Bribed by the Demon Lord Right Before the Ending

■ Philosopher’s Stone □

A little while later, the auction on stage officially began.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the item up for bid is a masterpiece ceramic said to have come all the way from the Eastern Continent beyond the sea! Bidding will start at 100,000 gold!”

“130,000!”

“160,000!”

“220,000!”

Regardless of age, nationality, or race, tycoons gathered from all over the continent competed fiercely to secure their desired items, sparks flying in intense bidding wars.

While some threw in the towel, tongues wagging in amazement at the skyrocketing prices far exceeding fair value, others stubbornly kept raising bids out of pride, only to end up regretting their purchases with grim faces.

‘I must avoid ending up like that.’

With this thought in mind, I observed the ongoing auction.

“1.45 million! 1.45 million! Any higher bids? 3! 2! 1! Sold!”

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Since I was watching from a distance away from the main auction floor, I noticed something as an outsider: there was no movement yet from people in the other VIP rooms.

When I asked about the reason, Gabriel, who visited this place more frequently than me, shrugged and replied.

“Items worth targeting for VIPs like me usually appear around the middle of the auction. The Philosopher’s Stone you’re after will also be one of the last lots, right?”

“Oh, that’s true.”

Only then did I realize that the items presented so far were relatively cheaper compared to what this auction house generally offered. As it was my first visit, I hadn’t had anything to compare them to.

“Don’t worry, everyone will show their faces on the terrace soon enough if you just wait a bit.”

Upon hearing this, Dorothea rubbed her chin with interest.

“I wonder what kind of faces these rich folks who gather here have.”

“It might not be anything special, surprisingly.”

“Why?”

“Just look at us here; we’re pretty ordinary-looking too.”

As I pointed this out with my finger toward our group, Dorothea frowned.

“I can’t quite grasp your standard of ‘ordinary.'”

“Ah, I meant physical features. You know well that the women in my household are all talented and beautiful.”

“…Hmph.”

I habitually slipped in a flattering comment, which seemed to not entirely displease her, as she turned her head after letting out a small scoff.

Anyway, as we exchanged such banter, the next auction commenced.

“Alright! The item up for auction now is this! A card game beloved by all—Race War’s ultra-rare card, Ancient Wind Magician! And this isn’t just any version—it’s the 1st Edition released 500 years ago!”

“WHAT!!”

The moment the auctioneer introduced it, I involuntarily leaped to my feet.

Dorothea, standing beside me, asked with a bewildered expression.

“What is it? Why the sudden reaction?”

“You don’t know about this?! The legendary rare card?!”

As a warrior, I couldn’t help but raise my voice against such an unforgivable statement.

“Ancient Wind Magician! It’s the first release in the Ancient Grimoire series added in Race War’s 10th expansion pack. This card single-handedly propelled the previously underpowered Mage Deck, overshadowed by Warrior Beatdown and Undead Spreading Decks, straight into the top tier! Its rarity is so extreme that when it was first released, someone even sued the manufacturer after buying 1 million gold worth of packs without getting it!”

“Ah, I see.”

After hearing my explanation, Dorothea looked at me with a deflated expression before sighing softly.

“Why do you enjoy games like this so much?”

“What? What’s that supposed to mean? Are you picking a fight?”

“No, forget it. What could I possibly say to you?”

With that, Dorothea waved her hand dismissively.

Grrr… So frustrating.

Though I could easily explain the greatness of Race War, I decided to hold back since I knew she wouldn’t understand regardless of what I said.

Meanwhile, the auction proceeded.

“Alright! Starting bid is 500,000 gold!”

Almost immediately, someone raised their hand and shouted.

“550,000!”

“600,000!”

“800,000!”

Despite being limited to card games, thanks to the popularity of Race War, many seemed willing to purchase it as an investment rather than for actual gameplay.

Who would use such a card worth hundreds of thousands of gold in an actual match?

If they wanted to play, they’d use reprinted versions.

Practically speaking, its purpose was purely ornamental or for collection, so there was no real need to buy it. But as a hardcore Mage Deck user, I couldn’t let it pass.

So I made my move.

“1,000,000!”

The auction hall buzzed at my sudden call of 1 million gold.

Perhaps because no one expected someone to spend that much on a mere piece of paper, or maybe because it was the first time someone from a VIP room participated, I drew significant attention.

Nevertheless, I steeled myself, ready to become the Black Bull.

‘No matter what, I can’t let go of the first edition.’

The card currently in the auction, Ancient Wind Magician, saw its inclusion rate increase during the re-release of “Ancient Grimoire,” but its rarity dropped from Special Rare to Ultra Rare. Consequently, the original Special Rare version became incredibly valuable, almost a relic in the card world.

Considering the historical value accumulated over the past 500 years, it was nothing short of a sacred artifact in the card community.

“1,000,000! We have a bid of 1,000,000! Any higher bids? 3! 2!”

‘Please, let it end here! Let it sell at this price!’

But as if heaven heard my inner plea and mocked me, another bid appeared.

“1,100,000!”

“Yes! 1,100,000! We have a new high bid!”

Now surpassing the estimated fair price set by the auction organizers, the competition heated up.

Clenching my teeth, I shouted.

“1,200,000!”

“Confirmed! 1,200,000 from bidder number 31! Any higher bids?”

“1,250,000!”

Without hesitation, I countered.

“1,300,000!”

My opponent, the person numbered 31 who had been going head-to-head with me, seemed to struggle for breath under the rapidly rising price, fumbling their lips.

‘Just give up if it’s too expensive.’

I didn’t want to keep raising the price either.

After all, I knew it was foolish to spend 1.3 million gold on a single card, no matter how wealthy I was.

But the rival seemed to think the same way—if they missed this chance, they might never see this card again—and after much deliberation, called out.

“1,350,000!”

“1,350,000! We have a new record-high bid!”

The auctioneer turned his gaze towards me, peeking out from the VIP terrace as if signaling it was my turn.

At this point, it was purely a battle of egos.

Contrary to my earlier resolve, the one-on-one standoff fueled by pure capital ignited a fierce competitive spirit within me.

It was akin to saying, “Hey, you think you’re that rich?”

Fully aware that I was acting irrationally, I still shouted out.

“1,500,000!”

Gasps of astonishment erupted from all around.

“Indeed, this is what it means to be VIP.”

“Their money must be rotting away unused.”

“For a card game, he seems awfully committed.”

They clearly hadn’t anticipated someone insane enough to burn the equivalent of a decent house on a mere card fragment.

And that someone was me.

Truthfully, 1.5 million gold wasn’t even a speck compared to my total wealth, but I still felt somewhat defeated.

Even the wealthy know the value of money.

In any case, with the price reaching three times the starting bid, the competitor numbered 31 finally seemed to give up, lowering their head.

“3! 2! 1! Sold! Item sold!”

Only then did I feel the tension ease, relaxing my stiffened face with a sheepish grin.

“Ho, ho ho…”

What was this? Why did I feel so good?

Watching me from behind, Camilla shook her head and commented.

“This is serious card addiction.”

To which Dorothea chimed in while munching on snacks.

“At least Race War is healthier than most other card games, so it’s fortunate.”

“That’s true, but isn’t he investing too much money?”

“Anyway, he’s rich enough. Let him enjoy his hobbies freely.”

Though she belittled it earlier, I secretly appreciated Dorothea’s subtle defense of my interests, choosing not to show it outwardly.

I’ll repay this favor later—on the bed.[[#]]

Following the successful auction of Ancient Wind Magician, various other items continued to be put up for auction.

Among them were swords forged from Yun metal, inventions by the legendary dwarf Nakamura, and slaves of Beastman origin.

As the auction progressed to its middle stages, as Gabriel predicted, big spenders from other VIP rooms started to make their moves.

The items favored by VIPs were mostly rare and collectible luxury goods.

Judging from the average sale prices in the latter half of the auction, they were certainly out of reach for those without substantial wealth.

Finally, as the auction approached its final stages, the item I had been eagerly anticipating finally appeared.

“The next item we present to you is the Philosopher’s Stone! A legendary gemstone said to be craftable only by top-tier alchemists among mages! Bidding will start at 30 million gold!”

30 million gold.

Twenty times the cost of the Ancient Wind Magician I purchased earlier.

Not unmanageable, but it was a hefty opening bid.

And it seemed I wasn’t the only one in the VIP rooms eyeing the Philosopher’s Stone, as a clear voice rang out from the terrace of the opposite VIP room.

“40 million.”

“Confirmed! A bid of 40 million right off the bat!”

Caught off guard, I couldn’t hide my bewilderment as I stared in that direction.

The reason was simple: the person standing on the terrace of the opposing VIP room was none other than Glinda, the Southern Witch I had met merely two days ago.