Auction Jackpot and the Red Tower's Arrogance
I stepped into the Red Magic Tower, the air thick with the faint scent of scorched mana and polished marble. The capital housed two prominent towers: the Red Magic Tower, masters of fire magic, and the Yellow Magic Tower, specialists in lightning. Both were flashy, destructive, and perfectly suited to the Empire's ostentatious tastes.
It's a shame the Black Magic Tower isn't here... I thought. Honestly, I hadn't expected it. True to its name, the Black Magic Tower focused on black magic and was located on the border of the Demon Realm. Given what they studied, it made sense they wouldn't set up shop in the heart of human lands. Still, black magic wasn't hard to find if you really wanted it. Like mold in a damp corner, it tended to sprout wherever you looked hard enough. If I truly wanted to learn more, the black market on the outskirts would be a better bet than this place.
I'll check it out later.
With that in mind, I continued walking. Today, my destinations were the library attached to the tower and the auction house. The merchants I'd spoken with earlier mentioned an auction was happening right now—one hosted by the Red Magic Tower itself. Several rare magical artifacts were supposedly up for bid. Participation was open to anyone with sufficient status and wealth.
Then there's no reason I shouldn't join.
I had plenty of funds. I'd practically emptied the wholesale guild's coffers. Even if I didn't buy anything, simply observing would be valuable experience. Like any proper roguelike, the items appearing in auctions were mostly random. There were many I wouldn't recognize, but I knew one crucial detail: sometimes, a true jackpot appeared among the random offerings. The game's own gacha system, you could call it.
As I entered the Red Magic Tower, a mage seated at the central counter greeted me with a sigh.
"Huu... Welcome."
His attitude was already rude, but I could overlook the curt tone. I pulled out the Hero's Badge I'd been keeping in my bag and showed it to him. Since I had to prove my identity anyway, it was better to flash it first and knock the arrogant mage down a peg.
"Wait, this is..."
The Hero's Badge gleamed brilliantly. As expected, the mage's eyes widened the moment he saw it.
"H-Hero's Badge? How did you... Wait, don't tell me...?"
"I'm here to participate in the auction. How much is the entrance fee?"
"You're saying you want to join today's auction?"
"Why else would I come here?"
The mage scratched his head, looking troubled. The earlier lazy annoyance had vanished, replaced by clear hesitation. I tilted my head. What's this? In most games, showing the Hero status got you in without question. Was there something I didn't know?
After a moment, the mage spoke carefully.
"Um... Are you by any chance the Hero who caused a scene at yesterday's banquet?"
"Hmm?"
It seemed the news of my little rampage had already spread. Given that the guests were all well-connected nobles, it probably hadn't taken even a full night for the rumors to circulate. Those people had ears everywhere.
Now I understood what he was worried about.
"Don't worry. I won't cause any trouble inside the auction house. I have that much self-control."
"No, that's not what I'm concerned about."
"Hmm?"
I tilted my head again. That wasn't it either? Then what was the problem?
"There's... a rumor that you learned black magic, sir."
"Ah."
Only then did I realize what he was avoiding. Of course. I wasn't the only one at that banquet, so the rumor was bound to spread.
Come to think of it, something like this happened in the game too...
It was an event that triggered if you chose the black mage route. Mages fundamentally despised black mages—almost as much as the clergy did. Maybe because they saw it as falling to corruption despite being in the same profession. They viewed all black mages as weak and morally bankrupt. That prejudice sometimes created obstacles like this.
Still, it was fine. They were just reluctant; it wasn't legally forbidden.
I placed a pouch of coins on the counter.
"I can pay whatever the fee is. Just give me an entrance ticket."
"You're not even denying the black magic rumor."
"No point hiding something that'll come out soon anyway."
"Then... is it really true? You're a Hero. Aren't you ashamed?"
For a moment, disgust flashed in his eyes. The combination of the curse and black magic made his gaze particularly unpleasant. But I remained completely unashamed.
"Why? Is there a problem? Black magic isn't illegal, is it?"
As I'd said before, black magic wasn't a target for condemnation. It used to be, but thanks to countless human rights activists, it had reached the realm of 'legal.' People still avoided and feared it due to old prejudices... much like black people just before gaining full civil rights. Promoted from coffee-picking slaves to actual people, yet still unable to participate fully in society because of those fucking racists. That was the tragic fate of black mages.
"Enough with the pointless chatter. Just hand over the ticket."
"...Ugh."
In the end, he let out a groan but had no choice but to give me the entrance ticket. There was nothing he could actually do about his reluctance. With that, I entered the auction house without further trouble.
*
I must have arrived right on time. As I stepped inside, the auction was just about to begin. The auctioneer placed an item on the podium and adjusted the lighting. The seats were already packed with people. There were a few empty spots here and there, but over sixty percent of the seats were filled. Considering every person here had proven their status and wealth, that was quite a crowd. I even recognized a few faces from the banquet.
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
Good thing I reserved a VIP room.
The auction house had a system where paying extra let you sit in a private room separate from the general guests. It offered no other special functions—just a minor perk of displaying authority. In short, it was pure money-wasting. The price was high for the efficiency, so even most nobles avoided it... but for me, it was perfect. It minimized contact with others, which in turn prevented unnecessary friction. What was a slightly better seat to others was incredibly valuable to me.
With that setup, the auction began.
"Welcome, honored guests!"
The auctioneer skillfully captivated the crowd with his smooth tongue. As expected of an auction hosted by the tower, most items were genuinely rare. A staff once used by a former Red Magic Tower Master for training. Attack scrolls painstakingly created by the tower's researchers. Luxurious goods crafted with care by master artisans.
But to a veteran like me, they were just okay.
No jackpot this time...
None of them were particularly useful. The staff improved mana efficiency but was awkward as a main weapon. The scrolls would help, but their cost-to-performance ratio was garbage. And the luxury items? What was I supposed to do with those?
So I ended up just watching for a long time.
Is this a dud...
Just as that thought crossed my mind, the auctioneer introduced another item.
"Now! This next item is... Ah, yes. This one."
His voice carried a hint of reluctance. What he displayed was a golden necklace embedded with a diamond-shaped ruby. At first glance it looked like a luxury good, but it was clearly a magical tool. And it was one I recognized.
The Blood Pouch Necklace.
"To be honest, this is a resale item. It wasn't crafted by the tower—we simply acquired it by chance. Let me explain. This magical tool was created long ago by a famous black mage. Its effect is simple. If you drip a little blood like this..."
The auctioneer pricked his finger with a needle. Droplets of blood welled up. When he let them fall onto the crystal embedded in the necklace, the gem greedily absorbed the blood.
"As you can see, it stores blood in this manner. If you then infuse it with mana, it can release the stored blood. I haven't used it myself, but I'm told the storage capacity is quite substantial."
"...What an ominous object."
"Absorbing blood? Who would use something so disgusting?"
Criticism erupted from various places. Since it was an item used by a black mage, it seemed to trigger instinctive revulsion. The auctioneer gave a bitter smile and continued.
"Yes, I expected that reaction. Therefore, we'll offer this item at a lower price. Still, considering the materials are genuine ruby and pure gold, and for those who enjoy dangerous, occult items... we'll start at two hundred thousand gold..."
"One million."
I raised my hand immediately. Having learned Blood Magic, there was no reason not to buy it. Self-recovery, mana charging, and one-shot attacks—this was a highly versatile item. There was no way I'd pass it up.
"...Pardon?"
"One million gold. I'll pay it."
So hand it over already.
*
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fortunately, the winning bid went through quickly. I'd bid aggressively from the start, and no one else seemed eager to compete for the item. Its status as an ominous black magic artifact probably played a part. Thanks to that, I acquired it cheaper than expected. If I'd tried to obtain it normally, it would have taken quite a while.
Lucky me.
It wasn't quite a jackpot, but it was still a solid win. After the auction ended, I waited for the item to be delivered. I could already imagine the ruby necklace hanging around my neck.
But the item never came.
"It's impossible."
"Excuse me?"
The auctioneer scratched his head awkwardly. I pressed him immediately.
"What do you mean it's impossible? I paid the money properly and followed all the procedures."
"Well... I'd like to give it to you, but the supplier has refused to provide it..."
"What?"
"They said they cannot hand a black magic item over to a black mage. The Red Magic Tower has personally..."
In other words, the Red Magic Tower was checking me. Because I was a black mage. They wouldn't give a gun to a black person who might do who-knows-what. So they refused to deliver the item.
"Hah."
"I'm truly sorry. We'll refund the advance payment. If you could just let this matter go..."
"Ha. Hahaha."
A hollow laugh escaped me. Being overcharged because of the curse? I could let that slide. The mage at the counter greeting me with a sour attitude? I could overlook it. Being despised for being a black mage? I could tolerate that too. Those were things I could handle myself, aside from the annoyance.
But paying the full amount, following every procedure, only to have the deal canceled at the very end? That was crossing the line. Especially when the excuse was something so petty. I couldn't stay quiet.
"I'm really very sorry. Once again, I apologize..."
"That's enough."
"Pardon?"
"I'll go get it myself."
I had no choice but to show them. Time to demonstrate what a real spoiled, troublemaking bastard looked like. Time to show these people the terror of a black civil rights activist. From now on, I was fucking Martin Luther King.
Right after the auction ended, I stormed into the Red Magic Tower.
BOOM!
I smashed the door with raw force and burst into the lobby. Shocked guests and mages screamed.
"Kyaaaak!"
"W-What is the meaning of this?!"
"What insolent fool dares to—Who are you?!"
In a voice burning with rage, I declared:
"It's me, you sons of bitches."
Give me back my stuff.