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He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
( Proverbs 28 : 13 )
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"WELCOME, DEAR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I GRACIOUSLY GREET YOUR NOBLE SOULS FOR COMING TO OUR AUCTION AMIDST YOUR BUSY LIVES. WE SINCERELY HOPE THE ITEM WE PRESENT IS TO YOUR FAVOUR AND THAT YOU BID GENEROUSLY," the host said with a bow.
Clad in a well-made white suit with golden patterns running along his sleeves, the host of the auction house stood on the stage. His face was covered by a rabbit mask, concealing his identity.
He was in the midst of entertaining the masses who came to buy.
The auction house was well-decorated in the fashion of a theater, with a curtain behind and rows of seats arranged in a circular fashion, with two floors separating the VIPs. The auction house must have spent a pretty penny to make everything comfortable.
The audience, or the buyers who came to bid today, were all wearing masks of different kinds. This was a policy to keep the bidders' identities secret. But the way they dressed showed that they were of high class, except for the one who came covered in a cloak.
They all looked at the stage with eager eyes, waiting for the host to present the items.
After receiving a nod from behind the curtains, the host turned.
"WELL, SHALL WE START THE AUCTION WITH A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE RULES? RAISE YOUR SLATES PROVIDED TO YOU TO BID FOR THE ITEM. THE HIGHEST BIDDER TAKES THE PRIZE. YOUR ITEM WILL BE BROUGHT TO YOU AT THE END OF THE AUCTION. WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT TIME PURCHASING," the host said with enthusiasm, enticing them to bid more. Finishing his speech, he turned to the back.
The curtains opened a bit, allowing a woman in a beautiful red dress that accentuated her curves to enter the stage. She pushed a cart big enough to hold three people to the center of the stage, and on top of the cart was the first item to be presented for bidding, covered in cloth. After bringing the item to the stage, she stood next to it.
The host gripped the cloth and with a sudden movement, pulled it, revealing the item.
"FOR TODAY'S FIRST ITEM," he announced.
In the cart was a tooth too massive to be from a normal monster; it was big as the cart itself. A white, glistening tooth that resembled that of a shark, larger than a megalodon's.
"THIS IS, AS YOU MIGHT HAVE GUESSED, A TOOTH OF A LEGENDARY MONSTER. THE SEVENTY-FOOT BEAST, A WALKING DESTRUCTION FROM THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. I PRESENT TO YOU: THE FROST DRAKE'S TOOTH. IT IS A RARE MONSTER MATERIAL, WITH ITS STRONG DURABILITY, IT CAN EVEN WITHSTAND A SWORD'S AURA IF MADE INTO AN ARMOR. SO, SHALL WE START THE BIDDING PROCESS?" the host declared.
With that, the bidding for the first item began. The host's statements intrigued many, but they were cautious about spending too much money on the first item.
One by one, they slowly raised their slates to place their bids.
"50."
"100."
"125."
"150."
"200."
As the bidding reached two hundred gold, the pace slowed down.
"I FORGOT TO MENTION, THE DRAKE WAS SAID TO BE FULLY GROWN," the host added an extra piece of information.
The bidding, which had been slowing down, heated up as more bids came in for the tooth. Eventually, the bidding ended abruptly.
"THE CUSTOMER IN THE OTTER MASK TAKES IT FOR 5000 GOLD," the host announced the end of the bidding.
With the bidding concluded, the woman covered the item and took it backstage.
"DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE DRAKE'S TOOTH; WE HAVE MANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WILL INTEREST YOU," the host reassured the audience.
Soon, the curtains opened again, and the woman brought out another item, also covered in cloth. This one was a bit smaller.
The host once again revealed the item with enthusiasm and delivered his speech to entice the audience to bid for it, adding extra information to intensify the bidding when it slowed down.
In the same manner, the auction proceeded, and the excitement grew as rarer items were presented one after the other, prompting fierce bidding from the audience.
The woman showcased various items, from monster materials to monster cores, which were sold at exceptionally high prices for higher-ranked monsters. However, most of the items were of Zenith class; there was no legendary monster material like the drake tooth from the beginning.
After displaying a range of different monster materials, they moved on to artifacts from ancient times. Even though the buyers didn't know their purpose, they bid on them to add to their collections.,
The host skillfully manipulated the audience, guiding them like children and enticing them with his words. There was a brief pause as the host gazed at the crowd, building anticipation.
"FOR THE NEXT ITEM WE ARE ABOUT TO PRESENT, IT IS EXTREMELY RARE. ONE MIGHT EVEN SAY IT IS ONE-OF-IT'S-KIND," the host declared, his smooth voice stoking the desire of the attendees.
As the curtains opened, two men entered carrying a rectangular box, still covered in cloth. They carefully placed the object on the stage and retreated. Taking center stage, the host slowly unveiled the object, creating a sense of suspense.
To everyone's awe, a magnificent dress appeared inside a glass case. The dress radiated with brilliant light as the spotlight illuminated it. Embedded with multi-colored gems, it captivated all who laid eyes upon it. It seemed to be the masterpiece of an elven artisan, who poured their entire existence into weaving it.
*hhuu*
The crowd fell into a hushed silence, their breaths the only audible sound, with some even holding their breath. Seizing the moment, the host broke the silence.
"THIS DRESS WAS CRAFTED BY A LEGENDARY ARTISAN, WHOSE SKILLS BORDER ON THE DIVINE. THE MATERIALS USED TO WEAVE THIS FABRIC ARE UNKNOWN TO OUR APPRAISERS, BUT THEY ASSURED US THAT IT SURPASSES THE FINEST SILK. THE GEMS EMBEDDED IN THE DRESS ARE RARE AND OF THE HIGHEST VALUE. THIS DRESS IS OF INCALCULABLE WORTH."
The host paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in, before continuing with a touch of grandeur.
"THE BIDDING WILL START AT 5000 GOLD COINS."
The bidding frenzy commenced as the mesmerized crowd snapped back to reality, frantically vying for ownership of the priceless dress. The audience fought with their fortunes, displaying their wealth and outshining those who couldn't keep up. Only the privileged individuals in the VIP section participated.
"AND THE MOST ASTONISHING ASPECT OF THIS DRESS IS THAT ITS INTERIOR IS LINED WITH DRAGON SCALES, ENCHANTED WITH PROTECTIVE MAGIC," the host dropped a bombshell, igniting excitement among the wealthy attendees. Dragons were notoriously elusive and dangerous creatures, making acquiring their scales a remarkable feat.
The price soared dramatically after this revelation, but gradually slowed down as it surpassed the value of a Duke's entire territory. Eventually, the bidding ceased.
"THE LADY WEARING THE FOX MASK ACQUIRES IT FOR A MILLION GOLD," the host announced, causing the crowd to gasp in astonishment. Despite the astronomical price, they understood that the dress was indeed worth its value. The audience couldn't tear their eyes away from the captivating garment.
The auction continued with other items, albeit with less intensity. In the dimness of the VIP section, seated in a corner, was a person wearing a wolf mask. His deep blue eyes were visible through the mask, and he observed the proceedings with disinterest, sighing out of boredom.
Ze, who had arrived at the auction house well before it began, had put up his own items for sale—the drake tooth, mana cores, and even the mesmerizing dress. The greedy individuals of the auction house had eagerly welcomed him upon seeing his rare items. However, Ze found the human greed tedious and monotonous, even more so than disrupting Fran's work. It had already been two hours since the auction started, yet the items he sought had yet to appear.
*Haaaa*
He let out a sigh, coinciding with a sudden silence that fell over the auction hall. The air became tense.
"WELL, SINCE WE HAVE COVERED THE NORMAL ITEMS, SHALL WE MOVE ON TO THE SPECIALTIES OF OUR AUCTION HOUSE...," the host slyly addressed the audience. However, instead of a response, all the lights focused on the stage.
For the first time since the start of the auction, the curtains opened wide, revealing numerous races bound by chains. Orcs, dwarfs, and others stood there, dressed impeccably and clean unlike their typical depictions in novels, though their eyes betrayed, a clouded consciousness. They seemed intent on presenting the items in their best condition.
Ze watched them with cold eyes.
"THIS BIDDING HAS THE SAME RULES AS BEFORE, AND THE HIGHEST BIDDER WINS. AND DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THEM NOT OBEYING YOU, WE HAVE PUT A SPELL THAT BINDS THEM TO YOUR COMMAND," the host announced in a cheerful voice.
The many gazes of the rich scanned the item one by one. There were only males present on the stage.
"WE SHALL START WITH THE ORC WARRIOR HERE. HE HAS A BIG BUILD AND TOUGH PHYSIQUE. YOU CAN USE HIM AS A GUARD OR AN ESCORT. HE WILL SHIELD YOU FROM DANGER," the host presented the item.
The bidding slowly started, increasing in price, but the prices were even lower than that of a monster material.
With the bidding for the male finished, the section of females was brought. This time, many chimed in to bid, and the bids were higher than those for the male. Male slaves can do hard work without pay, but female slaves... well, let's not talk about those. There were many races present, and the age range of the people they brought was between adults and teens.
But the one who caught Ze's eyes were the orcish women. They had a big build with defined muscles, and two small tusks protruded out of their lower jaws. Even with their eyes clouded, their gaze was still fierce.
"Fran, I seem to have found your soulmate. Hahah," Ze chuckled as he murmured. Fran, who was cooped up in his office due to work, shivered unknowingly.
Soon she too was bid on.
Ze, who watched with cold eyes, didn't move. With an hour passed, the bidding came to an end. The crowd leaned back as the auction for today reached its end.
"Well," the host spoke, "Today is a bit special day." His sly words entered the ears of the audience. "Since it is a special day, we have one last very special item to present." He caused ripples in the calm atmosphere with his words. The excitement of knowing something special was still left, spreading among the crowd.
"We present to you the mythical race called Siren." The host sidestepped, the curtains opened, and the lights dimmed. A single light focused on the small steps that reached the stage. A child with blue eyes like jewels and waving azure blue hair, resembling that of the sea, appeared. With a tiny face that could be held in hands, Ze felt a stir of mixed emotions as he looked at her.
The child, less than ten years old, was bound by thick metal shackles and wore a pure white dress as she looked at the audience.
"THE BIDDING HAS NO STARTING VALUE," the host announced.
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