"Remember, you must keep these eggs safe and hand them over to the manager of Akrik's Shop. Otherwise, you'll be treated as deserters."
Lin Ke handed the eggs to the two guard captains and gave them explicit instructions.
Treated as deserters!
Realizing how serious this was, the guard captains answered solemnly, "Yes, young master."
"Have her send the baby cheetahs over with the eggs when the time comes."
Lin Ke felt it was better to leave this sort of escort work to experienced professionals. If anything got bumped or cracked, or the yolks broke, he would probably cry himself to death.
Akrik's Shop should have people who specialized in deliveries like this.
After saying that, Lin Ke turned to Nix beside him. "Nix, go back to the castle right away and tell my teacher that something may have gone wrong here. Ask him to come find me immediately!"
Something had gone wrong!
This wasn't just Lin Ke worrying over nothing.
His judgment was based on Puxin's words and behavior.
Puxin was acting as though Garros didn't exist, brazenly reaching his claws toward Furon. Lin Ke couldn't help worrying.
That bastard of a father had better not have gotten himself into trouble!
"Mr. Lin Ke, what's going on?"
Nix could smell the arousal coming off the baron.
But since he had never lived in the human world, he didn't understand the complications involved. After all, humans who visited their tribe had always seemed to enter a state of arousal for some strange reason.
"Nothing. Hopefully, I'm just overthinking it..."
Lin Ke patted Nix's shoulder. "You're the fastest, so you're the only one I can count on to notify Teacher Ove. If he gets here too late, even I might be in danger."
At those words, Nix's ears, which had been drooping limply behind his head, shot straight up.
His little black nose twitched frantically. "Mr. Lin Ke, I... I'll stay and protect you..."
He still remembered the warm, dazzling light from the first time he met Lin Ke, along with the oath he had sworn.
No matter what happened, he would remain faithful until death.
Now that Lin Ke was in danger, how could he run away first?!
But Lin Ke stopped him before he could continue and glanced behind him.
Puxin and the others were waiting for him, chatting and laughing.
"Little Lin Ke, what are you talking about? Are you done yet?" Furon stood up ahead, with Puxin beside her telling jokes to make her laugh.
"Almost!"
Lin Ke answered in his childish voice, then waved Nix off. "Remember, this is more important than staying by my side. You have to hurry!"
Nix glanced back and forth between Lin Ke and the others several times, only half understanding.
But in the end, he nodded firmly, turned, and vanished into the crowd in a streak of white, moving incredibly fast.
Lin Ke relaxed a little, then walked toward Furon and the others.
When he first met Nix, the Rabbitfolk had even managed to outrun a level-two Deep Blue Giant Tiger. That was his race's innate gift.
"Little Lin Ke, where did Nix run off to?"
Noticing that Nix was no longer behind Lin Ke, Furon couldn't help asking.
"I sent him to keep an eye on my eggs! I'm worried those servants might damage them!" Lin Ke said loudly.
Puxin, who had been looking somewhat suspicious, still had doubt in his eyes after seeing Lin Ke's behavior, though it faded a little.
As far as he was concerned, while Young Master Lin Ke-his nephew-was quite clever, the boy couldn't cause any trouble in the palm of his hand.
The group headed toward the auction house.
There was only one auction house in the entire city, and its auctions were held at irregular intervals, with notices sent to nobles of all ranks in the city and surrounding area.
For Parrot City's auction house, however, the highest-ranking noble was only a viscount, who spent most of his time fighting in the Plane Wars.
As a result, invitations generally went only to a few barons, lords, and Frontier Knights.
As the city's lord, Puxin naturally qualified for the auction house's most luxurious seats.
They entered the auction house, which could accommodate three hundred people, and made their way to the spacious second-floor seating area, where they had an unobstructed view of the stage and audience below.
"The auction should begin an hour before dinner. We can have some afternoon tea and pass the time chatting."
Puxin glanced at his somewhat worn pocket watch, its surface thick with patina, and "accidentally" made a point of exposing its striker, which was made of pure gold.
"Is that a watch? It's so beautiful." Furon was clearly drawn to it.
In Nathang, timepieces had only been invented and put into widespread use in recent years.
Supposedly, a legendary Heavenly Tier Professional had created them, so they were scarce and very expensive.
Lin Ke was a little surprised that Puxin actually owned one.
After all, although Azan Castle could afford one, they hadn't bought such a luxury item.
That had been a direct order from the first lady herself.
It wasn't just timepieces. They went without many luxuries, and even the various skincare products the ladies used were entirely natural, made by the castle servants from crushed plants.
It was as though... Azan Castle wasn't actually wealthy.
This had puzzled Lin Ke once, but he had eventually chalked it up to the first lady's frugal housekeeping.
Now, at the sight of the watch, Lin Ke's business instincts couldn't help branching out.
Timepieces!
The principles behind making them were actually quite simple. He had even taken one apart as a child, though he hadn't managed to put it back together.
Later, during graduate school, Lin Ke had tried making one himself because a brother of his was studying the subject.
Those memories had originally grown hazy, but with the help of his "Knowledge" bloodline, Lin Ke recalled them easily.
Those Professionals made their timepieces one at a time, which explained the low supply and high prices.
But if he used industrial methods, such as assembly lines and water-powered forging...
Luxury goods... enormous profits!
Maybe I could gather some people and give it a try once I get back? Lin Ke thought.
They spent the afternoon listening to Puxin chatter endlessly.
Although Puxin was as ordinary and overconfident as his name suggested, his position as city lord meant he had encountered plenty of people and situations, and he spoke about them at length.
Not only did Furon listen with rapt attention, but Lin Ke also learned a few things.
His teacher Ove's knowledge had mostly concerned the upper echelons, while Puxin dealt primarily with things at the lower levels. Together, the two greatly broadened Lin Ke's understanding.
Around four o'clock, more people gradually began arriving for the auction.
A few minor nobles entered first and came over to greet Lin Ke, Furon, and Puxin when they spotted them.
But Lin Ke noticed that one or two of the lords looked at him and Furon rather strangely.
Sources of information... I have no sources of information... Lin Ke felt a headache coming on.
Having no sources of information meant being completely in the dark, and it was deeply frustrating.
As a viscount's household out in the remote countryside, they had far too few sources of information. Even those lords and Frontier Knights seemed to know more than Lin Ke did.
"Honored ladies and gentlemen, our auction will officially begin in one minute!"
An alluring woman in formal attire had stepped onto the stage below and begun speaking, her voice carrying throughout the venue through some kind of device.
The moment she finished, cheers rose from below.
Several burly men first carried out a heavy, upright object covered with a red cloth.
Everyone's attention was drawn to whatever lay beneath the cloth, Lin Ke included.
A minute later, the alluring woman whipped away the red cloth, revealing an enormous rock with several glittering pieces on its surface catching the light.
"This is a creation of a Professional! An accident during one of a level-ten Professional's experiments produced this fragile and beautiful substance, like the purest white gemstones..."
As she spoke, a dreamy look appeared in the woman's eyes. "This creation must be the final legacy the Goddess of Fate left to the world. Surely, these exquisite patterns still contain traces of fate..."
"...The opening bid for this Fortune Goddess’s Legacy is five hundred gold coins!"
The alluring woman lavished praise on the creation before her, and everyone else was captivated by her words.
The rock still bore black and gray scorch marks, which only made the "gemstones" on its surface appear purer and more dazzling.
"What beautiful gemstones."
Puxin also thought the gemstones were truly beautiful. He couldn't resist glancing at Furon beside him as he complimented her. "Looking at them, I feel as though I'm looking at you, beautiful Lady Furon, as pure as the daffodils beside Orlan Lake."
Furon felt a little embarrassed by such praise. She merely nodded and thanked him, then continued admiring the Fortune Goddess’s Legacy below.
"Little Lin Ke, do you think those gemstones are pretty?"
Furon couldn't resist poking Lin Ke beside her, who looked equally stunned, even a little dazed.
"Pretty..."
Lin Ke stared at the Fortune Goddess’s Legacy before him, dumbfounded.
Of course it was pretty!
This... th-this...
This was that fucking stuff!
P.S. Aaaah! I want recommendation votes and monthly votes!
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