The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound

Chapter 276: Money war (4)

“This isn’t the main hall; it’s the restroom,” Puss in Boots spoke as SaltSale’s expression froze at the unexpected revelation.

“Is this some kind of joke?” he asked.

“Absolutely not,” replied Puss in boots.

He raised his hand and pointed at the wall. Finally, SaltSale understood why there was a random sink protruding from it. Move a bit to the side, and even the toilet was visible.

“I guided you in this direction because you mentioned wanting to use the restroom earlier,” explained Puss in Boots.

“That was just a casual remark.”

“I see. Shall we head to the main hall, then?”

With a peculiar attitude, Puss in boots gestured to the maids.

“Now that the guest has used the restroom, bring a new set of clothes and spray some perfume.”

“Huh? Is that really necessary?”

“No, it’s not. But considering that some might find it impure even if you just entered and exited the restroom, we’re just doing our best. Please understand.”

The maids approached, exchanging SaltSale’s cloak with a different one.

“We have various designs. Choose the one you like,” said Puss in boots.

SaltSale was taken aback by Puss in boots’s words, realizing he had over fifty of the same luxurious cloak made from materials found deep in the Red and Black mountains, almost impossible to acquire even with money.

Then, a noise interrupted their conversation.

Clatter!

It came from the cocktail glass a maid was holding, the sound of ice colliding.

“Oh, right…?” SaltSale glanced at the cocktail glass he had handed over to the maid a moment ago, half-drunk. He scrutinized it and discovered that the ice inside hadn’t melted at all.

“Wait, this isn’t ice!?” SaltSale exclaimed in surprise.

With a nonchalant tone, Puss in boots casually explained, “That’s correct. It’s not ice; it’s diamonds. Stored in a cold ice chamber to maintain the coolness without diluting the drink. Of course, we don’t want it to melt and make the drink bland.”

SaltSale was speechless. Eventually, Puss in Boots guided him to the main hall.

There, an opulent and spacious interior, incomparable to anything before, welcomed SaltSale and the other guests. The core of the Venetior, the pinnacle of extravagance.

Dazzling lights enveloped everyone. The jewel-like glow of the chandeliers, shattering and descending, captivated every eye.

Between the ceiling and the walls, spiderwebs filled with gold dust sparkled brilliantly with every change in the light.

Even the attendants, bustling about like stagehands, wore cloaks made of expensive materials, distinguished by their black color.

SaltSale couldn’t help but shout, unknowingly caught up in the grandeur of it all.

“…Unbelievable! H-how can an interior be like this? Could such extravagance even be possible?”

Decades ahead of its time, an avant-garde decoration adorned the interior. Luxuries that, even with money, one couldn’t fathom, overflowed abundantly here. The ceilings were so high that you could shoot fireworks without a worry, and spiral staircases connecting floor after floor after floor stretched endlessly.

Priceless and rare ingredients filled every corner. Over a hundred chefs stood in a ‘ㄷ’ shape, preparing dishes in real-time for the guests. Elegant music flowed from the grand piano, instruments made of jade, pearls, and jade creating a dazzling harmony.

Nowhere could one find words like restraint, frugality, or morality.

“Wow, this is truly amazing!”

“To think they created something like this inside a party hall.”

“I want to live like this!”

“I wonder what I’ve been doing with my money until now.”

“Cheers! That’s right! This is how you spend money!”

Even inside the party rooms, there was a spacious swimming pool that everyone could enter and still have room to spare. The pool wasn’t filled with water but a mysterious, non-sticky alcohol of cherry color, which evaporated without leaving any residue on the skin.

Perhaps due to the size of the pool causing potential congestion, seven bridges adorned with ivory and gold intricately crossed above it. The bottom of the pool, filled with alcohol, was made of transparent glass, and in the isolation space below, large fishes swam freely.

All top-grade ingredients; if guests pointed to it, chefs immediately pulled out the chosen fish and prepared a dish.

Sharks, whales, whale sharks, orcas – it didn’t matter. It was a literal feast.

This was like the epitome of a feast!

Everything needed to enjoy life was here: alcohol, food, music, clowns, models, dancers, fireworks, balloons, men, women… all these joyful and exciting things were melting away in an immense indulgence and pleasure.

All of this was an act of ‘compassion’.

It is a magnificent show put on by the students of the Colosseo Academy, possessing overflowing humanity, altruism, and kindness.

“Such an incredible party for the first time!”

“Who are these students that organized such a party!”

“No, seriously, how much did they earn in the first place?”

The invited guests all had bewildered expressions. But soon, they were intoxicated by the alcohol and the atmosphere, starting to get into the spirit of things.

Dancers covered in flamboyant feathers like flamingos performed daring shows day after day. Countless balloons floated upwards as fireworks burst one after another.

Puff! Puff! Puff! Bang!

The balloons touched by the dazzling fireworks caused a secondary explosion, releasing petals and gold dust within. This was the Oracle’s party, designed to mesmerize everyone in the spectacular lights of the party hall.

Now, among the distinguished names echoing throughout the empire, none of the nobles had ever experienced a party of such colossal scale. Eventually, the hosts of this party stepped forward.

“Ah, hello?”

The first to awkwardly smile and step forward was none other than Figgy.

“Thank you for waiting.”

Next, with polite greetings and a smile, Sinclaire followed.

“We are the members of Oracle who organized this party today.”

Lastly, the representative, Dolores, stepped forward.

Waaaah!

Many people cheered and applauded. While the age group of the guests leaned towards the older side, there was no foot stomping or whistling, but it was their own version of enthusiastic welcome.

Then, Dolores spoke.

“Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Oracle Investment Club’s gathering. We consider this a great opportunity for our fellow investors to meet and greet each other.”

When she revealed that she was the Holy Maiden of Quovadis, the audience erupted in admiration.

“Sinclaire, what should we do?”

“Hush, Figgy. Be quiet. If we stay still, no one will know we’re commoners.”

Standing next to them, Figgy and Sinclaire deliberately didn’t reveal their names. However, as intended by Sinclaire, most people naturally assumed that the two had an extraordinary lineage.

Meanwhile, Dolores continued, “I hope our connection, which began here today, will continue in the future. Not just continue, but I hope it will advance steadily.”

She reached out and pointed to the center of the hall.

There, a large and beautiful coral lake sculpture stood. A sculpture made entirely from expensive coral, how precious and costly it must be.

… But it wasn’t a horse; it was a deer. A distinct deer with two antlers, unmistakably a deer, not a horse.

However, no one mentioned anything different from what Dolores said.

“Let’s go, Investors! Let’s run like horses!”

“Awesome! Full of courage!”

“These are some brave young individuals!”

Finger pointing at a deer. Already intoxicated by the brilliance of the party, who cared if it was a horse or a deer?

The corporate figures quickly gathered around Dolores, Figgy, and Sinclaire, engaging in conversations filled with praise, compliments, and curious inquiries.

Meanwhile, a servant boy who had been efficiently handling various tasks like serving and guiding within the bustling crowd discreetly made his way towards the outskirts of the party venue.

Vikirr, or Puss in boots. Behind the mask, he glanced around with glowing red eyes, surveying the audience. “I made a good choice for the decor. Fortunately, the aesthetic sense developed before the end of humanity.”

Vikir, the Night Hound. For this occasion, the boy had transformed into Puss in boots.

Vikir recalled the time before regression, just as the full-scale war against the Demon Army was about to begin. Humanity, anticipating the end of the century, began displaying numerous anomalous phenomena. One of them was the surge in extravagance and indulgence.

In any country, as the world approached its demise, extreme acts of extravagance always emerged. Those who boasted wealth within the upper class succumbed to madness just before the world collapsed. They began pursuing extreme tastes, styles, beauty, and indulgence, discarding human morals.

As the generations of the wealthy continued, corruption and debauchery deepened. Vikir had witnessed these extravagant actions several times, whether he liked it or not.

“In peaceful times, people don’t know how to use their money, lacking imagination.”

Humans, indulging in extreme luxury and pleasure, created various forms of interior design, fashion, and luxury goods using all sorts of creativity and imagination. Vikir utilized the knowledge and experiences he had, even if only superficial, to organize this party.

“By the way, I had to take out a loan because I didn’t have enough money for the party.”

It wasn’t enough even with the current investment funds and dividend returns. So, he took new investments from various nobles and poured them into the party. He needed to leave a strong impression on the corporate figures.

“Of course, I have no intention of repaying those who lent me money.”

Because those who lent money to Vikir were all demon worshippers. They believed in the reputation of the Oracle Investment Club and lent him money.

However, it was nothing but a scam of identity theft. There was no obligation for repayment for Dolores, Figgy, or Sinclaire.

“Let’s bankrupt them all. Let them choke on the money they loved so much.”

After all, those who made a contract with the demons in exchange for money had betrayed the Human Alliance at the first sign of war.

Moreover, they were a despicable bunch who would betray humanity without any empathy.

Most importantly, after a successful hunt of the sixth corpse, they would lose their energy and wither away, so there was no need to worry about future generations.

At that moment, as Vikir quietly surveyed the surroundings, something caught his eye.

Brown hair, pale skin, dark dead eyes, and red lips. A gender-neutral appearance, dressed in a clean black suit with a red cloak. However, their attire seemed more fitting for a funeral than a party.

“… Found you.”

Damian. The head of the Imperial Currency Mint and an external director of the Bourgeois Clan.

Vikir’s gaze fixed firmly on him as he walked towards Damian Bourgeois.

Like the eyes of a hunting dog that had spotted its prey.