Chapter 37

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on February 4, 2025

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“Thirty, thirty thousand gold! Can you keep up with this?”

“99th bidder! Thirty thousand and one gold!”

“Forty thousand gold!”

“99th bidder! Forty thousand and one gold!”

“Fifty thousand! Fifty thousand gold!”

Now the amounts are skyrocketing exponentially. This can no longer be called a money fight. It’s a pride battle.

And I am supposedly the most overly confident demon in the Demon Realm.

“99th bidder! Fifty thousand and one gold!”

The tension is rising, and I’m shouting excitedly. The surrounding demons are heard gulping nervously, but I am full of confidence.

I’m not rich. Even for someone like me who has taken over the Duke of the North’s fortune, fifty thousand gold is quite burdensome. No, it’s not just burdensome—it’s practically my entire fortune.

But, showing that isn’t professional.

A magician only reveals false emotions. Though I’m wearing a white mask, emotions aren’t expressed through facial expressions alone.

Voice, demeanor, tone, speech—all of these become tools for acting.

That’s why professional magicians never lose in a guts competition.

Why? Because even if they’re scared, they pretend not to be; even if they’re burdened, they act calm, probing into the opponent’s psychology to exploit their inner weaknesses.

Eventually…

“This…! One hundred thousand!”

Trapped by the magician’s trap, the ignorant plaything.

“One hundred thousand gold!”

He ends up calling out an amount he can’t even handle himself.

“Hmph! If you have so much money, follow this too!”

Without thinking things through…

Everyone is stunned as an unimaginable amount of money is thrown around, mouths agape.

Lilith alone confidently smirks with her red lips, completely ignoring the bodyguard beside her who wears a troubled expression.

“Uh… Miss? That…”

“Bodyguard, if it’s not important, tell me later. Right now, I must crush that arrogant guy…”

“It’s not that, but we don’t actually have a hundred thousand gold on hand. We’d need to go back to the main house to retrieve it.”

“…Is that so? Then let’s just get it from the main house.”

“That would be nice if it were possible…”

Many people forget the most basic rule of auctions.

“Hey, when did auctions start allowing payment other than cash upfront? Auction master?”

“Eh, uh-?”

The auctioneer blinks at my unexpected question. He seems worried about offending Lilith because of my question.

He might lie to avoid an awkward situation, but I quickly continue the conversation.

“Aren’t auctions always cash upfront? But now someone’s calling out money they don’t even have? Shouldn’t this disqualify them? Doesn’t that mean I win?”

“Uh… well, technically yes, but…”

“What ‘technically’? Just say yes and wrap it up cleanly. Surely you wouldn’t leave it hanging as debt, right? Sure, then. I’ll bring my mortgage documents. Or how about everyone here goes home to fetch more money? Let’s auction all day!”

Lilith, young maiden. Due to your lack of experience, you’ve dug your own grave.

“So, wait. Only cash upfront? What nonsense…”

“Haha, didn’t you know?”

“Nobody told me! And yet you’re bringing up ridiculous rules now?”

“It’s so basic, nobody expected there’d be a demon attending an auction who doesn’t know the rules!”

In the first place, Lilith wasn’t interested in auctions. She came here only because she had lustful intentions toward Lua, the bloodline of the Wolf King.

I exploited that. Lilith’s pale face fills with confusion due to the unexpected obstacle.

How frustrating, I feel like jumping around with excitement. Like when I killed Leona and Retavis.

I need to hold back.

Not yet.

I need to drive the final nail.

“Oh, then should I just step back? Technically, since you violated the rules, I could withdraw, right?”

“What? Can you really do that?”

It’s a lie. That’s the organizer’s decision. I’m just a participant.

But, every lie becomes truth if it’s not exposed. That absolute truth is one I exploit best.

The auctioneer hesitates to intervene before my little lie gets revealed.

Of course, I need to end this before my flimsy lie is exposed to everyone.

“Of course! Whenever you say so! I’ll show ‘mercy’ and step back! How amazing it is that someone as humble as me can forgive such a noble young lady of a duke’s lineage! Isn’t this interesting? A situation where I’m the superior party and you’re the inferior one!”

“Crunch…”

“You scum! Who gave you the audacity to speak like that!”

The bodyguard steps forward, shielding Lilith while yelling at me. I shrug indifferently as if to ask what the problem is.

Lilith’s face blooms with rage. Her beautiful features twist violently with anger.

If she hadn’t forgotten her original purpose and pursued efficiency, she might have set aside her pride, accepted my mercy humbly, calmed down, and continued the auction.

But Lilith has already turned this auction into a battle of pride…

“Get lost! How dare you offer your mercy to anyone! Just wait till your neck is ready!”

Even if she loses the auction, she won’t grovel and beg for my mercy.

“Annoying worm! Take it! That mangy wolf-whatever…! You can have it! As soon as you leave this auction house, I’ll cut off your head!”

“Oh my, how scary. My hands and feet are trembling!”

With that, the last competitor leaves the stage.

Adjusting my white magician’s hat, I stand up cheerfully from my chair.

Looking to the side, the mustached uncle who spoke to me earlier is observing me carefully with interest.

“Ta-da!”

Leaving those intriguing words behind, I walk steadily towards the stage, passing dozens of neatly arranged rows of chairs.

As I walk, the audience hisses and grinds their teeth repeatedly. Such a pleasant sound. I smile beneath my mask.

Climbing the stairs across the auditorium, I step onto the stage.

The lone wolf girl who had remained quiet amidst the heated auction finally raises her head and locks eyes with me.

Showing her a big “V” sign, I proudly approach the auctioneer.

“More? Is there anyone else bidding?”

Of course not, the atmosphere is completely focused on me.

“Then… The <Bloodline of the Wolf King> goes to customer number 99! Congratulations!”

“Hooray!”

My solo cheer echoes coldly through the auction house. That shouldn’t happen. Quickly reaching into my coat, I pull out a pouch.

“Shouldn’t you pay immediately?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“But how can so much gold come out of such a small pouch… Eek!”

Whoosh!

I turn the pouch upside down, spilling its contents onto the stage.

An uncountable number of gold coins cascade like rain, overflowing the stage floor.

Startled by my sudden action, the auctioneer yells at the guards.

“Why one hundred thousand gold? It was fifty thousand and one! Maybe you’ve got dementia? Guards! Collect it all!”

The compressed space pouch holds far more gold than imagined. Endless golden rain drenches the stage, making the dry throats of the demons water with greed.

And, the stage is narrow.

There’s no way it can contain all the gold I’m throwing.

Whoosh!

A flood of gold spills off the stage. At the same time, the demons sitting in the audience rush forward one by one.

All of them have greedy glints in their eyes.

Rushing sounds echo.

“Hehehehehe…”

The auctioneer panics. The situation spirals into chaos as demons wrestle with each other for the gold. My malicious laughter plays in the background.

I am the herald of chaos. Wherever I go, chaos inevitably follows—not intentionally, but simply because chaos clings to me like a crazy dog chasing a butterfly.

Whoosh!

Amidst the chaos, I precisely scattered fifty thousand and one gold. The demons are frenzied, desperately trying to grab as many coins as they can.

Lilith watches me with wide eyes, clearly shocked by my unconventional behavior. Does this kind of magic show not suit her taste? Doesn’t matter. Lilith isn’t important right now.

Greed, embarrassment, shock, urgency—various abrupt emotions swirl around the auction house like a desert tornado.

Walking happily through it all, I return the pouch, which has dispensed fifty thousand and one gold, to my pocket and approach the only creature with dead eyes.

Though human-faced and bodied, the pointed ears and tail on top of her head betray her true nature—a wolf.

Despite the dazzling metallic decorations around her, she shows no interest.

“Hi there? I’m your new master!”

“Grrr…”

“You’re going to be my assistant, actor, disciple, and servant from now on! How does that sound? Excited?”

“Grrr…”

“We’ll exchange names later. Shall we leave this place?”

“Grrr…”

“Hahaha! So shy, huh? Still, you should answer your master’s questions! Don’t worry, it’s fine for now! Manners can be learned!”

Such a picky one. After being so kind, she won’t even respond with a word. Utter ingratitude.

Thanks to her, I look foolish, you annoying girl.

The demons’ eyes dart around. Their attention is scattered. Amidst this, I quietly untie the cloak I’ve been wearing.

“You! What are you trying to do?”

Among the few still paying attention to me amidst the sea of gold is Lilith, who shouts at me. Her raised hand gathers crimson energy.

The power of the Succubus, one of the strongest forces in the Demon Realm—blood of the defeated. The remnants of all those killed by Succubi target me.

I quickly throw the large white cloak over myself and the trapped wolf girl. The pure white fabric billows and settles gently above us.

“Don’t waste your time! Now that I’ve caught your eye, you won’t escape death! <Ra-Ce-Biangka>!”

The bloody red verdict falls upon me. Transformed into a beam of light, it closes the distance in an instant. The rapidly approaching red sphere aims to render both Lua and me immobile.

Which is basically becoming a vegetable. The thought of dying under some Succubus forever is horrifying enough, and Lilith doesn’t seem like the type who’d take care of me either.

“You might feel a little dizzy, but you’re a good wolf, you can endure it, right? Can’t handle dizziness? What am I supposed to do about that!”

For a brief moment, our outlines are hidden by the fluttering cloak.

I shout loudly while pulling out a teleportation scroll from my pocket.

“Today’s show is called <Escape Magic>!”

As loud as I can.

“To escape the violent grasp of the noble Lady Lilith!”

Puff!

The scene changes from a dazzling yellow light to a cute green glow.

And now, the wolf girl and I find ourselves in a lush forest that seemed unrelated moments ago.

Demon Forest, arrival confirmed.

***

<Scary.>