CH332 Grand Auction II
***
The auction was going far better than Alex, Haggleworth, or anyone from the Golden Palace had predicted.
Everything flowed so smoothlyâand more importantly, profitablyâthat by the time the sixth item out of the ten was sold, the Palaceâs net earnings had already reached around 5,000 High-Grade Mana Stones, with about 2,000 HGs of thatâan astounding one billion gold coinsâbeing pure profit.
They were already close to reaching the massive fund target needed to ensure the Palaceâs continent-wide expansion project, plus Alexâs personal academy project.
And these first six items were supposed to be the lesser onesâthe ones the Palace appraisers had placed in the lower lots precisely because they had little confidence in their relative value.
Alex could hardly sit still as the auction progressed, his restlessness drawing puzzled glances from Eleanor. She couldnât quite understand why he was so visibly pleased.
At first, she assumed it was excitement from attending his first grand auction, or perhaps the thrill of seeing such vast sums exchanged before his eyes. But as the minutes ticked by, she wasnât so sure anymore.
Alex was usually far too composed to lose his calm over something that didnât personally affect him.
It gnawed at her to ask what was going on, but she held herself back. This wasnât the place for questionsânot when they were surrounded by powerful figures whose perception could likely pierce even the strongest of concealment arrays.
It was foolish to believe that people like the Dwarven Smithmasterâa Grandmaster Forgesmith, Runesmith, and certified Legendâor the High Comptrollerâa wealthy Legend with access to rare and exotic goodsâcouldnât bypass the Golden Palaceâs protective formation if they truly wished.
Best to assume they could.
Meanwhile, the audience below mirrored Alexâs excitement, though for entirely different reasons.
At the start, many had come expecting little from the auction. Yet as the event unfolded, they found themselves grateful to have attended.
Even if most of them wouldnât be leaving with a single item, simply being present among the continentâs most illustrious elites was bragging rights enough to last years.
Now, every eye gleamed with anticipation as they waited for the crowning jewels of the auctionâthe items that had been deliberately set aside by the Golden Palace for this very moment.
The elven auctioneer, now known for her graceful and dramatic gestures, lifted her hand to signal the presentation of the next lot.
Unlike the previous items, which were raised by slim pedestals, this time a wide circular platformâof about three-metre radiusâopened in the centre of the grand stage.
A low hum echoed through the hall as the heavy pedestal began to rise, signalling that whatever was coming next was far larger than anything seen before.
"The next item," the elven auctioneer announced, her melodic voice carrying clearly through the amphitheatre, "was personally delivered to the Golden Palace Master by the Tower Master of DragonHold Enclave himself."
âNot quite,â Alex thought with a quiet smirk. âI asked Master for permission, and he granted me access to raid his personal vault.â
Of course, the auctioneerâs phrasing made for a far more dramatic story.
The crowd instantly perked up. Dozens of eyes locked onto the opening in the stage, watching eagerly to see what would emerge.
The five seconds it took for the platform to rise felt like days.
Thenâ
Gasps echoed throughout the auction hall.
The item came into view, and those who recognised it immediately forgot to breathe. Even the dignitaries seated in the VIP balcony stiffened in surprise.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the elven auctioneer declared, her voice resonating with deliberate grandeur, "I present to you our seventh lotâthe refined spine of an Elder Dragon!"
"What?! The DragonSlayer actually killed an Elder Dragon? When did this happen?!" someone from the lower seats exclaimed, voicing the shock that rippled through the audience.
The chatter exploded like wildfire.
However, those in the upper floorsâthe ones who truly understood what that name meantâhad different thoughts.
"The spine looks freshly preserved... that means the Elder Dragon was killed recently," one whispered in disbelief. "Did the DragonSlayer kill another one? How did we not hear of it?"
Unlike the masses below, the nobles and experts above knew that the dragon slain by Merlin Pendragon, that earned him fame as the DragonSlayer, had not been any ordinary dragon, but an Elder Dragonâone of the apex predators of their realm.
And this one... was fresh.
Which could only meanâheâd slain another.
A wave of suppressed awe and unease swept through the upper floors as figures like the Smithmaster and the High Comptroller activated their appraisal arts, streams of mana flashing subtly in the air.
The results made even them pale.
"What?! Merlin, are you out of your mind?! Youâre selling the spine of an Epic Dragon?!" the Smithmasterâs booming voice rang across the hall, laced with disbelief and fury.
Faces turned grim. The various VIP representatives exchanged frowns and uneasy glances.
No sane person would sell an Epic-ranked material. Not for gold, not for mana stonesânever without a deeper reason.
There had to be a message behind this.
In the privacy of his box, Alexâs lips curved into a sly, knowing smile. He could feel the discomfort spreading among the powerful.
Exactly as planned.
âThey must be tearing their hair out trying to interpret Masterâs intentions,â Alex mused. âAnd the conclusion theyâll reach... is that this is a message. Masterâs silent acknowledgement of the Golden Palaceâs rise.â
A flicker of satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.
âWith this, many doors once closed by prestige and old influence will finally open. The Palace will be treated not as an upstart, but as an institution worthy of respect. After all, this shows Master isnât just an Archmageâheâs an Archmage capable of slaying other Epics on his own, and has experience doing so.â
Zoraâs calm voice echoed in his mind. "Youâre scheming again. Be careful."
"Donât worry," Alex replied with an easy smile. "I got permission for this much."
Then his expression turned wry. "Just... this much."
Zora chuckled softly and nodded in understanding.
The elven auctioneer smiled wryly, her tone playful yet composed.
"With the Smithmasterâs appraisal, I believe I donât need to say anything else. The bidding will begin at a starting price of... one High-Grade mana stone."
A beat of stunned silence.
"Huh?"
The crowd froze, wide-eyed.
Thenâ
"What nonsense! 1,200 HGs!"
The High Comptrollerâs sharp voice cut through the hall, instantly crushing any hopes the lower-tier bidders might have had. The sheer weight of his offerâand the power behind itâwarned everyone else to stay in their lane.
Even if they had the stones to spare, his momentum said it all; this wasnât a fight the rabble should enter.
"1,350." The IronHammer Empireâs representative followed immediately.
"1,400." The aged elven delegate from the Elarion Empire raised the stakes.
"1,600." The Virellian Empireâs representative, silent until now, made his first moveâfirm and commanding.
"1,620." The Craftsmen Associationâs delegate chimed in.
"1,650. Sit down, this is no place for you to meddle," the Mage Associationâs representative replied coldly.
"1,695," came a calm voice from the Nearmarch Confederacyâs box.
"1,700," an Amazonian matriarch from the Eternal Valkyrie Empire added, her tone both graceful and deadly.
The atmosphere grew electric.
One after another, the continentâs ruling powers entered the fray.
The bids surged higherâ
âuntil, finally, the fever started to slow.
"1,723."
"1,724."
"1,725."
"1,727."
The flurry of massive jumps dwindled to hesitant increments.
From tens of HGs per call, the pace dropped to single digits.
Everyone wanted the dragon spineâor, at least, they didnât want anyone else to have itâbut even among the great powers, the price was biting deep.
And still... there were three more items yet to come.
The tension held until one voice finally broke it.
"1,790!"
The Virellian Empireâs representative shattered the stalemate, leaping fifty HGs in one bold stroke.
A collective murmur spread through the audience.
The auctioneerâs eyes gleamed. "We have 1,790 HGs. Any higher bids? 1,790 going once..."
She paused, smiling faintly.
"This is a priceless relicâan item capable of opening the path to Class 7 or accelerating comprehension for anyone under Class 8. A treasure of this calibre is not easily found."
The room fell silent. Several representatives hesitated, weighing the risk and rewardâ
"1,800!"
Gasps echoed.
The bid came again from the same boxâVirellian empireâs.
It wasnât just a bid. It was a declaration.
âThis spine belongs to the Virellian Empire.â
The other factions exchanged grim looks but eventually backed down.
No one wanted to burn resources fighting an empire determined to claim itâespecially with the grand finale still ahead.
The auctioneer nodded in satisfaction. "Going once... going twice... Sold! To the gentleman in box X6."
The hammer fell.
Once the sale was confirmed, the dragon spine slowly descended back below the stage. It would be carefully prepared for transportation to its new owner once the auction concluded.
Surprisingly, the elven auctioneer didnât immediately move to the next item.
Instead, she paused.
It wasnât exhaustionâshe was letting the audience catch their breath.
That in itself was unusual. Riding the momentum could have easily boosted the bids for the next lot. Which meant only one thing...
Either she made a mistakeâ
or the next item didnât need such tricks.
The stage trembled faintly as the next pedestal began to rise. Even before the item was fully revealed, the auctioneerâs clear, melodic voice rang across the hall.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight we make history."
Her words silenced the room.
"Tonight marks the first time something of this magnitude has ever been presented at an open auction rather than acquired through private commission."
She spread her hands gracefully toward the rising pedestal.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, congratulationsâfor you are about to witness the first-ever public auction of a pinnacle Tier V Magic Armour!"
***