Ever since it's been announced that Lavin will hold the yearly auction that occurs in random places around the continent, Lavin city is bustling with activity. Merchants arrived seeking business opportunities, royalties, nobles, military generals and all kinds of wealthy flocked there.
To the economy, this was surely a very good thing, but to Elaila, this was pure torture, as she had to take care of all arrangements and making sure nothing goes wrong. Luckily, the royal family provided her with enough resources. As the host country for many esteemed guests, every precaution needs to be taken.
The DuBois family merchant house settled in the merchant guild in Lavin City. It was owned by a branch company so technically, it was a part of the DuBois house.
Currently, the scene was bustling with movement. People who wanted to sell were not a small amount. Anyone who thought they had a treasure came in to try their luck while others asked whether they could buy a ticket.
Sen and Nivera in his human form, and Nivera, who also looked human, arrived at the auction house entrance.
Unlike other races, demons possess the ability to change certain features about their bodies. Normally, a demon wouldn't be able to do so until they've reached the world level, but since Nivera had grot's heart inside her body, she was growing stronger by the day.
Each night, she would dream of the sad crying creature that drowned the land in tears. As the days passed, she was able to talk to the grot in her dream. And after each night, her internal energy would become much purer. Now she is able to unlock more abilities of the demon race.
"We don't sell tickets. If you want to sell, we won't accept anything with a value of less than twenty million gold coins of any kingdom."
The DuBois house set this rule to prevent people from bringing in useless items. One million gold coins are enough to buy a treasure indeed.
"Yes thank you, I would like to sell"
The man was surprised for a moment before letting them in. although he was surprised judging from their clothes that suggested they're normal people. But if they've lied to him and said that just to get in then there will certainly be consequences.
A man ten led them to a luxurious hall where lavishly dressed people gathered.
"Welcome to the DuBois auction house, what would you like to sell?"
The woman at the counter smiled professionally and said. Surprisingly, she was an elf. In fact, few of the staff are not human which baffled Sen a bit.
"Is there somewhere more private?" Sen asked, "I'm not comfortable showing it here," it would really be idiotic to bring out such an item in a room full of greedy wolves.
The elf at the counter seemed displeased but quickly returned a smile and ushered them in the room they use to greet the VIP guests. Although they were not VIPs, they were customers who asked for a private room just to show an item. She couldn't take them lightly.
On the other hand, if they played her for a fool, she would blacklist them from the auction house.
The VIP room sure lived to its name as it was extravagantly decorated with ready refreshments and beverages.
"Can you show me the item now?" she asked with a smile when they were all seated.
Sen nodded at Nivera and she took out the items from her ring. Sen could've done it, but he did not wear a ring and Nivera has bound the ring to her, and would be troublesome to unbind it again.
The clerk was shocked to see them with a space ring. She now understood that these people were not players. Only, the item that the woman brought out was three pieces and yellow paper rolled into scrolls.
"This…is?" she doubtfully stared at the three ancient looking scrolls on the table and asked the two guests.
"Ancient texts" Nivera answered.
"Oh, so it's anc… what?!" the clerk choked on her words. "This…are you sure?"
"Yes, do you have the authority to accept them?"
"I'll be right back" the women bowed and flew like the wind out of the room like her butt is on fire.
In fact, Sen had no understanding of the value of the items in his space. And since Risa and Leonas had no idea about most matters outside their previous village, he had to ask Nivera, the only knowledgeable person in his group.
He showed her his treasures one by one, and she explained the value of each although she wasn't able to recognize most of them.
She was, however, shocked silly at the number of treasures he had. She also almost scolded him for using elemental powder as spices.
The ancient texts were something she told him that was very rare even in the demon continent. They contain powerful spells, recipes, formulas, blueprints, or prophecies written by the ancient people who lived in this world thousands of years ago.
These texts are also written in an ancient language. And the ancient language was lost with the first people. Luckily, there is a profession in this world called a translator.
Translators are born with the innate talent to translate the ancient languages. So although this ancient text is extremely precious, without a translator, it is just a piece of old paper.
The powerhouses of the continent were sure to have a translator of their own, so they would fight over these old pieces of paper vehemently.
A few minutes later, the clerk came back with a long-haired man. He had slender arms and bright eyes. The only way to describe this man is a charismatic person who ventured on the edge of femininity since he wore black lipstick and help a fan in his hand.
Sen, who came from Earth and saw weirder people, had no qualms or change of expression as he stood up and greeted them.
"This is young master Fatima DuBois, one of this auction's organizers" the clerk introduced.
"Nice to meet you," he held his hand to Nivera and Sen and the two shook it. Only his hand stayed locked with Sen's for a while.
Sen felt something probe his energy like what the old elder Souma did. This time, he blocked it with full force, making the young master wince in pain before retracting his hand.
"I'm sorry, just a bad habit." Fatima scratched his head, "I tend to probe special people and you claim to have brought me not one but three ancient texts"
"It is indeed so young master Fatima."
"Can you tell me where you've acquired it?" Fatima said while dismissing the clerk.
Sen smiled and answered, "I'm afraid that's not possible."
"Of course, my apologies. Let me first authenticate the texts"
Sen nodded and Nivera handed the three scrolls again. Sen was curious how he would authenticate them so he watched closely.
Fatima in the end did nothing special. He just placed his hand on the paper, touched it, smelled it, and looked at it closely before handing it over with a wide smile.
"That is indeed an ancient text. And three of them at that"
"You managed to tell just relying on your senses?" Nivera asked.
"Ha, something like that. Senses are most often underestimated. Not everything needs to go up in a flare of flamboyant magic to be effective you know?"
They laughed and discussed some more about the texts before jumping right into the topic. Sen felt that this Fatima is a likable and approachable person. In fact, he came here half expecting an arrogant young master to pop up or the auction house looking down on their clothes and being discriminated against.
Who knew that the service is good and the staff is respectable? Even the young master is of good character, though his getup is a bit…peculiar.
"So Sen, do you want to sell or auction them?"
"What do you recommend?"
"Some of the guests who arrived may be interested in the texts as they have their own translator. And since this auction is held with the dragon coins as the sole purchasing currency, the starting price for one scroll will be thirty dragon coins. So I am certain they will be bought in no time." Fatima answered. He then turned professional mode on and talked seriously. "With an item of this value, I guarantee that the DuBois house will do its utmost to help keep you safe. In fact, the money changing hands will be done through me personally."
Sen wondered why would the need protection this tight before understanding that since people here may greedy, salivating wolfs, and they may covet the texts or the money from the sale and make trouble for him.
"Thank you young master Fatima-"
"Call me Fatima, no need for honorifics"
"Then Fatima, if I chose to sell the scrolls directly, how many dragon coins would one sell for?"
"Directly? It would be about eighty dragon coins after counting the estimated balance from the auction sale. But with the auction, it might go up even more as ancient texts are always a gamble"
Sen thought for a moment, "then I would like to sell one of them now and auction the other two"
"Very well, if you don't mind, house DuBois will be making the purchase. eighty dragon coins will be prepared in a moment, wait here please."
"Oh wait, do you sell space rings?"
"Yes, we do" Fatima reached for a paper on the side of the table, "the items for auction cannot be revealed without certain privileges, but you can browse through the items available for purchase at the DuBois store."
Fatima left and came back half an hour later, with a man he introduced as the notary, and a purchase contract in which Sen had to sign with his hands print, as well as the contract for auctioning the two other scrolls.
The next moment, Fatima took the scrolls and handed Sen a space ring. "The price is all in there, please check. As for the ring and the few rings inside, please consider them as a gift from the DuBois house, they're not much, just a few square meters wide.
"Then I thank you for your hospitality"
"This is a black card, for clients who make a transaction more than a hundred dragon coins worth or auction items of equivalent value. And this is the invitation to the auction."
Sen accepted the cards and after the notary left, he took the opportunity to ask Fatima, "Fatima, there is something I would like to ask. I've seen you hire elves and other non-humans, why?"
Fatima's eye's darkened for a moment, "Sen, in the DuBois house, we do not believe in race discrimination. In fact, our house head is a known non-human. Only the weak, feeble, and insecure countries like Grandor, azurite, and Flasa still have the backward thinking of enslavement."
"Don't get me wrong," Sen interrupted, "I was actually relieved to see a place like this where non-humans worked in peace. When you arrived here, we all noticed how slave markets closed in Lavin and the nobles won't even bring their nonhuman slaves out on the streets. That is obviously your influence, which is really admirable"
"Ha, sorry for snapping at you. It's just that some people really get on my nerves sometimes with their retrograde thinking."
The three chatted for a bit before Fatima had to excuse himself for work. Before that, he did lead Sen and Nivera to the DuBois shop and asked the elf clerk to take good care of them.