The spacious, brightly lit auction house was filled with local nobles and wealthy patrons. Beside their seats were paddles specifically for bidding. Having heard that another fine selection of goods had arrived, they eagerly awaited the start of the auction.
A handsome young man in a black formal suit stood on the display platform. He bowed courteously to the seated audience, then delivered his opening remarks in a rich, resonant voice, wearing a professional smile:
"Good afternoon, esteemed noble gentlemen and beautiful noble ladies. Welcome to the Leno Auction House, and thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us. I am today's auctioneer, Gert Fleming. I believe today's offerings will make your visit worthwhile. Without further ado, let the auction begin."
He lifted the red cloth covering the first item on the platform, revealing a beautiful, alluring figure curled up in the corner of a cage. Her small, jade-white face was filled with terror and helplessness, sending every male patron's blood racing and thoroughly arousing them.
"Our first item is a treasure brought to us by a traveling merchant named Angru: a demi-human of Sidwellut's fox tribe, the enchanting fox girl Raphael. This young lady is still a virgin, making her an exceptionally fine acquisition for patrons with a taste for beauty. Bidding starts at fifty gold coins, with a minimum increment of one gold coin. You may begin."
"Fifty gold coins."
"Sixty gold coins."
"Seventy-two gold coins."
A tall, thin noble looked at his sworn rival sitting nearby and cursed, "Fuck, you bastard, you're doing this just to spite me, aren't you? I'm buying her today, whatever it takes. If you keep getting in my way, don't blame me for what happens. Eighty gold coins."
The other noble snorted and gave him a contemptuous glance. "Hmph, you think I'm afraid of you? One hundred gold coins. Beat that, and I'll concede."
As Gert silently watched the exchange, his smile grew increasingly eager. After all, whenever these noble gentlemen spent money, he earned a commission, and the higher the price, the larger his cut. Naturally, he welcomed this development. He could watch nobles throw fortunes at a single item while earning a commission himself. What was there not to like?
"One hundred and fifty gold coins."
A low voice suddenly came from a far corner. A figure wrapped in a black robe held up a bidding paddle and spoke calmly.
"What?!"
The two rival nobles exclaimed in perfect unison. Although this demi-human slave girl was not worth that much money, they had their pride as nobles. Someone interfering with an item they both wanted was no different from slapping them in the face. Furious, they turned to see who dared challenge their authority.
"Wrapped head to toe in black? Probably some piece of trash who can't show their face. When you leave, I'll tear off that hood myself and see just how ugly you are, then stamp my boot hard into that hideous face."
"Number ninety-nine? Very well, I'll remember you. I hope you're still alive when this auction ends. I can't wait to give you a proper welcome."
Although the two rival nobles ordinarily disliked each other, they still presented a united front at a critical moment. They glared viciously at the black-robed bidder holding number ninety-nine, their malicious minds already devising ways to torment this foolish commoner who did not know their place.
The black-robed bidder remained silent, their lips curling slightly. Beneath the hood, their face held a mocking expression as they stared at the two men threatening to kill them. No matter the world, nobles were always equally revolting!
As an employee of the auction house, Gert had long since grown accustomed to such tense, blustering confrontations. As far as he was concerned, so long as no conflict broke out inside the auction house, it remained neutral and would not interfere.
"Any further bids? One, two, three!" Seeing no response from the audience, Gert announced with a beaming smile, "Congratulations to bidder number ninety-nine on winning our first item. Now, on to the second."
"Our twenty-third item is an artifact from the Ancient Ruins, supplied by an adventurer: a Dragon Egg of an unidentified high-tier species. According to the merchant association's experts, the hatchling within has the potential to reach LV75. Once it hatches, form a contract and raise it, and it is sure to become your family's guardian beast. Bidding starts at five hundred gold coins. Interested patrons may now place their bids."
"Five hundred and fifty gold coins."
"Six hundred gold coins."
"Seven hundred and fifty gold coins."
"Eight hundred gold coins."
"Excellent. Congratulations to the patron in seat thirty-two on winning this item. Now we enter the final stage of today's auction. What could qualify as our grand finale? Come, let us unveil the answer."
"Esteemed nobles, please look closely. Our final offering comes from the Lute Village Lord, the Fifth Hero himself: Magic Automatons offered for sale in his name. They can clean your estates and understand any command their master gives them. Apart from being unable to fight, they are perfectly capable housekeepers. They need neither food nor sleep. Simply recharge them with Od, and they can work forever."
The final items revealed beneath the red cloth on the display platform were twenty Magic Automatons with unfocused eyes. Their faces were expressionless, and no sign of life could be sensed from them. Without looking closely enough to notice the faint, strange, tattoo-like patterns on their skin, one might truly have mistaken them for real people.
Murmurs rose from the seats. "The Fifth Hero? You mean that extra, irregular hero they summoned? He's actually become a lord? His Majesty really went and did it."
"Oh, I never imagined such wondrous magical creations existed in this world."
"Are these really not living people?" someone asked skeptically.
"Of course not. After all, you can't simply open up a living person's body." Gert's smile remained unchanged as he pressed a spot on an automaton, as though activating a mechanism. The area over its heart suddenly split open, exposing a translucent crystal core within.
"This is...!!!"
At the sight of the unknown crystal glittering as beautifully as a gemstone in the automaton's chest, faces filled with shock.
"This is the core of the Magic Automaton-a Magic Crystal. Simply channel Od into it to recharge it. Roughly half an hour of charging will allow the Magic Automaton to operate normally for more than half a month."
Pointing at the crystal in the Magic Automaton's chest, Gert explained it to the audience at an unhurried pace.
"Next," Gert said, "these twenty Magic Automatons will be auctioned individually, one at a time. Bidding starts at one hundred gold coins. The highest bidder wins."
The moment he finished speaking, someone called out, "One hundred and ten gold coins."
"One hundred and twenty gold coins."
"One hundred and forty gold coins."
Someone roared in frustration, "Damn it! Those of you who've already won something, stop bidding all over the place! I haven't bought a single thing yet!"
Another patron mocked him while placing a bid. "Who cares, you pauper? One hundred and fifty gold coins."
Seeing the crowd begin clamoring and driving up the price, Gert reassured them with a radiant smile, "No need to rush, everyone. There are twenty of them here. You're sure to win one."