Chapter 78: Suspiciously Rich (4)
Chapter 78: Suspiciously Rich (4)
"Nom."
Carla, oblivious to the atmosphere, popped a grape into my mouth.
It was a bit flustering, but surprisingly, no one paid her any mind. They were all too busy staring at me, jaws dropped in shock at the 100,000 gold I had just bid.
The auctioneer was the first to snap out of it, his voice trembling with disbelief.
"100,000 gold... did you say?"
"100,000 for all five of them combined."
When I shrugged and confirmed it once more, the entire auction house erupted into a frenzy.
"That’s insane! How much has he spent already, and he’s going even higher? 100,000 gold?!"
"Wait, did he say for the whole set? That’s 20,000 gold per head! Just whose representative is he...?"
"I thought he wasn't interested because he didn't even glance at the other slaves, but it turns out he just has high standards. And he’s even buying the man... I guess as long as they taste good, it doesn't matter? Talk about a specific preference."
What’s with that last guy? It’s not like that.
I gave Carla, who was sitting on my lap, a slightly more suggestive caress, trying my best to project the image of someone with exactly those kinds of preferences.
...For some reason, Elisha’s expression twisted with a sense of betrayal.
No. This isn't a message like, 'This is your future!' or anything.
As I pointedly avoided Elisha’s gaze, the auctioneer managed to quiet the commotion and spoke up.
"Ahem. Sir? It’s not that I doubt you, but... well, 100,000 gold is an enormous sum, isn't it? According to our auction house rules..."
"I know. Payment must be made in cash or items with equivalent liquidity, right?"
"That is correct. If... if it’s not too much trouble, could you show me a little bit of your sincerity?"
In short, he wanted proof that I actually had the means to pay.
Well... 100,000 gold was an amount that would require a Ducal or Marquis family to scrape together every last asset they owned. Only a handful of people could move that much liquid cash, and since I didn't belong to any of those circles, it was only natural for him to be suspicious.
Not that he needed to worry.
With a smirk, I pulled a pouch filled with platinum coins from my inventory.
Clink.
The highest denomination of currency, each worth 100 gold.
They were called platinum coins, but they were actually made of an alchemical alloy far more precious than actual platinum. Since they could only be produced through the 'effort' of high-level alchemists using various rare minerals, they were virtually impossible to counterfeit.
Using telekinesis, I floated the heavy pouch containing 1,000 of these platinum coins toward the auctioneer.
"Oh my, we could have sent a staff member, but for you to send it over yourself... thank you for your kindn—u-ugh?!"
The auctioneer, who had been making light banter as he caught the pouch, froze solid the moment he opened it and saw the brilliant radiance of the platinum coins.
His hands trembled as he rummaged through the pouch to verify the other coins. If he couldn't recognize platinum coins, which were so hard to fake, he wouldn't be an auctioneer at the Gepp Auction House.
Before long, the auctioneer spoke in a shaky voice.
"100,000 gold... confirmed. Is there anyone else who would like to bid...?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Of course not.
As everyone stared at the slaves with expressions of lingering regret, like dogs watching a chicken they couldn't catch, the auctioneer nodded and spoke.
"There are none. Then, the slaves from the Sylvan Magic Tower are sold as a set for 100,000 gold—"
"Wait!"
Someone urgently raised their hand, cutting the auctioneer off.
I turned my head to see a familiar face. It was Marquis Cyprus, the man who had previously bid 10,000 gold for Carla and would have easily won her if I hadn't been there.
The impotent sadist spoke with a look of pure dissatisfaction.
"Let me ask you something first, Mr. Auctioneer. Are those slaves only being sold as a bundle?"
"No. It’s just that this customer offered to buy them all. Originally, they were to be sold individually."
"Then that means they are 20,000 gold per person."
"Unless the bidder specifies otherwise, that would be the case. What would you like to do, sir?"
The auctioneer shot me a look filled with subtle anticipation. He likely thought that if I assigned different prices to each slave, a new bidding war might break out for the 'cheaper' ones.
Well, it was obvious which slaves Marquis Cyprus had his eye on. It was either Elisha or the former Tower Lord, Iris. One of the two. That is, if that impotent sadist's tastes hadn't changed.
Of course, I had absolutely no intention of handing anyone over to Marquis Cyprus of all people.
With a bored expression, I pulled a handful of platinum coins from my inventory and brandished them at the auctioneer.
"I won't be adjusting the ratios. Instead, no matter who bids what, I will bid 10,000 gold more than their offer."
"Ooh...! You heard him. What will your bid be?"
"Grrr..."
Perhaps he realized from the way I was holding Carla that there was some connection between my current self and my previous disguised self. Marquis Cyprus, facing the prospect of losing his chosen slaves for the second time, ground his teeth in frustration before letting out a long sigh.
"I... withdraw my bid."
"Understood. Then, I announce that the final items of the day have been sold for 100,000 gold."
Gavel! Gavel! Gavel!
The cheerful sound of the wooden mallet signaled the end of the auction.
*
The manager, whom I had met when I bought Carla, bowed his head with extreme politeness.
"Thank you for the excellent transaction."
"Likewise. I'm worried about some pests following me, so could you lend me a carriage?"
"For a VIP, that is easily arranged. We can even provide an escort to your destination if you wish."
"Ah, I have my own escort, so don't worry about that. Just prepare it discreetly so I can avoid any annoying eyes. That will be enough."
"Understood. I will have it ready immediately. Is there anything else you need? Given the amount spent, we can provide almost any service."
"Nothing else. If I had to say something, it's just that I'd like to receive the goods quickly...?"
"Haha! Since you've purchased so many items, it seems to be taking some time to verify and package them. But it should be about time... Oh, there they are now."
The manager nodded toward the area behind me.
Through the door of a small waiting room, I saw the five elves entering, followed by staff members carrying the other miscellaneous items I had bought.
After a quick check of the items and imprinting my mana onto the slave imprints to complete the master-recognition process, I stood up.
"Everything looks in order. I'll be going now."
"Thank you again for visiting our auction house. I've already informed the staff, so if you follow that attendant out the back door, the carriage will be waiting."
"Good."
As I was about to put everything into my inventory and leave the waiting room, the manager, who was holding the door open for me, spoke up cautiously.
"I don't mean to pry into your business, sir... but what do you plan to do with so many elves? If you wouldn't mind, could you enlighten me?"
"..."
I stopped mid-stride and stared at the manager.
He looked genuinely apologetic yet unable to contain his curiosity. There was a slight glint in his eyes, a passion for learning, as if he were wondering if there was some hidden value in an 'Elf Set' that he didn't know about.
It was a mindset that didn't quite fit someone of his advanced age, but considering his position, it was understandable.
...Normally, I would have just brushed him off with a vague answer.
Even if the manager of the Gepp Auction House saw me directly, or if I was seen leaving H&A, there was nothing inherently suspicious about it.
But why did the words Carla said before she arrived keep echoing in my mind?
She had said that if the Boiling Silence cult was behind the fall of the Sylvan Magic Tower, they would surely stop by the auction house to confirm their handiwork until the very end.
Why was he asking this now, when I wasn't alone with Carla, but with the door half-open and several attendants present?
These were people who had planted moles in the Levantine Imperial Family and even the Union of Good Gods. Would the Boiling Silence cult really leave the Gepp Auction House—the greatest auction house on the continent—alone?
Even if the manager wasn't a cultist, what if he was in league with them? Could I really be certain just because there were no issues in the game?
In that brief moment, an instinctive sense of danger rang an alarm in my head.
Of course, this could all be a misunderstanding.
...But it never hurt to be careful.
Without letting anything show on my face, I pulled the corners of my mouth up into a natural-looking smirk.
"Hmm... it's a trade secret, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt for the Gepp Auction House to know for future reference."
"Ooh...! I was so curious I was prepared to lose sleep for days... thank you!"
After giving him a vague, 'important-sounding' lead, I racked my brain for a plausible reason.
And then.
"You know that the child of a slave is also a slave, right?"
"Of course. Unless they are emancipated through some special circumstance, they remain slaves for generations."
"Then the elves born from mating the male and female elves here would also be slaves."
"...!"
The manager’s eyes widened as if he had just realized something.
"Elves have long lifespans. But their gestation period isn't much different from humans, and their growth rate is similar. ...And if I'm lucky, I might even get a High Elf out of it."
As I licked my lips while looking at Elisha and Iris, the manager nodded in admiration.
"...You're planning to build a ranch."
"Something like that."
Good. That should make me look like a total piece of trash, right?
It was a lie that would be exposed in a few years anyway, but if the hand of the Boiling Silence was indeed here, those few years would be incredibly useful.
I shrugged and asked the manager.
"Well? Does that answer your question?"
"Indeed. Your business will likely go through us in the future. I assume you're asking for various favors when that time comes."
"Now you're speaking my language."
"We are the type who will do anything for money. Whatever it is, we will naturally oblige. However..."
"However?"
"There have been a few others who had similar ideas."
"..."
Wait. People have actually tried this? An Elf Ranch?
This fantasy slavery system is insane.
"All previous attempts failed, but since your starting scale is on a different level, perhaps you will succeed."
With those words, the manager bowed deeply once more.
"I look forward to the day we meet again."
It was a very unsettling farewell.
"Yandel, you...! How... how could you do this to me! Not you... Of all people, you shouldn't be the one doing this to me!"
Ah. I made Elisha cry.