Chapter 151: The Ashway Bazaar (5)
"Let us begin."
Before long, the stage was suffused with golden light, gently driving away the faint shadows and brightening the hall. The heavy curtains opened silently and slowly, letting a light mist drift across the floor.
Not long after, at the center of the stage, a glass pedestal rose ceremoniously from the floor. Inside it rested a dark, armored bracer glowing with runes.
"Esteemed guests... allow me to present our First Lot." he extended a gloved hand toward the pedestal.
"The Sunforge Bracer."
A soft murmur rippled through the hall.
"Yes! This relic was salvaged from the depths of the Second Sundering Dungeon — it was a place where countless sought fortune, and many paid dearly for the attempt."
His voice lowered slightly, drawing the audience closer with his words.
"Anyway, this exquisite piece enhances the wearer’s core stability, allowing mana to flow with greater precision, and greater efficiency. So for mages, it can offer better control for them. While for collectors, it can offer distinctions where a few can claim."
His hand gestured lightly toward the audience.
"Now then, shall we discover just how much such refinement is worth to you?"
Some guests leaned forward in their seats.
"Alright, so we begin with relics first? Nice! But I don’t have enough money, so I’ll pass... hahaha!"
"From the Second Sundering Dungeon...? That place swallowed a lot of adventures, wasn’t it? Ha! Having that would bring me fame, I’m bidding!"
"That bracer looks fancy, but how useful is it?"
A soft murmur spread across the room.
"Bidding will begin at 50 Golds."
"Fifty!" a calm voice called from the right side of the hall.
"55!"
"60!"
"Fuck off, this is mine. 65 golds!!"
The crystal case shimmered as the runes glowed brighter, as if responding to the rising interest.
"80 golds," a confident voice sounded from the upper balcony.
"85!"
"90!"
The announcer lifted a hand slightly, listening to the quick rise of numbers.
"Good. Good... keep it rising."
Then, a small chime rang across the hall.
The bidding panels flickered, even the announcer paused briefly, then chuckled softly.
"Oh great lord... a private tier bid?"
The hall immediately fell silent.
Several guests stiffened as they understood what that meant for them.
"Damn it, a private tier already...?"
"Those rich fucker always didn’t give us a chance..."
The announcer smiled before raising his voice slightly.
"Ho~ impressive! We have a bid of 125 gold from the private tier!"
A quiet wave of shock spread through the room.
"Straight to that amount? Ah, darn it. There’s no way we can compete with that price early on."
"They must truly want it."
The announcer allowed a short pause, giving the crowd one final chance.
"Is that it? No further bids?"
After a while, the silence answered him.
He smiled, then struck the small crystal gavel.
"Alright then, 125 golds. And sold!!!"
Later, a soft ripple of conversation followed as attendants carefully lifted the crystal case, carrying the Runeforge Bracer away like a fragile treasure.
As the time went on, the second item was revealed next; a sealed vial of black ichor, supposedly harvested from a corrupted archbeast.
Then the third item, which was a pair of duality rings; linked artifacts that allowed shared senses between wearers.
Then a cursed monocle.
Then a soulbound grimoire.
One by one, the items emerged, announced with flourish, and vanished into the hands of their highest bidders.
Six. Seven.
Eight lots had passed.
And still, Ruvian had not made his move. Silvena, poised beside him with wine in hand, cast a sidelong glance at him and asked,
"None of the items so far caught your interest?"
Ruvian shook his head.
"Well, truthfully, they are good, but not worthy of our coins."
Silvena almost choked on her drink. She quickly covered her lips with the glass, hiding the small cough that nearly escaped.
’Our?’
The word lingered in her mind.
Since when did he include himself so naturally in the use of her wealth?
For a short moment, she wanted to question him. Yet, in the end, she let the thought quietly fade. She didn’t mind it. And there were more valuable things to confirm.
Silvena decided to test his ability again like a curious cat.
"Even the Whisperflame Dagger from the seventh lot?"
Ruvian turned his head slightly toward her.
"That one is a counterfeit," he said casually, before returning his gaze to the stage.
A brief flicker of satisfaction crossed Silvena’s face.
Honestly, she also had already expected such answers from him because her instincts were telling her the same truth.
’As expected... he had already foreseen it, seriously, having foresight is such a ridiculous gift,’ she mused inwardly.
Ruvian glanced at the glass in Silvena’s hand.
"By the way... should you really drink that much? We still have a fight later. I do not want to end up carrying you during such a situation."
Silvena gave a small laugh and lightly waved her hand.
"No problem. Hehe~ this amount is nothing to me. I have a very high tolerance for alcohol, you see."
For some inexplicable reason, Ruvian did not like that answer.
He knew Silvena could handle alcohol quite well, but still, if she drank too much, she could also become a little... unrestrained.
He turned his head.
"Irene."
Irene immediately looked at him.
"Take that wine away from her. This is an order. I saw a bad future in which she ended up drunk."
Irene’s eyes widened in terror.
"Right at once," Irene replied.
Silvena quickly turned toward him.
"Hey, that is an abuse... ability abuse, I mean!"
Before she could protest further, Irene had already taken the wine bottle... and threw it directly against the wall.
Splash!
The rich liquid scattered across the stone surface, leaving only the faint fragrance of expensive wine behind.
Both Silvena and Ruvian froze.
’Huh?’
"Done." Irene said with a proud smile.
Ruvian softly rubbed his face with his palm.
Then, he quietly sighed.
"Hey, I told you to put it away, not throw it away."
Meanwhile, Silvena looked even more devastated, almost tearing, her voice filled with grief. "Irene... that was such a fine wine, you know?"
Irene calmly lowered her hand.
"No. I also believe it is better to throw it away, or else it would soon become a serious threat. This is for our safety."
Ruvian dejectedly sighed.
"Haa... I was merely joking by the way."
"Oh..." Irene blankly stared at the remnants of the wine.
’And I have not even tasted it yet.’
’Damn it, what a waste.’
A small trace of sadness appeared in his eyes, but Ruvian hid it well and only let out another quiet, disappointed sigh.
’Well, whatever.’
Then, the next item rose through the mist, carried by a slow-moving platform of enchanted crystal.
Ruvian’s eyes, until now only half-interested, became narrowed.
’Finally, it’s here.’
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[Chapter 151: The Ashway Bazaar (5)]
