Ch. 268

“You promised you wouldn’t fight!”

“I’ve been quiet until now! Your timing is always terrible!”

“What is it? Just tell me.”

According to Ash, the reason Rovenin and I fight is that we both have terrible ways of communicating.

The type to be easily misunderstood, he says.

Despite all three of us speaking the same continental common tongue, that simple reason was why Ash tried so hard to interpret between Rovenin and me.

“Hmph, forget it. It’s not like I wanted to talk to that bastard anyway.”

“Talking is a good thing. It’s how you can understand each other.”

“Understand each other, my ass. Even if we were the last two people on earth, I wouldn’t do that with him.”

I turned back to face the stage.

Ash came back very quickly, and when he found out I’d bought something else in the meantime, he was at a loss for words.

“I was only gone for five minutes…?”

“This one was really cheap. There weren’t even any competitors, you know? The auctioneer said, ‘It’s a loss if you don’t buy it!’”

“How much was it?”

“A mere 70 Golden!”

[So cheap, so cheap! It’s practically like they dug it up and gave it to me!]

Ash probably couldn’t imagine that a being with a worse sense of money than me existed.

—

The auction ended close to dawn. Once the owner of the final item was decided, the attendees split into roughly three groups.

Those who hadn’t bought anything and left the auction house by disembarking directly from the ship, and those who, like me, headed to the counter to pay for their winning bids.

And then there was the small minority who headed straight to the ship’s stern to collect their items without paying.

They were people who could use a kind of credit payment—nobles or merchants with confirmed identities who could settle their accounts later through a bank.

Although they wore masks to hide their identities, there were bound to be regulars among them, and many were powerful enough that doing something illicit like using the Black Market wasn’t much of an issue.

Only people like me with unclear identities, those of low status, or those who wanted to hide their identities at all costs gathered at the counter, which was also swarming with armed staff.

Though Ash could probably wipe them all out by himself.

Only after waiting for quite a while was I able to stand before a counter employee.

“May I see your invitation.”

The reason I was told not to throw away the invitation was that it also served as identification here.

“Confirmed. Customer N-6. One Dark Elf slave, one Polymorph Earring, and one Veiled Mirror. Are these three the items you won?”

When I nodded, the young male employee handed me a few more documents.

“Please confirm that the winning bid prices are correct, and then you may pay. Payment can be made in cash or jewels, but please be aware that paying with a lot of jewels will take time for appraisal. How would you like to proceed?”

“All in cash.”

“Yes, then please sign here and return the invitation.”

“This… looks like a receipt, but what’s this document?”

“If you write your address there, we will send you an invitation along with a newsletter when the next Black Market opens.”

If you asked whether my first auction was boring, I’d say no, but the fact that they sold slaves made me not want to come again.

I scribbled a fake signature and handed over the Mithril currency Rai had created on the spot.

Then, hearing the guilty conscience in my own head, I clutched the money pouch tightly again.

“Mithril is cash, but since the denomination is high, it requires appraisal. Would you mind waiting a moment?”

“…But it’s cash?”

“This will be quick.”

[Rai, it’ll be okay… right?]

[Of course. Who do you take me for! The appraisal will just be to check if it’s real Mithril, so there’s no problem! That’s pure! 100%! Mithril! Whether it’s natural or Rai-made, it’s all the same!]

‘Well, that’s a relief.’

It was my first time using counterfeit Mithril currency, so I was a bit nervous handing over the pouch.

Maybe because large sums were being exchanged, the atmosphere at the counter was strict, and it was more of a hassle than I expected.

It seemed one of the reasons auction participants brought escorts was to delegate these tedious tasks.

Indeed, most of the people at the counter were escorts.

“Sleepy…”

While other masters used their escorts for chores, I used mine as a pillow.

I subtly leaned my sleepy body against Ash and yawned repeatedly.

“And you’re someone who needs a lot of sleep…”

Ash gently chided me but didn’t push me away. Instead, he slipped a hand inside his robe and lightly supported my back.

I’d come to the Black Market of my own free will, but now my head was filled with nothing but thoughts of rolling around in bed.

“Why do they always do these things at night? Can’t they do it during the day?”

“They can’t exactly conduct illegal activities out in the open. Why else would the Black Market be anonymous?”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Come to think of it, the fact that Ash—who could live his life without breaking a single law—was in a place like this was surprising in itself.

“What did you think of it? It’s different from what you imagined, isn’t it?”

“It is. It’s not very exciting.”

“Then… can you promise me you won’t come again?”

His words, whispered as he leaned closer, were filled with the anxiety that he might be refused.

There was no certainty in Ash’s eyes as he looked down at me. It was the face of someone who knew I could say no at any moment and turn away.

In fact, I wasn’t one to have trouble refusing, and that didn’t change even for Ash. If I didn’t feel like it, I didn’t feel like it.

“Fine. I promise.”

“…Really?”

“I was just curious about what kind of place it was, so I’m good now. I bought what I wanted, too.”

I agreed purely because I felt like it, but Ash was as happy as if I’d granted him some great wish.

So much so that his smile was radiant enough to make me think he’d meekly accept a kiss even with so many people around.

With that kind of timing, I instinctively licked my lips.

“……”

If Rovenin hadn’t raised his scabbard, as if he’d read my lecherous thoughts, I would’ve gone right for it. That quick-witted bastard.

“Customer N-6? Here is your confirmation of proper payment.”

Fortunately, my counterfeit currency was perfect, and I completed the payment without any issues.

[Rai, you’re the best!]

[Kya, please say it one more time!]

[Too lazy.]

[…What! You’re so stingy with your praise!]

[It loses its effect if I say it too often.]

[But you practically die of cuteness every time Undine just blinks!]

What can I do? Undine’s cuteness is more my type than Rai’s. My taste is loyal.

“Take this and go to Pier 5. Our staff will be waiting with your items unloaded.”

—

The pier was like a chaotic marketplace.

Dozens of carriages, loading their cargo and departing, were tangled up everywhere amidst the sailors unloading goods from the ship and the workers carrying luggage.

Shivering slightly, I led the two men straight to Pier 5.

I wanted to get out of this bustling place as soon as possible.

“Could you please wait a moment?”

But Pier 5 was just as crowded, so I had to wait my turn again, and even after my turn came, I had to go through a tedious purchase confirmation process.

My pathetic patience had long since run out.

[What a damn hassle. I’m never coming back.]

[Well, it’s not exactly the same as buying fruit at a market. Master, aren’t you complaining a bit too much for someone who came here on their own two feet?]

[Next time, if there’s something I want, it’d be better to just steal it from the warehouse before the auction.]

Having participated once, I now knew the general flow, so swiping the goods beforehand would be a piece of cake.

I just had to aim for the moment when all the items were gathered in one place before the auction.

[Oh, that would be convenient.]

[Right?]

[Yes! Except for the part where you promised Ash you wouldn’t come to the auction house. Just 30 minutes ago, at that.]

I rubbed my smooth chin for a moment.

[Hmm… I’m not participating in the auction, I’m stealing, so it should be fine.]

[Is that so…? I think Ash would think it’s not fine?]

[That’s what I think. How can everyone think the same way?]

[I think they’d all agree that you’re a swindler, Master?]

[What was that? Is going bald your wish?]

[Master… a wolf is nothing without its fur. You know I’m serious, right?]

[I’m serious too.]

Wouldn’t it be far more righteous to completely empty their warehouse than to participate in the Black Market? Of course, the latter was appealing purely because of the hassle.

I couldn’t care less about justice.

I just didn’t want to go through this troublesome ordeal again.

“Thank you for your long wait.”

Just as I was twisting my body back and forth, unable to wait any longer, a manager finally approached.

“I waited a really, long time.”

“My apologies. The disembarking was delayed…”

“You said the items would be here when I came down. But they’re not! Is this how you’re going to run your business? Huh!”

[Oh boy, what a difficult customer.]

My boredom had made me just a little crooked.

“And you’re late, yet you’re scratching your head with a quill? Should I pierce your head with that pen? So you can be late forever?”

[Isn’t it more than a little crooked?]

“I saw everything! When that old geezer who came later slipped you some money, you took care of him first! I can give you a bribe too!”

[That doesn’t sound like something a Saintess would say….]

Did you think I was nice just because I was quiet from exhaustion?

Once I openly threw a fit, the manager finally began to fret, cautiously watching my expression. His eyes, as if realizing he’d picked the wrong person, were full of sycophancy.

“Oh, it’s a misunderstanding. That wasn’t my intention… The slave hadn’t been unloaded from the ship yet, that’s why it was delayed.”

“Your lifespan will shorten by as much as you make me wait.”

“Gosh, he’s just been unloaded, so he’ll be here any moment. Truly!”

His attitude now noticeably more polite, the manager gestured to the workers behind him and had a crate brought before me.

“While you wait, please confirm that these are the items you purchased. Here, take the keys as well.”

“What are all these?”

The bunch of keys I was handed was quite heavy.

A rough count showed over twenty keys, which puzzled me since I hadn’t bought that many things.

“Let’s see, the one with the paper labeled ‘1’ is the crate key… it’s for that largest one there. And number 2 is the cage key. Two keys for the treasure box containing the Polymorph Earring and the Veiled Mirror you won. Seven keys for the slave’s shackles, and thirteen keys for the magic suppressors…”

“There were thirteen suppression tools on him?”

“Yes, according to the documents, there is one main suppression tool with obedience magic cast on it, and twelve auxiliary suppression tools.”

He explained each one while rummaging through the documents, but I started getting confused about which was which as soon as I heard it.

The keys, as they usually are, all looked similar, and I was one of those rare people who was clumsy with keys.

Of course, in this world, keys and locks were the most common locking mechanisms, but as long as they were made of metal, they meant little to me.

As long as Rai was around, almost every door was like an automatic door.

The reason I never got into the habit of locking doors was because of Rai.

“Why don’t you try opening them? It’ll be faster to see for yourself.”