episode_0100

Afterwards, we have dinner nearby and head to the auction house hosted by Roman City Hall.

The auction hosted by Roman City Hall once a week is quite large.

All kinds of works of art, artifacts and weapons come up.

“How about it? Is there anything worth buying?”

I nod while looking at the auction house pamphlet.

“Yes. I don’t have any useful weapons, but there’s a really famous saying.”

A famous horse with quite a good pedigree came up.

If I had to name the most famous horse breed here, I would choose Akhalteke.

It has beautiful golden fur and the ability to run faster and longer per day than an ordinary horse.

In addition, this horse is mainly a specialty of the Babylonian Empire and is a breed that is rarely seen here.

“Really? What do you mean?”

“It’s a variety called Ahalteke. There is a rumor that it can run 400 km in a day. It’s so precious that it’s my first time seeing it in person.”

Theodora nods and says what I said.

“Will your sister-in-law like it?”

I nod my head with confidence at those words.

“Yes. If he’s a famous horse, he can’t use the four limbs.”

Mary’s horse is a pretty good horse, but not as good as Akhalteke.

Plus, she’s a woman who’s crazy about words, so I think she’ll really like it.

“I’m glad. Hehe…”

I watch the auction while seeing Theodora smiling brightly, wondering what’s so good about it.

[This work is called Death of a Warrior, sculpted by Mendelike, the empire’s greatest sculptor. Can you feel it? Don’t you feel how tragic the hero’s death is as you look at these women with sorrowful expressions?]

I think about this sculpture depicting a man with a hole in his stomach, a woman crying while holding him in her arms, and women surrounding him.

Doesn’t it feel tragic?

So many different items come up on the auction house.

[As for this tiara, it is from the Dwarven Kingdom. It is a superb work of art decorated with large blue sapphires and hundreds of diamonds. Look at this grandeur, and the skeleton made of aluminum, which is said to be difficult to smelt, is indeed the work of a dwarf.]

Aluminum is a rare metal here…

In modern times, it is not an expensive metal.

Rather, it feels frugal.

It feels strange to think that expensive jewels are encrusted in aluminum.

Aluminum is something we commonly encounter in our daily lives.

[ruler! We will start with 100 gold.]

Then, when Theodora raised her hand…

[I got 110 gold. Do you have any more?]

“Huh? Do you want to buy that?”

Theodora gently nods her head at my words.

“Yes… Isn’t it… pretty?”

[120 gold has been obtained. 130 gold, 140 gold!]

It certainly looks mysterious.

Because it feels like a grayish metal rather than the characteristic glow of metal.

The amount gradually goes up.

[200 gold has been obtained. Do you have any more? one two.]

As the host speaks quickly, Theodora raises her hand with two fingers.

[400 gold! Got 400 gold. Don’t you have any? 800 gold! 800 gold!]

Theodora bid 400 gold and a middle-aged woman bid 800 gold.

[1600 gold!, 1600 gold has been obtained.]

“Uh…?”

Theodora calls for 1600 gold.

“Isn’t it too overheating?”

Let’s just say that jewelry is expensive… Should I buy something decorated with aluminum or something like that at such a high price?

“Eight! It’s aluminum. Of course it’s expensive.”

[1700 gold! Do you have any more?]

And when Theodora raised her hand again, showing two fingers in triumph…

[3,400 gold! 3,400 gold! Do you have any more? One, two… 10,200 gold! 10,200 gold has been obtained! It’s huge!]

Theodora hesitates at that sight.

I ask that question.

“Why? You’re not going to buy it?”

“Ugh…! You have to buy Akhalteke later. Plus, considering the imperial budget that was granted to me by my mother…”

After hesitating for a while, Theodora seems to have made up her mind and raises two fingers.

[20,400 gold!]

A middle-aged woman competing with Theodora raises five fingers.

[Ten… 102,000 gold came out!]

Theodora looks at the middle-aged woman, mesmerized by that sight.

Do it in moderation…

Everyone knows that Emperor Theodora came here.

Then, it would be natural to compete moderately and then lose, but what does she believe that makes her raise money like that?

Are you bragging about having money?

Hmm…

[Is there anything else?]

Or does she think Theodora is a scarecrow?

I guess that’s why you act so arrogantly?

In any case, I am starting to get a little angry at the actions of trying to undermine the emperor’s prestige and disgrace him.

[one…]

Maybe I’m just being sensitive.

It could simply be that she really wanted that tiara, and legally, anyone, whether the emperor or a citizen of the empire, can participate in the auction and win the bid as long as they can pay the money.

[two…]

But it wouldn’t be good for me if it became known that the emperor couldn’t buy what he wanted.

Maybe she thinks I took all her money.

But is it right to buy an aluminum tiara at such an expensive price?

Either that lady really wants the tiara, or she wants to embarrass Theodora.

In any case, what happened today will be talked about for a long time.

The emperor couldn’t buy what he wanted…

When I take a quick look at Theodora, I notice a sad expression on her face.

I make a decision while looking at the trembling red eyes.

Ugh…

[Oh… 510,000 gold! 510,000 gold came out!]

When I raise my hand with five fingers, the host is surprised.

and…

-Wheeik…

Theodora turns her head and looks at me in fascination.

“When I go home today, I wear that.”

He says that and smiles at her.

[520,000 gold!]

I guess she really wants that tiara.

Otherwise, you want to compete with me, the powerful person in the empire, for money.

Well, even so, seeing as I only raised 10,000 gold, I guess I ran out of money.

[This… 1,040,000 gold… 1,040,000 gold came out.]

The host speaks in shock.

This amount easily exceeds the annual budget of a small baronial territory.

“Da… You?”

Her blank expression soon turned into a surprised expression, as if she didn’t know I would participate like this.

[One, two, three.]

And of course, I won the bid for that tiara.

***

That’s how I won the bid for the tiara and wrote a contract promising to pay at the auction house…

“Now, I’m writing this.”

I pick up the tiara and place it on her head.

“Thank you…”

I secretly regret seeing her blushing and speaking shyly, unlike usual.

Anyway, I think I paid too much for it…

An aluminum tiara purchased with a small county’s annual budget.

It’s hard to let go of the feeling that I’ve become a fanatic.

But it’s a mysterious color for aluminum.

Something other than the metallic glow we usually think of… How can I say it?

It gives a mysterious feeling.

When I put the tiara on her head… Theodora lowers her head and cannot lift it.

[As expected, the rumor that His Highness the Archduke is a loving wife seems to have been true. Now, let’s move on to the next item…]

While the auction was going on like that, she couldn’t raise her face.

[ruler! The following are specialties of the Avalon Empire. This is Ahalteke!]

The words that came up on the podium.

“Huh? It’s very different from what I used to hear?”

As the Akhalteke auction begins, Theodora looks at the horse with a slightly flushed face.

“Is that Ahalteke? Didn’t you say his fur is golden?”

“So?”

When me and Theodora had doubts.

[everyone. The Ahalteke originally has golden fur. But this horse is not usually Akhalteke. It is a red Ahalteke, one of the few in the Avalon Empire. ]

The Ahal Teke has an impressive red mane.

The entire body has red fur with a subtle golden color.

[This type of red Akhalteke is known to be faster and more powerful than a regular Akhalteke. ruler! Today, who will be the owner of this red Akhalteke? Let’s start with 10,000 gold!]

And so the auction began…

The auction did not go smoothly.

[30,000 gold! 30,000 gold! Is there anything more?]

Let’s say 20,000 gold goes beyond Theodora’s allowed amount.

She says in a hushed voice.

“You… give me some money.”

I say that as if I were dumbfounded.

“Huh? Didn’t you live there?”

Theodora avoids my eyes and speaks at my words.

“Uh… I got permission from my mother for 20,000 gold…”

“Then I can’t help it, it’s a merry gift anyway. Just cheaply place the imperial seal on any sword…”

I couldn’t bear to speak.

“Well… they’re your family though. How can you do that?”

In the end, I went out as I saw Theodora asking for a favor with a fragile face that looked like it would break if I touched it…

I was able to bid on the horse for 600,000 gold.

And after the auction ended, I thought as I returned to the imperial palace.

No matter how much I think about it… I think I paid too much for the tiara.