I clenched my fist.

And what would come next…

“The item up for auction this time is the Rosales Arboretum.”

My target was just put up for bidding!

As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, people let out a noise like sighs. Everyone seemed to have a tone of “why auction some useless arboretum?”

‘These fools.’

There’s a ton of gold buried under the arboretum. With that enormous amount of gold, you could raise enough funds to create a medium-sized merchant guild.

I stared straight at the auctioneer’s mouth and tensed my body with all my might.

But I thought I wouldn’t need to bid too earnestly.

Just as I was lifting my paddle and pondering how much I should bid,

“Participant number 13, 10 gold!”

Someone has already placed a bet?

Moreover, it was a girl’s voice. Definitely not an adult.

‘Who else besides Melodia would want to buy this arboretum?’

I slowly turned my head.

Terrifyingly, like a tiny hedgehog bristling its spines.

[This is the timeline separator]

Surprisingly, the one who bid on the arboretum was none other than the priestess Gabrielle.

She had already heard many stories from Melodia and came to this place.

‘How hard it was to get in as participant number 13. Of all people, that child had to be number 1.’

Gabrielle suffered from a subtle sense of defeat. Moreover, that child next to her was undoubtedly Acid. Ted had abandoned her, and even that healer had attached herself to Sien.

What on earth were her merits?

Recalling the letter sent by Melodia, Gabrielle gritted her teeth.

[To lose both the paladin and have the healer taken away, Gabrielle.

I am very disappointed in your conduct.

You should first visit the .

Buy everything you like there. A budget of about 100 gold would be good. I’ll see your eye for choosing items.

We’ll decide on the disposal after that.

In a week. We’ll leave the Eastern Continent and enter the Papal State.

That means I’m scheduled to be appointed as a saint then.

I plan to enter the Imperial Palace that day, so don’t disappoint me.]

Gabrielle really wanted to buy the arboretum. Because Lady Melodia liked plants.

But she thought it wouldn’t matter if she couldn’t buy it. It didn’t seem that great anyway.

However, her opponent was Sien Mirmode.

‘This time, I absolutely won’t lose.’

Gabrielle recalled her budget of 100 gold. Even if she had to spend it all, she would definitely purchase it. That seemingly useless arboretum. Surely Sien Mirmode wouldn’t pay more than 100 gold for that?

The auctioneer, who glanced at Gabrielle, opened his mouth.

“Are there any more bids?”

But… Sien Mirmode glanced at her and then opened her mouth as if not caring at all.

“Number 1! 101 gold.”

Of all things, to immediately bid 101 gold like that…!

Caught off guard, Gabrielle trembled with rage.

She knew that nothing much would happen just because she couldn’t buy some arboretum.

Moreover, she knew that Sien was being foolish to buy that arboretum for that price.

‘How stupid. Paying 101 gold for that arboretum!’

She tried hard to think that way, but…

Still, to be in a situation where she couldn’t buy the arboretum, losing to Sien Mirmode due to budget constraints.

She bit her lip hard. This was a point that made her angry in its own way.

“Any more bids?”

The auctioneer looked down at Gabrielle. But she had no more money. If she spent more money here, she might get scolded by Lady Melodia.

How could this happen?

Lost again.

To that stupid brat, Sien Mirmode!

‘Damn that girl! I’ll surely kill her.’

Soon, when Lady Melodia comes, when she becomes a saint, they will be able to easily trample Sien Mirmode like an ant on the ground.

She had heard warnings that Matthias Mirmode was dangerous.

But when Lady Melodia becomes a saint, they too will be finished.

According to Lady Melodia, the Mirmode family is destined to perish according to the revelation.

Soon, her status and Sien’s would be as different as earth and sky.

Gabrielle’s bright blue anger, having lost again, reached Sien.

[This is the timeline separator]

For a total of 101 gold, I managed to secure the arboretum.

I originally didn’t plan to bid 101 gold.

‘Fortunately, there’s a one-week grace period until payment after receiving the item.’

I had to dig like crazy for a week to secure the gold bullion.

My shoulders felt a bit heavier, but I was still glad I bought the arboretum.

But then Acid whispered to me quietly.

“That participant number 13 is Priestess Gabrielle.”

“Huh?”

I opened my eyes wide.

‘Gabrielle, we’ve been bumping into each other a lot lately, huh?’

I didn’t know she could make such a vicious expression.

Considering how she separated Ted and Acid, her personality doesn’t seem all that good.

‘Like the relationship between Mirmode and the temple, it seems she and I have become enemies.’

But more important than that is this.

‘Gabrielle suddenly popping up at this auction is different from the original story. It means the original has definitely changed due to my actions.’

I felt it was time for me to start constructing the timeline myself, rather than relying solely on the original content.

I smiled broadly and then lifted my head high, enjoying the arboretum bidding.

Only then did I finally hear people’s laughter in my ears. It was mostly mockery.

“Is it because she’s a little noble lady?”

“She really doesn’t know land prices.”

They continued to gossip, completely unaware that gold was buried in that land.

“That arboretum does look pretty, doesn’t it?”

“To spend 101 gold bidding on such a trivial thing.”

Especially, an uncle who put down his pipe tobacco gazed at me with deep eyes. I gazed back at him with equally deep eyes while thinking to myself.

‘No, this is really foolish. If the permanent number 1 participant buys that with money, shouldn’t they think there’s some meaning to it?’

I was pondering whether the people who came all the way to the Dark Auction weren’t thinking straight, when a few words flowed from the uncle’s mouth.

“There were those who abused unlimited bidding for show-off purposes among participants who got permanent numbers before.”

“There’s more than one or two of those guys. In the end, they had their numbers taken away and were banned from entering the auction house.”

“It’ll be the same this time too.”

I nodded inwardly.

Well, if there were people who bought a bunch of useless things while trying to show off their privileges, it’s not an incomprehensible reaction to dismiss me, but.

‘Isn’t it prejudice to think I’ll do the same just because there were such people in the past?’

Of course, they’ll soon find out.

That I am the hand of Midas.

‘Just wait a week. After that, I’ll make your stomachs hurt badly.’

But without revealing that fact, I just smiled showing my small front teeth.

Just like a noble child who really doesn’t know the ways of the world.

Indeed, seeing my mischievous expression, they burst into laughter as if mocking. Unlike me, there were also those who boasted that they would hit the jackpot at this auction.

But it didn’t matter.

Because in the end, I would be the winner of this auction.

Because I’ll advertise for generations that gold is buried in the arboretum I bought, and use that as a stepping stone to create the merchant guild that will be my source of money.

I leaned back in my chair, ignoring the mocking glances.

I heard the captain next to me saying something through his teeth. I looked towards the captain with a puzzled expression.

“It’s a spell that brings misfortune.”

“…Huh?”

“This is an auction house with magic, and though I’m not a powerful sorcerer, I can at least cause minor misfortunes.”

“What do you mean by minor misfortunes?”

I tilted my head.

Then the captain answered with a satisfied voice.

“I don’t know. I don’t know why, but it annoys me when they say something to you, kiddo. So I’m going to cast a misfortune spell.”

I opened my mouth wide.

I started to get a little worried about that child’s future.

“What? Exactly, what kind of misfortune…?”

When I looked at the captain with a bewildered expression, the captain just shrugged his shoulders.

“You’ll find out soon.”

The captain narrowed his brows slightly as he looked towards them and muttered to himself again. I followed the captain’s gaze in confusion.

That’s when it happened.

The uncle who was smoking a pipe suddenly clutched his stomach.

“Ugh.”

Even letting out a groan.

“Hehe.”

The captain glanced at me with a sinister smile.

I watched that uncle with sweaty palms.

The uncle looked around urgently and then got up hurriedly. His face was almost jaundiced as he rose urgently, clutching his stomach as if in pain.

…I can guess roughly.

‘He’s got diarrhea.’

But the problem wasn’t just that uncle.

Around that uncle, people who were drinking water suddenly started sneezing as if they choked, or hurriedly grabbing the back of their necks.

‘That one suddenly got a stiff neck.’

Gabrielle too was painfully twisting her body. It seemed like hives had broken out all over her neck.

‘Gabrielle has allergies.’

The sudden attack of the misfortune spell was visibly perplexing to everyone.

At the slight commotion that caused the auction to be temporarily suspended, I quietly called out to the captain.

“Captain?”

“…I just took revenge for you. They should pay the price for running their mouths.”

Perhaps thinking I was going to blame him, the captain’s tone was quite defensive.

I patted the captain’s head and said,

“…No. You did well.”

“…Well, okay.”

I could see the captain trying hard not to smile by forcefully pulling down the corners of his mouth.

At this point, I quickly turned my eyes away from the captain.

Because a gaze that felt like it was stinging my cheeks had been on me for a while.

A gaze as if asking me to look at them.

The owner of that gaze was none other than Acid.

‘Acid, why are you staring at me?’

I was curious, but the moment our eyes met, Acid’s cheeks turned peach-red so I couldn’t ask.

I leaned back comfortably in my chair again, pretending I hadn’t done anything.

That’s when Sister Deadly grabbed my shoulder tightly and asked,

“Baby, are you uncomfortable because your feet don’t reach the floor?”

…She must have seen my short, chubby legs dangling without reaching the floor.

I shook my head solemnly, trying hard.

“It’s fine. I shall bid again.”

Although my dignity was slightly damaged due to my legs not reaching the ground and dangling!

I watched the resumed auction proceedings after majestically quelling the surrounding commotion.

Now that I had purchased the arboretum, it was time to give carrots to my inner circle. Originally, using carrots appropriately is also a step in the art of employing mercenaries.

After passing by a few items that seemed like real junk, I was able to see a mysterious auction item called a pink necklace.

“It’s said to have a pink bead that slightly amplifies holy power.”

“Number 1.”

“Oh, the baby again?”

At the auctioneer’s mischievous words, I arrogantly nodded my head.

“10 gold.”

…Since no one else bid, the bead also fell into my hands at a bargain price.

While others might not, that bead is something Gabrielle might covet, but she seemed to be distracted by the captain’s spell.

I smiled brightly at Acid and said,

“I’ll give it to Acid!”

But it’s strange.

It was similar to when our eyes met earlier.

This time I just spoke to him, but Acid’s cheeks turned bright red.

He seemed very embarrassed that I had bought something for him.

He bowed his head deeply and said in a small voice,

“Th-thank you. I’ll definitely…”

“Hmm?”

“Be of help to you, Lady Sien.”

In response to Acid’s words, I puffed out my cheeks and replied,

“You’re already plenty helpful.”

Acid’s cheeks turned redder than ever before.