Chapter 209: The auction II
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Mira continued. "Matched pair. Reflective impact force capability. When struck, they can redirect a portion of incoming physical force outward, reducing damage to the wearer. This does not make the wearer invincible. The bracers have limits. But within Chaos Rank two to Rank Three combat, they provide exceptional defensive value. The appearance is elegant, and the enchantment is stable. There is no hidden drawback. No active curse."
A noblewoman gasped softly. A young nobleman whispered, "Mother will kill me if I don’t buy those."
Someone behind him muttered, "Mother will kill you if you do."
Laughter moved through the crowd.
Sekhmet saw Iron House sit straighter.
This was the kind of item Iron House would want because it looked respectable. It could be worn publicly. It could be gifted. It could become a symbol of dominance without screaming "I am a brute."
Mira rang the bell. "Opening bid, five hundred thousand."
Bidding started immediately.
"Six hundred."
"Seven."
"One million."
"Two million."
The numbers rose fast again, but this time the bids had a different flavor. Warblade bidding felt like hunger. Bracer bidding felt like pride.
Iron House entered early.
"Three million," Dickoff’s scribe said.
A noble house tried to counter. "Three point two."
Iron House answered instantly. "Four."
The noble house hesitated.
A city guard captain in plain clothing raised a marker. "Four point three."
People turned toward him. Someone whispered, "That’s the captain from the east wall."
Someone else whispered, "He is buying to resell, idiot."
The captain ignored them.
Iron House’s scribe raised again. "Five."
The captain’s mouth tightened. He raised the numbers. "Five point one."
Iron House answered without even blinking. "Six."
The captain hesitated. His eyes flicked to his companion, who shook his head. The captain lowered his marker.
The room reacted with knowing murmurs. When Iron House decided to win something, most people stopped wasting their stones. Not because they couldn’t fight, but because fighting Iron House often meant fighting tomorrow too.
Mira let the silence hang. Then she rang the bell.
"Six million chaos stones," she said. "Any higher bids."
A pause.
No one moved.
Mira rang the bell again.
"Sold. Six million chaos stones. To Iron House."
A ripple moved through the hall. Some people were annoyed. Some people were relieved. Some were excited because Iron House had spent big, and big spending early meant weaker spending later.
Lily leaned toward Sekhmet and whispered, "They bought one. So they can say they won something."
Sekhmet’s eyes stayed steady. They wanted a public trophy, he thought. Good. Trophies cost money. He watched Dickoff again and saw nothing on the man’s face, which was more unsettling than anger.
Mira did not allow the room to rest too long. She was learning quickly that auctions were like battles; you kept the pressure moving so buyers did not have time to regret their own greed.
The third case rolled out. This item did not glow aggressively. It looked like a travel cloak, dark fabric with faint runic stitching near the collar and hem. When light touched it, the cloth did not reflect much. It seemed to swallow light slightly, not like a void artifact, but like a practical concealment.
Mira’s voice remained crisp. "Legendary Grade Two. Void-Touched Hunting Cloak."
The crowd murmured. Legendary Grade Two was still huge, but it was a different kind of huge. Grade Two items were often sold because they were useful, not because they were trophies. That made the bidding unpredictable.
Mira continued. "Dark travel cloak with enhanced concealment against low-rank beast senses. It reduces scent trace, dampens movement noise slightly, and disrupts simple vibration detection within short range. It is not an invisibility cloak. It is a hunting cloak. It is useful for scouts, merchants traveling through dangerous zones, and individuals who prefer to avoid attention. It is stable and subtle enough for public sale."
A few discreet nobles leaned forward. A couple of mercenary reps looked interested. Several underground-looking buyers in the back rows suddenly paid attention like dogs hearing meat hit the floor.
Sekhmet watched those back-row figures carefully. Underground circles like subtle items, he thought. Iron House might ignore this. Which means I can sell it high without their interference.
Mira rang the bell. "Opening bid, five hundred thousand."
Bidding began.
"Six hundred."
"Seven."
"Eight."
"One million."
A quiet bidder in the back raised. "One point two."
Another quiet bidder countered. "One point five."
The hall grew more interested. The cloak was not flashy, but it was the kind of item that made assassins live longer. People paid for living.
Iron House did not move. Dickoff remained still, as if the cloak was beneath his attention, or as if he was refusing to expose interest in stealth items publicly.
That gave space for other buyers to become bold.
"Two million," a noble box bidder said lazily.
A back-row bidder countered immediately. "Two point five."
"Three," another bidder snapped.
Mira’s voice stayed even, but she allowed a faint emphasis. "Three million. Any higher."
Auri’s eyes moved calmly, scanning the back-row bidders. She did not react, but Sekhmet could feel her attention sharpening. The cloak was attracting the kind of people who sometimes tried to steal instead of bid.
A beastkin scout buyer raised. "Three point two."
A back-row bidder raised without emotion. "Three point five."
Silence.
Mira rang the bell.
"Three point five million," she repeated.
No counter. "Sold."
The cloak left the stage. The winner did not celebrate. People who bought stealth gear never celebrated loudly.
Mira’s bell rang again after a controlled pause. She used that pause to let the crowd breathe, because if you didn’t let buyers breathe, they would choke and stop bidding.
"Before the next Legendary Grade Three," she announced, "Dawn House will offer two minor-interest lots. These are not part of the main ten, but they are verified and useful. This is to allow contract clerks to process the previous sales and to maintain fair flow."
That line sounded polite. It was also smart.