Chapter 426: Rich (5)
KuVThe woman—the owner of the Kaiten Auction House—opened her mouth with difficulty.hCpD
pHSGY6“Y-you’re…”RzFvTn
KRvclm0The sweat accumulated on the tip of her chin dripped onto the blade of the sashimi knife.hNK
XeQBZIn the reflection of the droplets sliding down the edge, the face of the masked man appeared.4amTT
6jnnSly“…Heavenly Sword.”CGEt
JwvN“Why are auction houses always the same?”MQ3D1
uEvAMyaRyozo spoke with arms crossed.VY7sYNk
B2o“They pretend to be legitimate, but in the end they can’t escape the shadows of illegality. Is it that hard to live honestly?”nwZs
rMZM“I guess since auctions work at market price, they’re quite useful for moving illicit funds.”Uxqu
qZrtAAt Kang Geom-Ma’s reply, Ryozo’s eyelids behind her mask blinked.S06IMq8
Xku“Who are you?”4aGcgg
hjJI“Huh?”fm89WxW
8Yu9Oyu“There’s no way my Geom-Ma is smarter than me!”xv3N
oBUYeDH“That’s way too self-centered! You’re going to hurt me!”KuzS1
9zLVx“Even so! The only thing I’m useful for is thinking with my head! And now you want to take even that from me! Out, out! Get out of my husband’s body!”zsB
uEnEn4Kang Geom-Ma and Ryozo exchanged an almost everyday banter. Meanwhile, the blade of the sashimi still gleamed in front of the woman’s throat. One wrong move, and her carotid artery would be cut.fj3r
AgzytGIt was the same model as the ones displayed on the podium—a Daiso sashimi. But the purpose was completely different. Those on the stage were for sale; this one was to kill.1LWx8kR
Kj3Pwwq‘E-even so…’Aq5Bx7
4D5Heavenly Sword was only pointing it at her. He hadn’t actually harmed her. And everyone knew it—Kang Geom-Ma was a hero beyond human, a demigod.uN2zd
6TSNKOHis hand was cruel, but he always drew a clear line between enemy and ally.ijKvbL
uH5xyj‘If he hasn’t even touched a hair on my head, it means… I must have some card in my hand, even I don’t know about.’Z5O
XRlaJCV“Lord Heavenly Sword.”VcVjnf7
6vJ7FRu“Mm?”4Qno
3C58dHe turned his head, and his black eyes pierced her. The woman nearly had a heart attack.toU8
mKrKbgI‘Those eyes… are they human? They’re the eyes of a sword-wielding demon!’0jBcJWW
cDd72OLWith her heart trembling, she spoke.UdQNtm
NCUckQ“I’m Maki Kaiten, owner of Kaiten Auction House. And… I’m from the same region as Lady Ryozo.”VB6
fwG“So you say.”y51ICld
66iEme“Seems she’s trying to use her origin as a sentimental excuse.”T7gg
gTlNRyozo brought her mask close to Maki Kaiten’s face. The bluish flame in her eyes flickered fiercely.rhD
cCoJ“Didn’t you know I even changed my nationality to Korean?”eZZo
H4iQ“……!”oqWbTqn
aMTt“Yes. Ryozo always preferred kimchi jjigae over sushi.”h5c8
ozJTAbel, crossing her legs, added with irony.3ic3p
tWV4fMeanwhile, the agents of the Hero Association moved with precision. The metallic clinks of handcuffs echoed around the room, snapping onto the wrists of customers.AAGK8
LD3bp7e“Let go of me! You think you can do whatever you want just because you’ve got a warrant?!”jw5jkY
RvW7KhQ“Please say that during the interrogation.”D3TUJQ
fRCQMSpeedweapon led the procession of masked individuals toward the exit. Handcuffed and bound with ropes, they were expelled one by one.yNL
5BpUKang Geom-Ma received a nod from Speedweapon, then turned to intimidate Maki Kaiten once more.eVYA8Rx
E4Jgzvg“The Kaiten House is nothing more than that. A place to launder money for nobles and tycoons.”pTmES
ADoOlbY“No, that’s not true. We run a legal business…”bTXi
Qib916G“Hmm.”P1sJQvT
VBnr3It was Ryozo.ysSci
PuIU“Don’t lie to my husband.”uIlg
qeS0jShiing.PWRJt
RrRp2qEven Abel unsheathed her sword. The bluish steel reflected the woman’s pale face.Y4zrbpX
iJzxmE“Miss Maki Kaiten. I, with direct ties to the Nibelung family, have already traced every money laundering operation your auction house has carried out up to now.”f5Ig
uAjXBk“H-h-how is that possible…?”oBPysKW
URqe9Kang Geom-Ma answered her doubt with a cruel kindness.BXuEwR
7Us“The Family of Order. Auditore da Sicilia.”XNZoq
afm“They specialize in corrupt nobles. Just one look from them, and you’ll confess everything—legal or not.”iBnqll
vuRcGeom-Ma whispered coldly.BRvS
84yKrCQ“Ah.”GDHfPKz
B2ZWIM“I caught a glimpse myself, and whew, best not to talk about it. It was quite a spectacle. I think it’ll come in handy—and that moment is now.”9R3vLCr
4P9m“T-tell me what you want.”lF7Nn
dmXRZoK“Oh. Quick to understand, isn’t she, Geom-Ma?”FafQy
ugR7MRyozo’s exclamation drew a slight nod from Abel.7LJ
cXc“An auction is, at its core, a family business. But you built yours up in no time. At least you’ve got an eye and a merchant’s wit.”fnvEJWP
mdh7mTF“Those are the kind of enemies I like. The ones who know the value of words.”I3RDPn
deu8x6O“…I might not be your enemy.”gXEk7Q7
o0h4NgZ“That depends on what you do.”3Qe
xXcgp4Kang Geom-Ma withdrew the sashimi.DaT
XV7SMaki Kaiten let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.CkZb
wYGEK‘I-it’s over. Heavenly Sword wants something from me. He won’t kill me…’m7Pko
KuhBut then, the hair on her nape stood on end.mV8TWP
BwQbiFkThe eyes of three people—Kang Geom-Ma, Ryozo, and Abel—were boring into her all at once.xR0s8
s4Huj“I can hear your mind turning.”9oqVugX
5EuvC1Kang Geom-Ma warned.EL9
KGyYl“If it spins too much, you’ll end up like him.”RfMX4
MuKUnHis gaze shifted to the stage. The red, dark killing intent struck like lightning over Pertinax X.G7w
oY299vs“Kr-ah…”epA5s
EFPDA stifled groan, and suddenly Pertinax X’s eyes rolled back. Had he fainted? Or died? To the naked eye, he looked like a corpse.sL7
GW7“Keu-ugh!”F5wL5
M3gR5Though she wasn’t the target of that killing intent, Maki Kaiten let out a strangled scream. Just being nearby, it felt like her lungs were tearing, as if a bomb had gone off inside her chest.7bwQzUQ
laA8kPu‘How can a human being’s killing intent be this lethal?’qSmPLG
OVFeljIn an instant, Maki Kaiten’s face was covered in dark circles.gsVdK
u7I“Since I became an adult, what changed in me is that I learned to overlook first mistakes with a bit of human leniency.”0RPVw6
A6abDVKang Geom-Ma spoke to her coldly.mb7hY
TbcXLG“But the second time… I treat my enemies more cruelly than I did in my youth.”aiM
M60sJa“Haa…”enxclz
qCYv0QMaki Kaiten felt her mind go blank.jfW
6vyo“This isn’t a deal I’m offering. It’s an interrogation. All you have to do is answer with the truth.”shSnb
5HeE“…Yes…”n5T
FY20ZpJRyozo leaned toward Maki Kaiten’s ear and added.diGwc
cs0dKK“You know why I like Geom-Ma? Because he’s not a hypocrite. He never looks at anyone twice.”0IV
fieufLThe muscles across Maki Kaiten’s body went slack. A sour smell began to rise slowly.NjBM
SiLsAnd she thought:LlMo
C9P‘If I become the enemy of these three… I’d be better off begging for death.’OPCkUe
jqVTZ***UP54h
IEkFiHvThe vacant soul of Maki Kaiten confessed everything she knew.ol7jQCj
DdFi4fAs she spoke, her hair went limp as though wilted at the root, and her face grew completely wrinkled.eYGOye
b7BoLeaving behind that woman whose energy had already been drained, I spoke with Ryozo and Abel.R2lg
9aiDPo“The Kaiten Auction House was a stage the Emperor set so the nobles could move capital, right? Even if he didn’t publicly invest or attract funds.”Ju48HZ
npfdFoRyozo summed it up. By then, the number of clients in the room had already dropped drastically. Only about five people remained.X3M
Mg0Cy5I calmly examined those present and looked back at Ryozo. She was biting her lower lip, analyzing the whole scene.dNTNG4
FftsUy“Then why did the Emperor put one of his items up for auction in a place like this?”qhihJ1
JggKAbel tilted her head in doubt.VnB
IOO6“He probably wanted to give it to someone specific.”R06d2Dt
b8kxNF5“…The Emperor… He could’ve given it directly, so why use such a cumbersome method? What a pain.”u4z0Rr
HGe7Q“On the contrary. It’s just the opposite.”nuqTEKr
RBurAt my words, Ryozo and Abel both turned their eyes to me. Even though I had their attention, I looked elsewhere—toward the middle-aged man in the owl mask.VDN
xPoyuJ“It was to bother me. That’s why he exposed the item in this vulgar market for his subjects.”CBJZ
T9RqES“What do you mean?”dPy
nmRcmq“We’ll have to ask the person involved directly.”bsXc
YI43RI approached the owl-masked man with firm steps. Despite my closeness, he didn’t turn his head. My killing intent must have crawled across his skin like thick oil, but he showed no fear.z23kB0
Y06k“…Why are you doing this?”qqxpol
xLGCfMI fired off suddenly.Au6
zhBts“As far as I know, we settled our accounts long ago.”WPNLrmO
SVs6gX“Who knows.”HdRG
uDnsoskThe man removed his mask and slowly looked at me.Q6tcJAj
jW07HZThen Maki Kaiten opened her eyes in shock.JbZ
5JQ68“Y-Your Majesty…!”5g6
t4xUsw8“I heard you well, Maki. You even confessed in detail things I didn’t know about my own affairs.”5WXLn
dJf“I-it wasn’t like that…!”X4N
00RBut before finishing, Maki Kaiten collapsed, clutching her head, faking a faint.chLMlG
7Rx3rI glanced at her and then addressed the Emperor.q5BvZ
4MMK“She’s faking it.”WFmNC
ffeKqi“I know.”l9eb2sm
1bNhe……!UJYJCq
uVgN“Handle that traitor yourself. Now it’s your turn to answer my questions. Why do you keep interfering with me?”pI21W
lqYccJj“Interfering?”EITU2
dUN“There’s an item among your possessions that can save my friend. I don’t know how you knew, but you were aware of it.”g4m4
utm1C“Yes, I knew.”36v
BsXDvwi“That item isn’t disposable. If you’d offered to lend it to me, I would’ve politely requested it.”Wlv
L4O0y49I narrowed my eyes.SRoC9u
MiT7tN“But putting it up for auction like this—no matter how I see it, it looks like you did it to put me in a bind.”QRz
PqCH“Haha.”eyqkFu
IrNUcThe Emperor let out a restrained laugh.YnBf
miz56UH“You’re the one with too much self-importance, Heavenly Sword.”U7huWk
x3f4Vw“What?”AQkSEr
p6e“I wasn’t trying to trouble you. It was the Auditores I wanted to trouble.”YDj
RaVqXrL“That’s the same as attacking me.”gzyHqC
VKDP“Haa… Heavenly Sword…”nw1kH
ZsC0The Emperor shook his head, as if speaking to someone slow-witted.fonQp
seZ“Whether you admit it or not, you’re already one of the sovereigns who divide this world with me.”ceXslkq
P0p“I don’t admit that.”NBIEt1m
43BVn“That’s your choice. But the world sees it that way. Anyway, as a precaution, let me say this—hounds should only think of themselves as hounds.”UwgGwRD
l4LL“Hounds?”k05XY
TT2Ev“This world is structurally based on hierarchies. Ever since you bore the insignia of the Heavenly Sword, you became a sovereign. And the Auditores became your dogs.”WWE0xhv
Pqg67R9How unpleasant.528KnW
jdhQDchBut there was no way to refute it.3F0P2m
28YyAIn this world, I was a heretic for preaching equality.1W2Ep
tlJvOMA country where everyone is equal—here, that would be an alien world.rovH
esh85rFThe Emperor continued.YOR
6hJK“The Auditores have been sniffing around my pawns. They were useful hounds. But even the most loyal hounds, when hungry, bite their master.”LhJ1nL
o8Hm6o“So to bait them… you tried to collar them with that auction?”3mw
xPtC“From what I see, you understand faster than even Ryozo.”9eA0HyM
ulfFrom afar, Ryozo’s shoulders twitched a bit. Abel simply watched the Emperor in silence, her sword drawn.qmTg
MYe1AEven they didn’t seem to want a direct confrontation with the Emperor.ibpczj
JRBHZAs long as I was present, the Empire couldn’t be our absolute enemy.r3u
lWpaBut the Nibelung and Saki families had centuries of history.5KoP
QllJBNIt was inevitable that hidden ties with the throne existed.HkOlD
LBAPA direct conflict with the Emperor would drag everyone linked to his bloodlines.ANs
WGg6ML5‘What I lack against the Emperor…’NTMD
FVrGyIs an understanding of this world.JhKwBA
gjmPcEven after ten years here, I still couldn’t fully grasp the ecology of this society.2KtxV4b
cKuNHxThat’s why nobles—decadent and debased—could continue to rise.pI7O
mStRA“What a shame. If you and the Auditores had tried a legitimate bid, I had no intention of stopping you.”NYtQU
H4mHThe Emperor brushed the dust from his clothes and stood up.e51Q
fZHHe looked at me eye to eye.D9oro3
NjI“That item is property of the Empire. If you try to take it by force, the world will see you as a common thief.”sAVhdXr
A1gvx“……”Qqj7v
DWl“In that case, I’ve already achieved my goal. I don’t want to be bothered by the dog of a thief.”csVx
MsmNr“…So you insist it belongs to the Empire.”7LXxp
X5PWQOne of his eyebrows arched mockingly.aFJmR2
22VHTvIn his eyes, a twisted smile shone.Srj
vHyJ“If it’s Imperial property… then it also belongs to whoever has succession rights, doesn’t it?”OKLaYI
3i82“You…?”f8KEd
DMX1tfAt that moment, firm and graceful footsteps echoed through the silent auction hall.cNfxR
6pvom4u“Lord Heavenly Sword.”fdx
3teR6uYIt was Victoria.sWCHQx
u6RZr7GShe held a small chest in both hands.CrfBh
FmK“I’ll put it to good use.”nPnb
ilV2nI passed by the Emperor.hv77DNM
oTTBq“You may have all the power, the money, the whole world. But you couldn’t even win your daughter’s heart. How pathetic.”Aom
hnSRiDvBefore walking away completely, I added one more line.mzbOI
OV6r3h“Poor man.”Q4Y9Ocx
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