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HELHEIM SCANS
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Chapter 63
You’re following me in this too?
I let out a hollow laugh in disbelief as Isna sat with her legs crossed, draped in a tattered robe.
Beneath the hem of her robe, a glimpse of her pure white legs was visible.
"How amusing."
For a brief moment, a red glow flickered in the eye sockets of the grim reaper’s mask shrouded in darkness.
Beep!
- 4... 400 million Sel! Any higher bids?!
Starting from 1 million, the bid had skyrocketed to 400 million.
According to the auction catalog, except for VIP-grade items, general-grade items could only be bid on based on the cash currently in possession.
In other words, if you didn't have 400 million in cash available, you couldn't place such a high bid.
No way… does she really have over 400 million on hand?
I stared at her in disbelief, but she simply tapped her crossed leg nonchalantly.
Beep!
500 million Sel.
As the opposing bidder hesitated for a long moment before raising the bid, a sneer escaped from Isna’s lips.
"Still testing the waters?"
Beep!
1 billion Sel.
Her actions were unhesitant.
A billion was not a sum that even most wealthy individuals could spend lightly.
Yet, the way she bid without a second thought suggested that she was confident she could escalate things even further if necessary.
- 1 billion Sel! Sold!! Sold for 1 billion Sel!!!
As the auctioneer’s excited voice rang out, I could only stare blankly at Isna.
She lifted her mask slightly, revealing a playful smile just for me.
"You needed that, right? The guy you were competing with is famous in Black Friday. Not many people bid like that."
"...You really just spent 1 billion on a single item?"
This wasn’t like Queen’s Twilight, an artifact expected to be bid on by nations or organizations.
It was just an ancient compass with unknown abilities.
Spending 1 billion Sel on something like that… was ridiculous.
Then again, considering the Mielefon family’s wealth, perhaps I shouldn't be surprised.
"Yeah, it’s an outrageous amount."
"But…"
"But for you, it's a different story. You're my fiancé, after all."
"…"
Was this really happening?
A chill crept up my spine.
She seemed to have no particular aversion to the idea of marriage between us.
No—rather than that, she was making sure I had no escape routes left.
"I mean, I did hear about it. That our engagement was supposed to be fake. But that’s not the case anymore, is it? You messed up, and now it’s out in the open. What choice do you have now?"
This was your doing. Am I wrong?
Her expression was hidden behind the mask.
Yet, the aura seeping from her felt completely different.
I always thought she was crazy, but right now… she felt eerily familiar.
Like Duke Catsey.
Which one was the real her?
I wasn't good at reading people, so I had no way of knowing.
"My mother has an uncanny eye for people."
"Lady Isna."
"If you ask me if I like you, I wouldn’t know. But for a fiancé, this level of investment is nothing."
"I’ll repay the money as soon as we leave the auction house."
"Ah, don’t worry about it. Family members don’t handle debts between each other. This is nothing, my dear future husband."
We’re not family yet, you crazy woman.
The oppressive aura from earlier vanished in an instant, replaced once again by her usual madness.
Just imagining Melissa rolling on the floor laughing at me already made my stomach churn.
* * *
Thinking about it now, Isna never really showed much interest in my relationship with Luna.
Sure, she was startled when she first saw Luna’s appearance and followed her around for a bit, but that was all.
She knew full well that my bond with Luna wasn’t just a simple healer-and-patient relationship, yet she never pried.
Well, in the first place, did love even have any meaning in the kind of marriage she was familiar with?
Many people in political marriages had lovers outside of their unions.
Maybe she just didn’t care.
Even though we had successfully won the ancient compass—Luna’s desired item—we had to wait until the auction ended to claim it.
About an hour passed.
Finally, VIP-grade items started appearing, including the ones we had submitted.
Though they lacked intricate backstories, they were visually striking enough to captivate the audience.
The bids surged as people scrambled for the stunning jewelry pieces.
"Oh… That one’s pretty. Should I buy it? No, wait… I’d probably get scolded for it."
Even Isna hesitated, which spoke volumes.
I had submitted two items, excluding Queen’s Twilight.
VIP-class items fetched prices incomparable to the earlier auctions.
Though they lacked special abilities, the sheer beauty of the jewels alone was enough to drive bids into the billions.
I was honestly stunned by how much value Luna’s collection held.
I had thought that even selling them at a reasonable price would only bring in a few tens of millions.
Then, when Queen’s Twilight finally appeared—
I witnessed madness.
A perfect relic with an unparalleled backstory.
A piece of jewelry lost 200 years ago, whispered about for generations.
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HELHEIM SCANS
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If it were just an ordinary accessory, people wouldn’t make such a fuss.
- This very Queen’s Twilight is said to grant its wearer perfect health and longevity, preventing even minor illnesses!
That was it.
What is humanity’s greatest desire?
Eternal life.
For high-ranking nobles, kings, and emperors alike, the allure of such an item was irresistible.
It wasn’t just about vanity—if possessing it could grant them a longer life, of course, they’d lose their minds over it.
The starting bid was only 1 billion Sel.
1 billion for immortality?
What kind of wealthy lunatic would let that go?
It was never going to stay at that price.
The numbers skyrocketed beyond my wildest expectations.
Within a single minute, the bid had already surpassed 50 billion Sel.
Of course, it had to be that way.
Even the original painting of Queen’s Twilight was worth 2 billion Sel.
However, as I watched the price skyrocket beyond expectations, I couldn't help but twitch my eyes.
"2 trillion? Are these people insane?"
"Oh my, 2 trillion is actually below expectations."
"What?"
Isna Mielephon chuckled.
"It guarantees longevity and prevents aging just by possessing it. And the story behind it is perfect."
"……."
"Do you know what its estimated value was? 5.2 trillion."
"F… five…."
"But then, a rumor started spreading. That this item was blessed by the Archangel."
I did spread the rumor, but I didn't expect it to spread that far.
"If it's been officially confirmed that it holds an Archangel’s blessing, don’t you hear the sound of people losing their minds over it?"
The Holy Kingdom!
Of course.
That would be an irreplaceable relic for them.
As I stood there, dumbfounded, she folded her arms, draped in her Reaper’s robe.
"If this moves beyond individual buyers to organizations, then from now on, 1 to 2 trillion sel will be pocket change. According to my family’s intelligence division’s predictions…"
- 2 trillion! 2 trillion sel! Any higher bids?!
The auctioneer practically spat out the words as he shouted, and I felt my consciousness fading.
Melissa had said we’d be lucky to get 500 billion sel.
And yet, it had skyrocketed to dozens of times that amount.
"Of course, many will be after that item."
However, despite dealing with countless artifacts over the years, Black Friday had rarely had any major incidents.
Either way, the value had far exceeded my imagination.
"Whoever sold that must have instantly climbed the ranks of the continent’s richest. Ugh, I’m jealous. That’s what you call a real windfall."
Even for a major family like Mielephon, 2 trillion was an unbearable burden.
After all, they hadn't secured their place among the Thirteen Great Houses through sheer financial power.
That reaction was only natural.
The frenzied bidding war finally came to a halt after surpassing 2 trillion.
And so, The Queen’s Twilight was sold for an astronomical sum of 2 trillion sel, far beyond our expectations.
* * *
I couldn't quite process it.
2 trillion sel.
A "trillion" was a unit I had only seen in my previous life.
In this world, that amount of money wasn’t something that could be moved unless one was ruling a wealthy nation.
Cascadia?
Would Cascadia be any different?
Even though nobles lived in wealth, their financial scale couldn’t possibly compare.
Of course, I wasn’t going to receive that enormous sum in cash all at once.
There was no way 2 trillion could be carried around in cash.
Instead, they would transfer the funds through the promissory notes of the Lavren family, the continent’s largest banking house.
"You need not worry about trust. We will ensure that the entire amount, minus fees, is transferred securely. Additionally, we will take every precaution to ensure that your identity is not exposed during this process."
At this point, I was getting the picture.
I now understood who was operating Black Friday.
Though they hailed from a small kingdom, they were among the Thirteen Great Houses.
The Lavren family, rulers of the continent’s greatest bank.
If it were them, this was possible.
"However, please understand that we cannot protect you from the dangers that might arise from suddenly coming into possession of such a large sum."
So, in other words, if I went around flaunting my newfound wealth and got myself into trouble, that was on me.
That wasn’t their concern, so I simply nodded.
Then, they handed me a Lavren family VVIP pass.
"We can transfer a portion of the funds to you immediately. How would you like to proceed?"
"Give it to me."
"Understood. We will immediately transfer 800 billion sel, earned from the auction profits. As for the remaining amount, you may collect it from the Lavren Bank in the future… However, given the sheer size of the funds, you won’t be able to withdraw it all at once."
"How long will it take?"
"Around a month."
"That’s fine."
Even just 800 billion would allow Cascadia to undergo massive development.
I stored the received amount into my portable subspace storage.
Additionally, I collected the proceeds from selling other jewelry and gems.
For the auction house, just the commission fees alone were already a massive profit.
Unaware that I was the seller, Isna chattered on, wondering who could have possibly obtained The Queen’s Twilight and by what means.
"Lady, would you mind taking that off now?"
"You’re quite bold. I don’t dislike it, but shouldn’t that sort of thing be reserved for after marriage?"
This woman…
As I reached to forcibly remove her mask, Luna swiftly grabbed my arm to stop me.
"Don’t get caught up in that lunatic’s game."
"Ugh, seriously!"
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HELHEIM SCANS
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