I didn't expect that the person I had been waiting for all this time was 'Uncle'. Uncle was now positioned right near where I was, next to the cage door. He didn't say a word to me. His face also didn't seem to show any surprise or anything like that.
My eyes narrowed. It seems he arranged all of this.
No. Look at this. What kind of person who has known someone for years—who is close to them—would just happen to end up in the very last position by coincidence? That's unrealistic. Even if it were possible, the odds would be negligible. And once status is involved, even that small chance disappears.
I patted my face, covering most of it. My head tilted down slightly. Then I let out a long sigh. "Even an idiot knows all of this was arranged using Observation and Deduction techniques," I muttered.
From the remaining part of my eye that was not covered, I peeked at him from there. He still wore the expression of a stranger. Staring straight ahead, hands folded behind his back, his body unmoving—like a statue.
I lowered my hand. A long sigh accompanied it. "I have to do something."
A moment before my eyes shifted away from him, my eyes widened immediately. Suddenly, I had a brilliant idea.
"..."
My feet, without warning, immediately stepped forward. The sand beneath me left a trail. Until I was right at the iron cell barrier, I stopped. My hand gripped one of the bars. Cold metal pressed against my palm.
I was now near him. My head tilted upwards, looking at his unmoving face from a close enough distance. A few moments later, my gaze returned to the front. My chest expanded, followed by my mouth opening.
"Long time no see, Uncle."
The person I was talking to still didn't seem to care. This could be seen from my eyes that looked at him again, whose position and facial expression didn't budge even a bit.
But I didn't care about that. Because I was sure, he would still listen to it, even though his face seemed to have no interest in what I was going to talk about later.
A thin smile appeared on my face.
"..."
I stroked the back of my neck. "I'm here, I won't say much, Uncle. It's just that..."
The stroking on the back of my neck stopped. "I'm here, I want to apologize for my actions two days ago." My hand was lowered. My gaze fell downwards. "Because of that, Uncle is now avoiding me..."
I peeked at him from the corner of my eye. His eyes now seemed to widen. His mouth opened slightly, then closed again. It seemed that my efforts to talk to him again had disappeared.
I snorted, softly. My smile cracked a little. Well, even if he doesn't forgive me, it's okay too. The important thing is that I have tried to apologize properly this time.
Not long after, the MC's voice on stage seemed to boom again.
My gaze returned to the distance. No longer bowed.
I also saw Uncle had moved from his position. Not to reprimand me, but only to open the door, pull it, and then return to his original position, silent and unmoving.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! Let's now move on to the long-awaited session! The slave auction session!"
I had heard it. The sign for us to leave this cage. Our steps began to move, the frontmost leading the line, I at the very back only had to follow their steps.
We slowly began to pass the cage boundary, walking past Uncle who was still beside the door.
The sound of our bare feet had touched the stone floor, making a faint sound that was even minimal to hear. Until the feet of the person at the very front had touched the wooden stairs that creaked with every step, immediately stopping their steps.
My position was now still on the stone floor, because the stairs were only arranged in five levels, not too high.
The sound of drums was heard loudly, rhythmically, following the MC who greeted it by saying, "Jeng! Jeng! Jeng!" slowly, for three times.
I was ready to walk up, the person in front of me also began to move.
I let out a long sigh. My eyes stared at the stone floor that kept changing every time I stepped.
"..."
Will... my relationship with Uncle end here? a thin smile was plastered on my face. "That sounds sad... But... But, at least this farewell, I want to end it well..."
From the corner of my eye, tears had suddenly fallen to the ground. Without realizing it, I was crying like a child. Even though my soul was already thirty years old, my body was still a ten-year-old child.
I wiped the corner of my eye. Trying to erase the traces of my sadness. "What the—"
"Hey, kid."
I reflexively turned around.
I saw Uncle's face didn't look like before. Now his mouth seemed pressed inward, like someone eating a lemon. From the corner of his eyes, tears were also coming out like mine earlier, but the difference was that his tears didn't fall to the ground. His body was upright, as if ready to accept my departure. A sobbing sound was also heard from him.
"I hope you... get a new place that is more beautiful than this rotten place..." he smiled, showing his teeth. His voice seemed hoarse.
My eyes widened after hearing his words. It turned out, the person who had only considered me as nothing more than a playmate all this time, could cry like that.
I smiled back. My teeth were no wider than his. "Thank you for everything, Uncle!"
And I left, facing the corridor of light in front that had been waiting for me since earlier.
***
"Without further ado! Let's welcome, our quality slaves...!"
The spotlight that had been fixed on the MC shifted to the row of slaves emerging from the dark chamber. They walked slowly, heads lowered, hands bound in shackles.
Most of the expressions that came out of them were fear. Cold sweat even came out of them.
But I, of course, was different. On my face, there was not a bit of fear like that. Instead, there was only a thin smile, while looking at the animal-masked nobles who were far to my right.
I swallowed my saliva. "Wow... They're so crowded," I muttered.
"..."
If I were the old me... I would definitely be afraid to face something like this.
But for some reason, I wasn't as afraid as before.
"Is this... what the old saying meant, that humans can change at any time?"
Our steps continued to move. The wooden floor creaked softly with every step. Until when we were right in the middle of the stage, our steps stopped. We faced to the right, facing the nobles who were ready to judge us from the spotlight that illuminated.
The expressions that came out of them were also various. Starting from those who smiled eerily, to their eyes that sharpened, as if ready to prey.
My eyes narrowed. "Ugh... I can feel that pressured gaze."
My gaze shifted to the MC in front. He now seemed to raise his mic up, as if to attract the attention of the audience who had briefly shifted towards us.
"The ladies and gentleman!" His hand was lowered again, a wide smile immediately accompanied it. "Without further ado, let's move on to the first offer...!"
The spotlight shifted to the slave numbered "001". From afar, the nobles began to pay attention to him. His body looked thin, almost fragile—but from the look in his eyes, there was an impression that he was not completely empty.
The man in front of the podium began to describe one by one: his origin, confirmed abilities, to shortcomings that could not be covered. At the end of the explanation, all of that was summarized into one conclusion, complete with recommendations for the most suitable position for the slave.
"The price starts from 100 Gold!"
Some nobles who were interested, immediately raised the wooden board in their hands—the wood was written with each sequential number.
The price offered continued to rise, until the number stopped at a price of 250 Gold.
"Is there anyone who wants to bid again?"
Everyone was silent. It seemed that no one wanted to offer higher than that.
"If there is no one in the count of three—"
"Me!"
The voice came from a special seat on the stage, located right in the left corner. Such a special place is usually for nobles who are above average.
The spotlight immediately shifted to the seat, and there was a fat person, with pink hair, a pig mask, with a wooden board that read the number, "001".
My eyes widened. Who is that?
The nobles also began to whisper softly about him.
"Hey, who's up there? Isn't that a seat for high-class nobles?"
"Yes... that's right."
"Oh dear... how can we win this bid?"
"..."
The MC's face was slightly panicked from behind his fox mask. "Ah... From the high-class family, yes. Haha... How much do you want to raise the price, sir?"
He smiled condescendingly, from behind his pig mask. "350 Gold!"
Everyone was silent. No one dared to bid higher anymore.
The MC on the podium wiped the sweat on his forehead. "Ahaha... Alright. It seems there is no one bidding higher..."
Everyone's gaze looked down. Some clenched their hands tightly, while biting the tips of their lips.
The person on the podium swallowed his saliva. His collar was pulled, feeling hot. "T-the winner of the first offer... comes from the high-class noble with the number "001"...!"
I swallowed my saliva. "Wow... it turns out the influence of high-class nobles is also big, huh," I muttered.
I peeked at the person above, who had just won the first offer. I thought the influence of their noble family wasn't too big...
Because in the novel, like the high-class noble family is not too big either when viewed from the POV of the main character. They only look like ordinary people.
I let out a long sigh. I have to be more careful in judging people.
The bidding continued, the prices of the slaves also increased with each number that continued to rise. Most of the slaves were won by the person numbered "001". It seemed that their wealth would not run out when it came to this slave auction.
Before I knew it, the light from the spotlight had fallen on me. Which meant, that it was my turn to be auctioned off. I knew that I could not avoid it, so I faced it with a grin plastered on my face.
Today, I just need to face it like before, right?