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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 57
Among them, there were some who got into disputes, but no one dared to cause a major incident at the Mielephon family's banquet.
The most attention-grabbing topic was the auction item for this Black Friday.
"Have you heard? About the auction this time."
"I have. I've seen a great number of nobles gathering in the Mielephon territory because of it. It's the first time I've seen even foreign nobles gather like this."
It was all because of one particular item rumored to be up for auction at Black Friday.
The Queen’s Twilight.
A legendary treasure that was said to have disappeared over 200 years ago.
Not only was it known to grant the owner the power of longevity and immunity from disease, but it was also a one-of-a-kind artifact embedded with a gemstone found nowhere else in the world.
The story surrounding the item was so flawless that even an original painting depicting it had once been sold for 2 billion sel.
Of course, to the unimaginably wealthy, 2 billion was a sum they could afford, but for lesser noble houses, it was an amount equivalent to their entire fortune.
Few openly spoke about it, but many nobles had expressed interest in at least getting a glimpse of the item.
“The impact seems greater than expected.”
“Do you think it will sell for its true worth, Head Maid?”
"Large-scale transactions frequently happen at Black Friday, so even if someone doesn't have the funds on hand right now, they can still participate in the auction."
In other words, even those who hadn’t been able to prepare financially in time wouldn’t be entirely excluded from the bidding.
"My humble opinion? The item's value is so immense that such concerns are hardly relevant."
Many of the nobles at this banquet would likely participate in Black Friday.
But among them, only a select few would actually compete in the auction for The Queen’s Twilight.
And for good reason.
This wasn’t just an ordinary piece of jewelry—it was an artifact that granted longevity.
Even among the wealthiest, it wouldn’t be surprising if they engaged in a fierce game of chicken to obtain it.
Most nobles were likely here just to witness it in person.
Of course, the short preparation time was a factor, but in the end, it didn’t really matter.
“Shall we head back?”
I had made my appearance, eaten my fill of the banquet’s delicacies, and exchanged pleasantries with Catsey Mielephon, the head of the Mielephon family. It was the perfect time to leave.
The only thing that left me with a strange feeling was the fact that no one had directly approached me for conversation.
Just as I was about to rise from my seat—
I overheard a conversation.
"I'm telling you, just listen to me. I'll set you up with whatever young lady you want."
A voice filled with confidence.
Judging by the tone, they were likely in their mid-teens.
Some had just come of age, while others hadn’t yet.
Whether they were nobles from another country or the empire, I had no way of knowing.
I wasn’t deliberately eavesdropping—it was just a coincidence.
“So, which young lady caught your eye?”
"That, uh… the young lady from the Baron Bellisty family…"
“Oh, that one? Don’t worry. I’ll create an opportunity for you. How long are you going to live without even holding a girl’s hand?”
“Haha, you really are amazing, Senior.”
A conversation full of youthful arrogance and pride.
Well, it wasn’t unusual for boys that age to be interested in the opposite sex.
Come to think of it, Melissa had been a student at the academy before our parents passed away.
Now that I looked more closely, the brooches on their uniforms bore the emblem of the same imperial academy Melissa had attended.
Were they her fellow alumni?
They seemed to be around the same age, and their looks were striking.
Even from an objective standpoint, they had the kind of faces that would make many women swoon.
I was about to dismiss it as nothing more than boys being boys when—
“No, it’s not like I’ve won over every girl. There’s just one… one bitch I failed with.”
Oh?
I suddenly found myself paying closer attention.
Misha, my maid, looked noticeably displeased at their conversation, but she was too much of a professional to show it outright.
“Young Master, shall we head back?”
“Let’s.”
Of course, my curiosity was piqued.
Melissa’s academy…
I had never attended, so I rarely got to hear about it.
“A senior like you actually failed with a young lady? Who was she?”
“Tsk. Yeah, there was one. Some noble girl from the Bata Kingdom.”
Bata Kingdom?
Our kingdom?
I was just about to walk past them when—
“Bata? That tiny little kingdom?”
“Where even is that?”
“You idiot. The Bata Kingdom is that tiny backwater kingdom attached to the Empire. Do you seriously not know that?”
“Well, I mean, I might have forgotten…”
“Wait. A noble lady from Bata Kingdom… Senior, don’t tell me that rumor was true? About Melissa Cascadia from the Student Council…”
I froze.
“Young Master?”
Misha’s voice reached me, but it sounded muffled—like I was underwater.
[Warning. Warning.]
The librarian’s letters swirled around me at a frantic pace.
These guys… they didn’t even know that Melissa was now the head of her family.
A Count.
The golden-haired boy exuded the aura of a powerful noble from the Empire.
Judging by his attire, he was at least the son of a Count—perhaps higher.
And in the Empire, a Count’s family could easily rival a Marquis or even a Duke’s house in a smaller kingdom.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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"Yeah. I thought she’d be easy since she was from a small kingdom, but I guess not. That bitch. Acting all high and mighty when someone like me took an interest in her. Just because she’s good at swordsmanship, she thinks she’s untouchable."
…What?
“Haha. She’s on a leave of absence right now, isn’t she?”
“Well, she won’t be gone forever. She’ll come back eventually. You guys know, right? The more a girl acts high and mighty, the weaker she is at night. Just wait. When she comes back, I’ll make sure she learns her place.”
Ah.
Melissa and Catsey both told me not to draw attention to myself.
But this… this I couldn’t let slide.
[Warning. Warning. Your mental state is highly unstable. It is advised that you calm down.]
‘Librarian.’
[Confirmed.]
"Shut up for a bit."
Boom!!!
The librarian’s warning blurred my vision, disrupting my sight.
It was undoubtedly meant to obstruct me.
But would I, who once tore apart that accursed nine-headed dragon, the Hydra, even after losing my sight, be hindered by mere letters?
Passing by the boy, I swiftly turned around and grabbed him by the neck.
Before he could utter a single word, I pressed down, forcing him to his knees.
Boom!!!
At the same time, cracks spread in all directions from where his knees hit the ground.
The power I unleashed was immense, but it didn’t instantly shatter his body.
Instead, the force I had infused coursed through him, dispersing into the ground beneath him, shattering it.
Of course, that wasn’t the end of it.
Still gripping his throat, I lifted him again and slammed him into the fractured ground with all my might.
“Gah?! Cough?!”
His body went limp as if the impact had completely drained him.
It had happened in an instant, leaving the boy’s followers staring at me in shock.
Naturally, the sudden explosion of sound drew the attention of every noble in the banquet hall.
Men and women of all ages fixed their gazes on me—a situation in which most would feel at least a little flustered.
I pressed my foot against his chest, sending another wave of aura rippling through him, causing a second series of massive cracks to spread across the floor.
“Gahhh?!”
This time, the impact translated directly into unbearable pain, wrapping around his entire body.
Still, he desperately tried to move, willing his unresponsive limbs to obey.
"Sometimes, those who think themselves cultured are more ill-mannered than barbarians."
My cold voice echoed softly throughout the hall.
It carried with it the chilling killing intent that I had sharpened endlessly in the Labyrinthos.
"They never even consider that their reckless words might earn them an axe to the skull."
Melissa is an annoyingly bothersome sister.
We used to fight all the time.
There were even moments when I wished she’d just disappear.
But no matter how much I cursed or resented Melissa, I could never stand seeing others insult her.
And now?
Now, I was so deprived of human connection that even that bothersome Melissa seemed endearing.
So there was nothing more to say.
"Wha… what…"
He looked up at me from the ground, his trembling eyes filled with confusion.
He was asking, Why?
"Leon Cascadia. House Cascadia."
At my words, his eyes widened in shock.
"You insulted my younger sister, a countess now, right in front of her brother. And you dare ask why?"
Mark this well.
I don’t know who you are.
I don’t care who you are.
But the moment you insulted Cascadia—insulted my sister—you forfeited any hope of walking away unscathed.
Even if you were a high-ranking noble… No, even if you were royalty.
The repeated aura-infused blows had ravaged his body, twisting his muscles and overloading his aura heart until it cracked.
Unable to endure the excruciating pain, he finally convulsed and passed out, foaming at the mouth.
I won’t kill you.
That would be too kind.
Your aura heart is shattered.
You will live the rest of your days as nothing more than a cripple.
The suddenness of my actions, and the sheer devastation I had wrought, left Misha, the head maid, staring at me in utter shock—for the first time ever.
* * *
Leon had been in Mielephon’s domain for quite some time now.
Through magical communications, he had kept me informed of the situation there.
He had successfully made contact with Black Friday and had submitted the gemstones, including The Queen’s Twilight, to the auction.
The auction was set to take place soon, and as soon as everything was settled, he planned to return.
He also mentioned, somewhat irritated, that Luna Basilin’s appearance had drawn far more attention than expected, causing all sorts of trouble.
"Hmph… A lot has changed since that day."
So much had changed.
It felt like several years' worth of events had passed in just a short period.
And I found myself beginning to appreciate this moment of peace.
Of course, I couldn’t afford to simply relax—not after what had happened in the territory, nor after the events in the capital of Bata.
As Leon had pointed out, after we drove out the cultists—the necromancers—from Bata Kingdom, unsettling movements had begun stirring within the domain.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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