Chapter 35

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

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There’s something I’m super curious about, but no matter how much I think about it, I can’t seem to find the answer.

Holding onto that kind of thing forever is a really dumb move. It messes up other important stuff you need to do and could lead to the worst-case scenario.

So, I just shoved the unsolvable problems about the Demon King and reincarnation to some corner of my brain. I even finished reading Evans’ <Flower That Eats Time>, but there wasn’t much useful info in it.

It was just packed with random stuff like “a bridge collapsed somewhere and people died,” or “one of the Five Kings had a kid who became the king of the southern mountain range of the continent.” Just useless chatter.

Anyway, after leaving the North Duke’s mansion, I headed straight to an auction house in the southern part of the Demon Realm.

And now, I’ve just arrived.

Creeeak—thud.

I stopped the carriage in front of a tent and got out. My pocket feels heavy and full.

That’s because it’s stuffed with gold coins. I brought them specifically for today.

Before entering the Demon Forest, there’s someone I absolutely have to bring along.

That someone will be up for auction today.

“Where’s the little one going in such a hurry?”

“Oh, are you the guard?”

“So what?”

“Can’t you just let me in?”

“…How do I know you’re not here to steal one of the auction items?”

A bulky figure blocked my way as I tried to enter the entrance of the bustling auction house where demons were gathered.

His shoulders are ridiculously broad, reminding me of Theseus from Tartarus or Emperor Julius. Of course, their builds are far more imposing, though.

“This uncle should understand. Kids like you often cause trouble at the auction house, right? Right?”

“But I really need to get in.”

“Tch, if you keep this up, Uncle will scold you.”

“I’m not here to steal. I’m here to participate in the auction.”

“Someone your size?”

After boldly spitting that out, the guard raised his eyebrows and poked my forehead repeatedly with his finger.

I didn’t get mad at all and instead pulled out the gold coins from my pocket, letting them jingle.

Clink-clink.

“…! Those are!”

“Here you go. Do you really think someone with this much money would bother stealing?”

“E-Excuse me, sir! Please come in!”

As soon as he realized the value of the goods I possessed, the guard bowed deeply at ninety degrees and ushered me inside the auction house.

Seriously, if I were in my adult form, they’d have let me in without question. This is age discrimination. How frustrating.

Still, I understand the guard’s attitude. The auction house I’m entering is the largest in the Demon Realm, a place even merchants from the continent want desperately to access.

The western part of the Demon Realm has always been a hub for commerce, thanks to the Clanaein family, rulers of the Western Dukedom, who have proven quite skilled at governing, despite being succubi.

“Hey, are you here to browse too? Looks like you made some money?”

“Yeah, I hit it big. Now I’m planning to upgrade my gear.”

“Will you find what you’re looking for here?”

“Isn’t this the place where everything is available? No need to worry.”

This auction house sells all kinds of high-grade artifacts, magic circle materials, monster corpses, and ancient treasures discovered in the Demon Forest.

To put it simply, about 30% of all transactions involving demon goods happen here. That’s how significant this place is.

I also came here because there’s an item I absolutely must secure through auction.

In my previous life, I came here around the same time, but Lilith Clanaein, who had the same idea as me, ended up winning it. Back then, she had full support from her family, whereas I was neglected and forced to hide my claws.

But this time around, things will be different. I didn’t bring a bulging pocketful of gold coins for nothing. There’s a plan behind it.

“Alright everyone! The auction is about to begin! Participants, please take your seats promptly!”

The auctioneer’s booming voice echoed through the room. In response, the many demons who had been chattering noisily quickly found their places.

I took a seat in the very last row. Since my childlike height would make it hard to see the stage if anyone sat in front of me, I had to find a relatively quiet spot.

Though sitting farther back means it’s harder to hear announcements and harder to closely observe the stage, it doesn’t matter. After all, the only thing I’m interested in buying at today’s auction will be the last item presented.

“Hmm! Everyone seems to have taken their seats nicely! Let’s get started!”

The auctioneer spread his arms wide. At the same moment, lively music began playing from behind the stage.

“The 4,325th Auction will now commence!”

***

There are seven great nations on the continent. Well, that’s true five hundred years from now, not now.

If you ask which nation holds the strongest power among them, one hundred percent of the answers would point to the Empire.

Whether it’s military might, administration, royal authority, commercial power, or history, this nation lacked nothing in any area.

However, this mighty empire eventually crumbled rather anticlimactically—all because of three individuals.

First, there was Vincent, who used to be a transport slave for the empire.

I’m talking about the Vincent who visited Tartarus when the Saintess and I were imprisoned there.

When war broke out between the Demon Realm and the continent, Vincent immediately defected to the Demon King’s Army, providing them with various shortcuts and terrain information he learned during his time as a transport slave. Thanks to him, the Demon King’s Army achieved victory after victory.

Second, there’s me. By sowing discord among the political factions of the continent, instilling distrust between armies, and spreading false rumors among the citizens, I played a crucial role in destabilizing the empire. Because of those actions, I earned the nickname Joker, known for causing chaos with minimal effort. While others in the Demon King’s Army spilled rivers of blood, I managed to shake the core of the empire by merely shedding a cup of blood.

And finally, the third and last reason why I’m here at this auction today:

Wolf King Lua.

With a human face and body but wolf ears and tail, Lua is the sole king of all wolves and one of the absolute strongest members of the Demon King’s Army.

Moreover, across all dimensions, Lua is considered the greatest assassin in the entire continent—an unmatched force against whom no one stands a chance.

Lua assassinated the emperor of the empire, penetrating through over a thousand layers of defenses surrounding the imperial palace to eliminate the most influential person in the continent. Watching someone I considered the greatest genius fall so easily to an invisible blade was quite disheartening.

Taking advantage of the ensuing chaos, I exploited multiple fake identities to further destabilize the empire. In truth, Wolf King Lua is practically the prime mover behind the downfall of the empire.

However, there’s one thing the world doesn’t know: this formidable Wolf King Lua was actually meticulously trained as a killing machine by the Western Dukedom of the Demon Realm.

Thinking about it still makes my teeth grind. They took my marked Wolf King and turned him into a heartless machine through cruel and relentless training.

If only it had been me…

If only I could have nurtured him properly…

In this life, I won’t leave any regrets. That’s why I’ve come to this auction personally.

“Alright! Let’s move on to the next item!”

Although Lua served directly under Lilith, he was certainly no weaker than her. In fact, purely in terms of raw power, Lua surpasses Lilith, one of the Four Great Dukes of the Demon Realm.

Even among the absolute strongest, Lua stands out exceptionally. What else needs to be said when he managed to sever the head of the most heavily guarded person in the continent?

Of course, the current Lua isn’t that strong yet. If he were, he wouldn’t have been captured and put up for auction. He’s about the same age as me—probably around six to nine years old.

What’s important is that Lua possesses an unparalleled ‘talent.’

Being a king of a species doesn’t automatically place you among the ranks of the absolute strongest.

The absolute strongest transcend species. Normally, thousands of humans couldn’t defeat a single dragon, but humans who have surpassed their own kind can overcome even dragons, the supposedly superior race.

Occasionally, monsters like Theseus emerge who surpass even gods. Or we could mention figures like the Saint, the Demon King, or the Hero. Although, maybe we should exclude the weakest Hero in history from that list.

Anyway, Lua is worth cultivating. There is one obstacle, but I’ll think about that later.

“Dragon King Endros’ scale! From the incredibly distant ancient times! This is the scale that Dragon King Endros dropped while battling Eagle King Horus! Its durability is so extreme that even a Swordmaster-level swordsman would struggle to cut through it!”

Whoa, a scale from Endros! It’s almost as rare as Horus’ egg.

With just one of these, you could easily craft a top-tier card, but I don’t intend to buy it anyway.

Not that I lack money. Since I won’t need cash once I enter the Demon Forest, I’m prepared to spend every last coin I have at this auction today.

But I’m not the only one with deep pockets. When Lua comes up for auction at the end, many competitors will fiercely bid. I need to drain their funds beforehand.

“Number 46! 3,000 gold!”

“Customer Number 46! You’ve offered 3,000 gold! Any higher bids?”

“Number 72! 3,500 gold! It’s essential for alchemy!”

“Customer Number 72! You’ve offered 3,500 gold! Any higher offers?”

“Over here! Number 31! 3,900 gold!”

“Number 53! 3,950 gold!”

Judging by the atmosphere, this item seems to be quite valuable.

Let me stoke the flames a bit.

“Number 99.”

“Yes! Customer Number 99 is raising their hand!”

“4,998 gold.”

“…! 4,998 gold! Is there anyone willing to offer more than 4,998 gold?”

Raise the price. That way, I can lighten their wallets.

Of course, I need to be careful. If I’m not cautious, my wallet might suffer instead. I need to ensure only my competitors get drawn in while keeping my own funds intact.

That’s why I offered 4,998 gold.

Demon psychology is peculiar. They hesitate to pay 5,000 gold but begrudgingly accept 4,999 gold.

Identify bidders who desperately need the auction items and raise prices only when such buyers appear. Those ensnared by my schemes will scream in regret after the auction, but regret always comes too late.

Thus, I kept increasing the prices of several auction items.

As a result, all eyes in the auction house turned toward me. Some gazes carried malice and murderous intent, but I continued participating in the auction with a shameless facade.

Time passed chaotically.

“Huff! Finally, it’s time to introduce our last auction item!”

The auctioneer, drenched in sweat from the heated atmosphere, shouted loudly into the microphone.

To sell the climactic final item at the highest possible price.

And for this very moment,

I’ve already drained a significant amount of wealth.

The bag I’ve been holding since earlier isn’t an ordinary one. Made from the silk of Spider Queen Arachne, it matches the gloves I’m wearing. Not only does it resist most impacts, but it can also hold items regardless of volume.

Spider Queen Arachne controls space, but this bag uses only a fragment of her power, so it doesn’t fully manipulate space.

Think of it as a pocket-sized space roughly equivalent to a car. Though it’s mostly empty now.

I did pilfer a few things from the family warehouse, but I couldn’t take too much without drawing attention. I’ll fill it up as I go.

“Have you ever heard of the legend of the Wolf King? The strongest wolf standing atop both werewolves and wolf hybrids! Although the legendary Wolf King fell to Dragon King Endros in battle…”

The auctioneer delivered a lengthy explanation, raising his voice dramatically. Clearly aiming to inflate the price.

“A few days ago, a hunter came to our auction house claiming to have captured a descendant of the Wolf King! And upon examination… it was confirmed that the hybrid captured by the hunter is indeed a descendant of the Wolf King! Not some common werewolf-like monster but the genuine article!”

“OOOOOH!!!”

The audience erupted in cheers. Everyone had been eagerly awaiting the appearance of the Wolf King.

Rumors had been circulating quietly. Probably spread by the auction organizers to capitalize on the arrival of such a rare item.

“Of course, this individual cannot yet be called the Wolf King! Still weak and naive about the world, just a child. But the talent is undeniable, proof of royal lineage! Whoever secures this item through the auction will become the god of all wolves across the Demon Realm and the continent!”

“OOOOOHHHH!!!”

After adding a couple more embellishments, the auctioneer reached the peak of excitement and signaled someone backstage.

To bring out the item.

Next, about four demons dressed similarly to the gatekeeper appeared on stage, carrying a square iron cage, each responsible for one corner.

And inside that cage, resembling a small room,

“Urrr…”

was a girl.

She has triangular ears protruding from her head. They look soft and fluffy when tidied up, but currently, they’re messy, making me uncomfortable.

Looking closer, she’s crouched down, hugging her tail, which is nearly as long as her legs, between them.

She appears to be around mid-teens, but considering she’s half-wolf, half-human, she’s probably younger—likely between six and nine years old.

Her clothing is a brown sackcloth. It looks so crude it resembles animal skin. Obviously intentional on the part of the organizers. Such a savage outfit would entice potential buyers even more.

Since tidiness isn’t a priority, they likely aimed for this rustic appeal to enhance its marketability.

“Urrrr… Keeeoww! Keeeowww! Grrr…”

When the girl spoke, it came out as an animalistic growl. Listening with closed eyes, it sounds exactly like a wolf howling.

“Silence her! We clearly beat her up earlier, so why is she barking again?”

One of the demons carrying the cage urgently commanded. Soon, a few other demons wielding clubs approached and mercilessly beat the girl through the bars.

Without breaking anything important.

“Keeeyaaaah!”

Punch! Thud!

“Keeeaaah! Keeeyaaa! Kyiiiing…”

Amidst the barrage of blows, the wolf girl writhed around trying to evade, but gradually, she shrank back as the relentless assault continued. Her struggles fueled the desire in the eyes of the watching demons.

“Keeoww! Keeeowww! Kyiiiing, nyaa… Urrr…”

Despite showing fear, she still revealed her juvenile defiance whenever she saw the clubs. The pride that refused to kneel before violence. Eyes that stared down perceived enemies until the end. Tiny fingers shaped like wolf claws ready to tear apart foes at any moment.

All of these traits ignited the combat-loving, blood-crazed hearts of the demons present.

Including mine, of course.

Well done, organizers. Your transparent tactics succeeded in stirring my emotions. Knowing how rebellious this wolf girl, Lua, truly is allowed you to pull off this performance.

“Hahaha-! There was a slight commotion! ”

The auctioneer deliberately dragged out the show, showcasing Lua’s ferocity to everyone, while wiping away the sweat skillfully crafted on his brow to continue the proceedings.

At the same time, most demons in the auction house fidgeted with their pouches of gold coins, creating the sound of clinking coins echoing throughout the room.

“Then, the hybrid descendant of the Wolf King is…”

Finally, it begins.

“Starting at 10,000 gold!”

The flower of greed blossoms.

Always the one fueling others’ greed,

Today, my own greed burns the deepest.

***

<I'm scared.>

<Don't look.>

<I'm cold.>

<I'm lonely.>

<Dad, so stern.>