Desire is quite a profound emotion. The way these people competed in an auction showed this very clearly.
I even saw someone, who should have won the bid after a fierce competition with others, have a look of despair on her face for some reason.
Even if you had outbid another, that didn't mean you were the winner. Victory was only possible when the bidder was able to bid on something that had value beyond the money they spent.
As there was a limit to the amount of money you could use, if you are to be tossed about in the heat of a bidding war, only regret awaits you.
However, there were a few overwhelmingly strong people in the world who didn't fit that description.
"Now then, Catalog number 28, "Miniatureable Top Grade Pet House" is currently worth 10 white gold coins!"
[...H- Hmmm.]
Looking at the item that had become more expensive than I thought,I put my hand on my chin and thought.
When converted, that would be equivalent to 100 million Japanese yen... Moreover, I'm still competing against someone, so it's going to get even more expensive.
"Number 985 has bid 11 white gold coins.... Number 643 has bid 11 white gold coins and 5 gold coins! Number 7 has bid 12 white gold coins!"
[Mhmm...]
We're currently competing for a pet house whose principle is based on a magic box. It's small enough to carry around and spacious enough for large monsters to relax in... I want that.
That would make it easier for me to travel with Bell and Lynn, so I'd like to get my hands on that thing. But that thing was apparently quite rare, and there were many people who wanted it as much as I did.
For even large monsters to relax in that thing... In other words, considering that its space could be as big as a mansion, it's no wonder that it is priced at a hundred million.
I mean, it's not like I can't bid on it with the budget that I have but….. It's going to be quite an expensive purchase.
With that in mind, I raised my index finger, with the back of my hand facing the host.
"Number 985 has bid 13 white gold coins! Number 522 has bid 14 white gold coins!"
[...It's still going up huh...]
[...Kaito... Do you... want that?]
[Eh? Yes, it would help me travel with my pets with that, or so I think...]
While groaning at the ever-increasing price, I answered Isis-san's question. Thereupon, nodding once in understanding, she spoke.
[...Alright... Leave it to me.]
[...Eh?]
As she said this, Isis-san smoothly put her hands up and made a few hand signs.
"...Huh? Eh? N- No, excuse my rudeness! Number 986... h- has bid... "100 white gold coins"!"
[Wha!? I- Isis-san!?]
She just abruptly bid a billion yen!? W- What are you... C- Could it be that she was trying to outbid the others for my sake? N- No, no, even if that's so, suddenly bidding 100 white gold coins is...
[...It's a return gift... for the brooch.]
No, no, the difference in price is just too great in that case, you know!? H- However, her bid had already been called and there was no way to undo it.
As expected, I don't think there would be anyone who would bid more than 100 gold coins...
"Whoa there, number 643 has bid 100 white gold coins and 5 gold coins!"
Someone seriously appeared!? However, it seemed like the other party was already on her last straw. Isis-san could just... Eh? Wait a moment there, Isis-san!? If I remember correctly, that thumbs up hand sign is...
"...Number 986... h- has bid "double"... that's 201 white gold coins..."
[....]
At that moment, the plaza was filled with silence. It was truly an overwhelming sight. Everyone in the plaza was overwhelmed when they saw Isis-san bid double without any hesitation.
Thereupon, no one bid any further and Isis-san won the bid.
[...Kaito...I've won... the bid.]
[...N- No, ummm, Isis-san? I- I really appreciate the sentiment but... I- Is that alright?]
[...What is?]
[I- I mean, you bid so much money...]
[...It's "just" 200 white gold coins though?]
[....]
Saying such an amount so casually, it seems like Isis-san really didn't think that it was a lot of money.
[...Ummm, I know it's a bit late to ask this... How much money do you have, Isis-san?]
[...Are you asking... about my money... Excluding my assets?]
[Y- Yes...]
[...I guess... around "4 million"... white gold coins... I think?]
[...Huh? E- Eeeehhh!?]
Four million white gold coins!? E- Errr, if a white gold coin is 10 million yen... that means... "40 trillion yen"!? Isn't that already on the level of the national budget!? Eh? Moreover, that's just her money, not including her assets!? I wonder what percentage of the world's white gold coins this person owns?
[I- Isis-san is t- that rich huh...]
[...Eh? ...But... Kuromueina is... many times richer... than me though?]
[S- Seriously? How much money does Kuro have...]
[...I don't know... I think... it might be better... to express it in a different way.]
[Express it in a different way?]
[...Unnn... In Kuromueina's case... I think it's better if you don't think about how many white gold coins she has... You should... think about... "what percentage of the world's economy she owns"... or something like that.]
[...…..]
I had heard that Kuro was the richest person in the world. However, I never imagined that in this world, all three realms combined, which was much larger and had an incomparably greater population than the world I was in, an individual could hold a part of the world's economy...
S- She's exactly what could be said as the King of the world... For Isis-san and Kuro, 2 billion yen might just be….. nothing more than loose change.
Dear Mom, Dad————- I thought I had completely understood that Kuro and Isis-san were the top of the Demon Realm and possessed an overwhelming amount of wealth, but... they actually had far more than I had expected. Isis-san was already richer than I could imagine, while Kuro————It feels like she's on a whole other level already.