Auction House (2)
Auction House (2)
The host and everyone else in the auction house looked utterly baffled, but in the end, the item fell into my hands.
For a mere 100 gold.
I hadn't yet confirmed whether it could actually be used on the necklace, but the mere possibility made it well worth the gamble.
Having plenty of money certainly took the pressure off at times like this.
I vowed to myself that whenever an opportunity to earn money came up in the future, I'd scrape together as much as I could.
And so, the minor commotion I had caused was quickly forgotten as the next auction item was brought forward.
As the auction progressed, increasingly useful artifacts went on display.
There was everything from a sword that enhanced cutting power to a ring that aided in ability use, and even a music box that told the time.
Watching the artifacts go up for auction made me reconsider the Old Empire that had forged them.
Based on what I had read in the study and heard from the territory's scribe, I had thought the Old Empire that ruled this continent before the Great War was something like medieval Europe in my past life.
A place where slightly stronger knights beat down serfs, while charlatans called mages deluded the nobility.
But as time passed and I uncovered hidden truths, I came to realize that the Old Empire was nothing like that.
The Old Empire era left behind countless ruins and artifacts, every single one of which harbored unique abilities.
On top of that, there were even Egos created specifically to manage heroes—no, Heroes.
Seeing how people struggled to make artifacts like these nowadays, I couldn't help thinking that the Old Empire era might actually have been far more advanced.
'Then why was the history of the Old Empire erased after the Great War?'
There were far too many surviving artifacts and ruins to attribute its erasure to the Great War alone.
Did someone erase it intentionally? But for it to vanish completely from the history of an entire continent, not just a single nation...
It was far too monumental an undertaking to assume a single party had simply wiped it clean.
While I was lost in these thoughts, the grand finale of the auction drew near.
The host, who had stepped offstage, returned holding a single ring.
"The time has come to reveal the artifact that all of you esteemed guests have been waiting for!"
The female host enthusiastically began introducing the final artifact.
The final item was a small ring.
"This ring has a rich history, but you and I both know full well that its history isn't what you're after!"
After prattling on about the origins of all the other artifacts, she was suddenly changing her tune now.
"When mana is injected into this ring, it creates a spherical barrier around its owner for thirty minutes."
As she spoke, she slipped the ring onto her finger. Moments later, it flashed with light, and a faint barrier expanded around her.
"This barrier you see right now will block a single external attack. Whether it's an arrow, a blade imbued with mana, or even a powerful strike from a monster, it can stop them all."
But rather than demonstrate the barrier blocking an actual blow, she let the deployed shield dissipate.
"I'd love to keep the barrier up longer or demonstrate it blocking an attack, but the buyer might be upset if it doesn't work when needed. So, our demonstration ends here."
She offered the audience a cheeky wink. She was certainly exceptionally skilled at running an auction.
"Although it can only deploy a barrier once per day, this alone is equivalent to having a barrier ability user on standby at your side."
After casually mentioning its limitation, she immediately buried it beneath an even bigger selling point.
"Now, let us begin the bidding! The starting price is 300 gold!"
Perhaps because it was the grand finale, the starting price was ridiculously high.
It was certainly worthy of capping off the auction.
While it didn't differ greatly from other artifacts in terms of mana efficiency, the key difference was that this final artifact was a ring that created a protective barrier.
Having a good weapon to attack others with wasn't bad, and possessing fine armor to preserve your life on the battlefield was immensely important.
But an artifact like a ring, which didn't stand out like armor, could be used anywhere, not just on the battlefield.
On the street, in a meeting chamber, or even inside one's own house.
It was an absolute essential for nobles who valued formality above all else.
It seemed entirely natural that the Second Prince coveted it.
'There are probably other items similar to this artifact.'
That was simply how noble and royal greed worked.
And I intended to throw a wrench into that greed.
To be honest, it wasn't an artifact I desperately wanted. Having it would be nice, but I didn't feel the same burning desire I felt when looking at my greatsword, my dagger, or my pocket dimension pouch.
Besides, I had no compelling reason to own it.
As a knight who was still growing, I didn't strictly need that ring.
Since it generated a barrier for thirty minutes but blocked only a single attack, the barrier would essentially shatter after just one hit.
It would be a huge help to other inherited ability Users with weak physical stats, but I could easily block an attack with a single swing of my blade instead of relying on a barrier. Or I could just dodge.
On top of that, being usable only once per day made it an artifact of little practical use to knights on the battlefield.
'I suppose setting up the barrier in advance could be somewhat useful for blocking an ambush, though.'
Still, its usefulness ended right there.
It was strictly meant for self-preservation among nobles or royalty.
The auction began, but none of the guests raised their hands.
"300 gold! Is there no one willing to bid?"
The host shouted again, a bewildered look on her face.
Right then, a hand went up from the second-floor VIP seating.
"300 gold."
"300 gold from the VIP box!"
As the host let out a sigh of relief, the VIP who had raised his hand wore a crooked smirk.
It was genuinely impressive in its own way.
I never imagined the words I'd passed to another noble back at the ball would have this much influence here at the auction house.
It wasn't as if every single guest here belonged to the Second Prince's faction, either.
'They might be squabbling among themselves, but from the outside, I suppose they're all in cahoots.'
But there was someone here who was definitely not part of their little group.
"Do I hear a bid higher than 300 gold?"
At the host's desperate shout, I shot my hand straight into the air.
"400 gold."
Everyone turned to stare at me.
Their faces wore the same expressions of shock as before, but the meaning behind their stares was entirely different.
The VIP sitting across from me, Viscount Daniel, glared viciously in my direction.
At the ball, I had to bow my head beneath the Viscount's gaze, but things were different now.
Concealed behind my mask, I could smile right back at him.
"We have 400 gold! 400 gold!"
"500."
The Viscount raised his hand once more.
"500 gold from—"
"600 gold."
Before the host could even finish her sentence, I raised my hand again.
I didn't care if I didn't end up taking it home.
I had already landed an unexpected treasure, so this time, my goal was simply to make him bleed as much coin as possible.
And so, the Viscount and I traded bids back and forth several times, and the auction price skyrocketed.
"We have 1,000 gold! 1,000 gold!"
The Viscount's face contorted horribly.
Because his mask barely covered half his face, I could see every expression in full detail.
Seeing the Viscount's contorted mug was thoroughly satisfying, but I was starting to break into a cold sweat myself.
1,000 gold was by no means a small sum of money.
Small? How could enough coin to build a grand estate in the capital ever be considered small?
Earning a fortune earlier had inflated my confidence to outrageous heights, but as my remaining gold threatened to drain away, my nerve shrank right back down.
Although I had enough coin to buy a mansion in the capital, I wasn't about to engage in a bidding war over money with a viscount backed by the Second Prince.
I'd made him swallow enough of a bitter pill, so it was about time to back off.
"1,100 gold!"
I raised the stakes one last time.
Come on, match it! I'm pulling out right after.
Seeing your twisted face is already more than enough satisfaction.
I crossed my legs and stared right at the Viscount.
The Viscount's hand trembled violently as he began to raise it.
Okay, lift it quick!
I cheered him on frantically in my head, and his hand was almost all the way up.
But the Viscount's mouth didn't open.
He glared at me like he wanted to slaughter me, then lowered his arm again.
When the Viscount dropped his arm, the guests were shocked, the host was shocked, and I was utterly thunderstruck.
'Wait, why are you dropping your hand?!'
Aren't you going to get chewed out by the Second Prince if you fail to secure the artifact?!
Why are you dumping this hot potato on me?!
It's not a bad artifact, but it's way too expensive!
Granted, I was the idiot who jacked up the price—and, strictly speaking, it hadn't gone up to a totally absurd amount—but I couldn't help feeling thoroughly cheated.
"It is settled! Sold to the gentleman for 1,100 gold!"
In the end, the barrier ring came into the hands of yours truly, the guy who had shouted 1,100 gold.
After the auction ended, I followed a burly escort toward an inner room of the mansion.
Inside the room sat the 'Divine Sword Tracker'—the Auction House Owner.
"You certainly caused quite a commotion out there."
Even before I walked into the room, he already knew I was the one who had sold the artifact earlier.
There was no way the man who had personally handed me a VIP ticket would fail to recognize me just because I wore a mask.
"While we're certainly grateful for the profit, I do wonder if you'll be all right."
"I take it you know who that VIP over there is."
"Haha. Just roughly, yes."
It definitely didn't sound like he only knew "roughly." Did that mean he had tried digging into my information, too?
"I suppose you roughly know who I am, too?"
"Perish the thought! Not with the Firebird Hunter backing you. The only reason we've managed to survive in this place for so long is that we know when to play dumb."
He waved his hands frantically at my words. Well, whether I could trust him in the long run remained to be seen, but for now, it seemed fine.
"And I ask for your understanding, as I intend to play dumb regarding whatever happens next as well."
The statement he immediately followed up with sounded like a warning. No, it was a warning.
I pulled out my subdimensional pouch and poured gold coins out in front of him.
Half of the gold coins I'd earned from selling my artifact drained right back out.
"It was a pleasure doing business with you."
The Auction House Owner offered a bright smile as he handed me the ring and the jewelry-box-like necklace.
I didn't feel much like smiling.
While one artifact felt like a great find, the other felt like I'd fallen hook, line, and sinker for a home-shopping "final call deal" trap.
I'd walked straight into a pit I'd dug myself, which only made me sigh even more heavily.
I stowed the jewelry-box-like artifact in my pouch and put the ring on my finger.
Since it could only be activated once a day, I had no intention of using it right now, but out of sheer, bitter attachment to the gold I'd spent, I was going to wear it everywhere.
After concluding the transaction and stepping out of the room, I found someone blocking my path in the hallway.
It was Viscount Daniel.
Standing firmly in my way, he proposed a deal.
"I would like you to resell the artifact you won to me."
My eyes lit up at his words. I didn't even care that he was blocking my way anymore.
It would be great if he offered more than what I'd paid, but honestly, 1,000 gold would be fine, too. A 100-gold loss was something I could easily stomach.
But the words that came out of his mouth were completely different from what I expected.
"I will give you 500 gold. Hand it over to me."
"...What?"
The word slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
"You might not be aware, but I came here on an errand for His Highness the Second Prince. If you plan on returning home in one piece, hand over the artifact for that price."
My jaw dropped at his sheer absurdity.
This bastard was unequivocally worse than a pyramid-scheme jade mat scammer.