It’s Been 500 Years as an Extra, and the Original Story Still Hasn’t Begun - Chapter 97

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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500 Years as Just an Extra,

The Original Story Still Won’t Begin

Episode 097

Knock knock.

Just as Termion had said, as soon as Ailesia put her mask back on, someone knocked on the door.

“I’ll go answer it.”

“I’ll just undo the Locking Magic.”

Snap. As she flicked her fingers and sat on the sofa, Termion opened the door.

Phantom, who had greeted them earlier and disappeared, was standing there holding a tray with something on it.

“Excuse me. I forgot to deliver the bidding paddle and today’s auction catalog for your use.”

“…Thank you.”

“Then please continue to have a good time.”

Phantom had no other business, as he bowed his head and turned around.

Click.

Termion locked the door again and examined the bidding paddle that had been on the tray.

It was an ordinary item with a smooth wooden handle and a gold-plated disc with numbers engraved on it.

“There doesn’t seem to be any special device.”

“Can you let me see it for a moment?”

Ailesia picked up the bidding paddle, ran her hand over the surface, then brought it close to her nose. This time too, no traces of demonic energy were found.

“You’d think at least one would be rigged, but there’s nothing.”

“If those guys have any brains, they wouldn’t pull tricks inside the auction house. Isn’t this a place where people from all walks of life gather with hidden identities?”

“That’s true.”

“Let’s look over the auction catalog first. If there are any suspicious or useful items, it would be good to purchase them.”

“What about money?”

Termion answered with a confident voice as if telling her not to worry.

“Money is overflowing in Retis. Even at this very moment, we’re probably earning more money than the entire family house spends.”

“For all that wealth, aren’t you and the Grand Duchess Dowager quite far from living luxuriously?”

“We tend to avoid unnecessary expenditures.”

“Well, that’s all fine, but you don’t have any cash on hand right now, do you?”

“I can issue a check.”

“That won’t work.”

The moment a check is issued, handwriting and signature are exposed.

They had gone to the trouble of infiltrating to backstab the First Imperial Consort, but the moment they left even the slightest evidence of their involvement, there was a high possibility things would go wrong.

Moreover, Ailesia didn’t trust the security of this auction house very much.

They claimed to thoroughly hide the identities of item sellers and buyers, but this system had a fatal flaw.

“If the auction house itself decides to leak information, that’s the end of it. What family did you say the First Imperial Consort’s maternal house was?”

“Duke Kaif’s house?”

“Right. If this auction house is operated by Duke Kaif’s house, we’d be completely exposing our tracks to the enemy. Even if not, it’s definitely one of the handful of great noble houses or trading companies.”

“…Either way, they’d have connections to Duke Kaif’s house.”

“Here, cash or physical assets are absolutely safer. Coins or ingots, or gems.”

“Oh no….”

Termion clicked his tongue briefly, not having thought that far ahead. If he had known this would happen, he would have consulted with the Grand Duchess Dowager in advance to prepare plenty of cash.

“It’s fine. I’ll use my money this time. I’ll bill you for everything later, okay?”

“You have cash?”

“Enough to fill this room with gold coins and still have plenty left over?”

When she throws around dragon bones like pebbles, would she lack that much money? Ailesia answered jokingly and drew back the curtain.

As the clock on the wall pointed exactly to midnight, the dark stage brightened completely, revealing a woman in a dress. She too was wearing a half mask with a design similar to Ailesia’s.

“Distinguished guests, thank you for waiting. We will now begin today’s auction.”

Clap clap clap. After brief applause passed, auction items began appearing on stage one by one.

“It’s not in catalog order?”

“The catalog is organized by category, but it seems the actual items are presented in order of price, from cheapest.”

The two watched the auction with bored expressions for a while.

Termion had no great interest in items other than swords or armor to begin with. However, it was somewhat unexpected that even Ailesia showed a lukewarm reaction.

“Ailesia.”

“Yeah?”

“Isn’t there anything that catches your fancy?”

“Not really? I already have most things. I was going to buy something if there was anything unique or cute, but the designs are all terrible too.”

“Cute things?”

“I was hoping to pick up a gift for Elly, but nothing….”

She who had been answering in a disinterested voice suddenly stopped speaking. It was the moment the next auction item appeared.

“This dress is the negligee of ‘Queen Urnella’ who ruled the legendary maritime kingdom of ‘Lantia’. According to legend, Queen Urnella maintained unchanging beauty and health for over 100 years through the magic cast on this garment.”

Murmuring sounds could be heard from the audience seats. It was an item that anyone with power and wealth would covet.

“We start at 5,000 gold.”

“5,500!”

“6,000!”

“7,000!”

As soon as the auctioneer finished announcing the starting price, bidding paddles went up one after another and the price rose rapidly. However, in less than a minute, it narrowed down to a fight between two people.

“20,000!”

“21,000!”

“22,000!”

Judging by their voices, one appeared to be a woman and one a man, but their ages couldn’t be determined clearly due to their masks.

The price that had been increasing by 1,000 gold increments, as if neither could bear to lose to the other, finally hit 40,000 gold when Ailesia raised her bidding paddle.

“100,000 gold.”

An amount more than double came out at once.

The man who had just called 40,000 gold lowered his paddle with a deflated expression, but the other woman seemed not to have given up yet.

“110,000 gold!”

“200,000 gold.”

“Gah…! 250,000 gold!”

“500,000 gold.”

Ailesia bid double whatever amount her opponent called in a nonchalant tone.

100 times the starting price. Even the auctioneer momentarily gaped and couldn’t continue speaking.

“5… 500,000 gold! Are there no other bids?”

The woman who had bid 250,000 gold must have been frustrated, as she trembled with anger before finally lowering her hand.

“Queen Urnella’s negligee, sold for 500,000 gold!”

With the auctioneer’s declaration, several people including the last two competitors turned their heads.

Since the VIP section was positioned higher than the general seats and the lighting was dim, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t make out the successful bidder’s face.

They could only guess it was a woman from the vaguely visible silhouette and the voice heard during bidding.

“That person keeps staring up here. She must be quite upset.”

Even with a mask on, her thoroughly annoyed expression could be felt. At Termion’s words as he looked down at the audience seats, Ailesia just snorted.

“Hmph, if she’s upset, she should have brought more money.”

“By the way… I didn’t know you had interest in that sort of thing.”

“That sort of thing?”

“That negligee. I’ve never heard the name Queen Urnella before, but it’s certainly an item any woman would be tempted by.”

“What would I do wearing something like that? I’m going to research it.”

“Research? The magic cast on that dress?”

“There’s no such thing as magic that maintains beauty and health. Besides, that’s not even authentic.”

Of course it couldn’t be authentic. The real one is carefully stored in Master’s lair.

When Ailesia had first opened the catalog, she had no intention whatsoever of purchasing that negligee. It was common for people to create ordinary items and dress them up as legendary relics.

However, the moment I saw the real thing, I immediately decided I had to buy it no matter what.

‘Even if it’s supposedly a fake, it’s strange that even the design is identical.’

Moreover, thanks to subtly drawing up Dragon Heart energy at the start of the auction, I could clearly confirm the faint demonic energy contained in the small gems used as decorations.

“It’s not authentic?”

“I’ll tell you the details later. The next item is coming out.”

Though Termion sent a puzzled look, Ailesia silently focused her gaze only on the stage.

A pure white metal fragment contained in a luxurious box. Finally, the moment I had been waiting for arrived.

“Finally, it’s time for today’s last item! Since we acquired it urgently, this is our auction house’s secret treasure that wasn’t even included in the catalog!”

As the auctioneer raised her hand with quite a grand introduction that built up people’s expectations, the stage lighting focused on the box.

“It’s Dragon Bone! Starting at 50,000 gold!”

Though an amount equivalent to a year’s budget of a minor noble’s territory came out from the start, people’s reactions were explosive.

“100,000 gold!”

“120,000 gold!”

“150,000 gold!”

Unlike other items where prices rose in increments of 500 to 1,000 gold, consecutive high bids of at least 10,000 gold or more continued.

“450,000 gold!”

“500,000 gold!”

Finally, the moment when the highest bid became equal to the price of the negligee from earlier.

“Shall I make some money?”

Ailesia raised her bidding paddle as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“2,000,000 gold.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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