Night fell, and darkness covered the land.
News of the auction, spread by the newspapers and intentionally amplified by Lucas, was known by nine out of ten people in Sedona City. The invitations, in particular, were being scalped for as much as one gold coin apiece.
Bonfires had been lit along both sides of the main avenue, bathing the area in bright light. It was surrounded by a crowd of commoners.
"Wow! There are so many people! Is everyone here to see the City Lord?"
"I wonder when the City Lord will appear. I hear he's incredibly handsome, a real beautiful man."
"Of course! You just got to Sedona City. Let me tell you, the City Lord is the most handsome man I've ever seen."
"You should say 'dashing.' I told you to study more, but you just want to play. You're asking for a smack..."
"Sis, I won't! Look, the City Lord is here!"
"Where? Where is he?"
"..."
Clop clop clop...
A carriage approached, an impressive, grand coach surrounded by members of the War Wolf Squad. Tonight, the War Wolves wore light armor and face-covering visors, leaving only two dark eye slits that unnerved anyone who met their gaze.
"City Lord, we've arrived at the auction," Chris said, stopping the carriage and setting down the wooden steps.
Creeak~
The carriage door opened. Mina's figure emerged first, choking off the cheers that the expectant crowd had been about to unleash.
"..." Mina flicked her tail, her eyes sweeping a sharp gaze over the surroundings. She was dressed in tight, form-fitting leather armor. In a scene like this, she didn't dare relax for a second.
"It's the City Lord! The City Lord!"
"Thank you, City Lord!"
"..."
The moment Lucas stepped out of the carriage, he was met with cheers. He watched as the majority of the commoners, many of them refugees, bowed deeply in respect.
"Everyone, please rise," Lucas said, waving gently. It seems today's new policies have been very effective at winning their hearts.
"Master, let's get inside," Mina said softly, positioning herself protectively in front of Lucas. "It's still too dangerous out here."
"Mm. Relax a little," Lucas chuckled. Among the crowd, there were at least two hundred of his own soldiers mixed in. There was no danger at all. Not to mention, the elven snipers were in position on the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.
"Right," Mina replied, but she didn't look relaxed at all. Her cat ears twitched left and right, listening for any sound of tearing air. An arrow's whistle was distinct, and she would hear it the moment one was fired.
Outside the Drunken Night, many people—nobles and merchants—were already waiting. Because Lucas had not yet arrived, they were all forced to wait at the entrance. It wasn't that they didn't want to force their way in, but a squad of soldiers was guarding the door with gleaming Tang sabers and large shields.
Clop clop clop...
Lucas, with Mina at his side, walked toward the entrance of the Drunken Night. The nobles and merchants all moved to make way, genuinely intimidated by his aura today.
"Are Elisa, Dahlia, and Annie already inside?" Lucas asked as he walked. He had been dealing with the refugee situation all day and had only made the arrangements for the auction without overseeing it.
"Yes. They ate lunch here," Mina nodded. She had spent the afternoon with the Master inspecting the workshops, and they had eaten in the workshop canteen.
"Have the War Wolves keep an eye out. If anyone causes trouble, don't show any courtesy. Just throw them out," Lucas said, a cold, indifferent smile on his lips.
"Yes, master," Mina replied, her face serious.
"..."
"Hmph!" Scott's expression was foul as he watched Lucas's party walk inside. "A minor noble," He said sourly, "And he puts on more airs than a prince."
"Honestly, if I didn't know he was just a Baron, I'd have thought he was the prince of some kingdom," Kevin said with a bitter shake of his head. This was the first time he had ever seen a Baron act like this.
"He's too ostentatious. It'll be his downfall sooner or later," Scott sneered, already coveting the clothes Lucas was wearing.
"Let's go. We should head in." Kevin started walking, holding an invitation he had bought for one gold coin.
"I'm going to see for myself if this 'treasure map' is real or fake," Scott said, also producing an invitation and following.
"Well, well, isn't this Scott?" Patrick walked over, holding a gold-threaded invitation. "Here to join the fun?" He said in a taunting, sing-song voice. "You follow a master full of wishful thinking, but it seems he hasn't given you much face."
The invitations were split into two types. One was the ordinary red invitation, for seats that were not near the front. The other was a gold-threaded invitation for the best seats at the very front.
"You..." Scott's face instantly blackened as he stared at the invitation in Patrick's hand. He knew exactly what that gold-threaded invitation represented: Status. They cost two gold coins each, and only ten were available.
Nobles cared about status above all else. Scott had always been proud of his position as the Fourth Prince's envoy, believing he was no less important than the envoys of the First or Second Prince. But today, he was utterly humiliated.
This difference in invitations was a small ploy by Annie. Where there were people, there was conflict, and yesterday's visit from the three factions had made the fox-eared girl understand their rivalries.
To prevent the three groups from teaming up against Lucas, Annie decided to help deepen their mutual conflict—and earn a little extra gold in the process. Nobles were obsessed with appearances. By stirring up their conflict before the auction, she could maximize the profits during the auction.
"Hmph!" With a dark face, Scott angrily flicked his sleeve and stormed inside. He would show that man what real status was soon enough.
"Tsk... Can't even afford a gold-threaded invitation, and he still dares to compete with me." Patrick sneered. For the sake of appearances, a mere two gold coins... was worth it.
...
"Hurry up, you brat!" The Lord of Sakura City strode toward the Drunken Night, with Bryan following behind him.
"Coming!" Bryan replied with a bitter smile. He knew his father had been looking down on Lord Lucas recently, so why on earth was he attending the auction? The invitation in his hand was, naturally, one of the gold-threaded ones.
The Lord of Sakura City was, of course, here to see a joke. An auction? Auctions were only held in major cities. Sedona City could barely even feed its commoners, and it was a remote town with no heritage. What kind of valuable items could it possibly put up for sale?
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