# Chapter 84
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Arthur looked at Kassel, and a thought suddenly came to mind. He asked,
“Mr. Kassel, did you perhaps come here because of a dragon?”
“Dragon? Why are you suddenly bringing up a dragon?”
Arthur curved his lips into a faint smile.
“You said back then you got caught in an illusion from a dragon. So I wondered, just in case.”
Kassel flinched.
His eyes darted back and forth, and then he muttered,
“That never happened. Don’t try to beguile me, rival!”
Arthur let out a short laugh.
“Hmm… well then… what did you come here for?”
“To purchase something I want.”
“Something you want? Could it be… dragon’s blood?”
“…I told you it’s not, why do you keep saying that!!”
Arthur shrugged.
‘He really can’t lie.’
The trembling corners of his mouth and eyes, and that outburst just now told Arthur it wasn’t sincere.
Which made him wonder.
‘Then… is there really something here related to a dragon?’
A dragon—called the legend of legends—appearing in the black market?
It didn’t sound possible, but at the same time, maybe it could be.
While Arthur rubbed his chin, lost in thought, Kassel steadied his expression and asked,
“And you, Donn—you came here to buy a sword, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“To buy this sword?”
Arthur turned his gaze toward it.
There it was, the blade that had caught his attention earlier, glinting with a sharp aura.
Unlike ordinary swords, it carried a faint red hue, which naturally drew his eyes.
‘A good sword is one that has drunk a lot of blood.’
The very fact that it had taken in so much blood without breaking was proof of its quality.
And if his instincts weren’t wrong, this sword had taken more lives than any other weapon here.
“Yes. If I were to buy one, I’d choose this.”
At that, Kassel clicked his tongue.
“Of all things, you pick a cursed sword.”
“…A cursed sword?”
“This one’s quite well known. Not quite at the level of an Ego Sword, but a peculiar thing—it grows in size when it drinks blood.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
“It grows when it drinks blood?”
“Right now it’s just a regular rapier, but once it drinks enough, it can swell into a bastard sword.”
Arthur let out a sound of admiration.
“Oh… but how do you know about this sword, Mr. Kassel?”
“Isn’t it natural for a swordsman to know swords? Besides, this one’s infamy is so great that it’s impossible not to know.”
Kassel shook his head.
“If you don’t feed it blood, it sucks the blood of its master instead… a cursed sword. I’d heard it vanished recently, but looks like it found its way into this auction.”
Arthur turned his gaze back to the blade.
‘Interesting. A sword that drinks its own master’s blood?’
So that was why it seemed to reek of bloodlust?
After pondering, Arthur’s lips curled upward.
‘No matter the curse… if it’s infamous enough to be called a cursed sword, that means it’s useful, doesn’t it?’
Besides, he’d already experienced the performance of Beast, a pistol notorious for its infamy.
Artifacts that carried such rumors generally turned out to be excellent.
Recalling that pleasant memory, Arthur looked at the goblin before him.
“How much is it, Mr. Goblin?”
Kassel, beside him, flinched.
“Did you not hear me, rival? I said it’s a cursed sword!”
“There’s no such thing as cursed sword versus sacred sword.”
“…?”
“A sword is a sword. Do sacred swords not kill people? They’re both equally dangerous.”
Kassel was left speechless.
“…Indeed. You’re right. Even a sacred sword is still just a sword. A weapon that kills people…”
As Kassel sighed, the goblin showed them the price list.
It was the bids previous visitors had written down.
‘Hmm… it started at 100 gold, and right now it’s at 400.’
But for all that fourfold increase, only three people had placed bids.
Which naturally made Arthur recall Willet’s advice.
‘You’re trying to scam me, aren’t you, goblin?’
Arthur smirked.
The price wasn’t unbearable for him, but that didn’t mean he wanted to fall for such an obvious scam.
‘What should I do?’
The answer came quickly.
The best way to deal with a scam is to scam back.
With that thought, Arthur reached into his cloak and pulled out Whitebeard’s card.
“…?”
The goblin blinked at the card.
“What is this, sir?”
Arthur didn’t answer.
In that odd silence, the goblin tilted its head—then suddenly shuddered.
“…M-my lord?”
Its eyes went wide, and it let out an ear-piercing scream.
“KYAAAAAAAK!!!”
The shriek startled the other customers wandering the gallery.
“What the hell!?”
“What was that sound?”
The sudden commotion brought other goblins running.
While they were distracted, Arthur subtly moved his hand and altered the price list.
“What’s going on here?”
“Has he gone mad?”
The goblins that arrived blinked down at their foaming, unconscious companion.
“He’s finished now.”
“The masters will be furious.”
Clicking their tongues with concern, they carried the unconscious goblin away.
One goblin remained, bowing to Arthur.
“Apologies, sir…”
Arthur smiled brightly.
“No need. By the way, I’d like to purchase this sword. Would that be possible?”
“Please write your offer.”
Arthur casually wrote 150 gold on the list—the price he had slyly altered during the earlier uproar.
The goblin stared blankly.
“150 gold?”
“Why? Is there a problem?”
Arthur’s nonchalant tone made the goblin scratch his head.
It wasn’t the inflated price he had expected to see.
But he didn’t dwell on it.
‘Stupid goblin must have messed up again, kkiruk kkiruk.’
A goblin foolish enough to scream in front of customers could easily make this kind of mistake.
And there was no reason for him to fix it.
The goblin nodded.
“No, sir… no problem.”
“Good. But can I buy it right now, instead of waiting for the auction?”
The goblin snapped his fingers.
“That would cost extra.”
“I’ll add 50 gold. How’s that?”
The goblin’s eyes lit up.
“Deal! I’ll arrange it immediately!”
He bowed and rushed off.
Arthur smiled in satisfaction, while Kassel stood slack-jawed.
“You’re buying that cursed sword for 210 gold?”
“What was the original price, then?”
“…Even as a cursed sword, it would fetch no less than 400 gold.”
Arthur nodded, pleased.
“Seems goblins do have a conscience.”
Kassel shook his head.
“Calling goblins conscientious… I’d say you just got lucky.”
“Call it skill, not luck. Anyway, Kassel, what did you come here to get?”
Kassel flinched.
“…I can’t tell you!”
He looked away, lips sealed—but the twitch of his mouth and eyes betrayed that he was dying to talk.
Arthur chuckled and coaxed him gently.
“Come on, don’t be like that. At least give me a hint.”
“…A hint?”
“Yes. You can’t just make me curious and say nothing.”
Kassel turned his gaze aside.
“…True, that wouldn’t be very manly.”
“Exactly. The manly Kassel wouldn’t do that.”
Kassel lowered his voice.
“The truth is, I didn’t come here to buy something. I came for the auction.”
“The auction?”
“Yes. There’s a very rare item being sold… the dra—!!!”
His words cut off.
At that instant, a delicate hand appeared and clamped over his mouth.
“My, my. Our Dragon Slayer almost made another slip of the tongue.”
Arthur looked up, eyes narrowing.
The one covering Kassel’s mouth was a pink-haired woman, winking at him.
“Hello, Donn. What a coincidence to meet you here.”
Arthur bowed politely.
“Hello. And you are?”
“Me? Mm… simply put, I’m a broker of A-14 district.”
Arthur stroked his chin.
‘So, Kassel’s broker.’
Of course. In a black market this large, Willet couldn’t be the only broker.
Kassel, freed from her hand, stammered, his eyes trembling.
“S-sis… what are you doing here…?”
“Obviously, because I thought you’d get yourself in trouble. I told you just to quietly look at swords, and you couldn’t even manage that…”
Her words trailed off as she turned her gaze again.
“By the way, Mr. Donn, does your being here mean Elder Willet is here too?”
Arthur tilted his head.
“Oh… may I ask why you think so?”
“Most mercenaries who come to the ‘Black Full Moon’ market do so with brokers. Especially the lower-ranked ones.”
Arthur was about to nod when a familiar voice rang in his ear.
“You shouldn’t be so quick to answer questions, Donn.”
“Oh my, Elder Willet.”
“…Bonnie.”
“Yes. Has it really been three years since we last met?”
Bonnie smiled sweetly.
Willet, who had appeared unnoticed, ignored the smile and asked,
“If you’re here, then that rumor must be true.”
“You’re as sly as ever.”
“And you’re just as slippery. Didn’t you deliberately approach my mercenary first?”
Arthur tilted his head.
‘Approach me deliberately?’
From when?
Bonnie tilted her head and replied,
“Come on… it wasn’t that. I was just curious. Who would have thought the protagonist of the recent big event would look like such a gentle young man?”
At her words, Willet subtly stepped in front of Arthur, blocking him.
Arthur blinked and whispered,
“Do you know her, Elder Willet?”
“…We have some history.”
“I see… but Elder, have you bought what you came for yet?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Then you’re here for the auction too?”
Willet frowned.
“And where did you hear that?”
“From a mercenary named Kassel.”
“…Tch.”
Clicking his tongue, Willet admitted,
“Yes. The item I’m after will appear there.”
“What kind of item?”
“The Heart.”
Arthur tilted his head.
“The heart? Looking for someone to marry at an auction?”
“…You never fail to surprise me.”
Willet shook his head, then explained.
“Not that kind of heart. A Dragon Heart.”
Arthur’s eyes widened.
“A Dragon Heart…?”
“There are rumors that an upper-grade elixir made using a Dragon Heart will be put up for auction. That’s what I came here to buy.”
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