"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the annual academy auction! We have a fantastic lineup of items today, generously provided by our esteemed imperial nobles and talented students. Let's begin!"
The auctioneer's announcement drew everyone's attention to the stage, and the chatter in the hall quieted down. A woman dressed in casual yet elegant attire stepped onto the platform, she had the bronzed skin typical of those from House Terra, her muscles toned and well-defined, exuding a sense of strength and vitality.
She gestured to an assistant, who carried a small wooden chest onto the platform and opened it, revealing a gleaming silver amulet set with a large, deep blue sapphire.
"After our appraisal, this amulet can enhance the wearer's magical abilities," the auctioneer continued. "We'll start the bidding at one thousand credits."
The bidding began immediately, hands shooting up around the room as various students placed their bids.
" One thousand five hundred credits!" A student from House Ignis shouted out.
"Any more bids?" The auctioneer skillfully managed the flow, her voice rising and falling with each new bid. Finally, the amulet was taken by a House Ventus student for 5,000 credits.
At the start of each round, the young masters and students from the prominent families simply observed, choosing not to place any bids. Meanwhile, students from less influential families saw this as a chance to acquire valuable treasures and eagerly raised their bids.
With the annual test approaching, they were desperate to obtain these academy-certified items that could enhance their abilities—opportunities like this were scarce throughout the school year.
As the auction progressed, the excitement in the room grew. The auctioneer introduced each item with enthusiasm, her descriptions adding to the allure of each piece.
Alexander watched with interest as one rare item after another was brought forward, each more impressive than the last. There were enchanted weapons, rare spell scrolls, and even a few bottles of ancient potions, their contents swirling with mysterious energy.
Alexander watched as the prices climbed higher and higher, knowing that they were well beyond what he and his friends could afford. Still, it was exciting to witness the spectacle, to see the various students and nobles compete for each prized item.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the opening dish is now concluded. Up next, we have the crown jewel of this round. I'm sure many of you have been eagerly anticipating this!"
With that, the auctioneer waved her delicate hand, and the lights on the stage dimmed dramatically. A spotlight focused on a glass case, revealing a brown horn inside that glowed faintly in the dim light.
"The Devil's Horn," the auctioneer continued. "We recently recovered it from the ancient battlefield. Not only is it a rare and valuable material, but it also possesses formidable power. The starting bid is 50,000 credits."
As the crowd stared at the Devil's Horn inside the glass case, a tense silence filled the room. The guards from House Terra heightened their vigilance. A pair of eyes swept to the students and professors in the front row. Everyone knew that the nobles and professors were about to make their move.
"Eighty thousand," a professor in the front row called out, immediately raising the bid to eighty thousand. The room erupted in excitement.
"Eighty-one thousand."
"Eighty-two thousand."
"One hundred thousand."
"One hundred and fifteen thousand."
Finally, Lucian Draven, who had been observing quietly, entered the bidding with a calm and confident voice.
"Anyone else?" the auctioneer asked.
Silence fell over the room again, and just as Alexander thought the Devil's Horn would go to Lucian, a voice cut through the quiet.
"One hundred and sixteen thousand," said Dorian Nightshade, who had always been at odds with Lucian Draven.
"One hundred and seventeen thousand." Ignoring Dorian Nightshade, Lucian Draven was silent for a moment, and then slowly continued to raise the price.
"What's wrong, Lucian? Low on funds? I guess being the second son, you must don't come with as much money as your older brother gets. Weren't you very arrogant just now? Why only a thousand more now?" Hearing Lucian's bidding, Dorian immediately laughed out loud.
Being poked in the sore spot, Lucian clenched his right fist, glared at Dorian coldly, and did not curse at him.
"One hundred and twenty thousand." Seeing that there was no response to the ridicule, Dorian was also a little bored. He raised his hand and shouted lightly.
"One hundred and twenty-one thousand," Lucian countered coldly.
"One hundred and fifty thousand," Dorian said with a taunting grin, his face was full of provocation.
"One hundred and eighty thousand," Lucian replied, his palms betraying a slight tremor. What Dorian said before was unpleasant, but it had struck a nerve. Despite his standing in the family, most resources still went to his damn older brother. Thinking of this, Lucian's eyes darkened. But Lucian knew that as long as he got this horn, he would be one step closer to the success of the plan. He glanced at Lira, who was sitting next to Alexander. All that was left was to gain the support of the Valen family. As he looked at Alexander, a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.
"One hundred and eighty-one thousand."
"One hundred and eighty-two thousand."
As the two rivals continued to outbid each other who were almost fighting for their lives, the onlookers sighed in resignation. Even those with the means to participate in the bidding didn't dare interfere, wary of crossing either of the powerful families involved. Therefore, everyone present was very tactful and did not participate in this dispute. When the price finally reached two hundred thousand, Dorian withdrew, giving Lucian a smug smile.
In the fierce competition between the two parties, the auctioneer on the stage kept a charming smile and looked at the two people as if they were fat sheep ready for the slaughter. When the final price was determined, she struck the gavel in her hand with reluctance, to close the deal.
In the audience, Alexander leaned over to Elara and asked quietly, "Who was the guy bidding against Lucian?"
"Oh, him? That was Dorian Nightshade from the Nightshade family," Elara replied with a laugh. "I was going to introduce you to him before. Was it fun just now? Entertaining, right? Hahaha!"
"Very entertaining. I wonder if there'll be anything suitable bidding on in the next round?"
....
As if on cue, the auctioneer announced, "We now move on to the second round! As always, we'll start with an appetizer."
She bent down and retrieved a jade plate from the table, upon which sat a small white jade bottle.
"This is a bottle of magic water from the era of the Astraean Empire. It has been identified as having powerful healing properties and was especially valuable to House Aqua. The starting price is 2,000 credits."