Chapter 44

Asulin had barely called out 6 million marks of the Empire when the auction hall fell silent.

Even though it was dim, the Load that continued to emit cold air did not cease.

It was a silence created by the participants and bidding competitors overwhelmed by the amount Asulin had called out.

But this silence didn’t last long.

“…6.1 million.”

A West Continent foreigner, who seemed to squeeze out the number, broke the silence by adding 10 thousand marks more than what Asulin had bid.

Though his desire to somehow get hold of the Load was intense, his expression, which showed sorrow, indicated he couldn’t back up his will with his money. He only added 10 thousand more.

His desperate plea, as if he were begging me not to raise my bid here, was just an extra touch.

However, his desperation couldn’t make those who were about to grab one of the empire’s finest swords in their hands listen to him.

“6.15 million.”

As soon as someone called out 6.1 million, no one raised a higher bid, neither the West Continent foreigner nor the sharp opponent, nor Asulin herself.

It was some noble who, despite wearing a mask, couldn’t hide the flush on his face after winning many items in the previous auction.

According to Asulin, this Earl Richmond operated his own trading company and had amassed considerable wealth through his family’s seat.

I remembered him as a person of some note when I heard his name.

“…I remember him as someone who has fairly legitimately accumulated wealth for a Central Noble.”

He was famous for donating generously to rebuild slums, establish educational facilities for orphans, and provide practical support so that orphans could participate in normal social activities.

From afar, he gave off a rather kind impression despite being in a profession that usually accumulates wealth, which made him memorable.

“…Even legitimate wealth is still wealth. It seems inevitable that he would come here for something precious.”

With this thought, I turned my gaze towards Asulin.

Even though she wasn’t the heir of the highest noble family in the empire, who could be compared to none other than the royal family, she often visited this auction house to obtain rare wines. It made me wonder how much more the other nobles must feel compelled to visit.

“…Why are you smiling?”

“You know, seeing the items up for auction here, I can’t help but think that even decent nobles wouldn’t miss coming here.”

“…A bitter smile.”

Asulin spoke to me, her face showing a smile so obvious that she couldn’t hide it.

Well, given the items auctioned here, which seemed to fulfill the inflated egos of nobles, it was natural that anyone in a similar situation would consider coming here.

“Don’t think too much about it. Thanks to you, we have a chance to get the Load.”

Seeing my bitter smile, Asulin asked me not to jump to conclusions.

“I never intended to criticize you over such a thing.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“But, what now? Should we try to outbid them with money again, or should we wait and see the situation?”

As I held up my right hand to stroke my chin, thinking about Asulin’s question, I realized that despite the gasping competition from others after Asulin had bid 6 million marks at once, people weren’t easily giving up on bidding for the Load.

Richmond Earl had also become another competitor.

Originally, signaling Asulin to call out a higher bid to crush the competitors’ enthusiasm would have been the proper strategy, but…

“Let’s watch the situation a bit longer.”

“Alright.”

First, I told Asulin to observe the situation for a moment and looked around the auction hall.

Getting the Load was important, but there might be physical confrontations from others interested in the sword even after the legal auction was completed, especially if they moved from Shaten.

Therefore, controlling the variables by gauging the crowd while the bidding was ongoing was necessary.

“6.5 million.”

The mysterious bidder who had shown interest in the Load from the beginning, even while wearing a mask, seemed to match the Richmond Earl in terms of financial power.

The West Continent foreigner, who had squeezed out 6.01 million marks, looked almost destitute, while Richmond Earl’s expression shifted from boldness to confusion.

It didn’t seem like Richmond Earl would increase his bid further.

“…Unlike others, having won multiple items, he probably doesn’t have much leeway financially.”

When the Earl shook his head, indicating he wouldn’t participate in the bidding anymore, it confirmed my prediction. The 6.5 million marks he had bid felt like a shock that doused water on the competitors’ heads.

But just as the saying goes, ‘When cornered, a rat will bite a cat.’

“…No way!”

The West Continent foreigner, who had been silent until then, suddenly let out a guttural cry.

“7 million!!!”

With a voice almost like a scream, he instantly changed the leading digit of the bidding price, which had been fluctuating around 6 million.

Oh, 7 million marks.

Even though he held the title of Count, he seemed to have invested everything he had during the succession war, regardless of the family’s financial situation. The amount he had spent was nearly at this level.

The cost to retrieve the family’s symbolic sword had also reached this level.

Ah, suddenly I’m getting angry.

I barely managed to suppress the grinding of my teeth.

Damn it.

If he had joined the princess faction or at least remained neutral, he would have saved his fortune, his life, and the sword.

Because he couldn’t protect even a simple thing, he lost everything, including his life, and caused so much hardship to others. This former patriarch was truly infuriating.

At this point, I thought we had reached our limit, but with just a spark, new reasons for anger emerged.

Indeed, the former patriarch was quite remarkable in many ways.

“Huuuuu…”

The foreigner from the West Continent, who had wildly shouted his bid and then exhaled deeply, seemed to have a different reason for his madness compared to mine, who had been angry due to recalling past memories.

Even though he thought this much bidding would be enough to drop out, and despite his arrogance thinking he owned the item even before the bid was finalized, there was no sign of him raising his bid again.

“If only Asulin had seen this, she would have laughed out loud.”

Surprisingly, Asulin didn’t turn her gaze toward him even though he had bid a considerable sum. Instead, she exchanged glances with someone else.

The green-haired young man, who was one of the key players in the Load bidding, was the one Asulin was looking at.

Though I couldn’t tell what conversation was happening just by observing their eye contact, the man who nodded silently without any visible hostility towards Asulin didn’t seem hostile.

Wait, if Asulin didn’t even know who he was, how could they have such a familiar exchange?

Just as I began to wonder, a strange thought crossed my mind, making my eyes narrow slightly.

“7.5 million.”

The green-haired young man’s bid immediately overturned the 7 million mark that had caused a stir in the room, intensifying the already heated atmosphere.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the high stakes bidding.

Of course, even if it felt like they were spending their own money, some were going mad because they couldn’t get the Load despite the high bids.

The West Continent foreigner, who had started to lose composure since the bid hit 7 million, fainted upon hearing the bid.

Although it looked pitiful, no one in the room mocked the foreigner.

-What a thrilling auction.

-None of the auctions so far have been one-sided. We needed a spectacle like this at the end.

-If the bids were lower, I would have tried to stir things up in the middle, but at this level, it could lead to big trouble, so we need to hold back.

-Not here, but I’ve seen people who got burned after trying to stir things up and ended up losing. You can’t mess around with that.

-By the way, although he’s awake, he seems completely dazed.

-How could he stay composed when facing one of the three great swords of the empire right in front of him?

Ironically, the foreigner’s fainting provided a timely spectacle, offering entertainment to the many spectators watching the auction.

“Eh… What should I do? Should I bid higher here? No… If I do, …”

While the simple spectators enjoyed the show thanks to the foreigner’s outburst, it also signaled that it was time to bring the bidding to a close for me and Asulin, who would have to spend more money.

I signaled to Asulin with my eyes that it was time to wrap things up.

Asulin nodded in agreement.

From Asulin’s raised right hand came the bid.

“7.51 million.”

…Unlike the overwhelming amount that would completely crush the opponent’s momentum, it was merely an additional 10 thousand marks from the previous bid.

“Only that much?”

As soon as Asulin’s bid was heard, a voice near me scoffed, questioning why it was such a small amount.

Given the calm manner in which the green-haired young man had bid large amounts with little change in his expression, it seemed he would calmly call out a much higher amount, initiating a bleeding competition.

“…Huh.”

After hearing Asulin’s bid, he let out a light sigh and smiled, and there was no further increase in the bid.

“Alright! The bidding for the Load has reached 7.51 million marks. Is there anyone willing to bid higher? If there isn’t, the final bid for the Load in this grand auction will be decided at 7.51 million marks!”

“One!”

“Two!!”

“Three!”

“Four!”

“Five!”

Bam-bam-bam!

The auctioneer’s swift strike on the wooden board in front of him finalized the bid.

“Welcome the first winner of Shaten’s first auction item of the new year, after sweeping away the gloomy events of last year.”

As the auctioneer finished speaking, the grand auction of Shaten finally came to a close, despite all the talk and no actual mishaps.

“No way…”

Bam-bam!

The foreigner from the West Continent, who had lost his composure, collapsed and fainted after confirming the bid.

It seemed he had thrown caution to the wind, unable to bear the psychological shock of losing after pushing himself too hard.

Despite his earlier fierce competition, the green-haired young man, who appeared capable of bidding against Asulin, clapped lightly in celebration of Asulin’s successful bid as soon as it was finalized.

…What? When I saw the fierce competition, I expected Asulin to win, and for him to glare at her and leave the scene. Instead, he celebrated her success.

Did something happen between Asulin and him that I’m unaware of?

“Hehe. I’ll teach you later.”

As Asulin, who had secured the Load for a surprisingly low amount, revealed a smile and promised to teach me something later, it felt like it was time to celebrate the successful bid of the Load.

“Huuu…”

Even though my money wasn’t involved, the sheer amount of money casually thrown around in this warzone-like environment made me feel relieved. I sighed, marking the end of the year and the start of a new one.

After leaving behind the memory of the battlefields filled with blood, I hoped this year would be peaceful.