The Heroines All Want to Kill Me

"Frey, why are you sweating so much..."

"...From now on, don't call me by my name."

".....What?" I hastily interrupted Isolte's words, sweating profusely and falling into deep thought.

"...I thought the three of them wouldn't take any rash actions now. Could it be because the grudges are too deep?"

The item I want to obtain now is one of the treasures used by the future Demon King — the "Stone of Domination". This divine artifact has the ability to suppress and dominate its target. In the upcoming auction, it will be sold as a "cheap ornament" for merely 1 gold coin. So, I planned to go to the auction house today, buy useful items one by one, and then purchase the Stone of Domination at an appropriate price... When the Demon King's army rushed into the auction house, I would leave them to Isolte to deal with while I made my escape calmly.

However, all the heroines have gathered in this auction house. Presumably, they think they can control me with the Stone of Domination... But as long as I have the "Blessing of the Stars", I can be immune to most mind - control abilities. That is to say, these heroines are completely wasting their efforts.

「...Come to think of it, do they have the money to buy that thing now?」

Kania has no money. Although she is a maid in the duke's family, she sends most of her money to her younger sister and usually only carries a few copper or silver coins for emergencies. Thinking carefully, the same is true for Saint Pelosh and Princess Klarna.

Pelosh, although nominally in a position that even the pope dare not easily offend in the religious order, has been exploited by the leadership because of her innocent character. Therefore, naturally, she has no personal assets. Most of the property has fallen into the hands of the bishops and the pope, and she herself, because of her innocent nature, has donated all the property she received. Of course, she may obtain funds through the religious order, but even after the previous reincarnation, it is highly unlikely for the saint, with her unchanged character, to get money from the bishops or the pope.

And Princess Klarna is also penniless. It may sound absurd to say that a princess has no money, but for her, who is at the bottom of the line of succession, it is not unfounded. Because her siblings are both jealous of her innate beauty and intelligence and afraid that she will overtake them. For this reason, she is ostracized by her five siblings and, despite being a princess, lives a straitened life.

In short, the conclusion is that they are currently in a very tight financial situation.

'Besides, these guys shouldn't be here right now, should they?'

Today is Kania's monthly day to meet her sister. She always goes to see her sister no matter what, so I was a bit relieved, but it seems I was still outsmarted. Moreover, the saint must hold a sacred ceremony in the cathedral today. This is an essential ceremony held only once a year, so the cathedral should be in chaos by now. As for the princess, she has an important event to decide on her fiancé today. For her, who needs to expand her power, it is extremely risky to be absent from such an occasion without permission.

That is to say, in order to control me, despite having no money, the three heroines gave up the occasions they had to attend and came here. I'm really "grateful".

'...At least Irina isn't here. That's a stroke of luck.'

Even if Irina wanted to come, she probably couldn't get a pass due to her insufficient status. After all, she is just a student at a civilian academy now.

"Thank you all for waiting! Then, let's start the auction now!"

I, who had been immersed in my thoughts for a long time, was brought back to reality by the auctioneer's loud voice.

The only item I must buy here today is the "Stone of Domination", but I originally also planned to purchase several items that might be useful in the future. However, the sudden intrusion of the heroines has made this plan uncertain. It seems that except for those practical and inexpensive items, it's better not to buy anything else.

"Then, the first item up for auction! This is a beautifully carved, snow - white decorative box! The starting price is 1 gold coin!"

Although I had made up my mind, as soon as I saw the first item, I immediately wrote the price on the bidding board in front of me and prepared to start bidding. Of course, I'm not being wasteful. That box is actually a hidden element in the game. According to the prophetic book, when choosing the Pseudo - Evil route, if an auction - house event occurs, a decorative box may appear, containing a set that is helpful for the Pseudo - Evil's activities. My ancestors once said that it was like an "easter egg" left by the "developer", similar to the God of World Creation... Although I still don't understand its meaning to this day, since it was said by my ancestors, that box must be worth buying. Although it's not a necessity, my ancestors suggested that I buy it because if I possess it, I will have many conveniences when acting as a Pseudo - Evil.

"...Sold! 5 gold coins! Is there anyone bidding higher?"

When I bid 5 gold coins, several people who were about to raise their signs glanced at me and then silently put down the signs in their hands. They probably originally only intended to bid 2 to 3 gold coins, but seeing that I directly called out 5 gold coins, they seemed to have lost the interest to continue competing and simply gave up.

"3...2...1... Sold! Sold! The decorative box is sold for 5 gold coins!"

As the auctioneer announced the deal, the staff carefully wrapped the box in cloth and handed it to me.

"...So, after the deal, the item is directly taken like this?"

"...But since it's illegal after all, it's very different from those legal auctions that offer safe door - to - door delivery."

"...However, come to think of it, nothing particularly dangerous seems to have appeared."

Isolte stared expressionlessly at the next item up for auction — the Ruby Necklace and muttered to herself. However, that's because she knows nothing about it. Just this decorative box has the setting of being a stolen item of the craftsman Rocinante. And the Ruby Necklace that Isolte is currently gazing at will drive the wearer crazy after being worn for three days and is cursed. This auction house is exactly a place where items obtained through illegal channels or items with curses are traded.

"After all, it's illegal starting from the back alley."

Of course, if I tell her the truth, Isolte, who has a strong sense of justice, is likely to cause a commotion before the "Stone of Domination" appears, so I can only be vague. At this time, the auctioneer suddenly shouted loudly.

"This item is precious even among the items that have emerged recently! If it weren't for the finale weapon of today's auction, it would probably have been shown at the very end!"

"What on earth is it that deserves such fanfare?"

"Probably nothing much. The auction house, in order to earn more commissions, of course wants to drive up the price as high as possible, so packaging is necessary..."

"Exactly, this is the lost swordsmanship secret manual of the Bivorm family!"

"....!!!"

Hearing the auctioneer's shocking words, my mind went blank in an instant, and I couldn't even speak.

"…Did I just hear that wrong?"

"Uh, well... Probably... Should be..."

"This noble swordsmanship secret manual is said to have been lost in the conflict between the Bivorm family and the Moonlight family 450 years ago... But recently, we have obtained it in its complete form!"

"…You leave here quietly. There may be some commotion later."

"Wait, wait a minute! Don't leave yet!"

Isolte was staring at the auctioneer with an excited expression, while quietly putting her hand on her sword, preparing to stand up. I hurriedly grabbed her.

"Do you want to cause trouble here? There are all kinds of dangerous people from the empire here!"

"…Let go of me."

"You couldn't even catch the terrorists and find out the masterminds. What else can you do?"

"....""Moreover, I brought the professor in here. If the professor causes trouble, I'll be blacklisted by the auction house! So..."

"...Hand over the panel."

".....Ah?"

As I was sweating and trying to stop her, Isolte pointed at my panel and spoke.

"...First, secure the secret manual, prevent the terrorist attack, and then smash this auction house to pieces."

"No, I'm talking about the empire's wanted criminals..."

"...Hand over the panel."

"..."

Facing her murderous tone, I had to hand over the panel. She widened her eyes and began to prepare to type on the panel.

"The starting price is 1000 gold coins!"

However, upon hearing the auctioneer's words, she immediately opened her mouth wide and her eyes began to roll around.

"...Why? Didn't you say to secure the secret manual first?"

"One, one thousand gold coins... Isn't that too expensive..."

"...This price is quite reasonable, isn't it?"

Isolte looked at me, tilting her head in confusion, and started sweating as she said, "One, one thousand gold coins... It would take me several years to save up my teacher's salary..."

"...Okay! Sold for 5000 gold coins! Such a strong start!"

"Ah!"

She anxiously watched the price of her family's secret manual soaring and then started secretly glancing at me.

"...What's wrong?"

"Hel, help... Help me..."

"...Hm? What did you say? I can't hear you very well."

"Woo, woo..."

Seeing my blank expression, Isolte's face turned bright red. After hesitating for a long time, she finally managed to squeeze out the words, "...Help... me..."

"Sold! 25,000 gold coins! The highest price today!"

"...Ah."

But at the same time, the secret manual was sold at a price that seemed absurd to her. She stared blankly at this scene, let out a soft sigh, and lowered her head.

"....."

"...Oh, it seems it has found its rightful owner?"

"...Shut up."

Then, hearing my annoying voice, she raised her head again and stared at the person receiving the secret manual with murderous eyes.

"...It has indeed found its true owner."

Of course, I knew through information search that the person who took the secret manual was the head of the Bivorm family, but to Isolte, it probably sounded like I was mocking her.

[Gain 1 Evil Point! (Unintentional Evil Act)]

I inadvertently teased Isolte and found that I had gained some small evil points because of it. So, while soothing the fuming Isolte, I began to watch the progress of the auction.

"The item up for auction this time is the 'Superman Potion'! The starting price is 500 gold coins!"

"This is one of the Moonlight family's heirlooms, the 'Moon Cup'. Making tea with this cup and drinking it can make dull skin..."

"Don't be surprised! This is the 'Blazing Sword' that can incinerate everything! It was the beloved sword used by the previous Sword Saint!"

Although many practical items were sold, in order to reserve enough funds to bid for the "Stone of Domination", I could only watch helplessly. Before I knew it, the auction was coming to an end.

"Then, next, I will introduce the finale item of today's auction!"

Hearing the auctioneer's voice, I raised my head and began to look at the item displayed on the stage.

"...This is the hero's weapon!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a commotion all around.

"This is the weapon used by the Star - Hero 'Han Seong - rahn Starlight' who repelled the Demon King who almost devoured the world a thousand years ago! I am extremely honored to be able to show this treasure to everyone!"

".....!"

After the auctioneer finished the excited introduction, Isolte looked at me with a flustered expression.

"Th, that's really..."

"...It has nothing to do with me. Don't ask me."

"But..."

"I said, I don't know."

I replied impatiently, and she silently closed her mouth and stared at the shining hero's weapon with uneasy eyes.

'…As a replica, it looks quite decent.'

However, I knew very well that the hero's weapon was sealed in the secret room of the duke's family basement and was now being enshrined there intact. Therefore, I just casually began to examine the completion degree of this replica.

'…It won't shine before awakening, the patterns on the wrist decoration are completely different, and there isn't even a scratch. Well, this is probably the limit of a replica?'

Just as I was playing the find fault with game, the auctioneer shouted loudly with a beaming smile, "50,000 gold coins! Someone bids 50,000 gold coins! Is there anyone bidding higher... Ah, 55,000 gold coins! 55,000 gold coins... Oh, my god! 75,000 gold coins!"

Hearing the words "Hero's Equipment", the people around went crazy. Although I really wanted to tell them that it was a fake, most of them were corrupt people. As long as I didn't expose my identity, they simply wouldn't believe me, so I decided to keep silent.

"…150,000! Sold for 150,000 gold coins! Although the auction house hasn't been established for a long time, this is the highest price in history!"

The madness that lasted for quite a while finally gradually subsided after setting a new historical high price.

"3...2...1... Sold! Sold! The Hero's Equipment is sold for 150,000 gold coins!!"

Finally, the Hero's Equipment was sold for 150,000 gold coins, wrapped in silk, and handed to the buyer. The people around cast envious glances.

"…Tsk, what a sucker."

Of course, I gave that person a disdainful look and then began to wait for the upcoming event.

"…Okay! Then, today's auction ends here... Hmm?"

At the same time, perhaps because of setting the highest revenue in history, the auctioneer, with a bright smile on his face, was about to end the auction when he suddenly saw the staff approaching and whispering in his ear. Then he frowned.

"Ahem, everyone! I'm very sorry! We just discovered that one item was omitted from the auction items! I'm really sorry for the inconvenience caused to the auction process!"

"""..."""

"Then, next, I will introduce the 'Unknown Stone'! After appraisal, this stone contains unknown power. What a mysterious thing!"

The auctioneer tried to put on a bright expression and shouted loudly, but just before that, the item sold was the Hero's Equipment that had set a historical high price. The people, who had lost all their enthusiasm, didn't even want to take a second look at the plain - looking stone.

"Uh... Well... Then, the starting price is 10 gold coins!"

The auctioneer observed the people's reactions for a while. Perhaps because he had already made a fortune, he didn't hesitate to sell the "Unknown Stone" at a low price.

'...Good, now the real thing begins.'

The "Unknown Stone" that people didn't even want to look at was exactly the "Stone of Domination" that I urgently needed now. I had to obtain it no matter what.

"Okay, 15 gold coins!"

When I carefully observed the heroines' reactions and raised my bidding sign, the auctioneer looked at me with a surprised expression and shouted loudly.

"...Presumably no one can bid higher, right? Then, I'll start the countdown! 3...2..."

When the auctioneer started the countdown, I swallowed my saliva and kept praying in my heart that the heroines were so tired from the long - lasting auction that they would doze off...

"1... Ah, 100 gold coins! Someone bids 100 gold coins!"

Immediately after, the princess raised her sign and joined the bidding. I sighed and lowered my head deeply.

"Is there anyone who can bid higher than 100 gold coins? Then... Start the countdown. Wait! One, one thousand gold coins! Someone bids one thousand gold coins!"

Then, the saint also raised her sign and started bidding. My originally lowered head slowly lifted, and I wrote 1100 gold coins on the sign, officially kicking off this war.

.....

"One, eleven thousand gold coins!! Someone bids eleven thousand gold coins!!"

The long - lasting psychological battle, as I began to feel uneasy and raised the price substantially, was finally coming to an end.

"Eleven thousand five hundred and ten gold coins! Ah, eleven thousand five hundred and eleven gold coins! Eleven thousand five hundred and twelve gold coins!"

The saint and the princess were sweating profusely and began to carefully write down the amount of the price increase. I showed a victorious smile and raised the bidding sign again.

'…If you underestimate the financial power of the duke's family, you'll suffer a big loss.'

"Ah! Fifteen thousand gold coins!"

""".....!"""

Hearing this, the princess and the saint trembled all over, briefly glanced at me, and then wrote the price on the sign with trembling hands. However...

"…From now on, each price increase must be no less than 100 gold coins!"

Hearing the auctioneer's announcement, they feebly put down the bidding signs and lowered their heads deeply.

"Is there anyone else bidding? If not, I'll start the countdown! 3...2..."

"...Come to think of it, do they really have as much money as they're bidding? If so, where on earth did they get it?"

I had an intuition that I was on the verge of victory, and my mind began to wonder where they had gotten the money...

"Th, thirty thousand! Someone bids thirty thousand gold coins!!!"

"...!"

Suddenly, someone shouted out double the price. I was startled and turned my head sharply to look at that person.

".....Hm."

"...Isn't that the eccentric collector who spent 150,000 gold coins on the Hero's Equipment just now?" A cold sweat broke out on my forehead instantly. Then, I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and raised my bidding sign.

"40,000 gold coins! Someone bids 40,000 gold coins!!"

"...." With very few available gold coins left, I decided to take a gamble. Fortunately, it seemed to work - he put down his bidding sign and sank into deep thought.

'...That guy has already spent 150,000 gold coins in the fierce bidding just now. His funds must be running low. If he bids less than 50,000 gold coins now... there's still a chance.'

"45,000 gold coins!"

'...Great.' Before raising the bidding sign to make another bid, I stole a glance to the side and found that the eccentric collector was staring at me quietly. I glared back at him and then raised the bidding sign.

"…46,000 gold coins! Ah, 47,000 gold coins! 48,000 gold coins!"

Just like this, I engaged in a tug - of - war with the eccentric collector. Eventually, this long - drawn - out battle reached its end.

"49,499 gold coins! Seeing that the number is accurate down to the single - digit, it seems you've written down all your property, right?" I staked all the money I had on hand, grinned, and looked towards the eccentric collector.

"....." He crossed his arms and lowered his head quietly.

"Alright, although it's a close call... I've won."

"Start the countdown! 3...2...1..." Only then did I heave a sigh of relief and lean back in my chair...

"…Heh."

".....!!!" That guy let out a sneer and flipped open the panel at the last moment. I was instantly stunned.

"50,050 gold coins! 50,050 gold coins! Finally, it's broken through 50,000!!"

"…Kid." He taunted me in a deep voice. I stared at him and started to regret my actions just now.

'...Damn it. I should have accepted that 150 - gold - coin gift earlier.' If I could have gotten the second clearance reward of the side quest - those 500 gold coins, I could have clinched the deal. Now, it seems that the Stone of Domination is going to be snatched away by this eccentric collector.

"Start the countdown! 3...2...1..."

'If this is the case, the plan is going to go wrong...' I had intended to leave the auction house immediately as soon as I got the Stone of Domination, but now, because of this unexpected accident, I dejectedly hugged my head.

"51,500 gold coins! Someone bids 51,500 gold coins! Oh, I really didn't expect this thing to be so popular!"

Just then, Isolte, who had been watching the battle silently from the side, suddenly wrote the price of 51,500 gold coins on the panel. I turned my head in shock to look at her, my face filled with disbelief.

"...What are you doing now?"

"100 gold coins, lent to you."

"...Why?" When I asked her in confusion, she stared coldly at her father, who was tightly holding the Bivorm secret manual, and replied,

"...For after - effects handling."

"Wait, that person is..."

"Start the countdown! 3...2...1..." As I was trying to stop Isolte from doing this unfilial act, the auctioneer started the countdown. I cautiously glanced at the eccentric collector.

"...." The eccentric collector clenched his fists and stared at us silently.

"...Little brat."

"....!" Just as I threw his words right back at him, the auctioneer shouted loudly.

"Sold! Sold! The 'Unknown Stone' is sold for 51,500 gold coins!!"

Hearing this, Isolte grabbed my arm, stood up from the seat, and started walking towards the Unknown Stone statue that was being carried down from the podium.

"...What's wrong?"

"You take that and leave right away. I still have things to deal with."

"No... I mean..."

"...While preventing the terrorist attack, retrieve the secret manual by the way. You use the power of the duke's family to handle the aftermath."

"Are you crazy? What do you think I am, some powerful mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes? I'm just a conceited eldest son of the duke's family... Hm?" I was trying to persuade Isolte. She seemed to think that I could just snap my fingers and command my subordinates to solve any problem, as if I was some amazing mastermind. Just then, suddenly someone stood up from their seat.

"...Kania?" Kania, who stood up, stared at the 'Stone of Domination', and black energy began to condense in her right hand. Seeing that, a speculation suddenly popped into my mind. I muttered to myself and rushed towards the direction of the Stone of Domination in a hurry.

'...Come to think of it, Kania didn't participate in the bidding at all, did she? Could it be that from the very beginning, she planned to steal the Stone of Domination...?!'

- Snap!

'...Damn it.' As I was dashing towards the Stone of Domination, Kania snapped her fingers, and a black aura surged out from her, starting to envelop the entire auction house. I couldn't help but mutter despairingly,

"I didn't pour so much vitality into you for this..."

As the black aura created by Kania's black magic completely filled the auction house, the people who had been at a loss began to fall one by one. In such a situation, I saw the princess, protected by sunlight magic, the saint, surrounded by divine power, and Kania, with blood in her mouth, staggering a few steps. They all rushed towards the "Stone of Domination" at the same time.

"Ancestor... What kind of battles on earth did you experience..."

Immediately after, with a vacant look in her eyes, she took out a decorative box from her bosom and started rummaging through it.

"…This is really interesting." At the same time, the eccentric collector, who was watching this scene with great interest from the side, "Don't you think so, Lord Demon King?" He quietly took in this scene and sent a signal in a certain direction.