Chapter 36

Vampire (4) - Free End

In a dark room,

A man sat with his legs crossed on the desk, rocking his chair.

He was a giant, a head taller than an average person, with muscles that seemed about to burst. However, the atmosphere he exuded was dark and sharp, contrasting with his appearance.

Suh, who had just finished his report in front of him, swallowed hard, waiting for the man to speak.

"So... "

"Yes."

"A young noble of unknown identity bought a vampire for a large sum of money at Cubax. Is that all you found out?"

"......That's right."

"......You don't even know if it has anything to do with my brother's death..."

The man's words trailed off.

Suh wanted to close his eyes tightly. He knew it was a habit of the man's when he was in a bad mood.

The man was Jack, the leader of the Vakilov.

With the auction, one of the organization's most important events, just around the corner, Jack was in a very bad mood.

His brother, John, had been escorting slaves to Domihawk City when he was ambushed and killed.

What made him even angrier was that he had no idea who the culprits were.

The discovery was too late for a proper investigation, and even though he had sent subordinates to Cubax to gather more information, they had found out very little.

"Hmmmm..."

Jack let out a long breath.

It had been a long time since he had to suppress his anger so hard.

John, though a despicable person who embezzled funds, mistreated slaves, and was generally detestable, was still his only blood relative.

A blood relative who had been with him from the days they rolled in the streets to the time they built the Vakilov into the top underground organization in the 3rd Principality.

Suppressing the rising anger and sense of futility, he closed his eyes for a moment.

The auction was about to start. He would conduct a more detailed investigation afterward.

Knock knock.

"Come in."

The knock sounded, and an elderly elf cautiously opened the door and entered the room.

He was a senior member responsible for admitting attendees to the auction.

Jack opened his eyes slightly and asked,

"What is it?"

"Yes, there's an attendee at the auction who doesn't have any information."

While they usually wore masks to hide their faces from each other, the Vakilov, as the host, naturally knew the identities of the attendees. They were the ones who sent out the invitations, and most of the attendees were regulars.

Of course, there were times when an unknown attendee would show up, and in such cases, they would pay a bit more attention.

Under normal circumstances, Jack would have dismissed the report with a simple acknowledgment, but he turned his gaze to the subordinate who had given the report.

"John, you said the guy who bought the vampire was given an invitation by your brother."

"Yes, that's right."

"You also said the bodyguard accompanying the young human man was a woman. What did they look like?"

"The man had black hair, and the bodyguard had white hair."

Jack turned his gaze back to the elderly man.

The elderly man nodded.

"Yes, that's correct. A black-haired human man and a white-haired human woman."

"That's them."

The ones who had bought the vampire at Cubax.

Jack fell silent for a moment, then slowly stood up.

He didn't know if they were connected to his brother's death, but it was the only lead he had for now.

***

Descending underground, the scene that unfolded was quite surprising.

It was a typical auction setting with seats and a stage, but the space was much larger than expected.

Faintly glowing stones embedded in the walls dimly lit the interior of the auction house, and many people were already seated.

There were also seats on a second-floor balcony at the back, which clearly looked like VIP seats.

Following the guide, I chose a seat and sat down with Ashel. It was in a suitable middle row.

'What is this?'

There was a number on a card attached to the armrest of the chair, which I picked up and examined. It seemed to be used for bidding.

Putting the card down, I turned my gaze back to the stage.

'Will the slaves come out from there?'

And the auctioneer would introduce them, the attendees would watch them like animals in a cage, and bid if they liked them.

Even though I had never experienced such a place, I could already imagine the scene.

I clicked my tongue and looked at Ashel.

She also seemed uncomfortable with the seat, and I could sense her displeasure even through the mask.

'When will it start?'

People were gradually gathering, and the seats were more than half full.

While some, like me, were quietly waiting for the auction to start, others were chatting with their companions, and I could hear their conversations clearly with my enhanced senses.

"It seems there are many high-quality human slaves this time. They were very confident about it."

"Really? I hope I find a child to my liking. I even had a special leash made for them..."

I quickly tuned out the disgusting conversation.

A moment later, the curtain on the stage was pulled back, and a man in a suit with a mask appeared under the spotlight.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining the auction!"

It seemed the auction was about to begin.

After a brief, pleasant greeting, the auctioneer quickly moved on.

"Without further ado, let's start the auction! To bid, simply raise the card provided in your seat and call out your bid. Now, the first item!"

A half-naked elf woman, restrained, walked out from the side of the stage. Her eyes were lifeless.

"The first item is a female elf! No need for much introduction. It's rare to find an elf with such beauty and red hair. So, let's start the bidding at 20 gold!"

Someone in the audience immediately raised their card, and the auction began in earnest.

30 gold, 40 gold, 70 gold, and it quickly rose to 100 gold without much fuss, after which no more bids were made.

"100 gold! Is there anyone else who would like to bid?! I'm not saying this lightly. It's very difficult to find an elf slave of this quality anywhere else!"

The auctioneer continued to encourage bids, then reluctantly announced the final count.

"Congratulations! The item has been sold to the gentleman in seat 56 for 100 gold!"

The auction continued smoothly after that.

A wide variety of races were up for auction, from humans to merfolk and elves, and other rare races.

The auctioneer also put effort into explaining the background of some of the slaves, as it played a significant role in their value.

When a fallen noble lady from Saintea appeared, the bidding price soared to 500 gold.

"......"

The dirty, sticky heat of the auction house seemed to cling to my body.

I watched the auction quietly with patience.

After about ten items, the one I was here for finally appeared.

"The next item is a vampire!"

I widened my eyes slightly and looked at the person being led to the stage.

Unlike the other slaves, who only had their hands restrained, this black-haired, red-eyed girl had a gag in her mouth. She clearly resembled Rudica.

"Vampires, also known as the cursed race, but there's no need to be afraid! Young vampires, unlike adults, cannot use their blood abilities! Additionally, their wild nature makes them quite a challenge to tame..."

She glared at the audience with eyes full of hostility. Our gazes met for a moment.

As the auctioneer continued his explanation and I prepared to raise my card,

"Good evening, my lord."

Someone sat down next to me.

"Are you enjoying the auction?"

I turned my head.

A muscular man, whose muscles seemed about to burst, came into view.

【Lv. 68】

What stood out most was the level above his head.

A powerful individual, nearly at level 70.

The man who had approached me out of the blue immediately revealed his identity.

"I am Jack, the leader of the Vakilov."

"......"

"I apologize for interrupting your enjoyment, but I have a few questions for you, my lord."

As I stared at him, he smiled and continued.

"You bought a young vampire in Cubax and received an invitation."

"That's right."

"The one who gave you the invitation was my brother. However, he was ambushed and killed by some unknown assailants while escorting slaves to Domihawk."

"Is that so? I'm sorry to hear that."

"......Yes, very sorry. That's why I'm asking."

The man's eyes flashed like a predator's.

"Given the timing, I'm just wondering if you know anything about it?"

I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know anything."

The man stared at me intently, then sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Would you give the same answer if I twisted your limbs one by one?"

"......"

"I've only gotten better at reading people over the years. You did kill my brother, didn't you?"

......Caught.

Had they tracked me from the place where I killed him, or did my first-time attendance at the auction draw attention?

It didn't really matter. The man seemed convinced that I had killed his brother.

I recalled that he had mentioned his brother being the leader before he died. I hadn't expected him to come and ask me directly.

'I just wanted to take care of my business quietly.'

That was no longer possible.

I clicked my tongue and said,

"I killed him."

"Why did you kill him?"

"Who knows? Why did I kill him?"

The man seemed to be trying to suppress his anger, taking another deep breath before speaking.

"Still playing games, I see. What do you think I'm going to do to you now?"

"......"

"I'm going to take you to the torture chamber. We have some very skilled torturers in our organization. I promise you'll feel the existence of pain in every fiber of your body. You'll beg for death in just a few minutes. You and the bodyguard sitting next to you."

The man growled.

"Answer my questions sincerely while I still give you a chance for a relatively painless death. Who are you, and why did you kill my brother?"

"Can you handle it?"

The man laughed at my words.

"Handle? Drop the pretense, kid. There's nothing I can't handle in this 3rd Principality. Are you a hidden child of a lord? Or... "

"I am the 7th Lord, Ron."

The words hung in the air.

The man looked as if he couldn't understand what he had just heard.

"......What did you say?"

"Do I need to repeat it?"

I rested my chin on the armrest and turned my gaze back to the stage.

Watching the ongoing auction and the rising bids, I said coldly,

"7th Lord, Ron."