Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Auction House (1)
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That night, Demian slipped out of the royal palace before midnight.
When he arrived at the tavern, Carmen greeted him.
“Thank you for the invitation.”
“It’s an opportunity to serve Lord Demian—I couldn’t possibly pass it up.”
Carmen flashed a bright smile. Her skill at flattering others was no joke.
“I’ll escort you to the auction house.”
Carmen guided Demian to a carriage she had waiting in advance. The carriage carrying the two set off down the night streets.
“Where’s the auction being held?”
“It’s set up at the Malverin Theater.”
Demian was slightly surprised by that.
The Malverin Theater was the largest theater in Apple Kingdom and a symbol of the capital.
He knew Verdant Shade wielded considerable influence, but he hadn’t expected them to rent out the Malverin Theater.
“Looks like it’s bigger than I thought.”
“With so many nobles attending the auction, we were able to secure a fine venue.”
That meant Verdant Shade had plenty of noble connections.
A short while later, the carriage pulled up to the theater. The two stepped out.
Even with all the lights off, quite a crowd was gathering at the theater entrance. They all appeared to be nobles there for the auction.
“This way, please.”
Demian followed Carmen inside the theater. It was a passage reserved for VIPs.
Carmen led Demian to an opulent room. A red carpet covered the floor, and expensive-looking artworks adorned the space.
“This is a room reserved for the theater troupe’s top performers. You can rest here until the auction begins.”
Demian nodded as he browsed the artworks in the room.
“Lord Demian, I hear you’ve had a run-in with His Excellency Alexander recently.”
Out of nowhere, Carmen brought it up. Demian turned to her with an intrigued look.
“You’ve got sharp ears. Already heard about that, huh?”
“For weaklings like us to survive, it’s unavoidable.”
Carmen walked over to one corner of the room. She tapped on a blank wall.
“Lord Demian, this wall is unusually thin, so sounds from the next room come through crystal clear.”
“Shoddy construction, I guess.”
Carmen let out a soft laugh.
“I’d be grateful if you could overlook any noise with your generous understanding.”
With that, Carmen stepped out.
Demian sat on the sofa, trying to guess her intentions.
But within minutes, he realized there was no need.
*-What an honor to serve you again.*
Carmen’s voice came from the room right next door.
*-Your Excellency Alexander.*
* * *
Alexander.
The moment he heard the name, Demian suppressed his presence. He approached the wall and pressed his ear to it.
*-I’m not exactly thrilled.*
*-Tell me the reason, and I’ll correct it immediately.*
*-Don’t play dumb. It’s because you botched the job, you bitch!*
Something shattered. Alexander must have thrown an object.
*-How many times did I tell you to keep that idiot Oliver under control!*
*-As for that matter... I have no excuse.*
*-Of course you don’t! You shouldn’t! You stupid bitch. Couldn’t even properly suck up to that bastard as ordered.*
Previously, Carmen had claimed she provided Oliver Apple with entertainment to maintain connections.
But from their conversation, the truth seemed different.
*-Do you know what that fool did? He said he’s going off to subjugate orcs! That moron who lived for booze and women!*
*-Even if I had ten mouths, I’d have no defense.*
*-Damn it! If you lot had just done your jobs right, that idiot would’ve rotted away and gotten booted by now!*
Harsh breathing echoed. Alexander was gulping air to calm his rage.
*-We had no choice because Demian Haksen warned us not to approach Crown Prince Oliver.*
*-Oh? So that arrogant punk scares you, but I don’t?*
*-That’s not...*
*-Don’t give me that crap!*
Crash.
This time, an entire piece of furniture toppled over.
*-We’ll make it right, no matter what it takes.*
*-Who’d trust idiots like you with another job? I’ll collect on this failure properly, so keep that in mind!*
*-Please, calm your anger...*
*-Get out!*
Another object smashed. Soon after, the sound of a door closing followed. Carmen must have left.
‘So he’s not what he seems.’
In the palace, Alexander Apple played the part of a devoted knight to the kingdom.
In truth, he was just a man scheming against his nephew.
‘The king has only one child, Oliver. Does he think he can inherit the throne if Oliver gets booted from crown prince?’
As Demian pondered, the door opened again.
*-Your Excellency, you seem quite furious. It was noisy even from the hallway.*
A woman’s voice.
Her tone was stiff and cold. Though her face wasn’t visible, she seemed the type to remain expressionless like a statue no matter what.
*-Leona! Do I look like I can stay calm? These idiots ruined every plan!*
Alexander Apple bellowed in fury.
*-Calm yourself. It’s already done. Rage won’t change anything.*
The woman spoke in her rigid tone. Surprisingly, Alexander Apple began to simmer down as she said.
*-A crisis is merely an opportunity. Use this one, and you can get what you want even faster.*
*-Faster?*
*-The old plan was as good as failed anyway. We tried dragging Oliver Apple’s reputation to the dirt to force him out, but His Majesty’s support was too solid—no progress in years.*
*-True... that fool’s been a wastrel for years, yet my brother wouldn’t budge.*
The woman continued.
*-Since Crown Prince Oliver volunteered for the orc subjugation, failure this time will cost him the position for good.*
*-Think I haven’t considered that? Oliver’s got Demian Haksen at his side! And that’s not all—Michael Ryanbloom and the Gold Pixie ducal knights too!*
*-A formidable force, yes, but no need for concern. We’ll deploy my sisters’ full capabilities.*
*-Got some clever scheme?*
Demian focused harder to uncover the plan.
*-It’s time for the auction. I’ll explain the details later. We need certain items to buy anyway to proceed.*
The two left the room, so Demian heard no more of the plan.
As he clicked his tongue in frustration, Carmen entered his room.
“You brought me here to let me hear that?”
Demian asked Carmen. She just smiled quietly.
“If what Alexander Apple said is true, I can’t just let you lot off. Sounds like you deliberately laid hands on the crown prince.”
“No denying that. But please understand this: when someone like His Excellency Alexander makes demands, we have no choice but to comply.”
No matter how big Verdant Shade was, they couldn’t defy royalty. They had no other options.
“What do you want from me?”
“We only wish to step back from this tiresome conflict.”
“Alexander Apple seizing power would benefit you too.”
At that, one corner of Carmen’s mouth twisted.
“Lord Demian, Verdant Shade was formed by the weak banding together. Survival is our sole purpose.”
A modest goal for Apple Kingdom’s largest organization.
“We’ve watched countless powerhouses fall. By our experience, His Excellency Alexander isn’t trustworthy.”
A wise judgment. In his previous life, Alexander Apple left no mark anywhere.
“And I am?”
“Why else would we arrange this meeting?”
Demian couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Carmen’s words. Her tongue was honeyed, truly.
“Who was that woman with Alexander Apple?”
“We know nothing about her. We’ve investigated several times but turned up empty.”
Even Verdant Shade couldn’t dig up anything. All the more suspicious.
If they knew nothing, Demian would have to uncover it himself.
“You’ll need to help me one more time.”
“Say the word.”
“Since the whole theater’s the auction house, VIPs get box seats, right?”
He meant the completely separated spaces from the regular seats and boxes.
Perfect for private talk, but pricey to rent—not for just anyone.
“I’d like placement next to Alexander Apple’s box.”
* * *
Carmen kept her promise to Demian.
The box seats in Malverin Theater were quite spacious. A table and chairs were set up for comfortable viewing.
Peering out, he saw people filling seats. Being secretive, the crowd wasn’t huge.
*-Leona! Tell me quick. How exactly do you plan to make the subjugation force fail?*
Alexander Apple and the woman’s voices came from next door.
Demian amplified his hearing with mana to catch every word clearly.
*-One moment, please. It’s a dangerous topic, so I’ll prepare first.*
An odd ripple spread from beyond the wall. At the same time, their voices cut off.
Demian’s eyes widened twofold upon sensing the ripple.
‘...Black magic?’
No mistaking it. The woman had just used black magic.
‘And not the ordinary kind.’
She’d cast a black magic spell to nullify sound—one only high-ranking black mages could wield.
‘Alexander Apple’s teamed up with a black mage?’
In his past life, Oliver Apple ascended the throne despite treason, hiding everything.
If Alexander Apple was the mastermind, it all fit.
If word got out that royalty colluded with a black mage, the Apple royal name would crash, and the Church would intervene.
‘A royal prince in bed with a black mage.’
Knowing one was right next door made something insidious bubble up. Demian suppressed his emotions with effort.
This wasn’t the time to explode. He had much to learn.
‘It’s high-level black magic, but... not impossible to eavesdrop.’
Her spell created a barrier absorbing sound. Amplifying senses wouldn’t pierce it.
But black magic? Demian could use it too.
Demian subtly released black mana from his bracelet. He cast discreetly, below her detection threshold.
‘One hole will do.’
He used black mana to bore a hole in her barrier without her noticing. Their voices resumed.
*-...such a shame. Noctis worked hard gathering that orc horde for Your Excellency.*
Demian was floored by her words.
‘They deliberately caused the orc incident?’
Only one black mage sect could do that.
The Aberration Sect.
They didn’t just control monsters—they mutated them for battle.
Known as the trickiest among black mage sects.
*-Damn, we planned to use it to squeeze fat funding from my brother. Who knew that fool would snatch it?*
From the talk, they’d staged the orc crisis for Alexander to “subjugate” in a play for gain.
‘Come to think of it, Alexander Apple profited by resolving kingdom incidents.’
Perhaps all his past “solves” were staged too.
To boost his reputation and expand influence.
*-I told Noctis to grow the orc horde bigger and mix in other large monsters.*
*-Orcs and ogres? Enough to fail the subjugation? They’ve got two mid-class over there.*
*-That’s why I asked Marina to prepare poison.*
Alexander Apple apparently had more black mages.
‘Poison means the other’s from the Myriad Poisons Sect.’
A sect handling toxins, dipping into alchemy.
‘This got annoying.’
Poison was a fearsome weapon. A drop of extreme venom could let the weak slay the strong.
Demian had counters for poison, but the other knights were the issue.
*-But poison effective on mid-class is extremely hard to make. That’s why we must attend this auction.*
*-So I need to procure certain items?*
*-Quite a few. It’ll be quite the burden.*
*-No worries. I brought ample funds, just in case.*
Alexander Apple boasted confidently.
*-But you must promise. Make this subjugation fail for sure.*
*-No need for concern. I stake Pandemonium’s name on succeeding this plan.*
At that instant, Demian felt like an arrow pierced his skull.
Pandemonium.
The empire’s premier, mightiest, most vicious black mage group.
At full strength, they could annihilate a nation.
Its peril drew constant watch from the empire and Church alike.
‘Interesting. Damn interesting.’
In his past life, Pandemonium was Archlich Dorgo’s strongest backer and asset.
Rage surged. Long-buried hatred reared up, screaming.
Charge next door and rip that woman apart.
But Demian clenched his teeth, holding back.
Killing this Leona was easy. But it’d let the other two escape.
He had to strike when he could take all three.
“I’ll step in for a moment.”
Then, a man in a tuxedo entered Demian’s box.
“Here are the items up for this auction.”
The man handed Demian a catalog before leaving. Demian opened it and scanned the contents.
“Hmm.”
Nothing tempting, unfortunately. Still, he flipped further, just in case.
Then, one item caught his eye.
‘Mana Refinement Method and related techniques. 50% destroyed in fire?’
The mana refinement method Demian sought.
Low starting bid due to fire damage.
“Worth a bid?”
Pity about the damage, but with his experience and knowledge, he could restore it.
“Anything else?”
As Demian turned more pages, something unusual appeared.
‘Unknown origin. Grants immunity to cold while held. Blocks cold-affinity magic?’
Reading the description, Demian exclaimed in surprise.
“...A spirit heart?”
If his guess was right, it was a windfall.
Spirit hearts weren’t widely recognized for their value yet, so cheap to snag.
*-Your Excellency, look here. A spirit heart is up for bid.*
But Demian wasn’t the only one who recognized it.
Pandemonium’s black mage knew it too.
*-We must have this. It’s not easily obtained.*
*-Got it. We’ll take it too.*
*-Thank you for your generosity, Your Excellency.*
Demian stroked his chin. Not a great situation.
He had wealth, but his opponent was royalty.
No guarantee he’d win a bidding war.
*-What else do we need?*
*-Bundle of moon dream grass, basilisk eye, mandrake powder, seven-spotted snake heart, dried wood fruit.*
*-With those, you can make poison to kill mid-class?*
Listening, a scheme dawned on Demian.
The spirit heart was near the back, but her listed items were upfront.
Anyone could bid to drive prices up. And Demian knew what they needed.
‘Time to throw a wrench in it?’