C35: The Flower of the Auction House (Part 1)
Night. The outskirts of Underdog City.
For some reason, luxury carriages gather in the desolate open space where nobody usually comes.
Black tents cover the vast open area.
Nobles wearing masks enter the makeshift building, causing a commotion.
Today is the day of the slave auction. It is an unofficial slave auction held in Baskerville, of course.
Therefore, the slaves being exhibited here are not officially reported goods.
Originally, there were many people who couldn't be traded as slaves.
For example, savages who have lost their homeland, nobles from distant regions, or commoners who were suddenly kidnapped one day.
They are beings who are bound by chains, trained with whips or drugs, and have completely lost their will to escape or report.
Or they were goods that would become like that in the future.
"Welcome, welcome. Sincerely welcome to the 'Freak Show' tonight! Yes, yes, please come in."
A clown greets the visitors.
Finally, a middle-aged man walks up to the clown.
A middle-aged man with a goat beard and a somewhat shabby appearance kept looking around as if he was anxious about something.
The clown checks the man's admission ticket.
"Ahem, ahem. Mr. Chihuahua Montblanc, huh? Oh, you came from the Montblanc family? This elegant signature is a Montblanc-exclusive patent that no one else can imitate... Oh?"
The clown, about to let Chihuahua Montblanc pass, grabs him.
Chihuahua noticeably panics.
The clown squints his eyes and speaks.
"It seems that the purpose of visit written on the certificate indicates that you didn't come to buy a slave... but to sell one?"
"Ah, yes. That's right. I came to sell."
"What about the merchandise?"
"Huh? Oh, I have temporarily tied him up over there. There's only one anyway. He's a young boy, so he doesn't take up much space."
Then, the clown smiles and bows his head again.
"I see. The Montblanc family are always esteemed customers who purchase slaves in large quantities. Since you came to sell this time, I was worried if you were unhappy with the ones you bought last time and wanted to put them up for sale."
Chihuahua wipes his cold sweat with a handkerchief and nods his head.
"That's not the case. I have always been satisfied with the quality of the slaves purchased here."
"I see. Yes, that's right. We only sell carefully selected slaves. We abduct women who have lost their families and homeland, commoners, and noble young ladies who come for a tour from distant regions, and we harshly train them without their knowledge. They are obedient and can't even dream of escaping or rebelling. We guarantee the quality."
The clown once again politely bows his head towards Chihuahua.
"Welcome to the Freak Show."
Inside the auction house, a strange tension filled the air.
Men and women wearing masks with the scent of pipe tobacco and smoke sat around the central stage.
The symbols that drive the underground economy of Underdog City had gathered here.
A lady wearing a butterfly mask savors the sight of a naked savage male slave on the stage, while a gentleman wearing a bat mask admires a male slave with a mercenary background on the stage.
There was no distinct audience on the stage of the auction house.
Objects such as old jars, famous artworks, sharp swords, rare animals, or mythical creatures were brought up for auction, along with people branded with slave marks.
But for the wealthy people gathered here, such distinctions didn't matter much.
They were individuals who treated objects, animals, and people as equals even in their daily lives.
Noble guests wearing masks chatted among themselves, fanning themselves to hide their faces.
"I heard that in the imperial capital these days, they catch slaves with strange appearances and put them on display as a trend."
"I'm not particularly interested in such trends. As long as the slaves are pretty and good-looking, that's all that matters to me."
"Isn't it true that slaves should be good at their work or skilled in combat?"
"Hahaha, I am drawn to the tragic past that slaves have. That's why I prefer fallen nobles or nobles who have been kidnapped."
"Well, anyway, I hope there are plenty of decent slaves today."
People's attention was mostly focused on the slaves.
The emcee, dressed as a clown, stepped onto the stage and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Yes! The unmistakable artifacts of an ancient civilization, this sword and shield! It starts at 30 million gold! Do I hear any more bids? Yes! Sold! Applause for the gentleman with the snake mask who won this lucky relic! Now, moving on to the next item! Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on this beautiful crown adorned with precious gems! Surely it belonged to a king from a long-lost kingdom in history..."
At that moment, the gaze of the audience, previously fixed on the slaves, suddenly shifted to one particular spot.
Even though the item up for auction this time wasn't a person, it was enough to capture the attention of everyone in the room in an instant.
A black bull covered in coarse muscles.
With its massive horns, hefty body, and three bulging eyes, it was a sight to behold.
<Hell Bull 'Mursielago'>
Danger Level: A
Size: 3m
Habitat: Enemy and Black Mountain Range, Section 2
-A type of bovine species that inhabits the depths of the 'Oil Realm' in hell.
It is known to have nineteen hearts and will not stop charging until all of them cease to beat.
It was a colossal beast that roamed the enemy and black mountains.
However, despite the appearance of this monster on stage, no one attempted to flee, and the reason was simple.
Mursielago was already dead.
The emcee shouted again.
"Alright! This item was secretly embezzled by the knights of Baskerville! A creature of the dangerous A-rank! The hide, meat, bones, organs—nothing will go to waste!"
The body of the Hell Bull bore nineteen wounds.
It appeared that it met its demise only after all of its hearts were destroyed.
The price of this corpse began to skyrocket.
"100 million gold!"
"120 million!"
"140 million!"
"190 million!"
"200 million!"
"250 million!"
Even though they were not human slaves, the entire auction house was buzzing with excitement.
The auctioneer, who sold the carcass of the Hell Cow at a good price, led the auction in earnest.
"Now, it's time for the auction featuring only human-like beings!"
Finally, various types of humans began to appear on stage.
There was a savage man with dead eyes as if he had given up everything, a kidnapped noblewoman begging to be sent home in tears, a commoner boy who seemed lost and terrified as if he didn't know where he was, and a fallen noble's young lady pleading to be killed.
"One hundred million!"
"Two hundred million!"
"Two hundred and fifty million!"
"Add another seven thousand!"
"She's mine! Don't touch her!"
"Are you kidding me? Bring more money."
As they cried, begged, and resigned themselves, the madness of the humans surrounding the stage grew even stronger.
Then, suddenly, the auctioneer, who had been energetically selling the items, made a bewildered expression.
"...Huh? Wh-What? Did I put this up for sale too? Huh? R-Really? Oh, I see. I'll sell it for now."
He stumbled in his communication with the men behind the stage.
Finally, he composed himself and delivered his announcement again.
"Now! The next item is a bit different from what we've had so far! It has a unique charm! This is an item that still has plenty of room to be trained!"
In other words, even the slave traders themselves were having trouble controlling it.
The auctioneer, who had made an effort to package it, brought the slave to the center of the stage.
Unlike before, this slave came on stage trapped in a sturdy iron cage.
"Kraaack!"
Screams burst out in succession.
Inside the bars, a savage girl with a ferocious face was rampaging like a maniac.
She must be around 17 years old now.
Black hair mixed with patches of silver, pointed ears shaped like triangles, and her face had a savage color, covered in ash, giving it that appearance, but it originally seemed to be a light brown.
She wore a choker with thorns around her neck, and the animal skin she was wearing was nothing more than a rag.
Her body, visible through the gaps, was firm and slender, but covered in dirt, making it impossible to recognize her face. Moreover, she was raging and growling so fiercely that no one picked up their bidding signs.
"!אני בת המלך. תקלל אותך. אני אהרוג אותך"
A language that no one understood.
Furthermore, due to the stench of the wild animals emanating from the entire stage and the odor that seemed to have gone unwashed for several days, the ladies turned their heads with wrinkled expressions.
"...Ah, who would buy this?"
Even the circus clown muttered to himself like this, so it's safe to say that everyone had given up.
Nevertheless, as someone who had to sell the merchandise, he did his best and delivered his pitch.
"Alright! The slave traders have brought back those who were lying deep in the jungle! Don't hesitate! Aren't you interested in taming such ferocious slaves? Whether you make them work at night or use them as gladiators, it's a moment to showcase your slave training skills! Bidding starts at 5 million! Let's begin!"
....
However, no one raised their hand.
Usually, considering the host's dignity and the atmosphere of the auction, there would be someone who would at least call out the minimum bid... but this time, there was no one.
"Ah! Then let's lower the minimum bid! 3 million! Does anyone have 3 million?"
....
"Well, even that won't work! 2 million! Come on, I'll take 2 million! I'm telling you again, you won't even break even!"
....
"Fine, fine, I get it! 1 million! Just close your eyes and give me 1 million! Take them and use them as human meat if you have to! I'll sell them for a mere meat price!"
....
However, in the end, no one raised their hand.
The auctioneer grumbled and made a gesture with his hands.
"Forget it. This isn't selling. I told you, only guaranteed merchandise should be put up. Argh! Quickly clear the stage! Next time, use decoys or something."
Soon, the slave traders came up onto the stage and pulled down the iron bars where the savage girl was imprisoned.
Moreover, in the process, the girl even caused a major accident by biting off and cutting the finger of the merchant holding the iron bars.
The atmosphere in the auction house became chaotic.
The organizers had to somehow control this atmosphere.
Why was that?
The auctioneer felt it was the perfect timing to bring out an extraordinary S-class item.
"Attention, everyone! Ladies and gentlemen, please pay attention! In my subjective judgment, the best item of the day is about to be revealed!"
And so, a man appeared on the stage.
On his wrists were handcuffs, and a young boy with heavy chains dangling from them.
He had a youthful face that seemed to have just turned 15.
Despite the weight of the restraints, the boy walked without hesitation.
The audience couldn't help but be impressed by his dignified and calm demeanor.
Finally, as the boy stood in the center of the stage, the torchlights above illuminated his face all at once.
The boy's appearance was clearly revealed within the bright cluster of lights.
And upon seeing him, the entire audience fell silent.
"....Oh my."
The expressions of all the ladies and some middle-aged men gathered here became filled with a sense of awe.
