Chapter 28: Auction (2)

“It’s been a while, Miss Aisha.”

“…!”

A familiar face greeted her, and Aisha instinctively tensed up.
The woman who had gracefully taken a seat beside her was none other than Eleanor von Ascalon—a prominent figure among the aristocrats of the Holy Empire.
Known for her cunning and elegance, Eleanor was infamous for using both her beauty and wit to manipulate political situations.
Her long, wavy silver hair and striking violet eyes made her stand out even among the nobility.

“Lady Eleanor… What brings you here?”

Aisha whispered cautiously.
Eleanor smiled gently, but her eyes held a glint of amusement.

“Oh dear, is that how you greet an old friend? I was just a bit curious, that’s all. What brings the noble daughter of the Rustichel family to such an event?”
“That’s… I just… happened to pass by.”

Eleanor chuckled, clearly not buying Aisha’s vague excuse.
“You passed by? An auction house? During a festival? How peculiar.”
Her teasing tone made Aisha swallow nervously.

“And here I thought the infamous northern dragon didn’t bother with these trivialities.”
Aisha felt a surge of discomfort at the comment.
Was Eleanor also under the impression that Luke was a dragon?

“Ah, but I must admit, I didn’t expect to see the heir of Rustichel here of all places.”
Aisha tried to maintain her composure, despite the disquiet Eleanor’s presence stirred within her.
She glanced at Luke, who was seated some distance away, seemingly unaware of the conversation unfolding.

“Lady Eleanor, are you here to bid as well?”
Eleanor smiled mysteriously.
“Of course. There are a few things I have my eyes on. But I wonder… What about you? Surely you’re not here for mundane trinkets?”
Aisha hesitated, unsure of how much she should reveal.

Before she could answer, the auctioneer’s voice boomed across the hall.
“Our first item: A rare elixir crafted from the petals of the Crimson Moonflower! Bidding starts at 50,000 gold!”
The hall buzzed with murmurs.
The Crimson Moonflower Elixir was known for temporarily boosting magical affinity, making it highly sought after among mages.

Eleanor raised her hand without hesitation.
“100,000 gold.”
The room fell silent, the rapid increase drawing attention.
The auctioneer nodded, acknowledging the bid.
“100,000 gold from the lady in the violet dress!”

Aisha couldn’t help but glance at Eleanor.
“Are you really intending to buy that?”
“Oh, not really. I just dislike when people look down on my position. Besides, it never hurts to remind them who’s in charge.”
Aisha’s expression softened a little. Despite Eleanor’s manipulative nature, she couldn’t deny the woman’s unwavering confidence.

The bids continued, but Eleanor’s intimidating presence kept others from countering her offer.
Eventually, the auctioneer finalized the sale.
“Sold to the lady in violet for 100,000 gold!”

Eleanor smiled, clearly satisfied with the result.
“Now then, Miss Aisha, should I consider this elixir a gift to you? Or perhaps… your companion over there?”
Aisha’s eyes widened slightly.
“What do you mean?”
Eleanor chuckled.
“Come now, everyone is talking about him. The enigmatic ‘dragon’ from the north. Your family’s involvement makes it all the more intriguing.”
Aisha clenched her fists.
She couldn’t afford to let rumors spiral out of control.

“It’s not like that. Luke is… just…”
Eleanor raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? Then… what is he to you?”
Aisha couldn’t answer, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts.

Just then, Luke’s voice broke the tension.
“Aisha.”
She turned around to see Luke standing behind them, his calm eyes reflecting both curiosity and slight annoyance.
“What are you doing here?”
Aisha hesitated, trying to come up with an excuse.
But Eleanor interjected smoothly.
“Ah, Sir Luke. Or should I say… the northern dragon? Truly an honor.”
Luke looked at her with a blank expression.
“I’m not a dragon.”
Eleanor’s lips curved into a sly smile.
“Oh, really? Then why is the daughter of the Rustichel family clinging to you like a treasure?”
Luke glanced at Aisha, who quickly turned red.

“It’s a misunderstanding. There’s no need to make baseless assumptions.”
Eleanor let out a soft laugh.
“Misunderstanding or not, rumors spread like wildfire. You should be more careful.”
Luke didn’t respond, merely narrowing his eyes slightly.
Eleanor took that as her cue to rise from her seat.

“Well, I’ll take my leave for now. Do enjoy the auction, both of you.”
With that, she gracefully walked away, leaving a lingering sense of unease behind.

Aisha looked at Luke with an apologetic expression.
“I-I’m sorry… I just… wanted to make sure you were okay…”
Luke sighed.
“You followed me all the way here?”
Aisha nodded sheepishly.
“I was just worried. You seemed different lately…”
He couldn’t help but give a faint smile.
“It’s fine. Just… don’t overdo it. You shouldn’t be here in the first place.”
Aisha bit her lip but nodded.
She knew he was right, but her concern for him outweighed her better judgment.

Meanwhile, Luke’s eyes briefly followed Eleanor’s retreating figure.
‘That woman… She’s definitely plotting something.’

The auction continued, but a subtle tension lingered in the air.
Eleanor’s unexpected appearance had shifted the atmosphere.
Luke couldn’t shake the feeling that something bigger was at play.

“Tower Master…?”
“Miss Aisha? What brings you here?”

The Tower Master, Alicia.
She was someone Aisha knew quite well.
Due to her constitution issues, Aisha had visited the Mage Tower numerous times in the past.
As a direct descendant of the Rustichel family, which protected the Frozen Sea, the Mage Tower couldn’t afford to treat her carelessly.
Naturally, Aisha had developed a good relationship with the Mage Tower over time.
That connection still held strong.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Aisha’s mind.
‘No way…!’

Luke Richter was a Master-level mage sent by the Mage Tower.
And this auction was an event hosted by the Mage Tower.
That meant there was a high possibility that Luke Richter was directly involved in this auction.
The cogs in Aisha’s mind began to click into place.
‘I knew it…! Following him was the right choice.’

“Hehe, I see now.”
“Hmm? What do you mean, Miss Aisha?”

The reason Luke Richter participated in the auction—
It was none other than to serve as a third party to keep the Holy Empire in check.

“We will now begin the first auction! The Supreme Elixir, Ether!”
Snap!
With a snap of the staff member’s fingers, a giant, translucent monitor appeared.
A magnified image of the auction item was projected onto the screen behind the podium.

“This elixir boosts magical power! It’s a handmade elixir crafted by the master alchemist Trixie! Only 30 bottles are produced annually, making it a highly sought-after item from the Alchemy Association!”

The Ether Elixir—
Aisha had heard of this product before.
Not only was it known for its powerful magic-boosting effects, but it was also crafted by the genius alchemist, Trixie.
Moreover, this particular line was a limited edition produced in small quantities each year.
The murmuring in the auction hall made it clear that everyone else shared Aisha’s thoughts.

“The starting bid is 10 million gold! The minimum bid increment is 1 million gold!”
The auctioneer’s voice rang out, and people started raising their hands.

“11 million gold!”
“12 million gold!”
“13 million gold!”
The price, which started at 10 million gold, quickly rose by increments of 1 million, soon surpassing 20 million.

“Heh.”
The Tower Master, Alicia, looked on with satisfaction.
The atmosphere in the auction hall heated up rapidly over a single elixir.

“30 million gold!”
Suddenly, the lively atmosphere turned cold.
A man in a Holy Empire priest’s robe had boldly bid 30 million gold.
Even though Ether was a top-tier elixir, 30 million was quite a hefty sum.
While it was still a reasonable price, the tension was palpable.

“Any additional bids?!”
Nobody raised their hands.
It wasn’t just the price—no one wanted to get involved with the Holy Empire.
Just as it seemed the bidding would conclude—

“35 million gold!!!!”
Aisha’s eyes widened as she looked straight ahead.
The man who had abruptly raised the bid was none other than Luke Richter.
The priest’s face twisted with irritation.
Once again, the bidding war resumed.

“36 million gold!”
“37 million gold!”
“38 million gold!”
The relentless bidding soon approached 40 million gold.
Unable to hold back any longer, the Holy Empire’s representative made one final bid.

“50 million gold!!!!”
50 million for just one magic-boosting elixir.
To Aisha, it was pocket change, but even she couldn’t help but find the amount ridiculous.
Luke paused as if contemplating before finally flashing a wry smile and giving up on the bid.

“Any more bids at 50 million gold?”
Of course, there were none.
Although the Holy Empire representative technically secured the winning bid, his face looked as pale as flour.
An eerie silence filled the auction hall.
Alicia, the Tower Master, blinked in surprise before bursting into loud laughter.

“Sold for 50 million gold!”
Bang!
The sound of the gavel echoed throughout the room.

Luke, still seated, let out a subtle sigh.
He had no intention of winning the bid from the start.
His goal was to make the Holy Empire overspend.
And with that, he had succeeded beyond expectation.

Aisha, observing the situation from a distance, couldn’t help but be both impressed and puzzled.
“So that’s what he was aiming for…”
As she glanced around, she noticed the Holy Empire representative gritting his teeth in frustration.
It was clear they hadn’t expected the price to skyrocket like that.

The Tower Master, still chuckling, wiped away a tear.
“Hah! That kid… He’s sharper than he looks. A true menace to the Holy Empire.”
Aisha couldn’t help but agree.
The way Luke maneuvered the auction was nothing short of brilliant.

The auction continued, but the energy in the room had shifted.
The Holy Empire, now feeling the sting of their overspend, remained more cautious in subsequent bids.
Meanwhile, Luke leaned back in his chair, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
He had successfully disrupted the Holy Empire’s plans—and indirectly, won the favor of the Mage Tower.

With the final bid, the auctioneer struck the gavel.
The clear sound of the gavel marked the start of the next auction.

The auction proceeded in a direction that no one could have anticipated.
Whenever a representative from the Holy Empire tried to bid, Luke Richter would jump in without fail.
He would deliberately drive up the price to its maximum and then, like a ghost, suddenly drop out of the bidding.
While the Holy Empire technically won, it was a victory laced with bitterness and loss.
Eventually, having exhausted their funds, the Holy Empire stopped bidding altogether.

“Ahahaha!!!”
The sight was so satisfying that the Tower Master, sitting next to Aisha, burst into laughter with tears in her eyes.
“That boy, I really like him!”

Aisha couldn’t just laugh along, however.
The reason? It was because of Luke Richter’s reckless spending.

“30 million gold! Final bid!”
Once the Holy Empire had withdrawn from bidding, Luke Richter started buying up items left and right as if on a spree.
The problem was that all the money came from the promissory note Aisha had given him as compensation.

‘J-Just how much is that…!!!!’
Of course, considering the Rustichel family’s wealth, it was just a trivial sum.
Even Aisha’s personal allowance could cover it.
But every amount spent would be directly billed to the Rustichel family.

‘It should be fine… right?’
If she explained the situation to her father, he would surely understand.
After all, Luke Richter was the benefactor who helped improve her lifelong physical condition.
Not to mention, she would never have been able to contract with a High-level Spirit without his help.
Thinking of it that way made her feel more at ease.
Compared to the help she received, the money being spent now seemed relatively minor.

But that reassurance didn’t last long.

“Now, for the final auction item!”
The lights turned and shone brilliantly on the stage.
Shortly after, the final auction item was revealed behind the auctioneer.

‘Powder…?’
A transparent glass bottle filled with white powder.
What on earth was that?

“A custom-made product commissioned by His Majesty, Emperor Van Arkan of the Belkin Empire!”
“A masterpiece of technology jointly crafted by the Mage Tower and the Alchemy Association!”
“Special sleeping powder for insomniacs!”

Sleeping powder?
Who would even buy something like that?

“Starting bid: 1 million gold!”
The starting price was cheap.
It was hard to imagine anyone would buy such powder, but—
Maybe it was because the description sounded grandiose, but some scattered bids started coming in.
Still, the amounts were minuscule.

“1.1 million gold!”
“1.2 million gold!”
“1.3 million gold!”
The amount slowly climbed.

And then…

Bang!
The magic lights on the ceiling suddenly focused on one man.

“3… 30 million gold!!!!!”
Luke Richter raised his hand.
Aisha froze in place, her mouth hanging open.

“Any additional bids?!”
30 million gold for that measly powder?
Of course, sleeping powder was indeed rare and hard to acquire, but still…!
In the end, it was just powder to help you sleep.
It was nothing more than useless junk!

But 30 million gold for such junk?
Aisha felt like she was about to pass out.

“Sold for 30 million gold!”

Ah.
She should have given him cash instead of a promissory note.