Demon Prince 45

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Chapter 45. Auction 2

"So, what’s the plan in the end?"

"I’ve decided to go with a straightforward approach."

Today is auction day.

The event is taking place at a venue in the royal capital.

Right now, I’m talking with the Guild Master.

"A straightforward approach?"

"We’ll put a tail on anyone suspicious who attends the auction."

"On all suspicious people?"

"Yes, on all of them."

"Are you sure about that? If they’re connected to the culprit, they’ll be on high alert. If the tail isn't good enough, they’ll notice and take care of it. Do we even have enough people with the skills for this?"

"You don’t need to worry about that. Preparations have already been made. My father wanted me to tell you to command the adventurers we’ve hired for security as usual."

Since the auction venue is state-run, soldiers from the kingdom are in charge of security, but they’ve also hired adventurers to help.

The Guild Master is here to coordinate and lead those adventurers.

"So I just have to do what I always do, huh? Got it. I’ll be off, then."

"Yes, thank you for your help."

With that, the Guild Master heads back to work.

Meanwhile, my father Aslad is leading the knights to patrol the capital and its surroundings.

I don’t expect the enemy to make a move here today, but since they were bold enough to attack a divine beast like a dragon, they’re not the type to follow common sense.

"Onii-chan."

"Jun."

Yuu and Ai show up.

It seems the time has come.

"Big Brother, it’s time."

"We’re going to pick them up, right?"

"Yeah. Let’s head to Darmdatt first."

We’d heard that materials from a divine dragon would be up for auction, so we got word that the Darmdatt couple and Shanza-sama would be attending, and we were told to escort them.

"Oh, you made it, Jun."

"Ai looks well too; that’s good to see."

"It’s been a while, Jun-sama."

"Good to see you all again."

"Long time no see, Papa, Mama."

We teleport to Darmdatt and are welcomed by Lord Gaur.

Joining the auction from Darmdatt are the couple, Kuon, and three guards, along with one more person.

"Come on, Sieg. Say hello."

"Yes. It’s good to see you again, Brother-in-law, Sister."

This is Ai’s younger brother, Sieg, the First Demon Prince of Darmdatt.

He’s five years old now—a quiet kid.

"It’s been a while, Sieg. How have you been?"

"I’ve been well, Nee-san."

Ai occasionally visits Darmdatt, but since they don’t live together, things feel a bit awkward between them.

"It’s been a while, Sieg. How’s your magic training coming along?"

"It’s going well, Brother-in-law. Please teach me again sometime."

Every time I see Sieg, he asks me to teach him magic.

Though I mostly just observe his training and give advice, it seems to have helped, and we get along well.

Ai doesn’t have a bad relationship with him either, but maybe it’d help if we took a trip together sometime to bond a bit more.

"Kuon, it’s been a while. How’s the hospital?"

"Yes, I’ve been given the day off today. The others wanted to come meet you too, but we couldn’t all take the same day off, so it’s just me this time. Everyone sends their regards."

"I see. I’d love to visit the Darmdatt hospital someday. Please show me around when I do."

"Of course! I’ll look forward to it!"

After wrapping up our conversation, we escort them to the auction’s VIP room and then teleport to Fremreera.

"You’ve arrived. Hello, Jun."

"You’re late, Jun."

"Thank you for your hard work, Jun-sama."

Waiting for us in Fremreera are Shanza-sama, Cornelia, and Eufa, along with five female knights as guards.

These guards had been assigned to protect Elmburn after the assassination attempt, so they must be quite skilled.

"Hello, everyone. Are you ready?"

"Yes, we are. Let’s go."

The greetings here are brief since we’ve spent the last few days preparing in Fremreera to catch the culprit.

Shanza-sama and the others had been helping with these preparations, so we’ve seen each other frequently.

Staying in Fremreera, however, had felt pretty dangerous...

We escort Shanza-sama and the others back to the auction venue, heading toward the VIP room once more.

However...

"You don’t need to cling to me so much."

"Oh my, isn’t it natural to escort your fiancée?"

"As a man, you should lead us in silence."

With Shanza-sama on one arm and Cornelia on the other, I walk awkwardly.

Eufa follows closely behind, keeping an uncomfortably close distance.

Lately, this has been a common occurrence, which makes things... difficult.

I understand Shanza-sama, but what’s gotten into Cornelia and Eufa?

"We’ve reached the VIP room, so could you let go now?"

"Oh, already? How disappointing."

Finally, they released me, and we enter the VIP room.

My mother, Eliza, is here, entertaining guests.

"Jun, welcome back. And Shanza, it’s good to see you again."

"I’m back, Mother."

"It’s a pleasure to see you again, Lady Eliza."

After greeting my mother, Cornelia also greets the Darmdatt couple.

Meanwhile, Eufa is chatting with Kuon, who used to train with her.

For now, I’ll let them enjoy the conversation.

I should join in too while I have the chance.

"Is there anything you’re aiming for in today’s auction?"

The items being auctioned were announced in advance, but only by category—details won’t be revealed until the event.

"I’m interested in the dragon, but what I really want is a branch from the World Tree. It’s excellent material for a magic wand."

The World Tree—a gigantic tree that’s also common in fantasy stories from Japan.

In this world, it’s located in the magical nation of Grimmoir, guarded by elves.

Its branches rarely appear in other countries, making them a key highlight of today’s auction.

"I’m after the dragon materials. If I make weapons from those, they’ll last a lifetime. I plan to make something for Sieg in the future."

"Yeah, you could create some powerful equipment. Jun, didn’t you think about using the dragon materials yourself?"

"I didn’t take down that dragon alone, so I thought it’d be fair to sell it and split the profits among everyone."

"Ah, makes sense. By the way, isn’t the Fenrir family living at the castle?"

"Man, having the divine beast Fenrir’s family as residents—that’s amazing."

Though not as powerful as the divine dragon, Fenrir’s strength is immense.

Right now, the wolves under its command are patrolling the capital, providing reliable support.

"Jun-sama, it’s time to head to the venue. Lord Aslad is already gathering intel there."

Sebasun arrives to escort us.

It’s time to move.

"Alright, everyone, let’s go."

"Yeah, let’s do this. Gaur, you know what to do, right?"

"Of course. They put both Jun and Ai in danger—it's time to settle the score."

"Leave it to me, Jun. I’m good at handling conversations."

We’ve asked Gaur and the others to gather information from the auction participants.

Since they’re demon kings representing their nations, people should respond to them.

Hopefully, they’ll take the bait.