There were three days left until the auction. From what I had confirmed, the Holy Sword Peacebringer† would appear in the final auction—the “VVIP Auction.”

However, the condition for participating in this VVIP auction was to have accumulated at least 100 million Hika through auction transactions alone.

They had gathered the best items among hundreds of relics for the final round and required unnecessary spending just to participate. It was the auction house’s ploy to pump up the total transaction volume.

Though the estimated value was 30 billion Hika... the auction house clearly aimed to pull in more than 50 billion.

“I’ll participate normally on the first day.”

At my words, the assassination squad looked awkward.

“Professor, it’s a bit embarrassing, but we’re not doing great financially...”

“Yeah, we’re kinda broke...”

Gray scratched her cheek.

Indeed. These guys hadn’t taken on any real commissions, just got dragged around into various fights, so they were broke.

Even Kendreik, who was supposedly paid handsomely for the professor assassination.

“Kendreik. Do you remember your bank password?”

“......”

He had gone full idiot mode.

Knowing this in advance, I handed them each a card I had prepared.

“Huh? What is this?” Elize asked.

“Each card has ten million Hika loaded. Use it to bid on whatever you need.”

“Wow...!”

“Did you say ten million Hika?” Balmung asked, but all four of their faces were filled with shock.

Currently, the price for a successful professor assassination had dropped to around fifteen million Hika. Considering that adding two zeroes to Hika roughly translates to Korean won, I was basically giving them the equivalent of a billion won each.

Then Gray, flashing her snaggletooth, asked, “Professor, are you rich...?”

“Very.”

“Really? Then, uh... would you maybe, possibly... need something... that doesn’t clean toilets... doesn’t need walks... something kinda like a pet cat...?”

“I don’t need that.”

“What about me?”

“Ugh?”

“You too, I don’t need.”

“That’s right. You don’t need those guys. But me, Balmung Nibelung, I’m different.”

“...You’re not.”

All four of their eyes lit up gold. Even Elize, normally indifferent to money, reacted. It was that kind of sum.

It was a large expenditure, but it was fine. In Korean won, it was like I had just earned 200 billion from that resort settlement. Ten billion was pocket change to me now.

But still, it wasn’t enough. In fact, I was lacking. There were less than three years left until the Demon King battle.

If I didn’t even have 200 billion by this point, I didn’t deserve to survive.

“Anyway, the cards and money are all under my name, so spend freely. Just make sure to keep your masks on at all times.”

“Yes!” came the spirited responses, and then Gray raised her hand.

“Uh, excuse me, Gray has a question.”

“No.”

“No, no, it’s not about the cat thing... I mean, do we really need to go all the way to the VVIP auction and spend a bunch of money to buy that Peacebringer†?”

“What kind of question is that?”

Gray glanced at Elize and asked again, “Like, Professor, you’re the best in the world at [Illusion], right? And she’s crazy good at hiding. So what if you and she go in there, mess with stuff, and just... take it...? Wouldn’t that work...?”

“......”

In other words, why follow auction protocol properly.

Basically, she was suggesting theft.

A fittingly wicked and sneaky idea for a Black Abyss assassin.

“You’re right.”

“Eh...? You’re supposed to say no...?”

“No. You’re right. If stealing it is possible, then that would be the best option.”

And I think...perhaps...someone out there...might already be thinking about trying that.

“...For now, let’s observe. If something happens, the entire auction might get shut down. But apart from that, there’s a lot to gain from the auction itself.”

Telling them to contact me if trouble arose, I started walking.

No matter how rich someone in the Empire was, few madmen carried around 2 billion Hika in cash. That alone gave me significant advantage among the participants here.

And in auctions, I hold an overwhelming advantage.

Thanks to the glitched status window, I could see the grade, stigma, and curse presence of items.

After that, I headed to Goldenfield’s main auction house—“Auction Hall No. 7.”

It was time to splurge.

***

After parting ways with the weird mute girl, Rebecca headed off somewhere.

“This is really unusual, Princess.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you don’t really do auctions or luxury spending, right?”

That was a question from Lady Layme of the Shadow Guard.

“You’re right. Money is for those who’ve gotten used to spending it.”

“Ah—no, I didn’t mean it like that...”

“You said it correctly.”

Layme’s question was valid. Rebecca admitted it internally.

She herself didn’t understand the joy of spending. There wasn’t much difference between salted potatoes and a well-grilled steak for her.

Perhaps it was due to her lowborn origins.

“......”

Even so, she had come because of a certain “intense pull.” Since she was here, she had to make the trip worth it.

Then, while browsing the catalog, she discovered something surprising.

「Rune of Resurrection♥」

“Wow,” Layme gasped in awe.

“A rune that revives the dead? That thing’s not even in the VVIP lineup?”

Rebecca was also surprised.

“...There must be a lot of conditions attached. Otherwise, it would be worth tens of billions.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

Still, resurrection...

Just seeing the word stirred her deeply. She’d been obsessed with thoughts of death for so long, and recently, those thoughts had started to subside.

They say poisoners always carry antidotes.

Likewise, for someone who constantly lived closest to death—

“...That one. I must have it.”

It was the first time.

The first time she saw an item and thought, “I want that.”

She also planned to buy anything she could profit from. Rebecca had confidence. Since childhood, she’d been able to see the “flow of mana” at the particle level.

Because of that, she could distinguish genuine items from fakes. She was quite good at discerning the true value of things.

That’s what allowed her to offer the professor 100 million Hika despite being despised by the royal elders and having no backing.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah, yes!”

Auction Hall No. 7, where the most expensive items were traded.

Everything was dark except for the dazzling stage engraved in gold.

Half the participants wore masks, holding up numbered placards as they waited to bid.

When the auctioneer revealed and explained each item, the bidding would ignite.

"The work of people begins in their hands, but in the end, it rests with the heavens. That is why the wiser a person becomes, the more they seek humility."

The auctioneer grasped the veil.

"However, the heavens are always silent, reluctant to communicate. Regretfully, even the most desperate human can do nothing but wait... But what if, even slightly, we could ask the heavens for their will?"

Whoosh! The veil opened.

A feathered flute, encrusted with gold and jewels, was revealed.

"This is the genuine ‘Horn Flute of the Upper Sky天’, imbued with the [Stigma] of Azure Sky天!"

Bidding began among the wealthy elite—corporate owners, aristocratic representatives, adventuring guild leaders, and other magnates who claimed they could recognize value.

"Number 85! 2 million Hika for Number 85!"

"Number 117! 2.1 million Hika!"

The price rose.

Rebecca raised her placard as well.

"Number 551! 2.2 million Hika from Number 551!"

The fat man across the room raised his placard again. Seemed he knew the item’s worth.

"2.6 million Hika from Number 117!"

"2.8 million Hika from Number 551!"

The bidding caught fire.

In her judgment, the fair value was around 3.5 to 4 million Hika.

"Alright! 3 million Hika from Number 551! From this point onward, we’ll increase in increments of 500,000. Any more bids?"

At that price, even accounting for some variance, she wouldn't be taking a loss. She might even profit by 1 or 2 million Hika... Just as she thought that—

"Number 231! A bid of 3.5 million Hika from Number 231!"

Someone had interfered.

Rebecca frowned and looked over.

A tall man wearing an “Anonymity Mask.”

"3.5 million Hika from Number 231! Any further bids?"

Rebecca hesitated. 3.5 million. It seemed fair. Maybe even overpriced. Her instincts weren’t clear on this one.

"He's paying 3.5 for that? Does he have money to burn?"

"Looks way too high to me..."

She heard people whispering around her.

Rebecca also decided to hold ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) off, and the “Horn Flute of the Upper Sky天” went to Number 231.

But Number 231’s rampage started from there.

"Number 231, winning bid for ‘Vase of Full Bloom♣’!"

"Number 231, winning bid for ‘Ancient Silver Cross†’!"

"Number 231, winning bid for ‘Lightning Catcher⁺₊⋆’! A whopping 15 million Hika!"

There are two types of auction-goers.

Those who test the waters on anything potentially profitable.

And those who decide in advance what they want to buy.

231 appeared to be the former.

But ordinary participants had no way to understand his standards.

"Looks like he's here to flip things. But judging by what he's buying, he’s probably racking up losses."

"What an idiot... No matter how impressive that gun looks, it’s old tech. 15 million Hika is overkill."

"Probably not even his money. I bet his dad’s a corporate CEO or something."

"Why would anyone pay 4 million Hika for that ugly vase?"

Beneath the scoffing lay veiled envy toward his wealth.

But Rebecca’s opinion was different.

‘...What is with that guy?’

He wasn’t bidding blindly on things with potential value.

‘He knows exactly what he’s buying.’

Every item 231 picked up, even in Rebecca’s eyes, was of top-tier quality. Especially that “Vase of Full Bloom♣”—she hadn’t bid on it due to her hatred of flowers, but its refinement was exceptional, beyond standard grade.

It was likely worth around 20 million Hika, and 231 had grabbed it for only 4 million.

That alone would've been fine. But the real issue came with the next round’s item.

Among the veiled items behind the auctioneer, Rebecca sensed a uniquely warm and gentle energy—she was certain it was the “Rune of Resurrection♥.”

‘.......’

Her heart quickened. At this rate, that lunatic 231 would definitely bid on the “Rune of Resurrection♥.”

"That concludes Round 2. In sixty minutes, we’ll begin Round 3. Please stay tuned."

"Lady Layme. Stay here for a moment."

"Huh? What about you, Princess?"

During the break, Rebecca hurried off in pursuit of 231.

He was already surrounded by various magnates, soaking up attention, but quickly slipped away.

"Hey! I’m just trying to have a meal with you!"

"Be well."

His body vanished at some point. Others missed it, but Rebecca, tracing the flow of mana particles, found him at the far end of the third-floor corridor.

"Hey."

"......."

"You must be loaded, huh? You’ve been buying a lot."

As a cardinal candidate of the Virgin Church, it would have been better to avoid contact with outsiders.

But since she herself was also wearing an “Anonymity Mask,” she didn’t care and spoke up.

"I’m only buying what has value."

"I figured as much."

"What do you want from me?"

"Spend all the money you want, buy whatever you want—but don’t bid on the ‘Rune of Resurrection♥’."

"Do you have someone you need to bring back?"

Rebecca frowned.

His voice was altered, but something about his tone was strangely familiar.

"...I don’t know. Maybe. Maybe not. Why did someone who should’ve died survive and make everyone else go insane... Anyway, whatever it is, there’s no reason I should have to explain that to you."

"......."

"That rune—if it’s not in the VVIP auction, then it’s not something that just anyone can use freely. But I need it. So don’t bid on it."

In the shadows, Layme watched in shock.

She had rarely seen Rebecca speak this humbly before.

The princess, fundamentally, didn’t know how to “ask” people for things.

This was her version of a desperate plea.

"What I bid on is my choice."

"...What?"

"The sky is bright and the day is good. I wish you luck."

The man coldly refused and turned away.

"......."

Under her mask, Rebecca’s lips twisted.

"...Wow. Rebecca, you’ve really mellowed out, huh."

She only muttered that as she swallowed her anger.

Still, she thought it would be fine. Even if he’d stolen everything else, Rebecca still had 100 million Hika left.

.

.

.

.

.

"Number 231, 105 million Hika!!"

But there was a problem—Rebecca frowned the moment the veil was lifted. Unexpectedly, the “Rune of Resurrection♥” was a top-tier item, likely worth around 200 million Hika. So she kept bidding, but that lunatic didn’t miss this one either.

"Number 231, 105 million Hika!! 105 million Hika!!"

The auctioneer shouted.

The auction participants were shocked.

"We have a record-breaking bid! Any more offers!?"

Rebecca quickly checked her balance—she had 100.43 million.

"105 million Hika!"

"105 million Hika!"

"Sold!!"

"......."

It had been taken.