The elf on the stage was kneeling. She looked at the people below with her frightened emerald eyes. The people below whistled as they got excited from seeing her nude. There were even people who reached their hands up on stage to touch her. The elf who didn’t even budge bit down on her lip as she allowed all those oily fat hands to touch her thighs. Her reservoir of tears must’ve dried up long ago. Her eyes were completely swollen, leaving me wondering how long she had cried in silence.
“Alright, let’s examine this product. She is a bright adolescent elf-girl. She was originally a maid. The n.o.ble family Ente went bankrupt so this girl was sold here… Yes, she’s not a virgin, but you should all be aware by now that the body of female elves are a lot more alluring than that of human girls. Would you gentlemen not want to buy her and make her your wife?! She would make a perfect toy! Bidding will start at ten Empire gold coins. Ten Empire gold coins!”
Ten Empire gold coins is a ma.s.sive amount. Normal artisans and farmers would never see a single Empire gold coin, only large amounts of bronze coins. I saw a lot of people reach out to touch her, but very few raised their hands to place bids.
“Eleven Empire gold coins!”
Somebody beside me finally called out a bid. The host immediately turned around and wrote, eleven, on the blackboard. He then shouted: “Eleven Empire gold coins! Eleven Empire gold coins. Does anybody have a higher offer?!”
A man dressed in an elegant robe from the other side raised his hand and called: “Fifteen Empire gold coins!”
“Fifteen Empire gold coins! Fifteen Empire gold coins! Anyone with a higher offer?!”
I raised my hand and called: “Sixteen Empire gold coins!”
The host immediately turned around, pointed to me and said: “This young man has offered sixteen Empire gold coins. Say, young man, your bodyguard beside you looks even prettier than this elf-girl. Why would you still choose to spend your money like this?”
“Hmm?!”
Nier quickly raised her head up and sent her killing aura over… I quickly pressed down on her left hand holding her sword and smiled helplessly. The host got so frightened he retreated two steps. He then awkwardly turned around and wrote, sixteen, and then shouted: “Anybody else? Anybody else?”
“Eighteen!”
The man in the elegant robe looked at me and shouted: “I’ve never seen you before, young man. What family do you hail from?”
Huh? How should I answer? The empress’s family?
Yeah, no.
I smiled but I didn’t answer. I looked at the elf-girl. She had her head lowered as she quivered. She wasn’t paying any attention to who was bidding for her. She was probably in a state of utter despair, because she a.s.sumed her end would be the same regardless of who she ended up with. I sighed, raised my hand and shouted: “Twenty!”
“Twenty!”
“Twenty-five!”
The man in the elegant robe looked at me again, revealed a smile and asked: “I don’t know who you are, young master, but Sir Castell wants this young lady so could you please let me have her?”
“Castell?”
I paused. Castell… Isn’t he that diplomat?! Oh, he’s somebody I know well.
He thought I got frightened because I paused in a daze. He smiled leisurely, nodded and said: “Good. I sincerely apologise for taking what you like, but this is an order I received. Thank you for your generosity!”
“Okay, are we stopping at twenty five coins?! Are you not going to try bidding any higher, young man? Oh, but I suppose so, since it’s somebody that Sir Castell wants…”
“Thirty.”
I gave them a cold smile. Who cares about your Castell? I’m the empress’s son. I could remove his head from his shoulders if I went back, acted coquettish and used some aegyo*. What could a human do for an elf after he purchases her? Don’t even try to convince me that you’ll take her home. I know you’ll continue to treat her like a toy. I’m the prince of elves. She’s a citizen of mine. I’m already showing excessive leniency by sparing you my fists and yet you want me to give her up?
A sense of irritation came over me. She’s an elf. She’s a citizen of the people I just spent a month living with. She’s of the same race that sprinkled me with flower petals. I have no attachments towards my ident.i.ty as the prince of humanity, but I did shed blood as the prince of elves. I stood before the Earth Dragons for the elves. I thought I had protected the elves. I never expected to see an elf treated so horribly and violently like this here. I have no way of venting, but I can save her. I must and will save my elves!
“Alright then… Fifty!”
His face turned dark. He then lowered his head and said something to the person beside him. That person nodded and turned around to leave.
Nier, with her arms folded, calmly said: “Your majesty, you’ve only got fifty Empire gold coins in your wallet.”
“It’s fine. I can go back and get more if need be.”
I chuckled coldly and loudly shouted: “One hundred!”
“One hundred and ten!!”
The crowed went “wow” while the host got so excited his hands were shaking. He started shaking after we added a digit to the front of the starting bid of ten gold coins. He then shouted: “One hundred and ten! One hundred and ten! We’re at the point where we’re making bids high enough to purchase land! This young man is wealthy too! Let the bidding continue!”
“Two hundred.”
I raised my hand and casually said: “There’s no reason to continue competing with me, mister. There will only be losses for you if we continue, no benefits, and the same goes for your master. You can get someone to come to my place to get the money. And bring the elf-girl over while you’re at it.”
“Of course I can, but… Where is your residence?”
“The outer court of the royal palace. Please go ask her majesty for your money. Just tell her that it’s what Prince Troy spent to buy a maid.”
I ignored the people around me, took in a breath of cool air, turned around, looked at the man and with a smile said: “I can now tell you my ident.i.ty. I am the current prince, Troy. Do you still want to compete with me? Or should I say, you might want to go back and double-check if your master wants to fight me for this girl?”
His whole body s.h.i.+vered. He swept his long robe aside, knelt down, lowered his head and shouted: “I sincerely apologise, your majesty! I apologise for my rudeness!!”
“Your majesty!”
Everybody around me swiftly knelt down. Even the host threw the loudspeaker in his hand away and knelt down. The elf-girl vigorously raised her head and met eyes with me. Her eyes were filled with terror. I smiled and took out a tiny hanging bottle.
It was the love potion Lucia made which was effective on me. Only elves would have it.
Her eyes were stuck on the tiny hanging bottle. A second later, large droplets of tears ran down her face…
Yes, I’ll protect you.
I smiled, nodded, and then turned around to ask Nier: “Nier, what now…? What do I have to say now to get them to rise?”
“They won’t get up until you tell them you won’t prosecute them. In principle, they shouldn’t be allowed to see your appearance. Those who see the appearance of royal family members are to be punished. You’re fine. If you were the emperor, you could have all their heads roll right now.”
“It’s that serious?!”
“Not everybody is allowed to see the royal family’s divine appearance.”
Nier took a step back. I awkwardly looked at the people around me who were kneeling down and said: “Umm… None of you are at fault. Please rise… Umm… Uhh… Please send this girl to the palace… Let them know it was my order… Oh, right. Here.”
I turned around to Nier and held my hand out. Nier paused as she looked at me and asked in a confused tone: “What do you want?”
“Pa.s.s me your sword.”
“Alright…”
Nier reluctantly handed me her long sword. I threw the sword onto the stage and said: “The guards should understand the situation when they see that sword. Oh right, don’t forget to ask for your payment.”
“No, no, I dare not! You should have spoken out sooner. We would have gifted her to you if you told us you were his majesty… We dare not… We cannot ask for money…”
I smiled and said: “It may be legal, but I hope I won’t see another business deal like this again. Next time, don’t let me see any human or elves being sold.”
“Understood. Understood. Understood. You’re absolutely right. You’re absolutely right…”
“Let’s go, Nier. Remember to send the girl to my place. Oh, right…”
I walked up to the man dressed in the elegant robe, pat him on the shoulder, gave him a smile and said: “Send your master my greetings. I really appreciated his help.”
Glossary
*애교 = Aegyo = Korean word which refers to a cute display of affection often expressed through a cute/baby voice, facial expressions, and gestures.