To The Slave Auction 2
The slave auction started off mundanely.
It began with the cheaper slaves getting knocked down first, and then the guests disappeared along with their slaves.
“……It is, painful to watch huh”
Eleanor muttered.
“It’s fine for you to wait outside if you find it unpleasant, you know?”
It’s natural for it to feel painful for Eleanor who’s formerly a slave.
By any chance, there may even be those, like Serina, who she personally knows.
But, Eleanor shook her head and squeezed my hand tightly.
“No, it is something I requested for so……please, let me watch it till the end”
“Don’t overdo it”
“Yes”
Eleanor nods and, I once again shift my eyes to the front.
Thereupon, Gossendorf says as he folds his arms.
“Well, I understand that it feels painful for Eleanor-san but, there is the reverse version of this as well”
“Reverse version, is it?”
“Eeh, a slave auction where men are being sold and the guests are mostly women. So it is not just women who are being victimized”
“I, suppose so……”
“It means, at the end of the day, there are those who share the same liking amongst both men and women”
Habrik shook his head and made a pose going, ‘good grief’.
I who successfully bid on Eleanor can’t say anything. It’s because, at the end of the day, I think I share the same liking as those people.
It’s because I’m incapable of getting along with women that I laid my hands on a slave. I thought of ‘a woman who can’t go against me’ as ‘a woman who loves me’.
By any chance……could the feelings that Eleanor harbour towards me also be a misapprehension?
When the incident this time around is over, Eleanor will…….
“Is something the matter? Your hand started squeezing tightly”
“No, it’s nothing”
Let’s stop it.
Believing in people and saving them.
I suppose that’s my good point ーーand also my bad point though.
“Egil-sama, it is Serina”
“Nn, aah”
It appears the turn of our target came while I’m busy in thought.
I shift my eyes to the front and, a pink-haired woman who’s wearing a dark pink dress that she’s made to wear just for the sake of the slave auction was standing over there.
“”Now then, there are only three remaining on this very day””
“She is, Serina?”
“Yes”
Her short hairstyle that outlined her pink hair. Her upturned pink eyes that give a slightly stubborn impression, along with a sharp nose and small lips.
However, by no means does it imply that she has terrible-personality-like features, it’s a compliment to her having a mature vibe.
I guess her height is 16〇, roughly the same as Eleanor, although I can’t accurately tell from afar, I can tell that she’s tall when she stands beside the guy who’s been talking since just now.
And then, it seems her uneasiness that’s oozing out even while having a stubborn expression scored highly amongst the guests around who are watching and the hall was getting riled up.
And then, the man who manages this place raised his hand and started.
“”Now then, I shall start the call from 300 thousand gold!”
“350 thousand!”
“400 thousand!”
Voices resound from the hall simultaneously. And then,
“1 million!”
Because of Serina’s former owner, the Earl Sevreschaff fellow, the price jumped up in one go.
And when Serina’s eyes meet Earl Sevreschaff’s eyes, she got nervous and her body trembled, her stubborn expression changed into teary eyes in an instant.
“Serina……”
I want to let them have a peace of mind. Both Serina and Eleanor.
Hence, I shouted provocatively right from the very beginning.
“……1 million 500 thousand!”
Along with my voice, people were making a stir in the hall.
I suppose that fellow doesn’t have the intention to raise it bit by bit as well. In that case, I won’t raise it stingily as well.
It’s a declaration of, ‘I have more gold than you!’.
ーーHowever.
“3 million!”
“ーーuu!”
Sevreschaff raised his hand with a smug look and proclaimed twice the sum.
3 million……2 million left huh.
“3 million and 500 thousand!”
“Fuu, 4 million!”
It completely turned into a contest between Sevreschaff and me.
People around were taking a step back and watching our contest.
It helps that the others aren’t getting involved. But…….
“…….4 million 100 thousand”
“4 million 500 thousand!”
The sum he proclaims is strange.
Anxious voices leak from the three of them who sit beside me.
“……Sir, that fellow has no intention of backing down, you know?”
“All the money that we have, it is all gone……Egil-sama”
“Keh, his parents’ money huh, from the looks of it”
Why is he attacking so aggressively?
How much does he have?
How much can he put out?
I don’t know. What can I do to win?
I don’t know the cards in his hands.
I know that unpleasant sweat is flowing down my forehead and my back.
If it’s like this then……I should’ve left behind more money.
ーーThank you, for saving the village.
No, this is something I did under my own principle.
It’s not a waste of money. It by no means is.
“……5 million”
It’s all I have.
Please, settle it.
“ーーFuu”
Even though there’s quite a distance between where Sevreschaff and I sit, I could clearly hear that he laughed scornfully at me.
Don’t tell me……he still has more?
Stop. Stop itーー.
“6 million!”
“……You’re kidding, right?”
I don’t have that amount of money.
I, don’t have anymore…….
“Egil-sama……it cannot be helped”
“You say, ‘it cannot be helped’, but……”
Eleanor said that with teary eyes.
Both Serina and Eleanor, am I unable save them……?
If there are people who I can save, then there are people who I can’t.
If I take one, I’ll lose the other.
If I had left behind all the gold that I acquired from quests, I could’ve saved her. But if I did that…….
“I am grateful to Egil-sama. So please do not blame yourself”
Large drops of tears of her who turned away fall onto my hand.
Aah, it’s because I hate being shown such sorrowful expressions that I worked so hard the entire time.
It’s because I wanted lots of people to be happy that I lived a life devoting myself to helping others.
And yet, I let the woman that I really want to be happy, cry.
ーーYou don’t have the money so it can’t be helped.
You’re wrong, I had the money.
ーーYou donated it by yourself, right? To the second hometown that saved you.
Yeah. That’s the right decision! It’s the repayment to the village that saved me!
Yeahーーbut, you couldn’t fulfil Eleanor’s request. Your precious woman’s request.
“”Uh, anybody else?””
Eleanor squeezes my hand tightly.
But, I couldn’t squeeze her hand back.
I’ve, lostーー.
“ーー6 million 500 thousand!”
A voice echoed in the silent hall.
I raise my sunken head and look at the stage.
The moderator is looking over here. The guests as wellーーSevreschaff as well.
But it’s not me. I didn’t make the call.
And then, everybody looked to my right.
And then even I, looked to my right.
“We can still continue fighting. Egil-sama”
Gossendorf who stood up, was giving me a thumbs up.