The Ruler’s Auction was one of the hottest events in the World Peace Conference.
It was quite rare for all of the rulers to gather in one place, and the fact that each and every one of them ruled over their own territories meant that the items they brought to auction off were going to be extremely valuable.
Perhaps that was the reason, but the first item to be auctioned in this hot event was a highly valuable item.
“I, King of Corinth, Helios, am putting this up for auction!” King Helios exclaimed as he revealed what he brought.
“Oh!”
“OOOH!”
“Oh my god! I have to buy that!”
“Such a valuable item!”
The rulers cheered.
Siegfried used his Rune of Insight to see the description of the item that King Helios had put up for auction.
[King’s Golden Crown]
[A crown crafted with Dwarven Smithing technology.]
[It is extremely luxurious and considered one of the luxuries a ruler on the continent would covet.]
[Type: Helmet]
[Rating: Unique]
[Restriction: Ruler Only]
[Effects: Prestige +100, Charm +100, Other Rulers’ Envy +200]
The King’s Golden Crown was absolutely useless and was nothing but a luxury item.
The crown was nothing more than a useless waste of money to Siegfried.
However, it was different for the rulers.
“One hundred fifty thousand gold!”
“No! One hundred fifty-five thousand gold!”
“Keke! Time to go home! Two hundred thousand gold!”
“Three hundred thousand gold!”
The rulers started putting up astronomical bids just to get their hands on the King’s Golden Crown.
‘You crazy bastards! Why would you buy that for so much gold?! Just give me that gold insteaaaaad!’ Siegfried couldn't hide his shock at how the rulers were throwing their money away.
If an Adventurer was considered a self-employed business, then an NPC Ruler was a large corporation, which meant that the gold at their disposal was something most Adventurers wouldn't even dare to dream of having.
“Sold! The King’s Golden Crown has been sold for 398,000 gold!”
The final bid on the King’s Golden Crown was a jaw-dropping 398,000 gold.
“Kekeke! Nothing beats the Ruler’s Auction! Who would have known that I’d be the owner of this crown?!”
The king who won the King’s Golden Crown cackled out of sheer delight after winning the bid—for some reason.
‘That pathetic moron... You should help those starving in your kingdom with that money instead.’ Siegfried clicked his tongue and shook his head at the king.
It was futile for him to try and lecture these NPCs, as their mindset was completely different from how real people would think. The only thing he would get from doing so was a debate about who was morally right or wrong.
The difference in mindset did not only translate to differences in their moral compass but even in how they gauged the value of things. The NPCs had the total opposite of what Siegfried perceived as valuable, so Siegfried found it hard to bring himself to bid on any of the items in the ongoing auction.
A cape made out of the mane of a white dragon, a throne made out of the bones of famous ancient warriors, underwear that increased the chances of conceiving sons, a cool-looking baton, etc.
‘I’d rather waste money enhancing and destroying my items rather than buy that crap...’ Siegfried grumbled inwardly.
“I’m putting up for auction the blueprints of an airship from the previous generation!”
“I’m putting up the design of an energy supply system!”
“Two hundred books related to alchemy!”
Quite a few valuable things had been auctioned off. These items drew mixed reactions from the rulers, but each of them somehow found their rightful owners in the end. After all, this was an auction only rulers could attend, so an item was bound to be of value to them in one way or another.
It was then.
“I will put this up for auction.”
A king of a weak and tiny kingdom, which was still stronger and larger than the Proatine Kingdom, suddenly put something of value up for auction.
That item was...
“Oh!”
“Isn’t that a Universal-grade Mana Stone?!”
“That’s extremely rare!”
It was none other than a Universal-grade Mana Stone, which was one of the materials Siegfried needed to complete his weapon.
***
‘I-I need to buy that!’ Siegfried felt the need to bid for the first time.
A Universal-grade Mana Stone was extremely rare and there were only fifty of them on the continent, and a single one of these could power a large city by itself almost infinitely. These mana stones were akin to something like a powerplant back in reality, and the value of a Universal-grade Mana Stone was something most countries would covet.
Of course, it went without saying that it was extremely expensive, too.
“One million gold!”
“One million five hundred thousand gold!”
“Five million gold!”
“Damn it! Seven million gold!”
“Ha! Twelve million gold!”
The bid instantly shot up to figures Siegfried could never even dream of having as soon as the auction for the Universal Grade Mana Stone started.
However, even this amount could be considered cheap for a Universal-grade Mana Stone. It costs tens of millions of gold right now, but a Universal-grade Mana Stone could power an entire large city by itself without requiring maintenance, so it was easily going to pay for itself in the long run.
“I can’t afford it...” Siegfried muttered as he gave up on it.
The Universal-grade Mana Stone was far too expensive, and even the Proatine Kingdom's economy couldn't shoulder it.
Well, he could somehow purchase it if he spent every penny in the kingdom’s coffers, but that money was technically the kingdom’s funds. He could not possibly use his kingdom’s funds to buy a Universal-grade Mana Stone just because he needed it to complete his weapon.
In addition, a large mana stone mine existed near the Proatine Kingdom’s capital, so the kingdom was not suffering from a lack of energy or anything of that sort.
What if he used his own money? He didn't have enough money. The money he possessed was nowhere near enough to purchase an item that would require state coffers to be opened, just like an airship.
In the end, Siegfried had to give up on the Universal-grade Mana Stone and salivate over it from afar.
The result of the bid was...
“Forty-five million gold! Let’s see if any of you can beat this!”
“We have a new bid! Forty-five million gold! Going once! Going twice! Sold to King George the Third!”
Ironically, George the Third was the winner of the bid for the Universal Grade Mana Stone. It went without saying that an idea suddenly popped up in Siegfried’s head.
‘Let’s steal it!’
A heist.
‘I’d be hesitant if it belonged to others, but I have no qualms stealing from you!’
Siegfried decided to steal the Universal-grade Mana Stone from George the Third. He wanted to get revenge for what happened earlier today, and stealing the Universal-grade Mana Stone, which he bought for forty-five million gold, seemed like a fair price to pay.
‘Just you wait. I’m going to steal that from you.’ Siegfried gnashed his teeth while glaring at George the Third.
“Your Majesty, King Siegfried van Proa.”
“Yes?”
“Does Your Majesty have anything to auction?”
“Ah... That is...” Siegfried was flustered and speechless at the question.
He didn't have anything to sell.
‘What should I sell?’
Did he have an item the rulers were going to covet?
There was the throne made out of the Chromatic Dragon’s skull, but then he would end up having to convene his meetings standing up. He was proud that he was a king, and he wanted to show off his status, so he was reluctant to sell his throne.
‘Ah! Should I sell the Green Dragon Throne instead?’
Siegfried was contemplating what to sell when Emperor Stuttgart suddenly walked past him.
“You might get your revenge if you use the Essence of Decayed Blood well,” he whispered.
‘Huh? That sounds like a great idea.’
A great idea popped up in Siegfried’s mind after understanding what the emperor meant.
“Your Majesty? Do you have anything you wish to put up for auction?”
“I have three things I want to put up for auction. Will that be alright?”
“Certainly, Your Majesty.”
“Then, I will put these up for auction,” Siegfried said as he went up to the podium.
***
Siegfried opened his inventory and took out the throne carved out of the Green Dragon’s skull.
“...!”
The eyes of the rulers in the venue shot wide open.
Why?
Because a throne carved out from the throne of a dragon was extremely rare.
The fact that an adult dragon was impossible to kill while a youngling was impossible to find made the throne highly valuable and coveted.
“I will buy it!”
“How much do you want?!”
“Hands off! That’s mine!”
“Name your price! I’ll buy it right now!”
A bidding as fierce as a battle unfolded quickly unfolded.
‘Huh? I don’t need this, but it seems it’s going to fetch me a lot of money.’
Thanks to that, Siegfried pocketed a massive sum of five million gold from selling the throne, but he was not done yet. The item he really wanted to put up for auction was not the throne but the Essence of Decayed Blood.
“The next item I want to auction is... this, a vial of the Essence of Decayed Blood,” Siegfried said as he placed a glass bottle on the auction table.
Then, a king suddenly asked, “What is that for?”
Siegfried replied, “It is an essence containing the Curse of Decay.”
“...!”
The faces of the rulers turned ghastly pale at those words.
‘Huh? What’s wrong with them? I know this thing can be scary, but I don’t think it warrants that kind of reaction...?’ Siegfried was confused by their reaction, and he could not understand their overreaction.
However, there was one thing he overlooked, and that was the fact that the Curse of Decay was an extremely scary virus that had decimated an entire kingdom in the past. On top of that, the fact that there was no known cure for it made it an object of horror for most people on the continent.
In other words, the Curse of Decay was just an inconvenient virus for the Adventurers, but for the NPCs, it was a fatal biological weapon that could wipe them out.
Perhaps that was the reason, but...
George the Third suddenly stood up and shouted, “Halt! I, George the Third, designate Siegfried van Proa as an Axis of Evil!”
He pointed at Siegfried and screamed, “How dare you have the Curse of Decay in your possession! This is a violation of international treaty! The World Peace Conference committee should conduct a thorough investigation of the Proatine Kingdom for possession of biological weapons of mass destruction! The primary upload of this chapter happened on N0v3l/B1n.
"I strongly believe the Proatine Kingdom is guilty of running human experiments on developing biological weapons and black magic that threatens the very peace of this continent!”
George the Third tried to portray Siegfried as an Axis of Evil, but that was not the end of it...
“He’s right!”
“How can someone be in possession of such a deadly thing?! We need to confiscate that at once!”
“Search the Proatine Kingdom! They might be hiding more of it!”
A few of the rulers that were disgruntled by Siegfried chimed in as well.
“Emperor Stuttgart! Please say something about this matter! Siegfried van Proa just tried to auction a biological weapon of mass destruction! It is time for you to step up as the chairman of this World Peace Conference!” George the Third exclaimed to the emperor.
Then, Emperor Stuttgart nonchalantly replied, “I permit Siegfried van Proa to auction the Essence of Decayed Blood.”
At those words, George the Third’s face twisted in rage.
The Ruler’s Auction was one of the hottest events in the World Peace Conference.
It was quite rare for all of the rulers to gather in one place, and the fact that each and every one of them ruled over their own territories meant that the items they brought to auction off were going to be extremely valuable.
Perhaps that was the reason, but the first item to be auctioned in this hot event was a highly valuable item.
“I, King of Corinth, Helios, am putting this up for auction!” King Helios exclaimed as he revealed what he brought.
“Oh!”
“OOOH!”
“Oh my god! I have to buy that!”
“Such a valuable item!”
The rulers cheered.
Siegfried used his Rune of Insight to see the description of the item that King Helios had put up for auction.
[King’s Golden Crown]
[A crown crafted with Dwarven Smithing technology.]
[It is extremely luxurious and considered one of the luxuries a ruler on the continent would covet.]
[Type: Helmet]
[Rating: Unique]
[Restriction: Ruler Only]
[Effects: Prestige +100, Charm +100, Other Rulers’ Envy +200]
The King’s Golden Crown was absolutely useless and was nothing but a luxury item.
The crown was nothing more than a useless waste of money to Siegfried.
However, it was different for the rulers.
“One hundred fifty thousand gold!”
“No! One hundred fifty-five thousand gold!”
“Keke! Time to go home! Two hundred thousand gold!”
“Three hundred thousand gold!”
The rulers started putting up astronomical bids just to get their hands on the King’s Golden Crown.
‘You crazy bastards! Why would you buy that for so much gold?! Just give me that gold insteaaaaad!’ Siegfried couldn't hide his shock at how the rulers were throwing their money away.
If an Adventurer was considered a self-employed business, then an NPC Ruler was a large corporation, which meant that the gold at their disposal was something most Adventurers wouldn't even dare to dream of having.
“Sold! The King’s Golden Crown has been sold for 398,000 gold!”
The final bid on the King’s Golden Crown was a jaw-dropping 398,000 gold.
“Kekeke! Nothing beats the Ruler’s Auction! Who would have known that I’d be the owner of this crown?!”
The king who won the King’s Golden Crown cackled out of sheer delight after winning the bid—for some reason.
‘That pathetic moron... You should help those starving in your kingdom with that money instead.’ Siegfried clicked his tongue and shook his head at the king.
It was futile for him to try and lecture these NPCs, as their mindset was completely different from how real people would think. The only thing he would get from doing so was a debate about who was morally right or wrong.
The difference in mindset did not only translate to differences in their moral compass but even in how they gauged the value of things. The NPCs had the total opposite of what Siegfried perceived as valuable, so Siegfried found it hard to bring himself to bid on any of the items in the ongoing auction.
A cape made out of the mane of a white dragon, a throne made out of the bones of famous ancient warriors, underwear that increased the chances of conceiving sons, a cool-looking baton, etc.
‘I’d rather waste money enhancing and destroying my items rather than buy that crap...’ Siegfried grumbled inwardly.
“I’m putting up for auction the blueprints of an airship from the previous generation!”
“I’m putting up the design of an energy supply system!”
“Two hundred books related to alchemy!”
Quite a few valuable things had been auctioned off. These items drew mixed reactions from the rulers, but each of them somehow found their rightful owners in the end. After all, this was an auction only rulers could attend, so an item was bound to be of value to them in one way or another.
It was then.
“I will put this up for auction.”
A king of a weak and tiny kingdom, which was still stronger and larger than the Proatine Kingdom, suddenly put something of value up for auction.
That item was...
“Oh!”
“Isn’t that a Universal-grade Mana Stone?!”
“That’s extremely rare!”
It was none other than a Universal-grade Mana Stone, which was one of the materials Siegfried needed to complete his weapon.
***
‘I-I need to buy that!’ Siegfried felt the need to bid for the first time.
A Universal-grade Mana Stone was extremely rare and there were only fifty of them on the continent, and a single one of these could power a large city by itself almost infinitely. These mana stones were akin to something like a powerplant back in reality, and the value of a Universal-grade Mana Stone was something most countries would covet.
Of course, it went without saying that it was extremely expensive, too.
“One million gold!”
“One million five hundred thousand gold!”
“Five million gold!”
“Damn it! Seven million gold!”
“Ha! Twelve million gold!”
The bid instantly shot up to figures Siegfried could never even dream of having as soon as the auction for the Universal Grade Mana Stone started.
However, even this amount could be considered cheap for a Universal-grade Mana Stone. It costs tens of millions of gold right now, but a Universal-grade Mana Stone could power an entire large city by itself without requiring maintenance, so it was easily going to pay for itself in the long run.
“I can’t afford it...” Siegfried muttered as he gave up on it.
The Universal-grade Mana Stone was far too expensive, and even the Proatine Kingdom's economy couldn't shoulder it.
Well, he could somehow purchase it if he spent every penny in the kingdom’s coffers, but that money was technically the kingdom’s funds. He could not possibly use his kingdom’s funds to buy a Universal-grade Mana Stone just because he needed it to complete his weapon.
In addition, a large mana stone mine existed near the Proatine Kingdom’s capital, so the kingdom was not suffering from a lack of energy or anything of that sort.
What if he used his own money? He didn't have enough money. The money he possessed was nowhere near enough to purchase an item that would require state coffers to be opened, just like an airship.
In the end, Siegfried had to give up on the Universal-grade Mana Stone and salivate over it from afar.
The result of the bid was...
“Forty-five million gold! Let’s see if any of you can beat this!”
“We have a new bid! Forty-five million gold! Going once! Going twice! Sold to King George the Third!”
Ironically, George the Third was the winner of the bid for the Universal Grade Mana Stone. It went without saying that an idea suddenly popped up in Siegfried’s head.
‘Let’s steal it!’
A heist.
‘I’d be hesitant if it belonged to others, but I have no qualms stealing from you!’
Siegfried decided to steal the Universal-grade Mana Stone from George the Third. He wanted to get revenge for what happened earlier today, and stealing the Universal-grade Mana Stone, which he bought for forty-five million gold, seemed like a fair price to pay.
‘Just you wait. I’m going to steal that from you.’ Siegfried gnashed his teeth while glaring at George the Third.
“Your Majesty, King Siegfried van Proa.”
“Yes?”
“Does Your Majesty have anything to auction?”
“Ah... That is...” Siegfried was flustered and speechless at the question.
He didn't have anything to sell.
‘What should I sell?’
Did he have an item the rulers were going to covet?
There was the throne made out of the Chromatic Dragon’s skull, but then he would end up having to convene his meetings standing up. He was proud that he was a king, and he wanted to show off his status, so he was reluctant to sell his throne.
‘Ah! Should I sell the Green Dragon Throne instead?’
Siegfried was contemplating what to sell when Emperor Stuttgart suddenly walked past him.
“You might get your revenge if you use the Essence of Decayed Blood well,” he whispered.
‘Huh? That sounds like a great idea.’
A great idea popped up in Siegfried’s mind after understanding what the emperor meant.
“Your Majesty? Do you have anything you wish to put up for auction?”
“I have three things I want to put up for auction. Will that be alright?”
“Certainly, Your Majesty.”
“Then, I will put these up for auction,” Siegfried said as he went up to the podium.
***
Siegfried opened his inventory and took out the throne carved out of the Green Dragon’s skull.
“...!”
The eyes of the rulers in the venue shot wide open.
Why?
Because a throne carved out from the throne of a dragon was extremely rare.
The fact that an adult dragon was impossible to kill while a youngling was impossible to find made the throne highly valuable and coveted.
“I will buy it!”
“How much do you want?!”
“Hands off! That’s mine!”
“Name your price! I’ll buy it right now!”
A bidding as fierce as a battle unfolded quickly unfolded.
‘Huh? I don’t need this, but it seems it’s going to fetch me a lot of money.’
Thanks to that, Siegfried pocketed a massive sum of five million gold from selling the throne, but he was not done yet. The item he really wanted to put up for auction was not the throne but the Essence of Decayed Blood.
“The next item I want to auction is... this, a vial of the Essence of Decayed Blood,” Siegfried said as he placed a glass bottle on the auction table.
Then, a king suddenly asked, “What is that for?”
Siegfried replied, “It is an essence containing the Curse of Decay.”
“...!”
The faces of the rulers turned ghastly pale at those words.
‘Huh? What’s wrong with them? I know this thing can be scary, but I don’t think it warrants that kind of reaction...?’ Siegfried was confused by their reaction, and he could not understand their overreaction.
However, there was one thing he overlooked, and that was the fact that the Curse of Decay was an extremely scary virus that had decimated an entire kingdom in the past. On top of that, the fact that there was no known cure for it made it an object of horror for most people on the continent.
In other words, the Curse of Decay was just an inconvenient virus for the Adventurers, but for the NPCs, it was a fatal biological weapon that could wipe them out.
Perhaps that was the reason, but...
George the Third suddenly stood up and shouted, “Halt! I, George the Third, designate Siegfried van Proa as an Axis of Evil!”
He pointed at Siegfried and screamed, “How dare you have the Curse of Decay in your possession! This is a violation of international treaty! The World Peace Conference committee should conduct a thorough investigation of the Proatine Kingdom for possession of biological weapons of mass destruction! The primary upload of this chapter happened on N0v3l/B1n.
"I strongly believe the Proatine Kingdom is guilty of running human experiments on developing biological weapons and black magic that threatens the very peace of this continent!”
George the Third tried to portray Siegfried as an Axis of Evil, but that was not the end of it...
“He’s right!”
“How can someone be in possession of such a deadly thing?! We need to confiscate that at once!”
“Search the Proatine Kingdom! They might be hiding more of it!”
A few of the rulers that were disgruntled by Siegfried chimed in as well.
“Emperor Stuttgart! Please say something about this matter! Siegfried van Proa just tried to auction a biological weapon of mass destruction! It is time for you to step up as the chairman of this World Peace Conference!” George the Third exclaimed to the emperor.
Then, Emperor Stuttgart nonchalantly replied, “I permit Siegfried van Proa to auction the Essence of Decayed Blood.”
At those words, George the Third’s face twisted in rage.
