Chapter 148: A Strange Book

As soon as the luxurious carriage came to a halt, the door was opened, and Malrik and Velrosa stepped outside into the cool evening breeze.

Malrik raised his gaze and saw the "Ducal Auction House" towering before him like a majestic fortress of white and black marble. Its soaring pillars, adorned with golden lines, rose toward a massive glass dome, while suspended magical crystals bathed the place in a warm glow that almost mimicked daylight.

Even the air surrounding the building was filled with the scents of expensive perfumes and silk, while an atmosphere of luxury and extravagance hung over the entire place.

The second carriage stopped right behind them. Cedric stepped out, followed by Orren and a young maid in an elegant dark uniform, who stood behind Velrosa like a silent shadow.

Cedric approached Malrik and Velrosa, casting a quick glance at the crowds flooding toward the gates.

"It seems today is quite an event. There are a lot of nobles and major merchants here."

Cedric then looked at Malrik, furrowing his brows slightly. "What happened to your cheeks, my lord? They’re terribly red."

Malrik ignored his sister’s sideways, highly amused glance and cleared his throat, trying to maintain his dignity. "It is merely the cold evening wind. Never mind that, let us go inside."

As they spoke, Malrik’s eyes drifted toward the massive warrior standing quietly beside Cedric.

Orren.

With his steady eyes and unreadable expression, Malrik no longer saw him as merely the talented knight he had wanted to recruit. His view of Orren had completely changed. Somehow, this man reminded him a little of himself... of who he had been when he was Leon.

"Let us go."

Velrosa stepped forward with confident strides toward the marble staircase, followed by Malrik and the rest.

But before they reached the steps, whispers began to spread among the crowd.

"Look at that carriage... the crest of House Vasprian."

"A member of the Duke’s house has attended in person."

It took only moments for the group to draw the crowd’s attention. Once they saw Velrosa, recognition quickly spread.

"It is the Second Banner Bearer... Countess Velrosa."

"Isn’t that Saint Cedric, the Duke’s personal servant?"

"Yes, it is."

The news spread quickly through the crowd, and people began clearing the way without anyone having to ask. Some bowed respectfully, while others simply stepped aside and watched them ascend.

But Malrik soon caught the attention of a few people walking beside Velrosa. It was hard not to notice him with his handsome features... and perhaps those red cheeks.

"Who is that young man beside the Countess?"

"I don’t know... Could he be her new servant?"

"He’s far too handsome to be a servant... but what’s wrong with his cheeks?"

"Maybe the Countess punished him for something. Who knows?"

Malrik continued walking beside Velrosa with a calm expression, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing.

Her servant? Really?

Then again, his swollen cheeks weren’t exactly helping his case.

As they ascending the marble staircase, a middle-aged man pushed his way through the crowd and hurried down the steps to meet them. He wore an expensive silk suit and was sweating despite the cold weather.

As soon as he reached them, he bowed deeply.

"I greet the Second Banner Bearer! It is a great honor to have you at our humble auction."

He then raised his head, and his eyes went straight to Malrik’s face. For a moment, he looked as though he wanted to say something, but he quickly held his tongue.

"My deepest apologies. I greet the Seventh Banner Bearer, and I greet Lord Cedric."

Velrosa did not stop and continued up the stairs, while Cedric answered in a friendly tone.

"Welcome, Magnus. It has been a while. How have things been? I heard you opened a new branch in the Duchy of Goldmere."

Magnus smiled as he hurried alongside them.

"It’s all thanks to the support His Grace the Duke has given me, Lord Cedric. I hope you’ll pass along my sincere gratitude."

Velrosa stopped abruptly and turned to him with a calm gaze. "Are you the manager of this auction?"

Magnus swallowed hard. "Y... yes, my lady. I apologize for taking so long to introduce myself. I’m Magnus, the general manager of the Ducal Auction House."

"I see... I only came tonight because you sent a message saying that something extremely important would be displayed."

Velrosa narrowed her eyes slightly. "So I hope it will be worth my time... Magnus."

Magnus’s expression changed, and for a moment, he looked as though he might faint.

"No... please don’t worry, my lady! I’m completely confident the exhibits will meet your expectations."

Malrik listened to their exchange and couldn’t help finding it a little strange. It was the first time he’d seen her deal with someone outside the family, and for a moment, it felt like he was seeing a completely different side of Velrosa.

He wasn’t used to seeing her this serious and cold, and he even felt a little sorry for Magnus.

It was clear that her promotion was weighing on her. Perhaps her desire to catch up with their eldest brother, Alex, was making her more impatient than usual.

They finally entered the building, and the interior was even more impressive. Historical paintings covered the walls, while chandelier light reflected off the polished floors, making them shine like mirrors.

"I’ve reserved a VIP box for you. Please, follow me."

Magnus gestured toward a lavish side staircase, and the group followed him upstairs.

There, they entered a spacious room covered by a thick red carpet. At the front, a wide glass balcony overlooked the grand auction hall below, giving them a clear panoramic view of the stage while shielding them from the noise of the crowd.

"From here, you can bid on anything you like. Just channel your mana into this stone and set the amount," Magnus explained, pointing to the crystal embedded in the armrest of one of the front seats.

"Only ten minutes remain until the auction begins. I’ll take my leave now and make sure everything is ready backstage."

Velrosa sat in one of the front chairs without saying a word to Magnus. Malrik took the seat beside her, while Cedric, Orren, and the maid remained standing behind them.

Malrik looked around the room. Below, the main hall was packed with hundreds of merchants and nobles seated in tight rows, talking loudly and exchanging glances, while the jewelry they wore glittered beneath the hall’s lights.

He raised his gaze upward where circular VIP boxes surrounded the stage. Most of their curtains were drawn to keep the people inside private.

"Cedric..." Velrosa broke the silence in a low voice. "Do you feel it? There are some troublesome people here."

Malrik didn’t understand what she meant. He hadn’t sensed anything unusual, but he didn’t ask and simply looked at Cedric, waiting for his answer.

Cedric smiled calmly, as if he understood exactly what she meant right away.

"Yes, my lady. Several important figures have entered the Duchy over the past two days, but I didn’t expect any of them to come here tonight."

Malrik furrowed his brows. "Sister, what’s going on? I don’t understand."

Velrosa glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Her tone had become slightly more serious, and the smile he was used to seeing whenever she spoke to him had disappeared.

"You’ll find out soon enough."

A moment later, the lights in the lower hall went out all at once.

Silence fell over the place before a bright spotlight illuminated the main stage, drawing everyone’s attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?"

A young woman stepped into the center of the stage. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulders in golden waves, and she wore an elegant black dress. She smiled at the audience with clear confidence.

"My name is Mia, and I’ll be your auction host tonight."

Enthusiastic applause erupted from the hall.

With a graceful gesture of her hand, a small pedestal was pushed onto the stage. A glass case sat on top of it, containing a silver sword that pulsed with a faint blue light.

"To start off tonight’s auction, we have the ’Winter’s Gale’ sword!" Mia announced enthusiastically.

"A magical sword forged from cold tundra steel and fused with an advanced Awakened-rank monster core. Every swing unleashes frost blades capable of cleaving iron shields! The starting price is... fifty gold coins!"

"Seventy gold coins!" shouted a plump merchant from the front rows.

"One hundred!" called a noble from the back.

"One hundred and twenty!"

The bids continued to rise rapidly, and the hall’s lights flashed with every new offer.

Malrik rested his chin on his palm, watching the auction with boredom. Meanwhile, Velrosa’s maid began serving them tea and quietly placed a cup in front of him.

"Are these the rare exhibits Magnus was boasting about?" Malrik muttered in disappointment as he picked up his teacup.

"Patience, my lord," Cedric said, keeping his eyes on the auction. "At major noble auctions, the first few items are usually just warm-ups. The point is to get the audience excited and make them open their wallets, while also filtering out the minor nobles and merchants who don’t have enough wealth to compete."

Cedric pointed toward the stage.

"As for the true treasures... they are usually not displayed until the end of the auction."

"The ordinary items continued to come and go, their prices varying from one piece to the next, until the hall’s lights suddenly dimmed."

So far, Malrik hadn’t found anything worth his attention. Most of the exhibits were at the Awakened rank, and none of them seemed particularly special to him.

Perhaps my standards were ruined after seeing the family’s treasure vault.

Mia stepped back as two workers pushed a small metal pedestal into the center of the stage, completely covered by a black cloth. Their movements were strangely cautious, as if they were handling something dangerous.

Mia reached for the cloth and slowly lifted it.

An ancient book was revealed beneath it.

Its red leather cover was covered in intricate magical seals, glowing with a faint light that shifted between yellow and red.

Mia spoke in a calm tone with a hint of mystery.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this item is slightly different from the rest of tonight’s exhibits. This tome was found within the ruins of the ancient Arden Empire, and so far, no one has been able to determine its contents."

A few murmurs spread through the audience as Mia continued.

"As you can see, the book is covered in several complex magical seals. The auction house’s experts have spent months studying and deciphering them, but they were unable to open the book or discover what lies inside."

She paused for a moment, then gave a slight smile.

"Therefore, we cannot determine the value or purpose of this book. Perhaps it contains something interesting... or perhaps it is nothing more than a worthless keepsake."

While the nobles below exchanged doubtful looks, unwilling to spend a fortune on a book that couldn’t even be opened, something else was happening in the upper box.

The moment the cloth was lifted from the book, Malrik felt a hard thump in his chest.

His heartbeat quickened until he could almost hear it in his ears. What he felt was not mere curiosity, but a powerful, instinctive pull that left him uneasy.

He kept staring at the book, unable to understand why.

Can you... hear me?

Malrik froze.

He slowly lowered the cup and looked around. The voice was faint, as if it came from somewhere far away, yet he felt it right beside his ear.

He remained still for a moment, trying to make sure he hadn’t imagined it.

You... you can hear me, can’t you?

Malrik’s eyes widened slightly. This time, the voice was unmistakably clear and more importantly... it hadn’t come from the box or the hall.

It had come from the book.