The Auction House Incident

However, the innate grace of his kind prevented him from covering his ears.

No wonder my teacher told me to find a strong swordsman as a bodyguard when he placed this shield in my travel belongings.

A shield made from sentient redwood is simply not something an elf can lift.

When Darius finally managed to raise the shield over himself and the elf, a white, transparent barrier instantly enveloped them.

At the same time, the defensive magic array protecting the auction house—already under constant bombardment—finally collapsed.

The auction house, built from ordinary bricks, was utterly incapable of withstanding the explosive force of Firestorm.

It shattered completely.

At that moment, the auction house was filled with screams and curses.

Anyone who had received an invitation to this auction was either wealthy or powerful.

Aside from magic scrolls, they also possessed various magical defensive artifacts.

No matter how painful the cost of those items had been when they were purchased, the priority now was survival—because only the living could think about the future.

The stones fell from above, slamming into the shield with heavy thuds.

Smaller fragments ricocheted off, producing a rapid pitter-patter that sent shivers down people's spines.

Darius no longer found the shield cumbersome.

In fact, he now thought it was fantastic.

His eyes shone as he gazed at the shield, his expression one of pure admiration, as if he were beholding a peerless beauty. "A shield used by the God of Sword really is different. Look at this impact resistance—it's absolutely amazing."

Illiya could hardly bear to look.

He chose to turn in another direction, so long as he didn't have to face a swordsman endlessly professing his love for a shield.

But as soon as he turned around, he saw a man stepping through the entrance, bathed in moonlight—Eoryun Taeharin.

Eoryun was still wearing the same mage robes from the afternoon, the garments that covered him from head to toe, leaving not even a trace of exposed skin.

The only difference was the badge pinned to his chest.

Two crossed knight's longswords were engraved on the emblem, entwined with white flowers—symbols of courage and loyalty.

This badge also signified the status of its bearer.

This badge was only worn by the commander leading the knight army in Haneulseong City.

It seemed that the yet-unseen City Lord of Haneulseong City had a great deal of trust in the legendary "useless" eldest son of the Taeharin family.

Illiya silently marveled in his heart.

After the auction house was completely destroyed by Firestorm magic, the knights ceased their attack and, in perfect unison, drew the longswords from their waists.

A chilling murderous aura instantly filled the air.

The previously chaotic scene fell into a dead silence, as if someone had pressed the mute button.

The only sound was Eoryun's footsteps.

"Thump, thump, thump"—each step seemed to land directly on everyone's nerves.

However, unlike the sweet anticipation one might feel toward a lover, this brought only a chilling, spine-prickling sensation, as if a sword of Damocles were hovering over their heads, ready to end their lives at any moment.

Eoryun gazed at the buyers trembling under their magical defense artifacts and smiled.

It was a smile in name only, devoid of any warmth, laced with pure mockery.

"Oh? It seems everyone here is quite wealthy. Look at all these magic defense artifacts scattered across the floor—how enviable."

No one dared to respond.

First, they lacked the strength to face a well-trained knight order alone.

Second, they weren't just dealing with a powerful local force like the Taeharin family, but also with the City Lord of Haneulseong City himself.

Who would be foolish enough to offend a great noble?

That would be akin to signing their own death warrant.

Ultimately, the harsh reality forced these people to lower their heads.

No matter how powerful the factions behind them were, at the end of the day, they were merely errand runners.

They might not even be as valuable as the noble families' spirit beasts.

Eoryun looked at the crowd avoiding his gaze and felt utterly helpless.

The current situation was nothing like what he had imagined before coming here.

No one dared to talk back, nor did any reckless fool rush forward to challenge him like in those web novels from his previous life, where some arrogant idiot always appeared when the protagonist acted cool.

This was completely lacking in any sense of accomplishment.

If he had known things would turn out this way, he wouldn't have agreed to the City Lord's request.

Handling the auction house situation?

He would've been better off sleeping at home.

No matter how much he complained internally, Eoryun still maintained his impeccable façade of an indifferent powerhouse.

His expression remained unreadable, his demeanor exuding an air of mystery.

Well, except for one particular elf.

Illiya and his bodyguard crouched in a corner, silently observing the unfolding events.

Eoryun's every expression was completely imprinted in their minds.

Darius couldn't help but whisper in admiration, "Truly, heroes emerge in their youth. As a senior, it's comforting to see the younger generation's capabilities. Illiya, look at Eoryun—he's already capable of standing on his own. In no time, he'll have a place on the continent. Even if his magic level never recovers, just based on his decisiveness, his future is limitless."

Illiya's expression turned unreadable.

He could swear on his future status as a High Priest—this so-called "decisive and capable" young master was definitely not focused on skillfully handling the situation.

He was probably thinking about what to eat later.

Or maybe how sleepy he was.

Or perhaps he was just relieved that it was dark so no one could see his real expression, preventing him from being exposed.

This was just a guess, of course… but given the "educational insights" from his rather bored teacher, Illiya had a feeling he wasn't wrong.

Letting out a sigh, Illiya patted his bodyguard's arm, signaling that he could finally put down the heavy shield.

With a loud "boom," the deafening noise instantly captured everyone's attention.

The elf calmly accepted the scrutiny of the crowd, showing no signs of guilt or unease.

He was the victim—what did he have to fear?