episode_0006

The upper reaches of the Rhône River, which cuts through the imperial capital—also known as Uptown.

Unlike the Lower District where the city’s middle and lower classes reside, it was an upscale residential area primarily inhabited by nobility and other upper classes.

Even within Uptown, there was a street permitted only to a select few with the highest wealth and status, also known as the .

As befitting the street of the most affluent and powerful individuals in the Empire, the scenery was clean, and the attire of the people coming and going was uniformly full of formality and elegance.

And tonight.

There was a single mansion where the elegant gentlemen and ladies of this street gathered.

Not just those from this street, but renowned figures and wealthy individuals from across the continent successively made an appearance.

To participate in a very special and secret underground auction that was to be held right there.

There was no need to go through particularly complicated and difficult procedures to participate in the auction.

It was enough just to be able to ‘walk’ into that place.

The street of the Empire’s most powerful high dignitaries, a sky above the sky that even Uptown’s wealthy dared not peek into.

Similarly, there was no need to particularly hide or be wary of the auction’s illegality and unlawfulness.

For a mere imperial police officer would never dare to arbitrarily enter that street and brandish ‘law and justice’ at those present, conducting investigations.

That was the true nature of the time-honored underground auction held in the Bretonna Imperial Capital.

Furthermore, the true nature of those present there also wasn’t significantly different.

“100,000,000 Gald!”

The pot-bellied man at the auction house shouted. His physique matched the pig mask on his face remarkably well.

“One hundred million Gald! A staggering one hundred million Gald has been offered!”

Along with the man’s voice, cheers and whistles erupted from various places.

“One hundred twenty million Gald.”

“One hundred twenty million! One hundred twenty million has been offered!”

“One hundred forty million.”

“One hundred fifty million!”

“Two hundred million.”

“Two hundred million! The highest bid has been broken, reaching a staggering two hundred million Gald! Two hundred million! Anyone else?!”

With that, no voice called out a price again.

“With this, the High Elf from the Latria Great Forest goes to the gentleman of two hundred million Gald… oh, pardon me! A beautiful lady has acquired it!”

Only then did the auctioneer spread his arms and dramatically point at the item.

“Indeed, I’m quite curious in many ways what kind of entertainment you’ll enjoy with a High Elf slave!”

Vulgar laughter erupted from various places at the sly joke.

The woman in a dress, the subject of the joke, also laughed along, fanning herself as if not displeased.

Just like the pot-bellied man in the pig mask earlier, she wore a crimson fox mask.

No guest there was an exception. As if a carnival was taking place, each of them wore animal-shaped masks, hiding their identities.

The auction hall was quite literally filled with the faces of beasts.

Slavery was officially illegal in the Empire.

However, no one present doubted treating the High Elf, who was bound and displayed like an animal on stage, as a ‘product’.

Just like that, the High Elf on stage was handed over to the lady on the spot. Payment was also made instantly, without a hint of delay.

The lady grasped the magical chains binding the elf as if holding a dog leash, and pulled the chain, roughly constricting the elf’s neck as if showing off to those around her.

“Now, then—”

Having processed one item, the auctioneer continued.

“I hope the appetizer was to your liking!”

As if the High Elf from the Great Forest was merely an appetizer, the auctioneer snapped his fingers. From various places came the sounds of gasping and swallowing, accompanied by eyes filled with anticipation, eyes wet with desire.

“Everyone must have thought it impossible.”

The auctioneer said.

“And some of you, even those with the courage and nerve to be present here, will feel fear! They can’t help but be afraid and fearful!”

They knew. They had heard rumors. At the same time, even to the very last moment, they must have thought, ‘Surely not.’

“Indeed, you should be afraid.”

The cauldron of frenzied excitement from moments before had now cooled down and quieted like walking through a graveyard. A silence so profound that even the faintest sounds of breathing or rustling clothes were audible.

“Because without that much fear, you wouldn’t dare covet her.”

It was in that very silence—that she revealed herself.

“La Pucelle…”

“Th-the Holy Maiden…”

“It’s really the Holy Maiden…”

Involuntarily, some muttered as they saw her.

The moment they saw her, everyone knew. They couldn’t help but know.

“Jeanne.”

She was unlike the ‘products’ earlier, whose provocative attire aroused desire in various forms.

She was clad in pure white armor.

Moreover, it was armor yet also resembled a dress, explicitly revealing her figure, curves, and femininity, such as her chest, waist, and hips.

“That’s right. What stands before you now is none other than the Holy Maiden, Jeanne.”

The auctioneer said.

“Starting bid, 1 Gald.”

1 Gald. No one could fail to know the underlying intention behind that ridiculously small amount.

The silent Holy Maiden bit her lip in humiliation. However, even the act of biting her lip did not move as she willed.

She could not shed a single drop of blood by her own will. Neither self-harm nor suicide was permitted. If she did, her precious and valuable body would be harmed.

Before that noble and beautiful face, stained with despair and resignation—

“Oh, Goddess, forgive me…”

Among them were those who had already knelt and repented their sins. There were also those who fled the auction hall in terror.

At the same time—

“…2 Gald.”

A sound broke the silence. The clear sound of a bid.

“3 Gald…”

“5, 5 Gald.”

“6 Gald…”

“…One billion Gald.”

“Two billion Gald!!”

“Two point one billion!”

“Two point three billion! No, two point five billion!”

“Three billion!”

“Five billion Gald!”

Soaring to one billion, two billion, five billion, an incomparable frenzy swirled compared to moments before.

Drawn by the possibility of possessing the Holy Maiden as ‘their own’.

Drawn by the desire to defile her nobility, her purity, her divinity, making it their own.

The numbers were rising endlessly.

Rising, rising, and rising again.

Beasts with the faces of animals, grunting like pigs, drawn by a hideously repulsive desire.

There was no hope here.

Realizing that fact and resigning herself, the girl called ‘Holy Maiden’ closed her eyes.

“Still…”

At that moment, a voice was heard.

“Are you still praying for those who mock you?”

It was the first time a man’s voice was heard among the beasts.

*

When the man removed his animal mask and revealed his face without permission, no one in the auction hall was flustered.

They didn’t know how he got in. They didn’t know what ulterior motive led him to break the auction’s ‘rules’.

Because they knew his actions were utterly foolish and meaningless.

This was a place where the continent’s most affluent and powerful individuals gathered.

Needless to say, not just anyone could protect individuals of that status.

The level of escorts that participants individually brought to protect themselves was also formidable.

First-rate Swordsmen, master-class Mages, S-rank mercenaries—each a formidable individual who wouldn’t be out of place as a central force of a nation and its military.

Above all, as long as this auction was conducted under the name of the , they could not fail to know the weight of that name.

“Ah, my oh my.”

So the auctioneer said with a wry smile, without ever losing his composure.

“It seems a guest has momentarily forgotten the auction’s ‘rules’.”

With the guards rapidly approaching to subdue the man.

“Unfortunately, revealing one’s face is forbidden in this place. Please do not make the situation more difficult—”

“Who said you could use that name?”

At that moment, the man said with a cigarette in his mouth. The auctioneer asked again.

“That name?”

“Our name.”

With that, a scream rang out.

It was the sound of one of the guards, moving to subdue the man, screaming as he was swallowed by the shadow beneath his feet.

That scream was the beginning.

The chandelier that should have shone elegantly shattered. Glass shards poured down in a chaotic shower, like shattered stars.

Daringly, without fear, to cause such a disturbance in a place where the world’s most affluent and powerful individuals gathered.

Until then, everyone thought the same. No one doubted that this commotion would soon be suppressed.

But the Black Sword swung, blood splattered, and the screams did not cease.

Eventually, when they realized the fact that no one here could escape this place.

When the lady in the fox mask, who had acquired the High Elf slave, heard that even her ‘master-class Mage’ bodyguard could not break this barrier.

The powerful clients of the auction hall, too, finally began to realize that the situation was more serious than they had thought.