Kael pulled the cloth-wrapped statue from his satchel and carefully placed it on the velvet-lined counter. "We have an item for appraisal."
Melissa added. "We believe it is adamantine. We need Master Kaiser for the appraisal."
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The attendant’s sharp eyes flickered with interest before he nodded. "Right this way, please." One should praise him for his calmness even after the word, adamantine.
They were led through a set of intricately carved wooden doors into a smaller, private chamber. Here, under the watchful gaze of armored guards, an elderly man sat behind a wide mahogany desk. His robes were lined with silver embroidery, and the various monocles and lenses tucked into his belt suggested a man well-versed in his craft.
"Master Kaiser, these guests have brought an artifact for evaluation."
The appraiser, Kaiser, adjusted his spectacles and motioned for the item. "Let’s see what we have here."
Melissa was standing before him, but this man’s entire attention seemed to be on the item in Kael’s hands.
Kael placed the golden statue before him. It was a small, intricately detailed figurine of a mythical beast, its metallic sheen catching the light in mesmerizing hues. Kaiser hummed in thought as he ran his gloved fingers along its surface.
Pulling out a small enchanted lens, he inspected the fine details, then produced a tiny vial of alchemical solution. With practiced ease, he applied a single drop onto the metal, watching the reaction closely. After a moment, the liquid shimmered and solidified into tiny crystalline patterns.
Kaiser’s brows lifted in surprise. "Interesting... Very interesting."
He took out a small etching tool, trying to scratch a barely visible mark on the base but nothing happened. The way the metal resisted the blade made him nod in satisfaction. Finally, he pulled out a ledger, scribbled a few notes, and then turned his gaze toward them.
"This is a fine piece," he admitted. "I believe it is made of atleast fifty percent adamantium alloy if my evaluation is correct. That alone makes it a rare find."
Melissa exchanged a glance with Kael.
Kaiser then leaned back in his chair. "Regarding the price, I will need to discuss this with our auction house manager. In the meantime, please wait in our private lounge. This shouldn’t take long."
A servant escorted them to a comfortable waiting chamber, furnished with plush velvet seats and a tray of complimentary refreshments. Other sellers and collectors lounged nearby, whispering amongst themselves as they awaited their own appraisals.
After a short time, the door opened, and Kaiser returned—this time accompanied by a woman with sharp features and an air of authority.
Bertha Sand, the auction house manager, was dressed in deep crimson robes, a golden chain draped over her shoulder as a symbol of her rank. She assessed them with a cool, calculating gaze before settling into the chair across from them.
Without any proper introduction, she spoke. "The house is prepared to offer you a flat payment of 500,000 gold coins for the statue."
Kael studied her expression. Straight to business. No hesitation. She continued, "Alternatively, we can put it up for auction, but the commission for the auction will be 20%, and the auction is scheduled to take place in about 16 days."
After a short time, Kaiser returned with Bertha. The manager’s expression was professional, and she wasted no time in making her offer. "We can give you a flat payment of 600,000 gold coins for the statue," she said coolly.
Kael’s heart sank at the 600,000 gold coins on offer. It was far less than he had expected, especially given the rarity of the item. However, before he could speak, Melissa stepped forward.
Her eyes glimmered with calculation, and she calmly addressed Bertha, her voice steady and firm.
"That’s far too low for something of this caliber," Melissa said, her tone cool yet confident. "This statue is 60% adamantium, which is incredibly valuable. Moreover, look at its fine design, the five-clawed gold dragon of Moonstone House. For a relic of an ancient house, you could easily fetch between 3 to 4 million gold coins from any of the wealthy nobles who would want this piece for their collection."
Kael’s eyes widened in surprise at Melissa’s boldness. 2 million was a figure he had never even considered, and hearing her mention it made his mind race. Even though he had thought the 600,000 gold coins offer was too low, 2 million was a huge jump.
He turned to Melissa, a mix of admiration and concern on his face. "Do you really think it’s worth that much?" he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.
Melissa didn’t flinch. "Absolutely. This material is not only rare, but it’s also sought after by those with deep pockets who appreciate the craftsmanship and quality of such items. And with its history tied to your ancestors, you should never settle for less than its worth."
"My ancestors?" Kael wondered what she was smoking on. The thing has nothing to do with his family. He merely changed its shape because he couldn’t think of anything else better. But she turned it into a Moonstone House relic instead. As someone who also lies from time to time, he couldn’t help but praise that poker face of hers.
Master Appraiser, meanwhile, finally got a good look at her face. He recognized her and was taken aback at first. But he didn’t back down and counterargued. "A relic? The paint was new, Princess. And it has clear signs that it has been reforged very recently."
"Princess?" Bertha was taken aback this time. She gave another glance at Melissa. However, she didn’t recognize her.
Melissa replied. "Master Kaiser, it was a reforge, not made recently. The relics would obviously go rusty and old. We had to do it. But, will that reduce the value of this product or would it reduce its history? Even if you put its history aside, A simple block of adamantine itself would be sold for a million or two if you put it in an auction. If you are offering 600,000 at face value, you would be trying to swindle your clients. Do you really want to go down that road just because you have full autonomy granted by my mother? I’m sorry, I mean… Her Majesty?"
The words, swindle, and Her Majesty were enough to scare the lights off the manager.
Bertha exchanged a brief glance with Kaiser, who remained silent before she spoke again, this time maintaining more politeness. "Your Highness, I understand that the adamantium content is significant, but even so, we can’t pay an astronomical price for it right off the bat. You can opt to place it in the auction. It is scheduled to take place in about 16 days."
Melissa, however, wasn’t inclined to wait. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she responded, her voice calm but edged with determination. "If we have such a time to wait, do you think we would come to the auction house with our ancestral treasure? Anyway, if you weren’t interested in the item or not willing to give it a fair price, we would go directly to the nobles or even post a quest in the guild. Adventurers might not care about such a beautifully decorated item, but the nobles will certainly appreciate it. Even if we don’t get the full price that we could at auction, I’m confident we could still get 2-2.5 million gold for it without much trouble."
Kael, though a little surprised at how bluntly Melissa was negotiating, remained quiet, watching the exchange unfold. With his acute senses, he could easily see through the manager and the appraiser, too. He could see that they were influenced by her words and reconsidering about negotiation.
Just like Kael expected, Bertha hesitated for a moment, clearly feeling the pressure of Melissa’s words.
First of all, the item can be sold at a high price, but as Melissa mentioned, only nobles would be interested in such items. The competitors would be very few.
Secondly, she wasn’t confident about selling it for more than the Princess quoted.
Thirdly, it was the princess. She cannot disregard her subtle warning. Regardless of their honest reputation, the auction house is still a business entity, and all business entities would be involved in corruption and shady deals.
What should she do? Bertha took a deep breath, calmed her mind and tried to negotiate.
"Alright," Bertha said slowly, after thinking it over, "I can offer you 1 million gold coins for the statue. That’s the most I can give you directly."
Melissa crossed her arms, considering the offer. "1 million is still too low," she said, her voice unwavering. "But seeing your effort, I will also take a step down. 1.8 million. It’s only fair. And besides, it’s not like we are strangers. We live in the same city, and who knows, we might sell a few more treasures in the future. If your auction house is serious about securing more valuable pieces in the future, you need to show sincerity in your offers."
Bertha raised an eyebrow at Melissa’s boldness, clearly taken aback by her demand. "1.8 million, you say?" she replied, skeptical but unwilling to dismiss the offer. "Your Highness, as it stands, I don’t think this item will fetch more than 1.5 million at auction. Even with all the adamantium in it, that’s pushing the limits of its worth. We need to make some profits too. 1.2 million. We can’t offer more than this amount. Not anymore."
Kael leaned in slightly, whispering to Melissa, "Maybe we should just take the 1.2 million. It’s still a fair price, considering the circumstances. We don’t have to push it any further."
Melissa, however, shook her head in response, her eyes gleaming with resolve. "No."