Just as the rumors about Count Salier’s transaction ledger were starting to die down, the dog butcher announced that he had acquired the ledger, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
At the same time, he gathered all the members of the Four Families for a meeting.
“Ha, looks like you’re cutting it close, holding a meeting with just two days left.”
The head of Goldmine, one of the Four Families, ran his hand over his solid gold chin as he spoke.
“Ah, I must apologize for that. I’ve been feeling a bit on edge myself.”
“The great dog butcher is nervous?”
“The route I used to acquire this item was a bit unconventional. Considering who we’re dealing with, I had no choice but to be careful. The ones targeting this are just as dangerous.”
“Oh my, since when has my brother become so cautious?”
Miss Sue, the dog butcher’s twin, joined the conversation which made him smirk.
“What’s this? You two…when did you start dating? You seem to be in perfect sync.”
“Well, anything’s possible for the right price, isn’t it? So, what do you say, darling? Should we start dating today?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. My noble blood isn’t something someone like you can handle.”
“Oh my, what a sight. You really don’t hold back with the ladies, do you?”
Despite her words, Miss Sue showed no change in expression and quickly returned to the main topic.
“So, it seems you’ve definitely received the item. And you called us here for protection, right?”
“That’s right. After looking into it recently, I found out this thing… it’s connected to the Empire.”
“The Empire?”
“You can get the explanation from the sewer rat who’s been keeping his mouth shut.”
Following that, the man who had been lying down with a newspaper covering his face suddenly jolted awake.
“Huh? What? Did someone call me?”
“Yes, you. I called you here, and all you’ve done is sleep.”
“Whoa, whoa, what’s the rush? What’s the deal?”
“You should have at least figured out that the Empire is involved in this.”
“Well… yeah, I guess?”
“Then explain it in detail.”
Unlike other family leaders, the sewer rat looked disheveled and was chewing on the ends of his tangled hair as he began to speak.
“Geez, no matter what, you can’t expect me to just spill the information we rats risked our necks to gather, can you?”
“I think I’ve already shared enough information. Do you want to be thrown out of here?”
“Ahem. That’s not what I meant. But I’d at least like to get a meal at the restaurant today…”
“Tch.”
Unable to stand it any longer, the Goldmine head tossed him a gold coin.
“Well, thank you very much~!”
Only then did the sewer rat clear his throat and begin to speak.
“Let’s see… the Empire… the imperial family… the imperial family, yeah, that’s right. I heard the imperial family is about to release some wild dogs.”
“Wild dogs?”
“Looks like our dog butcher friend will have a good day in business.”
“What exactly are these wild dogs?”
“To be precise, it’s not the imperial family, but hunting dogs personally raised by the Crown Prince… I’m not sure of the exact number, though.”
“And beyond that?”
“All sorts of random things will probably gather… But shouldn’t we be more worried about this group first?”
The other three frowned at the sewer rat’s words.
“You’re treating us like petty thieves.”
“That’s right~ We all saw what happens when one of us gets wiped out, didn’t we? Remember 38 years ago?”
“Stop stirring up unnecessary chaos with your words, sewer rat.”
“Oh wow, looks like everyone’s heated today. Since when were we all so brotherly, huh? Anyway, forget it. But there is one thing I’m curious about… just how did you manage to get that item?”
At the sewer rat’s question, the others turned to look at the dog butcher.
It was true. Among the group, he was the most cautious when it came to protecting himself.
They were all curious as to how he had received the item without any of the three knowing.
“No matter what, I’m not about to reveal my client’s information. Don’t concern yourselves with it.”
“Alright then, fair enough.”
The sewer rat who had only asked on a whim lost interest, and the others shifted their gazes as well.
“Well then, let’s focus on how to smoothly proceed with the auction.”
After a long exchange of small talk, they finally returned to their original purpose.
However, even as the meeting progressed, they all had the sense that this auction would not unfold as planned.
***
The underground city wasn’t as dark and bleak as most imagined.
While the lower floors might be, the fourth floor which was open only to the most elite of VIPs maintained streets as bright as daylight thanks to a ceiling lined with luminescent stones called sunstones.
It was so vast that those who visited it for the first time were often dumbfounded by the great fortress built by the dog butcher.
Because of this, countless people flocked to the city on auction day, but today was especially crowded.
As a result, the guards stationed at the fortress were busy verifying identities, while the throng of visitors eagerly lined up, awaiting entry to the auction hall.
“There’s a ridiculous number of people.”
“Right. I heard there’s only one item up for auction this time too.”
“Tch. What’s so special about this Count Salier or whatever?”
“You idiot. Do you think there’s only one or two nobles involved with that man? I heard some of them have already started turning themselves in as soon as the auction was announced.”
“What? Who in their right mind would spread the contents everywhere just to screw people over? Turning themselves in seems a bit extreme, doesn’t it?”
“Why else? It’s probably because of that noble killer causing a stir on the surface recently.”
“Ah… yeah, I’ve heard rumors about that too.”
The idle chatter among the guards came to an end with the arrival of the captain, and they resumed welcoming guests with heightened vigilance.
Inside the fortress, grand decorations and a long table laden with food gave the impression of a noble banquet, much to the delight of the arriving guests.
As more guests continued to enter, several who knew each other began gathering in small groups, just as the glowing stones in the lavish hall dimmed to set a softer and more refined mood.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. We are deeply grateful for your presence here at Petitque once again.”
When the auctioneer appeared on the podium, the conversations among the guests came to an abrupt halt, and all eyes turned toward him.
After a brief moment of silence, the auctioneer opened his mouth with an exaggerated gesture.
“It seems we have many new faces here today. This must mean that everyone is very interested in the items up for auction.”
Just like the auctioneer said, several first-time visitors had gathered on one side and were watching him intently.
Meanwhile, the auctioneer himself was busy reading the expressions hidden behind the masks of the numerous guests.
To serve as an auctioneer here in the underground auction house on the fourth floor, one needed a sharp sense of perception.
Are those over there with the sewer rats? And the ones who flinched just now…those must be the ones listed in the ledger.
The people most interested in this auction were precisely those mentioned in the ledger.
Since this too was valuable information, the auctioneer continued to mentally take note of these details as he proceeded with a practiced poise.
“Without further ado, let me explain how today’s auction will proceed. Like it was stated on your invitations, this auction will feature only one item.”
“Additionally, the starting bid is set at 1,000 gold coins. Bids can be raised by a minimum of 50 gold coins.”
“The auction item is enchanted, and its contents are concealed. After a successful bid, the seller will personally lift the enchantment, so please keep this in mind.”
“Lastly, we remind you that Petitque’s responsibility for the auctioned item extends only from the moment it is handed over to you. We bear no liability for any issues arising after the sale.”
As the tension among the guests continued to build, the spotlight shifted to the podium.
“Now, let me introduce the featured item. The transaction ledger, a relic of Count Salier!”
As the spotlight revealed the glass case containing the ledger, soft blue light began to flow gently from various points in the room.
At the same time, a blue glow radiated from the glass case holding the ledger, and the number set at 1,000 started to rise rapidly.
This was a magical tool designed to ensure a perfect blind auction.
The number of guests grew steadily under the soft lighting, and while only soft classical music filled the room, a fierce battle of wits was taking place among the guests.
***
I must not let this slip through my fingers!
I need to gather every bit of money I have!
Please, anything but letting that see the light of day!
The most desperate among them were those who had previously dealt with Count Salier.
They cursed their past selves a hundred, a thousand times over for their greed, and watched as the number continued to rise without pause.
The bid had already surpassed the starting price of 1,000 gold coins and was climbing past 4,000 gold coins.
The nobles who had once dealt with Count Salier had been able to pool their money together thanks to the help of Crown Prince Samuel.
Also, with Crown Prince Samuel’s funds added, they couldn’t exactly say they were short of money, but because of the nature of the item, they couldn’t be entirely sure of success either.
At the same time, their resentment toward Count Salier, who had died so easily, grew just as strong as the regret they felt for their past selves.
Why did that idiot leave behind something like a ledger?
He was so cautious, yet died comfortably on his own!
In the brief moment they thought this, the bid had already surpassed 6,000 gold coins.
It was a sum far exceeding the annual taxes of a fairly small city.
Nevertheless, the numbers were still climbing at a rapid pace.
Meanwhile, unlike the nobles, one person participated in the auction with a relatively relaxed expression. It was none other than Elliot, a subordinate of Eldorat of Goldmine.
Idiots.
He sneered as he watched the group of nobles intensely glaring at the bidding board.
Surely, the price of that item would rise far beyond what they were expecting.
No matter how much they bled, the money that could be squeezed out of them over time would be far more.
Not only that, but the item was practically the key that would allow him to rise to a position in the sun.
Normally, it was extremely rare for something like a transaction ledger to appear in this underground city.
From the start, it was normal for ledgers to be designed to self-destruct the moment anyone other than the owner opened them.
Anyone who had done business in the underground city for some time would have taken such precautions, but Count Salier didn’t even dare attempt it, fearing he might get caught by the Crown Prince.
That was why this mess had occurred, but it wasn’t Elliot’s concern.
All that mattered to him was putting that item before the master he served.
At least compared to those nobles who had squandered their wealth on luxury and excess, the gold coins he had accumulated in the underground city over the decades would surely pile up much higher.
While Elliot had his gaze elsewhere, the auction price continued to rise and soon reached 10,000 gold coins.
At this point, the first to grow anxious were the group of nobles.
Although they still had plenty of funds remaining, the speed at which the bids were increasing showed no signs of slowing down.
How much higher would it go?
The auctioneer opened his mouth once more.
“It seems the starting bid was far too low. From now on, the bid increment will be raised to 500 gold coins!”
“What the hell! How can you raise it by ten times?!”
Shouts of despair echoed from various parts of the room.
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