Naturally, the Abyss Auction was illegal. The empire had long since abolished slavery, yet the buying and selling of people persisted in the shadows.
I kept citing the South as an example. Officially, we were called mercenaries. In reality, our employers held absolute control over our lives, with no limit on the term of service. How was that any different from slavery?
Like most illegal practices, it was a matter of semantics, nearly impossible to prosecute—especially when the perpetrators wielded immense power.
A sigh escaped me.
"You seem to have something to say," the Iron-Blooded Lord observed. His intuition was uncanny.
With the Blessing of Truth upon me, lying would be futile, so I just expressed my honest feelings. "I'm surprised, that's all."
"By what?"
"I thought I bore no resentment toward the Badniker family, but that doesn't seem entirely true," I replied.
Maxim and his two disciples fell silent, sensing the tension. The Iron-Blooded Lord appeared to consider my words carefully.
I pressed on, "Family head, is your blade aimed solely at the church? Are you aware of and condone other crimes?"
If that were the case, I would be disappointed in both the Iron-Blooded Lord and the Badnikers. The feeling itself caught me off guard; disappointment only arose when expectations existed. It seemed some lingering hope for the Badnikers still remained in me. I could not tell whether it stemmed from my past life or new impressions formed in this one.
At that moment, Maxim's expression changed as he turned to me. "Wait... forgive me for interrupting. Is this your child?"
The Iron-Blooded Lord responded with a wry edge, "What a dull question."
"What?"
His gaze flicked toward me. I hid my reluctance and gave a slight nod. All the unknown Middle Names had vanished anyway. Revealing my true identity to Maxim and his disciples would be relatively safe.
I removed my mask. Though it had never felt restrictive, its absence brought a rush of relief. I exhaled and introduced myself, "I am Luan Badniker."
Maxim stared in astonishment. "Well now. Remarkable..."
"Yes. Quite a remarkable magic tool," I replied.
"So it's just a quirk of yours?"
"Show him respect," the Iron-Blooded Lord cut in, deliberately steering the conversation away.
"Of course. My lips are sealed. You can rest assured," Maxim said. "Still, it is an honor to meet the famous youngest child of the Badnikers like this. As a member of the Hero Society, and above all as a citizen of the empire, allow me to offer my thanks."
"Of course."
I shook Maxim's thick hand. It felt like grasping the paw of a bear. I then winked discreetly at his two disciples, who still looked stunned.
The Iron-Blooded Lord spoke again. "My blade cannot be everywhere in the empire. But I have never ignored a sinner who comes into my sight."
"That means..."
"I am not attending the Abyss Auction for the bidding. I have business with its organizer."
"The organizer?"
"Raizen."
That familiar name startled me.
Raizen Badniker—the Iron-Blooded Lord's third son.
***
The Iron-Blooded Lord, Delac C. Badniker, was a staunch bloodline supremacist. As such, his children all performed brilliantly in their respective fields.
At the present time—and someday in the future—the ones who commanded the most attention were his eldest son, Heero; his second son, Hector; and his second daughter, Nero. The eldest daughter, Aquata, stood out as a mage, while the fourth son, Aerts, demonstrated a flair for business from an early age. Even Ludwig, who had faked his death to infiltrate the church, had accomplished feats that rivaled those of Heero and Hector.
However, not all of his children achieved fame. Some, like the former Luan Badniker, were considered failures. Others remained unknown. Even those who did not make a mark through martial prowess likely wielded influence in politics, trade, or the underworld, but such stories rarely circulated, and I never paid them much attention.
That was why the mention of Raizen caught me off guard. He was supposed to be one of the Iron-Blooded Lord's three children who had died before reaching adulthood.
Ludwig's death was a ruse... Could Raizen's death be the same?
I didn't know. This uncertainty explained why the Iron-Blooded Lord now sought an audience with his third son.
I tried to recall Raizen's past but drew a blank. Ah—he had been enrolled at Cartel Academy, hadn't he?
"The organizer of the Abyss Auction is Raizen," the Iron-Blooded Lord repeated.
I blinked slightly. "Excuse me?"
I had assumed that he was only a participant. What was this?
"Isn't he far too young?" I asked.
The Abyss Auction ranked among the largest secret auctions in the empire. I had heard that the gold exchanged overnight often reached tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands. This was almost equivalent to the annual budget of a Great Family's territory.
Thanks to the corpse of the Sapphire Snake, I had earned 5,000 gold coins and joined the ranks of the wealthy, yet hundreds of thousands still felt abstract.
The Iron-Blooded Lord spoke in his calm, measured tone: "A certain someone slew a priest at fifteen. This is hardly stranger."
Touché. I had no retort.
The Iron-Blooded Lord held out an object. "Take this."
It was a pendant. The jewel at its center was black, giving it a striking, unusual appearance.
"This is a membership token. It will serve as identification. Show it, and you may bring two companions inside," he explained.
"Two?"
"Yes. The three of you will act as bait." His gaze shifted to Zial and Haro. "Behave like immature brats and buy as many auction items as possible. That will provoke a reaction from the organizers."
"And you, Family Head?"
"Maxim and I will secure decisive proof."
I nodded, understanding the Iron-Blooded Lord's two-pronged plan.
By the way, how long had it been since I woke up in the hospital bed? Was this the price for living comfortably in my previous life? Clearly, idleness had never been my destiny.
***
After parting with the Iron-Blooded Lord and Maxim, we headed straight to the Abyss Auction.
"Y-you...!" The moment we stepped out of the tavern, Haro shook a finger at me. "B-B-Badniker!"
"That's right."
"You said you were an academy student!"
"Transfer students are also current students," I said matter-of-factly.
Haro froze before shouting, "Y-you insulted your own family right in front of me!"
"You insulted them. I only agreed," I corrected. "That's how conversations work."
"Uh..." Her expression blanked. At that moment, she looked as simple-minded as Mir.
"Y-you insulted your own family to deceive me! Truly despicable, just like a Badniker!"
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Y-you have no shame. You actually said you are a nice person!"
I nodded. "I am a nice person."
"A pervert who dresses like a girl is no nice person!"
"How dare you?" Insulting my family did not bother me, but insulting me was another matter.
Zial stopped Haro, whose face was now as red as an octopus, and tried to calm her. "Stop, Haro. Nalu... No. Luan didn't deceive us. He only concealed a few truths."
"Ziral is right," I said.
"I am Zial," he corrected me.
I looked at Zial with a sigh and continued, "In any case, nothing I said was false. Tomorrow I'll take you to meet Hector. After that, whether you fight him or spar with him, it's your choice."
" Hah ! Have you already forgotten? You are the one we most want to fight, Luan Badniker!" Haro said.
I smiled faintly. "Sorry, but I'm still not well. Just standing here is a strain."
"What?"
"Surely a hero of the Hero Society wouldn't challenge a patient to a duel?" I asked.
"That..." Haro faltered, at a loss.
On the other hand, Zial studied me calmly before speaking. "You really don't look healthy. But even in that state, defeating us wouldn't be difficult, would it?"
As expected, he was talented and quick-thinking.
Instead of replying, I pulled out a map. "If you can't keep up, go your own way. The head of the family gave orders to me, not you. You can head home, wash your feet, and go to bed."
Zial shook his head. "We can't do that. Our master has high expectations for us."
"Is that so? Then I won't hear any more complaints. Shut up and follow me," I instructed.
Haro bristled at my sharp tone, but Zial silenced her with a subtle glance. It was clear that Haro didn't make the real decisions—Zial controlled what truly mattered.
Soon after, I left the academy grounds for the first time in a long while and headed to the location the Iron-Blooded Lord had marked on the map. I had sensed it from the moment I received his orders, yet the destination was somewhat unexpected.
"I never thought there would be an auction at the Owl's Magic Tower."
"Neither did we," Zial admitted.
The Abyss Auction was not held underground, but on the very top floor of the Owl's Magic Tower. Perhaps that secrecy explained why it had remained hidden. A simple yet effective measure.
By the way, the fact that it is in the magic tower implies a connection with the tower master.
That was unsurprising. Mages were generally utilitarians; their research and pursuit of the next realm demanded obscene amounts of gold. Few could refuse a generous offer.
It was my first time stepping inside a magic tower.
"Do you know anything about the Owl's Magic Tower?" I asked.
Haro ignored me, but Zial replied, "Not really... I only heard it governs indigo magic among the Seven-Colored Magics."
"Indigo... that means summoning magic," I muttered.
Summoning magic grew increasingly complex at higher levels. This was because it was closely related to time and space.
Space-time magic... Even if someone discovers the Abyss Auction, the organizers can erase all traces and vanish instantly. That explains why this unofficial auction is being held in the capital's heart.
The state of the empire is really... It was no wonder that Glenn despised the empire. On the surface it looked stable, but in truth it was one collapse away from ruin.
We followed the Iron-Blooded Lord's instructions to the tower's back entrance.
He mentioned a mage in a black robe, right? Most wore indigo, making the black robe easy to spot. When I showed the mage the pendant, he responded with an expressionless nod.
"Welcome." His tone resembled a clerk greeting a client. An ordinary mage would never waste effort on such a formal greeting.
He led us to a room. It was spacious, with floors covered in expensive rugs, yet it felt oddly bare. Apart from a table and some chairs, there was nothing inside. It was clearly a waiting room.
I chose a seat and looked around. Nearly fifteen people were already there, and judging by their attire, all were auction participants. Surprisingly, none wore masks or tried to conceal their faces.
Are they that bold? Or do they trust the tower's security? Perhaps there's another reason I don't know.
At that moment, a voice came from a gaze I had felt since entering. "The Abyss Auction isn't what it used to be."
I wasn't one to avoid such things, so I turned toward the speaker.
A fat man, his face flushed, smirked at me. "I can't believe they gave a membership card to brats like these."
Judging by his clothes, he came from a wealthy family. Yet his massive body made the fine garments and jewelry look like nothing more than gaudy excess.
"This guy—"
Zial calmed the fuming Haro. "Stay quiet."
Meanwhile, I studied the pig and gave a slight nod. His arrogance was palpable, but the clothes and accessories were genuine. He knew their value, even if his taste was poor.
Can I take advantage of him?
I had no eye for evaluating antiques. Weapons and armor I could judge at a glance, but antiques demanded knowledge: the names, characteristics, and cultures of ancient kingdoms, cities, and tribes long destroyed. Naturally, I lacked that expertise.
The Martial God could provide insight beyond any appraiser, but I did not have the Seven Sins Sword right now. As such, it was impossible to communicate with the Martial God.
That left me one option. Once the auction started, I would use this pig. Whatever he tried to buy, I would simply outbid him.
Let's call it, Operation: Focus on One Target.
Not that it really mattered. With the Iron-Blooded Lord involved, tonight's auction house was destined for ruin.