kscans

Chapter 26 - The Black Market Auction

During the One Month of Winter, I was on Earth.

After my dinner with Tina-san, having confirmed I had no other visitors scheduled, I headed to a certain place.

In a certain city on Earth, I stood before a building with my travel bag in hand.

It was a place with dozens of high-end stores inside. The general public was only permitted from the first to the tenth floor; from the tenth to the thirtieth floor was an area exclusively for members-only shops.

It was truly a place fit for the wealthy.

A place a commoner like me, with barely any money, had no business being.

However, within this place, there was a location where even I was allowed to enter.

It was 11:00 PM. I steeled my resolve and started walking.

A man in a black suit stood like a sentinel in front of the building.

I stood before him and said,

"It's raining spears today."

The man in the black suit heard me and asked,

"...Who sent you?"

At his question, I handed him the envelope from my pocket.

The man in the black suit read the letter from the envelope, and after a moment, he said to me,

"...Straight ahead, there's an elevator. The doors will open when you stand in front of it. Get in and don't press any buttons. A guide will come for you, so just follow their instructions."

He said this as the doors opened, and he pointed for me to go inside.

I gave a nod of thanks and entered, heading for the elevator.

When I stopped in front of it, the elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside.

The doors closed, and I felt the sensation of descending.

This building had a basement, but the website stated it was only accessible by stairs and that it only housed the generator room.

This was undoubtedly a real black market auction. I was getting nervous.

My knowledge of the underworld came only from anime.

I figured if I didn't look around and acted composed, I wouldn't be suspected, and more importantly, I wouldn't get killed.

Well, I had my skills and magic. If I wanted to, I could silence everyone here.

I've even killed people in the other world. It's not the kind of experience one should accumulate, but at this point, it didn't matter to me.

As I was thinking this, the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

A man wearing sunglasses stood before me and spoke.

"Welcome, seller. I've been informed that this is your first time, so I will be your guide. This way, please."

He said this, turned his back to me, and started walking.

As I followed him, the man explained,

"This auction is a place where items that are difficult to sell on the open market, or items that cannot be sold for a profit due to regulations, are put up for auction, and our esteemed customers bid on them at favorable prices. The bidding order is determined after we appraise the items brought by the sellers."

"If your item is sold, a five percent commission will be deducted from the proceeds, so please be aware of that. Lastly, you are not to speak of this place to anyone. If you must, please only tell those who thoroughly understand."

As he said the last part, the man turned only his head towards me, his words laced with killing intent.

It was to be expected, of course.

I already knew about the commission and the rule of secrecy. I simply nodded in silence.

The man smiled brightly and continued walking.

After a while, we came to a door, which the man opened.

Inside the room, including myself, were twenty people. There were men and women in suits, an old man in work clothes, a middle-aged man dressed like a homeless person—a variety of people.

I stepped inside. The door closed, and a quiet atmosphere fell over the room.

There were no chairs in the room; everyone stood and waited. After a while, a door in the back opened, and two men in suits entered, followed by an older man in his fifties wearing glasses.

The older man spoke.

"Welcome, people of certain circumstances. I am the manager of this auction. For now, you may call me Kuroda. Now, we will begin appraising the items you have brought. The appraisers will, of course, use scientific technology in their assessment. We will have you enter the back room one by one."

"You will hand over your items at that time. Afterward, you will be given a number tag, but that is a temporary number. Once the appraisal of all items is complete, we will officially distribute the auction numbers in order. Are there any questions?"

At his words, the homeless-looking man asked,

"Um, if an item isn't sold, will it be returned to us?"

To that question, Kuroda replied,

"No. Any items put up for auction will be disposed of by us. In other words, when you leave here, you will be either empty-handed or with money. There are only those two options. Let me give you one piece of advice: you cannot withdraw from this auction simply because you don't like that. If you make any suspicious moves, you understand what will happen, don't you?"

Kuroda's reply was filled with killing intent.

The homeless man, as well as the others, fell silent.

Seeing this, Kuroda said,

"Then, please come forward in the order you entered this room."

With that, Kuroda went into the back room.

The two men in suits stood like sentinels in front of the door, not moving an inch. Seeing this, a woman in a suit went in first, carrying a bag.

After about a minute, the woman came out with a number tag and her bag, which I assumed was now empty. Then, one by one, people went in, and finally, it was my turn.

In the back room, there was a counter, and Kuroda was behind it. I took out two Wolf pelts from my travel bag.

Seeing them, Kuroda's eyes widened slightly at the size of the pelts and their heads, but after a moment, he handed me a number tag.

The number was 'Twenty.'

I took it and returned to the original room.

After a while, Kuroda came out.

He held a new set of number tags in his hand.

"Now, the order for the auction has been decided, so I will distribute the numbers to everyone. Please come forward when your name is called."

He said this, handing out new number tags to the people he called and collecting the old ones.

Then, it was my turn, and I received a new number tag. The number was 'Eleven.' Eleventh out of twenty people... I didn't think I could expect a high price.

At least, not at that moment.

And then, the auction began.

We watched from that room through a mirror.

According to Kuroda, this mirror was a one-way mirror. We could see out, but the customers couldn't see us.

I took a quick look at the clientele.

There were many men and women who exuded an air of wealth, including a company president I'd seen on a TV special who had succeeded in business. But I spotted an even more conspicuous figure.

On the second floor of the seating area, in a VIP box, was a politician who often appeared on TV. I had thought this kind of thing only happened in anime and dramas, but I was surprised to see it in real life.

As I was marveling at this, Kuroda appeared on the auction stage.

"Thank you for coming today. Tonight, we have a selection of items for you, from the mundane to the magnificent. Among them are some very rare items, so please look forward to it. Now, let the auction begin. Please, relax and enjoy yourselves."

Kuroda bowed, and applause followed.

Next, the auctioneer came out.

"First up, we have a set of three gemstones: a ruby, an emerald, and a sapphire. All three are vibrantly colored and slightly larger than usual. We'll start the bidding at ten thousand."

The auctioneer struck his gavel.

It was the first time I'd seen an auctioneer use a gavel. That was my impression.

After that, no one raised their paddle, and silence continued.

After a while, the auctioneer struck his gavel.

"Well, since there are no buyers, this item will be disposed of."

With that, the gems were carried away.

The homeless-looking man's shoulders slumped.

Those must have been his items, I realized immediately.

Then, the next item appeared on stage.

"Next, item number two: cosmetics. This is a new product developed by a certain company, not yet on the market, and its existence is unknown. Its effect is five times that of conventional cosmetics, moisturizing the skin with long-lasting results. It's a one-of-a-kind item in this world that could be sold right now without any complaints. We'll start the bidding at ten thousand."

I was surprised they would sell something like that.

Paddles were raised, mainly by the women. The paddles had numbers on them, displayed on an electronic board. There was a ten, a thirty... it surely meant one hundred thousand and three hundred thousand, I thought.

Soon, a sixty paddle was raised, and no one went higher.

The auctioneer announced,

"We have a bid of six hundred thousand. Any other offers? Then, sold for six hundred thousand."

He struck his gavel, and the room filled with applause.

The woman in the suit had a joyful expression. I figured she had brought the cosmetics since she was a woman, but I wondered where she had stolen them from. I decided it was taboo to ask that here and silently watched the venue.

From there, items came out one after another. Some were sold, some were disposed of. And then, it was the eleventh item's turn, my item.

The auctioneer announced,

"Next, item number eleven: two Wolf pelts. These wolves are twice the size of ordinary wolves, the quality of the fur is twice as good, and the coat is smooth, supple, and resilient. But what is most noteworthy is the number of teeth."

"A wolf, as a rule, has forty-two teeth, no more. However, this wolf has forty-seven teeth! The mouth is also proportionally larger. Not only our appraiser but also a 3D scanner has confirmed that this is not a fabrication. Two very rare Wolf pelts. We will start the bidding at ten thousand."

I was surprised to hear that.

I hadn't counted the wolf's teeth, and I didn't know anything about it in the first place.

So that's why Kuroda had looked a little surprised at the time, I thought.

From there, the paddles went up one after another. Starting from thirty, then seventy, ninety, one hundred, one hundred and ten, the numbers kept coming. Then, a paddle for eight hundred and ninety was raised. Eight hundred and ninety... that meant eight million, nine hundred thousand yen. An amount I had never imagined. I thought that would be the end of it.

In the next moment, a paddle for one thousand was raised. A murmur went through the venue as everyone watched to see what would happen.

The auctioneer announced,

"We have a bid of ten million. Any other offers? Then, sold for ten million."

The auctioneer struck his gavel.

The venue erupted in thunderous applause.

Honestly, I was shocked. I never thought it would reach such a price. I was once again reminded of how amazing the other world was.

After a while, the auction ended.

I didn't remember what items came out after that. I must have been in a daze.

The customers left, and the venue became empty.

After a while, Kuroda and a man in a suit pushing a cart came in.

Kuroda announced,

"Everyone, thank you for your cooperation today. I will not ask what your items were. You all came here because you wanted money. That is all. Now, I will distribute the money for the items that were sold. The commission has already been deducted. Now, number two."

He said this, randomly calling out numbers and handing over envelopes or bags of money.

I had a feeling I knew why it was random. And then, finally, it was my turn.

The other people had left, and only I and Kuroda's men in black remained.

Kuroda said,

"Here is the bag with ten million. Please check the contents. And there is something I would like to ask you."

As I checked the money, I replied,

"You won't ask what the item was... Didn't you say that?"

I closed the bag and said.

At my words, the men in black started to step forward, but Kuroda stopped them.

"Indeed, that is correct. It is a strict rule here not to ask about the items. To be honest, I would like to use force to find out where you got that, but that would be breaking the rules, so I will not ask. However, there is one thing I would like to confirm: will you be selling at our auction again in the future?"

To that question, I replied,

"If I have something to sell, I will. However, it won't be every week. I have my own circumstances. And wouldn't you prefer superior items over inferior ones?"

To this reply, Kuroda said,

"Indeed, that is true. Then, from now on, I will recognize you as a regular customer. Tell the man in front of the building door the password 'Kuroda's recommendation.' We look forward to your next visit."

Kuroda bowed. I also bowed and left the room.

Inside the room, a man in a black suit asked,

"Are you sure about this? If we were to capture that man and torture him, he seems like the type to easily spill a secret or two."

To those words, Kuroda replied,

"You don't seem to understand at all. That man smelled of blood. And a very strong scent at that."

The man in the black suit was surprised at those words, but Kuroda continued,

"But it wasn't the smell of human blood. It was the smell of a beast. He's probably a hunter, but I felt something else from that man, something unidentifiable. It's more convenient for us if he brings items to sell himself rather than us making a move on him. We should be happy that we have a new star product."

Kuroda said with a smirk.

The men in black said nothing more and just stood there.

I returned home and immediately threw myself onto my bed.

I was so tense. I never thought a Wolf pelt would sell for that much. Even after the five percent commission was taken, I had nine and a half million yen in hand. It was enough money to live on for a while without any worries.

However, that man Kuroda... he must have been through some tough situations. The moment the men in black started to move, I released a little of my magic, and he immediately gave the signal to stop.

That type is trouble.

If I try to avoid him, he's likely to find out where I live from the traces I leave in the room. To keep my secret from being discovered, I'll need to show my face at the auction from time to time.

If they do find this place and try to use force, I can just take the book that lets me go to the other world and transfer. That way, they won't be able to follow me, and I can live out the rest of my days in the other world.

To be honest, I have no attachments to this world. I only come back because it's convenient for looking things up.

With that thought, I went to sleep.

And so, the One Month of Winter ended.