 50 gold!
– Your Majesty, the Basilisk’s Eye…
– I know! You said it’s important! I got it, so stop rushing me!
Now, even their argument could be heard. Shortly after, the auctioneer shouted.
“160 gold! Is there anyone else bidding?”
It was unlikely. Damien immediately wrote down and raised 180 gold.
– Damn it! Who the fuck is he!
The reaction was much more intense than before. It seemed their money was reaching its limit.
This time, Damien didn’t raise his placard.
“The Basilisk’s Venom! Sold for 180 gold!”
Though obtaining the most important item, Alexander showed no joy. He continued to curse incessantly.
– I’ve already spent 280 gold! Just in this damn place!
– Your Majesty, please calm down…
– Do I look calm to you? Ha… I’m warning you. We must make this plan succeed at all costs!
Listening to Alexander’s ultimatum to women, Damien couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Now, the next item is the Mandragora Powder! When processed properly, it can be used as a panacea! Let’s start the bidding from 20 gold!”
Upon the auctioneer’s words, the woman cautiously spoke.
– Your Majesty, we also need the Mandragora Powder…
– Yeah, I got it!
Listening to their conversation, Damien pondered how much to bid this time.
It was quite an enjoyable dilemma.
***
Since then, Damien fleeced Alexander’s money several more times.
“Now, let me introduce the next item! The item we’re going to present is the Mana cultivation Technique! Unfortunately, more than half of it burned down during…”
In the midst of it, Damien also acquired the Mana cultivation Technique, which he had kept an eye on.
‘I managed to get my hands on it for just 12 gold!’
It wasn’t such an attractive item as there were no competitors. It was a common belief that if the Mana cultivation technique was lost, it couldn’t be restored unless by a famous expert.
The cost of commissioning an expert would exceed the purchase cost.
Thanks to that, Damien could obtain the Mana cultivation technique at a low price.
“The next item we have… is a rare item whose identity we haven’t been able to confirm!”
The auctioneer pointed to the crystal on the cart.
Inside the transparent crystal was a large ice crystal.
“What’s fascinating is that it’s said this item can withstand cold and ice magic!”
The auctioneer explained various things about the Heart of the Spirit.
“Considering the uncertainty of its identity, let’s start the bidding at 10 gold!”
Some people raised their placards. The auctioneer shouted busily.
“12 gold! 14 gold! We have 15 gold!”
The rising prices indicated that no one knew the true value of the item.
Perhaps they were purchasing it because it looked pretty and fascinating.
Before writing down the amount, Damien first listened intently to the conversation in the adjacent room.
– Your Majesty, we also need that item.
– It doesn’t seem necessary to make poison… Can’t we just pass on it?
– That crystal is filled with the power of the spirits. It would greatly help Your Majesty with the Thornwood Sword you use.
– With the Thornwood Sword?
At the mention of Thornwood Sword, Damien also leaned in with curiosity.
– As I mentioned, the Thornwood Sword is mostly sealed off from its power. Only pure mana can unlock it.
– So, the crystal is needed?
– Yes.
Alexander sighed. After a moment of contemplation, he made up his mind.
– You would know better, the one who obtained the Thornwood Sword. Alright, let’s make the purchase.
It was a very suspicious item, given that it was a relic sword obtained from Pandemonium.
‘Perhaps it’s not even a relic sword.’
At that moment, Damien felt a strange unease from the relic sword.
He didn’t know if it was a real relic sword or something suspicious.
“Highest bid is 30 gold!”
The auctioneer’s announcement snapped Damien out of his reverie. It seemed Alexander was writing down the amount.
“Alright, it’s 30 gold! Anyone else?”
Damien immediately wrote down the amount and raised the placard.
“40 gold! It’s 40 gold! Seems like quite a generous bidder!”
It was quite a large sum, but it didn’t matter. The Heart of the Spirit held a greater value than that.
Damien was prepared to bid whatever it took to win the Heart of the Spirit.
But the conversation sounds coming from the adjacent room seemed a bit odd.
– Your Majesty, please write down the amount quickly… Your Majesty?
– Damn it… I can’t raise the price anymore.
– But the Heart of the Spirit…
– I don’t have any more money! I’ve used it all!
Alexander, the only competitor, had run out of money.
“Any more bids? Sold for 40 gold!”
Thanks to that, Damien was able to win the Heart of the Spirit in cheap.
– Your Majesty…
– What can I do? I’m out of money!
Damien chuckled softly as he listened to their conversation.
In the meantime, another auction item came up on stage.
The chest was filled with shining beads of various colors.
“Now, let me introduce the next item! These are Deciphering Beads, directly manufactured by the Alchemy Sect! It’s said that consuming just one can counteract any poison…”
Damien, who hadn’t checked the item thoroughly, unfolded the booklet and examined the back.
‘Deciphering Beads, Alpaca’s Lung, Air Detection Ring…’
Among the remaining items, there were quite a few that could counteract poison.
Damien’s expression subtly changed as he looked at them.
‘Looks like I’ll have to spend more money after all.’
Muttering to himself, he began to write down the amount on the placard.
When the auction ended, he had successfully won all the items he desired.
***
After that day, Damien focused on preparing for the expedition.
Thanks to Oliver’s outstanding performance, the timeline was significantly shortened. As a result, Damien and the knights could depart much earlier than planned.
“We’ve arranged for boats, so let’s travel along the river to the Arden Plains.”
Oliver’s capabilities shone even here.
With everything prepared, from the route to the manner of travel, the group could move comfortably and swiftly.
When they arrived at their destination, Walnut Territory, they were met face-to-face with a sight that shook them to their core.
Uwaaaaah!
Eeeeeeeh!
It was the sight of an orc horde pounding on the walls of the territory.
“D-Damien, sir! The castle is under attack!”
Oliver turned to him in alarm. Damien shrugged.
“Well, what else is new? Just give the orders, Your Highness.”
“Th-the orders?”
“Aren’t you the one commanding us?”
At Damien’s words, Oliver’s expression changed. But his eyes still showed his nervousness.
It was a natural reaction, given that it was his first time in such a situation.
“Your Highness, it wouldn’t be cool if you didn’t speak up much here.”
Damien joked, and Oliver couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Soldiers…!”
That laughter eased the tension. Oliver shouted clearly.
“Charge!”
Damien drew his sword, tightened the reins, and dashed toward the orcs ahead of anyone else.
The remaining knights followed Damien’s lead and rushed toward the orcs.
“Let’s go! Waaaaah!”
A dozen or so knights thundered across the plain.
***
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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