CHAPTER 25 - AUCTION
The recovery from the state of force this time compared to when Sen used it against Ebara is somewhat lower. After about a dozen days, Sen was up and walking again.
The hideout they're resting in right now is located outside the city, right where Sen had left the other three. They've built a small camp here with a few tents and Sen decided that staying here is better than staying in the city after knowing that he might have to use the state of force again.
"What happened while I was out?" he asked Nivera as he walked out of the tent. The demon was currently teaching Risa and Leonas how to properly cultivate internal energy.
"Surprisingly, killing Mello didn't cause any stir in the city, even the capital and the royal family showed no sign of movement."
That aligns with Sen's findings. After he had killed Jenna, he got marked with the royal mark. Yet when he killed someone the royal family deems much more important than a mere princess, no mark appeared.
"Maybe Mello is just too arrogant to think that he would never die"
Sen shrugged his shoulders as Nivera handed him a ring. He raised his brow in question.
"This is a storage ring…Mello's storage ring" she explained
"Oh"
"Storage rings are a rarity. The ones on the market have mostly one cubic meter of space inside, but they're still really expensive. Almost two hundred thousand gold coins for one ring"
"This one has about ten times that amount" Sen tried to open the ring but failed to do so.
"Storage items are blood linked. Since Mello is dead, try feeding it your blood. There is a tiny needle at its side, prick your finger with it" Nivera said after seeing his expression.
Sen did as told and when he felt what's inside the ring, he was honestly surprised. The thing that caught his attention the most is some large barrels. Sen only needed to feel what's inside to have his expression darken.
'Looks like Mello wasn't kidding about drinking my blood'
Exactly, what's inside the large barrels are blood from different races. Mello even put a label on each barrel to specify which race the blood belonged to.
Sen excused himself from the group and went deeper into the valley. He did not want to tell them yet of what he found otherwise the mood would dampen and he needed them focused for the next part of the plan.
He kept walking for a few minutes before arriving at a quagmire. The odor was foul and overwhelming for the nostrils. Poisonous insects, snakes, flies, and the like covering the area.
Sen walked some more until he found a pool of some murky green liquid that occasionally released a bubble or two every bit. There, he took out the seven barrels from the ring, threw them in the pool, and sent seven flicks of hellfire, lighting them ablaze.
After weeks of practice and the creating of the fused energy, Sen is now able to create a yoga ball sized Hell-Fire. However, the hellfire is so strong that a mere spark could burn something the size of a football. Sen sent seven tennis ball flickers, one for each barrel, and the fire caught so easily. The barrels disintegrated into ash, letting the blood that wasn't burnt off merge with the murky pool.
"They use our blood" Nivera appeared from behind Him and said.
Sen turned to her. He knew she was there and let her watch the whole thing. But raised an eyebrow at her statement.
"Our blood, demon blood is of tremendous help for demonic cultivation. I didn't see it before, but Mello was a demonic cultivator. He drinks refined blood of many races to refine his own core."
Sen figured as much.
"And of all other blood, demon blood is the best one. I figure that that's the reason that prince kept me alive, to use my blood to offer me to this person even"
Sen couldn't imagine what she went through. Losing her husband, daughter, and even getting captured to use her blood to refine their core.
"This world is really messed up" he patted her shoulder in a brotherly manner. He was in his Fanalis form so he was much taller than her.
"Thank you, for helping me before. I know I said it before, but this time I am much clearer headed. Not only do I want my revenge but…"
She didn't finish her sentence but Sen understood. Only he wasn't sure if he's up to such a task. If nothing gets along the way, sure, he'll do something about it. But if it means risking his life for strangers, then he will selfishly look the other way. Only he wasn't sure if his human heart would allow him to just turn away from the brutality he saw from Mello.
"Lavin first, we'll figure out the rest as it comes" he patted her shoulder once more and walked away towards the camp with Nivera following behind.
On the way, Sen examined the ring. Mello was sure a broke person, for someone of the royal family and as strong as he is, he only had about a hundred coins. That was what Sen stupidly thought. When he showed the coin to Leonas and Risa, they said that the coin is actually a dragon coin.
The currency system in Grandor is pretty simple. Copdor coin, which is simply a copper coin. Sildor coin which is the silver coin. Then there is the Goldor coin which is the gold coin.
Thesa continent's kingdoms started naming their coins for economical purposes about a dozen years ago and took complete monopoly over the alloy mines inside their soil.
In fact, one of the rules of each kingdom is that mineral mines and salt are strictly controlled by the government, and no private dealings of minerals and salt allowed.
The last coin, which is shared by the entire continent, is the rarest. The dragon coin, only the wealthy, nobles, and royalty trade using dragon coins, for it is not made with normal alloy, but rare eternum which has the capacity to increase Mana cultivation.
One hundred copdors are one sildor. One hundred sildors are one goldors. While one dragon coin is one million goldors.
Basically, Sen now had in his possession one hundred million gold coins to be used in Grandor.
Aside from that, he also found a few weapons. They looked of high quality. He deliberated arming his companions with weapons from this ring but t would be troublesome for someone to recognize them.
After shuffling for a bit in his tent, he walked out and passed the ring to Nivera. He already has his void space which makes this ring pretty useless.
Nivera also knew that, so she did not act coy with him and accepted the ring.
The money and weapons were moved to his space to distribute later. He only left in the ring five dragon coins, Frostiz bread, and water.
"Big brother Sen, are you going to participate in the auction?" Nivel asked after hearing them talk about money, which her ten years old brain equated to buying stuff.
"The auction?" Sen asked.
"Ah, my bad" Risa said, I forgot to tell you that while we were scouting for information in the city, we learned that the DuBois merchant house, which controls basically half of the economy and trade routes in the entire Thesa continent, will hold its annual auction in Grandor."
"And the bizarre thing is that the auction was supposed to take place in the capital of the Azurite kingdom. But it was announced one week ago that it will be changed to Grandor, specifically, Lavin city."
It is certainly weird. Sen thought about it and made a farfetched conclusion, "they're here for me"
"For you?" they were taken aback.
"Mm" he nodded, "Mello especially came to find me after I created the fused energy. It is probable that the DuBois merchant house also came here for the same reason."
"Should we leave?" Leonas asked. He really didn't want to find a behemoth of Thesa continent.
Sen shook his head, "no. first, I think they're already here in the city. Second, I want to participate in that auction."
"But Sen, although it is held in Grandor, large powers from all over the continent, will participate. Forget about DuBois house, how will we evade all these behemoths?"
Sen thought for a moment before asking, "Does the auction require an invitation?"
"Um, for buyers only, yes. But if someone wants to place an item for auction, then all they need to do is register their item and attend on the auction day."
"Great, when is the auction?"
"Five days from today but tomorrow is the deadline for those who sell"
Romeo, who been listening to the side with Nivel, heard what they were talking about and chimed in. "won't anyone attend if they sell something?"
Sen laughed and rubbed the boy's hair, he reminded him of his small nephew. "DuBois house certainly would not allow any item to be sold. In fact, I think only the rarest and most extraordinary will enter their eyes."
"Ohh" Nivel and Romeo nodded in understanding. Which was cute and Sen couldn't help ruffle their heads again.
"What are you going to sell?" Nivera asked
"I have just the right item in mind"