chapter_0196

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
196

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
196

The Gothic Lolita outfit the
thug brought was incredibly uncomfortable to wear.

If it weren’t for Erin and
the few others who were there to help, I wouldn’t have dared to put
it on.

While it’s certainly better
than something cheap.

But why is such a thing even
here?

None of you would wear
something like this.

No matter how I think about
it, isn’t this just the thug’s personal taste?

Even as my opinion of the thug
hit rock bottom, Erin and the people from the Newman Family continued
working without a break, and before long, my disguise was complete.

In the mirror that the thug
held up, I saw a somewhat gloomy, beautiful young girl.

My long red hair was hidden
under a hat,

my sharp eyes were concealed
under a brim,

I changed my eye colour with
lenses, and made my skin pale with makeup, becoming an entirely
different person.

How could I change so much
with just a few adjustments?

I’m literally a different
person!

As much as he’s a disgusting
pervert, does that mean the thug has real talent and a good eye?

While I was turning my body to
check if the outfit was properly worn, I couldn’t help but let out
an exclamation.

…It does suit me well.

I look like a living doll.

As I admired my reflection in
the mirror, the perverted fox next to me smacked her lips.

“Hoooh. This is something
else. Churup.”

‘Would you cut it out
please?’

“Perverted fox. Before I
throw you into the Allen Family Knights’ laundry pile, take it easy,
okay?”

“Such horrid things to
say!”

Naturally, my voice, speech,
and actions did not change. After all, how could they when I have
this [Mesugaki] skill?

The thug, seemingly not
expecting my speech to change either, gave me a few instructions
before we headed to the auction house.

Don’t speak. Don’t take the
initiative to act. If you have something to say, write it in a
notebook and show it.

Summarising all this, I
basically just had to stand behind the thug and others like a doll
until we exited the auction house.

Easy enough. Just stay still,
that’s all.

Possell and the people from
the Newman Family, who didn’t know me well, looked at me anxiously,
but those who knew me well, like Erin, weren’t too worried.

After all, I’m not the old
Lucy. As long as I just stay still, nothing will go wrong, right?

‘Grandpa, don’t you trust
me?!’

Why is Grandpa saying that of
all people?!

He’s the one who knows me
best!

‘What’s wrong with me?!’

Feeling unjustly accused, I
pressed further, but Grandpa did not offer any more rebuttals.

Hmph. Accusing me without
anything to say in his defence.

Watch! I won’t say a word
during this auction!

Even as I stepped out of the
Newman Family’s base and walked through the streets, I attracted
many people’s attention.

The meaning of their gazes,
however, was different from before. When walking outside as Lucy,
their faces were filled with fear.

But now, it’s different.

Simply because the name Lucy
Allen disappeared, people’s eyes were full of good will.

It must be the power of my
high charm attribute.

However, this high charm
doesn’t always work in my favour.

A weak-looking person with
charm often invites trouble.

Among the crowd, I saw a man
reaching a hand toward me.

Just an ordinary piece of
trash.

A mob that I could easily
handle with one hand in my current state.

It wasn’t hard to avoid his
outstretched hand, but I didn’t move.

I had promised not to, and I
had faith in my backup.

“Do you want to die?”

Just as I had disguised
myself, Possell and Erin had also made minimal changes to their
appearance.

Given that neither of them had
as distinctive features as Lucy, their disguises were easier.

When Possell, now a
stern-looking big guy, and Erin, looking like a silent and tough
woman to match, glared at the man, he freaked out and fell to the
ground, prostrating himself.

Thanks to the intimidating
presence shown by Possell.

After those words passed, the
path naturally cleared, and I followed behind the others, hidden from
view.

‘It can’t be helped.’

If I don’t do this, I can’t
get into the auction house, so I’ve resigned myself to it.

Right now, I am a different
person, not Lucy Allen.

If it’s just a fleeting dream,
what’s the point of holding onto it?

‘I feel so embarrassed I
could die.’

Even now, I’m regretting it
over and over.

Why are these people, who
couldn’t even look me in the eye before, staring at me now?

Ah, I just want to finish this
and throw this outfit away!

While grumbling to myself, I
suddenly saw the auction house ahead.

Getting into the auction house
wasn’t difficult at all.

The thug at the front
introduced us to the guard using the name of some noble with a long,
complicated title. The guard, who seemed to be familiar with the
thug, let us in without suspicion.

Since it was right before the
auction started, the place was bustling.

Many people’s eyes brushed
past me.

Admiration for my beauty.
Curiosity about which family’s lady I belong to. Silent, sticky
stares were following my every move.

My senses, honed through
numerous trials, didn’t miss a single one of those glances.

Hmm. I think I understand why
grandpa asked if I could remain calm.

“Now, my lady. You can go
inside.”

Despite his unassuming
appearance, the thug handled things quickly and efficiently.

He led us to a private room in
the auction house.

A place where we could relax
away from the crowd.

“You may relax here, but
please don’t make any loud noises. You never know who might be
listening.”

Once I was somewhat out of
people’s gaze, I let out a long sigh and leaned back against the
chair.

“Hello! This is Pruge,
your host for today’s auction!”

Soon, the curtains on the
central stage of the auction house lifted, revealing a person.

A middle-aged man, notable for
his neat moustache, announced the start of the auction with a clear
voice that penetrated the ears.

The items at the beginning of
the auction were mostly things that the past Lucy would have gone
crazy about.

In other words, luxury goods.
Rings or necklaces adorned with rare jewels. Things like that.

The noble ladies participating
in the auction tossed gold coins for these items, but I just watched
on, bored.

For a gamer, those items were
just junk.

As the early part ended, more
useful items began to show up.

Among them were things I had
intended to give as gifts.

However, I passed on even
those.

To save my budget for any
unforeseen incidents.

I waited and waited, and
finally, the item I had been hoping for appeared.

The Stone Tablet That Shines
When Imbued with Divine Energy.

“This stone tablet is not
an ordinary item. When someone of faith imbues it with their divine
energy, it emits a warm light. It means this item carries the will of
the all-knowing and all-powerful Armadi. Also, if you look here,
you’ll see ancient but still clear inscriptions…”

The host was doing his best to
hype up the item to sell it at a high price, but I wasn’t paying much
attention to him.

Instead, I used my [Appraisal]
Skill.

Even though there was quite a
distance from the stage, my highly skilled [Appraisal] worked
flawlessly.

[The Stone Tablet That Shines
When Imbued with Divine Energy.]

[A stone tablet that emits a
bright light when imbued with divine energy. It bears the
inscription: ‘Protect and Guard.’]

As I read those words, I
opened my eyes wide and clenched my fist with a smile.

This is the key.

The key to obtaining a hidden
item.

An item that opens a door in
such a common place that no player ever thought something could be
there.

Me, who donned the Gothic
Lolita outfit with the resolve to create a dark history just for
this!

If I had run away out of
embarrassment, I wouldn’t have been able to obtain this precious
item!

After this realisation, I
pulled the thug’s collar, and he whispered softly, asking; “This
item will be quite expensive. How much can you go up to?”

“Three hundred gold.”

This money was extracted from
the Georg Family.

I demanded it as compensation
for the troubles caused by their son and for saving Menestail from
the brink of destruction.

Originally, I intended to
settle for a moderate amount, but the negotiations changed when Karia
got involved.

Once the ruler of the
kingdom’s underworld, she was exceptionally skilled in negotiations.

Karia, asserting her status as
my representative, squeezed Count Georg for all he was worth.

As a result, I received a
plethora of potions, scrolls, enchanted items, and an enormous amount
of gold from the Georg Family.

I initially thought it might
have been overdoing it, but now it was a different story.

The rewards that Karia brought
me were now my strength.

“Will you definitely
purchase it?”

‘Of course.’

“Is that even a
question?”

“Understood.”

“As befits an item
connected to the great Armadi, the starting bid is high! We’ll start
at ten gold!”

The auction price began to
climb rapidly.

The item that started at ten
gold quickly reached a hundred, and before I knew it, it had climbed
to two hundred.

At that point, even those
aiming for it began to hesitate, reconsidering whether to raise their
placards.

Noticing this, the thug raised
his placard confidently and shouted loudly,

“Two hundred fifteen!”

“Yes, we have two hundred
fifteen gold!”

With the price soaring at
once, one by one, the placards began to lower in the auction house’s
seats.

I wasn’t entirely sure, but
the thug’s shout seemed to have shattered their will to buy.

“Is there no one else? I
will now call out three times! Two hundred fifteen!”

Two hundred fifteen gold.

It’s a significant
expenditure, but it’s fine.

Considering the value of
obtaining that stone tablet, it’s worth it. Ah, this will give me
plenty to do during the holidays.

“Two hundred fifteen!”

After buying Benedict’s gift,
I’ll have to ask him to go on another trip with me when I give it to
him.

Ah. In my current condition,
that might be difficult.

Hmm. In that case…

“Two hun…”

“Two hundred fifty.”

Just when I was confident that
the stone tablet would be mine, someone else raised a placard from
one side of the auction house.

Two hundred fifty gold?!

Raising the price by that much
in one go!?

Even the auctioneer was
surprised, and a hush fell over the auction house. I quickly focused
my divine energy to identify the person holding the placard.

I needed to find out who my
competitor was.

And when I confirmed the
presence of the woman sitting upright with a stern expression in a
private room, I cursed inwardly.

Isabel Artea.

The lady of Artea, a territory
by the coast, who amassed a tremendous fortune through her
unparalleled commercial skills.

Though criticised for her
greed, she proves that most problems in the world can be solved with
money.

And her most defining trait:
She has an obsessive habit of collecting items related to the great
Armadi.

It looks like I’m screwed.

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