Aunt Suful, I learnt, was the woman who had lodged us in Hendai Inn, Ruha's tribes person. Mostly, she conversed with Ruha rapidly in Elamoor, and we couldn't catch a single word. Finally, she turned to us, beaming.
"I've made arrangements already. I know quite a few people at the Scorching Desert Auction House. Everything will be smooth. Come with me,"
The auction house was not far from the inn, so we walked, Zin pointing out a couple of things I would buy for her after we became 'rich'. Along the way, we passed a lot of people headed for the same destination, conversing excitedly among themselves.
"Did you hear? Scorching Desert is holding an auction! Someone said they acquired a 30-year old banhui root!"
"Tsk, those old creeps will be there all right! The city lord even sent a representative! Look at his carriage!"
"Asides the 30-year banhui, they also acquired a monster core!"
"Are you kidding me? Monster cores are hard to come by!"
"Of course! That's why it's causing such a stir! Tsk, it's pointless for people like us. The old creeps won't even give us a chance,"
"Yes," we've only come to watch the show. There might be something cheap we could get, though..."
I stopped listening to the surrounding conversations and followed everyone else into the Scorching Desert Auction House. It was a dome-like building, built with private boxes along the gallery, with a balcony the VIPs could look out of.
A uniformed girl, about eighteen years, came over quickly when she noticed Aunt Suful, as we'd all copied Ruha and called her. Bowing courteously, she said.
"Honourable guests, please come with me. Since you are partnering with us, you'll have a private box free of charge,"
Oki nodded at me with a grin. Aunt Suful led us all and followed the girl, who called herself Rumi.
We climbed up some stairs and Rumi opened a door in the wall. We stepped into a lounge like room, decorated expensively. Iris immediately threw herself onto one of the sofas.
"Thank you, Rumi," Aunt Suful tipped her, and the girl, laughing gently, closed the door after her.
Ten seconds later a man came into the room, bowing and introducing himself.
"Honored guests, welcome to our Scorching Desert Auction House. I take it you are the ones auctioning the monster core?" he looked all of us over before his gaze landed on Aunt Suful.
She nodded at Zin, who retrieved the monster core from her conscious.
"Heavens!" the man exclaimed. Of course, he didn't expect such a valuable thing to be produced so casually by a twelve year old girl.
"Pardon me for my impoliteness," he bowed towards Zin a couple of times, now completely ignoring the rest of us. In his eyes, she was the boss!
Zin just glanced lazily at me.
"My sister is mute, so I'll help her translate," I said with a smile.
"Of course! Of course! So--ehm--" he regained his composure, "this humble one is called Wan Heop. Scorching Desert belongs to me and my elder brothers."
We were surprised. So he was actually one of the owners!?
"May I know distinguished miss' name?"
"She's called Zin-er." I replied.
"Do you belong to a mercenary company?" He glanced over at us again, "pardon me, but... I'm wondering how you came in contact with a monster core," he finished with an embarrassed smile.
Zin nodded at me.
"The monster which had the core attacked us while we were journeying here. We had no choice but to kill it, see?" I translated.
Wan Heop looked shocked. After all, who spoke of killing a monster creature as if they were disposing trash??!
He quickly closed his jaw which was hanging open.
"The heavens have blessed our Scorching Desert Auction House!" he said excitedly, "please make yourselves at home! I'll go inform the other owners at once!"
Zin spoke to me.
"Please, sir. Spare us the trouble. We only want to auction off the core. We have no intention of meeting anybody," I said.
Wan Heop was flabbergasted! Such an honor, and they just threw it on the floor? These people were not simple! He had to treat them extremely courteously, not offend them less they just stood up and went to the next auction house!
"Of course, of course! I'll arrange everything!"
He excused himself with a bow. Aunt Suful turned to Zin.
"May I take a look at the monster core?"
Zin passed it to her.
"It's high grade!" she exclaimed, "we'd better not let that guy cheat us,"
Presently, Wan Heop came back with a middle aged man in a blue robe with tassels at the shoulder pads. His nose was in the air! Reverently, Wan Heop said to Zin:
"Distinguished miss, this here is Mister Yulan Ke, our Scorching Desert Auction House resident alchemist. Please let him examine the monster core,"
/To check whether it's a fake?/ Zin said in my head, but I didn't translate.
Mister Yulan Ke with his heterochromatic eyes turned the rock shaped core over and over in his hands, checking with an eyeglass, sniffing, tapping. After a long long while, he presented it back to Zin in an ornate box Wan Heop had came back with, reverently.
"Distinguished miss, this core is high grade," all his former arrogance was gone, and he looked up at Zin like a badly behaved puppy.
Zin nodded.
"Yes it's high grade," I translated, "will you go ahead and auction it now?" I added, really pissed.
"Yes, yes!" they took back the ornate box with the core in it and left.
"Let's watch the auction now,"
We all went over to the balcony. The hall was already packed, and hefty armed guards were chasing away loiterers and those who stood at the back due to lack of seats.
"Welcome to Scorching Desert Auction House!" a wily man stepped out from the back stage onto the raised platform at the front of the hall.
"This auction was organized due to the arrival of some riveting items that were acquired by us! Among which are; a top grade 30-year old banhui root! Flame Expelling Defensive Weapon! Core essence of a Violent Carpu--"
He went on listing items people would kill for. We never saw any of these things back in Calbran, we only heard of them.
"One hundred thousand!" Some people had even began to call bids!
"Kekeke, please calm down! What you seek to get will naturally land in your hands! As long as you have the money!" the wily man on the state laughed.
"I'll not waste our time! The first item for auction is the 30-year old banhui root!"
People gasped. They were actually auctioning the banhui root first!? Could that mean they had acquired a lot more things more precious??
The man briefly explained the benefits of consuming the banhui root. It only held an appeal for old people, as it was mainly a beautifying item.
"The starting price is forty thousand! You may place your bids!"
"Forty one thousand!" People began to bid excitedly. Such a low price!
"Forty five thousand!"
"Sixty thousand!"
The price was raised suddenly by a VIP box to our left. There was even a banner hanging from the balcony, and, even though the people that occupied the box didn't come out, everyone immediately knew who they was.
"That's the city lord's banner. It's probably his representative in there,"
/Why does the city lord want a beautifying item?/ Zin asked, and I relayed her question.
Aunt Suful looked at me oddly, and I pointed my thumb at Zin.
"Don't point at her like that!" she jumped and snatched my hand away. Ruha rolled her eyes.
"They aren't Elamoors. Even if they are, it means nothing,"
"One hundred and ninety thousand!" a bid rang out from the city lord's box, and there was silence.
"One hundred and ninety thousand, going once! One hundred and ninety thousand, going twice! One hundred and ninety--"
"Two hundred thousand!" came an agonized yell from the crowd.
The city lord's representative finally poked his head out of the box.
/Ugly!/ Zin howled.
I'd never seen a more repulsive person! And he was young, about twenty five years!
"Who dared bid against me? Who dared!" he yelled.
"Kekeke, your eminence, simply raise your bid and see if the person dares again!" someone said.
"Three hundred thousand!" he took this advice and raised the price by a whooping hundred thousand! No one dared to raise the price any longer!
"Three hundred thousand, going once!" the wily man on the stage was in extreme great spirits, "three hundred thousand, going twice! Three hundred thousand, gone! Congratulations, your eminence, you won the 30-year old banhui root!"
The man swore loudly before retreating into the box. The banhui root was taken offstage.
"Next we have, Flame Expelling Defensive Weapon!"
A man carried in a long wooden box. Lifting the lid, the auctioneer raised out a gleaming sword!
"I want it!" Iris exclaimed, "having a physical sword won't drain my energy as much as a condensed one would!"
/Silly girl, we don't have any money to bid!/ Zin scolded in my head, but I didn't repeat. Instead, I said:
"We're not exactly sure how much that core will bring us. And also, there are a lot of bigwigs who want it as well. Don't let's bid. We can get you a sword elsewhere,"
"But... Brother Cao--" she looked at me tearfully, then suddenly glared at Zin. Normally, Zin would nudge me or gesture to me whenever she wanted me to say something she said. Zin had nudged me earlier, so Iris knew that she was the one who'd said that.
Surprisingly, she just huffed and went to sit next to Ruha, who was serenely drinking tea and did not stand with us at the balcony. I changed the subject.
"At least you know why the city lord wants the banhui root now, right?" I pinched Zin's cheek, "it's because of that ugly man!"
Zin laughed soundlessly. From the corner of my eye I saw Iris' scowl deepen. I couldn't help it. If she wanted to be unhappy over something unreasonable, then I would let her.
"Three hundred and eighty thousand!" people were bidding frantically, and it didn't look like it would end soon.
"Four hundred and thirty thousand! I must have it!" someone yelled from a VIP box.
"Four hundred and seventy thousand! Give it up! Stop bidding against me!" came the now familiar voice of the city lord's rep.
"Five hundred and twenty thousand! You're joking!"
"Do you know who that banner belongs to?" I asked Aunt Suful, pointing towards the box that was competing for the Defensive Weapon against the city lord's rep.
"That--" Aunt Suful looked at it intently, "that should be the royal house of Axihome's crest,"
I was stunned.
"Royal house of Axihome? I thought it was the city lord who ruled this place?"
Aunt Suful laughed.
"The same everyone who is new to Axihome thinks. Let me explain it to you; this city and the entire kingdom share the same name: Axihome. This city is really, the founding city of the kingdom. That's why it still retains the name. But, in the bigger cities, it's clarified as the kingdom is known as Greater Axihome while this city is Lesser Axihome,"
"So that's how it--"
"Seven hundred thousand!" my words were interrupted by the shout from the greater Axihome banner box.
"--is," I said.
"Seven hundred thousand, going once!--"
"Cheh, a mere city lord can't compare with the wealth of the royal house of Axihome," Aunt Suful scoffed.
"Congratulations to Box Seven for winning the Flame Expelling Defensive Weapon!" the wily auctioneer laughed loudly, "now for the next item! High grade monster core of a level eight mystic creature!"
That was an exaggeration. We had no idea what the Djarnn's rank was. It was merely the auctioneer's effort to make it more attractive!
"Starting price, two hundred thousand!"
We all gasped!