NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13
Ancient Gauntlet.
This was the equipment used by Luke, one of the Emperor’s Sword, in the original story. It’s a cheating weapon that can unleash shockwaves proportional to the amount of mana infused into it. Of course, there’s a small risk involved since the backlash also affects the user.
Luke utilized this gauntlet in various ways to torment the protagonist in the original story. The reason I went so far as to bribe for those gloves is to prevent such situations from happening.
“Giving it to Evan wouldn’t be a bad idea either,” I thought.
As I pondered this, the auction went on. Soon, items like magical catalysts and artworks were sold, leaving only one item remaining.
“A slave, huh?”
In the Empire of Arye, where slavery is legal, slaves are treated similarly to livestock. Of course, if the owner wishes, they might treat them like humans, but such individuals are quite rare.
I turned my head slightly and saw Adele’s face, slightly frowning. She must naturally have reservations about slavery, having lived in modern times; this reaction was only expected.
It’s actually weird that I’m so calm.
“Next, we have this slave,” announced the auctioneer.
A slave adorned with a neck chain was dragged onto the stage. A woman in tattered clothing appeared, with black hair and lifeless black eyes.
She seems like someone who was sold due to insurmountable debts. As I thought this, the auctioneer began speaking loudly about the slave.
“She is a descendant of the princess of the Kingdom of Prillecha, which was destroyed by the empire long ago. She possesses a regeneration ability that has been passed down through the Prillecha dynasty.
Naturally, she doesn’t break easily, and she can maintain her excellent condition, making her a good slave. The minimum price starts at 50 gold.”
As the auctioneer continued explaining, Adele’s expression soured further. She looked as if she could overturn the auction house at any moment, but she was managing to hold herself together with deep breaths.
“Doesn’t break, huh…”
It doesn’t take much thought to grasp the implications. There are various types of slaves, after all.
“Haa…”
Adele, looking dizzy, closed her eyes.
“60 gold!”
“80 gold!”
“160 gold!”
The auction house was filled with the cries of those blinded by greed. Were they drawn by her royal lineage or her regenerative abilities?
I couldn’t say for sure.
I didn’t even want to know.
“Lot number one has been sold for 400 gold!”
It’s utterly ridiculous. The fact that they’re willing to spend over 300 gold on a usable slave when they wouldn’t pay that much for just a gauntlet is particularly amusing. The interior of the auction house was filled with an inexplicable heat as they moved on to the next slave.
Most of the slaves stepping onto the stage were either uniquely abled or beautiful women.
Most of them were sold for quite high prices. With the lowest bid being 300 gold, the situation was clear.
“Now, here’s the highlight of today’s auction!”
As the auctioneer’s excited voice echoed, cheers erupted from all corners. He chuckled slightly at the scene and continued with his explanation.
“This slave is the princess of the Kingdom of Britannia, defeated by the Empire of Arye last year, Arna. Her value is beyond words. The minimum price starts at 400 gold.”
In an unbelievable spectacle, Adele tightly shut her eyes and whispered to me.
“Is this the usual atmosphere here?”
“It seems you’ve forgotten that this is my first visit.”
“Ah.. right,” she sighed, leaning back in her chair and beginning to breathe deeply again. Meanwhile, the gold being called out had swiftly surpassed 700 gold.
Just as the heat reached its peak, the light illuminating the auction stage flickered and vanished. A sudden silence began to settle in the unexpected situation.
“Please wait a moment. We’re experiencing some issues…”
Bang!
Before the auctioneer’s hurried voice could finish, a tremendous sound echoed from the ceiling. The crowd began to murmur. Was it because they trusted the strength of the shield surrounding the Royal Auction House?
‘…Is it coming soon?’
Boom!
A sound much larger than earlier shook the crowd, and amidst this, ominous noises echoed from the ceiling.
Crash…
Bang!
As the ceiling collapsed, a man clad in black armor appeared. He surveyed the surroundings and then brought his sword down to the ground.
Boom!
Using his aura to deliver a powerful strike, the ground cracked, shaking the earth. Only then did the people begin to panic and flee in all directions. The man, unfazed, started killing them.
Slash!
“…What the.”
Blood burst forth right in front of me, painting the ceiling red. The unexpected massacre turned the auction house into chaos.
I awakened the mana inside me and glared at him.
Whoosh!
Swish.
I know the name of the man wearing the black helmet. He had made his first appearance in a similar manner in the original story, attempting to kill Adele.
His name is Luke von Shpenheim.
The second prince and one of the Emperor’s Swords. And also the one destined to possess the ancient gauntlet.
*
“…What the.”
People screamed, banging on the door. Yet for some reason, the door wouldn’t open, and the man in the black helmet was slaughtering the people without hesitation.
Why..?
Lily, who had been sitting beside me, also appeared stunned, as if in shock. I shook my head, regaining my wits and standing up.
At that moment, the eyes behind the man’s helmet met mine. What I felt from him were chillingly vacant eyes, solely possessing the intent to kill someone.
I had never seen such bizarre eyes before.
He charged towards me, swinging his sword. Before I could react, not having enough time to use shield magic.
Swish.
“..Huh?”
In that moment, Lily shielded me, taking the man’s sword instead. She couldn’t utter a word and died while embracing me.
Was it just my imagination that her face, now closed, looked somewhat peaceful?
Tick-tock, tick-tock.
The sound of a clock rang in my ears. At the peak of my desire to regress, I heard an echo in my ears.
‘…Again.’
I turned back time to prevent Lily’s death.
“Huuh…”
Pain surged through my entire body as I grimaced. And from somewhere, I heard a thunderous noise.
Bang!
That sound.
The sound that meant the man was trying to invade the Royal Auction House. I hurriedly rose and dashed toward the auction house’s door, ignoring the gazes of those around me.
Clack, clack.
The door is locked. Why is it locked at this moment? Before I could resolve this question, a loud impact echoed from somewhere.
Boom!
The tremendous sound started to stir the crowd again.
Crash…
Another deafening sound of the shield breaking resonated through the air, followed by screams.
Boom!
As the ceiling collapsed once more, another man descended. He raised his sword high above.
Whoosh!
The man began to rampage through the crowd, swinging his sword. To the naked eye, he seemed to be killing anyone he wanted without any purpose.
Eventually, I locked eyes with the man. He unleashed a great sweeping strike towards me using his aura. And again, Lily intervened, taking the blow meant for me and dying.
‘…Again.’
Time rewinds again.
The save point is right before the man invades the auction house, just like before.
“Haah..”
The familiar sensation of pain spreading throughout my body. The more I regress, the sharper the pain becomes. And the more intense the pain is, the worse the situation becomes.
This pain that overwhelms my consciousness is why I must finish this as quickly as possible.
‘..I must save Lily.’
I cannot let her die in my place. So I need to think of something.
Why couldn’t Abel, the great magician, prevent Lily’s death?
I wrack my brain, which feels sluggish from the pain.
After some time spent thinking, I swiftly came to a guess.
Abel must have tried to block the man from killing me. He probably never imagined that Lily would intervene and take the hit for me.
Bang!
With a crash, the man in black armor fell from the ceiling and began the massacre just like before. As he rampaged, his eyes finally locked onto mine.
Chilling.
With a sense of eerie malice, he charged towards me. Simultaneously, Lily came running toward me. If my guess is right, there is only one way to escape this situation.
Whoosh!
I grab Lily’s arm and pull her back. Simultaneously, I stepped forward as if to shield her. Bracing against the murderous intent piercing my entire body, I glared at the man’s sword.
Clang!