Episode 175: Pertinax Auction House (4)
The curtain has fallen on the Pertinax Auction House commotion. The villains have been slaughtered. The ruler, Pertinax IX, has lost his wicked head.
The remnants who had been hiding behind the stage were also dragged into the hands of the assassin. They were drooling yellow saliva and rubbing their hands frantically. They begged for their lives.
“Please… save me… … !”
Auditore presented them with well-sharpened blades.
Ssung!
Auditore’s work was extremely thorough. He cut off the neck as if it were a piece of fruit. They packed the heads of dead enemies into their bundles without fail.
The participants knelt down and bowed their heads like sinners. Auditore carefully checked their identification information while removing their masks.
“Sob sob. Of all days, Auditore would come knocking on me, damn it.”
“Be quiet. If you don’t want to get your throat cut.”
“… … .”
Knox rebuked him in a dry tone. The participant simply sobbed softly, his expression filled with humiliation and misery.
Among them were high-ranking officials and celebrities. These are names that will be featured prominently in tomorrow’s newspapers.
Even celebrities who could never become famous no matter what they did will become superstars tomorrow, in a bad way.
Participating in the Pertinax Auction House wasn’t illegal, but there was no benefit to being exposed. The more famous and high-ranking one was, the more so.
Moreover, wasn’t the Demonic Clan a commodity today? Strictly speaking, it wouldn’t be strange if they were charged with aiding and abetting crimes.
Even if the judgment of the law passes them by, they cannot avoid the social death sentence. Nevertheless, they sighed in relief, at least inwardly.
Because it’s better than a villain waiting in front of me to get his throat cut.
“Dude, fucking shit… … ! You vicious assassin bastard… … !”
Ssung!
The history of the Pertinax Auction House has come to an end. Clean and uncluttered. It happened in just one night.
* * *
Crunch.
I removed all the restraints on the baby dragon. It was bound with rusty shackles, but these weren’t the usual handcuffs.
Otherwise, how could you capture a dragon, even if it is a baby?
I guess it has the property of suppressing magical power. However, when I put sashimi on it, it snapped like a thread.
I looked at the dragon carefully.
Although its name was clearly a dragon, its appearance was exactly like a human’s, although its ears were sharp and extended like an elf’s.
“Grrrr… … .”
The dragon growled and hissed. It glared at me with narrowed eyes. Its gaze was filled with hostility and ferocity.
I thought the rebellion would be fierce, but it wasn’t as ferocious as if they were going to devour me.
A stray cat soaking wet from the rain is wary of people. It must have been kidnapped by humans and persecuted for a while. Compared to that, its reaction was quite docile.
If I were her, I would have run wild as soon as the chains were off. I would have cursed the humans who made me like this.
‘Which one is the demon tribe, huh… … .’
Feeling a little empty, I approached the owner and spoke.
“My lord, could you please reserve a place just for me and the dragon?”
The owner blinked once at my words, then nodded.
“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve been with the previous lord, and I just felt a longing for him, but it’s time to return to reality. Okay, I’ll make sure to get back to you right away.”
“thank you.”
“Shouldn’t the thanks be here instead? Something that could have ended awkwardly was resolved neatly thanks to you. Anyway, please leave for about 30 minutes. After that, I have to continue the investigation. I’m sorry.”
I smiled faintly.
“That alone is enough consideration, Your Majesty.”
The lord responded with a bright smile. And without any explanation, he gave orders to the assassins. He told them to clear out those in the auction house immediately.
Auditore carried out the order faithfully and quickly. They tied the onlookers up like sausages and dragged them outside.
I told Choi Seol-ah to go out too. She pouts and timidly protests. She says she wants to stay by her master’s side or something. When I scolded her with my eyes, she immediately left the place.
… Silence fell on the once noisy auction house. It was a silence that would bounce off the walls if you made a sound like “Ah-.”
Only then did she stop in front of the dragon again. She cringed reflexively.
I frowned in pity and crouched down in front of him. I got down to his eye level. And then I spoke softly.
“sorry.”
“… … ?”
The dragon tilted its head. It wasn’t because it didn’t understand the meaning of the words. It was because it had been taught through begging that it was able to speak human language.
But why? Why is this human wearing a crow mask apologizing to me? The humans I’ve met so far have been so arrogant. Aren’t they a species that is far from apologizing?
‘Why is this person like this?’
While the dragon’s mind was in turmoil, Kanggeomma reached out his hand.
Once again, the dragon curled into a ball. Its eyes were shut tightly. Its heart sank.
As expected, humans are humans. Just like any other guy, he’ll lull you into letting your guard down and then commit violence.
But the dragon couldn’t even fight back and just trembled because the memory of the abuse was imprinted on its skin.
…however.
A warm feeling enveloped my whole body. It’s been a while since I felt this cozy.
The dragon opened one eye slightly as his mind became hazy from drowsiness.
In an instant, her eyes opened wide. The wound that the crow human’s hand had touched was healing.
[The person’s status rises.]
Kanggeomma had no time to check the status window on his retina before he manifested [Protection of Regeneration]. He silently devoted himself to the treatment, forgetting his purpose.
His appearance was very similar to that of an old doctor who used to wear a bird’s beak mask.
* * *
[You have obtained the third piece of 【???】, ‘Dragon with Torn Wings’. Total number of acquisitions (3/7).]
-Pfft!
== ==
“She flew through the sky, showing off her wings.
But that symbol was ruined by wrong people.
He who helps her restore herself will become the ruler of heaven.
I will borrow those wings and reach the place where the stars shine.
Ah, lead us there.’
== ==
♪♬♩♫♪
[NEW! Complete the hidden quest ‘The Dragon Who Regained His Wings’ to receive a reward.]
[▷ It is now possible to manifest the ‘Protection of Communication’.]
[… … .]
[… … .]
[Tip: Use the Blessing of Communication to talk to the other person. You might get a clue about the fourth fragment?
※ Additionally, her name is Hontail. If you call her by her nickname, ‘Hon’, you will be able to build intimacy quickly. (>▽<) Hon is cute(……)]
* * *
I’m still young, but my neck already feels sore. When I look at the status window, I sometimes feel my blood pressure soaring.
… This one, starting with the additional reward [Protection of Communication], is telling you to openly talk to the dragon. Especially the last words left me speechless. It was like a pervert.
‘No, is it right to tell me to talk to the dragon right away?’
Yes, it was an unconscious act to treat her. Her skin was damaged by the human-made shackles and her body was trembling pitifully.
So, without any reason or purpose, I manifested [Protection of Regeneration] and [Protection of Transfer]. I have had many experiences in treating others.
But conversation is a different matter. If I start talking, will they even respond? It seems far away.
I felt embarrassed and turned my head towards the dragon, that is… Horntail.
She was looking around my body with curious eyes. The hostility that had been burning in her eyes just a moment ago seemed to have somewhat subsided.
‘Is it because he’s a puppy? He’s so gentle.’
But I hesitate to speak to her out of the blue. I treated her, but I am also human. I feel a sense of responsibility, whether I know it or not.
Moreover, my thoughts were not yet in order. As I obtained each piece, I began to doubt whether the Demons were really the main enemy.
In the second fragment, those who slaughtered the ancients were angels.
Now that we’ve reached the third one, humans are in the position of complete villains.
At this point, the flow of thoughts will naturally lead in a different direction.
【???】’s memory seems to emphasize that my main enemy is not the Demon Tribe.
‘Looking back, I remember hearing the words ‘Show me the true devil’ when I was dealing with Vesna.’
Little by little, 【???】’s thoughts are beginning to take shape. Of course, it would be nice if they gave us some definite clues, but they don’t seem to have the heart to do that, so we’ll just have to figure it out like we are doing now.
After contemplating, I stared at Hontail. She must have sensed my gaze as she quickly turned to look at me.
“Ugh.”
She backed away on her butt, making a cute sound. No matter how I looked at her, she looked like a girl my age… … . But her behavior was definitely childish. The complete opposite of Messder.
While I was hesitating, it was she who opened her mouth. She bowed her head. She awkwardly paid her respects in a human way.
“I know.”
After I manifested [the protection of communication], I answered.
-There’s no need to thank me.
“to……?!”
Her eyes grew as big as lanterns, as if she had seen an alien. I sat down next to her, embarrassed.
-What’s your name?
I already know the name because of the tip article. But I asked again. It was the first time I saw you today, so what would you think if you knew the name?
“It’s a horntail… … .”
– Then, can I just call you Hon? It’s a bit difficult to pronounce.
The soul nodded slightly.
My conscience was pricked. I knew how to deal with the other person’s boundaries. Even if they called me a coward, I had nothing to say.
As I was sleeping, the soul opened its mouth and wiggled its fingers.
“How do you speak magic? Judging from the fact that you don’t seem to have any magical power at all, you seem to be human… … .”
-Yes, human. Mare… somehow got used to it.
“…ah.”
Hon looked a little disappointed. Was it because I was wearing a mask? Was it because I was a member of the same tribe?
“Anyway, thank you for treating me. I’m a bit taken aback because this is the first time a human has done something like this for me, but I know you’re not a human with bad intentions. Dragons can tell the truth of words from the moment they’re born.”
―… … .
The young dragon’s words were so eloquent that it made him look pale. Then suddenly, Messdar came to mind.
Even ancient people had a different concept of age than modern humans. If that’s the case, then the common sense gap between dragons and humans is indescribable.
I looked into her eyes. Her gaze had become much softer. In that brief conversation, it seemed that Hon had become convinced that I was not a bad person.
I stared at the soul for a moment and then took off my mask. Thinking about it, I realized I had never revealed my name or face to him.
As soon as my face was revealed, the lips of the soul trembled. Silence flowed. For a moment, no words were exchanged.
“iced coffee…….”
Suddenly she caressed my cheek. The tears that had formed wet her thin eyelashes.
“You’re back.”
I was left in that state by the sudden action. You came back? What do you mean? My mind, which had been like a blank sheet of paper, began to fill with countless questions.
That was when.
Bam―
The door to the auction house opened. I rolled my eyes and looked in that direction. And then my body froze.
“…Geumma Army?”
Oh, something went wrong.
