The auction hall had not yet recovered from the previous frenzy.
The sale of the beast cub had shaken the entire building.
Even now murmurs rippled across the massive chamber as nobles whispered among themselves, calculating bloodlines, future power, and the ridiculous price that had just been paid.
The auctioneer allowed the tension to breathe.
She stood calmly on the stage, hands folded behind her back, watching the crowd settle.
Lux remained inside his cage.
From where he stood, he could see everything.
The nobles.
The merchants.
The common buyers squeezed into the lower tiers of the hall.
And the seven private viewing chambers above, where the true powers of the region sat hidden behind tinted crystal glass.
The woman on the stage finally spoke again.
"Ladies and gentlemen."
Her voice cut cleanly through the hall.
"Before we conclude today's auction, we have one final item."
The room quieted.
Everyone knew that auctions always saved something special for the end.
But the way the auctioneer spoke this time carried a different weight.
She gestured to the attendants behind her.
"Bring it forward."
Two armored guards stepped onto the stage.
Between them they carried a long black case.
The case itself radiated faint runes that shimmered under the auction lights.
Lux noticed immediately.
Protection runes.
High quality.
Whatever was inside that box was dangerous enough to require containment.
The guards placed the case on the pedestal.
The auctioneer slowly opened it.
Inside rested a smooth stone disk about the size of a human palm.
It looked ordinary.
Gray.
Almost dull.
Yet the moment the lid opened, a faint ripple spread through the hall.
Lux felt it immediately.
The Omnimage mark on his palm stirred.
Not excitement.
Not resonance.
Something closer to curiosity.
The auctioneer spoke again.
"This item is known as a Beast Ward Core."
The hall erupted into whispers.
Some nobles leaned forward.
Others frowned.
Many clearly had no idea what the item was.
The auctioneer continued.
"According to historical records, this artifact produces a territorial suppression field that discourages beast activity within a defined area."
She paused.
Then clarified.
"In simpler terms."
"This object can ward beasts away from a specific territory."
Silence fell.
Then the hall exploded.
"What?!"
"Impossible!"
"Such items exist?!"
A merchant in the front row stood up in disbelief.
"That would stop Beast Tides!"
The auctioneer raised a hand.
"Correction."
"It does not stop Beast Tides."
"It merely discourages beasts from entering the protected zone."
"However, it remains highly effective for smaller territories, villages, and trade routes."
Lux watched the reaction carefully.
The nobles were not cheering.
They were frowning.
Thinking.
Calculating.
Meanwhile the common buyers in the lower seats looked like they had just seen a miracle.
Because to them, it was.
Every year Beast Tides destroyed villages.
Entire towns disappeared overnight.
For them, something that could ward beasts away was not a luxury.
It was survival.
Then the auctioneer spoke the next sentence.
"However."
"This item carries a restriction."
The room quieted again.
"Nobles are not permitted to bid on this item."
The silence that followed was thick.
Lux blinked.
Then the hall erupted.
"What nonsense is that?!"
"Who made such a rule?!"
"This is an auction!"
One noble slammed his hand against the railing of the VIP chamber.
"This is discrimination!"
The auctioneer did not react.
She simply continued calmly.
"The restriction is part of the seller's condition."
"The Beast Ward Core must be sold to independent civilian ownership."
Lux understood immediately.
Whoever discovered the artifact wanted to prevent nobles from monopolizing it.
They wanted common settlements to have a chance at protection.
But Lux also understood something else.
This would not work.
Not in a world ruled by nobles.
A fat merchant in the lower seating area raised his hand nervously.
"Then… common buyers can bid?"
"Correct."
The auctioneer nodded.
"Only common citizens or independent merchants may participate."
Another noble stood up from a balcony.
"And how exactly do you expect commoners to afford such an item?"
The auctioneer smiled faintly.
"The market will decide that."
Then she announced the price.
"The starting bid is 1000 spirit stones."
The hall went silent again.
Not because the price was low.
But because it was absurd.
Even Lux knew enough now to understand.
Spirit stones were the true currency of power.
Most ordinary merchants would never even see one in their lifetime.
And this artifact required one thousand just to start bidding.
The commoners below looked like they had just been slapped.
The merchants exchanged uneasy looks.
Meanwhile the nobles began whispering among themselves again.
Lux noticed something subtle.
Several nobles leaned toward servants standing behind them.
Quiet instructions were being given.
Lux almost laughed.
Of course.
They could not bid directly.
But nothing stopped them from using proxies.
Within minutes the bidding began.
"One thousand spirit stones!"
The voice came from a thin merchant in the front row.
Lux watched the man's trembling hands.
This was not his money.
Someone was backing him.
"One thousand two hundred!"
Another merchant shouted.
Lux saw the same pattern.
Servants whispering.
Messages being passed.
Invisible strings being pulled.
The nobles were already manipulating the auction through common buyers.
The auctioneer clearly knew this.
She simply pretended not to notice.
The price climbed rapidly.
Two thousand.
Three thousand.
Four thousand.
Each new bid caused gasps among the ordinary crowd.
But the nobles in the VIP chambers barely reacted.
To them, this was simply another investment.
Lux felt something cold settle in his chest.
So this is how the world works.
The people who suffer the Beast Tides could never afford the protection.
And the nobles who could afford it were not the ones who needed it.
Eventually the bidding slowed.
"Eight thousand spirit stones."
Silence.
The merchant who spoke looked pale.
Lux could see sweat running down the man's face.
The auctioneer waited.
"Any further bids?"
No response.
"Eight thousand spirit stones… once."
"Twice."
"Sold."
The hammer fell.
The hall erupted again.
But Lux noticed something interesting.
Several nobles looked satisfied.
They had already won.
Because the man who purchased the Beast Ward Core would likely deliver it to them within hours.
The auctioneer closed the case.
"That concludes today's auction."
The massive doors at the rear of the hall opened.
Guards began organizing the purchased items.
Lux's cage suddenly rattled.
The moment had arrived.
The slave sale.
The auctioneer turned back toward the stage.
"And now, the final lot."
Her voice carried across the hall.
"The remaining slave from today's collection."
Lux stepped forward as the guards unlocked his cage.
Chains rattled around his wrists.
The auctioneer gestured toward him.
"Male."
"Healthy."
"Excellent physical structure."
"Beginning bid."
"Fifty spirit stones."
Lux did not lower his head.
He stood straight.
Calm.
Observant.
Then something unexpected happened.
The crystal detector beside the VIP chambers suddenly pulsed.
Once.
Then again.
The Lancelot viewing chamber went silent.
Inside, Aurelia leaned forward slowly.
Her grandfather's eyes narrowed.
The bloodline detector artifact glowed faintly.
"Interesting," the old man murmured.
The bidding had not even begun yet.
And House Lancelot had already made their decision.
The journey from the auction house took nearly an hour.
Lux sat inside an iron transport cage mounted to the back of the Lancelot convoy.
The city gradually changed as they moved.
The noisy markets disappeared.
The streets grew wider.
Cleaner.
More controlled.
By the time the convoy reached the northern district, the difference was undeniable.
This was noble territory.
Massive gates slowly opened before them.
Two enormous lion statues guarded the entrance.
Runes shimmered faintly across the stone surface.
Lux noticed immediately.
Defensive artifacts.
The convoy rolled inside.
Training yards stretched across the estate.
Soldiers practiced combat techniques in organized formations.
Servants moved efficiently across the courtyards.
House Lancelot was not simply a noble residence.
It was a fortress.
The transport cage opened.
Lux stepped down.
Chains still circled his wrists.
Several servants glanced toward him curiously.
One whispered.
"That's the slave Lady Aurelia bought."
Another scoffed.
"Looks too calm."
Before anyone could say more, the atmosphere changed.
Footsteps approached.
The servants stepped aside instantly.
A tall man walked into the courtyard.
Perfect posture.
Immaculate uniform.
Eyes colder than winter steel.
This was not merely a servant.
This was someone who controlled servants.
The guards straightened.
"The Head Butler."
The man stopped in front of Lux.
His gaze moved slowly from Lux's head to his feet.
A single glance that felt heavier than a sword.
"Name."
"Lux."
The man's eyebrow moved slightly.
"Only Lux?"
"Yes."
The man nodded once.
"My name is Sebastian Vale."
"Head Butler of House Lancelot."
"Everything that breathes within these walls answers to my authority unless Lord Lancelot says otherwise."
Lux met his gaze calmly.
Sebastian continued.
"You were purchased personally by Lady Aurelia."
"That means you are either an amusement."
"Or an investment."
"We will determine which."
A laugh echoed from the balcony above.
Several young nobles leaned over the railing.
"So that's the slave she bought?"
One of them smirked.
"He doesn't look impressive."
Another laughed.
"Maybe she bought him to polish her boots."
Lux did not react.
Sebastian did not even glance upward.
"If the young masters have no official business here," he said calmly, "the training grounds remain open."
The nobles scoffed and left.
Sebastian turned back to Lux.
"You will not join the main servant rotation."
Lux raised an eyebrow slightly.
That was unexpected.
"You will work in the Lancelot archive wing."
"The library."
Lux blinked.
A library assignment?
"You will clean."
"You will organize books."
"You will carry documents when ordered."
"You will speak only when spoken to."
"Understood?"
"Understood."
Sebastian studied him one last time.
Then he added quietly.
"Most servants assigned to the archive cannot read."
"You can."
Lux did not answer.
Sebastian turned and walked toward a distant building.
"Follow."
The Library
The Lancelot library stood separate from the main estate.
Three floors.
Stone walls lined with towering shelves.
Thousands of books.
Lux stepped inside.
The scent of old paper filled the air.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Lux felt something close to excitement.
Knowledge.
History.
Secrets.
The system suddenly appeared.
New Environment Registered
Location: Noble Archive
Knowledge Density: High
New Passive Opportunity Detected
Lux's eyes sharpened slightly.
Library Protocol Available
Study sessions may generate Insight Fragments
Insight Fragments accelerate comprehension
Lux exhaled slowly.
Then he whispered under his breath.
"Jackpot."
Sebastian stopped at the entrance.
"You begin tomorrow."
"If you break the rules."
"You disappear."
Then he left.
Lux stood alone in the silent library.
The system screen appeared again.
Daily Quest Initiated
Condition the Vessel
100 Push-ups100 Squats100 Steps in Place100 Climbers
Failure resets progress
Reward: Structural Reinforcement +0.2%
Lux looked around the empty hall.
Then he sighed.
"Of course."
He dropped to the floor.
And started the first push-up.
Because Lux already understood something important.
House Lancelot was not freedom.
It was simply a more elegant cage.
But cages always had cracks.
And Lux intended to find every single one.