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Morning.

While I was eating in the restaurant, I suddenly let out a short exclamation at a fact that struck me.

“Ah.”

“What’s wrong?”

Riche asked if something was up. She had joined us the previous evening and was acting naturally, but it felt strange since we had been a trio for so long and suddenly became four.

“Should we go to the auction house?”

“Auction house?”

“Yeah.”

Just as the name suggests, it’s a place where auctions are held. It’s the typical auction house you’d see in a novel—exactly as one would imagine. I hadn’t forgotten about it, but it dawned on me late because we had no reason to go there.

Like every auction house, it sells everything from cheap items to valuable artifacts and mysterious goods.

What’s important about good and mysterious goods is that the good items and the questionable ones typically mean that most of what’s on auction is indeed good.

“Are you talking about the royal auction house?”

“No.”

The royal auction house that Riche mentioned is where adventurers and nobles sell artifacts or magical tools through a fair auction organized by the royal family. This transparent auction house is under their supervision to prevent any tricks or corruption, ensuring high credibility and security, but as a trade-off, the variety of items available is limited.

It’s a place that people with urgent needs or those who want to sell items for their exact value would frequent.

“Is there any auction house other than that in the Empire?”

“There is.”

But I’m not talking about the legitimate ones; I’m referring to the underground. It’s a black market auction house known only to greedy, portly noble uncles.

Riche tilted her head at my answer, clearly confused.

“Isn’t that illegal?”

“On the surface, yes.”

All auction houses that aren’t operated by the Empire are, in fact, illegal. Well, at least officially.

The Empire knows that good artifacts or magical tools don’t usually appear at their auction houses.

That’s why they’re aware of the underground auction house and choose to turn a blind eye.

“They need to make use of it too.”

To begin with, the Empire is keen to bid on good artifacts, which makes them aware of the necessity for an underground auction house. They deliberately hide items from the general public, using the Empire’s land openly at the underground auction house.

Essentially, it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.

“That means they intend to keep the good stuff to themselves.”

“I didn’t even know that existed…”

“Of course, they’d keep it hidden from you.”

If the country was trying to hide something, it would be strange if just anyone could find out about it.

The saying “it’s dark under the lamp” seems to apply here perfectly.

“Is there something you want to buy?”

“I’ll have to see.”

The underground auction house is filled with artifacts or magical tools that boost magical power. Beyond that, there are generally many valuable items—like weapons used by ancient heroes or materials from A-rank monsters.

There’s no real need for us to go, but with Riche here, it might not be a bad idea to check it out once.

Plus, we can see if there’s anything of value.

“Anyway, I need to gather new weapon materials, and Luna, don’t you need to create a new weapon too?”

“Seems that way.”

Luna’s only weapons had been the two iron daggers she had bought at the start. Although she had managed to use them well until now, her weapons couldn’t keep up with her growing skills. If she infused too much power into them, they’d break.

Besides, the days when iron would work against monsters are long gone.

Starting from A-rank, hitting with iron would yield nothing.

The materials dropped by monsters are inherently better than iron.

Thus, iron’s value plummeted while monster materials became exorbitantly expensive.

“Let’s finish our meal and go.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah~”

“Got it.”

*

After the meal, we headed straight to the back alleys filled with the Empire’s assorted mischiefs.

The reason was simple: as shady as it is, these places would not be frequented by regular folks.

So, after wandering around the back alley for about 30 minutes…

“Luke, didn’t you know the way?”

Luna, who had been quietly following, couldn’t hold back her question.

“No?”

“…”

Isn’t it natural not to know?

In the original story, characters happen to get involved at the auction house.

That, in turn, means there’s no detailed description of its exact location, so wandering is unavoidable.

“Shouldn’t we collect information first instead of just wandering around?”

“That’s why I’m wandering, to gather information.”

“In a place where there’s not a single person…?”

It’s weirder for there to be people in the back alley.

“Gathering information here is right. There’s someone I’m looking for.”

“Who’s that?”

“A noble.”

The mention of “noble” made both Luna and Yui’s gazes turn to Riche.

True, even if she was abandoned by her family, she is still a duke’s daughter.

“I don’t know anything…”

“If Riche knew, would I be stumbling around here?”

“But do we really need to find a noble here? There are nobles everywhere in the plaza.”

“That would take too long.”

We might get lucky and run into a noble we know, but if we’re unlucky, it will be a bigger waste of time than this.

Not every noble is as knowledgeable as Riche, and even if they are, how would we know if one is hiding?

“Why would I look for them here?”

“Well…? We wouldn’t know.”

“What reason would those refined noble types have to come down to such a damp and filthy back alley?”

“…The auction house?”

Exactly.

They’re obviously coming to the auction house.

Noble types wouldn’t risk entering a back alley where even commoners wouldn’t tread without a reason, would they?

That’s why we’re searching for nobles down here.

Unlike those outside, nobles you see here are either scheming something or on their way to the auction house—so there are typically just these two types.

And it’s pretty silly to hear information from someone else and then act accordingly.

You could easily just beat up someone who’s heading to the auction house for information.

“And we also can only look for them here because of the entry tickets.”

“There are entry tickets too… I didn’t know that.”

“Once again, it’s normal for you not to know.”

Unlike the legitimate auction house, you need an entry ticket to enter the underground auction house.

But does anyone among us have an entry ticket?

Of course not. That’s why we have no choice but to find a noble in the back alley.

Even if we were to happen upon a noble who has information about the auction outside, they wouldn’t be carrying an entry ticket if they weren’t planning to use it today.

On the other hand, those we meet here are definitely thinking about heading to the auction house, so they’d have entry tickets.

This is what we call a 100% drop event for entry tickets. If you let this slip by, you’re not a true gamer.

“Now that you mention it, that’s a good point.”

“Oh, look, one’s passing over there.”

As I pointed with my finger, the three of them turned their gazes to its tip.

There was a shabby-looking man walking by.

“Isn’t he just a local resident?”

“No, look closely.”

Even though his clothing and face showed he looked like a beggar living in the back alley, his strut screamed ‘noble.’

How could a back-alley beggar walk with such posture when they’d be weak from not eating, usually slouched over with hunched backs and necks?

If you’re going to disguise yourself, at least do it right. Just changing your appearance doesn’t make it a disguise.

“That’s why I call nobles dumb.”

I walked up to the upright noble immediately.

“Hey.”

“Hmm? Who… ah, who are you…?”

“You’ve already been found out, idiot.”

-Crunch!

A punch to the face.

I turned his face into a smashed melon. An aristocrat who has never had any training crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

This is how dangerous the underground auction house is.

It’s simply too risky for a noble with no power to wander into the back alley all by themselves.

Even if you have just one entry ticket, you can enter with a bodyguard, but they probably didn’t want to reveal that location to some bodyguard.

In the end, this is all just a result of their own poor choices.

“As a noble, I shouldn’t say this, but is it okay to beat up nobles like this…?”

“Get used to it. If you keep hanging out with me, you’ll see plenty of nobles get beaten up.”

I used to hit them before, but now with Riche tagging along, I could hit them while having the Winchester duke family behind me.

If issues arise later, we’ll just deal with it then.

“Seems like he’s going to play dumb, so let’s try some intimidation.”

“Not negotiation…?”

Riche, it seems you’re still new to the group, but we don’t do negotiations.

If you look at Luna and Yui, who are saying nothing, doesn’t that make it clear?

Negotiation is typically for the weak.

We don’t negotiate because we are strong.

“Let’s wake him up first.”

“How?”

“Maybe scorching his face with fire would wake him up?”

“…Don’t we usually splash water on them?”

“I don’t have any water right now.”

And we should conserve our water.

The country I was from was known for its water shortages, right?

I think it’s too wasteful to use water on someone like him.

“Hurry and wake him.”

“Got it.”

Riche conjured fire above her hand and seared the face of the unconscious man.

Sizz, just before the sound of burning flesh filled the air.

“AHH?!”

The man barely brought himself back to his senses.

“Are you awake?”

-Slap!

“Ugh!”

I slapped him to check if he was fully conscious.

“Shouldn’t that have been done before scorching him?”

“The slap is to check if he’s truly awake.”

-Slap!

“Ugh!”

“Alright, which hand slapped you? Tell me.”

“Ugh…”

“See, Riche? He’s still not fully awake.”

-Slap!

“AHH! W-What?! Do you even know who I am?!”

“I don’t.”

“W-What?”

You came dressed in disguise.

Even if you dressed up like a noble, I’d still hit you, but after coming dressed like a commoner, who would know who you are?

-Slap!

“It’s disgusting!”

“Answer my question: which hand slapped you?”

I slapped him with my right hand.

“Oh, it’s the right hand! The right hand!”

“Nope! Wrong.”

-Slap!

“Oh, God!”

“And now? Where is it? Speak!”

For reference, I slapped him with my left hand this time.

“Oh, it’s the right hand!”

“Are your eyes broken or something, you bastard?! How can this be the right hand?!”

-Slap!

“Ugh!”

He looked at me as if he was aggrieved.

What’s wrong?

If you’re unhappy, just bring out your mind-reading powers.

You’re getting smacked because you don’t have them, you know.

 

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