CH332 Grand Auction II

***

The auction was going far better than Alex, Haggleworth, or anyone from the Golden Palace had predicted.

Everything flowed so smoothly—and more importantly, profitably—that by the time the sixth item out of the ten was sold, the Palace's net earnings had already reached around 5,000 High-Grade Mana Stones, with about 2,000 HGs of that—an astounding one billion gold coins—being pure profit.

They were already close to reaching the massive fund target needed to ensure the Palace's continent-wide expansion project, plus Alex's personal academy project.

And these first six items were supposed to be the lesser ones—the ones the Palace appraisers had placed in the lower lots precisely because they had little confidence in their relative value.

Alex could hardly sit still as the auction progressed, his restlessness drawing puzzled glances from Eleanor. She couldn't quite understand why he was so visibly pleased.

At first, she assumed it was excitement from attending his first grand auction, or perhaps the thrill of seeing such vast sums exchanged before his eyes. But as the minutes ticked by, she wasn't so sure anymore.

Alex was usually far too composed to lose his calm over something that didn't personally affect him.

It gnawed at her to ask what was going on, but she held herself back. This wasn't the place for questions—not when they were surrounded by powerful figures whose perception could likely pierce even the strongest of concealment arrays.

It was foolish to believe that people like the Dwarven Smithmaster—a Grandmaster Forgesmith, Runesmith, and certified Legend—or the High Comptroller—a wealthy Legend with access to rare and exotic goods—couldn't bypass the Golden Palace's protective formation if they truly wished.

Best to assume they could.

Meanwhile, the audience below mirrored Alex's excitement, though for entirely different reasons.

At the start, many had come expecting little from the auction. Yet as the event unfolded, they found themselves grateful to have attended.

Even if most of them wouldn't be leaving with a single item, simply being present among the continent's most illustrious elites was bragging rights enough to last years.

Now, every eye gleamed with anticipation as they waited for the crowning jewels of the auction—the items that had been deliberately set aside by the Golden Palace for this very moment.

The elven auctioneer, now known for her graceful and dramatic gestures, lifted her hand to signal the presentation of the next lot.

Unlike the previous items, which were raised by slim pedestals, this time a wide circular platform—of about three-metre radius—opened in the centre of the grand stage.

A low hum echoed through the hall as the heavy pedestal began to rise, signalling that whatever was coming next was far larger than anything seen before.

"The next item," the elven auctioneer announced, her melodic voice carrying clearly through the amphitheatre, "was personally delivered to the Golden Palace Master by the Tower Master of DragonHold Enclave himself."

'Not quite,' Alex thought with a quiet smirk. 'I asked Master for permission, and he granted me access to raid his personal vault.'

Of course, the auctioneer's phrasing made for a far more dramatic story.

The crowd instantly perked up. Dozens of eyes locked onto the opening in the stage, watching eagerly to see what would emerge.

The five seconds it took for the platform to rise felt like days.

Then—

Gasps echoed throughout the auction hall.

The item came into view, and those who recognised it immediately forgot to breathe. Even the dignitaries seated in the VIP balcony stiffened in surprise.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the elven auctioneer declared, her voice resonating with deliberate grandeur, "I present to you our seventh lot—the refined spine of an Elder Dragon!"

"What?! The DragonSlayer actually killed an Elder Dragon? When did this happen?!" someone from the lower seats exclaimed, voicing the shock that rippled through the audience.

The chatter exploded like wildfire.

However, those in the upper floors—the ones who truly understood what that name meant—had different thoughts.

"The spine looks freshly preserved… that means the Elder Dragon was killed recently," one whispered in disbelief. "Did the DragonSlayer kill another one? How did we not hear of it?"

Unlike the masses below, the nobles and experts above knew that the dragon slain by Merlin Pendragon, that earned him fame as the DragonSlayer, had not been any ordinary dragon, but an Elder Dragon—one of the apex predators of their realm.

And this one… was fresh.

Which could only mean—he'd slain another.

A wave of suppressed awe and unease swept through the upper floors as figures like the Smithmaster and the High Comptroller activated their appraisal arts, streams of mana flashing subtly in the air.

The results made even them pale.

"What?! Merlin, are you out of your mind?! You're selling the spine of an Epic Dragon?!" the Smithmaster's booming voice rang across the hall, laced with disbelief and fury.

Faces turned grim. The various VIP representatives exchanged frowns and uneasy glances.

No sane person would sell an Epic-ranked material. Not for gold, not for mana stones—never without a deeper reason.

There had to be a message behind this.

In the privacy of his box, Alex's lips curved into a sly, knowing smile. He could feel the discomfort spreading among the powerful.

Exactly as planned.

'They must be tearing their hair out trying to interpret Master's intentions,' Alex mused. 'And the conclusion they'll reach… is that this is a message. Master's silent acknowledgement of the Golden Palace's rise.'

A flicker of satisfaction gleamed in his eyes.

'With this, many doors once closed by prestige and old influence will finally open. The Palace will be treated not as an upstart, but as an institution worthy of respect. After all, this shows Master isn't just an Archmage—he's an Archmage capable of slaying other Epics on his own, and has experience doing so.'

Zora's calm voice echoed in his mind. "You're scheming again. Be careful."

"Don't worry," Alex replied with an easy smile. "I got permission for this much."

Then his expression turned wry. "Just… this much."

Zora chuckled softly and nodded in understanding.

The elven auctioneer smiled wryly, her tone playful yet composed.

"With the Smithmaster's appraisal, I believe I don't need to say anything else. The bidding will begin at a starting price of… one High-Grade mana stone."

A beat of stunned silence.

"Huh?"

The crowd froze, wide-eyed.

Then—

"What nonsense! 1,200 HGs!"

The High Comptroller's sharp voice cut through the hall, instantly crushing any hopes the lower-tier bidders might have had. The sheer weight of his offer—and the power behind it—warned everyone else to stay in their lane.

Even if they had the stones to spare, his momentum said it all; this wasn't a fight the rabble should enter.

"1,350." The IronHammer Empire's representative followed immediately.

"1,400." The aged elven delegate from the Elarion Empire raised the stakes.

"1,600." The Virellian Empire's representative, silent until now, made his first move—firm and commanding.

"1,620." The Craftsmen Association's delegate chimed in.

"1,650. Sit down, this is no place for you to meddle," the Mage Association's representative replied coldly.

"1,695," came a calm voice from the Nearmarch Confederacy's box.

"1,700," an Amazonian matriarch from the Eternal Valkyrie Empire added, her tone both graceful and deadly.

The atmosphere grew electric.

One after another, the continent's ruling powers entered the fray.

The bids surged higher—

—until, finally, the fever started to slow.

"1,723."

"1,724."

"1,725."

"1,727."

The flurry of massive jumps dwindled to hesitant increments.

From tens of HGs per call, the pace dropped to single digits.

Everyone wanted the dragon spine—or, at least, they didn't want anyone else to have it—but even among the great powers, the price was biting deep.

And still… there were three more items yet to come.

The tension held until one voice finally broke it.

"1,790!"

The Virellian Empire's representative shattered the stalemate, leaping fifty HGs in one bold stroke.

A collective murmur spread through the audience.

The auctioneer's eyes gleamed. "We have 1,790 HGs. Any higher bids? 1,790 going once…"

She paused, smiling faintly.

"This is a priceless relic—an item capable of opening the path to Class 7 or accelerating comprehension for anyone under Class 8. A treasure of this calibre is not easily found."

The room fell silent. Several representatives hesitated, weighing the risk and reward—

"1,800!"

Gasps echoed.

The bid came again from the same box—Virellian empire's.

It wasn't just a bid. It was a declaration.

'This spine belongs to the Virellian Empire.'

The other factions exchanged grim looks but eventually backed down.

No one wanted to burn resources fighting an empire determined to claim it—especially with the grand finale still ahead.

The auctioneer nodded in satisfaction. "Going once… going twice… Sold! To the gentleman in box X6."

The hammer fell.

Once the sale was confirmed, the dragon spine slowly descended back below the stage. It would be carefully prepared for transportation to its new owner once the auction concluded.

Surprisingly, the elven auctioneer didn't immediately move to the next item.

Instead, she paused.

It wasn't exhaustion—she was letting the audience catch their breath.

That in itself was unusual. Riding the momentum could have easily boosted the bids for the next lot. Which meant only one thing…

Either she made a mistake—

or the next item didn't need such tricks.

The stage trembled faintly as the next pedestal began to rise. Even before the item was fully revealed, the auctioneer's clear, melodic voice rang across the hall.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight we make history."

Her words silenced the room.

"Tonight marks the first time something of this magnitude has ever been presented at an open auction rather than acquired through private commission."

She spread her hands gracefully toward the rising pedestal.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, congratulations—for you are about to witness the first-ever public auction of a pinnacle Tier V Magic Armour!"

***

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.