The woman was pretty tall despite being in a seated posture. Her raven hair flowed down her back in waves, and her piercing light brown eyes held a slight glint of boredom as she absentmindedly sipped on her ale. However, her expression brightened the moment her eyes settled on the newcomers who had entered the tavern.
"Customers," she whispered, a faint smile forming on her face.
Nox, who had clearly read her lips, was slightly confused as to how she had easily figured out who they were, considering that Wendy had not spoken to her prior to their arrival.
The two made their way to her table a moment later, and the woman, who was fairly beautiful, gestured for them to take a seat. With a kind yet scheming smile on her face, she said, "I take it you want to attend the auction?"
"Yes," Nox nodded in confirmation, grateful that he didn't need to beat around the bush to get to the point. He liked this woman's straightforwardness, though he feared she would try to scam him. He had learned from his grandfather that any merchant who smiled kindly at you often had ulterior motives.
"Great!" the woman clapped cheerfully, her eyes curving upward. "As usual, the fee is 200 gold coins for disclosing the location and taking you there."
Wendy frowned, clearly not impressed with the amount. Two hundred gold coins was a lot! It could feed everyone in the Cromwell barony for weeks if spent wisely. Though the black market auction was very prestigious, paying such an enormous amount felt like broad daylight robbery.
Seeing the silver-haired girl about to speak, the raven-haired woman, whose name Nox didn't bother to ask, added with a smile, "Of course, that should be peanuts for students of the prestigious Vermilion Kingdom Academy such as yourselves."
It was at that moment that both of them realized they were still in their uniforms. Nox held her gaze and said in a deep, firm voice, "Nice try, but trying to play on our ego won't work. I say 100 gold coins, and even that is me being generous. But I'll compromise for you."
"This lad..." the woman gnashed her teeth. She hadn't expected this teenager to cut her initial price in half. Usually, during bargaining, people would only shave off a small amount. This was the first time she was encountering such a drastic drop.
Wendy's eyes flashed strangely as she leaned back in her seat. She had initially planned on doing the bargaining herself, but it seemed she didn't have to. Nox was no longer that naïve country bumpkin. He now had a good head on his shoulders.
"I can't make such a deal," the woman said a moment later.
Nox sighed and looked at Wendy as he said in a slightly loud voice, "I told you we could've just asked the headmistress. She would've willingly taken us there for free."
Perplexity shone in Wendy's eyes, but after a wink from Nox, she realized what he was doing. "It's not too late. We can always return. But the thing is, we'd arrive late."
"Arriving late... All the precious items would be taken by then," Nox feigned disappointment. "But I guess it's still better than paying 200 gold coins. Come, let's go."
Nox stood, and Wendy hesitated. She had an idea of what Nox was doing, and if it worked, it would be really good. However, she wanted to remind him that this woman was the only person she knew who could take them to the auction. If they left, it would be difficult to attend.
Nox, who had his back turned to the woman, assured Wendy. For some reason, she decided to trust him. After all, they weren't really losing anything here. The two then proceeded to leave.
The woman remained calm, folding her arms as she watched them leave. There was a slight smirk on her face, but the farther Nox and Wendy advanced, the more that smirk began to fade.
"They're really leaving?" she murmured to herself, her tone a mix of disbelief and frustration. After a moment, she facepalmed. "Of course. The headmistress would've received an invitation as well."
The black market, because of the nature of its items, sent out invitations to all the experts in the capital. The woman was 100% certain that the headmistress had been invited.
Soon, Wendy and Nox reached the door. Gritting her teeth, the woman stood up and shouted, "Okay, 50 gold coins! I'll take you there for 50!"
Nox's hand froze on the door handle. A sudden silence filled the tavern as everyone present glanced at the woman who had shouted before returning to their own business, as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, Nox turned around and flashed a smile.
'You little brat,' the woman thought, feeling her heart squeezed by a pair of cruel hands. The grimace on her face was impossible to hide. The amount she had just offered—50 gold coins—was half her initial price. She had no choice, though. She'd been waiting for customers for hours and couldn't afford to let this one go.
"Your little trick really paid off," Wendy whispered some time later as she and Nox walked behind the woman, who was walking a few meters ahead at a strangely fast pace.
"She was already bored and desperate. I was certain she'd fall for the trick," Nox replied with a hint of smugness, which earned him a slight jab on his shoulder.
Some time later, the trio boarded a carriage that headed toward the southern part of the capital. During the ride, the woman briefed them about the auction. Approximately thirty minutes later, they arrived before a heavily guarded mansion that spanned several square feet.
The mansion was massive—far bigger than anything Wendy or Nox had ever seen. It screamed wealth and power, the kind that made it clear whoever owned it wasn't someone to mess with. The walls were made of dark, polished stone and stretched so far that it was hard to tell where they ended. Tall spires jutted into the sky, seemingly trying to pierce the clouds.
Furthermore, the mansion was surrounded by a high wall adorned with carvings of strange beasts.
"Alright," the raven-haired woman said, catching the attention of both Wendy and Nox. "For your own security, I'd advise you to go in disguise. Some of these rich nobles are so petty they'll target you outside just to steal your items."
"Thank you," Nox said as he retrieved a pouch and handed it to the woman.
The woman took the pouch and counted it. She looked up with a slightly confused expression and asked, "There are 80 gold coins here. Did you make a mistake?"
"No, I didn't. This is just a thank-you for the tip," Nox smiled and added, "You're a good person."
"Huh. T-thank you," the woman stammered, unsure how to feel.
"Okay then." With a subtle nod, both Wendy and Nox began to leave. As they advanced toward the gate, Wendy couldn't help but ask, "Do you perhaps have a disguise? I only have a veil with me."
"That shouldn't be an issue." Nox smirked confidently as the Mask of the Hound appeared in his hands. Merely seeing the mask made Wendy's body involuntarily shudder.
Some minutes later, another carriage arrived outside the mansion, and Amos stepped out.