Episode 199

A strange smell drifted into the room as I sat still. No wonder I felt at ease. It was like sinking into a perfectly heated bath. My body grew heavy, my mind sluggish.

Then a thought struck me. How was I supposed to contact the Iron-Blooded Lord? He hadn't given any instructions. I guessed I would only need to act if something crashed or broke.

What exactly was my role? From the start, I had been brought here as bait. I probably wasn't expected to help the Iron-Blooded Lord bring this place down. Even so, the idea of causing chaos in this secret auction excited me, and I wanted to involve myself as much as possible.

My heart tightened when the air brushing against my skin shifted sharply. How should I describe it? The atmosphere felt as if it was being pulled into a single point.

Was it magic?

I could sense mana flowing. I circulated my internal energy, ready to respond, but nothing happened.

The door opened, and a man in a wolf mask entered. He wore a black suit with a rose tucked neatly into his breast pocket. The details matched with natural elegance.

"You've been waiting a long time."

Even his voice sounded unnatural. The moment I heard it, I knew it had been deliberately altered.

"Participants, please gather here. I will guide you."

At the words, the people in the room rose one by one and started to move. We followed them.

The moment I stepped outside, I realized the surroundings had changed. This was no longer the corridor of the magic tower where mages wandered. Not only the walls but even the corridor's width had changed.

As expected, what just happened was space-movement magic.

The distance could not have been great. Transporting so many people at once was something only an Archmage could manage, and even then, the process was terribly inefficient. No Archmage would squander such valuable mana on something so wasteful.

At the front of the room stood a table, and on it lay dozens of masks.

The wolf-masked man who had appeared spoke in a genial tone. "Please choose one."

I considered for a moment before selecting a baby pig mask. Haro picked a dolphin, while Zial chose a bull.

This is a bit boring, isn't it?

Hiding one's identity with nothing more than a mask seemed underwhelming, especially for something bearing the grandiose name of the Abyss Auction. The masks covered only the edges of the eyes, hardly enough to conceal anyone's identity.

With the mask on, I felt ridiculous walking down the dimly lit corridor.

Soon, a woman in a bee mask approached me. "You are in the Black Opal category, correct? Please come this way."

Her words stirred a quiet murmur among those nearby. The pig, waddling along in his ill-fitting tiger mask, turned toward me in surprise.

So the gem on the pendant marks one's rank.

From their reaction, we were clearly treated as VIPs.

I teased the pig by shaping a snout with my middle finger, then followed the bee-masked woman.

She led us to a private box overlooking the stage. It stood high above the ground, reached by a separate staircase, enclosed with walls and curtains. Even a death inside would go unnoticed.

The stage itself mirrored the design of the Imperial Theater, where the finest troupes and musicians of the empire performed their plays and concerts.

Why do the high and mighty always prefer to sit above others?

This naive question crossed my mind.

Still, when I was first led here, my immediate impression was, "I'm being treated properly," so I had no room to complain. I assumed it was meant to convey that they were not easily approachable. The seat was far from the stage, yet my view was clear enough to see both the stage and what lay behind the curtain if I wanted.

A table occupied the private box as well. The moment I sat down, Bee bowed and asked, "Do you need anything?"

"I'm a bit peckish. Do you have something to chew?"

"I'll prepare something for you right away," she replied.

While Bee was gone, I looked around. From this highest position, I could see the faces of everyone participating in the auction. It struck me as absurd to see them all wearing different masks.

Ah, I need to find the pig.

To outbid him in this auction, I had to know his location beforehand.

I looked around and noticed something strange. Someone wore a tiger mask below me, but the physique looked completely different from before. The man who had been so fat he could barely walk had become a slender girl.

Was someone else wearing the mask as a stand-in?

I paused, but my gut insisted the pig and the girl were the same person. I concentrated and activated my Fiery Golden Eyes.

Oh, it's the mask's power.

The mask he had received after leaving the room was a magic tool. It concealed his appearance through a hidden function. Unlike my Linchal Mask, which directly altered the user's body, this one refracted and reflected light, confusing visual perception. The reason it felt off was that all other sensory information remained unchanged.

While waiting in the waiting room, I had seen the true faces of everyone inside. Now it made sense—the strange scent in the room came from hallucinogenic candles. Without mental training, my memory would have blurred. Tomorrow, I would have forgotten the faces I saw that day.

I see... This is how anonymity is enforced. The method seemed clumsy, yet it was actually thorough.

In the meantime, Bee returned with snacks. "Here you go."

It was tea and sweets. I bit into a cookie and immediately asked, "Is this from De Marlin Refreshments?"

"You have sharp eyes. That's correct."

"It's delicious. Your master has a good eye."

"Yes," she replied with a faint, awkward smile. Most masks only covered the eyes, making it obvious who had a discerning palate.

"Got any envelopes?" I asked.

"Envelopes?"

"Yes. And bring more cookies."

Bee rolled her eyes. "U-understood."

Soon, she returned with more cookies and an envelope.

"Thank you."

"It's nothing."

I tucked most of the cookies into the envelope.

I have secured the bribe.

I chewed the remaining cookies and looked down at the auction stage as the lights started to dim.

A man wearing a turtle mask appeared.

"Ladies and gentlemen! It is nice to meet you!" His voice boomed without any visible amplification. "My name is Turtle, and I am your host! Gods bless those present today!"

"Oh, gods." These people always invoked the gods. Unfortunately, what they would face instead was the combination of the Iron-Blooded Lord and the Sky-Destroying Sword.

This opening signaled the start of the auction. It would not be surprising if Raizen Badniker, organizer of the Abyss Auction, appeared next.

Without showing any signs of it, Turtle talked to himself, mostly praising the participants and extolling the history and prestige of the auction.

Useless...

I yawned and looked down at the stage. It was past midnight. Usually, I would have been asleep long ago in the hospital bed. It was no wonder I was getting sleepy.

By the way, I remember hearing that auctions have specific etiquette.

It explained why hand gestures were used to express bidding intentions gracefully.

The lights dimmed once more, and the auction commenced in earnest.

"Then, the first item! Infernal Solar Grass!" Turtle announced.

"Oh?" Something familiar appeared right at the start.

"What a quality specimen, collected by experts from the Jewel Mountains! Look at the soil clinging to the roots! Don't you sense the freshness, like fish just caught? Of course, you should brush off the dirt before using it. Haha! Or perhaps you didn't know? Maybe the soil itself holds spiritual energy."

I ignored Turtle's empty chatter and touched my chin.

I had assumed that the church already possessed the Infernal Solar Grass from the Jewel Mountains. I never imagined I would encounter it here. Of course, it could be a fake or a different variety from the one secured by the church.

"What's the procedure for bidding?" I asked Bee, seated next to me.

"Ah... seems this is your first auction," she said.

"Yes. I'm attending in my father's place."

Her eyes behind the mask flickered. It was a look I knew well. She was looking at me as if I were a fool.

"Normally, you have to raise your hand and speak," she said. "Since you're in the room, you can just tell me."

"Really? Then I'll buy it." I smiled, and Bee nodded.

"Oh! A bidder already before the explanation finished! 500 gold coins from B-3!" Turtle called.

Damn!

In an instant, one-tenth of my wealth disappeared. Elixirs were expensive, but 500 gold was a bit too expensive. I felt a bit uncomfortable. Then I soon felt at ease thinking that this wasn't my money.

Still, 500 gold coins was no small sum. No one else bid, so I felt slightly overcharged.

I glanced at the two who had grown quiet since entering the auction house.

"If you see something you want, buy it," I said.

"I-I'm fine," Haro stammered.

"Me too," Zial replied.

Haro seemed tense, while Zial appeared lost in thought. It was frustrating to see them waste this rare opportunity. The Abyss Auction would likely vanish after today, making this their first and last chance to participate. I knew I would sound like an old nag if I scolded them, so I stayed silent.

The auction continued, items arriving in a steady stream. As I expected, my knowledge wasn't enough to evaluate them, so I purchased them according to my plan.

"100 gold coins! 110 gold coins! 120 gold coins! Ah! B-3 bids 200 gold coins at once! Randall's Cloth is up!"

"200 gold coins! 250 gold coins! Ah! 300 gold coins! The Giant's Backbone goes to a new owner!"

I could clearly hear the pig's teeth grinding. I smiled and waved from my high seat. Maybe I appeared different to him, but the pig mask made my identity obvious.

Suddenly, I asked, "Come to think of it, how do we receive the items?"

"You pay after the auction ends, then you get them," Bee explained.

"I see." Payment was made in a single transaction.

Since then, various items had been exchanged, and I had purchased more than twenty of them. By now, it was clear that the attention around me extended beyond the other participants. Even Bee beside me and Turtle on the stage were watching me closely.

"Y-you seem to like a lot of things," Bee said.

I laughed. "I'm a bit greedy. Give me more cookies."

"Of course."

By then, the stage lights dimmed slightly. Turtle disappeared after a few final words, and soft music began to play from somewhere nearby.

"What? Is it over?" I asked.

"The first part is over. The second part will start in about an hour," Bee explained.

"Got it."

"Do you want me to prepare a meal?" she asked.

"No," I said. I had eaten a hearty dinner and plenty of cookies after arriving. I wasn't hungry at all.

"I understand. If you need anything, just call me."

I stopped her. "Oh, by the way."

"Yes?"

"Don't you have a catalogue or something? I want to see the auction items in advance," I requested.

"Didn't you receive it earlier?"

"I'm here as a substitute for my father," I replied.

"P-please wait a moment." Bee left, her expression puzzled, then returned with the catalogue. "Here it is."

"Thank you."

"Alright. I'll see you in the second part."

"Yes."

I opened the catalogue and flipped through it, skipping the first part since it was already over. As usual with events like this, the really expensive items were saved for the second half.

The second half seemed dominated by slave auctions, which had been absent in the first half. Alongside humans, fairies, dwarves, giants, and beastfolk, there were monsters like goblins and trolls. The listings even included cubs of hard-to-breed beasts and eggs of rare spirit creatures.

Then I reached the final entry. I couldn't help laughing at the item likely slated to close the auction.

"Aren't these bastards crazy?" I muttered. Selling this type of thing?

The Abyss Auction didn't just deal in slaves. I now understood why the Iron-Blooded Lord wanted to wipe them out. There was no way that man would act for a mere slave auction. Even if he didn't intervene personally, he could have easily sent a subordinate or used his connections. There had to be countless ways to destroy an auction like this.

At that moment, someone approached. "Excuse me."

I glanced over and saw the wolf-masked man who had initially guided us. "My name is Wolf. Are you enjoying the auction?"

"The cookies are delicious, and the auction is interesting."

"Cookies from De Marlin Refreshments are always delicious," he said, ignoring my comment. "The organizer requests your presence. Do you have a moment?"

They had taken the bait. It seemed the sibling reunion would happen sooner than expected.

I've never had a smooth start with my siblings.

It was the same with Hector and Heero. Would Raizen be different?

I stood up with these doubts. "Let's go. Quickly."