I Became a Mythical-Tier Tamer Due To A System Error Chapter 99

Linne was walking down the streets of Dorados.

Hearing both sorrowful cries and cheers at the same time, she turned her gaze toward the source.

Casino.

A place where one won and lost money through gambling.

Perhaps she felt a spark of curiosity at how clearly joy and despair were divided among the people.

Though she had no intention of joining the games, Linne walked toward the place.

After observing a few tables, she stopped at the one with the largest crowd of spectators.

“Now then, is there no participant willing to challenge Dealer Kumar?”

From what people were saying, he was the most famous dealer in the casino.

I closely watched his hands.

As time passed, I noticed there was a certain pattern to his movements.

‘That’s a rare kind of cheating.’

The only dealer in this casino who used sleight of hand.

No one noticed that he was cheating—except me.

…Or so I thought.

But there was one more person who knew.

It was none other than a first-year cadet wearing the same academy uniform.

A man known as the second son of the Dedenkman family, one of the Four Great Families.

When I first saw him, I felt neither scorn at him being a gambler nor familiarity at him being a fellow cadet.

There was simply no emotion at all.

I thought it natural for him to be here.

After all, this casino was relatively close to the academy.

Perhaps coming here every week to gamble was part of his routine.

There was little information about Villed.

I had heard he was a pathetic man who couldn’t even take part in the academy’s high-noble assemblies and instead mingled with lowlifes.

It was only something I had heard in passing.

To be honest, I wasn’t particularly interested.

Nor did I want to know more.

When he first said he would join the game.

Since I already knew the gambling was rigged, Villed just seemed a little pitiful to me.

…But something felt strange.

Did the dealer make a mistake?

Judging from the pattern of his hands, the marble stopped at the wrong number.

…When that error repeated several times, and I began to feel that something was interfering.

Villed suddenly bet five thousand gold.

At fifty times the payout—the maximum limit.

The odds were only two percent.

Seeing him win the bet and claim a massive 250,000 gold, I realized too late.

It wasn’t luck.

‘He already knew.’

Villed had known it was rigged and joined the game regardless.

…There was decisive evidence.

I noticed it during the last game.

A faint dust-like powder appeared along the path of the marble and vanished immediately.

Seeing it repeat six times, there was no way it was coincidence.

It must have been Villed who used a trick to seize the fortune.

‘He infused magic into the roulette wheel.’

However, a magic-suppressing field coated with special mana and Crovanium dust should have restrained any spell.

‘…How did he do it?’

He clearly used magic, but I couldn’t sense any mana.

That was far too bizarre.

‘Wasn’t his goal to win money? He doesn’t look pleased at all.’

With a blank expression, Villed packed the bag of money and leisurely walked out of the casino.

“……”

I quietly watched his back as he left.

I left the casino with light steps.

The money bag containing 250,000 gold was remarkably heavy.

It was the first time I ever felt money to be heavy.

‘I nearly had to drag it out of here.’

I stored the bag of money inside subspace.

Thanks to that, my body was free.

‘Anyway, 250,000 gold…’

A fortune had fallen into my lap.

If I kept visiting the casino and winning money, I could amass immense wealth.

But I had no intention of doing so.

The longer the tail, the easier it was to be caught.

‘Objectively, my ability isn’t absolute.’

The more often it was used, the clearer its limits would become.

If I kept playing roulette just to win money, there was the risk of my earth ridges being discovered.

‘No, if I had played just one more game, my trick would’ve been exposed.’

By winning a huge sum in a single attempt, I was already branded as a suspicious figure in that casino.

Every time I gambled afterward, I would be watched relentlessly.

‘It’s better to enjoy the meal and leave cleanly while I can.’

Yes, if I continued gambling, it would become a true gamble of whether or not my “earth ridges” would be discovered.

Since I didn’t like gambling, I would never step into a casino again.

In the first place, I already had a steady plan to earn money.

‘Of course, I can’t buy Crovanium with this.’

I could bid for Crovanium with 250,000 gold.

But it was still only half of the expected final price of 500,000 gold.

Even though I lacked the money, I felt no anxiety.

Checking my watch, it was 8:40 p.m.

I entered the Auction House, which resembled the Parthenon temple.

At the dark entrance, partitioned passageways were set up throughout.

“Welcome.”

As I entered, a man who appeared to be a staff member bowed his head.

He asked me to show identification.

I presented my Royal Academy Yggdrasil student ID.

“…Reservation confirmed. Your assigned number is 145.”

Stepping aside, he snapped his fingers with a sharp sound.

With a rustling noise, several ornate masks appeared and floated in the air.

If one wished to conceal their identity, it seemed they were to choose a mask.

‘If rumors spread in the academy, it would do me more harm than good.’

I chose a black cat mask and put it on.

“May you have a pleasant time at the Auction House.”

I walked down the passage to the end and opened the door.

As the door opened, dazzling light enveloped me.

The entire interior of the auction hall came into view.

‘Magnificent.’

It looked like a grand opera theater one might find somewhere in Europe.

A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, brilliantly illuminating the surroundings.

Splendid red and golden decorations served as the main tones, flaunting opulence.

The statues and gilded interior harmonized, each one exuding the dignity of a place steeped in history.

Seats were already filled with participants of the auction.

Though there were likely onlookers as well, most were nobles or investors who collected as a hobby.

‘My number is… 145.’

Taking my seat marked with “145,” I noticed a golden fountain pen and a luxurious notebook on the armrest below.

An instruction manual was included, but since I already knew how to use it, I didn’t bother reading.

‘Simply put, this notebook is for bidding.’

By writing down the amount and placing my palm over the number, the bid would be registered.

I leaned back in the chair, waiting leisurely for the auction to begin.

…Nearby, I spotted a woman wearing a white cat mask.

‘Linne, huh.’

I recognized her instantly.

Even with the mask, her uniform and hair were unmistakable.

‘So she wasn’t here just for fun.’

It didn’t matter what kind of competition it would turn into.

‘Because I’m the one who will win this auction.’

I had confidence.

The item I had decided to purchase would never be taken from me.

…A little while later, a voice rang throughout the hall.

“Everyone, it’s a wonderful evening!”

At the sound of that voice, the surrounding chatter quieted down.

“Thank you, honored guests, for joining us at the Dorados Auction House.”

An elderly gentleman in a suit walked up to the altar.

“The auctions at the Auction House follow fair and transparent procedures, and every item is introduced with accurate information. We hope that our esteemed guests discover new treasures… Now then, the first item!”

The curtain lifted, and a man in a suit pushed a cart onto the stage.

On top of the cart was… a large black grand piano.

「Bite’s Piano」

Blue mana gathered together and reformed into text in midair.

“A pianist who died 250 years ago. This is the relic of Bite. He is said to have been the disciple of ‘Darein,’ who in turn was the disciple of Great Sage Gilley. Bite’s artistic achievements were truly brilliant. And this was the instrument he cherished most!”

It was an item I had already seen in the catalog’s small photo.

“The starting price is 5,000 gold. Minimum bid increment, 200 gold!”

As the auction began, the bidding competition started.

The people around me gasped in awe as if they were looking at a treasure, but I felt nothing.

Because my purpose in coming to this auction was different.

However.

‘…What’s this?’

I blinked as I read the following phrase.

Bite’s Piano

Playing it greatly calms Animal friends!

‘Huh?’

Like a fool struck dumb, I blinked and stared at those words.

Animals will like it!

As if encouraging me to buy it, the system message appeared again.

“…Good grief.”

Clicking my tongue, I kept watching the auction.

“Number 227, 8,000 gold! Any higher bids?! 3, 2…”

I swiftly scrawled with the golden fountain pen onto my notebook.

“Number 145, 10,000 gold! Any higher bids? 3, 2, 1… Sold!”

Thud! Thud! Thud! The auctioneer struck the gavel.

By deliberately calling out a higher price to prevent the bidding war from escalating, the piano ultimately became mine.

The people around me murmured about who could be so wasteful with money, but I had no regrets.

‘Trying out an instrument or two… might not be so bad.’

If it was something that positively influenced my animals, then it couldn’t be an ordinary object.

It meant there was hidden value that neither the auctioneers nor the participants had noticed.

There was no way it could be a waste of money.

‘Still… in what way does it affect animals? I thought it was just a luxury item of historical value, so why would it have such an effect…?’

Just as such questions arose, the next item was brought out for auction.

‘A stone?’

An emerald-colored jade stone, about ten centimeters in diameter, was placed on the auction table.

Its appearance alone was clear and beautiful.

“This jade stone was taken from the lake of Yggdrasil, where Great Sage Gilley once resided, three hundred years ago. Though its authenticity is unverified, it is said that keeping this jade close to your body brings good health. Starting price is 800 gold! Minimum bid increment, 50 gold!”

The auction began, but the pace of bidding was sluggish.

“Who would believe such superstition.”

“The academic community has already concluded that jade has no efficacy.”

“It’s just a decorative stone, nothing more.”

The participants nearby sneered in disbelief, and as if to prove them right.

“Number 75, 1,000 gold! Any higher bids? 3, 2…”

The bidding was about to end earlier than expected.

However.

Animals will like this stone!

The moment that message appeared, I scrawled with the fountain pen.

“Number 145, 1,500 gold, sold!”

Once again, I was mocked for overpaying, but I didn’t care.

‘I’ll just toss it into a pond or something.’

Since I had plenty of funds on hand, I intended to purchase every item that could be of use to me.

And so it went for the third, fourth, and fifth auctions.

‘…No more are appearing.’

The system stopped sending messages.

It was just as I yawned, waiting for the next item.

The moment the auctioneer brought it out, my eyes lit up.

‘It’s here.’

The item I had been waiting for appeared in the auction.

Not Crovanium… but a small leather pouch stuffed full.

“100 seeds of Spirit Grass from southern Kvarasan.

As you know, Spirit Grass is the finest herb for refining mana, and Kvarasan produces the very best seeds among them!”

The starting price was 1,000 gold, with increments of 50 gold.

“Number 196, 1,250 gold! Any higher bids?”

The Spirit Grass seeds were not as popular as I had expected.

It made sense.

To cultivate Spirit Grass required utmost devotion in care regardless of snow or rain, and the choice of terrain was critical.

Beyond that, even the tiniest of factors could drastically affect its quality.

‘But more than that, the problem is time.’

It even took several years to grow a single seed.

Though they had the effect of refining one’s mana, the difficulty of cultivation made demand for the seeds low.

‘If you invested a fortune only for the crop to fail, that would be nothing but losing money. You could call it a gamble in its own right.’

I leisurely scrawled into my notebook with the golden fountain pen.

“Oh, once again Number 145! 1,500 gold!”

The bid for Spirit Grass suddenly leapt upward.

Thanks to its low demand, no one else competed for it, and I secured it without issue.

As the auction moved to the next item, the surrounding voices of admiration grew louder.

“Ladies and gentlemen, behold this radiant gold!”

In the auctioneer’s hand, clad in white gloves, was a “Golden Egg.”

As if flaunting its nature as a luxury item, the egg was encrusted with various jewels.

The auctioneer carefully placed the egg on the auction table.

“This is Saint Pavarov’s Egg, preserved for 150 years by the Veneto Monastery. It carries an ancient tradition and is a highly symbolic item of great value. Starting price, 10,000 gold. Increment, 1,000 gold!”

No sooner had he spoken than nobles around me rushed to scrawl with their fountain pens.

“11,000 gold! 12,000 gold! Ah, 14,000 gold bid!”

As expected of a luxury item aimed at nobles, the fervor was intense.

Resting my chin on my hand, I watched the overheated bidding as if it were someone else’s business.

‘What a commotion.’

Since what I wanted was only practicality, I had not the slightest interest.

Thus, I simply hoped for the auction of that luxury item to end quickly.

“Now, 21,000 gold! Any higher bids?”

By chance, my eyes fell upon Pavarov’s Egg.

…And when I saw the words that followed, my eyes widened.

You have discovered an Animal friend’s Egg!