His business with Pariston concluded, at least for a while, Auren heads back toward the auction hall through the empty corridors. Quickly leaving the basement floor behind and ascending back toward the ground floor, reaching the main site, he notices that the sun is already beginning to settle.
Still, despite that, he manages to enter the main hall in time to watch the auction, which is still in progress.
The host, a young, good-looking woman in her late twenties, still sounding excited and not even a little bit tired, is currently introducing a painting.
"This spectacular painting, created by an unknown artist from the...."
Boring....
Thousands upon thousands of visitors are sitting on colossal stands in a colossal auction hall, the place packed from end to end. All of them are intently staring at the grand stage in front of them.
Auren takes a while to spot his friends in the crowd, finally spotting them on the right side of the hall.
At least they left me a seat.
Quickly, using Zetsu, he speeds through the hall, jumping through the air above guests, over various rows of seats, and landing on an empty seat next to Neffi and Vanessa.
"What did I miss?" he asks, now comfortably sitting in his seat.
"This is boring... you missed nothing," Vanessa replies, looking a little surprised, seeing him next to her.
Soon after, the others also spot him and look equally surprised.
"Some people..." Neffi begins to say, looking annoyed. "Have already spent their 'play money'. It was a stupid idea, Auren—you just wasted a huge amount of money. I have never seen so much concentrated incompetence in such a small number of seats."
"And the winner is No. 3107 with a bid of 108 million Jenny, congratulations!" he hears the host announce in the background, as a few attendants carry the painting away, while a few more use a trolley to push out the next item.
Auren just smiles without responding.
I just earned thirty-seven billion... I can waste a little money. I don't even have the energy and motivation to properly use that money. Perhaps I need to hire someone who doesn't spend but invests it for me. It would be appropriate... or more seriously, it would just be stupid to let it rot. Maybe Konrad can connect me with someone. If possible, I want to invest that with no link to Hollow Blade... who knows what'll happen, so having something independently stashed away might be a good idea. That's the whole reason why I still haven't properly used my funds.
Finally, now sitting comfortably, he blankly looks forward. The current object being sold is an antique book collection.
Auren does not know the author, nor anything else about them, and he is completely bored. Even the price of fifty million Jenny leaves him bored.
Leaning back in his chair, he feels extremely tired, having used Azure Restoration for quite a while, an act for which he now feels the drain. As the announcer now goes over all the details in a calm voice, Auren closes his eyes for a moment.
The remaining auction passes by him as he lazily listens, still using Zetsu to slowly recover his lost Aura.
Countless valuable collectibles exchange owners.
However, before he can fully fall asleep, he senses Zepile on his left moving.
"Oh, we've got a bid already! The scepter of Wicked King Nelchor No. 123 bids 300 million," he hears the female announcer say.
"A scepter?" Auren asks, leaning forward, looking at Ura, while Zepile focuses on the bidding process. "Not quite what I expected you to buy... you remember my... requirements. Though I guess this barely counts."
"It's called a scepter, but in reality it's a war mace," Ura explains, leaning forward as well to meet his eyes. "It's made out of some valuable, extremely hard, shimmering metal, resembling a gem-like substance. The crown features the highest concentration of that metal. Our research revealed that it indeed possesses Aura, quite a large amount. Oron suspected it being another one of... you know."
Looking a little uncomfortable to discuss this publicly, she changes topics, while the bidding proceeds.
"The story is that the mad King Nelchor used it to execute thousands of people during his reign a few hundred years ago. It's also been used for a couple of decades by his many successors to execute criminals. By now, the country of Bina is almost defunct. It's been split into multiple smaller ones, and they desperately need money, which is the reason why they sell it."
"I like it," Auren admits.
Maybe that explains the lingering Aura?
"That is sick, Auren. Not only Ben's Knives, but now something like that?" Vanessa questions him. "Seriously, I hope you grow out of your teenage phase a little quicker."
That's rich coming from her.
While the group bickers, the bidding proceeds, and finally, a slightly annoyed Zepile adds fifty million Jenny more.
"No. 123 now bids 650 million Jenny! How exciting!" the announcer yells, the bid seemingly higher than predicted.
"And sold to No. 123, congratulations!" she announces, the audience clapping politely.
"..." Zepile stares at Auren, sweat pouring down his face.
"This... is the only thing I slightly overpaid for. I'm still under four billion in total for today, we are fine... within budget! I can even resell it for a slight profit, I guarantee—"
"Calm down," Auren says, smiling. "You are doing well. I earned a casual thirty-seven billion today, so keep it up."
Zepile, now looking shocked, stares blankly at him, while the others are also gobsmacked.
The auction proceeds for a while longer before ending in an excited bid, the highlight of the first day, where a rare antique car gets sold for twenty-one billion Jenny. However, despite the large amount, Auren is not really interested at all.
The audience stands up, squeezing out of the hall through the various entrances, while Auren and the others remain seated.
"Let's leave, I'm hungry... this was unexpectedly boring... I'm in the mood for fresh..." Vanessa announces.
"We need to collect our winnings," Zepile interjects forcefully, interrupting her wish for food. "We can eat later!"
"Ah," Vanessa reacts. "My investment! Of course, I need to collect it!"
"Investment..." Neffi repeats, her voice filled with doubt and mockery.
"My statue is way more impressive than your silly half-rotten collection of antique dresses. Go play dress-up somewhere else, little girlie," Vanessa counters, unable to hold back a grin.
She called me a teenager, yet she constantly bickers with someone 10 years younger than her. Maybe I should remove her brain and sell it in one of the underground auctions. I've been told Oron also has his eyes on them—he might be able to sell it as it should advance research in the exploration of various mental diseases.
"They're rare and expensive dresses!" Neffi, meanwhile, responds. "They not only have historic value, but I also need them..." she reasons, but then blushes as not only Vanessa, but also others, stare at her.
"Just move," Auren orders.
Ten minutes later, they stand in front of a highly secured safe room used for auctioned articles.
Multiple staff members push trolleys forward, their winnings placed on top, bringing everything over toward the group.
They also prepare a few expensive-looking bags.
Auren and Zepile inspect his winnings. A silver ornate armor, a large axe, along with other decent weapons and armor pieces, lie before Auren.
"Not bad," he says, looking at the certificates. "Professionally appraised, these things are quite nice. I can add them to my collection without needing to research a thing. It will also grow my reputation by quite a bit. Zepile has openly bid on my behalf, after all."
Finally, he picks up the scepter, made out of steel and gold, with a core of that special material the host mentioned. Its head appears in a crown shape, made out of the highest concentrated amount, appearing as a shimmering gray crystal.
Briefly using Gyo, Auren now feels a strong Aura imbued in the scepter, especially in the crystal head.
This amount of Aura... the scepter is more potent than Ben's Knives in enhancing Aura. Not on the level of my Regalia, but it's an interesting item nonetheless. Maybe when Leira is back, she can take a look. I could also consider removing the crystal and the core of the item and repurposing it for something else... I should be able to separate it from the common materials. For now, it will just be another part of my collection—I have all the time in the world to rethink that approach.
"Hehehe, I'll be rich," Oron says gleefully, receiving his item, a set of collectible lighters hundreds of years old. "It was so worth working for you, Auren. You are a damn monster, but unexpectedly grateful." He securely packs up the boxes into one of the bags, holding it tightly. "I'll be loyal for life, trust me!"
"..."
"A promise of loyalty after receiving money," Auren comments. "How... reassuring. Just do your job."
Packing up their items and returning to Auren's airship, Auren and the others of his group sit in front of the dinner table, Oron and Ura joining them as guests as well.
After inspecting his items in more detail, he quickly loses interest and secures them back inside the cargo hold of the ship, just taking the scepter with him. He sits down on a comfortable chair in the living area, holding it in his hand, throwing it into the air while spinning it, and then skillfully catching it again, feeling the formidable weight settle into his palm.
"Feel like a king yet?" Neffi asks, joining him, her shoulder pressing against his.
"Yes," Auren replies, handing the scepter to her. "Give it a try."
Neffi holds it, inspects it carefully, then uses Ren, applying Aura to the scepter.
"Feel it as well?" Auren asks, with a slight grin.
"I feel more like a butcher," Neffi replies, looking confused. "This does nothing except look tasteless and offer a very heavy item that's a good medium for Aura... the only practical use is to bash people to death with it," she comments, looking a little disgusted as she turns it in her hands.
She then hands it back and leans closer to Auren.
"Isn't that what the life of a king is all about?" Auren asks, laughing now, before turning solemn. "It should also be applicable to queens... or similar... rulers."
"It shouldn't be..." Neffi says, looking worried, looking at Auren. "In any case, Lady Rakshala is different!"
Is she? Isn't she just building an army and creating a very large, heavy, and shiny scepter... with the sole use of smacking down the V5 and the Empire? I hope not... she better not... or else. I need contingency plans. That much I've realized after the disaster we barely managed to prevent.
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