Isaac looked at me and asked honestly, "I think the things they will develop are completely different from existing holy objects."
"I expect it to be." I nodded and replied. Most people knew that sacred objects were like ornaments. For example, silver candlesticks that uplift your mood and strengthen your stamina. They were not much different from magical objects. However, the holy relics that Sheria was going to sell were completely different. It was even called the new innovation of the empire.
Fortunately, I knew one thing. "I heard that there is an auction house that secretly steals holy relics and holy water made by the Holy Kingdom and sells them as treasures." What I was talking about was from the original "Enchanted Lover." There was a scene where Sheria dealt with a corrupt priest who stole and sold the holy relics she had made herself.
Probably a priest was secretly stealing and selling by now.
There was an episode in which a priest stole the holy relics made by Sheria and the Pope and ran away. I remember that the Pope, who was known as the benevolent Pope, was extremely angry at that time. And the priest was executed.
…You need to check the stolen goods first.
I looked at him. Isaac, who had an appearance that seemed to be legal even if he took an illegal route, seemed to know everything somehow. As expected.
"You mean the Dark Auction House." Isaac replied in a light tone.
"Is the name Dark Auction House?"
"Yes, it's a dangerous place." But somehow Isaac seemed to want to dissuade me.
"Meldenik."
I covered his mouth with my hand, as if he was about to say no in a hurry. "If Isaac goes with you, won't it be dangerous at all?" You had to go and bring the holy relics. And I would analyze them. What kind of thing was it?
I hid my true feelings and tried to laugh inwardly, but I stopped.
Uh, wait a minute.
Come to think of it, was it too intimate a physical contact? However, Isaac was not greatly surprised by the sudden contact. His eyes drew a clear line. Then his big hand slowly wrapped around my hand. He put his hand on top of mine and slowly pulled it away. Only then did I realize that his moist lips had touched the palm of my hand, and I hesitated.
"Uh, I'm sorry…"
Still, I think we had some physical contact while talking earlier.
We must have been in contact once or twice, so why do you suddenly feel so strange?
"I think there is someone else who is dangerous to you right now."
"…?"
Before I could understand what he was saying, Isaac stood up and approached me.
"Then shall we go together?"
"Yes? That's good for me too…"
"I understand."
No, wait. Shouldn't you tell me what's dangerous?
If you keep acting like that, I will have no choice but to misunderstand you!
My face was hot. Soon after, I followed Isaac into the Dark Auction House.
I sat in a seat with a good view of the platform and looked around, and it was sparsely populated.
"It's the first time I've been to an auction house."
I took out a mirror from the inner pocket of the dress I was wearing, glanced at my face, and put it back in.
Okay, it's perfect.
According to Isaac, you couldn't go to the secret auction house with your face fully exposed. So I disguised myself a lot! It was the concept of an eighteen-year-old girl with carrot-colored braids and green eyes. Isaac transformed into a young man of twenty-five years with silver hair and a strong physique. Of course, he couldn't hide his strange charm, as if a screw had been loosened, as if something was dangerous.
I tapped his armrest and said playfully, "Isaac, you know what? Silver hair looks good on you."
"Thank you. Mel is cute too."
Isaac smiled, wiping away the soot from the bridge of my nose. The touch of rubbing slowly on the cheeks was strange.
At that moment, our conversation was cut off. It was because the man with a limp and burn scars on his face gave him a rough sign.
"When bidding, hold up a sign and call for bids." As soon as he finished speaking, bang! Sounded. The dilapidated door seemed to be closed with a loud noise.
I looked at the dark, dusty platform. Finally, a man with a scar on one side of his face appeared on the podium. He was probably in charge of the auction. While the workers were putting out their goods on the platform, the atmosphere inside the auction house became even louder.
"That person said he was going to sell everything?"
"That's right."
"Where the hell did you come from, Won!"
I leaned back slowly and began to listen to people's voices. In general, it was a story that the man in charge of the auction house was a genius of skilled speech.
I'm looking forward to it. How well will it sell.
After a while, the auction began. On the dark platform, several unknown objects were raised.
"This object is a huge stele with an ancient language written on it. It was made a day ago."
"Hmm…?"
It was an ancient fish stele made a day ago. This was a historically useless object. The moderator also scratched his face as if he was embarrassed or had nothing to say.
…Is that the moderator who is good at that speech?
Rather, he seemed to be more of a person who couldn't speak.
Who buys that?
However, people excitedly held up signs and started bidding.
…What am I looking at now? Why is it so hot?
I opened my mouth in horror. Moreover, most of the items that were auctioned were useless. After a few bids, I realized.
What the hell is an eloquent speaker? Are these people really weird?
I really didn't pay attention to any of the auction items. However, the people around me began to chatter, as if they were very interested, unlike me.
"He really makes you want to buy everything."
"Isn't that a very good rhetoric? If I had money, I would have bought it all!"
What was it…? Was I the only one who didn't understand? I looked at the expression of Isaac sitting near me in a panic. His expression was similar to mine.
Aren't everyone possessed by something except Isaac and me?
I narrowed my eyes and stared at the moderator suspiciously. At that moment, a black shadow cast a shadow on one of the moderator's arms and then disappeared.
Oh. What is that? Did I see it wrong?
I rubbed my eyes and checked the moderator again. However, his arm was perfectly intact.
Did I see something in vain because I was sleepy?
After feeling the germ of doubt in my heart, I looked at the next thing introduced by the moderator.
"The last thing I would like to introduce is the holy water that was secretly stolen from the Holy Kingdom."
That's it!
My body naturally moved forward. However, it seemed that I was not the only one who was interested in the holy water.
"Holy water?"
"I have to buy that unconditionally!"
The eyes of the people around me became hot with enthusiasm once again. After a while, a round vial came up on the platform.
"Not long ago, the priests developed a new holy water, and it is said that it can cure all diseases."
The causes and symptoms of all diseases are different, so how can one holy water solve them? In fact, even if you think about it a little, it doesn't make sense. You can also ask if that makes sense…
No one questions it.
No one questioned the people. Everyone just checked the money in their pockets and burned their will to buy. No one here knew, but the holy water really worked. In the original "Enchanted Lover," Sheria used to heal the suffering person with that holy water. And people were completely influenced by her doing good deeds without receiving anything in return.
If you don't get the holy relic but get the holy water, it's not a bad harvest.
I quickly prepared to raise the sign for the bid. Of course, I wasn't the only one who prepared for it. The people sitting around also began to hold up signs.
"One hundred thousand becquels." The man holding the sign shouted first.
Then, the other man quickly spoke. "Two hundred thousand becquels!"
Can I intervene at this point?
I had never attended an auction, so it was difficult to time when to intervene. In addition, the competition was fiercer than I expected, so I felt like I didn't have enough money to bring. I held up the sign and muttered timidly.
"…A million becquels?"
"The stakes are suddenly rising!" People were excited and interested in watching us.
"Hey, then I'm betting on two million becquels!"
Two million becquels. I carefully calculated the money in my hand.
Okay, what should I do…
Should I bet about two million five hundred thousand becquels? I was thinking about how much to spend, but Isaac quietly raised the sign. Contrary to the overheated atmosphere, it was a calm face.
Maybe that's why boos poured out at us. It must be a formidable look.
"Look, it looks like a beginner, but why don't you give in to this big man?"
Isaac spoke slowly, without panicking or turning his head towards the people.
"Ten million becquels."