Chapter 175: Pertinax Auction House (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 175: Pertinax Auction House (4)
The curtain had fallen on the commotion at the Pertinax Auction House. The villains were slaughtered. The manager, Pertinax IX, had lost his cunning head.
The remnants hiding backstage were also dragged out by the assassins. Drooling yellow spit, they rubbed their hands together frantically, begging miserably for their lives.
"P-Please... spare us...!"
The Auditore gifted them well-honed blades.
Slice!
The Auditore's work was ruthlessly thorough. Severing heads as if plucking fruit, they packed every single head of their dead enemies into bundles.
The participants knelt and bowed their heads like criminals. The Auditore stripped off their masks and meticulously verified their identities.
"Sob... of all days, the Auditore had to raid today. Damn it."
"Shut up. Unless you want your head cut off."
"……."
Nox barked in a dry tone. The participant could only sob quietly, their face filled with humiliation and misery.
Among them were high-ranking officials and even celebrities. These were names that would plaster the front pages of tomorrow's newspapers.
Even celebrities who couldn't get famous no matter what they did would become superstars tomorrow—in a bad way.
Attending the Pertinax Auction House wasn't illegal, but there was absolutely nothing good about it being revealed. This was especially true the more famous and high-ranking they were.
Moreover, hadn't a demon been put up as merchandise today? Strictly speaking, it wouldn't be strange if they were charged with aiding and abetting a crime.
Even if the judgment of the law bypassed them, a social death sentence would be unavoidable. Even so, they breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
Because it was still better than being one of the villains waiting to be beheaded up ahead.
"F-Fuck...! You vicious assassin bastards...!"
Slice!
The history of the Pertinax Auction House had come to an end. Cleanly, without any loose ends. It was accomplished in just a single night.
* * *
Clank.
I unlocked all of the baby dragon's restraints. She had been bound in rusty iron shackles, but they weren't ordinary handcuffs.
Otherwise, how could they bind a dragon, even if it was just a hatchling?
I presumed they possessed mana-suppressing properties. Still, when I brought my sashimi knife to them, they snapped like thread.
I scrutinized the dragon.
Though she was called a dragon, her appearance was identical to a human's, save for her ears, which pointed sharply like an elf's.
"Grrr..."
The dragon growled, a raspy sound rising from her throat. She glared at me with narrowed eyes. It was a gaze filled with wild, hostile intent.
I expected her to resist fiercely, but her attitude wasn't so ferocious as to devour me.
It was on the level of a stray cat, soaked to the bone by rain, staying wary of humans. She must have been kidnapped by humans and persecuted for a while. Compared to that, her reaction was remarkably tame.
If I were her, I would have run wild the moment the shackles were released. I would have poured curses upon the humans who made me like this.
'I wonder who the real demons are...'
Feeling a brief sense of emptiness, I approached the Head of the Family and spoke.
"Head of the Family, could you perhaps arrange a private space for just me and that dragon?"
The Head of the Family blinked once at my words, then nodded.
"My, my. I was just starting to feel nostalgic, as if I were with the previous Head of the Family, but it seems it's time to return to reality. Very well, I shall have everyone withdraw immediately."
"Thank you."
"No, I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, we cleanly resolved a matter that could have ended on an unpleasant note. At any rate, I'll leave you alone for about thirty minutes. We have to continue our investigation after that. My apologies."
I smiled faintly.
"Even that is more than enough consideration, Head of the Family."
The Head of the Family responded with a bright smile. Then, without any lengthy explanations, he instructed the assassins to clear out everyone currently in the auction house.
The Auditore carried out the command faithfully and swiftly. They tied the onlookers up like sausages with ropes and dragged them outside.
I told Choi Seol-ah to go outside as well. She pouted her lips and protested timidly, saying something about wanting to stay by her lord's side. When I scolded her with a glare, she immediately left.
...Silence descended upon the once-noisy auction house. It was a stillness so profound that if I made a sound, it would bounce off the walls and echo.
Only then did I stop in front of the dragon again. She flinched reflexively.
Frowning with pity, I crouched down in front of her. I met her eyes. Then, I spoke softly.
"I'm sorry."
"……?"
The dragon tilted her head. It wasn't because she didn't understand the meaning. Having picked it up like a beggar, she had opened her ears to human speech.
But why? Why was this human wearing a raven mask apologizing to her? The humans she had encountered so far were arrogant and insolent. They were a race far removed from apologies.
'Why is this human doing this?'
While the dragon's mind was in chaos, Kang Geomma reached out his hand.
Once again, the dragon curled her body into a ball. She squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart sank.
Humans were humans after all. Just like the others, he would lower her guard and then inflict violence.
Even so, the dragon couldn't even resist and trembled. This was because the memories of abuse were engraved into her skin.
...And yet.
A warm energy enveloped her entire body. How long had it been since she felt such warmth?
As her mind grew hazy with languor, the dragon peeked with one eye.
Instantly, her eyes widened. Her wounds, touched by the raven human's hand, were healing.
`[Your Humanity Rank increases.]`
Kang Geomma activated the [Blessing of Regeneration] without even having time to check the status window appearing on his retina. Forgetting his purpose, he silently devoted himself to the treatment.
He looked almost like a plague doctor of old, operating with a bird-beaked mask.
* * *
`[You have acquired the third fragment of 【???】, 'The Dragon with Torn Wings'. Total acquired: (3/7).]`
—Flash!
* * *
『She soared through the blue sky, flaunting her wings.
Yet that symbol was brought down by wicked humans.
He who aids her restoration shall become the ruler of the sky,
And borrowing those wings, he shall reach the place where the stars shine.
Ah, lead us to that place.』
* * *
♪♬♩♫♪
`[NEW! You have completed the hidden quest 'The Dragon That Regained Its Wings', and rewards are being granted.]`
`[▷ You are now able to manifest the 'Blessing of Communication'.]`
`[......]`
`[......]`
`[Tip: Try talking to the other party using the Blessing of Communication. You might even get a clue about the fourth fragment?`
`※ Additionally, her name is Hontail. If you call her by her nickname, 'Hon', you will be able to build intimacy quickly. (>▽<) Hon is so cute (......)]`
* * *
I'm still at a youthful age, but my neck is already stiff. Looking at the status window sometimes makes me feel like my blood pressure is skyrocketing.
...This, starting from the additional reward [Blessing of Communication], is openly telling me to talk to the dragon. Especially the last part, which left me speechless. It felt perverted.
'No, is it really right to just strike up a conversation with a dragon out of nowhere?'
Yes, treating her was an unconscious action. Her skin was damaged by the human-made shackles, and her body was trembling pitifully.
Thus, without any reason or purpose, I manifested the [Blessing of Regeneration] and [Blessing of Transfer]. I had plenty of experience treating others before, after all.
But conversation is a different matter. First of all, if I talk to her, will she even respond? It seems unlikely.
Feeling troubled, I turned my head toward the dragon... that is, Hontail.
She was looking over her body here and there with curious eyes. The hostility that had been burning in her gaze just moments ago seemed to have softened somewhat.
'Is it because she's a hatchling? She's incredibly gentle.'
Still, I hesitated to strike up a conversation out of the blue. Even though I had treated her, I was still a human. I felt a deep sense of responsibility, whether I liked it or not.
Moreover, I hadn't fully sorted out my thoughts yet. As I acquired the fragments one by one, I began to question whether the demons were truly the main enemy.
In the second fragment, the ones who slaughtered the ancients were angels.
And now, in the third, humans were clearly in the villain position.
At this point, my train of thought naturally drifted in a different direction.
The memories of 【???】 seemed to emphasize that my main enemy was not the demons.
'Come to think of it, around the time I fought Vesna, I also heard the words, "Show them true evil."'
Little by little, the thoughts of 【???】 were taking shape. Of course, it would be nice if it gave me a clear clue, but since it didn't seem to have any intention of doing so, I would just have to figure it out like this.
I ended my thoughts, and stared intently at Hontail. Sensing my gaze, she also snapped her head to look at me.
"Hing."
She made a cute sound and scurried backward on her bottom. No matter how I looked at her, she outwardly appeared to be a girl around my age... but her behavior was definitely that of a child. The exact opposite type of Mesther.
As I hesitated, it was actually her who spoke first. She bowed her head. She politely, if awkwardly, showed manners in the human way.
"Tha-ank you."
I activated the [Blessing of Communication] and replied.
—There is no need to thank me.
"Eh...?!"
Her eyes grew as wide as saucers, as if she had seen an alien. Awkwardly, I sat down beside her.
—What is your name?
I already knew her name because of the tip. Still, I asked again. If I knew her name when we just met today, what would she think?
"Hontail..."
—Then, can I just call you Hon? It's a bit hard to pronounce.
Hon nodded slightly.
My conscience pricked. I was dealing with her while knowing exactly how to lower her guard. I would have nothing to say even if I was called cowardly.
While I groaned inwardly, Hon fidgeted with her fingers and spoke.
"How do you speak the Demonic Language? Seeing as I can't feel any mana from you, you seem to be a human..."
—I am a human. As for the Demonic Language... I just happened to learn it somehow.
"...Ah."
Hon looked a bit disappointed. Was she hoping for something because I was wearing a mask? Wondering if I was a fellow demon.
"Anyway, thank you for healing me. It's a bit bewildering because you're the first human to do something like this for me, but I know you're not a human with bad intentions. Dragons can tell whether words are true or false from birth."
—......
Despite being a hatchling, Hon was extremely fluent. Then, Mesther suddenly came to mind.
Even the ancients had a different concept of age compared to modern humanity. If so, the gap in common sense between dragons and humans would be indescribable.
I looked into her eyes. Her gaze had softened considerably. In that brief conversation, Hon seemed to have become certain that I was not an evil person.
I stared at Hon quietly, then took off my mask. Come to think of it, I hadn't revealed either my name or my face to her.
As my face was revealed, Hon's lips trembled. Silence fell. For a moment, not a single word was exchanged.
"Ah... Ah..."
Suddenly, she caressed my cheek. Welled-up tears wet her slender eyelashes.
"You've returned."
I froze at her sudden action. Returned? What did that mean? My mind, which had been like a blank sheet of paper, began to fill with countless questions.
It was then.
Burst—
The door of the auction house burst open. I rolled my eyes to look in that direction. And immediately, my body froze.
"...Geomma-kun?"
Ah, something went wrong.