Chapter 34.2: Bolero Street (1)

"...This is different from what I expected," Eugene muttered as he looked around at the bustling crowd.

Although it couldn't compare to any of the previous tourist attractions he had visited, it was still quite crowded. Since it was already a tacitly approved black market, at this point, wouldn't it be better to just develop it fully into a tourist attraction?

"The entry pass is two million sals," someone said to them as they were caught looking around.

"What?" Eugene asked, still distracted.

"Two million sals," the voice repeated.

The large figure blocking the entrance to the street was scowling at them fiercely. He didn't back down even in the face of Gargith, who was bigger than him. If he didn't have that level of guts and skills, he wouldn't have been able to work as Bolero Street's gatekeeper in the first place.

"It's three million sals for two people," the bouncer added.

Eugene opened his wallet. He counted out four cheques and handed them over to the bouncer. Soon, the gatekeeper wrapped a paper bracelet around Eugene and Gargith's arms.

"The entrance fee alone is two million sals. That's way too expensive," Gargith complained.

"The two million per person is just the cost of entering the street. Each store also sets its own entry fee," Eugene explained.

"That's insane."

Although there had been an expensive entrance fee for every tourist attraction he'd seen in Aroth, the entrance fee for Bolero Street was still more than Gargith had expected.

"They say that just entering a cheap tavern can cost at least a few million sals. For the auction house, you have to pay five million more sals just to get in," Eugene elaborated further.

"Didn't you say that this would also be your first time coming here, Eugene?" Gargith asked.

"I did my research before coming here."

As Eugene shook his head in disappointment at Gargith, he glanced down at the bracelet on his wrist. It was a paper bracelet worth two million sals. He tugged on it gently, but it didn't break.

This bracelet acted as your proof of identity in Bolero Street. Official identity cards weren't used here. This bracelet and money, all you needed were these two things.

"Let's go," Eugene said.

"Didn't you say that you had something else you needed to do?" Gargith asked.

"I'll take care of that when the time comes. For now, let's go to the auction house and get ourselves some seats inside."

Eugene placed one hand in an inner pocket of his robes. He had placed a small, magical communication terminal there. He had bought this communication terminal to keep in touch with an accomplice that was somewhere down this long and shady Bolero Street.

[Have you arrived, sir?] a voice asked.

[How did you know?] Eugene returned the question.

[The max range of this terminal's connection is about the same as the length of Bolero Street. I knew you were here when the signal came in.]

The hoarse voice that could be heard from the terminal belonged to the guide that Eugene had met on the first day he arrived in Aroth. Eugene had found him the previous day and persuaded him to act as a spy by offering him a large sum of money.

His task was simple. The guide only needed to loiter around the succubi den and signal Eugene when he saw Eward. Eugene had been worried that Eward might also be using transformation magic when he arrived, but....

—There's no need for that concern. Eward doesn't use transformation magic.

—Huh?

—That guy... um... I've heard that he wears the same robe every time he goes there. And while he might not wear anything that carries your family's sigil, the hood of his robe often slips to show glimpses of his gray hair....

—He really is a crazy fool.

Eward seemed to be enjoying the attention he received from secretly revealing his identity. For someone who had always had a dazed look on his face back at the main estate and had even kept his eyes down and his shoulders slouched at the tower... was he really taking the chance to loosen up and show off his identity on a street where anyone would be ashamed to be seen?

'If he was my son, I'd beat him up to get him to fix his bad habits.'

Although he had never had a son, Eugene still had this thought.

"You'll be paying the entrance fee for the auction house," Eugene told Gargith.

"Fine with me," Gargith agreed.

"About those... giant's testicles.... If they're too expensive, I won't lend you the money."

"How can you say that when we've already come all the way here?"

"Think about it from my perspective. Although the Patriarch did gift me with this black card, he's sure to be alarmed if I end up spending too much money."

"That's probably true."

"If the Patriarch asks me what I spent so much money on... what the hell am I supposed to say to that? Do you think I can just say I bought some giant testicles? I'd rather die than admit those words."

"I'll pay you back."

"...No, who cares about that. I'm telling you that I refuse to confess with my own lips that I bought giant testicles...!"

"If you're that worried about it, I'll just explain in your stead."

Just how much did he want to buy those giant testicles? Eugene snorted as he looked into Gargith's eyes, which were full of anticipation.

As they entered the auction house, they were informed, "It is forbidden to intrude into other guests' rooms, and any conversation should be kept between the two of you."

Although Bolero Street held more than a few auction houses, all auction houses shared the same rule of keeping the bidding private. Except for companions, everyone was guided to a different room, keeping the bidding anonymous.

After paying the entry fee of five million sals each, the gatekeeper of the auction house led them down to the basement as he continued his explanations, "There will be three buttons in the room that you are led to. If you would like to bid, please press the button in the center. If you would like to increase the price, please click the button on the right. And if you need any other assistance, please press the button on the left."

Eugene and Gargith were ushered into a spacious room. There was an opaque glass window covering the front of the room, and no sounds could be heard from the outside. Once they were seated, staff wearing masks brought them some water.

"Do you wish to partake in any alcohol?" the employee asked.

"No, it's fine," Gargith replied in a deep voice.

Based on his appearance, it might be impossible to believe, but Gargith was still only eighteen years old.[1] Of course, age didn't matter on Bolero Street. This was a place where even a ten-year-old child could be sold alcohol, as long as they had the money for it.

"I thought you wouldn't be interested in spectating the auction," commented Gargith.

"I need to do something to pass some time, and I'm a little curious about what might come out," Eugene replied as he tilted his chair back.

The front window wavered, and suddenly the figure of a man was reflected within the glass where previously nothing could be seen. It was a man wearing a fancy tailcoat and a mask.

"On this truly beautiful night of the full moon, we thank you for finding your way to our auction house." The man continued speaking with a bow of his head, "Our auction house mainly deals in rare magical materials sourced from Helmuth. As you may know, there are many auction houses situated on this street. However, I am confident that our auction house is unparalleled when it comes to magical materials sourced from 'Helmuth."

"...Unexpectedly, I've heard that this street even has a slave auction house," Gargith mentioned.

"Really," Eugene reacted in surprise.

Slavery was an outdated and evil criminal offense that had already been abolished during his previous life.

"The alchemist told me about it," Gargith revealed. "Although slavery is still strictly forbidden... they said that illegal slaves are still being traded in secret. They also said that the traded slaves are mostly demonfolk."

'The world really has gone crazy,' Eugene thought as he shook his head.

The demonfolk were truly being taken as slaves and sold to humans? Eugene just couldn't accept such a reality. Of course, he had seen quite a few illegal slaves in his previous life. Elves who had lost their homes to the Demon Kings, skillful dwarven craftsmen, and the primitive beast-like centaurs.... The closer they got to Helmuth, the more slaves he had seen.

However, this was Aroth, not Helmuth. And instead of the demihumans, it was the demonfolk who were sold as slaves? To humans, at that?

"Our first item is the horn of the Valarex. Let's start the bidding at ten million sals."

With this announcement, the auction began. When it came to the magic materials sourced from Helmuth, Eugene was confident that he could be considered a specialist.

'Valarex meat was really tough,' Eugene recalled a slightly unpleasant memory.

As he balanced on the back two legs of his chair, Eugene continued to survey the auction.

"The fruit of a Prosia."

"The roots of a Mandragora."

"The flower buds of a Yuzerak."

"Oh my, there's even a living Turas Spider. This little guy's poison...."

"Are you sure that the giant's testicles will come out tonight?" Eugene eventually asked.

All of the things being shown were rare magical materials, but there was nothing that attracted Eugene's attention. Turning his gaze to the side, he saw that Gargith was half-asleep.

"It will... it will come out," Gargith asserted between yawns. "I heard it would be in the auction tonight."

"Are you sure about that?"

"That's what the rumor said."

"It would be good if it doesn't come out, coz' that would mean I don't need to waste any money on it," Eugene muttered as he sipped his water.

"The next item is... a metal object made from an unappraisable mineral. It's a rather troubling item as it has remained unsold for quite some time. Our auction has been unable to see through the true value of this material, but perhaps one of the guests visiting us today may have some insight into this metal object's true value."

Unlike the previous times, his current spiel was rather lengthy.

"This metal object was found in Helmuth's Kazard Hills. If it's placed in moonlight, it gives off an extremely beautiful light, but... frankly, it doesn't seem to be of any use apart from that. Although it's too hard to be machined, it doesn't seem to react to mana either."

They had said that they'd been unable to sell it for a long time, so that was why it had such an explanation. Since the other items had received bids as soon as their names were called out, there was no need for lengthy explanations.

"It might be a good option as an ornament to place by your bedroom window, as it shines quite beautifully under the light of the moon...."

The guests who had arrived here tonight had not come to bid on such things. What use could you have for a hard piece of metal that was impossible to reforge and didn't even accept mana?

However, Eugene looked at that metal object with a possessive gaze. The piece of the metal was only the size of a thumb, but he recognized it as a fragment of something else.

"...We will start the bidding at a million sals."

The items revealed up until now all had a base price of at least ten million sals. Thus this metal object had an exceptionally low price.

Eugene immediately pressed the button.

"Eugene?" Gargith turned to Eugene with a look of alarm.

[Ah.... Would you like to place a bid?]

"A million sals," Eugene called out without any hesitation.

He knew what that piece of metal was.

A dim blade that barely shone when out of the moonlight.

Destruction in the form of a sword.

The sword that had rendered the Holy Sword obsolete.

A sword that had been erased from history.

The Moonlight Sword.

1. The legal drinking age in Korea is 19 years old. ☜

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