Chapter 510.2: Auction ( Part 2 )
The Auction House was buzzing with people from various organizations and nobilities, all wearing masks that covered half of their faces to conceal their identities, just like Clare and Teresa.
As the clock struck 6 in the evening, the event began.
A woman with white and fair skin, dressed in a stunning red gown, emerged on the stage. She exuded an undeniable allure, but the atmosphere in the Auction House turned grave as all eyes were fixed on her.
A few individuals immediately realized the identity of the woman, and some of them were alarmed.
"Isn't that Rosella? The Fourth Guardian of the Psychic Arts Faction? What is she doing here?" someone whispered.
"That's right... A Mind Controller managing the Auction? Isn't that too dangerous?" another person voiced their concern which was heard by others who didn't recognize her.
As soon as everyone learned about her identity, many more people started getting worried.
"Even with mind protection items, the Fourth Guardian is on a different level. This is quite unexpected..." Another attendee muttered as he started entering his Magic Zone to ensure his own safety.
The concern started spreading as the crowd voiced their complaints, unwilling to expose themselves to the influence of a powerful Psychic.
Who knows if she suddenly tried controlling them to bid a higher price or something even worse! They had to be wary of being controlled by her abilities.
Meanwhile, others observed the situation, weighing their options. These are the ones who are confident that they won't get affected easily.
Rosella, standing on the stage, understood the unease in the Auction Hall and addressed the crowd to alleviate their concerns. "I apologize for any inconvenience, but this Auction will be more special than the previous ones. To ensure the auctioneers are not under pressure or affected by any form of Arcane Arts, I will be taking charge. Additionally, the Assembly of Scourge has invited a few powerful individuals to ensure everyone's safety within the building."
As she said this, more than 20 individuals appeared around the hall and near the doors leading outside.
"So they're taking this seriously..."
"Well, we deserve to be protected. We will be spending a large of money here."
The mention of the Assembly of Scourge, an organization comprising members from all Arcane Paths except Holy Arts and Dark Arts Practitioners, brought some reassurance to everyone.
They even saw a masked man wearing a red coat and red trousers... It was definitely Clyde of the Illustrious Liquidators, but because he was hiding his identity with the mask, none of them pointed this out.
Upon hearing Rosella's explanation, the crowd began to calm down. Since they were already present and prepared to acquire items, they decided to stay and allow the event to proceed. They could only trust the presence of the Assembly of Scourge to maintain order and safety.
Furthermore, there are plenty of strong Arcanists here. If there are really some problems, they would certainly act if it was necessary.
***
After some introductions, the Auction was finally about to commence.
The crowd grew restless with anticipation, eager to witness the unveiling of the first item that would set the tone for the event.
Of course, they had already received some tip-off that the items they were looking for would be sold here, but no one knew the sequence of the items, aside from the organizers.
Rosella then showed a commanding presence on the stage as she introduced the first item.
With a wave of her hand, two men carrying a box covered with a fabric arrived on the stage.
Then, Rosella revealed the highly coveted item immediately.
It was a Soul-Capturing Dagger...
"As you expected, this Soul-Capturing Dagger isn't that impressive... However, by completing a delicate ritual, you can capture souls inside this dagger. This may not be the best item to capture souls, but luckily, it already has twelve pure souls of children! Twelve of them!"
The crowd gasped in awe after hearing this.
While the dagger itself was only a low-grade Noble Rank item, typically valued around 3,000 zen, the inclusion of the twelve pure souls significantly increased its worth. This was certainly a decent item to start the event.
It wasn't too expensive but special enough to excite the crowd.
The potential for its power and the rarity of such an artifact left them wanting to have it even if they didn't have an immediate use for it.
After all, if they found the right Arcanist to help them, this could certainly become a life-extending item!
As for freeing the souls, that wasn't even an option for everyone in the hall.
Soon, the bidding began, and Arcanists and collectors alike vied for the chance to possess this extraordinary piece.
The auction room immediately became a battleground of escalating bids.
The price climbed steadily until only six bidders were left, determined to secure the Soul-Capturing Dagger.
Finally, after several minutes of bidding war, the hammer fell, signifying the end of the bidding. The Soul-Capturing Dagger was won with a staggering bid of 33,500 zen. It was way above the estimation of the previous appraiser.
Perhaps, if this dagger doesn't require you to hire an expert Arcanist to process it, it would be a lot more expensive.
Nevertheless, the crowd erupted with applause and admiration for the successful bidder.
The winner, their identity hidden behind a mask like everyone else, had emerged victorious and moved swiftly.
He immediately traded for it and left the Auction House while clutching the Soul-Capturing Dagger.
It seemed that he no longer wished to participate in the Auction and only came here for this item.
"Is that Clovis? Maybe he wanted to save those souls?" Clare whispered to Teresa.
However, the latter simply rolled her eyes as she didn't think that Clovis would be kind enough to do that. Furthermore, he wouldn't be able to do anything about those souls unless he had some divine powers with him. Even for her, the most she could do was to free their souls and not be used as a material for a ritual.
'Ahh... He might also use it for Necromancy and convert them as Spirit Warriors.' Teresa thought, but she also didn't think that Clovis would bother doing this.
With the first item sold, the atmosphere in the Auction House was filled with anticipation for what was yet to come.