158-152 auction

When the sun sets completely, butterflies seem to dance in the adventurer's city, and as if to shine a spotlight on the butterflies, the city transforms into a city of radiance and desire.

Me and Lionel were moving through the city at night like that.

'Ketty and Kefin were reluctant by the end, weren't they?

You seemed to want to see Master Luciel's troubles up close and personal.

Lionel laughs at that, but it makes him feel a little sick to his stomach when he's already recognized as a troublemaker.

'I've got the funds, so if you need anything other than those sisters, personnel, or even a few things, just let me know.

Yes, sir.

After passing through the Merchant's Guild, me and Lionel both reached the auction house and were able to pass through with just a letter of introduction without a body check.

The rule is that the shop that wrote the letter of introduction will take full responsibility for any problems that may arise, but it seems that it doesn't make any difference whether it's Yenis or Grandle who receives a return for that amount of money.

The guards told me that in this auction, there was a wide variety of slaves, weapons, ornaments, items, and rights books.

'Perhaps we'll have to fight.

That could happen if you mess up, but it won't be a problem.

At my muttering, Lionel looked as if he would rather have it.

Seeing that, we decided to buy the personnel we wanted and needed, even if we had to compete at the auction.

We sat down at our assigned seats and checked our surroundings before making our way in and out.

After that, our numbers gradually increased, but the doorway was blocked off when what appeared to be a masked man appeared.

The masked man then looked around at the seating area and began to speak.

''Ladies and gentlemen, young and old, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to the auction hall today. We will now begin the auction. There will be thirty items entered in this auction, and we hope you will join us. Now, let's start with the first entry, the Sword of Fire. This is an item unearthed in the labyrinth of Glandul, the labyrinth nation, and the tip of the sword burns when you put magic power into it, so if you can activate it, you can expect to burn your enemies.

I don't want it.

'Yes. Still, I'm sure the price will go up.

As Lionel expected, the bid was sold for seventeen gold coins.

If something like that was going to do that much, I wanted to get my head around what the rest of the stuff was going to do.

And then there were the things I had to bid on.

''Entry number five, a spirit robe. It's an item with high magic resistance and automatic repair. Its source will be from an adventurer.

Well I guess I'll just have to buy it.

'Are you sure?　I don't think that's an imposter, but I don't think it's worth buying, do you?

'Right. But what if Lionel's favorite cloak and armor from his time in the Empire were up for auction?

I'm going to buy it.

I think it's my sister's equipment. If it isn't, I'll have it rigged.

It would be sweet if it were a real rescue.

Laugh at me when I get away with this.

I understand.

I started with the spirit robe, then the spirit necklace, pegasus boots, spirit tree staff, dragon armor, dragon basket hand, and dragon boots. I made a series of bids for the dragon robe.

''You're staring at me terribly.

''Well, the purchase price is close to ten white gold coins. It's like Luciel-sama is trolling this auction.

I'm not going to say goodbye to the city tomorrow, anyway.

''Originally, me and Whirlwind were going to be trained in a mock battle.

Yeah. I'll buy it even if I don't want it anymore.

But just as the tension was building up, the auction for the armor was over and the land rights and building rights began.

They were wary of me, but when they realized I wasn't interested in buying, the amount went up quickly.

'I didn't bet twice as much, so I don't think I'm in violation, do you?

Isn't that because you're raising the amount of money in no time?

It's a mind game.

The land deeds, which had been the most exciting thing here, were over, and the slave auction finally began.

''From here, here are the slaves you've been waiting for. Entry number twenty-three, Algredo the Dragon Man, a criminal slave who destroyed buildings and killed guards in a drunken stupor, but his strength is a must see.

I don't like that.

Yes, sir.

The slaves were not guilty of any crime that could be considered pitiful, and there were no children to protect, so they never made a purchase.

'Not much of one, I suppose,'

'Yes. I don't see anything that looks good to work out.

'Due to product reasons, I have to put out entry numbers twenty-nine and thirty. I'm a genius swordsman who dressed as a man and registered as an adventurer as a Rejin Swordsman and quickly became a high-ranking adventurer within a few years, and his sister, a spirit mage who has been chasing after her sister.

But what came out was that awful state I saw in the daytime.

Some people who were waiting for them got angry and even threw things on the stage.

Ladies and gentlemen, please calm your anger. These two were betrayed by their friends in the labyrinth and were about to be raped, but they were lucky to escape by triggering the labyrinth's trap. However, the trap takes them to a room where a demon is waiting for them, and Hydra is waiting for them. The men who had chased them were devoured, and both returned from the labyrinth with barely enough time to escape, but the poison was so deadly that half of their beautiful faces were seared, their legs were destroyed, and their sister's eyes were burned. However, a bandit in the guise of an adventurer was waiting for them. An arrow fired from a surprise attack lodged in their throats, and a high-grade potion managed to save their lives, but they lost their voices as a result. They also intended to kidnap the two, whose equipment and items were originally beautiful, but the sight of their disfigured faces made them upset, destroying their eyes and ears, and taking their expensive equipment and items from them. Nevertheless, the sisters did not give up and fought back, killing a new adventurer who accidentally came to their aid. If you have the funds to cure these two crime slaves, you can get the beautiful sisters. Now the auction is about to begin.

The moderator said, but a sigh flowed from the audience.

We all know.

We all know that the eyes that were crushed will not come back, that our throats will be crushed and we won't be able to speak. They also know that their lost limbs will not return.

Nevertheless, that masked man started the auction.

We'll start with ten gold pieces for the two of you.

It would go on for twenty or thirty pieces, but it didn't have any momentum at all like it had before.

''One white gold coin.''

The others were completely silent when I called that.

The masked man bowed politely to us, and I noticed that the masked man was a slaver.

'Lionel, were you aware of the masked man?'

Yes. Yes, but not long ago. I didn't know he was a slaver he must have been very clever.

The next time I run a country, I need someone with that kind of edge. Well, it's better that he doesn't betray us.

If he is that sharp, he must be looking for an opportunity to make it on his own.

The goal of being a slave trader is to gather money and talent.

That's what I thought.

''Merchants will flow to where it's profitable, so if we stop righteously and continue to benefit, it's possible...''

''Huh~. If you can do that, you won't have any trouble...

Indeed.

As we are laughing and exchanging words, the masked host calls the auction to a close.

''Today's auction will be dismissed without further ado. Please join us again next time if you have a chance.

The curtain of the stage was lowered as the masked man bowed.

The only saving grace was that there didn't seem to be any fighting as the gaze from the people around me changed to one directed at the bong-bong who didn't know how to use the money, having purchased that sister at the end.

With that in mind, I decided to head out to collect the two of them and the armor they had purchased.

The attendant would lead us to the place where we would pay the amount of the winning bid we called at the auction and exchange it for an item.

''Healer-dono, we have a lot of items, so please come this way.''

I don't know what it was for, but I was ushered into a private room.

And it was a man who had gone from masked man to slaver again who was handling it.

'You can safely deliver here, sir. First, you must give me the total amount of the eight points here.

I put down eleven white gold coins.

'This is for ten items for the slave sisters combined. I don't need the change.

"...indeed. Then I'll bring him over here, please wait a moment.

No, we'll come to you.

I touched the equipment, retrieved it, and chose to follow the man.

''....I see. Well then, go ahead.

I felt the man's face twitch, if only for a moment.

When I got there, the girls were being held in a prison, but the other slaves were also being held inside, which wasn't a very nice environment.

It wasn't that they were being physically touched, beaten, or verbally abused, but it was a mentally stressful environment.

''It's ... terrible.''

We have our own set of problems.

Okay. Then can you bring them both to me?

Please hold.

The slave-trader man called out to the men who were watching him, and then he went in and grabbed them roughly and dragged them in front of him.

'No matter how many slaves you have, how dare you treat something I own like that!

I was writhing at this point with Lionel holding me by the shoulders, unable to move.

'Oh, was he kind to your slave?'

The man is provoking me.

I felt like the man's eyes were written that way.

'....get on with it.

Well then, I'll hand over the slave crest. May I have your blood?

He seemed not amused by what I had endured, and began to work nonchalantly.

I clenched my fists so tightly that I didn't have to cut them, but blood immediately spilled out of my palms.

"Now you own these slaves.

As soon as I heard the words, I took a robe out of my magic bag and put it on both of them, crossed my sisters' arms over my neck as a fulcrum, and lifted them up by their hips.

'We're going home, Lionel,'

Ha!

Even if there was an attack, Lionel's two hands were free, so he could shake them off.

With that thought in mind, I walked out of the auction house building and everyone was there to greet me.

''What's going on?''

'I heard there was going to be a raid after the auction, so I came to pick you up. I tried to come alone and they wanted to pick me up. So those two guys?

Apparently, Master Brod was worried about the raid.

I have a feeling that if you're a troop that specializes in that, there aren't many things to gather at the auction, but maybe that's not the case.

'Yes. Since we've been continuously heeling, I thought we'd be able to keep this up until the inn, but now it looks like there won't be a problem if we're attacked here.''

I instantly activated Recover, Dispel and Purification.

''Master Luciel, did you free the two of them from slavery immediately?

Kefin asked in surprise, but Lionel laughed beside him.

Yeah. Yeah, but I didn't free the slaves because I trusted them or because I felt sorry for them. Wasn't Lionel going to advise me to do the same?

'Yes. I had that feeling that the man was hiding something, and I had a disturbing feeling that he was hiding something, and I had a disturbing feeling that he was hiding something from me when we signed the slave contract. I think I made the right decision. He seemed to be looking at me in a searching way.

That's what I felt when I visited the slavers.

That was exactly the impression I had of being appraised.

There's nothing to be troubled by being appraised, but it's also true that I was a bit curious about what that sharp guy was thinking.

''Well, since that's the case, I'll go back to the inn first to recover these two at once.

I declared, and when I tried to get Ketty and Esther to carry my sisters, they grabbed me by the gutters.

'I'm sure I won't be able to untie them in this one, Nya.

Good luck, Lady Luciel.

When the two of them said that, they would carry them all the way around, receiving warm looks from those around them.