“Hey.”
Carla, cluelessly, put a grape in my mouth.
I was a bit flustered, but no one seemed to care about her doing so.
They were just shocked by the 100,000 gold I had bid, their mouths agape.
The host, recovering first, asked in an incredulous tone,
“100,000 gold… are you serious?”
“If you sum up all five, it’s 100,000.”
As I confidently reiterated, the entire auction hall burst into an uproar.
“That’s impossible! How much has he spent, and now this? Another 100,000 gold?!”
“Wait, did he say total? So, it’s 20,000 gold for each! Who on earth is he representing…”“I thought he wasn’t interested since he wasn’t looking at the slaves. Maybe he’s just very selective. Now he even buys a male… Is it all about good taste? Hmm, such peculiar tastes.”
“Excuse me, last guy, it’s not like that!”
While caressing Carla, who sat on my lap, I tried to convey that I didn’t have such tastes.
However, Elisha seemed to appear betrayed for some reason.
No, no. That wasn’t the message here!
Avoiding Elisha’s gaze, the host, after calming the crowd, continued,
“Ahem. Sir? I don’t doubt you, but, well… 100,000 gold is a substantial amount. Our auction house rules…”
“I’m aware. I can pay in cash or something equivalent in value, right?”
“Exactly. Could you, perhaps, show me a little proof of your sincerity?”
In other words, he wanted proof that I could afford it.
Well… 100,000 gold was an amount even a duke or an earl would struggle to gather.
There weren’t many who could handle that amount, and I wasn’t one of them, so it was natural to be skeptical.
Though it was an unnecessary concern.
I chuckled and pulled out a pouch from my inventory filled with platinum coins.
Clink.
Each coin was worth 100 gold, the highest currency denomination.
Though called platinum coins, they were far more valuable, made from a precious alchemical alloy.
They were made with rare minerals and the skill of high-level alchemists, which made counterfeiting virtually impossible.
I levitated the heavy pouch, which contained 1,000 of these coins, towards the host.
“Oh, we could have sent someone to collect it. Thanks for the consideration… Wait?!”
The host froze as he opened the pouch, and the dazzling glow of the platinum coins met his eyes.
Nervously, he checked the authenticity of the coins.
If he couldn’t recognize such hard-to-counterfeit coins, he wouldn’t have lasted long as an auctioneer here.
Soon, with a trembling voice, the host announced,
“100,000 gold… confirmed. Any other bidders?”
“…”
It was unlikely.
With everyone staring at the slaves, dazed and disappointed, the host nodded and began to speak.
“So, all the slaves from the Silvan Magic Tower will be sold together for 100,000 gold…”
“Wait!”
Someone urgently raised their hand, stopping the host.
I turned to see a familiar face.
It was Count Kipros, who had bid 10,000 gold for Carla earlier. Had I not been there, he would have easily won her.
This sadistic man with a frustrated look asked,
“Just a question, Mr. Host. Are the slaves only sold as a bundle?”
“No. They were originally sold individually, but this gentleman here wanted to buy them all.”
“So, it’s 20,000 gold each.”
“That would be the case if the bidder didn’t specify otherwise. What would you like to do, Sir?”
The host sent me a subtle, expectant look.
If I set high prices for some and low prices for others here, the slaves that went cheap might be sought after, leading to renewed competition.
Well, it was obvious which slave Count Kipros was eyeing.
It was either Elisha or the previous tower master, Iris. It was one of the two.
Unless that damn sadist had changed his tastes.
Of course, I had no intention whatsoever of handing anyone over to Count Kipros.
With a sullen face, I removed a handful of platinum coins from my inventory and displayed them to the host.
“I won’t adjust the ratios. Instead, no matter how much anyone bids, I’ll bid 10,000 gold more.”
“Oh…! Is that so? How much will you bid?”
“Ugh…”
Perhaps seeing the way I held Carla, he realized there was a relationship between the current me and my disguised self.
Count Kipros, having been outbid twice, clenched his teeth in anger but soon released a deep sigh.
“I… concede the bid.”
“Understood. Let it be known that the final item of today has been sold for 100,000 gold.”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The cheerful sound of a wooden hammer signaled the end of the auction.
The manager, whom I’d met when purchasing Carla, bowed deeply with a very courteous demeanor.
“Thank you for the good deal.”
“I feel the same. I’m concerned about being swarmed by nuisances. Could I perhaps borrow a carriage?”
“For a VIP like you, that’s always possible. If needed, we can also arrange an escort to your destination.”
“Oh, don’t worry about the escort. I have my own. Just prepare it discreetly so I can avoid unnecessary attention.”
“Understood. I’ll prepare it immediately. Is there anything else you need? Given the amount, we can offer various services.”
“Nothing in particular. If I had to choose, I’d like to see the items soon…?”
“Haha! You’ve won so many items. It seems it’s taking some time to pack and inspect them. But they should be out soon… Ah, here they are.”
Turning around, I saw the manager nodding.
Beyond the small waiting room door, five elves and staff members carrying various items I’d bought were visible.
After briefly inspecting the items and marking the slaves with my mana to recognize them as their master, I stood up.
“Everything’s in order. I’ll be leaving now.”
“Thank you for choosing our auction house again. I had already informed the staff below, so if you follow that servant, a carriage will be waiting for you at the back door.”
“Sounds good.”
As I was about to leave the waiting room with all my items stored in the inventory, the manager, who had seen me off, spoke cautiously.
“Pardon my intrusion, but what did you intend to do with so many elves? If it was okay, could you enlighten me?”
“……”
I stopped opening the door and stared at him intently.
He looked apologetic but seemed unable to contain his curiosity.
Perhaps he thought there was some hidden value in the set of elves that even he was unaware of. The eagerness to learn was evident in his eyes.
Under normal circumstances, I would have avoided the question.
Even looking at the manager of the Gef Auction House, there was nothing odd about his behavior at H&A.
But why did I recall Carla’s words before she arrived?
About the possibility of the Boiling Silence Church being behind the fall of the Sylvan Magic Tower. They surely would have visited the auction house to ensure their affairs went smoothly.
Why would he ask such a question—not when I was with Carla, but when the door was half-open and several servants were present?
The Levantine Empire’s royal family and even the Alliance of the Holy Cults had spies.
Could it be possible that the Boiling Silence Church had ties with Gef Auction House, the best on the continent?
Even if the manager wasn’t a cultist, could he possibly have connections with the cult?
Could I really be sure there was no issue in the game?
In a brief moment, a sense of danger close to instinct rang alarm bells in my ears.
Of course, all of this could have been a misunderstanding.
…But it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.
Without showing any emotions, I lifted the corner of my lips as naturally as possible.
“Hmm… It’s a business secret, but considering the future, it wouldn’t be bad if the Gef Auction House knew about it.”
“Oh my…! I was so curious, I thought I’d lose sleep for days… Thank you!”
After dodging some plausible-sounding words, I racked my brain to find a credible reason.
Then, I asked,
“Do you know that the child of a slave is also considered a slave, right?”
“Of course. Unless granted clemency for some special reason, their descendants will also be slaves.”
“So, the offspring of the elves here would also be slaves.”
“……!”
Only then did the manager’s eyes widen as if he had realized something.
“Elves have a long lifespan. However, their gestation period isn’t much different from humans, and their growth rate is similar. …If luck’s on our side, we might even get a High Elf.”
Looking at Elisha and Iris, he seemed to appreciate them, nodding his head as if in admiration.
“…You’re thinking of establishing a farm, aren’t you?”
“Something like that.”
Good. That must have sounded utterly absurd, right?
It was a lie that would be uncovered in a few years anyway, but if the Boiling Silence was involved, those few years would be very useful.
I shrugged and asked the manager,
“How about it? Are you satisfied with the answer?”
“Of course. I presume you’ll ask for various conveniences when you do business through us.”
“We’re on the same page.”
“We, as a group, will do anything if there’s money involved. It’s only right to do whatever it is. But…”
“But?”
“There have been a few who’ve had the same idea.”
“…….”
What? There were actual attempts at an elf farm?
That was insane. A fantasy take on slavery.
“Previous attempts all failed, but considering your starting scale, you might succeed.”
The manager bowed politely once more.
“I look forward to our next meeting.”
It was an incredibly unsettling farewell.
“Yandel! How… How could you do this to me? You shouldn’t… You shouldn’t do this to me!”
Oops. I made Elisha cry!
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