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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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The second day of the auction.
The Northvan auction lasted for three days. The items were distributed on the final day.
The auction house was just as crowded as yesterday. Tesha looked at the picture of the blue gem in the catalog.
‘I’ve been saving up for this!’
But sometimes, you had to spend money to make money.
Tesha had been working part-time at the library, saving every penny. She avoided relying on the imperial family’s resources.
She had always been frugal, but she had become even more so since enrolling in the academy.
She had learned the value of hard work. It was a valuable experience, even if it was just a “commoner experience” to others.
She planned to maintain her frugal habits even after returning to the palace.
“Let’s begin the final day of the auction!”
The auctioneer announced. An artifact was placed on display. It was a teddy bear with a mustache, encased in a glass display case.
‘Oh my god, it’s so cute!’
It was even cuter in person than it had been in the catalog. The auctioneer began his spiel.
It was a one-of-a-kind teddy bear, handcrafted by a master craftsman before his death.
‘I want it…’
Vivian preferred weapons, Tia liked flashy jewelry, and Tesha loved cute things.
But the starting bid made Tesha hesitate. 3 million Elleh for a teddy bear?
“The starting bid is 3 million! 3 million Elleh! This is a steal! A one-of-a-kind teddy bear, handcrafted by a master craftsman! It even comes with a certificate of authenticity!”
A woman raised her hand.
Everyone was wearing masks, and Tesha was sitting in the back, so all she could see was the back of the woman’s head.
Pink hair. It looked familiar.
The front and middle rows were reserved for premium members.
There was a way for her to get a better seat.
She had the imperial crest, which she had brought just in case. If she showed it to the auction staff, she would be given a private room and a front-row seat.
But she had never used her royal privileges at the academy.
‘Sepia said she got a teddy bear… Wait, Sepia?’
The pink hair was familiar. It was Sepia.
“4 million Elleh.”
The pink-haired woman raised her hand. Milton adjusted his glasses with his left hand.
It was a signal. One of his shills raised their hand.
“5 million Elleh!”
“5 million! We have 5 million! A perfect gift for a young lady!”
Before the auctioneer could continue, the pink-haired woman raised her hand again, her bid aggressive and confident.
“7 million Elleh.”
“7 million! We have 7 million!”
Tesha closed her eyes. She wanted it, but she couldn’t afford it.
She didn’t know how much the blue gem would go for in the final auction.
‘7 million for a teddy bear…? I’m so jealous…’
She was disappointed. Just then, a man with a gray mustache raised his hand.
“10 million Elleh.”
The auction house fell silent. The price had jumped from 3 million to 10 million.
Sepia glared at the man with the mustache. She could see his pointed ears through his mask.
‘An elf? Is he trying to compete with me?’
Sepia raised her hand again.
Even for her, 10 million Elleh was a significant amount.
She couldn’t afford to be reckless. She increased her bid incrementally.
“11 million Elleh!”
“11 million! 11 million Elleh!”
The man with the mustache raised his hand again.
“12 million Elleh.”
Sepia glared at him. He had a thick mustache, pointed ears, and was wearing a white opera mask.
The price quickly escalated to 15 million.
Ethan watched their silent battle.
‘Does Sepia really want that teddy bear that much?’
Even the shills had stopped bidding.
He suddenly remembered Tia’s words. She had been looking through the catalog, giving him price estimates.
‘Tia, how much do you think this sword is worth?’
He had shown her his Arken Steel Sword, the one Sepia had given him. Tia had chuckled.
‘How much do you think it’s worth?’
‘20 million?’
‘Higher.’
‘30 million?’
Tia had stopped writing and tapped her pen against her lips.
‘Ethan, you have no eye for value…’
‘…Sorry.’
‘That sword is priceless. Arken Steel is extinct, and it also contains Orichalcum. I don’t know who made it, but they were a master craftsman. I would bid at least 100 million. And that’s a low estimate.’
Ethab had stared at his sword in disbelief. He had used it in countless battles, and yet, the blade was still pristine.
The hilt had become worn, so he had taken it to a blacksmith, but he had said he couldn’t make a better one.
Ethan felt a pang of guilt. He had received such a valuable gift.
‘Sepia really wants that teddy bear…’
He looked at the teddy bear, now at 20 million Elleh. Sepia had probably come to the auction just for this.
But she had stopped bidding.
The price of a single teddy bear was now comparable to the price of a hero’s sword.
“20 million! 20 million Elleh! Going once! Going twice…”
I raised my hand. All eyes turned to me.
“30 million.”
The auction house fell silent. Even the man with the mustache shook his head. The auctioneer, recovering from his surprise, spoke.
“30 million! 30 million Elleh! Going once! Going twice! Sold! Item number 102, sold for 30 million Elleh!”
Tesha stared at the man in the fox mask. He had black hair. He had never bid so high before.
He had always been cautious, dropping out when the price went too high.
‘Is that teddy bear really that valuable?’
Tesha tilted her head, puzzled. The auction continued.
The final item was brought out.
“And now, for the final item of the day! The Blue Gem! Let the bidding begin!”
The gem in the display case looked dull and unremarkable.
It was blue, but it wasn’t as beautiful as a sapphire. It didn’t look like something you would wear as jewelry.
Tesha glanced around and raised her hand.
“1.1 million Elleh!”
“1.1 million! We have 1.1 million!”
The man in the fox mask raised his hand.
“2 million Elleh.”
Tesha gasped. 2 million Elleh wasn’t a large sum for the imperial family.
But she was paying for everything herself.
It was a significant amount of money for her.
“2.5 million Elleh!”
Tesha raised her bid. A man with gray hair and a bat mask raised his hand.
“3 million Elleh.”
“3 million! We have 3 million!”
Tesha looked at the man in the bat mask, then at the man in the fox mask. Ethan raised his hand again.
“4 million Elleh.”
“4 million! 4 million Elleh! Is there something special about this gem?”
Milton watched the bidding war with interest. There were three bidders now.
A blonde man, a black-haired man, and a gray-haired man.
Milton glanced at his shill and adjusted his glasses. It was a signal to raise the bid.
“4.5 million Elleh!”
“4.5 million! We have 4.5 million!”
Ethan frowned. He didn’t like how the auction house was subtly inflating the price.
Tesha raised her hand.
“5 million! 5 million Elleh!”
Ethan glanced at Tesha. She was wearing a mask, but her voice was familiar.
‘Short blonde hair, and that voice… could it be… Tesha?’
Tesha placed her hands on her knees, her heart pounding.
She had never spent this much money on a single item before.
“5 million! 5 million…! Ah.”
“5.5 million Elleh.”
The gray-haired man said. The auctioneer quickly adjusted his spiel.
“5.5 million! We have 5.5 million!”
Tesha pressed her hand against her forehead. The price had jumped from 1 million to 5.5 million.
“6 million.”
Ethan raised the bid. Tesha was panicking.
‘What should I do…? I have to get that gem…’
But she couldn’t afford it.
‘Should I take out a loan?’
The gray-haired man raised his bid again.
“7 million.”
“7 million! 7 million Elleh! Do I hear any more bids?”
Ethan looked at the gray-haired man.
‘He doesn’t seem like a shill… Does he know something about the gem?’
The man hadn’t participated in any of the previous auctions.
It meant he was here specifically for this gem, just like Ethan. But Ethan couldn’t give up.
He had already made a deal with Gartea. He had to resurrect Lunia.
“10 million Elleh.”
Tesha’s jaw dropped. 10 million Elleh was more than she had earned in the past year.
‘Should I ask Father for help?’
But she had decided to be financially independent. She looked at the black-haired man.
The fox mask looked familiar.
And so did his voice.
‘Where have I heard that voice before…?’
The price continued to climb. The black-haired man spoke again.
“20 million Elleh.”
The voice overlapped with a memory. A deep voice, filled with authority, scolding her. And then she realized.
‘Ethan?! It’s Ethan!’
The gray-haired man seemed flustered by Ethan’s bid.
He snapped his fingers. Smoke filled the back rows of the auditorium.
Tesha, thinking there was a fire, turned around.
But it wasn’t smoke from a fire. People were collapsing, overcome by the fumes.
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