?"Two thousand."


    "Oh oh, right away two thousand–


    "Five thousand"


    From another corner of the theatre came a counter.


    "Ten thousand."


    "Ten thousand!!"


    The host''s emphasis intensified the heat.


    "Twelve thousand"


    Another tag rose into the air ''024''


    "Twenty thousand."


    "Going for twenty thousand?"


    "Hundred thousand."


    Raith found his mouth agape as he heard, ''Hundred thousand''


    ''What the... a hundred thousand?!''


    "Two hundred"


    "Two hundred! We have a bidder for two hundred thousand"


    "Three hundred..."


    "Five hundred"


    "One million"


    At this point, sweat began to run down Raith''s face.


    "1.5"


    "10 million"


    Raith''s face swung to thetest bidder. Finally from the upper floor, beside one of the many pirs, stood ady in a ck gown with the tag ''008'' raised.


    "Ten million! Going for ten million"


    "Twenty"


    This time the bidder came from beside Raith.


    "There''s no way I''m losing to that bitch"


    The red-haired guy mumbled with veins pulsating on his forehead.


    Sometimes, bidding can get very tough because one side does not want to lose.


    Thedy looking down in Raith''s direction scoffed at the red-haired guy.


    "Fifty"


    "Fifty million!! Going for fifty?!!"


    The host''s voice resonated throughout the theatre."


    "Hundred..."


    From beside Raith, he shouted, with a reddened forehead.


    "Tsk tsk tsk"


    The girl shook her head at him and bidding:


    "Five hundred million"


    The murmuring rose again.


    Raith''s jaw was going to fall on the ground at this point, his eyes couldn''t believe what was going on and his gazes were fixated on the guy beside him who was already biting his lips but still didn''t have the face of a lover.


    "Eight hundred."


    Thedy scoffed from above."


    "Two billion leus"


    Raith''s eyes widened, and his gaze momentarily shifted between thedy who was up and the man who was still biting his lips and clenching his tag very hard.


    "Going for two billion? Going? Going? Gone!! Gone for two billion leus"


    Two billion leus, forget about renting an apartment. It would buy him a mansion and leave him with plenty to feed himself with for at least ten years if he decides to be a shut-in-Otaku.


    ...


    Watching was enjoyable and as expected there was nothing he could bid for, not even since when the bidding rate was heated by the brawl between thedy and the guy beside him.


    The razor-sharp w eventually sold for three hundred million while the helm was bought for Seven billion by a man with a coffee-brown beard and a beer belly. Who also beat thedy in to get it.


    Several items also went for even higher prices, as high as a hundred billion and more.


    Raith after the long wait anxiously waited in the room for the host for thest part of this process.


    "Mehn, I am d for you man... I mean, I was expecting you to win big but 9.3 billion? Bro, you just might be a noble yourself. You can just find a nice house invest in some business and stuff... or what do you want to do with the items?"<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    Mael asked with an overly joyous demeanor.


    Raith who was consumed in his thoughts and aplishments jacked out of his mind and shifted his gaze to Mael.


    "Huh?"


    "I said what do you intend to do with the money."


    "Get a better ce to stay and...''


    Raith''s excited expression slowly died.


    "And what?"


    Mael asked with anticipative eyes but Raith''s silence persisted.


    ''...I need to get equipment that would help me in the abyss. And since I was able to bring out items, then I should be able to take items back in''


    Raith silenced worried Mael.


    ''He doesn''t even know what he wants to do with such a big amount of money? As expected these nobles to be damned. I wouldn''t be punished for taking candy from a kid who does not know how to lick it.''


    Mael''s gaze was sternly fixated on Raith whose eyes were lowered as he was in deep thought on how to prepare for whatever he would be facing in theing trial of the abyss.


    After some time, the host entered the room, looking spent and stressed.


    "Oh, God. That was a lot!"


    Hemented with a joyous tone as he tiredly sat on the sofa and leaned back.


    "You hit it big... well, mythic items should be around that range. It''s against our traditions but do you mind me asking where you got these items?"


    Raith lowered his gaze, ignoring the host''s question.


    "I see..."


    The host adjusted his mask and brought out his smartphone.


    "Whose ount should I transfer it to?"


    "Mine! This guy here does not have a bank ount so just do it to mine."


    The host''s gaze shifted to Raith whose eyes darkened at Mael''s uncalled ims and suggestions.


    "Are you okay with that?"


    The host asked.


    "I''ll prefer cash"


    Raith''s response triggered Mael''s aggression but he desperately tried to hide it ‐at least until the time was right.


    "What do you mean? Carrying cash around in times like this can be very dangerous."


    Mael was convincing enough.


    "Don''t worry."


    ''...I can just put it in my inventory''


    "Really? Are you doing this because you don''t want to share, after everything?"


    Mael''s face changed like he had been waiting for this time. He got up with a stare.


    The host was finding the atmosphere upsetting...


    ~p~


    The steward ran in with a suitcase and dropped it on the table.


    "In here is a 8.37 billion, we deducted out ten percent. Don''t let money divide your friendship"


    He said, tapping Mael''s shoulder as he walked out.


    Raith grabbed the case and stood up, staring at Mael in the face.


    "At what point is it going to be?"


    "What the hell are you saying?"


    "Are you going to y dumb this far, don''t tell me you nned to do was collect the money in your ount and run away with it. That was all you had nned out? Nothing like robbing me or beating me up with some gang or something."


    Mael gaze tightened as Raith spoke with a scoff.


    "Damn you noble blood. No matter what part youe from or your circumstances, the rotten blood of Degado that runs through your veins will make you smell."


    He said with a growling tone. His words carried resentment and from Raith''s view, were not just the words of someone that wanted to steal from him.


    The fact his words targeted his family.


    "Do you have a grudge against me or something?"


    "Haha"


    Mael giggled.


    "Don''t ridicule me, you are not even what my attention, all you will ever amount to is the embodiment of failure. Why will I pay attention to you? I just thought I could use you to get to your family... but you have what I need already. Isn''t it right that you return the money your father stole from mine?"


    ''...the fuck?''