The Auction's Unexpected Turns

After the auctioneer finished speaking, he slightly turned to the side.

Illiya initially had no idea what the man was doing.

However, when a backstage attendant walked up carrying an item, he immediately understood.

They were making space for the next auction item.

After placing the item on the auction stage, the attendant left.

The black-robed auctioneer stepped beside the item and reaching out to grasp the corner of the black cloth covering it.

Slowly, he lifted the cloth and fully revealing the auction item to the audience.

The moment the cloth was removed, those who had come specifically for this auction item gripped their paddles tightly, waiting for the auctioneer to announce the starting price so they could begin bidding.

Meanwhile, those people who are uninterested had already shifted their gaze elsewhere, either looking at unrelated items or simply zoning out.

Illiya stared at the auction item intently for a while before losing interest and looking away.

Darius had assumed that this little ancestor was interested in the item.

After all, he had been staring at it for so long, so seriously, that he seemed just a step away from picking it up to examine it more closely.

However, then the elf simply turned his gaze away with a look of mild disdain.

Yes, Darius could swear to the God of Magic that he hadn't misread it—this little ancestor was displeased.

"You're not going to bid?" Darius asked curiously. "You were looking at it so seriously just now, but then you turned away with... disgust? If I'm not mistaken."

Illiya didn't deny it. "I was just observing the item to estimate its quality."

Darius raised an eyebrow. "And? What do you think?" He had a feeling the answer wouldn't be great, judging by Illiya's expression.

"I thought it would be of high quality, but it turned out to be just average—or rather, quite poor," Illiya sighed.

He suddenly lost interest in the human auction altogether if this was the standard of their items.

Hearing that, Darius was skeptical.

He turned back for another look.

The magic crystal stone on the stage was crystal-clear, without a trace of impurity—a perfect specimen.

"Illiya, you must be joking. This magic crystal stone is of excellent quality."

Now it was Illiya's turn to be surprised.

He frowned and argued, "A crystal of this quality would be considered worthless waste in our place. It's not bright enough and contains plenty of impurities. It's also far too small. What would anyone do with such trash?"

That reminded him of something else that had puzzled him.

"Honestly, when we mine crystals like these, we just throw them away. But my teacher once told me that this stuff actually has value. I don't get it. Do you think people actually buy this kind of junk?" He laughed, clearly joking.

Darius fell silent.

His voice was stiff and uncertain when he finally spoke. "Illiya... I think they do buy it."

Illiya's gaze drifted back to the auction item below.

A sudden realization struck him, and he felt a little guilty. "Hahaha, you must be joking."

The elf and the swordsman exchanged glances and silently decided to drop the topic.

After all, the idea that elves had been unknowingly selling their discarded waste to other races was a little too soul-crushing.

...

One item after another was auctioned off.

Although over a hundred lots seemed like a lot, the auction moved quickly.

Most attendees were here for the dark elf and the ruin key, so the competition for earlier items was relatively low, making the auctions proceed rapidly.

However, when the 199th item was up for bidding, the atmosphere in the auction hall shifted dramatically.

The air grew tense, charged with an almost explosive energy, as if a storm was about to break.

Aside from those bidding on the 199th item, everyone else in the room sat with hidden intentions, deep in their own thoughts.

Even Darius found himself swept up in the tension, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists against his lap, as if ready to jump up at any moment.

He was still caught in the tight grip of anticipation when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the elf beside him—completely lost in thought, daydreaming.

Seeing this scene, he was utterly baffled.

Wasn't the next auction item supposed to be the dark elf?

Wasn't he furious before they entered the auction house?

How had he suddenly calmed down now, even looking quite idle?

Illiya had long since noticed the swordsman's gaze on him—blatant and unhidden, as if the man thought he was being discreet.

It made Illiya suddenly doubt his profession; he seemed rather unqualified.

Darius sneaked another glance and confirmed that the elf was indeed not nervous.

He was even playing with his bracelet.

After sitting for a while longer, as the auction downstairs neared its conclusion, the elf still maintained an indifferent expression.

Darius wanted to ask why but hesitated.

The question scratched at his mind like an itch—not painful, but irritating and impossible to ignore.

In the end, he couldn't help but ask, "Illiya, do you still remember the auction item number 200?" His tone was deliberately mild.

"Of course, I remember," Illiya replied.

Darius pressed on, "Do you remember what item number 200 was?" Clearly hinting at something.

"I know," Illiya said calmly. Then, his tone shifted. "But the matter has already been dealt with. My teacher just sent me a message saying that the City Lord of Haneulsae City has been informed, and the dark elf was rescued just now. The auction house replaced the item number 200 with something else. But don't get your hopes up for the ruin key either—I'm not sure if this auction house will still be standing in a while."

Darius finally relaxed.

As long as the dark elf was safe, that was all that mattered.

If swapping auction items angered those who had come for the original item, and if the auction house faced consequences for it, what did that have to do with them?