The auction was held at night. Rowy and Van set out wearing robes that covered their faces. They also carried masks in their hands. Due to Seraphila’s nature of attracting nobles from various countries, it was customary to participate with one’s identity concealed.
A large moon hung in the sky as if it had never rained. The main street was densely packed with night stalls, as if to compensate for the business lost the day before. The two walked slowly through them. The brightly lit streets were even more lively than during the day.
“Should I carry you?”
“Hm? No.”
Rowy shook his head and started walking again. Unexpectedly, Rowy didn’t enjoy riding in carriages. Being confined in a small space didn’t feel great, and more than anything, he got severely carsick. If it wasn’t too far, Rowy usually chose to walk. Of course, if he could use magic smoothly, he would’ve definitely used magic.
Still, walking through the night streets didn’t feel bad. Even though there were many people, Van cleared the way well, so it wasn’t particularly inconvenient, and watching the countless lights was quite entertaining. Seeing Rowy humming as he walked, Van casually struck up a conversation.
“Why are you suddenly trying to buy magic stones?”
“Why do you want the Holy Sword?”
Van shut his mouth tight. Rowy, who had asked out of genuine curiosity, tilted his head at Van’s reaction. Why won’t he tell me? Silence continued between them. Van was extremely uncomfortable, while Rowy didn’t think much of it. The destination of their quiet night walk appeared before their eyes.
The auction house was held in an old building at the end of the street. Already, carriages with their family crests covered were lined up in front of the main gate. Rowy and Van, wearing masks, passed through them and approached the main gate. A servant checking the list at the door politely greeted Rowy.
“Welcome. Did you bring an invitation?”
Van handed over the invitation on Rowy’s behalf. It was what Seilan had left. The servant who confirmed the invitation bowed deeply. Soon the door opened and a man with his face covered by a mask approached to guide them.
“So this is the auction house.”
Van looked around curiously. Several rooms lined the luxurious corridor. And armed guards protected each one. Upon encountering those walking around with swords, Van became more vigilant of their surroundings and stuck closer to Rowy.
“Have you participated in an auction before?”
“Mm-hm. This is my first time here, though.”
Rowy readily nodded at Van’s words. Josef had first taken Rowy to an auction house. After that, he had visited quite often even without Josef. That’s probably why Seilan had acted familiar with Rowy.
“This is it.”
The guide opened an antique door at the end of the corridor. Rowy entered first and Van followed behind. In the not-so-large room, a sofa and table were placed facing a large window at the front.
“You can watch the stage from here, and if there’s something you’d like to purchase, just ring this bell.”
Van received the bell from the guide and placed it in front of Rowy. The bell had a simple alarm spell on it. Rowy, who scanned it with his eyes, leaned back on the sofa.
“Bring me the catalog. I want to buy in advance.”
It meant he would make a pre-purchase at the highest price the organizers would call before the auction started. The guide quickly held out the catalog in front of Rowy. Rowy, who roughly flipped through the catalog, said,
“I’ll buy all the magic stones, whether they’re processed or not.”
“Yes.”
The guide quickly began adding up the prices beside him. The pen seemed ready to fly off at the tremendous price. Rowy looked at this scene indifferently.
The price didn’t matter. The reason Rowy used the auction house was simple. Because they sold things he wanted to buy. Rowy, who had no particular interest in the auction system itself, preferred to purchase in advance like this before the start rather than watching items he had no interest in the entire time.
“And… Van, is this it?”
Rowy, who had been flipping through pages, stopped his hand at a certain spot.
‘Holy Sword Ignis’
The sword with a jet-black blade didn’t look particularly special to Rowy. The red jewel embedded in the sword’s handle caught his eye somewhat, but that was all. What’s so good about this that Van wants me to buy it? Of course, the sword he has now is too cheap… Rowy continued to feel indebted about buying him a sword cheaper than tongs.
“Ah, customer. I apologize, but while you can purchase as many magic stones as you’d like, this sword is the main item of this auction, you see. There are many people waiting for this item, so you must participate in the auction directly to purchase it.”
“Main item?”
“Yes, that’s right. Holy Sword Ignis. We’ve been promoting it heavily as a divine weapon bestowed by God.”
“Bestowed by God…?”
Rowy’s expression became subtle. It seemed like an even more absurd sales pitch than Seilan waving around magic stones. However, the guide was serious.
“Yes. The divine weapon Holy Sword Agnis, the celestial flames shall burn demons. It’s a story from the scriptures of the Elysion Order.”
Sounds like a scam. Rowy barely managed to keep that thought to himself. Van was still seriously looking at the Holy Sword in the catalog.
“Then it can’t be helped. Can I receive the magic stones first?”
“Yes. I’ll prepare them for you.”
The guide held out a check. Since purchases at the auction house involved large amounts, money was usually kept with the family. Rowy dismissed it and pulled out a pouch from his pocket.
“I’ll pay in cash.”
Cash poured endlessly from the small pouch. It seemed to have magic on it. Van kept scanning the windows and door, afraid someone might see this scene. Even the guide who worked at an auction house where hundreds of millions changed hands trembled, having never handled this much in cash before.
“Amount confirmed.”
The guide swept the money into a sack with trembling hands.
“Shall I prepare something for you to drink?”
“Ice cream.”
“I’ll prepare it for you. Thank you for your purchase.”
The guide, who had called security personnel to deliver the money, bowed deeply. Rowy urgently stopped the guide who was about to leave.
“Wait!”
“Do you need something?”
“Strawberry. For the ice cream.”
The guide with a reluctant face nodded and left the room.
* * *
The magic stones and certificate came into Rowy’s hands quickly, but the ice cream took longer. It seemed to have taken time because they didn’t have strawberry ice cream and had to find it. Leaving the magic stones behind, Rowy attacked the ice cream. And frowned deeply.
“What is this? What kind of strawberry ice cream is this?”
The ice cream came in a luxurious silver dish. However, the contents were quite disappointing. Unable to find strawberry ice cream, they had simply drizzled strawberry syrup over plain white ice cream.
“Ugh…”
Rowy, who had been expecting fresh strawberries like the one he ate at the dessert shop, was greatly disappointed.
“This will be delicious too.”
Van gently coaxed Rowy and scooped a spoonful of ice cream to his lips.
“…It’s not good.”
Rowy, who lightly touched his tongue to taste it, turned his head away with a snap. Van let out a hollow laugh at that adorable behavior. Rowy pushed the ice cream bowl far away.
‘Well, eating ice cream at night isn’t good for your health anyway.’
Just this morning, Rowy had been complaining about a headache the whole time. It was better not to eat cold ice cream.
‘It doesn’t seem much different from what I ate yesterday. Maybe a bit sweeter?’
Van gulped down the ice cream Rowy had left in one bite. Perhaps because he had lived without, Van couldn’t stand seeing food go to waste. Van smacked his lips at the sweetness that made his mouth sticky. Rowy, who had completely lost interest in the ice cream, was fiddling with the magic stones.
“What do you use magic stones for?”
Van, being a swordsman, knew almost nothing about magic. The first and last mage he’d met… had shot water and fire from their hands. Using artifacts, they could also use large-scale attack magic. But that was all. During the fierce battle with demons, that mage died quickly. And Rowy seemed much weaker than the mage Van knew.
‘Of course he would. That person was a rather rare combat mage.’
Rowy would be more similar to the mages of the Magic Tower. The scholars who did research. Of course, it was hard to imagine Rowy reading such difficult books. It was inevitable since he’d seen so many childlike behaviors. To Van’s eyes, Rowy looked exactly like this: a child who lived with sweets in his mouth and tossed and turned at night, unable to sleep alone.
‘It’s past bedtime.’
The auction continued until late. Currently on stage, they were selling something called the Eternal Stone. They said it was a stone that, once you set its place, would remain there forever. Isn’t that what stones do anyway? Van shook his head at the skyrocketing price. There were still many items waiting their turn. The Holy Sword, the main item, seemed like it wouldn’t appear until close to midnight.
‘Should I let him sleep on the sofa?’
Van, who had become a caretaker in just three days, examined Rowy’s complexion. Rowy looked surprisingly energetic. Because Rowy was chewing and eating the magic stones!
