Near-death experiences weren't new to Kordell Nox.

As someone who had crawled back from a place so close to hell several times, he was fairly certain he was already familiar with all the things that could go through someone's mind right before death.

So what was this?

After Ollie's prediction that the bidding would reach 300 billion, Duke Vantari actually won it for three hundred and five billion Star Coins.

It wasn't as if no one had ever bid such a number during an auction, but it was unheard of for mecha parts or weapons to cost that much.

Anyone who was at least somewhat prudent with funds or financial management would feel phantom heart attacks forming.

No wonder the people below couldn't stop talking about it. They even stole glances at the two people who lost when the Duke started looking all intimidating.

They could've gone higher, probably pooling resources, but Duke Vantari's stance as he bid made it clear they'd be in for a different kind of life if they continued to fight.

So, amidst the murmurs of the audience and the sharp crack of the gavel, they just tried to think of ways to explain what just happened at the auction.

However, to Minister Kordell and Marquise Evelyn, the thunderous cheers and cries below no longer mattered.

Because nothing could drown out the impact of the bombshell dropped by the shy golden-eyed boy and his extremely bubbly new son-in-law, one the minister had absolutely not recovered from, even as they ran out of the auction hall.

"!!!"

To begin with, why were they running away at a time like this?!

There were so many questions, and in the end, Minister Kordell's mind was screaming, 'WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?!' As he entered the Kyros hovercraft, only for them to come out elsewhere.

"!!!"

__

Honestly, Kyle could already see it.

There were so many things to be considered today, and now that his little mop was alive, glowing, and smiling again, he could finally focus on the actual auction for the first time since they arrived.

The earnings were frankly higher than expected, which was impressive, considering they had already projected an insane figure to begin with.

Obviously, this was in part because they had accidentally removed several regulatory parties who might have kept the bids at a more "reasonable" level—namely, the Imperial family, and ironically, their own family.

And what do you know? Luca had managed to sell the Forged Sword for three times what they had estimated.

Luca joining the auction hadn't been part of the plan, but then again, who in Solaris could ever predict anything when their guild leader was involved?

Finishing the auction was one thing. Dealing with the aftermath was another entirely.

As expected, D-29 and Sid had already warned them about the swarm of people waiting for the auction to end. Normally, no one would dare talk about the auction while it was ongoing, afraid it might raise prices further. But once it was over, every noble who failed to buy something would immediately begin crafting their "official" reason for losing.

It was equal parts self-defense and reputation management.

If they could sensationalize the auction, it would make sense why they, such elites, weren't even able to get their hands on anything.

And soon enough, word would spread throughout the Empire, even to the Federation, that their "people" had walked away with nothing except the roasted peanuts served during intermission.

Then again, according to D-29's overly detailed monitoring report, those same guests had apparently eaten every last crumb of their complimentary snack out of sheer rage and anxiety.

Apparently, even villains were prone to stress-eating.

So frankly, no one wanted to be Peyton Orell or Cinco Aramont right now.

However, being Marquis Mylor and Marquise Julienne wasn't exactly enviable either. Both were now stuck with the colossal task of managing post-auction security, particularly the evacuation of high-profile guests.

The biggest concern wasn't even the Dukes or military nobles. Those families could handle themselves; they wouldn't have climbed so high if they could be easily ambushed.

No, the real issue lay with the Master Mechanics—geniuses in their craft but notorious for their total lack of self-preservation.

They'd all known this would happen, and plans had been made accordingly. The strategy was simple: leave the auction as quietly and quickly as possible.

But hopefully, this time, they could avoid drawing attention by suddenly disappearing like they had in the registration office.

Once out, they could then assist in securing the auction participants, the goods, and the crowd.

Which led them to their current predicament.

A predicament that would absolutely come back to bite him and his brother in the ass later.

Because while their mother was the type of woman who could calmly accept theories like doppelgängers from alternate timelines, or maybe theories about legends coming to life, their father… was not.

And Kyle was already envisioning the disaster ahead when they'd have to explain everything.

But what could they do?

They had made their escape plan before factoring in their parents' presence, and now they couldn't possibly leave them behind—not after Luca dropped that kind of secret on them.

So, when the time came, they executed the plan exactly as discussed with the Mylors.

Their feet were running out of the booth before the Master of Ceremonies even finished the closing remarks.

But instead of their initial plan, Kyle and Killian were now dragging their upbeat mother and their utterly shell-shocked father along, stuffing them into the Kyros hovercraft like they were going to maximize the space inside, only to realize, once inside, that instead of the other passengers who had supposedly boarded earlier, there was only one person waiting.

Butler Gary.

"???"

Kyle, however, expected this. "Butler Gary, is everything going to be alright? Anything else you want us to tell the others?"

The Butler, perfectly composed, bowed slightly with that immovable calm that came from years of managing the Kyros family's chaos. "Lord, I'll handle everything. Please just proceed as planned."

Minister Kordell, who had followed them inside, was completely bewildered by the exchange. He looked from the butler to the two blue-haired sons and back again, silently demanding context that no one seemed interested in providing.

Then, both Kyle and Killian turned toward their parents.

"Just a bit more, Father, Mother," they said in unison.

"What—?"

Minister Kordell didn't even get to finish the question.

Because by the time the words left his mouth—

They weren't even in the hovercraft anymore.