Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Gehenna Auction House (1)
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Jamie emerged from Ars Magna.
The soul contract had been successfully established. With this, he could reclaim the divine relic.
"Master, are you in your right mind?"
Vena seemed to think otherwise.
Having reverted from her squirrel form to her original appearance, she looked utterly flustered as she spoke to Jamie.
"A soul contract, of all things!"
"Quiet."
"It's not about being quiet! Do you even know what that is?"
He had proposed it to Kiriel himself, so of course he knew.
Still, he could understand Vena's reaction.
A soul contract was that dangerous.
In simple terms, it was like selling one's soul to a demon. The only difference was that it wasn't actually a demon, but failing to uphold the contract would yield the same dire results.
"Do I look like the type to act recklessly to you?"
"...Well, no, but."
Vena knew better.
Her master wasn't one to speak idly.
He thoroughly distinguished between what he could and couldn't do. It just didn't show because he could do so much.
"Nothing is impossible for me. So don't worry."
Jamie patted Vena's head. But since she was a full head taller than him, it wasn't exactly an impressive sight.
Vena pouted a bit before letting out a deep sigh. It was already done, and as always, she had no choice but to trust her master.
"But how are you going to win the bid? You have to be with Sir Siegfried."
As she said, Jamie couldn't participate in the auction himself.
Jamie grinned at Vena.
Vena tilted her head.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
But Jamie only flashed an even wider smile in response.
Two days later, in the morning.
Siegfried, draped in a lavish robe, asked Jamie with a pleased expression.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes."
Jamie was dressed in equally splendid attire.
It was a secret auction, but the participants were all from the upper echelons. Even without a strict dress code, one had to at least wear high-end clothing.
Fortunately, Jamie had more than enough of that.
His mother, Sears, had stuffed dozens of outfits into his subspace pocket out of worry for her son.
From functional wear to formal suits for events and tuxedos for banquets.
'I could just wear anything.'
Seeing all those clothes reminded him of how Sears had desperately tried to assign him a valet.
-Mom trusts our son, but how can you live alone in a strange place? You can't even dress or eat by yourself!
Mother. I can dress and eat just fine on my own.
-Son. Think about it. You'll have to cook, do laundry, clean—things you've never done. So when Mom says it nicely, take a valet with you.
Mother. There are people in the mage world who can handle those things.
And what is it I can't do myself?
-Son! Are you not listening to Mom?!
She had been so persistent.
Eventually, she even stationed a valet, insisting he had to take one.
Jamie had wanted to be alone, so he refused with unyielding resolve, and with Siegfried's help, he managed to leave without one.
He understood completely.
Though his mind was that of a thousands-year-old veteran, his appearance was that of a bona fide child. Any parent would worry.
'It's only been a few days, and I already miss her.'
The thought startled him.
He was shocked that such a sentiment had slipped into his mind unbidden. To miss someone.
That had ceased to exist once he became a black sorcerer. Recent events had softened it somewhat, but it was still not the kind of thought that arose unconsciously.
"What's wrong?"
Siegfried eyed Jamie's sudden flinch with a puzzled tone.
Jamie shook his head at him.
"Nothing."
Siegfried shrugged with a wry smile and handed him a mask.
"Put this on."
"This is?"
"An essential for secret auctions."
Siegfried flashed a handsome smile as he donned his own mask—a matte black one with gold-threaded floral designs on the surface.
Jamie examined his. It was half black, half white, with openings only for the eyes.
"...This is an artifact."
"It hides your mana. You have to conceal anything that might reveal your identity. We'll change your hair color too."
His emerald locks were too distinctive.
In a secret auction full of disguised elites, no one would fail to recognize the Welton family's signature trait.
"If it were just you getting caught, fine—but I don't want to be implicated."
Word was already out that 7th Elder Siegfried was personally escorting Jamie Welton.
Like it or not, they were a package deal.
"I pass on getting exposed too."
The Welton heir shows up at a secret auction dealing in illicit goods!
He wanted no part of such rumors.
"Shall we go?"
Siegfried offered his hand, and Jamie took it with a slightly displeased look.
The two vanished as if by magic.
Saint-Der main featured a grand museum.
Called Lidum, it displayed relics and fossils unearthed from the Kelton Mountains.
It was a fairly renowned tourist spot in the Kingdom of Selдам.
Beneath such a place—far removed from the museum yet somehow intimately connected—a 'secret auction' was held.
"There are really a lot of people. This is a secret auction, right?"
"Hardly anyone comes through the Lidum Museum like us."
"Really?"
"These events usually use portable warp devices."
Jamie let out a hollow chuckle at the mention of portable warps.
Warp magic was among the pinnacle of spatial spells. Encasing its power in an artifact cost a fortune already; making it portable was beyond comprehension.
"That's how they recoup their investment."
Siegfried formed a coin shape with his thumb and index finger.
Of course. Secret auctions dealt in everything from illicit goods to ultra-rare items.
Plus, the commissions were exorbitant, so the profits from fees alone must be immense.
Enough to easily afford a few portable warps.
"What a waste of money."
"Children shouldn't use bad language."
"Killing people is fine, though?"
"That too, huh."
Siegfried grinned as he said it.
His needless handsomeness only made Jamie more irritated.
Jamie surveyed the surroundings. Crowded with people, all wearing bizarre masks.
Attention-seekers everywhere.
As he walked with Siegfried, a man and woman brushed past.
The serene scent of a forest lingered at his nose.
"Hm?"
"What is it?"
"Just now..."
Jamie turned, but the pair had vanished like smoke.
The forest scent.
No perfume like that existed, and to Jamie's knowledge, only one race carried such a natural aroma.
'An elf?'
He chuckled and shook his head.
Ridiculous.
Why would an elf come here?
Barring one captured by slavers, no elf would set foot in a filthy place like this.
"Must've been my imagination."
"Always fooling around. Let's hurry—entry time's almost up."
The space beneath Lidum Museum was far too vast to call a basement.
Mana emanated from various spots, suggesting spatial expansion magic.
Expanding to this scale must have cost a fortune—the hosts clearly had money to burn.
Siegfried glanced at his seat ticket, muttering 'let's see' as he scanned the numbers on the chairs.
"Over there."
Prime front-row seats.
Hard to snag in a place like this—Kiriel must have pulled strings.
They sat, and participants filled the seats one by one until it began.
A portly man squeezed into the seat next to Jamie, barely fitting.
"Sorry about that."
The man apologized first, aware he was a bit of a nuisance.
Jamie clicked his tongue inwardly and adjusted his posture. Leaning aside made it tolerable.
Then he spotted a man and woman seated diagonally across.
'Those two from earlier?'
The mask shapes, builds, and forest scent matched perfectly.
But now, no scent at all.
As if deliberately erased.
Real elves? But what business would elves have attending as guests?
They pursued goodness—even if hypocritical—and despised secret auctions like this.
"You've been fidgeting since earlier. What's up?"
"Nothing. And you—stop fussing over me. I can't even look around properly."
"Ahem. Your parents entrusted me with looking after you, you know."
In lieu of a valet, Jamie had promised to heed the adult Siegfried.
He had no intention of following every word, but outright defiance would break the promise, so he reluctantly complied.
The lights dimmed.
All illumination focused on the stage where auction items would be displayed. Red curtains parted, and a man stepped out.
"Wow! On this joyous day, such esteemed guests have graced our Gehenna Auction House!"
The host wore a clownish mask and a red tuxedo.
He bowed theatrically in all directions with exaggerated gestures.
"Pleased to meet you! Very pleased~!"
No one returned the greeting. Undeterred, as if accustomed to it, he continued bowing around.
"I know our guests here aren't known for patience, so shall we dive right into the first item? Excited?"
Still no response.
The host swept his gaze over the silent crowd and shrugged.
"As funless as ever. Well, the customer is king, right? Bring it out!"
He was a true pro, gliding smoothly through the dead atmosphere.
A creaking sound came from backstage as a large wooden crate on a cart rolled in.
Big enough for one or two people, and muffled cries echoed from within: 'Mmph! Mmmph!'
"Our first item is a slave!"
Gehenna Auction House: a secret auction dealing in illicit goods. Slaves counted among them.
"You'll be surprised. It was quite hard to procure."
The host's tone turned serious, unlike before.
"Open it up!"
As if flipping a switch, he shouted energetically, and the men tore open the crate.
Jamie's eyes narrowed at the contents.
Siegfried beside him muttered in slight surprise.
"Elves..."
Inside were an elf man and woman, bound so tightly they couldn't move.
Starting off strong.