Evening Auction

With Klee sleeping soundly in her bedroom, watched over by quite a number of people, Paul freshened up with the intention of participating in that evening's auction. Most of the items on sale technically belonged to him, but he was still interested in checking things out as auctions were a fairly common trope in fantasy settings. Thus, with Ei, Ghislaine, and Lilia in tow, Paul paid the 10 AGC fee to secure himself one of the ten VIP booths typically reserved for high-ranking members of the nobility and Church.

"I hate this..."

As she wasn't used to wearing restrictive clothing, Ghislaine had a grumpy look on her face as Paul had asked her to don a predominately black, red-trimmed kimono. He had no problems with her usual outfit, consisting of a pair of loose-fit trousers and a black, bra-like top, but he didn't want any of the people attending the auction to mistake her for a slave. She might not care, but it bothered Paul to have people mistake those closest to him as 'lessers.'

Ruffling the 193cm tall woman's hair, Paul said, "Just put up with it for a few hours. I'll make it up to you once we return to the Inn."

Though she furrowed her brows, Ghislaine made no attempts to evade Paul's hand. Instead, she tolerated his caress, crossing her arms as she grumbled, "I don't understand why you care about the opinions of people you resent. You already ran rampant through the White Palace. If anyone gives us crap, we can just beat them up and be done with it."

Adopting a smile, Paul replied, "You're not wrong..." before patting his lap, prompting Ghislaine to eventually take a seat as he added, "The problem with resorting to violence is that you'll need to continue employing it to maintain control. It also serves as a corrupting force to the people using it and those around them. The moment a leader stops caring or considering the consequences of their actions, they become a despot and a tyrant..."

Maintaining her furrowed look, Ghislaine asked, "Does it matter? Even if you become a tyrant, you can still inspire people and improve the lives of your subjects. Caring too much about the opinions of others will give your enemies the impression you're weak."

Nodding his head, Paul mused, "Perhaps. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Those with the capacity to oppose us will do so regardless of what we do. If a couple of clowns mistake us as easy marks, it gives people like Ningguang the leverage she needs to 'justly' ruin them..."

Recalling her past interactions with Ningguang, most of Ghislaine's doubts vanished. She knew the former wasn't very powerful, but for reasons she couldn't fully understand, Ghislaine couldn't imagine defeating her. A certain sense of 'surety' exuded from Ningguang's every word and action. If Ghislaine didn't know better, she could have easily been convinced the peculiar white-haired woman was the descendant of an omniscient God...

Seeing Ghislaine abruptly fall silent, a wry smile adorned Paul's face. He knew better than most how capable Ningguang was, but it was awkward knowing Ghislaine had more 'faith' in someone she hardly interacted with over him, someone she had accompanied for years.

Fortunately, just as Paul was thinking about ways to salvage his standing, the lights within the auction hall quickly dimmed, followed by the central stage lighting up. Shortly after, a rather buxom woman with inordinately long pink hair stepped out of the shadows, her shapely figure garbed in what could best be described as an old-fashioned pantsuit.

Voicing the thought that had just crossed Paul's mind, Ghislaine muttered, "She's strong..." in a silent yet severe tone.

Nodding his head, Paul replied, "It makes sense, considering the value of the items up for grabs. If the people in charge were weak, they wouldn't be able to ensure the safety of their customers and stock..."

Though the pink-haired woman was at best a Sword Saint, even the cuff links she wore were enchanted with powerful Magics. She likely wouldn't be able to contend against a King, but the average Saint would struggle to leave so much as a scratch on her.

As if sensing Paul's and Ghislaine's thoughts, the pink-haired woman briefly cast her gaze to their elevated booth, narrowing her amethyst eyes in amusement before looking down to address the masked crowd below. The Fontaine Auction House mandated that all its attendees wear masks and hooded cloaks to prevent those in positions of power and authority from pressuring the other guests. That didn't stop certain people from shouting out the organizations and companies they were affiliated with, but the price of doing so was a life-long ban or a fine of 100,000 Royal Notes.

"Greetings, distinguished Lords, Ladies, and guests from afar. I would like to welcome you to the Fontaine Auction House. For those of you who are unfamiliar with our institution, allow me the honor of introducing myself. I am Baroness Christina Juliana Lawrence, heiress of House Lawrence and Chief Financier of the Lawrence Mining Company. I'm 23 and single, but if you'd like to try your hand at winning my wealth and favor, be prepared to prove your worth in a duel."

With Christina directing her final few words in the general direction of his booth, a somewhat wry smile developed across Paul's face. He wasn't exactly lacking in female companions, so while Christina was certainly a bombshell in terms of appearance and disposition, Paul wasn't as moved as he would have been a few years prior. The crowd below, however, was abuzz with excitement as, after joining hands with House Fontaine, House Lawrence had become one of the wealthiest in all of Milishion.

*snap*

Demonstrating the borderline heinous amplification effect of her gloves, Christina snapped her fingers with enough force to produce a weak but incredibly loud shockwave, silencing the crowd and deterring a few of the bolder guests from trying to challenge her on the spot. At the same time, yet another voluptuous beauty stepped onto the stage, this time wearing a fairly modern bunny suit and pushing a silver cart. However, rather than fake ears and a detachable tail, hers were the real deal, the distinct traits of the 'Warrior Bunny' tribe.

After pushing the cart next to Christina, the bunny girl bowed low before returning to the shadows. Immediately following her departure, Christina pulled away the covering concealing the item up for auction, revealing an ornate dagger with a jewel-encrusted handle.

"Our first item is a magical dagger recovered from the A-Rank Labyrinth, Palace of Greed. It possesses the unique ability 'Wound Agitation,' making even the tiniest of cuts potentially fatal. The inaugural bid is six Milis Gold Coins. If you'd like to bid for this item, the minimum increment is one Milis Gold Coin while the maximum is ten."

Following Christina's introduction of the item, a bidding war immediately broke out in the general seating area. Magic items were fairly rare in the market as most Adventurers kept them as heirlooms to pass on to their descendants. More importantly, the dagger brought out by Christina was uniquely suited to assassinations. Even if they had no intention of using it, the Nobles within the crowd felt compelled to purchase the dagger just to avoid finding it in their back at a later date...

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After witnessing more than a dozen relatively mundane items come and go, Paul began losing interest in the auction. Most magical items couldn't hold a candle to the equipment he obtained via the Intersection of Fate, so the only article that caught his interest was a mithril-infused kite shield purported to be able to reflect Saint-ranked Magic. However, as none of his companions specialized in utilizing shields, he decided to abstain from the bidding war that followed.

Fortunately, just as Paul was seriously considering retiring early, one of the rotating bunny girls brought forth a large red cushion bearing a single, silvery-white ring with a tiny blood-red gemstone. It wasn't nearly as eye-catching as some of the other items put up for auction, but its description caused tensions within the auction hall to become palpable.

"Our second-to-last article for the night is a magic ring discovered at the bottom of the S-Rank Labyrinth, Abyssal Plummet. Appearances aside, it possesses the exceptionally rare ability 'Sacrifice,' effectively granting its wielder a second life in the face of imminent death. The inaug-"

Before Christina could finish introducing the item, an incredibly deep voice emanated from the VIP box next to Paul's, stating, "100,000 Royal Notes." in a decisive tone. This was the equivalent of 50,000 Asura Gold Coins, so the only people who could contend against such a monstrous sum were those in possession of a Platinum Coin. However, as the voice originated from one of the boxes 'reserved' for high-ranking members of the Nobility and Church, no one in the general seating area was 'brazen' enough to contend the bid.

Undaunted by the bidder's status, Christina plainly declared, "It is against policy to state a bid before the inaugural bid is announced. Everyone who enters this hall agrees to abide by its rules and regulations, so I'm afraid the distinguished guest in booth number three is barred from competing for this particular item. Further violations will prevent you from competing in future auctions as well."

*audible gasps*

Though the Fontaine Auction House was regarded as the most reputable in the entire city, none of the people in the general seating area expected Christina to stand against the voice emanating from the VIP booth. House Lawrence had risen to enviable heights in a relatively short period of time. Still, even with the backing of House Fontaine, it couldn't hope to contend against the families that had ruled the Milis Holy Kingdom for generations.

Contrasting expectations, the person seated in booth number three didn't respond to Christina's 'provocation.' Instead, a tense silence fell upon the entire auction house, broken only when Christina went on to declare, "As I was saying, the inaugural bid will start at 100MGC. If you would like to bid for this item, the minimum increment is 10MGC while the maximum is 100."

Despite the relatively low starting bid, no one in the general seating area dared to compete for the ring. Doing so meant incurring the wrath of one of the most powerful families in all of Milishion, a family that undoubtedly had the backing of the Church. The last thing any of them wanted was a surprise visit from the Inquisition, so the hall remained silent for nearly a full minute until Paul mused, "I'll raise the maximum amount."

Hearing Paul's bid, a clamor spread through the audience hall, not just because he dared to compete against the voice from before but because his bid originated from the centermost VIP booth. Said booth had never once been used during previous auctions, not because it was unavailable but because there was an unspoken agreement between members of the Milis Aristocracy that the most lavish accommodations were reserved for the Pope and his Archbishops.

Interrupting the clamor before it could reach a crescendo, Christina loudly proclaimed, "That's 200 Milis Gold Coins from the gentleman seated in booth number one! Would anyone like to bid 210? This is a fairly rare item, you know~?"

Despite Christina's words, no one in the general seating area raised their paddles. As a result, Christina had no choice but to begin the countdown that would have granted Paul the rights to the sacrificial ring. Before she could finish the countdown, however, a soft and feminine voice emanated from the second VIP booth, stating, "We shall bid 300."

Striking a pose, Christina shouted, "Now we're talking! I have 300MGC from the esteemed guest seated in booth number two! Can I get 310!? Perhaps even four~!?"

Once again contrasting expectations, Paul shook his head, choosing to abstain from further bidding. The only reason he put forth an initial bid was to spite the person seated in booth number three. Now that another VIP had made an offer, he didn't mind stepping down and allowing them to acquire the ring at an incredibly low cost. He originally planned to give the ring to Lilia, but as rare as the 'Sacrifice' enchantment was, it wasn't like it guaranteed the wearer's survival. It might save them from a fatal blow, but if the person who attacked them were still present, they would simply be prolonging the inevitable...

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(A/N: Christina is based on the character of the same name in Granblue Fantasy.)