"THE BIDDING HAS NO STARTING VALUE," with those words, the excited crowd, which had already thrown so much money into the auction, still bid frantically for the final item.
It was because a siren is said to have the ability to entice a person with the power of their song; they could heal a person who is near death, at the same time make a well person go insane. Such a mythical creature was before their eyes.
"1500 gold!" shouted a man in a raccoon mask.
"3000 gold!" shouted a man in a cat mask.
"4000 gold!" shouted another. Likewise, the bidding amount frantically increased.
With the astronomical price the bidding reached, the crowd from the lower seats stopped their bidding. The bidders who continued were the ones from the VIP seats. The ones in the VIP section opened their pockets and poured out gold. "100,000 gold," "Hundred thousand gold coins bid by the sir in the golden bear mask," the host shouted.
At this point, the bidding dramatically slowed. No one was foolish enough to throw more money after spending it on the previous items items.
"100,500 gold."
"Hundred thousand five hundred by the sir in the otter mask."
"101,000 gold."
"102,000 gold."
"103,000 gold."
....
"1,000,000 gold." A lady's voice rang out. The amount bid froze the crowd; it was a massive jump from the previous bids.
"One million gold by the lady in the fox mask," the host shouted enthusiastically.
He had already drained most people's money with his words; he smiled under the mask as he would be given a small percentage of the bid money. The host looked at the crowd, checking to see if anyone would bet, but the people present were shocked by the amount bid by the lady.
"Seems no one is bidding, so shall we conclude the auction then?" the host scanned the crowd. "I shall ring the bell three times; if you are going to bid, please do so before the third bell."
The lady in the red dress brought a bell to the host.
*Ring!*
The host rang the bell.
*Ring!*
He looked at the crowd to see if anyone would object.
*Huuuu*
He took a breath, getting ready for the third bell.
"I will pay the fox lady's life worth," a voice rang from the VIP section. The crowd turned toward the voice.
*Ring!*
The host, startled, rang the third bell. He looked at the VIP section where the voice had come from. In the dark corner of the VIP section sat a man; he was sitting lazily. No one had noticed him since the beginning. With his blue eyes gazing at the stage, especially at the child, bound by shackles.
The host, who couldn't understand his words, found resolution in his deep blue eyes that were visible through the mask.
"Sir, please bid with a tangible value," the host asked.
Without moving from his position, he voiced, his voice muffled by the mask. "You can ask the lady in the fox mask how much her life is worth. I will pay the amount she says without a coin missing, no matter how high the price is."
With his gaze unmoving, his voice without a stutter, full of confidence that he could pay any amount the lady might say, "So, how much is your life worth?" he asked. It was then his gaze moved to the lady in the fox mask.
The crowd felt overwhelmed; they were amazed by the fact that he had the confidence that he could pay an amount that could be close to infinite if the lady were to price her life.
"Sir, please bid with a clear amount in gold," the host asked again, trying to defuse the tense situation.
"Well, how can you say that? Aren't you doing the same by adding a price tag to a child's life? Then shouldn't all the people present have a price for their life?" His gaze scanned the crowd and focused back on the lady.
"Then how much is your life worth, Ms. Fox?" he questioned. The lady, sensing the gaze of many people looking at her and waiting for the answer, took a small breath. She voiced her response, "Well, comparing the child who is treated as an item and the one who is about to own her on the same plate, do you think our worth is remotely comparable?" She questioned him back.
"I do understand your argument. Normally, a person's worth is decided by many factors: their talent, lineage, position, and so on. But I am adding your life's worth to the child's, that is my reasoning. Don't all people die if they are stabbed?" he answered without backing down.
"Are we going to argue about a life's worth?" she questioned, turning toward the man who had asked about her life's worth for the first time. But he just shook his head. "All I am asking is for the price to be paid," he voiced.
"So, you want me to decide the value of the child's life? Are you going to pay any amount I say?" she provocatively questioned.
"Yes," came a simple answer. All the people who were tense, including the host, due to the situation, waited for the lady to set the price.
"Shouldn't a lady as gorgeous as you also be generous?" he mischievously added.
The lady, with a smile forming on her lips under her mask, responded, "Trying to flatter me. Then don't you think this lady's worth should be at least enough to buy a kingdom?"
"The fox mask suits you well," He stood up from his seat and walked toward the lady. The guards who came with her stood up, blocking his path. The lady looked at him through the gap between her guards.
He bowed slightly, with his hand to his chest, and said, "Shouldn't I get acquainted with the generous lady who bid my dress with a generous price?"
"Oh, it was you who put the dress on the table?"
"It is but one of my many collections."
"If it is, then we really should get acquainted."
The lady, who listened to him, then waved her hand, asking the guards to move. He moved forward, took her hand, and kissed its back. "Let me introduce myself. I am Ze. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," she replied.
With their brief exchange, he turned to the stage and straightened his coat, which was void black. Even the people near him couldn't perceive its dimensions.
"Shouldn't I end this event with a bang?" With those words, he stepped on the railing and leapt toward the stage.
*Clack!*
With a glass-breaking sound, the barrier that surrounded the stage broke. It was set to keep people from interfering with the auction, like at that moment.
"Sir, what are you doing?" the host panicked.
Landing in front of the child, who looked at him in a daze, he took a cookie out of his pocket and extended it to the child. "Take it. They are delicious."
The child's blue eyes looked at the cookie in front of her, and the smell of the fresh cookie entered her nose. She lifted her small hands, bound by shackles, and took the cookie from his hand.
He turned and looked toward the lady, whose eyes betrayed her hidden interest. He spoke, "My lady, how can I sit still when they are trying to scam you, who has been generous to them?" he said in a pained voice, but the crowd could tell he was smiling under his mask.
"Sir, what are you talking about? Our auction house will never try to scam our customers," the host said to reassure them. But people's gaze stabbed him with doubt. They were also invested in the event.
"Well, she is no siren," he said bluntly.
The host panicked, "Sir, we have already checked her abilities."
"But she is still no siren. Sirens do exist in this magic-filled land, but they live in the depths of the sea. They have blue skin with fish scales, and..."
He moved next to the child, who was munching on the cookie he had given her, and brushed her hair near her ears. Her clearly defined ears became visible—they were triangular.
"She is an elf," he stated, tilting his head and looking at the host, questioning him.
"Sir, w-we clearly saw her ability to heal others with a song," the host said in panic but at the same time signaled the guards.
"Well, that is because this child is blessed by the spirits. That's why she was able to heal someone with her song. Don't misjudge her race due to your lack of understanding," he criticized the host with his words.
"Sir, what are you getting at?" the host gave up.
"What I am saying is that this child is worth more than a siren. She is as rare as a twin-colored dragon," he declared, stunning the crowd.
"Yes, she is priceless. So, wouldn't a kingdom be worth it, at the very least?" he asked the lady.
The lady, looking back at him, covered her mouth, clearly holding back laughter that was threatening to escape. She couldn't believe this man, who had stopped her from bidding, was now explaining all this. No... he was clearly playing with everyone here. He had used the opportunity to get acquainted, using the excuse of arguing with her, and had stopped the auction by claiming the girl was not a siren.
She didn't know what he was up to, but if his goal was to impress her, he had succeeded.
"Sir, is this why you stopped the auction?" the host felt like tearing his hair out. This guy had intervened in the auction just to spout nonsense. Are you kidding me?
"Sir, please return to your seat," the host said in frustration.
"Why would I?" he tilted his head, challenging the host's words.
"Sir?"
"Why would I return? I came to raid your auction," he said in a cheerful voice. As his voice echoed through the theater, no one spoke. The lady seemed more intrigued than frightened by what was about to unfold.
"Then," the host waved his hand, indicating that he was done dealing peacefully.
The guards rushed at Ze, but with a wave of his hand, four heads rolled onto the stage and blood splattered.
Ze turned to the crowd, a smirk on his face.
"Well, shall we see how much your lives are worth?"
*****