The Heavenly Demon Can’t Live A Normal Life [EN]: Chapter 134

The auctioneer held up the sword, Blaze. Its silver blade shimmered under the bright lights of the auction hall.

As the auctioneer spoke, Marquis Valentino’s eyes widened. He knew at once – this sword was incredibly valuable.

The auctioneer explained, “The true value of Blaze isn’t just that its mana reactivity is at level 10. Many master swords have been sold here, but none have ever reached level 10. Needle was at level 7. Blaze is special because it’s level 10. No sword has ever been level 10 before. It’s the first of its kind.”

This rarity made Marquis Valentino want to win the bid even more.

The auctioneer also mentioned that it could enhance the power of aura. If that were true, it would be an amazing ability.

Usually, a sword is just a weapon.

It can only do what a sword does, unless a mage adds magic to it.

There are master swords and magic swords.

This is a tough choice for swordsmen.

To use aura best, you need a pure weapon. But average swordsmen can’t get the most out of master swords. So, they often pick magic swords.

A popular magic sword might be enchanted to be extra sharp.

However, when a swordsman becomes very skilled, they are called a ‘Ranker’ or ‘master swordsman’. For a master swordsman, a master sword that uses their aura perfectly is worth a lot of money.

Aura swordsmen would spend all their money to get one. And being the first means something. If the artisan makes more swords, Blaze will only become more valuable because it was the first. A collection from an artisan is special just because it’s the first, no matter how good they are.

Because of all these reasons, Marquis Valentino really wanted the sword.

As a famous collector in Cairo, he had to have Blaze, no matter the cost.

‘It would be great to add this master sword to my collection,’ he thought.

He didn’t wait.

The bid was at 600 gold.

As people watched carefully, Marquis Valentino made his move.

The auctioneer shouted, “Wow! Customer number 53 has bid 1200 gold! Double the previous bid! This is incredible!”

1200 gold.

It was a huge amount.

Everyone was silent, except for the auctioneer. Even number 12 looked worried.

Double the bid wasn’t just about the money. It showed that Marquis Valentino was determined to win, no matter what.

Number 12 was willing to bid more than 1200 gold, but they were worried because Marquis Valentino was their opponent.

He was known as the Collector of Greed.

In this world, fighting with someone so obsessed with collecting could be dangerous.

Once, a rich person in Cairo competed with Marquis Valentino in an auction and won at a very high price.

But Marquis Valentino put financial pressure on them and took the item.

The rich person had already spent a lot of money and couldn’t handle the pressure. They sold the item cheaply and lost everything.

That was Marquis Valentino.

When he really wanted something, it was best to step aside.

In the end, the auctioneer announced, “1200 gold! Customer number 53 wins the bid at 1200 gold!”

The treasure that everyone wanted now belonged to Marquis Valentino.

After the auction, Marquis Valentino went to get his item.

Maurice, the auction house manager, greeted him with a big smile because of the 1200 gold.

“How would you like to pay?” Maurice asked.

Marquis Valentino replied, “I’ll pay now, so I can get Blaze sooner.”

“Certainly, Marquis. We will process your payment immediately,” Maurice said.

He acted as expected.

Usually, it takes time to get the money when the bid is high, but Marquis Valentino didn’t need time.

He signaled, and his subordinates carried in heavy wooden boxes, the clinking of gold coins echoing with each step. The gold inside gleamed, a mountain of wealth brought to claim the prize.

Marquis Valentino looked at Maurice and said, “Here’s exactly 1300 gold.”

Maurice said, “The payment is 1200 gold.”

Marquis Valentino replied, “Of course, I know the price is 1200 gold. Consider the extra 100 gold a token of my appreciation. Good business is about more than just the price, wouldn’t you agree? Tell me who made the sword. I want to meet them in person, without mentioning the auction house.”

It was a tempting offer.

Marquis Valentino wanted to meet the artisan because he was curious about who could make such a master sword.

How did they do it?

Maurice hesitated, looked at the gold, then remembered his duty to the artisan. “Marquis Valentino, I am very tempted by your generous offer. However, I must respectfully decline. Our trust with the artisans is paramount.”

He pushed the box back.

He was tempted by the 100 gold.

Information about anonymous owners was sometimes secretly sold, but this wasn’t one of those times.

The artisan trusted the Adelian Auction House.

The auction house would earn 120 gold from this sale. If they kept the artisan’s trust, they might get more items in the future.

It was about what was best for business.

Even if they lost Marquis Valentino, keeping the artisan’s trust was the right thing to do.

Marquis Valentino stepped back. “Hmph. If that’s the case, there’s nothing I can do.”

Maurice replied, “Thank you for understanding my situation.”

Marquis Valentino said, “No, it’s a natural choice for the auction house. However, if the artisan puts another item up for auction, tell me first.”

“Understood,” Maurice said.

The deal was done.

After paying, Marquis Valentino checked Blaze and was amazed again.

“Amazing,” he said.

It was a work of art.

The shimmering silver blade and its ability to react to mana were incredible.

Even Marquis Valentino, who had many master swords, had never seen anything like it.

He called his subordinate and ordered, “From now on, spread rumors throughout Cairo. The more people know about a master sword, the more valuable it becomes. And find the artisan who created Blaze, no matter the cost. Since it was first sold at the ‘Adelian Auction House,’ check with Dimitri’s Master Blacksmith first.”

“Understood, my lord,” the subordinate replied.

Marquis Valentino was known as ‘The Collector of Greed,’ and it was a name he had earned. He was always searching for rare and beautiful objects, and now, he had a new obsession: to find the maker of this incredible sword.

Pure desire.

He didn’t want to own the artisan, just to meet him and understand his skill.

Anonymous owner.

Lucas was stunned by the winning bid of 1080 gold, excluding the commission.

Lucas gasped. ‘I truly didn’t expect it to sell for this much,’ he thought, staring at the number: 1080 gold.

Before the auction, he also used the information network to check the market price.

Given the case of Needles being sold for 300 gold, he thought 900 gold, three times that amount, was the limit for the winning bid.

That was a judgment made knowing how great a masterpiece Blaze was.

He thought it might drop to around 800 gold depending on people’s financial situations, but Marquis Valentino not only declared 1200 gold but also expressed his willingness to offer more.

In an instant, he earned 1000 gold.

The Barco family had fallen because they couldn’t manage debts of thousands of gold. For a single sword to be worth this much was unbelievable.

Lucas’s heart swelled with pride. *How far could Lord Roman go?* he wondered. It felt like there were no limits to his talent.

Roman Dimitri, the monster who had even defeated the legendary Butler.

Yet, despite possessing such monstrous abilities, he created a sword that artisans couldn’t make even with decades of effort.

At first, he thought it was possible because of Dimitri’s bloodline.

But no matter how he thought about it, the effect of amplifying the aura’s power was a technique not even Dimitri possessed, and Roman seemed to have created his own unique domain.

As time went on, it was impossible to predict his limits.

If Roman succeeded as a blacksmith, Dimitri would enter another era of prosperity.

‘My lord told me to use the money from selling the sword for the information guild’s funds, but 1000 gold is not an amount I can handle. As soon as my lord finishes his private training, I should inform him of this fact and return all the proceeds from the winning bid.’

He didn’t know that although he thoroughly hid his identity anonymously, the fact that the Dimitri family was famous for its blacksmithing skills would become the reason for tracing him.

Lucas decided he would tell Lord Roman about the money as soon as he returned. But Roman was not due back for a month. During this month-long absence, many things were happening…

About fifteen days until the tournament.

Time was running out, and Chris was working even harder to prepare for the tournament.

The wooden sword whistled past Chris’s ear, a hair’s breadth away. The air moved with the speed of Henderson’s attack.

“That was a reckless attack.”

He tripped him.

Henderson rolled miserably on the floor and quickly got up, but a wooden sword was already pointed at his neck.

Henderson looked devastated. His face was bruised from many fights. But losing so easily hurt more than any bruise.

“…I lost.”

“Your effort is commendable, but your attacks always lack sharpness. When you make a move, don’t forget that your opponent might be waiting for it.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

The duel ended.

Chris spoke to Henderson, who was retreating with weak steps.

“Next.”

Fifteen days ago, Roman had announced a competition.

It was the start of a war.

The subordinates, who had nowhere to vent their boiling blood after ending the war with Hector, had been spending fierce time trying to secure the six spots since then.

Chris was by far the most overwhelming.

Chris had virtually secured one spot, and he helped the other subordinates by supplementing their shortcomings.

‘So far, the confirmed people are me, Kevin, and probably Volkan and Pooky.’

The remaining two spots were ambiguous.

He didn’t know who would be selected, but Chris hoped that not a single person would lose for Roman’s honor.

“I look forward to working with you.”

The next opponent was Volkan.

He was the first person to challenge in the conscription of soldiers, and the one who had been defeated coolly.

One of the people whose skills had developed rapidly over time, he certainly pushed Chris hard from the start.

Explosive attacks came from his massive physique.

He relentlessly pushed Chris as if not giving him a chance, but Chris was the one who developed even faster than others.

An iron wall.

The attacks didn’t work.

Ever since experiencing the war with Roman, Chris had entered a completely different realm.

With a concise motion of knocking away the sword and digging forward, he broke down Volkan’s defense.

At the sight of him quickly retrieving his sword, he tried to attack Volkan’s side while stepping sideways this time.

But then, an explosion was heard in the distance.

Chris’s blood ran cold. An explosion? And near where Lord Roman was training? His face went hard with worry.

“Everyone stop! We’re going to our lord right now!”

The order was given.

Chris headed to the place where Roman was without looking back, thinking of Roman’s sword.

Chris and his subordinates had no idea what had happened to Roman, who had never shown himself during that time.