Auction of the Stars [End]

Shino opened the cage letting Ayuyu wander freely. The Bakeneko asked her a few questions and she answered all of them honestly. Ayuyu pondered for a few minutes and decided to ask a few more questions for confirmation.

"Let me get this straight, that goblin faced lolicon drooling over there is your master?"

"Yes. However, Master is not a lolicon."

Ayuyu lazily licked her paw and narrowed her eyes, "So, basically that makes him my Master since you were the one who bought me. Am I right?"

"That is correct," Shino said in confirmation.

"Tsk." The Bakeneko clicked her tongue in annoyance. She glanced at the sleeping Kei and appraised his sleeping face. "He looks dumb, looks like a pervert, and looks like a pain in the ass. Nah, I refuse to call him Master. It would be much better if I just have a soul contract with you, Shino."

"Do you hate Master that much?" Shino asked. Ayuyu was badmouthing Kei in front of her, but she couldn't find it in her heart to dislike her straightforward attitude.

"I just dislike men in general. I can tolerate girls to a certain extent, but men disgusts me. So, it's impossible for me to recognize him as my Master. I'd rather you become my Master instead.

Ayuyu floated on the air and stopped right in front of Shino. "Smudge a drop of your blood on my forehead. That will complete the soul contract."

"Just a drop?"

Ayuyu nodded her head, "Yes. A drop will suffice."

Shino presented the tip of her finger and Ayuyu pricked it with her claw. She then smudged it on the Bakeneko's forehead. Ayuyu's body glowed and an emblem of a flower could be seen on her forehead. It stayed there for a few seconds before vanishing.

"The soul contract is done, let's get along from now on Shino," Ayuyu said. She raised her paw imitating a handshake.

Shino smiled and shook Ayuyu's paw twice before letting it go. "Let's get along, Ayuyu."

"Yes, let's do that."

The break for the auction came to an end and a new batch of treasures were auctioned. Kei's party tried to bid for them, however their funds were not enough to outbid the other bidders. Aside from Ayuyu, they were not able to get their hands on anything.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it had been my pleasure to host today's event. I would like to thank each and everyone of you for making it successful." Dio bowed his head. "All good things must come to an end, and the next item to be auctioned will be the last. Let me present to you the finale of today's event!"

The lights dimmed slowly until it went completely dark. A beautiful snowflake the size of an adult head slowly dropped from the ceiling. It sparkled and danced in the air as if it has a life of its own. The audience was charmed by its beauty, especially the women

After a minute, the snowflake changed its appearance into that of a fan. A hand held it from the darkness and gave it a gentle wave. A cold breeze blew from the fan lowering the temperature of the auction house.

Glowing crystal balls suddenly appeared everywhere on the stage. The hand gave the fan a forceful wave and a beautiful bird made of ice materialized in front of it. It flew towards the crystal balls and broke them apart.

It flew a lap around the stage before disappearing in a shower of snowflakes.

The lights returned and everyone saw Dio holding the fan in his hand. "This artifact is said to be made from the feather of an Ice Phoenix. Its creator named it the [Fan of Khione]. With a gentle wave it can summon a cool breeze. A stronger one would be able to summon a small Ice Phoenix."

"Even those that are unable to use magic powers can wield its power." He paused for a bit and twirled the fan in his hand. "Those that have strong magical powers, especially those with [CLASS A] and above magical abilities will be able to unlock the hidden abilities within this artifact."

Dio released his grip on the fan and it floated in the air. It sparkled and danced a few meters away from him. "There is no starting bid for the [Fan of Khione]. Everyone please start your bid."

"Hold it!" A loud voice came from Kei's VIP room. "That item is not for sale!"

Dio frowned and cleared his throat. "Dear guest, what do you mean that this item is not for sale? This item was sent to us to be auctioned by an influential person."

Little John stood inside the VIP room shaking in anger. "I don't care who that influential person is! That item is not for sale!"

The crowd started to get rowdy and impatiently voiced their concerns.

"Who are you to say that the item is not for sale?"

"That's right! Are you planning to steal that fan? You got guts boy!"

"Start the bidding and ignore that troublemaker!"

Dio raised a hand to calm everyone down. He then turned his head to Kei's VIP room to inquire. "Dear guest, if you don't properly explain yourself we will be forced to kick you out of the auction house."

"Hmp! Kick me?" Little John spat in disdain. "I am the creator of that artifact! I don't know who that influential person is, but he has no right to sell my creation without my permission!"

The audience gasped in shock. They didn't expect that the creator of such a powerful artifact was present inside the auction house. Greedy stares were fixed on Kei's VIP room. They were hoping that the creator would reveal his face so that they could identify him and form connections.

A craftsman who was able to create a powerful artifact like the [Fan of Kheoni] would be a highly respected guest in any faction within the Eastern Federation. They waited for the next scene to unfold.

Dio pressed his mouth together forming a thin line. This was a first time such a thing happened and he was unsure how to handle the situation. The one who sent the item to be auctioned was a high ranking official of the Kingdom of Edelweiss.

It was a person that they couldn't afford to affront. Still, if Little John was who he claimed to be then this would be a thorny matter indeed. The creator who insisted that the item was not for sale, and a high ranking official who was trying to sell it.

Dio glanced at the VIP room where the owner of the auction house was seated. A sigh was heard from within and the door of the room opened.

"Today's auction sure is special. I had to step in to intervene not once, but twice," Shin Seiji said while shaking his head. "To the gentleman who claims to be the creator of this artifact, do you have proof to prove your claim? Mind you, the Auction of the Stars is not a place that tolerates liars. If you are not who you claim to be then we will make you pay for your insolence!"

"Of course I have proof," Little John replied in a mocking tone. "There are words written on the handle of that fan. I was the one who personally inscribed it. It was written using the alphabet of the Gods."

Shin Seiji raised his hand and the fan flew in his direction. He held it carefully and checked the handle. There was indeed a sentence written on it. He brought it closer to his eyes because the writing was too small to be noticed. In fact, it was beautifully inscribed that people would just think of it as part of the design of the handle.

He read it carefully before staring straight at Little John. There was a secret to the Auction of the Stars that the people didn't know about. Shin Seiji was the only one who could see the faces of the people inside his auction house.

His lips curled up into a smile and asked in a challenging tone. "Then do tell me, what is written here in the handle? If what you say doesn't match with what is written here then be prepared to suffer a fate worse than death."

Little John snorted at Shin Seiji's taunt. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared back fearlessly.

"The phrase that was written on the handle of that fan is… 'A gift to my beloved Fiona'."