Chapter 195: Chapter 104: Traveling with Two Beauties
In a corner of the hall, the man in the gray robe raised the bid again, his voice hoarse. "Seven thousand one hundred."
The person in the VIP box fell silent for a moment, then a young man’s voice, clearly displeased, called out, "Seven thousand five hundred!"
The gray-robed man hesitated, seeming to consider another bid, but ultimately shook his head and gave up.
The auctioneer began the countdown. "Seven thousand five hundred Gold Coins, going once... Seven thousand five hundred Gold Coins, going twice..."
"Congratulations to our distinguished guest in Box Number Three..." The auctioneer was just about to bring down the gavel.
Suddenly,
The door to Box Number Three was pushed open. A rather handsome young man in the standard-issue dress uniform of an Imperial officer stepped out.
He appeared to be in his early twenties, with a tall, straight posture. A lavishly decorated longsword hung at his hip, and his features were set in an arrogant cast.
He walked straight to the railing outside his box, looking down with disdain at the gray-robed man in the corner. "You, skulking in the shadows," he sneered, "you think you’re worthy of bidding against me? State your name. I’d like to see just who is so blind to their own status!"
The moment he spoke, the entire auction hall fell silent.
Everyone stared, stunned, first at the young officer, then at the gray-robed man in the corner.
To so openly reveal one’s identity and provoke someone at a black market auction... it was simply...
Utterly idiotic!
The gray-robed man in the corner seemed to stiffen. He lowered his head further, the shadow of his hood completely obscuring his face.
He didn’t respond, merely shrinking back into the crowd in silence, as if hoping to avoid trouble.
Seeing his opponent retreat, the smug look on the young officer’s face deepened. He snorted and said to the auctioneer on the stage, "Have the item wrapped and brought to my box."
With that, flanked by two guards in fine armor, he turned and went back into his box.
Lynch watched from his own box, dumbfounded. He couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, "What... what kind of moron is this? Who announces their identity at a black market auction?"
Amadis, beside him, clearly recognized the man. His brow furrowed under his hood, and a flash of disgust crossed his purple eyes. He lowered his voice. "That’s a ’star student’ from the Imperial Capital’s Royal Extraordinary Academy. His name is Andreas von Hohenlohe."
"His family has considerable influence in the Imperial Capital; his father is a Count with actual power. The fellow has decent talent, but he’s arrogant and condescending, using his family’s status to look down on everyone. I heard he was shoehorned into the North Wind Legion’s First Battle Group to burnish his credentials, and he holds the title of Camp Commander. I just never thought... he could be this stupid."
"So he’s from the Imperial Capital’s Royal Extraordinary Academy..." Lynch said in realization.
Of course, Hurst Royal Extraordinary Academy wasn’t the only such academy in the entire Empire.
In fact, there were three such academies in total, located in the Imperial Capital, the Southern Territory, and the Northern Territory, respectively. Hurst Academy was the one in the Northern Territory.
The one in the Imperial Capital had always considered itself the "true" academy. While its faculty and resources were indeed excellent, its students often graduated with the characteristic arrogance of the capital’s nobility, looking down on the other two "provincial academies."
Furthermore, Hurst Academy was the only one that still offered a specialization in Necromancy.
"No wonder..." Lynch shook his head.
’A hothouse flower like that, coming to a frontline warzone and still not knowing restraint... he practically has ’trouble’ written all over his face.’
The auction was briefly interrupted by this little episode.
The auctioneer seemed a bit speechless as well, but his professionalism took over. He quickly composed himself, resumed the proceedings, and finalized the sale of the Hurricane Eagle King’s heart.
Before long, the door to Box Number Three opened again.
Andreas and his guards swaggered right out the main entrance of the auction house. He didn’t even bother with the most basic disguise, let alone use the discreet exit provided by the auction organizers.
At almost the exact moment he left, Lynch noticed the gray-robed man who had been bidding against him slip silently out of the crowd and disappear into a side corridor.
’Well, then...’ Lynch thought, shaking his head inwardly.
’Sure enough, every world has its share of self-important fools.’
’He just hoped the idiot wouldn’t get himself killed too quickly outside, lest he bring unnecessary trouble upon his First Battle Group and the entire North Wind Legion—like, for instance, the wrath of his father, the Count.’
The small incident didn’t affect the auction’s progress.
The auctioneer quickly brought out the next item, and the bidding resumed.
The next few items were even more valuable, and the bidding grew fiercer, but no one repeated Andreas’s foolish display. Everyone strictly adhered to the unwritten rule of the black market: keep your identity hidden and let the money do the talking.
In this atmosphere, the auction gradually drew to a close.
After one more item sold for nine thousand five hundred Gold Coins, the auctioneer paused. He scanned the crowd, his voice taking on a provocative tone. "Ladies and gentlemen, we now come to the third-to-last item of this auction."
"I trust that for many of you here tonight, this is the very item you’ve been waiting for."
He clapped his hands, and two attendants immediately carried a long, rectangular tray covered by a black velvet cloth onto the stage.
The auctioneer deliberately heightened the suspense for another moment before stepping forward and personally whisking the velvet cloth off the tray.
Within the tray, a Magic Staff lay silently.
The two attendants carried the tray in a circle, tilting it at different angles to give everyone a clear view of the Magic Staff.
The Magic Staff was ivory-white, gleaming with a faint, jade-like luster. Its shaft curved with the elegant grace of bone, and faint glimmers of light occasionally flitted across its surface, emitting waves of Magic Energy.
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