Chapter 138
Chapter 138
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Using the Cards in My Hand Here and There (8)
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Ecarot was markedly different from the slaves who had appeared before him.
First, he was an orphan with no one to turn to. Second, he possessed a rare beauty that surpassed even the nobles. And finally, his eyes were different.
Those eyes still burned vividly with life, as if they had no idea what giving up meant.
Standing at the lowest point, he looked down arrogantly at the others as if he were at the highest peak. He stood straight, as if he would never break.
To the nobles accustomed to making others kneel and ruling over them, he was an irritating yet irresistibly tempting commodity.
"That hair and eye color are so rare... Ah, I want him."
"I like that expression. The thrill of breaking a kid like that is incredible."
"I'm looking forward to seeing how he'll turn out grown up. Where did you find such a premium product?"
Whispers of heated excitement came nonstop from the VIP seats.
"50,000 gold."
Finally, someone raised a placard to signal their bid. It was a fairly high amount from the very start, as if the bidder was already taken with the merchandise.
"70,000."
"100,000 gold."
"120,000."
Competitive bids began to pour in one after another. Everyone seemed eager to claim the boy.
"......"
Ecarot's jaw clenched tight.
He showed no change in expression despite the greedy gazes directed at him. He merely glared at the VIPs with eyes full of contempt.
"200,000!"
"230,000!"
At last, an unprecedented high bid emerged—one that had never been heard before. The boy's defiance had fanned the VIPs' desires.
"These crazy bastards."
Princess Violet clicked her tongue and pressed her hand to her forehead.
"Drooling over a child like that. Utterly revolting."
Her displeased face turned toward me.
"Isn't that the last item? I want to stop watching this filth."
"Please wait just a moment."
I carefully observed Ecarot's condition.
'His face is like ice.'
The angrier Ecarot got, the colder his face became. That meant his insides were boiling over right now.
The problem was that the auctioneer was an expert at handling slaves like him.
"......"
With a single glance from him, the man monitoring Ecarot from behind grabbed the boy's shoulder.
"Ugh!"
Ecarot buckled at the knees under the crushing force on his shoulder.
"What the hell are you doing!"
"You're going to hurt our boy!"
"Be gentle!"
Jeers erupted from the audience. They meant for the handlers not to damage the merchandise.
But the moment Ecarot slowly lifted his face, the jeers vanished.
His eyes twisted in humiliation and his cheeks flushed with excitement captivated every gaze.
"300,000 gold!"
"350,000 gold!"
Ecarot had shattered the auction house's all-time record. The auctioneer looked at the boy's face with a sleazy grin.
"Everyone's dying to have you. How does that feel? Aren't you thrilled?"
It was too quiet for the VIP seats to hear, but to me, focused on the stage, it rang clear.
Crunch.
Followed by the sound of Ecarot grinding his teeth.
"Shut up."
A voice pale with rage leaked through his clenched teeth.
Boom—
The area around the stage vibrated faintly.
But the auctioneer and VIPs, absorbed in bidding, didn't notice.
'Oh ho.'
I watched Ecarot with sparkling eyes.
The air around him churned violently. It was as if it were responding to his fury.
'That's it.'
The power that had reduced this auction house to rubble in the original story.
When his anger peaked, Ecarot awakened to his magical talent. Sensing the vast power within him, the first thing he did was 'kill the auctioneer.'
After tearing the auctioneer apart until he was unrecognizable, Ecarot unleashed a bloodbath in the auction house.
As a result, he became a ticking time bomb unable to control his power.
It was only after being subdued by Kain later that Ecarot regained stability and learned to wield his power properly.
'Time to go.'
Before he did something irreversible.
Because Ecarot's first kill would forever chain him in regret.
"......"
He was already glaring at the auctioneer with murderous hatred. Flames blazed in his golden eyes until they seemed white-hot.
Clatter, clatter.
Objects around Ecarot began to rattle and move.
"Huh?"
The only one to notice the anomaly was the man standing right behind him.
"Here, take this first."
I handed Princess Violet the paper I'd been scribbling on.
"What's this?"
She checked it and flinched in surprise.
"This is... a layout of the auction house?"
"It's a simplified sketch."
I'd drawn a basic map of the auction house and filled in the rooms according to their numbers. Under each private room number, I'd noted the initials of specific nobles.
Princess Violet seemed to grasp the meaning immediately.
"You... don't tell me?"
"Use it wisely as you see fit."
"But from this distance? And you're wearing a mask?"
"Not all of them, just the ones from the first and second parts of the auction. I jotted them down then."
Princess Violet gaped at me. I gave her a small smile and extended my hand.
"Time to go down. Get ready."
"What, now?"
"Yes. You said to give you a heads-up."
I wiggled my fingers as if ready to move any second. Only then did she hurriedly straighten her clothes.
'1, 2, 3... 10.'
After counting exactly ten seconds, I scooped up Princess Violet.
"Hey, not yet...!"
She couldn't finish. I'd already hopped onto the railing while holding her.
"Here we go."
"Wait...!"
I didn't wait for a reply—I didn't plan to anyway—and leaped toward the stage.
"Huh?"
The auctioneer, distracted by the rising bids, finally spotted me late.
"Who...?!"
The moment his finger pointed at me,
Tap.
I landed lightly right in front of him. Precisely at the center of the stage.
"...I was a fool to trust you."
Princess Violet scrunched her face and stepped down from my arms.
"Who are you people?"
The auctioneer stepped back warily.
"What's this? Some surprise event?"
"Doesn't look like it."
The VIP seats halted their bidding and buzzed.
Amid all the commotion, my attention was fixed solely on one person: Ecarot.
"......"
Ecarot's already large eyes widened further in shock at my intrusion.
But the mana waves emanating from his body were already lifting nearby objects into the air.
No matter what happened, he was dead set on killing that auctioneer.
'Stop.'
I mouthed the word at Ecarot. He startled and stared at me intently.
"Interfering with the auction is forbidden! Get down now!"
The auctioneer glared at us gravely.
At the same time, I saw the staff around the stage gripping their weapons.
They weren't visible from the VIP seats, but now I saw a large number encircling the stage.
That's why none of the slaves brought up before had even attempted to escape.
"What if I don't?"
The auctioneer's face twisted at my nonchalant question.
"Guar..."
Crack!
His attempt to call the guards failed. My fist connected hard, knocking him out cold.
"Gurgle..."
Blood poured from his mouth, mixed with broken teeth and saliva.
"I didn't like your mouth."
"-!"
Ecarot's eyes bulged in shock. The objects floating in the air clattered back to the ground.
"This is bad...!"
The man behind Ecarot moved. He must have been ordered to prioritize the merchandise in emergencies.
But my feet were faster. I kicked off the floor, closing the distance in a few strides.
"-!"
The man's eyes widened as he reached for Ecarot.
Snap!
All five of his fingers bent backward. I didn't stop there—I grabbed his wrist and twisted all the way.
"Argh!"
His shoulder wrenched completely around.
His legs gave out, and he collapsed, writhing in unimaginable agony.
"Ugh, urk, ugh..."
"I didn't like how you used your hands either."
I grinned and dusted off my hands. Confirming that Ecarot was staring intently.
"What are you all doing!?"
"Grab him!"
"Secure the merchandise first!"
With two men down in an instant, the stunned guards finally sprang into action.
Shing!
They drew their swords in unison and charged onto the stage.
"How dare you..."
Princess Violet gnashed her teeth, and just as Ecarot tensed up,
Bang!
The door on the opposite side of the stage burst open.
"Her Highness the Princess!"
It was the voice of a familiar guard knight. Imperial palace guards poured in behind him.
"Huh?"
Princess Violet blanked for a moment, then whipped around to me as realization dawned.
"Was this your doing?"
"How did you know?"
She opened her mouth to speak, but
"What are you waiting for! Protect Her Highness at once!"
The guard knight's angry shout drowned her out. The guards charged toward the stage on his command.
"Wh-what is this...?"
"Damn it, everyone run!"
The guards lost their will to fight and scattered like rats.
"My role ends here today."
I whispered as I brushed past Princess Violet. She startled and looked back.
"Why now...?"
"I don't want to get dragged into the messy aftermath. Handle the rest, please."
I strode straight toward Ecarot.
"Hey, you—"
"Princess!"
The guard knight rushing over cut her off.
"Do you know how long I've been searching for you!"
"No, that's..."
Leaving them behind, I stopped in front of Ecarot.
"......"
Ecarot glared at me, tense like a bristling cat.
I ignored it and smiled at the boy.
"Let's go."
Waves of suspicion and wariness rippled in Ecarot's mystical golden eyes.
He still didn't trust me.
"Where?"
"You want to stay here? Not leaving?"
At my retort, Ecarot stubbornly clamped his mouth shut.
"I'm not going."
"Why not?"
His face twisted, and suddenly he stomped his foot.
"I'm not leaving until I kill every bastard here!"
"Do you even know what these scum did to me?!"
His voice exploded in fury.
"I'm going to kill them all! Every one in this place!"
Bloodshot golden eyes blazed. Like melting gold in a furnace.
Ecarot glared at me, panting. His eyes said he'd brook no opposition.
"......"
"Sure, let's do it."
Of course, I had no intention of opposing him.
"Where should we start? Those two still breathing on the floor?"
I pointed at the two men collapsed on the stage.
"Or the ones hiding in the other rooms? What do you say?"
Ecarot's mouth fell open at my confident, ruthless words.
"...What?"