episode_0035

When you have a very curious question, but no matter how much you think about it, you can’t find the answer.

It would be very foolish to hold on to that forever. The worst thing that can happen is that it interferes with other things you need to do.

So, even though I held my chin and thought about it, I kept the question of the devil and return, to which I could not find the answer, buried in a corner of my mind. I also read Evans’ “The Flower that Eats Time” to the end, but there wasn’t much content written there.

It’s just filled with nonsense, like a bridge collapsed somewhere and a person died, or one of the five kings gave birth to a baby and the baby became the king of the southern mountain range of the continent.

Anyway, after leaving the North Duke’s residence, I headed to an auction house in the southern part of the Demon World.

Just arrived.

Squeak-clunk.

We stopped the carriage in front of a tent and got out. The pockets are big and heavy.

This is because it is full of gold coins. This is the gold coin I brought for today.

Before entering the Demon Forest, there is someone you must take with you.

This is the one that will be in the auction we are participating in today.

“Why does this little guy want to go to the auction house?”

“Oh, are you a guard?”

“Then?”

“Can’t you just let them in?”

“… Little boy, there has to be a guarantee that you won’t steal the auction items.”

I was about to enter the entrance of the auction house crowded with demons, but a stiff-looking figure blocked me.

My shoulders are very wide. His physique reminds me of the Godslayer Theseus and the Holy Emperor Julius that I saw in Tartarus. Of course, his physique is overwhelming.

“Please understand this man’s position. After all, kids like you often steal from auction houses. Huh?”

“But I really have to go in?”

“Sseu-eup, if you keep doing that, the man will scold you.”

“I didn’t come here to steal. I came here for the auction.”

“A kid like you?”

As I boldly spoke, the guard raised his eyebrows and pressed his finger to my forehead.

I wasn’t angry at all, and took out a gold coin from my pocket and jingled it.

Gradually-.

“… ! That’s it!”

“Okay, okay? I feel bad about having this kind of money, so I steal.”

“Oh, welcome! Customer!”

As soon as he recognized the value of my goods, the guard bowed ninety degrees and let me into the auction house.

Oh my, if I were the Eucharist, I would have let him in right away. This is child discrimination. If I were young, would I live a sad life?

Still, I understand the guard’s attitude. The auction house I am entering now is the largest auction house in the Demon World, where merchants from all over the continent are anxious to enter.

Since ancient times, the western part of the Demon World has been a region with developed commerce. This is because the Klanine family, the western dukes who held real power, are quite good at ruling, as expected of a succubus.

“Oh my, did you come here to look at the goods too? I guess I made some money?”

“I took a big sip. So this time, I’m going to buy some good equipment.”

“Is there the equipment you want here?”

“It’s an auction house where everything is missing. You don’t have to worry.”

And this auction house is where all kinds of high-quality artifacts, magic circle materials, corpses of monsters, and all kinds of ancient treasures found in the Demon Forest are sold.

To put it a bit extreme, it can be said that 30% of the demon world’s goods come and go from here. This is that kind of auction house.

I also came here because there was one product that I absolutely had to win the bid for.

I came here at a similar time in my previous life, but that time I lost to Lilith Klanine, who came with the same thoughts as me. Unlike her, who received a lot of support from her family, I was treated poorly by my family at the time and had to hide my claws.

But this life will be different. It’s not like I filled my pockets with gold coins for no reason. Everyone has their own thoughts.

“Let’s go! The auction is scheduled to start soon! Participants, please quickly take your seats!”

The loud voice of a presenter holding a loudspeaker rings out. Numerous demons who had been buzzing at his shout all found their positions and sat down.

I, too, sat in the last row. From my child’s low perspective, he couldn’t see the stage if someone sat in front of him, so I had to find a relatively free seat.

The more you sit in the back row, the harder it is to hear the comments and you can’t look at the stage in detail, but it doesn’t matter. Anyway, the only thing I will buy at today’s auction is the last one.

“Um-! Everyone was seated safely! Now then-!”

The host spread his arms out to the sides. At the same time, exciting sounds of musical instruments began to be heard from the back of the stage.

“The 4325th auction! Let’s get started-!”

*****

There are seven countries on the continent. Not now, but in 500 years.

Among them, if you were to ask which hegemony had the greatest power, you would pick the hundred empires.

Military is military, administrative is administrative, royal power is royal power, commercial power is commercial power, history is history. It was a country that had no shortcomings in any aspect.

However, the powerful empire unexpectedly collapsed in vain. By just three people.

The first is Vincent, who was used as a transport slave for the empire.

I am referring to Vincent, who in his past life came to visit Tartarus where the saint and I were imprisoned.

As soon as the war between the Demon World and the Continent broke out, he joined the Demon King’s Army, and handed over to the Demon King’s army the various byways and terrain information he had acquired while being used as a transportation slave, ensuring that the Demon King’s Army won one after another in every battle that broke out.

The second is me. I am the second person to have divided the continent’s political forces, instilled distrust between the military and the military, and spread false rumors to the citizens.

Thanks to that incident, I was nicknamed the Frivolous Joker. While other demon king armies fought and shed a lot of blood, I shook the very center of the empire just by shedding a cup of blood.

And, the third and final point is why I came to this auction house today.

King Lang (狼王) Lua.

A half-human, half-animal with the face and body of a human but the tail and ears of a wolf. The only king of all wolves in the world. The absolute powerhouse of the Demon King’s army.

And, the greatest assassin on the continent with no one to rival him, regardless of the dimension.

King Lua assassinates the emperor of the empire. He infiltrated through the thousand-layer defense shield of the imperial palace and eliminated the most influential person on the continent. The person I called the greatest genius I knew had fallen before an extremely invisible blade.

Afterwards, while the empire was in chaos, I used various false identities to plunge the empire into chaos. In fact, the person who is the number one contributor to the destruction of the empire is none other than King Rua.

However, there was one thing that the world did not know: this incredible Lang King Lua was actually… .

It is a murder weapon carefully cultivated by the Demon World’s Western Duke.

Even now, when I think about that time, my teeth grind together. I took King Lang, whom I had marked, and beat him up with extremely harsh and murderous practices, turning him into an emotionless machine.

If it were me-.

If it were me, I would have written it much better.

I will not have any regrets like that in this life.

For that purpose, I came to this auction house in person.

“Now-! Then let’s move on to the next product-!”

Langwang Rua was Lilith’s direct subordinate, but was not weaker than Lilith. No, in fact, in terms of pure force alone, she would be stronger than Lilith, the evil duke of the Demon World.

Even though they are absolute powerhouses, Rangwang Rua is especially special. What kind of rhetoric is needed when you cut off the head of the most carefully guarded human being on the continent?

Of course, Langwang Rua is not that strong at this point. If that had really been the case, it wouldn’t have been caught by the auctioneers and turned into a commodity. He is as young as me.

The important thing is that Langwang Rua has unrivaled ‘talent’.

Just because you are the king of a race does not mean that you can absolutely join the ranks of the strong.

The absolute strongest are those who transcend species. By nature, a weak race like humans cannot catch a single dragon even if thousands gather together, but humans who have transcended the distinction of species can even surpass dragons, which are considered the most superior race.

Occasionally, there are monsters that surpass even the gods above them, like the god-slayer Theseus. Or you could say a saint, a demon king, or a hero. Oh, the hero is the weakest hero of all time, so should we take him out?

Anyway, Ranwang Rua is worth raising. There is just one obstacle, but we’ll think about it later.

“The scale of Dragon King Endros-! In ancient times, very, very far away! It’s a scale that the dragon king Endros dropped while fighting the dragon king Horus! Its strength is such that even a swordsman of the sword master level cannot easily cut it -!”

Wow, the scales of Endros. An item as precious as the egg of Horus has been found.

With that alone, I should be able to make at least one high-end card, but I still have no intention of buying it.

It’s not that I don’t have money. Since there is no need to spend money once you enter the forest, I was prepared to give up all my possessions at this auction house today.

However, I am not the only one who has a lot of money. When Langwang Lua comes out in the last round of the auction, many competitors will turn on their eyes and try to win. They need to save their money in advance.

“Number 46! 3000 gold!”

“Customer number 46! 3000 gold has been awarded! Do you have any more?”

“Number 72! 3500 gold! It’s essential for alchemy!”

“Customer number 72! 3500 gold has been awarded! Isn’t there anyone else coming out?”

“Here! Number 31! 3900 gold!”

“Number 53! 3950 gold!”

Looking at the surrounding atmosphere, it seems like this auction item will be quite expensive.

Then, I have to light the fire.

“Number 99.”

“Yes! Customer number 99 raised his hand!”

“4998 Gold.”

“… ! 4, 4998 gold! Is anyone willing to pay more than 4998 gold!”

Raise the price. In this way, these guys’ wallets become thin.

Of course, you have to be careful. If you do it wrong, your wallet could become thinner. I should keep my money and only let my competitors get involved.

That’s why 4998 gold was released.

“Qu… ! shit! It’s the highest quality alchemy material I’ve come across in a while… 7, number 72! 4999 gold!”

The psychology of demons is so unique that I hesitate to pay 5000 gold, but swallow the bitter taste and accept it when I pay 4999 gold.

They look for suppliers like the guy who just said who really need the auction items, and only raise the price when there are such guys. Those who fall under my spell cry out in regret after winning the bid, but regret comes too late no matter how fast it is.

I raised the prices of various auction items just by looking at each angle.

Because of that, the eyes of the auction house were focused on me, and although there were some mixed looks of malice and murder, I shamelessly put on a mask and continued the auction.

So noisy time passes by.

“Whoo! Now, I have to introduce the last auction item -!”

The host holding a loudspeaker shouted in a loud voice, sweating profusely from the heat of the auction house.

The purpose is to sell the auction items at Hwaryongjeongjeom at the highest possible price, which will mark the end of the heated atmosphere at the auction house.

And, for this moment.

I, too, stole a lot of my property.

Of course, the sack I was holding from earlier was not an ordinary sack. It is made of Arachne’s spider web, the same material as the gloves I am wearing now, so not only does it not break under any shock, but it can also hold objects regardless of their size.

Lord Arachne, one of the five kings of the Demon Forest, rules space. Of course, this sack only uses Arachne’s corners, so it cannot completely control space.

You can think of it as a pocket cut into a space roughly the size of a car. There isn’t much inside yet.

I stole a few things from the family warehouse, but I shouldn’t steal too much. Well, we can just fill it in from now on.

“Everyone! Have you ever heard of the legend of the Wolf King? Wolf King, the strongest wolf standing at the top of the wolves and beastmen! Although the legendary wolf king lost his life in a fight with the dragon king Endros-!”

The host stood up to the neck and gave a long-winded explanation. That means they want to charge a high price.

“A few days ago, a hunter came to this auction house, saying he had captured the descendant of the wolf king! And the confirmation result -! It turned out that the beast that the hunter had captured was a descendant of King Wolf! Not a trivial monster like a Werewolf! The real beast, King Wolf-!”

“““Ohhh!!”””

The crowd erupts in loud cheers. This is because everyone was waiting for the moment when King Nang would be put up for auction.

This is because rumors were spreading. Just at the level of gossip. Probably, the organizer of the auction spread the word when a rare product arrived.

“Of course, he cannot be called a king yet! He is a child with weak strength and no knowledge of the world! However, the king’s lineage cannot be doubted as to his talent! The person who wins this auction will become the god of all wolves throughout the Demon World and the Continent -!”

“““Wow!!”””

After that, after adding a couple more rhetorical touches, the host made a gesture only after his excitement had reached its limit. To the back of the stage.

It means to bring something.

Next, about four demons dressed in similar attire as the gatekeepers standing at the entrance came onto the stage.

Carrying a square, prison-shaped cast iron box. Each person is responsible for one corner.

And, in that small room-sized makeshift prison.

“… Grrrr… .”

There is a girl.

This is a girl with triangle-shaped ears sticking out on top of her head. It looks like it would be furry if I just kept it tidy, but the matted ear fur makes me uncomfortable.

If you look closely, you can see that it is in a crouching position with its tail between its legs and held in its arms. The tail seems to be almost as long as the leg.

The girl only looks to be in her mid-teens, but her actual age is probably younger. Because he is half wolf and half human. Probably around 6 to 9 years old.

The clothes he wears are brown mat. The fabric was so poor that it looked like it was made of animal skin.

At least that was the organizers’ intention. That barbaric outfit will make auction bidders pay more attention.

Anyway, it seems that the money and marketability itself are focused on neatness.

“Grrr… Wow! Kkkk! Crrr… !”

When the wolf girl opened her mouth, an animal sound came out. If you close your eyes and listen, it is the unmistakable howl of a wolf.

“Be quiet! I’m sure you’ve beaten me up, but why are you barking again?”

One of the demons carrying the prison gave an urgent order. Soon, several other demons came with clubs and beat the girl without mercy.

Make sure it doesn’t break somewhere.

“Wow! Awesome!”

puck-! Plop-!

“Kwaaeng! Wow! Kiing, whining… .”

The wolf girl, who had been struggling wildly to avoid being hit by a stick, gradually began to shrink from the non-stop shower. That sight inspired desire in the eyes of the demons who were watching.

“Kung! Cough! Kiing, whining… Grrrr… !”

Even if it looks like it’s scared, when it sees the club, it shows its baby teeth that haven’t yet fallen out. The will of an animal that will never obey easily.

The pride of not bowing down to the violence before our eyes. Eyes that stare down what they perceive as enemies until the end. Young fingers shaped like animal claws, as if ready to tear the enemy to pieces at any time.

All of this heats up the hearts of the demons who are passionate about battle and crazy about blood.

Including me, of course.

Organizers, I commend you. How can you shake my heart with such an unusual and obvious trick? It must have been a performance that was possible because he was aware that that wolf girl, Ranwang Rua, was that rebellious.

“Ahaha-! There was a commotion for a moment-!”

The host, who deliberately took time to show off Langwang Rua’s ferocity, continued the proceedings while wiping the sweat from his forehead that had come from his skillful acting skills.

At the same time, most of the demons in the auction house were fiddling with their gold coin bags, and clinking sounds spread everywhere.

“Then, the wolf beastman who inherited King Wolf’s bloodline is-!”

This is the beginning.

“Let’s start with 10000 gold-!”

The petals of greed bloom.

Although I have always fostered the greed of others.

For today, the greed I harbor is the deepest.

*****

I hate it.

Don’t do it.

I’m scared.

Don’t look.

Go away.

It’s cold.

I’m lonely.

Dad was solemn.

A nimble mother.

Where has everyone gone?

Disgusting.

Why am I your product?

Don’t try to define me as a plaything for demons.

I am the king, the king of wolves.