The Heroines Are After My Fortune

28 – Super Soldier Project

The absurd situation: a painting I sold for 3 silver coins was up at auction.

Now that this unbelievable situation has actually happened, I need to exploit it for my benefit. The butterfly effect from my painting, a non-canonical element, showing up at auction. Out of all the possibilities, the best scenario is just one.

‘Marco, I need to fleece that sucker.’

If that guy buys my 3-silver painting at an exorbitant price, it’ll be the same as taking out Rondo No.7’s only rival. I wrote something small on a piece of paper and showed it to Sasha.

[Is there anyone hidden near us right now?]

Sasha closed her eyes, as expected of a successor to Caesar, she was an expert at sensing and concealing presences. Sasha shook her head left and right. Meaning, not yet.

“Tell me if anyone’s listening around us.”

“Should I kill them if they are?”

So it’s kill first, ask later, huh…

I shook my head, and went back to writing.

“No, let’s just put on a bit of a show.”

Barely had I finished talking to Sasha, when the auction for the painting began.

“Eight thousand gold!”

“Not even close, ten thousand gold…!”

“Then I’ll say fifteen thousand…!!”

My painting was breaking the previous record instantly,

I had to shake things up, so I jumped in with a loud voice.

“Thirty thousand gold.”

A sudden jump in price.

But it seemed that no one was planning to stop around that price anyway, as people weren’t very surprised and continued to raise the bids.

That’s when it happened. Sasha tapped me on the arm. It was the signal.

‘Someone is listening to our conversation right now.’ The operation signal.

“Hmm, this is troublesome. I need to get my hands on that painting.”

“Baron, why? It’s just a painting, why spend so much money…”

“…You common folk wouldn’t know the value of this painting. Listen closely, that painting is the one my father, Yulneman Roen, wanted hanging in the main headquarters of the merchant guild before he died, he had been looking for it for a long time. Do you understand now why I want to buy it?”

“Ah, so the former head of the house, Yulneman, loved paintings…!”

“No, that’s not what I mean. Father’s a merchant to the bone, thinks that painting will jump to 200,000 gold in the future. I’m going to buy it this time, no matter what. Even if I have to spend every coin I brought!”

The attendant, who had been eavesdropping, cheered and relayed the story to Marco. That he was the heir of the Loen family, and that he coveted that painting.

“That fellow, I knew there was something peculiar about the way he was throwing his money around… so he was one of the Loen lot!”

Marco, showing considerable wariness, nevertheless felt a thrill at the information he’d gained. A painting that even Yulne, the merchant of merchants – a giant so mighty even the most haughty traders had to acknowledge – had desired. If he took it, his father would undoubtedly be pleased. Now, deciding it was time to insert himself, Marco began to aggressively raise the price.

“Ahem, 50,000 gold.”

“Hup…!”

From there, people began to drop out, one by one.

Roughly three people began competing over the price.

“55,000.”

“60,000…!”

“70,000 gold!”

Marco’s call of 70,000 knocked out even the sole survivor, leaving only two left.

Now, it was just Marco and Aiden.

“90,000 gold.”

A hush fell after Aiden’s call.

Amidst the escalating tension, Marco’s mind suddenly cooled.

‘This is strange. Is that painting really worth 90,000…?’

It wasn’t like he had any expertise in art.

He had just hopped on this bandwagon, because others coveted it, and because Yulne desired the painting.

Just as he was about to stop, and let that Loen fellow have the painting, he saw it.

Aiden’s lips formed a shape, a bitter smile playing, and he mouthed to him.

‘You, scumbag, b*stard.’

‘…………!!’

Marco’s reason snapped clean with the victory that twisted on his face.

“Alright, if there’s no more than 90,000, I’ll close it. One, two, three….”

“120,000—!!”

Heaving his bulky frame, he hoisted the bidding paddle high.

“120,000! We have 120,000! Any higher?! One, two…!”

While the auctioneer gaped and counted, Marco turned a triumphant gaze to Aiden.

And what filled his eyes was—

‘What, what is this guy doing…!’

Aiden, hands raised, throwing him a double thumbs-up.

“Three…! Sold for 120,000!”

“Ah, no—!!”

Only then did Marco realize he’d been had, his money gone, saddled with a painting worth 3 silver at several times its market value. Aiden finally allowed himself a comfortable sigh, patting his chest.

‘Whew, shit. That was close.’

He’d almost pawned it off at 70,000, then took another gamble, but the second Marco didn’t bite, the regret came in a flood. He could’ve ended up holding a painting he’d sold for a pittance at a price 3 million times higher, and No.7 bidding would’ve hit a snag. Now that the operation had succeeded, it was time for the sweet taste of reward.

“Alchemist Rondo’s No. 7, 65,000 gold. Any higher?! One, two, three, sold…!”

Marco, the only opponent who could’ve matched me with cash, had drained his coffers in our head-to-head, so I managed to snatch Rondo No.7 at what was practically half price.

‘Wish the other auction houses were like this.’

A truly satisfying auction, wouldn’t you say?

####

After the auction ended, I couldn’t hold back any longer.

The moment I stepped out, I hauled in every scrap of information I could find regarding the public’s opinions and rumors about ‘Van Gotte’.

“Van Gotte: a flower blooming on the outskirts of the capital, a magician of color, his genius has been more than enough to inspire the Empire’s art scene, even with the mere four paintings he left behind.

He is notorious for cutting off his own ear due to his obsession with art, and it is known he has vanished due to a hard life. There are even rumors he is dead.”

“Heh, well, I’ll be…”

I roughly grasped the situation. The story went that my paintings, traded in the underbelly of society, had somehow caught the eye of a high-ranking critic, and as a result, the works of ‘Van Gotte’ began to receive outrageous praise.

‘Tsk, if I’d known I’d be called a master because of my paintings, I’d have copied them more diligently…’

If I had been more aggressive with my self-promotion, perhaps even nobles would have groveled for just one of my paintings. Though becoming the heir to the Roen family is 100 times better, so there’s no particular lingering regret.

‘Wait, I could use this later…’

Artwork is a favorite item for lobbying high-ranking figures. It’s expensive, yes, but it could be given with a justification far more natural than money. It’s a stroke of dumb luck, but I’ll have to use this to its fullest potential later.

###

Inside the Roen family’s underground warehouse,

A strange-colored liquid bubbles in a massive bathtub.

Its identity was a diluted solution of Rondo No.7, which Aiden had purchased at the auction house. The contents of the instruction manual, handwritten by the alchemist Rondo himself and attached inside the box, were as follows:

No. 7 Manual

This item connects the souls of two people, allowing them to share their mana circuits.

1. Prepare a large bathtub of hot water and pour in the solution.

2. Have the two people who will connect mana circuits enter together.

3. Wait for 1 hour.

4. End!

The process was incredibly simple.

But the precautions were anything but.

Warning: The stronger of the two will bear no burden,

but the weaker has a very high chance of dying. The chance of death increases exponentially the greater the difference in strength between the two. Using divine power will nullify the process, so it is recommended to prepare an appropriate amount of potions.

A truly terrifying warning.

Considering the gap between an ordinary person, A, with no talent and Caesar, a Sword Master, it’s safe to say I have a 99% chance of dying. But, in the end, even this is a problem money can solve.

“Luke, is everything you were asked to prepare ready?”

“Yes, everything is ready——!!!”

Luke reports in a booming voice, and what he has prepared is something akin to a ‘drip’ used in the modern era. And inside that IV bag is none other than…

“Aiden, are you really planning to use Elixirs like this…!?”

It is, in fact, the legendary potion, ‘Elixir’.

Furthermore, I’ve had all five brought here, to stand by ready to be poured into my body at any moment, just in case. It’s, in a way, an utterly ridiculous waste of Elixir.

‘The real scary part is that even doing this, there’s a high chance I’ll fail.’

I could end up dying, having wasted Elixirs.

You could ask why I’m going this far, but as I said before, there will inevitably come a time when my own power will be necessary.

Even now, against the Marquis, it could very well be required. Since I can’t catch up to the characters’ strength without this kind of apostle, I will close that gap, even at the cost of my life.

“…Are you truly sure you can handle this? To simply ignore the precautions is… the difference in our strength is like a dragon versus a slime.”

“Oh, it’s not that bad. Let’s just get in there quickly.”

“Hah, your stubbornness is truly the Empire’s finest.”

I took the IV needle from Luke and stabbed it into the veins of both arms.

“……Ugh!”

Whenever I’m in danger, elixir will directly flow into my veins and instantly heal me. Before getting into the bath, Caesar left me with one more remark.

“Don’t die, just hold on till the end. I’ve grown quite fond of you, you brat.”

“Who’s dying? I’ll live till you’re painting the walls with your crap, Caesar.”

“Tsk, the little….”

With those words, the two of us entered.

Then the bath began to change.

Wooonnnng ————!!

As if reacting to our entrance, the bath began to emit an ominous light.

That moment,

“Kyyyyaaak———————!!!!”

A shock, like an electric current, surged through my body.

It hurts.

It really hurts.

It hurts like madness.

“Cough, Keh-heokkk…………!!!”

My insides churned, my bones crumbled, and the feeling of my entire body being butchered washed over me at once. Blood gushed from seven orifices on my body.

Only then did I feel regret.

Doing this insane thing, all for the sake of growing stronger.

“Hey, hey…!! Snap out of it, Aiden Roen——!!”

“Baron Aiden, sir——!”

The voices calling my name grew fainter,

a piercing beep enveloping my head.

‘Ah, shit… should’ve just left… it.’

And so, I let go of the thread of consciousness I’d been barely clinging to.