Chapter 13 Auction House (3)
Auction House (3)
The Ancient Gauntlet.
In the original work, it was equipment used by Luke, one of the Emperor's Swords.
An overpowered weapon capable of firing shockwaves proportional to the amount of mana infused into it.
Of course, there was the minor risk of having to endure the backlash of those shockwaves yourself.
In the original, Luke had tormented the protagonist by utilizing this gauntlet in all sorts of creative ways.
The reason I was willing to pay extra to obtain it was precisely to prevent such a situation from unfolding.
'Killing two birds with one stone—it wouldn't be bad to give it to Evan either.'
As I mulled it over, the auction continued. Before I knew it, magic catalysts, artworks, and the like had all been sold, leaving only one item remaining.
'A slave, then.'
In the Arieh Empire, where slavery was legal, slaves were treated much like livestock.
Of course, if an owner so desired, they might treat them somewhat like humans—but those who did were exceedingly rare.
I tilted my head slightly and caught sight of Adel's face, her expression slightly twisted in discomfort. Naturally, the concept of slavery must have been repulsive to her.
Having lived in modern times, that reaction was only to be expected.
If anything, I was the odd one out—for a supposed modern-day person, my indifference was abnormal.
"Next, we have this slave."
A single slave, an iron chain around their neck, was dragged onto the stage. A woman clad in tattered rags came into view.
Black hair, and eyes so dark they seemed lifeless.
Judging by her appearance, she must have been sold off after failing to repay a debt. As I thought this, the auctioneer began his booming explanation.
"She is a descendant of the princess of the Prilecha Kingdom, destroyed long ago by our empire. She also possesses the Regeneration Constitution, passed down through generations of the Prilecha royal bloodline."
"Not only is she difficult to break, but she can also maintain peak condition at all times—an excellent slave indeed. The starting bid is fifty gold."
The longer the auctioneer spoke, the more Adel's expression soured behind her mask.
She looked ready to overturn the entire auction house at any moment, but she held herself back with deep, steadying breaths.
'Difficult to break, huh...'
A little thought was all it took to grasp the implications behind those words.
After all, there were many types of slaves.
"Haa..."
Adel, as if dizzy, shut her eyes tightly.
"Sixty gold!"
"Eighty gold!"
"One hundred sixty gold!"
The auction house filled with the shouts of those blinded by greed.
Were they drawn by the fact that she was descended from royalty? Or was it the Regeneration Constitution that enticed them?
I had no way of knowing.
Nor did I particularly want to.
"Item number one is sold for four hundred gold!"
How laughable.
They couldn't even bring themselves to spend over three hundred gold on a gauntlet, yet they were willing to throw four hundred at a useful slave.
The auction house, thick with an inexplicable heat, moved on to the next slave.
Most of the slaves brought onstage were either those with special constitutions or beautiful women.
And nearly all of them were sold for exorbitant prices—the lowest bid still clearing three hundred gold.
"Now, for today's highlight item!"
The moment the auctioneer's excited voice rang out, cheers erupted from all corners. He smirked at the reaction before continuing.
"This slave is none other than Princess Arna of the Britannia Kingdom, defeated by the Arieh Empire last year. Her value speaks for itself. The starting bid is four hundred gold."
Faced with a sight beyond imagination, Adel clenched her eyes shut before whispering to me.
"Is the atmosphere here always like this?"
"You seem to have forgotten that this is my first time here as well."
"Ah... Right."
She sighed, leaning back into her chair before taking another deep breath.
Meanwhile, the bids had already soared past seven hundred gold.
Just as the fervor was reaching its peak, the lights illuminating the auction stage suddenly cut out. A heavy silence fell over the room in response to the abrupt change.
"P-Please wait just a moment. There seems to be some sort of issue—"
BOOM!
Before the auctioneer's frantic voice could finish, a deafening explosion roared from the ceiling. The crowd immediately broke into murmurs.
Yet not a single person rose from their seat.
Were they all so confident in the durability of the barrier dome surrounding the Imperial Auction House?
'...Is it about to happen?'
KABOOM!
A crash incomparably louder than before finally sent ripples of panic through the crowd.
At the same time, an ominous sound echoed from above.
Creak... CRACK!
The ceiling collapsed, and a man clad in black armor descended. He scanned his surroundings before driving his sword into the ground.
CRASH!
A slash imbued with aura tore through the floor, splitting the earth and sending tremors rippling outward. Only then did the crowd snap into panic, scattering in all directions like startled birds.
The man paid them no mind. He simply began killing.
SCHLICK!
"...What—?"
Blood erupted before my eyes, painting the ceiling crimson. A massacre had erupted without warning, reducing the auction house to scorched earth.
I violently stirred the mana within my body and glared at him.
WHOOSH!
SHINK!
I knew the name of the man clad in black armor, his face hidden beneath a helmet. In the original work, this was how he first appeared—attempting to kill Adel.
His name was Luke von Shpenheim.
The former Second Prince. One of the Emperor's Blades. And the one destined to wield the Ancient Gauntlet I had mentioned.
***
"...What—?"
People screamed, pounding on the doors. Yet for some reason, they wouldn't budge.
The black-helmed man slaughtered without hesitation.
Why—?
Beside me, Lily stood frozen in shock. I shook my head, forcing myself to focus, and pushed myself up.
The moment I did—
His helmeted gaze locked onto mine.
What I saw in those eyes was something chillingly hollow, paired with a killing intent so sharp it could flay flesh.
I had never seen anything so unnerving.
He lunged, sword swinging. I didn't even have time to cast Shield Magic before he was upon me—
SCHLICK!
"...Huh?"
Lily threw herself in front of me.
The blade pierced her instead.
She died instantly, still holding me, without so much as a final word.
Her closed eyes looked almost peaceful.
Tick. Tock.
The sound of a clock echoed in my ears. A phantom sound—Phantom Sound—that always rang when my desire to regress peaked.
...Again.
I rewound time. To undo Lily's death, no matter what.
"Hgh—!"
A familiar agony lanced through my body, twisting my face into a grimace. Then—
BOOM!
That sound.
The sound of him breaking into the Imperial Auction House. I bolted up and sprinted toward the exit.
Ignoring the stares, ignoring everything—
Clank. Clank.
The doors were locked. Why were they still locked at this point?! Before I could even process it, another impact resounded.
CRASH!
The deafening noise sent murmurs rippling through the crowd.
Crack. Crack.
The sound of the Barrier Dome shattering. Screams followed.
BOOM!
The ceiling collapsed again, and down he came—raising his sword high.
WHOOSH!
He swung, carving through the crowd like a storm. There was no discernible purpose—just slaughter for slaughter's sake.
Then his eyes met mine.
He gathered aura and unleashed a massive slash straight at me.
And once more—
Lily stepped in.
She died in my place.
...Again.
Time rewound once more.
The Save Point remained unchanged—right before his invasion.
"Hah... hah..."
The pain seared through every limb, a sensation I knew too well. The more I regressed, the worse it would get.
And the worse the pain, the worse the situation.
Because this agony dulled my thoughts, made me slower.
I had to end this. Fast.
...I have to save Lily.
I couldn't let her die for me again. So I had to think.
Why couldn't Abel, an Archmage, stop her death?
I forced my sluggish mind to work through the pain.
After a long moment, the answer came.
Abel had tried to stop the man from killing me.
He hadn't accounted for Lily intercepting the attack.
BOOM!
The black-armored man crashed down once more, slaughtering just as before.
Then his gaze found me.
—Shiver.
With that same spine-chilling killing intent, he charged.
At the same time, Lily moved toward me.
If my guess was right, there was only one way out of this.
WHOOSH!
I grabbed Lily's arm and yanked her behind me.
Then stepped forward, shielding her.
Bracing against the murderous aura with my own Five Qi, I met the man's sword head-on.
CLANG!