Selling Potions. Picking Up a Beggar.

‘Petrification’ is a rare status ailment.

Because demand is low, potion shops tend to stock up on ‘Petrification Antidote Potion,’ so it’s not hard to find.

However, at the potion shops in Iushil, the ‘Petrification Antidote Potion’ had vanished without a trace.

“Wh-who in the world went and bought all the Petrification Antidote Potions?”

“Damn it… I was going to join the Lagmor Mountain dungeon commission!”

Leonhart wasn’t the only one searching for ‘Petrification Antidote Potion.’

Many adventurer parties eyeing the commission for ‘Lagmor Mountain’ were running around everywhere to procure ‘Petrification Antidote Potions’—but nobody was making any progress.

That’s when it happened.

“It’s the auction!”

“They put Petrification Antidote Potion up on the auction!”

The adventurers suddenly became noisy. The one topic on everyone’s lips was the ‘Petrification Antidote Potion.’

“The auction!?”

“We have to buy it immediately!”

“That’s right! Since other guys are after Lagmor Mountain too, they’ll buy it for sure!”

Leonhart, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, immediately left the Adventurer’s Guild and headed to the center of Iushil.

His destination was the market where the auction was held. Arriving there with hurried steps, leonhart saw the entrance packed with adventurers.

They were all likely commissioned from Belhaim, here to look for ‘Petrification Antidote Potion.’

Tsk.

Leonhart clicked his tongue once and then shouted.

“Open the way!!”

His thunderous voice resounded throughout the market’s entrance.

At that, everyone’s gaze turned toward Leonhart.

“I am Leonhart, commander of the Platinum Rank adventurer party, the Golden Gale!”

All eyes focused on him.

The more attention gathered on him, the more Leonhart felt a thrilling rush.

This exhilaration.

This sense of omnipotence.

Burn this image of a great man standing where you’ll never reach into your eyes.

“I have business at the market now! So make way!”

With all the confidence in his voice, leonhart scanned the crowd.

At a glance, the other adventurers’ eyes held respect as they looked at him.

As expected, I’m not wrong.

Leonhart always had a tendency to show off. He wanted to draw everyone’s attention like this, but there had always been a reason he couldn’t.

His comrades would always hold him back.

But right now, there was no one around to stop him. No one would intervene if he acted like this.

They’ll definitely show me respect and clear the way.

“What the hell’s he saying? This bastard.”

“Isn’t he crazy?”

Instead, curses sharper than knives came back at him.

“Why should we move for you?”

“Looks like you’re here for the Petrification Antidote Potion too.”

“Get in line, bastard.”

Leonhart was quite flustered by their biting words.

Why are they reacting like this? I’m from a ‘Platinum Rank’ adventurer party, you know.

“Move aside!”

As time went on, leonhart guessed that it would become harder to buy ‘Petrification Antidote Potion.’ So, in the end, he took a step forward to force his way through.

He shoved a nearby adventurer with overwhelming strength, sending the man flying.

That was the problem.

“You bastard!”

An adventurer rushed at him.

It wasn’t hard to subdue him. A paladin from a ‘Platinum Rank’ adventurer party is a monster with overwhelming strength, even without any special authority.

“Platinum Rank or not, so what!?”

Two more adventurers came at him.

Anyone trying to buy ‘Petrification Antidote Potion’ would be at least a ‘Silver Rank’ adventurer. So the two were quite skilled, but again, leonhart subdued them effortlessly.

“I told you to move!”

Ignoring Leonhart’s shouts, this time five adventurers charged at him.

Subduing them wasn’t so easy. Leonhart’s body was shaken this way and that, as if he was in a scuffle.

In the meantime, ten more adventurers jumped in.

“Gyaaaaaah!”

No matter how high his Platinum rank, he was no match for sheer numbers.

In the end, leonhart was subdued by the adventurers.

“Hey, look at this?”

“How many gems are in his sword sheath?”

“What about this necklace?”

“Just selling one of these, we could live off it for a month!”

“Is this guy really a Platinum Rank adventurer?”

Someone bent down and rifled through Leonhart’s belt, pulling out a jeweled dagger.

“Wow, what’s this? This dagger is worth more than my house.”

Leonhart clenched his teeth.

“Stop! How dare you touch Leonhart’s belongings…!”

Though his words erupted in agony, they were drowned out by the adventurers’ laughter.

“Check this out! His armor has magic power engravings too?”

“If we sell this off, there’s no need to go to Lagmor Mountain at all!”

The buckles on his armor were unfastened one by one, and the ring on his wrist was forcibly removed.

Finally, even the ornament on his ankle was torn off, and bloodshot veins of anger and humiliation appeared in Leonhart’s eyes.

“Y-you bastards…!”

At the same time, an unfamiliar sensation began to flood over Leonhart’s body.

The adventurers’ eyes held no mercy.

They had no interest in the person ‘Leonhart’—only in worldly greed and cruelty.

Because of that, he felt fear.

He’d never felt fear in all his battles or in the screams and blood of monsters.

But the contempt and desire of the human beings in front of him was more terrifying than any monster.

He realized.

What he feared wasn’t losing equipment, but the very malice of humanity itself.

* * *

I know. I’m not all that clever.

But I’m no fool, either. I had a hunch that if I just set up a street stall selling the ‘Petrification Coins’ I’d just bought, something bad would happen.

Why?

People would ask, right?

How did I know to stock up on ‘Petrification Antidote Potions’ in advance?

Did I have some secret connection with the Adventurer’s Guild?

People would ask stuff like that.

So I decided to sell them through the auction.

That way, I could hide who the seller was.

“20 silver coins!”

“30 coins!”

“40 coins!”

At first, I thought that hiding my identity would make the price lower, but it turned out not to be the case at all.

Adventurers had lost their cool over the massive commission from the Kerval Kingdom.

Desperate to buy the necessary prep item, ‘Petrification Antidote Potion,’ they were worked into a frenzy.

“One gold coin!”

With each bid, the tension in the auction house grew thicker.

The first ‘Petrification Antidote Potion’ to go on sale today.

It looks like today’s selling price will set the standard.

Thanks to that, the look in the adventurers’ eyes was like a battlefield.

“Kuhuhu.”

Of course, I could only smile.

Go higher.

Go up more.

Petrification Coin, I said I’d strike it rich, didn’t I!?

“They’ll keep bidding higher. The competition will heat up.”

The louder your voices get, the more profit I make.

After mumbling to myself, I slipped out of the auction.

And even as I left, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

If, by chance, the dungeon at ‘Lagmor Mountain’ hadn’t appeared as scheduled, I’d have lost my entire fortune.

Just thinking about it made me lose my appetite.

I’d jolt out of bed in the middle of the night.

Just like Serena said, if I tried to stay calm, I’d find myself loitering in front of the Adventurer’s Guild.

“But I overcame it.”

I survived!

I nearly threw myself into the nearest river, but somehow, I made it through.

*〈Thrag laughs at you.〉

What.

What would someone like you know, anyway.

Fighting isn’t the only form of war, you know. This is war, too.

If the ‘dungeon’ hadn’t appeared on schedule, look over there.

I’d be rolling naked at the market entrance, just like that blond guy.

*〈Thrag spits out swear words.〉

What’s his problem with me now?

I was about to shake my head at Thrag’s nonsense.

But I felt that those curses weren’t directed at me.

Then, were they aimed at that beggar?

That’s strange. Normally, he doesn’t care about anyone else.

Curious, I approached the beggar.

“Ku, kuuuuuk…”

Then I heard the sound of sobbing. Why is this naked guy crying so pitifully?

“I-I have nothing left!”

As I approached, the blond man trembled and shouted at me.

He says he has nothing left.

Didn’t he have nothing to begin with? Isn’t that why he’s homeless on the street?

I looked down at the man in disdain.

Even so, today is a good day. My money’s multiplying inside that market building right now.

Maybe I’ll offer a bit of kindness and hear him out.

You know, noblesse oblige and all that.

* * *

Leonhart wiped away tears, curled up on the ground.

Humans are scary.

Human malice is terrifying.

The sounds of footfalls and ridicule had long faded, and now only the cold air wrapped around him.

At that moment, footsteps approached.

When Leonhart looked up, an unfamiliar man was standing in front of him.

“Can you stand up?”

Leonhart didn’t answer. He just hugged his knees and wept in helplessness.

He already missed his comrades.

He shouldn’t have brushed off Ellis’s worried words.

He should’ve listened more carefully to Rommel’s cold warnings.

Even Karin’s cynical remarks.

“Get lost!”

Regret flooded in like the tide. In a self-defensive, sharp voice, leonhart shouted.

Even so, the presence didn’t leave.

He really didn’t have any valuables left.

He’d already lost all the money he’d invested in the adventurer party through loans.

His expensive gear had all been stolen.

He couldn’t even buy ‘Petrification Antidote Potion.’

“I—I’ve lost everything…!”

He no longer had any hope of recovering. He couldn’t take any new commissions.

“Kuuh…”

Leonhart’s tears blurred his vision.

“I used to think the same way.”

As if comforting Leonhart, the man spoke.

“But somehow, I endured and overcame the crisis. You too.”

Leonhart looked up at the man.

“Do you know what ‘survival holding’ is?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep