"Without further ado, let us start the auction."
The auctioneer’s voice boomed across the hall, silencing the murmurs of the crowd.
His impressively groomed mustache twitched as he flashed a smile, his eyes glinting with the confidence of a man who could sell water to a drowning man. He easily gathered everyone’s attention with his next words.
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and esteemed collectors," he began, his high-pitched voice carrying effortlessly to the farthest corners. "Tonight is no ordinary evening. No, no—tonight, we offer treasures that would make kings hesitate and scholars weep!"
Wow, he’s good. I thought. Just a few words, and he’s already stirring everyone’s desires and interest.
I watched as he paused dramatically, letting his gaze sweep the room. "Now, I know what you’re all thinking. You are probably wondering how do I back my claims, isn’t that right?" He chuckled knowingly. "Then let me tell you, today, we have not one, not two, but a series of truly remarkable items that will leave you in regret for not saving enough money."
"And-!" He raised his hand for emphasis. "We will not make you wait any longer. We are beginning with one such treasure right now."
With a snap of his fingers, an attendant brought forward a small velvet case. The auctioneer opened it with practiced flair, revealing a silver necklace with an exquisite snowflake pendant. The delicate design caught the light beautifully, scattering tiny reflections across the room.
"The Winter’s Love necklace," he presented it to everyone to see. And then started talking about its origin, who made it, and so on.
The one thing useful about it was the high cold resistance feature it had. Besides being beautiful, it had no other redeeming qualities. Still, I could already tell it would fetch a ridiculous price.
Half the women in the hall were staring at it like lovesick teenagers, and judging by the sudden flurry of whispered conversations in the private booths, the female nobles weren’t faring much better.
Maybe the auctioneer also sensed it was time now, he quickly wrapped up his advertisement and announced the starting bid.
"...50,000 Aura Coins!"
And immediately, hands shot up across the hall like eager students in a classroom.
"55,000!" came a voice from the main floor.
"60,000!" countered someone from booth three.
The bidding escalated rapidly, just as I’d predicted. The auctioneer’s grin widened with each new bid, his mustache practically quivering with satisfaction.
"Excellent! I can see we have discerning collectors here tonight!" he called out, his voice riding the wave of excitement. "95,000 from the lovely lady in the front row! Do I hear 100,000?"
This is getting ridiculous, I thought, watching the price climb. It’s just a necklace with basic cold resistance. They’re treating it like it’s some legendary artifact.
But it worked out in my favor; they could waste their money on them. Competition will be less fierce later.
"SOLD! To the distinguished lady in booth fourteen for 190,000 Aura Coins!"
Damn, what a waste of money.
The auctioneer wasted no time capitalizing on the momentum. "What a spectacular opening! Now, for our next treasure..."
He gestured dramatically as attendants wheeled out an ornate music box said to be enchanted with sleep-inducing melodies, followed by a set of jeweled hairpins that supposedly enhanced one’s memory—all beautifully crafted but functionally mediocre items that sent noblewomen into another bidding frenzy.
The shrewd guy knew exactly how to bleed wallets dry before unveiling the real prizes.
But, who exactly is that woman on the 14th booth? She bought more than half of the items just now. Either she was an idiot or super rich or...
She knew something that others didn’t.
The real values of those items. There was only one person who came to mind.
It made sense now, a lot actually.
Only she would have that much money and that ability.
But of course, I might be overthinking again. They really might be a person who likes these kinds of things. Or another person with such features.
"The next item is..."
Oh, finally something different.
"One of the special ones I mentioned at the beginning. Let me just show you instead this time."
The auctioneer’s voice dropped to a hushed tone as two attendants carefully wheeled out a pedestal bearing a glass case.
Inside rested an egg, icy blue with jagged black veins running across its surface, roughly the size of two adult fists. A faint mist curled around it, frosting the glass.
"This magnificent treasure was discovered by none other than Fenrar House itself. It originates from the deep and treacherous waters of the Northern Maw Sea." He paused for a moment to let the names be recognized.
And they did. Murmurs exploded throughout the hall.
I picked up a few interesting information thanks to that. Like how Fenvar House was selling yet another egg, or how ferocious and powerful the monsters in the Northern Maw Sea were.
Honestly, it started to pique my interest.
"Our guild’s most esteemed appraisers have thoroughly examined it," the auctioneer continued, his voice swelling with pride, "and while its exact species remains a tantalizing mystery, we can definitively confirm its lineage! This, my friends, is the egg of an Elder Beast — a creature of Tier 5 power, at the very least!"
Oh, should I use the monocle on this one?
"Imagine the possibilities! A companion of such formidable might, a loyal guardian whose power will grow with your own! The bond you could forge with a beast raised from its very infancy... is an opportunity truly beyond measure!"
Although I recently bonded with a Mythical creature, the appeal of another powerful bond was undeniably there.
And according to the auctioneer’s words, the beast was likely water-related. He didn’t forget about having compatibility with it before deciding to buy it.
As a result, the rising competition decreased quite a bit. Probably because they didn’t have water affinity to bond with it or enough extra wealth to raise such a beast.
Should I give it a try?
I have the money and the affinity. The only problem will be time and knowledge.
Maybe I could even use it to cover up Rime Weaver’s existence in the future?
"The bidding starts at 500,000 Aura Coins."