Aimlessly crawling through the tight vents, the boys reached a fair distance from where they've been.
"Now where should we go?" Choco asked, looking back at Marsh following right behind him.
"Why are you asking me? Aren't you the one leading the way?"
"Hey, I only got us out that trap hole. You're the brains in our operations, YOU tell me what to do or where to go."
Marsh sighed, "Fine, but you have to stop farting on my face! I get you're skilled without making a sound, but it still reeks."
"Heh, can't compromise that."
Marsh rolled his eyes, "Just keep crawling." And shoving him on the bum forward. The two kept on crawling, passing through vent holes where they see different places within the base. And one place in particular stood out the most for the two.
"Ohh, how about we stop by over here?" Choco suggested, peeking at a pantry filled with freshly packed food, their stomachs grumbled at the mouth watering aroma.
"Hmm, I can go for some snacks."
"And I'll take some to go!"
"Okay, let's go!"
Choco kicked out the ventilation grills and jumped out the hole, falling flat on his face. "Ow—" and Marsh followed, landing on top of him, "—OW!"
"Shh, don't make too much noise." Marsh warned, going straight to the shelves of packed chips and biscuits, "We have to stay quiet, I don't want us to get caught again." He grabs a pack of biscuits and ate it while Choco browsed through his options.
"Sure thing, I just gotta find something." He said, checking the shelves of packed pastries.
"Just grab the first thing and eat already." Marsh uttered with a full mouth.
"You don't understand, Marsh. We'll never get the chance to eat food like this again, you know. So I'll take my time to choose, thank you very much—OHH! BAVARIAN CREAM PUFFS!?" Choco takes a box and jumped in excitement, "AND IN MY FAVORITE BRAND TOO!?"
"CHOCO!" Marsh sternly calls out his name, though Choco was too caught up in the moment he reunited with his favorite food. Choco already filled his mouth with cream puffs, even taking more boxes with him.
"Ugh, we should go back and find another place before we—" then as Marsh was trying to climb back up to the vent hole, they heard the pantry door open with a couple of voices talking to each other.
"Hey, did you hear that? I think there's someone inside the pantry."
"That's probably just your schizo working. 'Cause last time I checked, you still haven't taken your meds."
Two masked stewards entered the pantry with empty food carts. Marsh and Choco quickly hid themselves as they observe them filling up the carts with packed food to serve for the members in the auctionary, though one of them remained wary of the voices she just heard.
"We should make sure the place is clear." The stewardess insisted, seeing that the cream puff section was missing a few boxes, "Somebody snuck inside and stole a couple boxes of cream puffs."
The two hiding boys glanced at each other nervously while both their faces were stuffed with snacks they stole.
"Ugh, must be the guys from the foraging operations again. You check that side, and I'll check over there."
Marsh almost choked when the stewards were going to look around inside the room, and when he looks at Choco, he can tell that he was already scheming something. Shaking his head to discourage him, Choco was already set on going with his little plan.
"Dude!" Marsh whispered, tugging him by the sleeve, convincing him to enter and hide in the vent, though by the time the guy found them, Choco knocked him out with a swift punch on the chin.
The guy drops to the ground, worrying his partner. "Hey! Are you alright? What happened—" She ran up to him and found the suspects. "—Ahh!"
Choco was going to knock her out as well but he stopped in his tracks when he found it was a woman. "Crumbs, I don't punch girls!"
The stewardess was about to scream, "INTRU—" and in a state of panic, Marsh grabs a tray from the shelf and knocked her out on the head.
"What the crumbs! Dude, you just hit a girl!"
"Well we can't just let her go screaming around!" Marsh defended, looking over the unconscious bodies before them, particularly their masks and uniforms. "Hmm..."
"Let's go back to the vents already. Oh, and take more snacks with you so we've got more to eat later." Choco was about to head back when Marsh stops him in his tracks. "Wait, this gives me an idea."
While the two goes on about Marsh's new plan, the auctionary has already been over with the opening remarks, proceeding to the first item for bidding.
Ordinary bidders were seated in a row of chairs, holding on to their paddles. While premium members have their exclusive elevated seating arrangements and servants that grants them access to quality meals and beverages from different kingdoms.
"Hm, I'd like to get a taste of that 'wine' from the Fruit Empire." Lady Cocoa ordered after looking through the menu, although her face was masked to hide her identity, she can't stop smiling with delight to have the nearest seat from the stage. It has the best view to offer, and she can't wait to lay her eyes on the Crystal Grain.
"Here you go, my lady." The servant offers her the cup of red wine, and after taking a sip, she liked the biting mix of sour and bittersweet taste of that wine. "Mm, how... interesting." She utters.
"Now for our first item!" Shru announced, he was promoted to serve as the host for the auction. "This is the dress tailored by the renowed designer, Baroness Creme Cheesecake for the Duchess of Strawberry Dukedome during the reigns of King Sugar Cube VIII. This dress has been weaved with the finest golden caramel patterns and pink jellybean jewels to represent the Duke's tremendous love for his wife. Now for the starting price..." And the bidding began.
While Lady Cocoa watches the live bidding, sipping on her wine peacefully, behind her appeared Sir Amarel, "My lady." He greeted.
"Dear me! Don't surprise me like that, I could've thrown this fragile cup at you. So what are you here for." She got straight to the point.
"Oh my, won't you prefer small talk first?"
"I'd rather you get to the point, good sir. Don't bore me to death." Lady Cocoa emptied her cup and turned to her servant, "And you, fetch me more of that wine."
"Understood, my lady." Then as the two were left alone together, Sir Amarel continued, "I see you've taken interest in their wine, what unique taste you've got. I prefer my drink plain sweet."
"Of course you do." She scoffed, becoming a little impatient with him. "Get on with it, will you?"
"Okay, I've heard you've been trying to dissolve your engagement to the Crown Prince. If the true heir to the Fudge Dukedom comes back, how do you think things will turn out for you?"
"Excuse me?" Lady Cocoa removed her mask to glare at him with her bare face, "I'm already the true heir in the Fudge Dukedom!" She pressed.
Sir Amarel unmasked himself as well, "Calm down, my lady. What I'm trying to propose here is for your own benefit once your brother comes back."
"Benefit me how? What's this thing you're proposing exactly?" The pressure that comes from her words weighed on Sir Amarel, her intimidating glare made him hesitate but he still persisted in his little goal in this situation.
Sir Amarel takes a small box from his pocket and presented it to Lady Cocoa, "I'm just saying, if you successfully dissolve your engagement and your brother comes back, will you agree to be—"
"Goodness! I can't take this any longer." Lady Cocoa cut him off before he can even ask the question and walks away from him. "Wait, my lady, where are you going?!"
"Rest room."
"Then let me accompany you."
"I'm not a child, I can go on my own."
"At least take a servant with you!"
Lady Cocoa managed to escape from Sir Amarel, it upsets her to receive another proposal from another greedy man. Although she really did need to find the rest room after finishing a whole bottle of wine, and after walking down the halls, she finds herself at an unfamiliar place not knowing how to get back.
"Oh shoot." She mumbled to herself, "I think I'm lost."