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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 136
“Marquis Alphonse. You’ve arrived.”
“Duke Revren, have you been well?”
“Yes, I have….”
Duke Revren trailed off as he glanced around.
Ever since the nation had been upended overnight, the high-ranking nobles and the Tower Masters, who had been lying low and observing the situation, had all gathered in one place.
“What do you think, Duke Revren?”
Marquis Alphonse, whose family had maintained an amicable relationship with his for generations, asked cautiously.
“About what, exactly?”
“The king’s intentions.”
“Well…”
“I suspect… this might be a ‘summoning order.’”
Duke Revren looked around the venue, which had been designated as the auction hall.
An auction held in the open garden of a palace annex attached to the royal castle.
There were temporary wooden seats and a platform.
A rather humble setting for an event meant to gather high-ranking nobles and Tower Masters.
But Duke Revren believed he understood why the king had chosen this location.
‘This is the perfect place to see the split royal palace.’
The royal castle, neatly divided in half.
And at its center stood the massive Throne of the Sword.
Even from a distance, one could see countless knights training in perfect formation before it.
‘It’s as if the king is putting his overwhelming might on display for these people….’
Duke Revren scanned the faces of those around him.
Everyone was smiling and engaging in cheerful conversation.
But their laughter felt forced.
Having spent years navigating high society, Duke Revren immediately recognized their unease.
‘They’re all on edge.’
And the further they were from the capital, the worse it seemed.
The provincial nobles appeared even more unsettled than the Tower Masters residing in the capital.
Naturally, this was their first time witnessing such a sight.
“A summoning order… That might be the case. But refusing to attend wasn’t an option either.”
“Exactly. Avoiding it would have only drawn more attention, making it even riskier.”
“Still, perhaps the auction was truly meant to sell A-rank mana suits.”
“I spoke with some of the Tower Masters. They believe at least one or two will actually be sold. Apparently, the king keeps his word.”
As Duke Revren observed the nobles making idle conversation, someone approached him.
“Uncle. You’re here.”
It was Violet, wearing her Ice Mask of Glacia, her face looking fatigued.
“Violet? What are you doing here…? Don’t tell me you’re still working at the royal palace?”
“Yes.”
“…Are you being held hostage by His Majesty?”
“No. I work here of my own will, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say something so rude. Besides, does His Majesty even need hostages?”
Duke Revren nodded at her words.
It had been two months since the kingdom changed hands.
There was no reason for a king with absolute power, like Kaylen, to take hostages.
“I see. That was careless of me.”
“Princess Violet… It has been a while.”
“Yes, Marquis Alphonse. It has been a while. But I’m no longer a princess, so please speak comfortably.”
“How could I possibly do such a thing? Haha.”
Marquis Alphonse, in his sixties, stroked his snow-white beard as he spoke.
“Are you attending the auction as well, Princess?”
“I’m here to assist with the auction. Given the nature of the items being sold…”
“Oh… So an A-rank mana suit is really going up for auction?”
“…Yes.”
Violet let out a deep sigh as she answered.
“I tried to dissuade His Majesty, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“Dissuade him?”
“He intended to auction off all twenty A-rank mana suits.”
“What? All twenty?”
“Yes… I barely managed to convince him that they wouldn’t all sell here, so only ten will be put up for auction.”
A-rank mana suits were vital strategic assets.
Simply possessing them elevated the royal family's military strength.
And he was planning to sell them all?
Duke Revren couldn’t understand.
“Why would His Majesty make such a decision?”
“He has too many business ventures. On top of that, many nobles have applied for land compensation.”
“Land compensation… You mean the nobles are giving up their territories in exchange for land in the capital?”
“Yes. The compensation costs themselves are manageable, but the real issue is relocating the residents of those territories.”
“You mean even the commoners will be moved? Where are they supposed to live?”
“There’s plenty of land available—around the capital.”
The capital of the Meier Kingdom, Alzass.
The surrounding area was vast plains with abundant water sources, making it possible to establish new settlements.
However, transporting commoners from such distant lands and building new villages for them to settle in…
It was an enormous waste of both time and resources.
‘When he dealt with the Bormian royal family, I thought he was a tyrant. But was he actually an idealist?’
Despite himself, Duke Revren felt his heart race at the thought.
If Violet’s words were true, it meant ten real A-rank mana suits would be auctioned today.
‘Everyone is watching Violet now.’
Duke Revren glanced around.
The scattered conversations had either halted or grown hushed, with all attention shifting toward them.
‘Our family has always felt inferior to House Oblaine because we lacked an A-rank mana suit… This is our chance to acquire one.’
How envious he had been of Inferno, the A-rank mana suit owned by Lioness, the third son of Duke Oblaine.
He had the money but never the opportunity to buy one.
If the suits were truly being auctioned, he had to secure at least one—no matter what.
Unlike before, Duke Revren now waited for Kaylen with anticipation.
And then—
Suddenly, the distant Throne of the Sword vanished from sight, and Kaylen appeared atop the platform.
‘What…? When did he get here…?’
‘I didn’t sense his presence at all.’
As expected of a Swordmaster, the king had stepped onto the platform without anyone noticing.
The newly enthroned young king wore simple clothing, yet he stood out more than anyone else.
Even in a crowd, he was someone who commanded attention at a glance.
That was Duke Revren’s first impression of Kaylen.
‘I heard he was born to a lowly baronial family.’
Yet, standing before high-ranking nobles and Tower Masters, King Kaylen showed not the slightest trace of intimidation.
“Is everyone gathered? I am Kaylen, the king who founded the Meier royal family. Many of you are meeting me for the first time.”
As the high nobles and Tower Masters all stood and bowed in greeting, Kaylen raised his hand slightly.
Immediately, their bodies straightened on their own, returning to their original postures before bowing.
‘No… How is this possible!?’
‘Even if he is a Swordmaster, could he really do this…?’
Right now, it was only their bodies being adjusted. But if Kaylen had harbored any other intentions?
Cold sweat trickled down the backs of those present.
“There is no need for formalities.”
“Y-Yes, Your Majesty.”
“If any of you wondered whether my invitation carried another purpose, rest assured. Today, I have summoned you solely to conduct the auction.”
Kaylen reached into the demon relic and began pulling out mana suits one by one.
“T-Those are…?”
“A-rank mana suits.”
“It’s real. That’s the mana suit once worn by Balzak, the Tower Master.”
The Tower Masters, who had often interacted with Balzak, immediately recognized the authenticity of the items.
“…Judging by the Tower Masters’ reactions, it seems to be true.”
“To think A-rank mana suits are actually being sold.”
“This is an unexpected windfall.”
The high-ranking nobles exchanged glances, smiling subtly.
After placing all ten mana suits onto the display stands, Kaylen gave them a quick once-over before speaking.
“You all.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“If the quantity is insufficient, let me know. It is better to dispose of them domestically rather than sell them abroad.”
“Understood!”
The attendees exchanged glances while responding loudly.
There were around thirty high nobles and Tower Masters present.
With competition, even ten mana suits would not be enough.
‘He doesn’t seem like the tyrant he was rumored to be.’
‘He’s far better than the previous king, Kaitan.’
Though they had been tense when Kaylen made them straighten with a mere gesture, the newly crowned king had maintained a calm and composed demeanor throughout.
“Violet, I’ll leave the auction’s proceedings to you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Understood.”
With Kaylen even stepping aside to ensure the auction proceeded smoothly, the attendees no longer had any reason to hesitate and could now fully focus on the auction.
“Let me announce this first. His Majesty will not accept mid-grade mana stones as payment. Instead, he will only accept land in the capital region, wealth, or high-grade mana stones.”
Standing on the platform, Violet made the announcement while gazing at the A-rank mana suits with a reluctant expression.
‘He’s really going through with selling them…’
It would have been better to let mid-grade mana stone prices fluctuate instead of resorting to this.
The unprecedented sale of A-rank mana suits was happening because of her, and the thought weighed heavily on her.
“We will begin with the A-rank mana suit from Balzak’s Tower. It is a wind-attribute mana suit, previously known as Stormbringer…”
“Stormbringer!”
“Starting with something this extraordinary…”
The wind-affinity Tower Masters swallowed hard as they stared at Stormbringer.
Among wind-type A-rank mana suits, Stormbringer was one of the most exceptional.
If they could obtain and analyze it, their mana suit development capabilities would advance significantly.
‘I have to buy this!’
‘I’m so glad I attended this auction!’
At that moment, both sellers and buyers had completely different thoughts.
The seller regretted parting with the items, while the buyers felt like they had struck gold.
Just like that, all ten mana suits were sold in an instant.
"P-Princess! Please sell us more!"
"That won’t be possible. We’ve already secured enough capital…"
"But didn’t His Majesty just say—"
"Please, I beg you…! We’ll pay more! Just sell us the items!"
The attendees who had failed to make a purchase pleaded desperately.
"Very well. I shall sell them."
Kaylen, who had not been present, suddenly reappeared, placed down another ten mana suits, and vanished once more.
"Violet. Sell them all."
"Your Majesty! We already have enough funds…"
"Just sell them. All of them."
"…Understood."
As the remaining ten A-rank mana suits were sold, emotions clashed between Violet and the buyers.
‘What kind of loss is this… Selling all the A-ranks…’
‘This is an unbelievable stroke of luck… I actually got an A-rank mana suit…’
However—
None of them had any idea.
That in less than a year, their fortunes would be completely reversed.
That the very value of mana suits, as they had known them, would change forever.
"Kaylen! The research results on the Combine Suit are in!"
And the turning point of it all—
Began in Myorn’s workshop.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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