Before Ganu begins to speak, Auren looks around. Not only is part of the dining room destroyed and littered with rocks, but there is visible damage from the earlier battle everywhere—cracks in the floor, scraped tables, and rubble near the damaged pillar. Still, the employees look unfazed, moving around with practiced speed, acting like this was nothing but a short sideshow they've already forgotten. They are already at work cleaning up the mess.
The collectors themselves all carry themselves with grace, trying to look composed, but Auren sees through their fronts instantly.
They're all shocked. I can see through their strong facades.Looks like they were quite scared.Even so, it's impressive that they keep going.I guess they are somewhat impressive.
"Everyone… thank you for your patience," Ganu says, looking slightly embarrassed as he stands on the stage again.
"I have some good news and some bad news…" he begins. "The good news is that our new member, Auren, assures us the threat has been taken care of. So there is no need to be afraid anymore. You don't have to fear further complications stemming from this... misunderstanding. However, there is a condition attached to that... privilege. I've been talking with someone influential from the Hunter association, and I've decided to accept his suggestion. I'll explain later."
He pauses, then continues carefully.
"The bad news is that… some items seem to be missing. To be specific, exactly the items that Kite was after," Ganu states.
The collectors murmur and whisper to each other, but nobody speaks up. A few avoid eye contact with each other and Ganu.
Are they ashamed… or are they simply deciding to close this issue?I guess they've been humiliated.Their bodyguards, the special security, even Ganu… they were all useless against Kite.
"Now…" Ganu says, his voice a little more positive, "I don't want to drag this out just to sort out our stories. The news will report this as an attempted terror attack. No names will be used, but Hunter Auren will be mentioned. All the credit will go to him—this was the condition my contact at the Hunter Association gave me. After all, it is true that Auren saved quite a few lives. I expect each one of you to handle this with care... if there are leaks, we will revoke your membership!"
Sounds like Pariston... not that I care.
He looks around the room, making sure everybody understands his intentions and no one is visibly acting out.
"I assume nobody has a problem? Good." Ganu notes, seemingly satisfied with the response he's getting.
Ganu clears his throat and begins to speak, his voice now almost booming, trying to sound excited. "Now then, I declare the 19th Yorknew Eagle's trading fair open! Please enjoy bartering with each other. May you find the objects of your desires."
Nobody speaks up. Most of them politely clap, but Auren feels no real enthusiasm here.
Yorknew Eagles? How dull.
Auren notices Ganu's eyes widen slightly when nobody cheers. The mood in the room is still off, nobody is looking excited to begin trading, but everyone's expressions change.
"Mr. Sturk, how about I'll show you the item we talked about?"
"I want to go home... but I can't miss this opportunity, let's quickly finish! Guards, escort me!"
"Finally...."
"I want that damn painting, and I won't take no for an answer."
Auren sees that most people have seemingly flipped a switch. They now focus on their individual goals and concentrate on what truly matters to them. Not a single person looks discouraged.
Everyone stands up and slowly but surely starts walking toward the hall with the long row of stands, where Auren's own items are being shown off to potential buyers or trade partners.
Auren, Neffi, and Goreinu quickly head toward his stand. As they walk through the hall, Auren sees that security has increased again. There are at least two dozen armed guards present, positioned in visible places, all waiting respectfully and watching everything.
To his surprise, Biscuit and the Zoldycks are following him, walking right to his table and closely inspecting the goods he brought along.
"That's a cute teddy bear!" Biscuit says, picking up the teddy bear he discovered in the treasury chamber of the Glam Clan and turning it in her hands. "How much do you want for it?"
"…"
Auren hesitates.
I… brought these items to trade.I didn't think this through, did I?I might know these items are somewhat valuable… but I only cared about the Aura inside of them.As far as their worth is concerned… what do I know?!
"It's mostly for trading," Auren lies, trying to sound casual. "However, if nobody is interested, I'll gladly sell it to you for cheap. Just make me an offer later on."
"Fine!" Biscuit says, sounding annoyed as she quickly moves on, clearly disappointed with Auren's attitude.
Why does she keep acting like a child?
"..."
"You don't know the worth of your items?" Neffi asks, a little surprised, like she genuinely can't tell if he's joking.
"No… I didn't think that far ahead," Auren admits, scratching the back of his head. "I just brought these items here to show that I'm not just someone with money. Frankly speaking, I'd hoped someone here could educate me. I just know that they are valuable... they all contain Aura after all."
Kikyo suddenly chimes in, speaking as if this is common sense. "You can hire appraisers here. There are even a few on-site. These people are brought in if conflicts arise during trades, and they also authenticate items. I don't think they charge money, as they are paid a lump sum for their participation, so if you're willing to accept the small risk that they may have been influenced by other collectors, you can find out whether you have anything valuable. As far as I can tell, a few of your items should be worth a decent sum—at least a few days of work."
"With days of work, you mean…" Auren starts, already guessing the answer.
"Assassinations," Kikyo states, her lips curling into a smile like she's sharing a pleasant detail.
So they are worth something, alright. Not bad.
"Can you hold down the fort for a while?" Auren asks his friends, glancing between them. "I think I'll get one of these appraisers… and perhaps, if I see someone talented, I'll hire them for myself."
"No problem," Goreinu says, looking a tad worried.
"They're standing over there," Kikyo says, pointing towards a small booth with three people sitting behind it. "I can recommend the man on the left. He might be a little annoying, and his eyebrows make me want to take on a job whenever I see them, but he is skilled, that much I can tell you."
"Thank you, Mrs. Zoldyck… I am grateful," Auren says, and he heads over to the appraisers.
He immediately looks at the man in question—and the moment he sees his face, something clicks in Auren's mind.
Short brown hair, long sideburns, and thick, wavy eyebrows that slightly curl upwards, reminding him of a demon.
His name… Zepile, was it? He is indeed a skilled appraiser working in Yorknew. This is lucky for me. I can maybe hire him. He seems to be in need of money… I could even consider teaching him Nen and have him work for me permanently. This is perfect.
"Need an appraiser, sir Hunter?" Auren hears an elderly woman ask. She sits in the middle of the three, right next to Zepile, and she watches him with a practiced, measuring look.
"Indeed," Auren responds, nodding at her.
"I've been working for such events for thirty years. I've been to every event for this particular gathering," she says proudly, lifting her chin as if experience alone should settle it.
Smug. Entitled. If she had real skills, she would be one of the collectors, not merely an appraiser working for them. Without his special circumstance, Zepile would be rich. This woman may be experienced, and she clearly loves to brag, but she has nothing to show for it. If she could accurately appraise the real worth of an item, she would be rich. This is Yorknew. I don't trust her.
Auren, despite already having made a decision, glances at the third person. A woman, seemingly in her mid-thirties. She is smoking and looks bored out of her mind, not even pretending to be polite or interested in Auren's business. Most notably, she wears a small monocle in her left eye.
Weird... but fitting for an appraiser, I guess.
Auren, having a weird feeling in his stomach, can't help but use Gyo.
As his eyes glow with Aura, he takes half a step back.
On her shoulders is a small snake with a single large crystallised eyeball. Even with Gyo, the snake is barely visible—so faint that most Nen users would need to pay close attention to be able to spot it, even when using Gyo.
Nen user! She is also using In at a high level. I want to get to know her. If she refuses or it doesn't work out, I can still ask for Zepile.
"Excuse me, madame," Auren says, walking over to the woman until he is standing right in front of her.
"I heard you are participating in this event and are hired to provide your services to any of the members. Could I trouble you to appraise a few of my items for me?" Auren asks, trying to be polite.
"Why are you asking her?" the elderly appraiser asks, sounding offended. "She is rude, never wants to work, and nobody ever calls on her! Even little Zepile here is far more skilled and promising."
"I've heard of Zepile," Auren says, nodding at the man "Still, how can I ignore a true prodigy sitting right here?"
"Prodigy… sir Hunter, where have you heard that?" the elderly lady asks, now completely confused.
Just shut up!
"What do you say?" Auren asks, staring directly at the woman, ignoring the elderly woman.
"I rather like snakes," Auren adds, keeping his voice calm, "especially ones with such a beautiful eye."
"So you are not only extremely strong and famous," the woman says, "but you also learned how to use your eyes properly."
"This seems like a promising opportunity," she continues, then stands up and casually jumps over the table, landing right next to Auren.
She is quite tall—at least 1,90 meters (around 6'3"). She has long dark hair tied into a ponytail, brown eyes, and light brown skin. In addition, Auren can't help but glance at the monocle covering her left eye again. It's barely visible, but still… he hasn't seen something like that, even amongst the other collectors here.
"Please follow me," Auren says, walking back to his stand. The woman follows him without saying a word.
Neffi waves at Auren as she spots him.
However, the moment she sees the woman beside him, her smile falters just a little.
Seconds later, her expression shifts again.
"Auren!" Neffi yells. "She… use Gyo!"
"I know," Auren says, smiling. "Calm down."
"Another one who knows how to properly look," the appraiser notes, then glances at Goreinu. "Though one of you does not share your curiosity and vigilance."
Goreinu looks embarrassed and rubs his head, glancing away. "Auren, who is she?" he asks.
"One of the appraisers," Auren explains. He looks at the woman. "Could you introduce yourself—maybe your pet as well?"
The woman crosses her arms, briefly closes her eyes, then opens them again.
"That depends…" she replies.
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A/N: Always thankful for Power Stones, Comments, and Reviews. Thank you for reading!
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