Chapter 53: Crossing Point (3) (1/2)

Really long chapter today. I’ve also made some corrections to a previous translation:

Great Monarch is now Overlord – Technically, ‘great monarch’ is a correct translation, but ‘overlord’ sounds more villainous and gives off a last boss vibe, so ‘Overlord’ it is.

Terms used in this chapter:

Nodachi – A large and long Japanese sword, having a long handle suitable for multiple two handed grip positions.

The Lankebuste auction house had one special rule.

‘All participants must cover their faces with masks.’

Partial masks that could somehow make it easier to recognize the face was not allowed. Only masks covering the entire face was permitted.

Of course, sex and age could be inferred to some extent from one’s height and body type, but the existence of masks were bound to guarantee considerable anonymity.

“They’re selling stuff that you can’t buy if your face is revealed?”

“Well…there are quite a few items that are considered shady. Right now, it’s buying those kinds of slaves.”

In the Sälen Kingdom, slavery was somehow regarded as an old-fashioned evil practice that was slowly disappearing.

Moreover, most of the slaves traded in Lankebuste were not slaves for labor, but slaves for dirty and shady purposes, such as playthings for sexual entertainment, subjects for body experiments, and combat slaves for gladiator competitions.

“I want to save her quickly.”

Although Jude did not give a specific example, Cordelia already knew the truth to some extent.

That is why she wanted to save Red Wind as soon as possible.

“It’ll be all right. We’ve got enough money. Let’s not struggle in a vain bid, but just buy her promptly with an immediate offer.”

“Yes, yes, because it’s exhausting to participate in a competition just to fail.”

According to the flow of the original story, Red Wind was sold once at this point of time.

And then she came back as a returned item.

‘Whatever the reason may be, it just meant that there was a buyer.’

There was the concern of getting tired in a fruitless competition as Cordelia said, and it would also draw people’s attention unnecessarily.

In any case, Jude and Cordelia were ‘fugitives,’ so it was better to do things as quietly as possible.

“Hmm, good. I tied it well today. As expected of me.”

Cordelia smiled and praised herself after tying up Jude’s tie neatly, while Jude thanked her without any complaints and then took out the masks they would be using.

They were white masks that covered the entire face and did not have any patterns drawn on them.

“I dyed my hair too, so if I wear this, no one will recognize me.”

“I don’t usually wear a pink dress, but dyeing my hair was worth it.”

Cordelia said something a little unrelated, and after wearing her mask, she looked at Jude who gave a small clap.

“It looks good.”

“My face is all hidden, but I still look good.”

Cordelia answered with a giggle and led the way as if she wanted to go quickly. Jude stared at the back of Cordelia and admired her again even though he already knew it.

‘Pretty, she’s really pretty.’

She wore a mask that covered her entire face, but he still felt that she was beautiful.

Cordelia wasn’t just an incomparably beautiful girl for no reason, as her qualities and body itself were pretty.

“Of course, I’m an absolutely handsome boy.”

“What are you saying all of a sudden?”

“Recharging my confidence?”

“Just come quickly and stop with the nonsense.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Jude quickly answered as he wore his mask and caught up with Cordelia.

A dozen minutes passed like that.

Jude took a deep breath once they entered the auction house right next to the casino.

“Hwoooo…haaaaa… good, it smells great.”

“What smell?”

“The smell of treasure.”

At Jude’s remark, Cordelia snorted and sniffed in the same way. She then blinked her eyes and said.

“Oh, it’s real.”

“Huh?”

“It smells like treasure.”

Jude unconsciously became nervous at Cordelia’s words.

Because it was Cordelia’s words and not anyone else.

“Where is it? What’s the grade? Is it perhaps Myth grade?”

“What is this crazy bastard saying? I was just kidding. How can a human smell treasure anyway?”

“You’re an animal.”

Cordelia tried to naturally open her mouth to bite Jude, but it was useless because of her mask that covered her mouth.

“Anyway, let’s stop this nonsensical talk for the moment and get Red Wind first.”

Of course, they were going to search for treasure, but their top priority was to secure Red Wind.

Nodding at Cordelia’s words, Jude spoke as he looked back at the auction house’s interior.

“There are two possible ways that you can choose in Lankebuste’s auction house.”

“Are you talking about the market and the proper bidding ceremony?”

“Well, it’s not precisely the correct term, but it’s roughly correct.”

In front of Jude and Cordelia right now were the items to be sold in the auction. They were displayed in regular intervals like that of an art gallery or museum.

‘If there’s an item a person wants, they write down their bid first, and after a certain period of time, the item is handed over to the person who had placed the highest bid.’

It was a simple and clear but very time-consuming auction method.

“We’re not going to participate in the proper auction?”

“Yes, because it’s going to draw us some attention. We also don’t know if we really want the items that will come out.”

The auction was scheduled to be held in the next two hours, in which the moderator introduces the item, and each purchaser attempts to bid by raising their panel, just like what was commonly seen in movies.

“Let’s buy everything that we want and then get out of the auction house.”

“Are we also getting out of Lankebuste then?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Jude’s mind was troubled by the Devil’s Hand, aside from Count Hræsvelgr.

It was best to cross the border before being spotted by any of them.

“Okay, moving on, let’s go and buy Red Wind first.”

“It’s probably this way.”

Thinking of Lankebuste’s auction house that he remembered when he played Red Wind, Jude seemed to be taking some cautious steps forward first, but he soon led Cordelia with a confident manner.

1st basement floor.

Unlike the bustling atmosphere of the 1st floor, the place had a gloomy, dreary, and subdued atmosphere.

Inside the glass cases erected at regular intervals, the slaves for sale were almost in the state of being naked.

“I don’t like it.”

Cordelia clicked her tongue and stepped forward at once in big strides as they headed to the place where Red Wind was.

“Red Wind.”

Jude’s eyes finally saw her.

A girl from the Great Storm tribe that was 16 years old this year.

As she inherited the Winter Elf’s blood, her pure white ivory skin and azure hair reminiscent of the clear blue sky were very memorable.

Her long hair that came down to her hips, were deliberately tied to the back to make her long ears visible.

Cordelia gritted her teeth as she saw the chains tied to Red Wind’s slender ankles, before looking at Red Wind’s face again.

Perhaps because she was confined in a case where she could only see the inside but not the outside, there was a deep fear in her blue eyes that couldn’t hide her anger and hostility.

“Let’s buy her right away.”

“Yes, so just calm down a bit, okay?”

“Okay.”

Cordelia gave a short answer as she looked up at Red Wind again, and Jude immediately filled in their purchase price in the bidding column placed next to the case.

“The auction house staff will come now.”

At Jude’s words, Cordelia tightly shut her mouth instead of answering, because she didn’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble.

And after a few seconds.

A neatly dressed auction house employee approached them as Jude had expected.

“Oh, that’s an excellent choice. It’s hard to find such a beautiful woman among the northern barbarians. However, she’s a little fierce, so please be careful about that part.”

Cordelia reflexively lost her temper at the auction house’s employee’s words, and Jude quickly blocked Cordelia with his body and shamelessly smiled as he said.

“The fiercer she is, the more delicious it is to tame her.”

“Haha, that’s right. That’s the true pleasure of rearing.”

The auction house employee laughed and smiled, and then handed out some documents to them. After checking Jude’s ability to pay, he spoke again.

“It takes some time to pack, so why don’t you look around for other items in the meantime? Between the next 20 minutes from the start of the auction and until its end, you can come to the sales office on the first floor.”

“Yes, I will do so. Thank you for your kind guidance.”

“Thank you very much. We hope you enjoy your shopping.”

When the employee made a gesture after politely bowing down to them, the light in Red Wind’s case went out.

Perhaps they were going to take out Red Wind through the glass case’s floor or through the wall behind it.

“Now then, shall we go too?”

“…okay.”

Cordelia answered in a low voice, and Jude grasped her hand as they hurried up to the first floor.

“Hooo, okay. Now that we’ve finished the trade without any problems, let’s really enjoy the auction. There must be a lot of good items.”

When Jude intentionally spoke in an energetic voice, Cordelia pouted her lips several times before she nodded.

She was angry because of Red Wind’s situation, not because of Jude. But she couldn’t unreasonably vent out her anger on this place.

“Since we’ve come here, let’s find the true treasure. I will trust in your feeling.”

Jude added some words again, so Cordelia also spoke in quite a cheerful voice to match his rhythm.

“Do you mean, something like a treasure with a stupendous performance, but others don’t know its true value because of its outward appearance, like what is common in novels and manhwa?”

“That’s correct.”

Of course, such an occurrence couldn’t have been really common.

The people at the auction house weren’t fools either.

After all, they had a group of experts working for them.

But it was just at that moment that they had thought so.

“Ah, isn’t that the Heavenly Judgment?”

“Yes, you’re right.”

Jude unknowingly replied in a blank manner as he promptly opened his eyes wide. And it was the same for Cordelia.

““Why is that appearing here?!””

The two rotten waters spoke almost at the same time, and they approached the glass case in hurried steps while trying to be inconspicuous as possible.

“I’m sure of it, it’s currently in the state before its seal was released.”

Cordelia blinked her eyes at Jude’s words. It wasn’t because the Heavenly Judgment suddenly appeared before her eyes.