You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 57
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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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57
The history of Sadangpae was longer than one might think.
Although the only King that Sadangpae had served was Bi Hyeong-rang alone…
Considering that he was from the Silla era, that history easily spanned fifteen hundred years.
In truth, Yamyeong had never once thought that his lord would change until the day he perished.
Bi Hyeong-rang had no children, and didn’t even have a lifespan.
But what was this?
One day he suddenly disappeared without a trace, and the King had changed.
The disappearance was understandable, since he had ruled for over a thousand years.
Everyone has such days.
Days when you want to briefly set down the responsibilities weighing on your shoulders.
Besides, for the past few hundred years, the King’s role and necessity hadn’t been that great.
The last telegram Yamyeong had heard was that Bi Hyeong-rang had taken a liking to some woman and was living in seclusion.
He remembered being somewhat excited at the thought that he might see a nephew.
But suddenly the connection with the King was severed, and the being that appeared decades later was a human…
It was something Yamyeong simply could not accept.
Though he wouldn’t deny that the new King possessed extraordinary abilities and was an extraordinary being whose very aura far surpassed that of humans.
But so what.
He was the King of goblins. Goblins.
Not some human ruler like a president or whatever.
But setting all of this aside, what Yamyeong found most incomprehensible was this:
That Gil… no, Dolsoe had pledged his loyalty.
Yamyeong simply could not understand that.
That fellow might look like a servant, but he was a fallen nobleman in his own right.
The type who lacked wealth but not pride.
No, actually looking at Dolsoe’s family, they were called fallen nobility but had quite a bit of money too.
‘That stubborn bull actually swore loyalty…’
Yamyeong approached Dolsoe, who was sitting on a tree stump silently staring at the Shrine Entrance Path.
“What are you… doing sitting there looking so pitiful.”
Dolsoe glanced at Yamyeong, then turned his head away again.
“When my master is suffering hardships, how can a servant rest?”
At those words, Yamyeong was left speechless.
This side of Dolsoe was far too unfamiliar to him.
‘The word “master” coming from that fellow’s mouth…’
He hadn’t even counted his age since the thousandth year, but truly, you live long enough to see everything.
Even when Bi Hyeong-rang became King, he hadn’t sworn loyalty to him.
Saying it would be strange to pledge loyalty to a friend.
Though outwardly they were friends, in reality Dolsoe had been no different from Bi Hyeong-rang’s right hand.
They say even mountains and rivers change in ten years – what influence had those five hundred years without Bi Hyeong-rang had on Dolsoe to change him like this?
And just what kind of being was this new King that he would pledge such loyalty?
A King of different bloodline and different race. The sense of duty he had felt toward him… was gradually turning into curiosity.
‘Just what kind of person is he…?’
Yamyeong quietly sat down beside Dolsoe.
“What are you sitting here with me for. Go inside and rest.”
“I have nothing to do anyway, and I’m also a retainer serving the King. And…”
Yamyeong trailed off.
“…it’s also hard to watch a friend moping around alone.”
“In the end, nothing’s changed except now there are two people moping instead of one.”
“At least you look less lonely.”
At Yamyeong’s words, Dolsoe let out a small chuckle.
Yamyeong crossed his arms and gazed into the empty air.
Silence flowed between the two for a while.
It was Dolsoe who spoke first.
“It was because of the prophecy.”
“…Prophecy?”
“You know, the prophecy that Bi Hyeong-rang left behind before he disappeared.”
“…Did he?”
Looking at Yamyeong’s expression, it seemed like this was the first he’d heard of any prophecy.
“From your expression, it looks like he didn’t say anything to you.”
“…”
Dolsoe was right.
Yamyeong had heard nothing from him.
“It wasn’t anything grand. The world falls into crisis, a savior appears… you know, that kind of clichéd story.”
In truth, what Dolsoe remembered of Bi Hyeong-rang’s prophecy was only a small part.
No, he had only realized it was a prophecy hundreds of years later anyway.
You couldn’t exactly consider drunken rambling to be prophecy, could you.
Even the parts Dolsoe remembered weren’t particularly pleasant words.
Something about Dolsoe’s clan wandering the world until they meet a master to serve?
He had thought Bi Hyeong-rang spewed such curses because he was planning to disappear.
But what do you know?
After Bi Hyeong-rang vanished, sure enough, Dolsoe’s clan began wandering the world.
With Bi Hyeong-rang gone, there was no longer any reason to stay there, and it was also because the Dokkaebi Territory had shrunk as humans expanded their domain.
Dolsoe, who had relatively free movement, ended up leading his clan away from the city.
The place they drifted to after wandering the world was Golden Fragrance’s Auction House.
There was indeed a sky above the sky.
Though Dolsoe thought he was quite strong, the beings of Golden Fragrance were on a different level.
Especially that western dokkaebi bastard.
That green dokkaebi bastard called Smithson or Swithson or whatever.
Despite his low rank, the power he wielded surpassed most lesser gods.
After that, Dolsoe’s clan became merchandise as high-grade labor.
The fortunate thing was that they sold the clan members as a set.
But dokkaebis aren’t just any dokkaebis, are they.
His clan members also took after Dolsoe in their stubbornness, so they eventually faced the crisis of being disposed of.
“I don’t regret my choice.”
Yamyeong silently listened to Dolsoe’s words with an expressionless face.
“But my family is innocent, isn’t it.”
Then he met Mister Kim.
The story was that Dolsoe had no choice but to pledge his loyalty to him, who treated him as a close friend and cherished him.
When Dolsoe’s story ended, Yamyeong couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
He knew that Dolsoe’s clan had no choice but to leave, but he hadn’t known about what they experienced afterward.
As the atmosphere grew heavy, Dolsoe threw out a new question to change the subject.
“More importantly, why did you try so hard to stop Mister Kim? Even without faith, you should have known he was no ordinary person.”
At Dolsoe’s question, Yamyeong paused his gaze for a moment.
After remaining silent for a while, Yamyeong slowly opened his mouth.
“Because the King was human.”
At Yamyeong’s words, Dolsoe made an expression of incomprehension.
What kind of racist—no, speciesist—statement was this.
“In today’s world, there are so many humans stronger than dokkaebis, yet you say such things.”
“That’s not what I mean. When the Divine Artifact was first corrupted, I personally went in there to try to resolve it.”
“You did?”
Dolsoe made a surprised expression.
That was understandable since Ya-myeong’s abilities weren’t suited for combat.
“Listen here. I’m still over 1,500 years old.”
But Dolsoe’s expression didn’t change.
“Anyway, the corrupted Divine Artifact created enemies from the intruder’s memories.”
Ya-myeong caught his breath for a moment before continuing.
“The process wasn’t that difficult. No, it was actually easy. Since it was ultimately based on my memories, the limitations were clear.”
Dolsoe was somewhat convinced by Ya-myeong’s explanation.
If it was summoning enemies based on his memories, then manipulating those memories would be easy work for Ya-myeong’s abilities.
“So I reached the front of the shrine in one go.”
“Then why did you come back?”
“Because of the last opponent I faced.”
“Was it strong enough to overpower you even though you manipulated the memories?”
“It wasn’t a matter of strength. What I faced was…”
Ya-myeong smiled bitterly.
“My sister.”
“Wait, your sister…?!”
“She smiled at me. To face the Divine Artifact, I would have had to cut her down.”
Ya-myeong’s sister had died long ago.
“Even though it was just an illusion, I couldn’t bring myself to raise my sword.”
Sadness flickered in Ya-myeong’s eyes.
“That’s why I’m worried. Even without the Divine Artifact, there are plenty of ways I can help if I set my mind to it.”
“…”
“That’s why I tried to stop him. In the end, the new King would also have to cut down his most precious person.”
Dolsoe shook his head.
“There’s no need to worry about that.”
“…?”
“The Mister Kim I’ve observed isn’t someone who gets swayed by false ideals.”
Dolsoe raised the corners of his mouth as he continued.
“Rather, he’d be furious.”
“That’s nonsense…”
That’s when it happened.
BOOM—!
A massive explosion echoed from the mountain.
Ya-myeong’s gaze turned toward the peak where the shrine was located.
Blue Fire Demon flames were climbing the mountain and covering the sky.
Dolsoe looked at the mountain with a smile on his face.
The flames that had turned the sky blue soon engulfed the entire mountain and came crashing down.
Then cracks began to appear at the entrance of the mountain trail with a crackling sound, and it shattered.
Flames burst forth through those broken gaps.
From the center of those flames that enveloped the two men, one person walked out.
“King…?”
Ya-myeong stared at him with his mouth agape.
He threw a bronze mirror from his hand toward Ya-myeong.
“Phew… That should do it, right? Let’s go write up the contract.”
***
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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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