Chapter 230

Chapter 230 – Noblesse Oblige

Operating under a veil of secrecy grants individuals an astonishing amount of boldness.

It empowers them to voice opinions they would normally suppress if their identities were exposed, and drives them to execute deeds unimaginable under regular circumstances.

Whether this cloaking of identity yields beneficial or destructive outcomes is a complex debate.

In this particular moment, what truly mattered was the sheer cruelty of the commentators shielded by the shroud of secrecy.

[Two thousand gold pieces!]

[That’s it! Keep them coming!]

[They mentioned an aristocratic house—which lineage is it?]

[Is anyone going to suppress this inquiry? I’ll give it a moment.]

Aster forced the bidder to wait momentarily while shifting his attention toward the private gallery where Basilyn and Saurica were positioned.

Right then, Shine interjected.

“What’s your move? Give us an answer right now.”

“The… the revenue…”

Basilyn ground his teeth together.

Two thousand gold coins. Double that meant a staggering four thousand gold coins would be required. Such wealth could procure a flawlessly designed carriage constructed by a legendary master craftsman—a fortune that even Basilyn found agonizing to part with.

However, there was a greater concern.

“…Young Master Basilyn, we absolutely cannot permit the Decullan name to be uttered in this place.”

Basilyn’s nostrils flared as he looked at Saurica, who was pinned down by the criminal yet still managed to glare with wide, defiant eyes.

‘You hypocritical hound… playing the dignified gentleman only when it suits you?’

Basilyn felt a wave of nausea at Saurica’s sudden shift to respectful, formal speech, which was entirely uncharacteristic. It made him want to spit blood.

‘Think of all the funds I have poured directly into Decullan…!’

And this miserable wretch happened to be the commander of the spellcaster division!

“Make your choice. Neither my partner nor I possess boundless tolerance.”

“…Suppress it!”

Hearing Saurica’s shout, Basilyn tightly shut his eyes.

“Suppress… the inquiry.”

“A prudent decision.”

A grin formed on Shine’s mouth. Yet it vanished almost instantly.

“Do you possess the actual funds to clear this?”

“…Will this serve as validation?”

Basilyn retrieved an unwritten promissory paper from his coat and placed it upon the table surface. It was an unrestricted Goldrin document, a rare item held only by elite traders and Basilyn himself.

“Hmph. We can record the exact sum at a later time. This will do.”

Shine, thoroughly acquainted with the prestige of Goldrin, scrutinized the blank paper and gave a nod of approval. He immediately signaled over to Aster.

[Oh! My apologies for that. A particular patron has paid to suppress the question.]

[Boo!]

Disappointment swept through the crowd due to the abrupt interruption. Jeers instantly erupted from the spectator benches.

[Then what happens to my two thousand gold? I’m not handing it over to the auctioneers for nothing, am I?!]

The individual who raised the initial question scowled and voiced their irritation, visibly aggravated.

However, Aster dismissed the hostile remarks with a calm smile and gestured with his head.

[If the information is withheld, the inquirer is absolved of any payment.]

That single declaration acted as the perfect catalyst.

[Oh?]

[Is that how it works?]

The spectators began to whisper among themselves with growing excitement, everyone suddenly eager to pose their own inquiries.

They lacked knowledge regarding which specific aristocratic lineage the captive in the metal cage represented, but the perceptive individuals among them had already deduced that members of that family were present in the hall.

And the straightforward explanation for why they displayed such immense curiosity despite that fact?

…Secrecy.

The common seating area required masks regardless… and the spellcaster’s noble lineage remained hidden in obscurity as well.

Had the accusation been tied to a known aristocratic estate, the inquiries themselves would represent an open declaration of hostility against that faction—but because the target remained anonymous, no one harbored any reservations.

“Ugh…!”

Basilyn bit into his lip as he evaluated the shifting atmosphere.

Aster intervened at that moment to reestablish order.

[Now, now. Please refrain from presenting completely reckless inquiries. Surely we haven’t assembled here today merely to torment someone, correct?]

[Ha!]

[Naturally!]

Bursts of mocking laughter resonated throughout the auction house.

The raucous chuckles emerging from the adjacent chamber were loud enough to pierce through the partitions and reach Basilyn’s ears.

[Well, we cannot simply reject all inquiries… How about this arrangement? We set the fee at ten percent of the current offer. If a query secures the bid but receives no reply, we collect ten percent as an administrative charge.]

The moment the words left his mouth, a tempest of disapproval erupted from the onlookers.

[Boooo!]

[Ten percent?!]

[This is nothing short of extortion!]

Ten percent of a thousand gold coins amounted to a substantial one hundred gold. While it wasn’t an astronomical fortune to people of their standing, it wasn’t an amount they were willing to throw away carelessly either.

Aster erupted into amused chuckles upon witnessing the aggressive pushback.

[Unfortunate. It seems that option is rejected, then? Very well, I shall display leniency—one percent! How does one percent sound? That ought to filter out the ridiculous offers while remaining perfectly reasonable.]

Granted, one percent was still a notable sum of money.

But because he had introduced the ten percent figure first?

[One percent, is it…]

The crowd began to contemplate the offer.

Aster struck while the iron was hot.

[For your information, the entire accountability for the events transpiring in this venue rests squarely on my shoulders, not with the Svetlana Cartel. And as for me… well, you wouldn’t recognize my title, so I will merely state that I associate with an organization of considerable influence. What does that imply?]

To put it plainly.

[If a bid reaches a thousand gold and remains unanswered, you forfeit a mere ten gold coins—yet you gain the satisfaction of humiliating an arrogant noble brat who behaves as if he owns the world. Everyone gathered here understands, do you not? The manner in which those elite families, consumed by their own self-importance, engage in all manners of corrupt behavior. They are far more ravenous than common goblins, are they not?]

This time, thunderous approval cascaded from the onlookers.

[Spot on! Those aristocratic scum! Huh?!]

[Think of every venture I watched collapse because of those bastards…!]

[What do you mean, goblin? They are absolute monsters!]

Who among these mid-tier entrepreneurs had not suffered at the hands of an aristocratic house?

Aster had precisely targeted that collective resentment.

He nudged the furious audience forward with an artful, persuasive tone.

[Ponder the situation. I absorb the entire liability. If you view it as the entry fee for an entertaining evening of upper-class humiliation… it is quite a steal, is it not?]

These individuals directed various commercial enterprises of different scales—they computed the financial risks instantly.

‘Even if the price climbs to ten thousand gold… they stand to lose twenty thousand, while my personal loss is capped at a mere hundred.’

‘One hundred gold coins… it isn’t pocket change, but it certainly won’t break the bank.’

‘Which magical lineage could it be? Hmph. It makes no difference—this promises to be thoroughly entertaining regardless.’

Yet a lingering reluctance remained.

Targeting the aristocracy was a thrilling prospect, but taking action solely for that purpose felt… inappropriate, even under the protection of masks.

Nevertheless.

Aster, identifying that exact hesitation, quickly pressed on.

[Furthermore, the individual in debt and his associates systematically tortured and executed defenseless children from the Black-White Slums purely for their own amusement. The verified casualties alone… extend into the dozens.]

Shifting away from his earlier demeanor, his somber delivery elicited gasps of horror and condemnation from the crowd.

While they did not traditionally view the inhabitants of the Black-White Slums as equals, the sheer scale of the perpetrator’s misdeeds was deeply unsettling even to them.

To appease their conscience, Aster presented a perfect justification.

[For the duration of this specific auction, the entirety of the accumulated wealth will be funneled directly toward supporting the youth of the Black-White Slums. Noblesse oblige. I implore you, exhibit your benevolence.]

Basilyn ground his teeth in pure frustration at the calculated speech.

‘You… despicable hound…!’

The instant Aster framed the event as an attack on the upper class, the audience members might have hesitated.

They would have recognized the gravity of their behavior.

How many individuals truly maintained unadulterated hatred toward a generic aristocratic title? Very few.

However.

By introducing the plight of the impoverished youth, every subsequent action could be reframed under a singular virtue.

Noblesse oblige.

Their participation was no longer driven by a desire for petty vengeance against a wealthy family, but transformed into an act of salvation for starving, destitute orphans.

They could satisfy their base, malicious urges while simultaneously wrapping themselves in a cloak of moral righteousness—a precise manipulation that high society itself frequently employed.

…The outcome was extraordinarily effective.

[One thousand five hundred gold!]

[My offer stands at two thousand gold!]

Bids materialized in rapid succession.

[Splendid! Settled at two thousand gold coins!]

On account of the processing fee? The concluding amounts remained relatively suppressed.

However, the primary concern was not the individual transaction values.

[Two thousand one hundred gold!]

[Two thousand two hundred gold!]

As the cycles of inquiries and restrictions escalated, the audience participated with increasing fervor.

No one showed restraint anymore.

It offered a dual gratification: releasing repressed animosity while basking in a sense of ethical superiority.

The aggressive delirium radiating from the masked assembly rapidly overwhelmed the entire auction hall.

“What is your command? Do we suppress this inquiry as well? Or perhaps…”

“Young Master Basilyn! What are you waiting for!”

Basilyn bit hard down on his lip.

“Suppress… it.”

Confronted by the unbridled hysteria of the multitude, Basilyn found himself utterly defeated.

By the hour the proceedings orchestrated by Aster drew to a close.

Within the presently deserted auction hall, stripped of its previous patrons, Aster remained seated with his legs crossed, staring blankly out at the vacant rows of seats.

Presently, the sound of boots marching up the wooden steps of the platform broke the silence.

“I managed the situation precisely according to your directives. I provided assurances to that young Duke individual and the commander Timur.”

“Excellent performance.”

“It required minimal effort.”

To clarify the situation, Evelyn and Shine remained completely unaware of one another’s true identities.

Aster had merely instructed them to operate under the assumption that they were collaborating.

That was the reasoning behind his request for Shine to pacify Evelyn.

Such a statement would carry significantly more credibility emerging from an enigmatic, powerful figure rather than originating from Aster himself.

As Aster pursued that line of reasoning.

“Though… you appear rather despondent?”

Shine observed Aster with a newfound sense of inquisitiveness.

“Me? Did I commit some error?”

“An error… hmph, perhaps. Whatever you say.”

Shine observed Aster delivering his response in a mechanical fashion without ever establishing eye contact, causing him to shake his head with a heavy breath.

Despite his attempts to conceal it, Aster appeared profoundly weighed down.

It was as though the animated, charismatic individual who had dominated the stage moments prior had been nothing more than an illusion.

‘This individual possessed such a solemn side?’

A person who normally lacked even a grain of earnestness was now brooding over something unknown.

Yet Shine chose not to investigate further.

Offering silent companionship rather than interrogating someone’s motives—that was the true hallmark of a trusted ally.

Aster broke the silence then.

“The left side? Or the right?”

“The leader of the Qingbing forces? He appeared to favor his right hand, so I removed the right one.”

“And the declaration?”

“It was communicated. Whether he relays the message accurately to his superiors is an entirely different matter.”

“The document… how are we converting it?”

“That Duke fellow is remarkably cunning. He claims that attempting to cash it directly would expose us to tracking, so he plans to verify the authenticity of the imprint and liquidate it to an alternate member of the Big Three mercantile syndicates.”

“A satisfactory plan.”

Disposing of the financial document to a competing member of the Big Three implied they would fail to recoup its complete monetary worth.

However, that rival entity would employ every available leverage to extract the funds directly from Goldrin.

This constituted a genuine disaster for the successor of Goldrin.

It was satisfying, yes, highly satisfying.

Aster murmured the words under his breath multiple times before pushing himself up to a standing position.

“Well then, it is time to arrange the subsequent phase.”

“The subsequent phase…”

“Let us depart. I have academic obligations to attend to tomorrow.”

Leaving his words behind, Aster exited the interior of the auction house.

Swinging the exit open revealed the agents of Svetlana, lounging about in a relaxed fashion, indulging in a feast to celebrate the highly lucrative event.

As the heavy door drifted shut once more.

“…”

Shine, remaining motionless in his spot, reflexively massaged his arm as a sudden wave of goosebumps traveled straight up his spine.

‘He has completely hardened his resolve.’

To Shine’s perception, Aster’s character appeared entirely transformed.