## Chapter 164 – 164. A Nighttime Auction (2)
#164. A Nighttime Auction (2)
Wayble, a border city located at the southernmost tip of the Earldom of Euclaid in the Veilheaven Republic.
Lord Hessler, the lord of that place and a vassal of Earl Euclaid, had two children.
The eldest son, Henriot Hessler, and the eldest daughter, Lina Hessler.
Having come of age a few years ago, the two had been working tirelessly in their respective fields to inherit the baronetcy, achieving various successes.
Of course, it would normally be natural for the eldest son, Henriot, to inherit the baronetcy, but the Veilheaven Republic was one of the few countries where women could also inherit titles.
Moreover, the eldest son was born to a commoner concubine, while the eldest daughter was born to the daughter of Baron Hackle, a vassal of Earl Euclaid.
Lina Hessler had a background that more than made up for the difference in gender.
“Haa… Father always seems to pick the most useless things to do.”
Lina sighed as she looked at the mask placed on the table.
“What’s wrong, Miss?”
“What else could it be? It seems like that father of mine is planning to side with his son again this time, that’s why.”
Her complexion was somewhat dark as she complained to the maid.
Although the Veilheaven Republic was one of the few countries where women could inherit titles, in aristocratic society, the preference for sons was inseparable.
Her father, Baron Hessler, was the same.
‘Holding an auction within the mansion is something my father’s personality would never allow him to do normally.’
Until now, he hadn’t designated his son as his successor because he was mindful of his wife’s family, but Baron Hessler would always push his son whenever he had the chance.
Those who were invited to the auction were all either nobles or merchants boasting considerable wealth.
Her brother, Henriot, was to be the host of such an event.
‘It’s as good as openly declaring in front of the guests that the next baron will be the eldest son.’
Even if the baron didn’t mention it directly, the rumors would quickly spread throughout the earldom.
Not only nobles but even merchants would try to get close to her brother.
Her mother, upon hearing this news, had gone to see her father since morning, but she didn’t have much expectation.
After all, that concubine must have been whispering sweet nothings in his ear.
‘Haa…’
Although she appeared composed on the outside, Lina’s insides felt like they were burning.
If Henriot were to ascend to the baronetcy, there was a high chance she would be sold off to a suitable noble as if she were getting married.
‘…I would have done the same.’
Now, there were only three options left.
Assassinate her father, Baron Hessler, assassinate her brother, Henriot, or aim for a dynastic marriage with a high-ranking noble.
An ordinary person would naturally choose the dynastic marriage, but her thoughts were different.
For the past six years, she had been running day and night with the sole goal of ascending to the baronetcy. She had aggressively recruited talent without being bound by literary or military skills.
Her pride wouldn’t allow her to give up now.
“…I’m short on people.”
But paradoxically, she lacked talent right now.
More precisely, she didn’t have the talent to deal with the knights guarding Baron Hessler and Henriot, who were skilled Aura Experts of the upper level.
Assassinating them with poison was hindered by the magical tools with detoxification effects.
If she tried carelessly and failed, there would be no turning back for her.
But she couldn’t just leave it as it was.
Take the risk and strike first, or sit still and have the baronetcy taken away.
She was being forced to choose between two options with a bleak future as the price.
“…How nice would it be if talent would just fall from the sky at times like this.”
Lina herself knew better than anyone that this was an unattainable wish.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
The one who opened the door and entered was one of the butlers who had been bought over by her.
“What’s the matter?”
“You have a guest.”
“A guest? I don’t have any appointments…?”
“I’m told they didn’t make an appointment to visit. They told the guards they came to see you, Miss.”
“…A merchant?”
Occasionally, there were those who shamelessly came to her seeking investment. Among them were some daring individuals who tried to scam a noble lady who didn’t know the ways of the world.
Of course, the latter would all disappear as dew before the execution ground.
“Well… it seems they’re a mage.”
“…What?”
***
After leaving the guard building, we headed straight for the lord’s castle.
Of course, various procedures were required to get to the lord’s castle in the noble district, but surprisingly, showing a few spells allowed us to pass through quickly.
It seemed that the position of a mage was quite high in this world as well.
“…It’s huge.”
The lord’s castle, seen up close, was much larger than I had expected. I wondered if it was really the castle of a mere baron, not a high-ranking noble.
Of course, Iris seemed more fascinated by the street stalls.
The guard who had been wary of us hurriedly ran off somewhere when I showed him magic and said I had come to see the baron’s daughter.
Before long, a man who looked like a butler approached.
“I am Birman, the head butler of the Hessler baronial family. The young lady requests to see the mages soon, so would you please grant me the honor of guiding you both?”
I felt burdened by the excessive politeness, but Iris nodded lightly as if it were natural.
Following the butler, we arrived at a detached building surrounded by a beautiful garden and were led to a reception room.
The baronial family’s tea was quite decent. It wasn’t to the point where I wanted to throw the teacup right away.
I spent time enjoying the leisure with Iris for the first time in a while.
Knock, knock.
Before long, we could meet the person we had been waiting for, along with the sound of knocking on the door.
“It is an honor to meet a sage who explores mysteries. I am Lina Hessler.”
The woman who introduced herself as Lina Hessler was a woman who exuded the feeling of a noble lady at first glance.
Objectively, she was a beauty, but compared to Bella and Grace, she was at least two levels below.
“I’m Henrik.”
I stood up from my seat and performed the etiquette I had learned from Iris. It felt awkward even to me, probably because I wasn’t used to it.
“May the blessings of mystery be with you, I am Seria.”
Unlike me, Iris naturally greeted the baron’s daughter.
Even to me, who was ignorant of etiquette, it was so elegant and refined that my mouth dropped open.
Although she was concealing her appearance with perception interference and wearing clothes that commoners would wear, it seemed she couldn’t hide the dignity that was ingrained in her.
Whether I was the only one who thought so or not, the baron’s daughter, as well as the maid beside her, looked at Iris with surprised eyes.
“…Could it be that Seria is a noble?”
“No, I simply had the opportunity to learn about etiquette for a while. I am glad that my small efforts seem to shine because the young lady says so.”
The baron’s daughter looked at Iris with an expression that said she couldn’t believe it.
“Ahem, ahem, I see.”
Well, for someone to have learned etiquette to that extent in a short time.
Even I would have a hard time distinguishing whether she was bluffing or being sincere.
After exchanging greetings once, Iris naturally took the lead in the conversation.
Starting with the weather today, she and the baron’s daughter exchanged stories, such as the magnificence of the lord’s castle, the beauty of the garden surrounding the detached building, and compliments to the baron’s daughter.
As we spent about 10 minutes chatting like this, this time, the baron’s daughter changed the subject first.
“If it’s not too much to ask, may I ask why the mages have come to see me?”
Actually, at first, I thought she was just a rich daughter who didn’t know the ways of the world because she was called the baron’s daughter.
But the woman named Lina Hessler, whom I met in person, had eyes closer to those of a merchant than a noble lady.
I couldn’t find any wavering in the way she looked at me and Iris.
“First of all, I must apologize for visiting without notice.”
“You don’t have to apologize for something like that…”
“No. You should receive an apology.”
“Yes? What do you mean…”
As I abruptly got up from my seat, leaving the embarrassed baron’s daughter behind, the face of the maid beside her instantly contorted.
“Even if you are a mage, you must show respect to the young lady…!”
“I don’t show respect to things that smell dirty.”
Thud, I instantly moved behind the maid and lightly struck the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious.
Of course, I wrapped my arms around her waist so she wouldn’t fall to the floor.
“What is the meaning of this sudden act?!”
The baron’s daughter, who raised her voice at the scene of unexpected violence, abruptly shook the bell on the table, but strangely, no sound came from the bell.
It seemed she was trying to call the knights outside, but this room was already surrounded by the ‘Silence’ magic.
“I am in the middle of giving a gift of apology, so please wait a moment.”
I sat down with the maid in my arms and abruptly lifted her skirt. It wasn’t something I particularly intended, but she was a woman with pretty legs.
She didn’t seem very tall, but her skin was fair, and her legs were long like a model.
“W, what are you doing?!”
“Shh.”
With my hand on the maid’s thigh, I drew up my magic power.
Only in this world, I can use divine power, albeit weakly.
I don’t know if it’s thanks to the blessing of the World Tree that Iris gave me last time, or if it’s because I was chosen as a hero by the World Tree, but my magic power is imbued with a weak divine power.
Perhaps because the World Tree, the source of divine power, is in this world, I can’t use it on Earth.
“Th, that’s?!”
Tsujujuk- When I touched the maid’s thigh with my magic-imbued hand, a black magic circle appeared on her skin with a sound as if her skin was burning.
Just looking at it made me feel disgusted.
“It’s black magic.”
While coming to the lord’s castle, I told Iris that I had met a black magician in the underground auction house last time.
Of course, he was only a 1st circle mage, but I felt like I had to tell her anyway.
Iris’s complexion instantly turned serious at the mention of black magic.
Black magic is a forbidden art that is never allowed, and in the past, black magicians were sentenced to death in all countries of the continent, regardless of the reason, she told me.
However, her knowledge stopped 200 years ago, so there was no guarantee that it would be the same now.
“Black magic…”
But judging from the baron’s daughter’s reaction, it didn’t seem to have changed much.
“I don’t have any knowledge of black magic, so I don’t know what kind of magic it is, but I can erase it if you want. Of course, the caster who cast the magic might notice.”
“…To think that Jessie was under black magic.”
Originally, we came to see the baron’s daughter because of the rumor that Balan had told us last time.
He said that if you have outstanding abilities, you will be interested regardless of your status, so if you prove that you are a mage, you will be able to stay in the lord’s castle as a guest, and if that happens, you may have a chance to contact the lord.
What I want is a negotiation with the lord.
If only the control of the Great Forest is maintained, I plan to leave this place as soon as possible and head to the next destination.
But it didn’t seem like the lord would readily listen to what I wanted.
Just looking at this auction, the wealthy people rushed over at the news that an elf had been captured.
For the lord, the elf is a product that he would never want to miss, even if he had to bear the slim possibility and high risk.
Even if the negotiation breaks down, I can’t help but wonder if a guy who is richer than most counts can’t get a priest to undo the curse, like I did with Elmar.
At first, I was thinking of participating in the auction to find a way. If all else fails, there was also a way to pick out and destroy only the large slave traders.
Even an uninvited guest is a guest.
If that happens, they won’t have the leisure to pay attention to the Great Forest for a while.
But if it is controlled in the name of the lord, what could be a more certain way than that?
Of course, it would be difficult to negotiate with the lord right now.
But what about the next lord?
“Lina Hessler. Would you like to make a deal with me?”
