'Alex?!' Talia exclaimed mentally as her head snapped in the direction the voice came from.
However, instead of finding the devilishly handsome silver-haired jerk she thought she would find, she saw a tall figure wearing a long silver mantle and a swirling mask of smoke.
Seeing that it wasn't Alex as she thought, she became a little flustered and turned her head in another direction.
It's at that moment that the masked man spoke once again.
"I hope lady Talia won't take my outbidding her the wrong way," Alex said, "I just want to acquire this fine masterpiece."
'No doubt now, it's that jerk!' Talia concluded when she heard the way he emphasized the words "lady Talia," with a tone that suggested he didn't quite agree with her being called a lady.
'What is he doing here anyway?' she barely had this thought when she remembered that during their branch meeting a few weeks back, Alex did say that he would be traveling to the Drazen family to try to strike a deal with them.
'I guess he somehow succeeded,' Talia concluded as she glanced at the guards escorting Alex. 'It doesn't explain why he is competing with me for the piano though; he doesn't even play the instrument!'
She glanced up at him again, and Alex's swirling mask morphed and formed an innocent smile.
'Don't tell me he is doing so to spite me,' she realized with irritation, 'no, I'm certain he is doing so just to get under my skin. Where did he gain that much money, though?' she wondered.
Talia wasn't wrong in her assumption; a part of Alex only outbid her so he could spite her, but another part just did so that he could indeed acquire the piano.
"20000 gold coins proposed by this gentleman here, is someone going to place another offer?!" The auctioneer inquired as he cast a sneaky glance at Talia.
Alex and several people also turned to see if she was going to bid once again, but to their surprise and the disappointment of the auctioneer, she didn't do so.
"If you want this piano, then you can have it," Talia remarked.
Aware that he was trying to hide his identity, she didn't try to speak or interact with Alex and directly left the scene.
"If no one is bidding, then this piano will go to this gentleman for 20000 gold coins," the auctioneer announced, "20000 gold coins once, 20000 gold coins twice...20000 gold coins thrice."
"This fine masterpiece will then go to this gentleman for the sum of 20000 gold coins!" The auctioneer announced, gesturing at Alex.
The latter, however, wasn't even concentrating anymore as he watched Talia's departing figure. 'Hmm, I will have to give her a visit later,' Alex decided.
Minutes later, the transaction was done and the beautiful piano was now comfortably sitting in his space ring.
'Let's see if I can find another interesting thing here before Freya comes out.'
****
At the same time Alex strolled in the auction market, Freya, Frieda, and the elders' meeting was taking place.
"Do you understand what we said?" Dar spoke firmly, "you must ensure that no harm comes to Arcanor. As long as you can fulfill them without too much loss, don't hesitate to accommodate his wishes. We must keep him and his organization as allies for as long as we can."
"Understood," Freya and Frieda nodded.
"Actually," Freya added, "Sir Arcanor has acquired the Tear of Knowledge and would like to bring out its full potential. I suggested he could visit the library elder Sareth created for Maya. I hope there isn't a problem with that?"
"Not really," Sareth waved a hand, "just make sure to report to me the 'books' he 'uses' inside the library, and I will replace them."
Freya wanted to point out that it would actually be Amelia entering the library, but in the end, she judged it wasn't necessary to bring it up.
"Wait," Frieda interjected, "I hope the Tear of Knowledge you're talking about isn't the one we're going to auction."
"It's actually that one," Freya replied calmly, "Sir Vesper decided to take back his treasure and gifted it to Sir Arcanor."
"It's inadmissible!" Frieda exclaimed, "the Tear of Knowledge is one of the ten stars of this year's auction. It can't be removed now that the auction is set to start the day after tomorrow!"
"And how do you plan to stop Baron Vesper from retrieving his treasure when, according to the contract he signed with us, he has the right to take it back as long as it hasn't been auctioned?" Freya inquired, glancing at Frieda as if she was stupid.
"...."
Despite her earlier outburst, Frieda couldn't find anything to retort. It was indeed stipulated in the contract that Vesper—or anyone else, for that matter—could retrieve their treasures as long as they hadn't yet been auctioned, provided they paid the fine for doing so.
"No need to fret over this," elder Sareth waved his hand dismissively. "We will replace the Tear of Knowledge with the smoke potions, and that will suffice."
Frieda gritted her teeth but nodded in agreement.
"Now, Frieda," elder Sareth continued, "leave us alone with Freya. We have matters to discuss privately with the matriarch."
Frieda's hands clenched tightly, but ultimately, she nodded and, after casting one last glare at Freya, left the room.
"Now," elder Sareth began, her tone turning solemn, "we've received updates from the front lines with the Gast kingdom, and the situation is deteriorating, to say the least."
Sareth sighed, weariness etched on her face. "Both sides appear to be mobilizing for an all-out war, which could break out within months. Consequently, the imperial family has raised taxes on the population and noble families alike. Each noble family is now also required to provide a contingent of soldiers, who will likely be dispatched to the front. You'll have to oversee this."
"Understood," Freya nodded, unsurprised by the directive.
"That's not all," Sareth continued, "with the looming war, tensions among noble families are expected to escalate, and some may seize the opportunity to settle old grudges. The empire's internal climate will grow increasingly volatile. We need to shield our people from this, so security around all the cities within our territories must be reinforced. Coordinate with the barons overseeing those cities to ensure that this is thoroughly implemented."
"It will be done," Freya nodded again.
"That will be all for now," Sareth said, "but before you leave, mind telling us what ability you gained this month?"
Freya's gaze flickered as elder Sareth brought up her ability. She had hoped they might overlook this topic, but it appeared they hadn't.
'Well, this month's ability isn't particularly beneficial to the family,' Freya thought to herself.
"I gained a mental ability this time," Freya replied. "It strengthens my mental resilience and enhances my thinking speed."
Sareth's expression shifted slightly with surprise at Freya's answer. 'Such an ability would have perfectly complemented my own... what a pity,' she mused, shaking her head.
"Though this month's ability may benefit only you directly, it's still a valuable one. It should help you manage the increased workload that's likely to begin this month," Sareth remarked. "That's everything for now; you may go."
Freya nodded one last time before taking her leave.
No sooner had she exited than the eyes of the two elders beside Sareth snapped open once again.
"She's hiding something. I believe the ability she gained is more than what she revealed," Dir remarked, his gaze lingering on the spot where Freya had stood moments before.
"I know," Sareth sighed, "but we can't press her too hard to reveal every detail of her abilities. Doing so would only strain her relationship with the elders, and we can't afford that. Freya is far too valuable to the future of this family."
"True," Dar nodded in agreement. "As long as she fulfills her duties as expected, she can keep the specifics of her abilities to herself. Frankly, I'm more concerned about Frieda. Her hunger for power and her animosity towards Freya make her a potential threat. Her actions may end up harming the family more than benefiting it."
"I completely agree," Dir added. "I wouldn't be surprised if she played a part in Maya's kidnapping. Frieda is too volatile to remain the head of the main branch."
"Unfortunately, as long as that old relic backs her, there's little we can do," Sareth sighed once more. "For now, we'll keep a close watch and see how events unfold."