Chapter 144

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Episode 32 - Party [4]

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The banquet ended fairly quickly. The Sorcerer King had arrived late, and most people had already eaten.

The dancing began soon afterward.

A gentle melody started echoing from the corner of the hall.

The pianist, the violinist, the bassist, and all the other members of the musical ensemble began to play.

Some special guests, who were probably acquainted with one another, started dancing.

Before long, several couples were dancing.

’What’s the point of this?’

Honestly, I never understood the appeal of dancing.

Moving around in a strange and ridiculous way. Why not just listen to the music and be done with it?

The music at that moment was quite good; neither bad nor excellent, but somewhere in between.

Still, seeing everyone dance left me puzzled.

’I’ll never understand it.’

I don’t think I’ll ever understand these people who love moving around in such strange ways.

In any case, I picked up a glass and reached for some champagne, though after thinking about it, I chose whiskey instead.

As I took a sip of the whiskey and savored its flavor, a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.

"....?!"

"Uh... what?"

Startled and confused, I looked up. That damn Witch was staring at me with a smile.

What the hell was she doing? Was she looking for a fight?

"I-is something wrong...?"

"Let’s dance, dear."

"Uh, no, I don’t like—"

My words were cut short when that damn Witch pulled me with surprising force.

"..."

’How is she so strong?’

I began to wonder whether she was a Dark Knight.

Before I realized it, that damn Witch had dragged me over to where everyone else was dancing.

"Come on, dear, you look far too tense. If you’re worried because you don’t know how to dance, then I’ll teach you."

"No, I really don’t want to..."

"Very well, now begin."

"W-wait a second?!... H-hey, wait, don’t grab my butt!!!"

***

The dance ended shortly afterward. Everyone returned to their tables.

The Sorcerer King and several others were going to say a few words before returning to the Private Chambers.

Judging by the time, there were roughly thirty minutes left before chaos erupted in Black City.

’Besides Clana, I need to ensure everyone else’s safety.’

My plan was to find Clana as soon as possible, which wouldn’t be much of a problem.

Using my senses, I would be able to locate her fairly quickly, so I wasn’t worried.

After finding her, I would try to convince her to come with me by pretending to be one of her protectors acting in accordance with a prophecy.

Yes, it really sounded ridiculous, but there was a reason for it.

I was following the best strategy guide for this Chapter.

It would become extremely important later on. Besides, I needed to create an identity. I had already planned it out, so all that remained was to put it into action.

However, if I failed to convince her, I would have to knock her out and then take her to the evacuation point.

Finally, I would have to go back for two targets.

If the item was the one I was thinking of, then I would go after it. If it wasn’t, then I would immediately go after the others.

There was a chance they would get caught up in all the chaos that was about to unfold.

So, somehow, I had to bring them to where Clana would be so we could leave through the Teleportation Matrix.

The coordinates I had set were on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, in a fairly secluded forested area.

’Well, I just hope my plan works out the way I intended.’

Even though the other characters were here, the difficulty was greater than what appeared in the Quest Window.

If I followed the plan and the strategy, none of them should die.

’Mhm, but for some reason I’m worried about the leader and Zoey. They’re probably outside the Dome investigating.’

Those two could be the first to get caught up in all the chaos, followed by the others.

But, knowing how strong they were, they probably wouldn’t have any trouble regrouping with the others and escaping somewhere farther away from the Dome.

’Good, everything should proceed according to plan.’

At that very moment, the damn Witch spoke to me.

"Hello, dear. Are you still angry?"

"No, I’m fine."

Actually, I wasn’t.

"But your voice sounds angry. Come on, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to squeeze your butt and breasts. Come on, I’ve already apologized, so forgive me, okay?"

"I said I’m fine."

I really want to kill her right now. Not only did she make me move in a strange way.

She also ran her hands all over me. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil.

If we weren’t here, but somewhere else, I swear I would kill her.

’To hell with her. You screwed me over, didn’t you? Fine. Then I’ll have a use for you later, you fucking bitch.’

I had already come up with a plan to deal with this damn Witch.

I just needed to wait for the chaos to begin at the Auction.

Shortly afterward, a voice echoed throughout the hall.

It was the voice of the same person from the beginning.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I need you to remain silent, please. The Sorcerer King and the senior executives would like to say a few words."

At those words, everyone present stopped chatting or making any kind of noise.

In an instant, absolute silence settled over the entire hall.

All eyes turned toward the table beside the throne, where an old man was seated.

The old man smiled and said:

"I hope you enjoy the final part of the Auction. I have personally selected several items that have never before been auctioned in the entire history of Black City."

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

A round of applause echoed throughout the hall.

Cheers and loud applause erupted as the Sorcerer King vanished into thin air. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Next, a few words from the Vice President of the Devil Cult."

A man wearing an elegant suit, a mask with two horns, and carefully styled hair rose from one of the seats at the table.

He turned around and looked at everyone present.

Then, from behind his mask, he spoke.

"It is an honor to have welcomed certain special guests. I didn’t expect all of you to attend, so I sincerely thank you."

Everyone applauded for a few seconds before settling down.

"I hope you enjoy the final five items personally selected by the Sorcerer King himself. Some of them have been preserved since before the First Dark Era."

At those words, almost everyone couldn’t help but be surprised.

But I suppose that was to be expected.

Before the First Dark Era came the Mythical Era.

That was the time when the Phoenix King, the Great Ancients, the Astral Soul Bird, and other mythical creatures still existed.

Of course, the Great Ancients were not exactly creatures, since, as dragons, they stood alongside the other intelligent races, such as humans and various other species.

’Mhm, I don’t remember any of the items from the final part. They were usually random.’

But after hearing what that guy said, there were probably some items among the five that originated from the Mythical Era.

’I wonder what they’ll be.’

Curiosity began to creep into my mind as the other high-ranking executives gave their brief speeches.

Shortly afterward, the special guests began leaving the banquet hall and returning to their Private Rooms.

I did the same alongside Clana and that shitty Witch.

***

After returning to the Private Room, I quickly took a seat.

Feeling the soft comfort of the chair, I let out a quiet sigh.

I really wanted to sleep in this seat, and I think the others felt the same way.

In any case, after I sat down, the shitty Witch and the other guy had also taken their seats.

Then the butler appeared and said,

"This time, there will be no list of items. The five items will be revealed one by one, if that is not an inconvenience, of course."

"Ah, don’t worry, old man. I’m very patient, so don’t worry about it."

The other guy didn’t say anything, only a brief "Mhm," and then I simply nodded and said,

"I don’t mind."

The butler bowed slightly and returned to his small bar.

"Dear, aren’t you excited about the final five items? The executives’ words about those items are still stuck in my head."

"Yes, I want to see them too."

Well, it’s not like I was lying. I wanted to know what those items were as well.

In Black City, you could find many things from past Eras that had once been known throughout the world.

Honestly, I have no idea how they find these things and then restore them.

Aside from Black City, only the World Congress might possess this kind of relic, material, and so on.

’Speaking of the World Congress, it will be held shortly after the second semester begins, so Director Bernice won’t be at the Academy for at least three months.’

Of course, even while she’s away from the Academy, there won’t be any villain attacks or any assault led by a Class 10 villain.

A little later, I let out a sigh. Then, suddenly, the auctioneer appeared on the stage.

Clap! Clap!

He clapped twice, drawing everyone’s attention, and shortly afterward said,

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin the final part of this decade’s grand Auction. We will now present the first item."

The final part of the Auction had finally begun, leaving little time before the chaos arrived.