I made my way to an old timey elevator shaft, guarded by two bulky beastmen. In order to be granted access, I had to whisper the password, "Fauna Mythica", and then hand over the black card.
Doing so, I was escorted to the lower ground of the auction hall.
I marvelled at the brilliant architecture, since to be able to stack two halls on top of each other without the structural integrity compromising was an outstanding feet. The masks on the faces of noblemen and hard-ball business men only made the atmosphere eerie. Their curious murmurs hinted at excitement, eagerly anticipating what oddities the host of the Mythic Night Market had install for them.
My seat, seat number 24, was situated on the third row, right beside a certain white masked gentlemen, who seemed to be apprehensive of his surroundings. I paid it no mind, assuming much like me, he was here for the first time.
On the stage, crimson curtains mirrored the eerie tension in the hall, the dimly lit stage lights flickering from mana depletion in their crystals. Spotlights closed in on a section of the curtain, revealing a figure, clad in regal regalia standing behind the curtains.
As the curtains parted, it revealed yet another Birdman. At that point, it felt like a gimmick to me.
" Welcome invited guests once more... ...
I am specter, your humble host, come instead of the master to display the rarest of oddities for your purchasing and interest.
And now,
with your permission, Revellios!!!".
Revellios?!
I knew that spell all too well. I had only seen my sister use it in her sparring matches when she fought her instructor. She would use that spell to reveal illusion type magic spells during the dual.
But why cast Revellios now?.
Could be that they've noticed that I'm not the actual Blaine Knocksly?
My suspicions were soon dismantled when the stage lights changed colour, revealing a transport platform for short range teleportation.
A podium rose from the stage floor, shifting to the side, where Specter stood.
He tapped a wooden hammer on the podium, triggering the platform.
" Ladies and gentlemen,
For our first oddity, we wanted to start small. And so, I present to you the illusive Shifting Stone Golemn!!
[ The spectators gasp in awe ]
It's rustic, mold covered stone body presents near perfect camouflage in his natural habitat. But, don't let it deceive you as just a some ordinary rock golemn.
[ Takes out a vial from his pocket and empties it's contents on the golemn ]
Watch closely as it takes the form of whatever material it comes into contact with ".
" Huh! It turned golden?!" - a female voice in the audience announced
" ... ... Now then, shall we start the biding at seven gold coins?
Rest assured, this golemn isn't just a Shape shifting one, but can regenerate torn of limbs".
As he says this, he pulls out a sword, slashing off one of the golemn's legs. The small statured creature released a gut wrenching scream from the pain of it's golden body having lost an appendage. True to his word, the limb suddenly regrew.
The greed and selfishness of the audience was too overwhelming for them to realize the pain of an innocent creature.
Bidding paddles went up, the stakes increasing from seven to fifteen and then finally, to thirty gold coins.
They were heartless, absolutely heartless.
Among the bunch of heartless nobles, there were some exceptionally evil characters. I could tell by my Analysis Skill. I couldn't see their stats, but their blood stained auras gave off a cold feeling. In the front row, I noticed a slightly well-built man in a burgundy blazer. By his side, a lady, perhaps his companion sat, linked to his arm. On the back of his neck, I noticed a loyalty sigil.
Loyalty Sigil: a symbol, brand or mark that pledged one's allegiance to a certain organization. They were however abolished upon the reign of the hero emperor, Masayuki Kira.
In present times, anyone seen with such a mark was either a debt slave or a member of a dark cult.
- Historic Tomes and Facts- By: Grand Sage Elvis Dullan
Could this mean that there were more than just the Holy knights at play in the current state of affairs with the demons?
I simply couldn't shake the feeling of being among society's worst of the worst.
And this "master", the host spoke of, who could he be?
I kept a mental image of the mark on his neck to replicate later on. Turning to the rest of the crowd, I noticed three more people. Two men and one lady. Her aura was especially mirky.
She stood up, making way for the exit as if uninterested in the auction. I knew I had the responsibility of gathering intel, but I simply couldn't shake off the curiosity of where she was going and why she would leave so casually.
Whether it was her intrinsic beauty, or the air of superiority she exuded, I felt compelled to chase. I left the hall via the same elevator shaft, minutes after she had left. In the hall above the underground hall, the auction was, much less dangerous, as enthusiasts and antique appraisers bid head-to-head for valuable magic items and rare novelties.
I saw the lady walk out of the hall, but was stopped dead in my tracks when the host of the antique auction announced the next item.
" The Detailed Accounts of the Human-demon wars ".
Since it was written in Japanese, a language this world had little knowledge of, I decided to bid for it. Perhaps I could find out what happened to his descendants, the now Holy knights.
The starting bid was seventy gold coins, a tenth of my total amount. I gave the bid, another blue masked, blonde hair gentleman outbidding me with twenty more gold coins.
I knew the art bidding from online collectables auctions back in Japan.
The best way to win, is a last minute knockout bid. Another person bid,
" Ninety-eight gold coins!!!". The audience was agape, their shock visible even to the host. The countdown began.
" Ninety-eight gold coins, going once... ... Going twice... ..."
Two hundred gold coins!!
My paddle went up instantly, my strategy forcing the other bidders to retract from the fear of having to go on a bidding war with a mystery rich person. The host quickly tapped his wooden hammer and I became the owner of the hero emperor's journal.
My outstanding bid earned the attention of the maiden I happened to be pursuing. She turned my way, a slight shock visible on her face.
I was handed the journal, wrapped in expensive packing paper.
With a sudden turn, I pursued the maiden who had left the cathedral on foot by the time I realized.