The Benellia Siblings' Public Degradation
html, body { margin:0; padding:0; } Starring: Derek Walker
The spectacle designed to utterly crush the honor of House Benellia only grew more heated by the moment.
Where there's strong light, the shadows are deep too.
House Benellia, which had wielded considerable influence in the Dove Kingdom, apparently had no shortage of jealous enemies. No matter how much the hype men stirred the crowd, the people gathered here were genuinely reveling in the humiliation of House Benellia.
If your cousin buys land, your stomach aches—it's an eternal truth that holds across all worlds.
Lady Benellia wore an expression of utter daze. Her face alone suggested she could collapse at any second, so the mere fact that she was standing on her own two legs felt like a miracle.
"Hey, Mr. Auctioneer. That Brown Benellia—is he really a man?"
"Of course he is. He might look all delicate and girly, but he's definitely male. If you don't believe me, I can have you verify it yourself."
A burly trainer wielding a whip approached Brown Benellia. He flipped up the skirt the man was wearing and yanked down the women's panties. There, unmistakably, was a dick. A bit on the small side, though.
"Kuhahaha! The bastard's got a pecker even smaller than a girl's clit. Why not just chop it off while we're at it?"
"Count Kengor would love that."
"Count Kengor only goes for real men. He wouldn't even glance at a sissy like that."
Brown Benellia staggered on stage, his face turning ashen as if he might keel over, amid the jeers from the onlookers. If his sister, Lienna Benellia, hadn't grabbed his arm, he would've gone down in a heap—and earned even more mockery for it.
"Now, let's kick off the final auction of the day. Starting bid is, as always, 1 copper!"
The bidding exploded the moment the auction began. Buying two fallen nobles at once was a steal, so prices skyrocketed as expected. One was a woman, and the other a girly boy in high demand among certain circles.
"5 gold!"
"6 gold!"
"6.5 gold!"
"You cheap bastards! 10 gold!"
The price shot to 10 gold in seconds, far beyond what Lady Benellia could afford. She could only tremble with impotent fists, helpless to act.
"We've hit 13 gold! Fitting for the finale—the heat is intense! 13.5 gold! Anyone higher? Going once!"
In the end, Lienna Benellia and Brown Benellia sold for 14 gold.
"14 gold! The traitorous siblings of the kingdom go for 14 gold! What an impressive sum!"
The buyer was a middle-aged man in a navy suit. Towering at what looked like 185 cm, he wore a monocle over his left eye and gripped a cane in his right hand. His bat-like, weaselly face screamed scheming villain lieutenant.
"Auctioneer! I have a proposal."
The middle-aged buyer suddenly addressed the auctioneer. The man tilted his head quizzically.
"A proposal?"
"Selling kingdom traitors off as mere slaves feels too lenient. I, Valet Rostan, believe we must impose a far heavier punishment to uphold the Dove Kingdom's justice on these betrayers."
"I see."
"So here's my offer: exactly one week from now, right here at this slave market, we'll install Lienna Benellia and Brown Benellia as free public toilets."
"Pardon...? You mean..."
"Anyone can fuck these two bitches for free. Nothing better to atone for their disloyalty."
The man who called himself Valet Rostan dropped the horrifying suggestion casually. The crowd stirred uneasily.
"Even for traitors, isn't that too much?"
"House Rostan always clashed with House Benellia. They're jumping at the chance."
"Valet Rostan... a scary guy. Better not make him an enemy."
The auctioneer stroked his Kaiser mustache, eyes closed in thought. Then he clapped, beaming.
"Excellent idea. Repaying disloyalty to the kingdom with service to the masses—brilliant symbolism."
"You'll accept my proposal?"
"Of course."
With the auctioneer's approval, Valet Rostan's grin turned even more sinister.
"Then spread the word far and wide. The more people who use these bitches, the better. Kuhuhu! Invite beggars and vagrants if you can. A week should be plenty of time to prepare, right?"
Lady Benellia nearly collapsed at Valet Rostan's words. On stage, Lienna and Brown had already fainted.
"No... this is a nightmare... a nightmare..."
Lady Benellia muttered deliriously to herself. She wasn't holding up well.
Even Kelly, who'd been silently watching the auction, piped up for once.
"That guy's personality reminds me of Big Brother."
Did Mailock Kingdom's crown prince have that kind of temperament?
Mailock Kingdom's future didn't look too bright.
"That concludes today's auction!"
The auction ended. And with it, House Benellia's future seemed finished.
"No way... a nightmare... nightmare..."
Lady Benellia still hadn't snapped out of it even after we returned to the inn.
No surprise there. Few people in the world could keep a steel mind after witnessing that. Best to give her time to regain her composure.
"Keep a close eye on the lady. If she tries to off herself, it'll be a headache."
"Understood."
Luna bowed and accepted the order. I headed out of the inn to poke around Kegen. The place was near a bustling entertainment district, so just stepping outside put me amid throngs of people.
"Cheap! So cheap! Evergreen staff for 1 copper! Just 1 copper!"
"Fresh fish in today! Five for 10 copper! Five for 10 copper!"
"Herbs for sale! Hand-picked from deep mountain valleys untouched by man!"
Past the lively market street, deeper in, the entertainment district emerged—a cluster of taverns, gambling dens, and brothels.
The vibe shifted immediately. The biggest change? Vagrants sprawled on the sidewalks, staring blankly at the sky, killing time.
With dead-fish eyes like rotten mackerel, they lay at regular intervals like street statues. Gamblers who'd lost everything, accident victims stripped of income, or folks tumbled to society's bottom for tangled reasons.
Their faces smeared with grime, reeking unpleasantly. I crouched by the cleanest-looking one. He slowly turned his gaze from the sky to me.
"Bill collector? As you see, my leg's fucked—can't earn shit."
He glanced at his leg. The left one ended midway, amputated.
I flicked him a silver coin.
"Where's the information guild?"
These vagrants knew the lay of the land. A little cash, and they sang.
His eyes sharpened like a vulture's at the silver. He pointed down a narrow, filthy alley.
"Straight in there, you'll hit a tavern called Dwarf's Breath. That's the guild."
Following his directions, I entered the alley and spotted a dingy sign.
Honestly, a tavern named like that doesn't exactly scream "come drink." But info guild it was, so I stepped inside. A tiny bell jingled on the door, and the bald, eyepatch-wearing bartender greeted me.
"Welcome."
He had the look of a place that only served harsh rum. I took a stool at the counter and opened the menu.
◈ Leona's Embarrassing Secret -3 copper-
◈ Fairyland's Purupuru -3 copper-
◈ Memories Under the Cherry Tree -5 copper-
◈ Widow's Memories, and Tears -5 copper-
…
Way more refined and sentimental than expected. The names gave zero clue what booze they were.
"One Widow's Memories, and Tears."
The bald owner shrugged.
"What brings you here?"
That didn't sound like a drink order response.
Reading my face, he scratched his bald head.
"Ah, that drink's a code, see. What folks order when seeking the info guild. You a real customer?"
"Nah, I am here for the info guild."
"Hmph. Guess we need a new code. Over ten mix-ups this month alone."
Did they have to make it so obtuse?
Maybe for the aesthetic, but as a code, it sucked. The bald guy whipped up a cool, bittersweet cocktail from bottles behind the counter.
"So, what info you after?"
"Noble houses."
"Hmph. Pricey stuff. House Benellia, by chance?"
I shook my head.
"Nah. But sounds like plenty have been asking about them."
The bald man dodged my question. I downed the sweet-bitter cocktail and pressed.
"Has House Rostan been sniffing around House Benellia too?"
"...... Our guild doesn't trade in client privacy. Trust is key."
"Trust... yeah, real important."
I pulled out a fat pouch bulging with silver.
"But more than money?"
His round eyes scanned the pouch.
"Big spender! If every day was like this, I'd be set for the year."
"I need info on House Rostan."