The guards exchanged glances before reluctantly pushing the doors open.
The moment the doors parted, the sound of the auction wrapped around me like a wave.
I stepped inside as the doors slowly closed behind me with a heavy thud.
The auction hall was huge and fancy.
A massive circular stage stood at the center below, lit by dozens of floating crystal lamps. Around it were rows of seats rising upward, each slightly higher than the previous, forming a kind of grand arena where people could look down on the merchandise.
And there were a lot of them.
Nobles in silk coats, merchants with heavy purses, masked collectors whispering to each other.
I turned left and walked toward the VIP seating area, where velvet chairs and golden railings separated the wealthy from the common bidders.
I didn't wait for the organizers to question me. I just grabbed one of the remaining number plates from the table and sat down at the front of the balcony seating area, leaning slightly forward to look down at the stage.
The stage where countless lives were sold.
What am I doing? Don't ask me. I don't know either.
The auction went on.
I watched silently from the balcony as item after item was brought to the stage. Elves with pale silver hair, demi-humans with fox ears, wolf tails, cat eyes… they all stood there under the bright lanterns while the crowd shouted their bids.
And they were all either women or little kids. I felt bad. But I was not here for them.
"Now, it's time for the final item of the auction!" the announcer said with a huge grin on his face.
His voice echoed across the hall, full of excitement, like he was about to reveal some legendary treasure.
I just stared at the stage.
Honestly, I already knew the final item.
On this exact auction. At this exact time. In this exact way.
That damn villain tortured me in my last life while making me remember everything about this moment.
A wheeled cage covered with a red silk cloth rolled onto the stage as two workers pushed it forward.
The announcer nodded to the workers, and they quickly left, leaving the mysterious cage alone at the center of the stage.
"Now, dear ladies and gentlemen," the announcer said dramatically, spreading his arms wide, "what do you think exactly this is?"
The crowd leaned forward.
People whispered to each other. Some nobles adjusted their monocles. Others lifted their glasses of wine while staring with curiosity.
Everyone perked up with anticipation.
"Let me enlighten you without making you wait much longer!" the announcer said with a flourish as he grabbed the edge of the cloth.
With one sharp tug,
The red silk cloth slid off completely.
All the lanterns immediately focused their light on the thing inside the cage.
And for a moment…
I felt like I was choking.
It… the thing inside the cage was so damn beautiful that I forgot to breathe.
Inside the cage was a little boy.
He had soft, white rabbit ears resting on top of his head and deep red ruby eyes that glowed faintly under the lantern light. His skin looked pale and smooth like porcelain.
But that wasn't all.
From his head curved a pair of beautiful, crystal-like twisted horns, shaped almost like a deer's antlers, shimmering faintly as if light itself was trapped inside them.
The boy had curled up tightly in the corner of the cage, his small body trembling at the loud voices of the auction hall. His thin arms wrapped around his knees as if he was trying to make himself smaller, trying to disappear.
"This is a rare offspring of a high-grade Jackalope!" the announcer declared proudly.
The moment he said that, the crowd erupted. Chairs scraped as people leaned forward. Some nobles even stood up to get a better look at the cage.
A high-grade Jackalope, you say? That thing is a god damn member of the Seven Monarchs of Hell! Kyaa! Just let him go, you bastards, if you want to live!
Of course… I did not scream that aloud.
"Jackalopes are famous for their bones, my dear ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer continued, his voice almost shaking with excitement. He walked around the cage slowly, like a showman presenting a priceless treasure. "Drinks made from their bone powder can increase your mana by an incredible ratio!"
The crowd buzzed louder.
"If you powder their horns," he added while pointing dramatically at the crystal-like antlers, "you will be able to maintain youthful vitality for decades! And even their blood…yes, their blood, can cure almost any kind of illness!"
He spread his arms wide toward the audience.
"This is a total package in one!"
The boy inside the cage trembled harder as the lantern lights shone on him.
"The bids will start at one thousand golden coins!"
The moment he said that, the hall exploded with voices.
"Two thousand!"
"Three! I will pay three!"
"Six thousand!"
"Seven thousand!"
The numbers flew across the hall like arrows. Hands shot up everywhere, number plates flashing in the air.
I watched silently as the price rose higher and higher.
Ten thousand.
Fifteen thousand.
Twenty thousand.
And it was still rising… up and up.
I slowly shifted my gaze back to the cage.
The little boy was still curled up tightly in the corner, shivering while the crowd screamed numbers above his head like hungry predators fighting over prey.
Seriously… why am I feeling pity for that thing? For the creature that tortured me so horribly in my last life.
If I think logically, the answer should be simple. Now that I know he is here… I should just kill him.
Kill him now, before the demon inside him awakens. Before he becomes the monster that ripped my limbs apart while laughing in my ninety-ninth life.
Because this time… things are different.
This time, I was freed from the storyline.
Well… not completely. The system gave me freedom with one condition.
Never run away from Ragnarok.
Ragnarok is the battle between the two prestigious academies of this kingdom. A massive tournament where geniuses, nobles, and prodigies gather to compete.
And the place…Where I meet the hero again.
If I fulfill that condition, then I can do whatever I want.
So my brilliant plan was simple.
I would just kill all the villains when they can't even lift a finger. Heh. That way, this third-rate villain, Alexius, can swear his loyalty to the hero and peacefully survive the story.
Perfect plan, right?
But…
The kid was so damn pitiful that I couldn't do that!
I mentally screamed inside my head.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me?!
Those white rabbit ears were trembling, those ruby eyes looked watery under the lantern light, and that tiny body was curled up like a frightened animal.
Yes, yes, whatever. This or that, let's just get this done with!
I raised my number plate with a huge sigh.
"One million golden coins."
The words left my mouth calmly.
But the moment they did…It was like someone turned off the volume of the entire hall.
Everyone fell silent. Hundreds of eyes slowly turned toward the balcony where I was sitting.
Even the bid caller froze for a second, his mouth slightly open.
"O-one million!" the bid caller finally stuttered, gripping his hammer tightly. "We have a bid of one million golden coins!"
The crowd looked shocked.
Some nobles frowned. Some merchants stared at me like I had lost my mind.
"Anyone else?" the announcer asked loudly, trying to recover his composure.
Silence.
"Calling once!"
…
"Calling twice."
A few people shifted in their seats, but no one raised a plate.
"Calling thrice."
Silence again.
"Sold!!"
The hammer slammed down with a loud bang that echoed across the auction hall.
"Congratulations to the gentleman who got this prized possession!" the announcer declared proudly while gesturing toward me.
The crowd slowly began whispering again, but I barely heard them.
My mind was blank.
One million…
One million golden coins…
I bid.
And I won.
And now-
WHERE THE HELL AM I GOING TO FIND ONE MILLION GOLDEN COINS?!