“Tek here, infiltrating the camp of enemies to save your friends and lover who have been captured. It’s classic in movies and books, but not something that happens in civilized sections on Earth. However, it looks like it’s common in this fantasy world--”
We’re planning to depart from the Duchy Capital in the morning of the day after tomorrow.
The last day of the dark auction is wrapped in bizarre enthusiasm. The Princess of the Fallen Kingdom is going to be exhibited today, which may be the reason.
This auction hall is as large as a couple of school gymnasiums, the first floor is filled with seats for general bidders, while the second floor has box seats for nobles. Since the agent I hired before has secured one seat in the noble seating for me in advance, this time I can relaxedly I can bid on any exhibited items that catch my fancy.
The first exhibition was Mara’s cast Magic Sword, and someone immediately won it. I offered 10 as a probe, but they were all sold like that. They were sharp-pointed, one-handed swords, which are the most popular form in the Duchy Capital.
There’s a rare item called a ‘Gift Orb’ being exhibited--it seems to be able to give a Skill to the User. The one being exhibited now is the Gift Orb: Fire Magic, which after some fierce competition, was sold for 200 gold coins.
According to what the Agent told me, Gift Orbs always get sold at a high price. They come from Labyrinth City, and only 5 of them appear in the market each year it seems. It looks like Gift Orbs that aren’t used in 10 years will lose their effects.
I ask the agent if there’s anyone who has a Gift Orb that gives the Chanting Skill, but he doesn’t know.
The ‘Engine of An Airship’ seems to be unexpectedly unpopular. It seems that it was arranged this way so that only powerful nobles who wanted it would bid--of course, I didn’t bid.
When I was visiting the Airship Garage at the Duke’s Castle, the Factory Manager who I became acquainted with told me that they will be servicing a broken Air Power Engine in a few days, so he was currently on a break--it’s probably this one.
I’m mostly going to be preparing for departure tomorrow--but I will stop by and ask if I can see the exposed parts of the Engine.
The thing that I wanted the most, the Research Book of Ancient Language, turned out to be something that went way beyond what I expected.
However I look at it, it looks like a half-sized notebook, one which probably belonged to a transported person.
I originally planned on only spending up to 30 gold coins, but I ended up increasing my upper limit to 400 gold--it was thanks to someone who would just refuse to quit. I could have easily bought it for 10 gold coins, but he opened the bid with 114 Gold Coins, straight away.
It was the Hero…
I had prepared myself to compete with the Hero again for the next item, ‘An Unknown Black Plank’, but he didn’t bid on it for some reason--I was able to buy the Smartphone for 23 gold coins. I’ve never seen a phone of this exact make, and the logo on it is very unfamiliar--looking like a partially bitten apple--obviously a phone from another Earth.
It seems that the battery is drained, the phone doesn’t start up, even after I pushed the button.
It’s probably also a possession of the Human who had the Research Book of Ancient Language.
***
And then, the Princess of The Fallen Kingdom is exhibited.
She is a 9 year old girl, who’s completely white. She is a cute child, the former Princess of the white-haired Tigerkin.
That reminds me, the Tigerkin Kingdom was invaded by the Weaselkin Empire.
I see, I finally understand--why several Beastkin have been gathering in the sewers since a while ago, they’re going to try and infiltrate the hall. It looks like some of them are infiltrating through the ventilation duct.
There are no guards in that place, so it’s fine, but the operation will be blown if anyone sees them--I secretly stabilize the Squirellkin girl who lost her balance and was about to fall, using Magic Hand.
The bidding is getting heated, it’s been raised to 120 gold coins--both of the bidders are Humans. One is a noble from the Duchy Capital, but the other is a noble from a Kingdom that I’ve never heard of. The former is easy to understand from his lustful expression, but the latter has bloodshot eyes and a look of extreme rage--it looks like he has a grudge.
I suddenly feel the presence of Magic, so I look over to the location where it is--there’s a man there who has produced a black ball. Which will erase illumination from the room.
A voice shouts out “Fire!” from the direction of the east exit, and white smoke starts slipping under the door. As the panic begins to build, the light disappears--the rescue team that has infiltrated through the sewers has saved the white-haired Tigerkin Princess.
Since it seems like they’ll be surrounded by the Soldiers, I secretly give them help with Magic Hand under the cover of Darkness. Since the rather deranged-looking foreign noble from earlier has started to chant Fireball Magic--I pick up a jar and knock him out using Magic Hand.
What a dangerous guy…This is a packed hall, and he wants to use a Fire Spell without able to see a target.
I invoked Clairhearing aiming towards the Tigerkin Princess.
>> Skill: White-Tigerkin Language Acquired.
I allocate five skill points to it, and activate it.
‘Princess Runya, I’ve come for you.’
‘Galgaoron, I believed that you would surely come to help me.’
‘Boss Gal, we should escape soon.’
‘That’s right, leaving aside the Weaselkin, we absolutely won’t be able to escape if the Duke’s guards come’
‘Alright, let’s pull back’
‘Yes sir!’
Since the voice sounds familiar, I look at them through the darkness, I know all of their faces. It’s the white-tiger and his follower. Even though he’s someone who rescues a little girl, he also kicks Sea Lion Kin children.
I intended to help them escape more, but the feeling disappeared somehow.
Good luck for the rest.
When I heard about it later, some Tigerkin lost their lives to the pursuing forces, but it seems that the Tiger Princess has safely escaped. I’m not interested with them, but I check the map in order to avoid getting involved--they’re moving through the forest toward the Royal Capital of the Shiga Kingdom, not the Tigerkin country.
Since they’re going in the opposite direction, we probably won’t meet them again--and I am most likely raising a flag by thinking that.
Actually, a Human former Princess was going to be exhibited after the Tiger Princess. However, since the auction was suspended due to this disturbance, she was entrusted to the Duke’s house, by the Duke’s recommendation.
I’m not privy to the details, but she seems to be an illegitimate Princess from the same Kingdom as Princess Menea’s fiance.
Now then, after earning an abnormal amount of income, and shake off the people tailing me--let’s go on a stroll in the town.
I returned with snacks and candy for the girls.
