Upon that stage were Elves, almost 30 in number and all of whom were women. Each and every one of them appeared hand-picked for beauty, with crystal-white skin and voluptuous figures. Each of them wore articles of clothing that could barely be described as bikinis, which covered only the least modest parts of their bodies. It was as if they were clad in nothing but jewellery, drawing the eye towards their heaving chests and child-bearing hips. The Elves stood in one line, close enough that those of them with the largest breasts were squishing against one-another.
Before another instant could pass, some of the partygoers started to yell out, which quickly became a storm of unintelligible noise where only the loudest of voices were heard clearly.
"10,000 for the one in the middle!"
"11,000!"
"I want that tanned one on the left! 8,000 gold!"
"13,000 for the one with the largest chest!"
"14,000!"
"15,000!"
It was a familiar atmosphere to one such as Barion, who had visited many auctions in his time. No matter the item, he bore witness to attendees that were willing to pay ridiculous amounts for the most unassuming of objects. The passion in their words never ceased, whether it was aristocrats battling over a fine work of art or farmers looking to purchase a herd of sheep. Only now, the auctioneers had become shameless perverts looking to satisfy themselves with the best slaves money could buy, frothing at the mouth over bare flesh, men and women alike.
"Barion!" Din was now yelling, though he could only just hear her, "This is-"
"I know." He blinked, "We'll have all the evidence we need after this is done."
"After!?" She replied, "Are you going to let these people be sold like cattle!? Barion!"
Din's words faded from earshot as he began pushing through the crowd to the very front, where the arms of the auctioneers pointed freely towards the stage. How did it work, he wondered? Perhaps they were just making their intentions known before the auction started for real. The Elves, who covered their immodest bodies in a fashion that, to him, made the scene appear even more erotic, dared not to move or meet eyes with any of the attendees. Though, as Barion raised one hand into the air, a single finger pointing to the ceiling, he locked gazes with the centremost Elf, whose eyes seemed almost disbelieving at his presence.
"I will purchase every Elf on this stage for 1,000,000 gold pieces!"
It was as if a murder had just taken place in the room. All of a sudden, the deafening chatter of the auctioneers ceased, and all the attention which was once focused on the Elves now resided solely with Barion. Those who stood closest to him made way, as if to crystallise the presence he had created. An entirely different sphere of wealth, separated from even those who were particularly well-off. Only the slow clapping of a single individual--that of the governor's, stood out from atop the grand staircase just seconds later.
"Hohoho…" His laughter was quite jovial, "It seems we have a true connoisseur in our midst. Every slave, you say?"
"Each and every one." Barion confirmed, "1,000,000 gold coins, to be paid before the end of the night. A lump sum."
Such money was unheard of. Indeed, upon his declaration, even the governor was given pause by the sheer number, though the tone in Barion's voice alone was enough to convince him that the offer had not been made in error, "What joys, to have attracted such a wise investor! Rest assured, sir, these Elves have undergone a rigorous set of tests to ensure their submissiveness and fertility! 1,000,000 gold is a generous offer indeed. Rest assured, it shall be put to use benefitting the fine people of Shulm."
"I don't doubt it, your lordship." Barion replied, "But I am a busy man. These Elves must be ready to leave the city before dawn."
"And your wish shall be granted! Guards! Prepare these slaves for departure at once!"
Guards who were hidden at the sides of the stage quickly moved to restrain and drag the Elves away, eliciting cries of frustration from the party's attendees. Once the stage was empty, the curtains were lowered, and the lights in the hall were reignited. Governor Gleen beckoned with a stout arm at Barion, "Come up here, sir, and let us finalise the details of our transaction!"
On his way to the staircase, Din quickly ran to join Barion's side, "Barion! What are-"
"Don't say a word." He muttered, "Follow my lead, even if it's degrading."
"Uh-" Somehow, his words made her a little embarrassed, "O-Okay…"
With nothing left to wager on, most of the patrons had already started heading for the hall's exits, grumbling in disappointment all the while as the two met with the governor on the landing of the staircase. It really was quite impressive how short he was upon closer inspection. Almost immediately, his eyes fell upon every inch of Din's body, "Ah. Yours, I presume?"
"My very favourite." Barion confirmed, "But she does get rather lonely on occasion. Hopefully this purchase will remedy that."
"I guarantee your satisfaction, sir. May I have your name?"
"Barion."
"Well, if it has not already been said, then I am Gleen, governor of Shulm." He introduced himself formally, "Please, come. I am eager to seal this most lucrative deal."
The three of them meandered through the decorated upper halls of the mansion, where impossibly, there seemed to be even more guards than below. Two such knights, who were stationed by a set of double doors, stamped their feet in respect and saluted as Gleen pushed the doors open and ushered his guests into a lush office. Seating himself upon a particularly high chair, he greeted Barion and Din, who sat opposite him, as a businessman.
"1,000,000 is quite the sum, Lord Barion. I trust you will have no trouble upholding your promise to pay in full before the night is over? That only leaves you an hour or so, after all."
"Give me just a moment." He requested, and reached for the pouch on his belt. There was a great clattering, more so than there realistically could have been, as he seemed to push his entire arm into the pouch, until it reached his shoulder. And then, after a fashion, he procured from it something which glimmered beneath the room's chandelier--a gem which appeared to reflect five different shades of colour, bathing Barion's hand in a kaleidoscope of light. Not only did it appear as an otherworldly treasure, but the gem itself was cut finely and with great precision, as if by the hand of a true professional. Upon sighting the gem, Gleen could not help but slam his hands on the table in amazement, "T-That… it cannot be-"
Barion smiled as he placed the gem onto the table, "This is a fragment of the crystal once held by Tiamat, the queen of dragons." He explained, "It reflects the tell-tale colours of the five dragon species--fire, ice, lightning, dark and holy. As you can see, it still retains its lustre 500 years after the monster's death."
Gleen and Din both could not do anything but stare at the object in disbelief. One of the four sacred treasures of the archfiends--those who were once the commanders of the Demon King's armies. Even if it was just a small fragment, the value of such a thing was incalculable.
"Where…" Gleen blinked slowly, "How did you come into possession of this!?"
"It's been a treasure in my family for centuries. Then again, it is just an heirloom at the end of the day, albeit a very ancient one. It would make for quite the endearing decoration, though, wouldn't it?"
Leaning forward, Barion continued, "Actually, you could probably get a lot more than 1,000,000 gold for this. If you presented it to the Holy Alliance, they'd shower you with as much as you desired. Maybe I should take it back after all…"
"No! No!" Gleen held out both hands, "This is more than enough, I assure you!"
"Ah, is that so? Fantastic. It's yours, then."
Upon hearing those words, Gleen greedily yanked the gem in both of his hands and stared into its crystalline structure with a look of pure bewilderment on his face. It was as if his pride as a man had disappeared, consumed by an all-encompassing opportunity. As he cradled the fragment close to his chest, he shot a glance back at Barion and Din, "...You may leave. I will have the Elves escorted by my finest guards to the city gates."
"A pleasure doing business with you."
"Ahh… Aaahhhhh~" Gleen, who had become enraptured by the crystal's beauty, did not react to his words, and so the two of them let themselves out of the room. Left alone to wander by the governor, it wasn't long before a guard escorted them back to the entrance, where a few of the auctioneers from before chatted angrily with one-another. In the corner of the mansion's courtyard, Din spotted the Elves from before being led into carriages.
"...So, what was that?" She asked, still in disbelief.
"What do you mean?"
"The-The crystal!" She elaborated matter-of-factly, "Was it an illusion? Or a fake?"
"Oh, that." Barion chuckled, "No, it was the real thing. A shard of the orb Tiamat once used to dominate the mainland with her army of dragons."
"I don't believe you."
"Well, it's the truth, so whether you believe me or not doesn't really matter." He retorted, "More to the point, we got what we came for. That hairclip of yours has all the evidence we'll need to have the governor locked away for the rest of his life, and to convince the Merchant's Guild to launch an official investigation into the city."
"Can we present it here?"
"I'll drop by the branch here in the city later. They'll relay it back to the capital."
"And…" A tiny smile appeared on Din's face, "We managed to save all those Elves, too."
"They won't be safe here. I'll have to arrange for someone to take them elsewhere."
"It'll be hard, leaving the peninsula behind… but that's what's best for them right now."
"The problem will never truly be solved. This is only a single case."
"But, even so…" She paused, "I'm happy that we managed to make a difference."
"For a thief, you certainly have a soft heart."