Chapter 227: Preparation for the Auction Event Part – Two
Wow...
I completely forgot these two are Alchemists.
Park looked at both Lucy and Ezra with a strange expression.
A moment ago, he had simply been listening to their conversation.
Now, however, he wasn’t quite sure how to react.
I can understand the maid, but she’s really talking about fighting to the death like it’s normal.
His eyes shifted toward Lucy.
The young maid was still pouting slightly as she spoke to Ezra.
Then his gaze moved toward Ezra.
The boy looked completely unfazed.
As though the topic itself wasn’t worth thinking about.
Park rubbed his forehead.
Well...
He did survive the Trial of Steel.
Still, Alchemist children are really something else.
The man sighed quietly.
Then he clapped his hands once.
The sound drew both Lucy’s and Ezra’s attention.
"Alright, guys."
His usual energetic smile returned.
He stepped forward and folded his arms.
"You two should head back to the hotel and get some proper rest."
He pointed toward them.
"Tomorrow, the real work begins."
His tone became more serious.
"The Auction Event officially starts five days from now."
The reminder immediately brought everyone’s attention back to the main reason they were here.
"Okay."
Ezra nodded once.
His response remained simple.
Park didn’t mind.
At this point, he had already become used to Ezra’s way of speaking.
The three left the conference room together.
As they walked through the busy headquarters, employees occasionally greeted Park while sneaking curious glances toward Ezra.
Word had already spread throughout the building.
The inventor of Phantom Rolls was currently inside BNC Headquarters.
Eventually, Park escorted them outside and introduced them to the attendants responsible for arranging their accommodations.
After a brief exchange of greetings, the two were taken to their hotel.
The vehicle moved smoothly through Camford’s roads.
Before long, they arrived at one of Northwick’s most prestigious establishments.
A five-star hotel.
Not only one of the best hotels in Camford...
But one of the finest in the entire Dukedom.
The moment they entered; Lucy couldn’t help but look around.
Crystal lamps hung from the ceiling.
The marble floor reflected the lights above.
A fountain decorated the center of the reception hall.
The atmosphere itself felt expensive.
After completing the necessary procedures, they were escorted to their rooms.
Each room was practically a private suite.
There was a study area.
Large bookshelves.
A spacious bathing room.
A private dining corner.
Elegant furniture.
And decorations crafted from high-quality materials.
The level of luxury even surpassed what they had experienced aboard the Noble-Class Private Dirigible.
Lucy immediately threw herself backward onto one of the chairs.
"Ahhh..."
She stretched both arms toward the ceiling.
Her body relaxed instantly.
"I’m so tired from moving around everywhere."
Her eyes wandered toward the colorful crystal lamps placed neatly on Ezra’s study desk.
The lights reflected different colors across the room.
They looked beautiful even during the daytime.
"You should get used to traveling like this."
Ezra replied flatly.
He sat in the study section of his room.
Several folders rested on the desk before him.
One hand held a document.
The other held a slice of apple he had ordered from room service.
His eyes calmly moved through the pages.
The documents contained details regarding the Auction Event.
Schedules.
Procedures.
Few Guests information.
Presentation arrangements.
Everything he needed to know.
"Well..."
Lucy smiled softly.
"I’m enjoying it though."
She adjusted herself in the chair.
"Traveling and everything else."
A look of genuine happiness appeared on her face.
"It’s been a nice experience."
As she thought about everything that had happened since leaving the Trial Base, she suddenly realized something.
The two of them had been constantly moving.
One place after another.
One city after another.
One experience after another.
In a strange way...
It almost felt as though they were traveling across Britannia itself.
Exploring pieces of the world one step at a time.
Lucy chuckled lightly.
Then...
Her smile disappeared.
The memory of someone immediately surfaced.
Her brows furrowed.
"That Lara lady really annoyed me."
She folded her arms.
The frustration on her face was obvious.
Ezra didn’t even look up from the documents.
"She’s a professional."
He flipped a page.
"What did you expect?"
"I know that."
Lucy immediately replied.
Her voice carried lingering frustration.
"But it felt like she was targeting you because you said you didn’t know who she was."
She puffed her cheeks slightly.
The image looked almost childish.
"I know she did."
Ezra’s answer came without hesitation.
His tone remained as flat as always.
Lucy blinked.
He knew?
"Then why aren’t you annoyed?"
She asked.
Ezra finally lowered the document slightly.
His eyes shifted toward her.
"Because she wasn’t completely wrong."
The answer caught Lucy off guard.
Ezra placed the folder down.
"I already knew I made mistakes in that presentation video."
His fingers lightly tapped the document.
"And honestly..."
He paused.
"I know standing in front of people at this event won’t be easy."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Nobles and those Master Craftsmen are all troublesome."
That simple statement carried experience.
Far more experience than a thirteen-year-old should possess.
"Especially now that I’ve learned about the Scholar’s Bombardment."
Ezra stroked his chin thoughtfully.
His mind replayed Park’s explanation.
The concept itself didn’t worry him.
But it was something worth preparing for.
"Argh..."
Lucy’s shoulders immediately slumped.
She looked even more annoyed now.
"The jealous nobles and greedy craftsmen are definitely going to try everything possible to lower the value of your invention."
She scratched her hair in frustration.
"It’s so annoying."
Lucy leaned back.
"Why can’t things just work out normally?"
A heavy sigh escaped her mouth.
Ezra tilted his head slightly.
His blank eyes settled on her.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Then...
"Because that’s not how the world works."
His answer was simple.
Lucy pouted.
"Still."
"I’m not worried about it in the slightest."
Ezra calmly replied.
That immediately caught her attention.
Lucy straightened, while her eyes widened slightly.
"You’re not worried?"
Ezra placed the document aside completely.
"It’s my invention."
His voice remained calm.
"No matter how much they study it. No matter how much they criticize it. They’ll never know more about it than I do."
The confidence behind those words wasn’t arrogance.
It was a simple fact.
Lucy stared at him.
Surprised.
"Wait."
She leaned forward.
"You know all the disadvantages of your own creation?"
Ezra looked at her as though the answer was obvious.
"Lucy. As the creator, it’s natural that I know them."
He stretched out his hand.
His eyes followed the flow of Cognis moving through his veins.
The faint energy traveled through his arm and gathered near his palm before dispersing again.
"There is no such thing as a one hundred percent efficient product."
His fingers slowly curled into a fist.
"Even Alchemy doesn’t have one."
He tightened his grip briefly.
Then released it.
"Of course."
His gaze shifted toward her.
"That’s only true for creations below the Ninth Grade."
He returned to reading.
The conversation seemed finished in his mind.
Lucy remained quiet, then slowly nodded.
"Alright."
She relaxed a little.
The tension in her shoulders eased.
Her eyes drifted toward Ezra’s face.
The boy was already focused on work again.
As always.
"Don’t stay up too late."
She pointed at him.
Her tone sounded exactly like a mother scolding a child.
"You can’t afford to have dark circles under your eyes when you step onto the stage."
She folded her arms.
"So, make sure you sleep early."
"Good night."
Ezra replied immediately without even looking up.
Lucy stared at him helplessly for a few seconds.
Then she smiled.
A gentle smile.
"Good night, Master."
She waved softly.
After that, she left the room.
The door quietly closed behind her.
The suite became silent once more.
Only Ezra remained inside.
And the work that still waited for him.
He spent several more hours inside the study of his hotel suite.
The documents Park had given him were spread neatly across the study desk.
One after another, he carefully continued reading through them.
The room remained quiet.
Only the occasional sound of turning pages broke the silence.
By the time Ezra finished reading through the final document, the sky outside had already darkened completely.
The lights of Camford glowed beyond the large hotel window.
Steam lamps illuminated the streets below.
Steam-Carriages continued moving through the city, their lights creating long trails across the roads.
Ezra placed the last document aside.
Then he reached for his Starlix 11.
Since simply reading information wasn’t enough, he opened the official BNC Linsta page and searched for videos from previous Auction Events.
One by one, he watched them.
Some featured famous inventors presenting their creations.
Others focused on the Auction itself.
There were recordings of successful presentations.
There were also recordings of complete disasters.
Ezra paid close attention to all of them.
The way the presenters stood.
The way they answered questions.
The reactions of the audience.
The pressure they faced.
The atmosphere of the Auction Hall.
Everything was carefully observed and stored away.
The more videos he watched, the clearer the event became inside his mind.
By the time he finished, he could already picture parts of the Auction in advance.
Only then did Ezra finally prepare to sleep.
The room became dark.
The crystal lamps were switched off.
The city lights outside remained visible through the curtains.
The hotel room fell into silence.
Then...
"You really are enjoying your lucky life, murderer."
A deep voice echoed beside his ear.
The voice was cold.
Slow.
Filled with mockery.
Ezra’s eyes opened instantly.
His body remained still.
His gaze moved toward the ceiling.
The chandelier above him sat motionless in the darkness.
The room was empty.
Silent.
A nightmare at this time.
Ezra stared at the ceiling blankly.
The familiar feeling settled inside him.
Not fear.
Not panic.
Not even anxiety.
Only annoyance.
Like a mosquito.
That was the best comparison he could think of.
A mosquito that continuously buzzed around his ear.
Relentless.
Irritating and refusing to disappear.
Ezra sighed softly.
Then he turned his head toward the standing clock near the wall.
Tick.
Tock.
Tick.
Tock.
The sound echoed through the quiet room.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
It’s already morning.
Normally, this was the exact time he would wake up and begin his daily routine.
Training.
Reading.
Working.
Planning.
Yet when he remembered Lucy’s warning from yesterday, he paused.
The Auction Event wasn’t a Trial.
It wasn’t a battlefield.
It wasn’t something he could solve by simply forcing himself forward.
Proper rest was also preparation.
After reaching that conclusion, Ezra pulled the blanket slightly higher and closed his eyes again.
A few moments later...
He returned to sleep.
Hours passed.
The darkness disappeared.
Sunlight gradually spilled through the curtains.
The city outside slowly came to life.
When Ezra finally woke up again, it was fully morning.
After freshening up and eating breakfast with Lucy, the two departed for the BNC Headquarters.
And like that...
Ezra’s training officially began.
The moment they arrived; Lara immediately took control of the schedule.
There was no greeting.
No small talk.
No wasting time.
Several members of the Auction Planning Committee gathered inside one of the presentation halls.
A stage had been prepared.
Rows of seats faced the stage.
The atmosphere resembled a miniature version of the Auction Event itself.
Lara stood near the front.
Then she casually handed Ezra a random topic.
"Present this."
Her tone made it sound less like a request and more like an order.
Ezra took the paper.
Read it once.
Then walked onto the stage.
Lucy sat among the audience seats.
Unlike her usual maid attire, she wore casual clothing today.
A fitted black long-sleeved blouse.
High-waisted tailored trousers.
And brown knee-high boots.
The outfit made her look less like a maid and more like a young office worker accompanying an important executive.
She quietly watched from her seat.
Meanwhile...
Ezra stood at the center of the stage.
Several committee members crossed their arms.
Others opened notebooks.
Some prepared to take notes.
Everyone focused on him.
As always...
Ezra showed no sign of nervousness in the slightest.
His calmness alone surprised many of the professionals present.
Standing on a stage was one thing.
Standing on a stage while experienced broadcasters and event planners judged every movement was another.
Yet Ezra remained composed.
More surprisingly...
He was actually showing more emotion this time.
Occasionally, a faint smile appeared.
At other moments, he adjusted his tone slightly.
When appropriate, he inserted small remarks that helped keep the presentation engaging without drifting away from the main topic.
The changes were subtle, but they existed.
Lara watched quietly.
Her sharp eyes followed every movement.
Every pause.
Every gesture.
Every word.
She looked less like a broadcaster and more like a hunter observing prey.
Eventually...
Ezra finished.
The room became silent.
Then Lara immediately stood.
No applause.
No compliments.
Just straight to work.
She walked onto the stage.
"Your eye contact was weak during the middle section."
She pointed directly at him.
"You held your hands too stiffly here."
She demonstrated.
"When explaining information, your pacing slowed too much."
Again, she demonstrated.
One mistake after another.
One correction after another.
The entire process was efficient.
After finishing her explanation, Lara folded her arms.
"You’re a fast learner, Ezra."
She pointed at him.
A pleased smirk appeared on her face.
"So, I’m confident you’ll be able to absorb everything I’m teaching you."
She nodded.
Then...
"That’s why I’m going to teach you absolutely everything possible."
The smirk widened.
"It increases my pay."
She winked shamelessly.
Several committee members laughed.
Lara looked completely serious about that reason.
Then she returned to her seat.
Ezra stared at her.
His face remained blank.
What a strange woman.
Earlier that morning, Lucy had shown him several news broadcasts hosted by Lara.
During the ride to headquarters, he had even watched one of her reports covering the Sterling Household destruction.
She was professional.
Extremely skilled.
Yet somehow...
Still strange.
"Alright."
Lara suddenly clapped her hands.
The sound echoed through the hall.
"Action."
Ezra immediately began again.
This time he followed the corrections she had demonstrated.
His posture changed.
His pacing improved.
His delivery became smoother.
The presentation restarted from the beginning.
Hours passed like that.
Practice.
Correction.
Practice.
Correction.
Again, and again.
During one of the break periods, Ezra met with the head of the Technical Team.
The man’s responsibility was reviewing presentation structures and ensuring technical explanations remained understandable.
He had only been allowed to read Ezra’s introduction section.
Not the invention details themselves.
Even so...
The man was visibly impressed.
"The structure is excellent."
He adjusted his glasses.
"The flow shows it was rewritten smoothly."
He tapped the document.
"You explain information in a way that keeps people listening."
Several members of the technical team agreed.
Afterward, they demonstrated how Ezra’s presentation slides would appear on the stage.
Massive holographic projections appeared around them.
Visual transitions.
Interactive displays.
Information layouts.
Everything was shown.
The scale far exceeded anything Ezra had expected.
Days passed.
The training continued.
Every day, Ezra practiced with holographic presentations.
Every day, Lara corrected another mistake.
Sometimes positioning.
Sometimes timing.
Sometimes eye contact.
Sometimes body language.
Park also held short meetings with him.
The man explained additional programs that would occur during the Auction Event.
Guest introductions.
Presentation schedules.
Media interactions.
Security arrangements.
A list of important attendees was also handed over, with several names highlighted.
People Ezra needed to pay attention to.
People whose opinions could heavily influence the value of an invention.
Then...
The third day arrived.
And finally...
The Phantom Rolls reached the BNC Headquarters.
The moment the transport vehicle arrived; several committee members secretly gathered nearby.
Only a small number were permitted to see it.
Security remained strict.
Even then, excitement filled the area.
As the covering was removed...
Several people froze.
The elegant black body reflected the surrounding lights.
The smooth curves.
The noble appearance.
The commanding presence.
Everything looked even more impressive in person.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then...
"Wow..."
Someone finally whispered.
Another person swallowed.
Several wanted to move closer.
A few even stretched out their hands.
Only to be immediately stopped.
Lucy stepped forward first, then the security personnel followed.
"No touching."
Lucy folded her arms.
Her tone carried a mature authority.
The group immediately withdrew their hands.
After Ezra completed his inspection and confirmed everything remained in perfect condition...
The Phantom Rolls was transported directly to the Auction Venue.
The transfer happened under heavy security.
Routes were kept secret.
Schedules were hidden.
Everything was handled carefully.
No risks were taken.
And like that...
The final preparations came to an end.
The training was complete.
The invention was ready.
The venue was prepared.
The guests were arriving.
The Auction Event Day had finally arrived.
And everything was ready for full action.
