Chapter 244: The Auction House (2)

Ravian did not need another look in the mirror to know that his clothes looked like shit. The white shirt and cloth trousers served their purpose, and the leather armor over them was better than what most ordinary soldiers wore, but they were hardly what he wanted to wear on a trip through the City of Light. He had no alternative for the moment, however, so he continued walking and inspecting the shopfronts they passed.

His appearance was far too distinctive to go unnoticed. His long white hair, crimson eyes, and balanced physique, apparent even beneath his armor, drew lingering glances from some passersby, particularly the teenage girls who were always dreaming of a handsome, muscular knight.

Many of those glances, however, soon moved past him to the three women behind him.

Lysandra had drawn part of her red hair back, leaving the remaining strands to rest over a light, dark coat. Her amber eyes, tinged with yellow, gave her that look which made approaching her seem like an idea worth reconsidering. Evelyne walked beside her in a black robe that complemented her dark hair and green eyes without looking like something intended for combat. Claria, meanwhile, wore simple, light-colored clothes, her chestnut hair framing a calm face as her brown eyes moved between the shops and pedestrians with a gentle interest quite unlike her companions’ caution.

Ravian glanced at a man who had stopped bargaining with a vendor to watch them pass, then turned his attention back to the street.

’Well, walking with them might attract more attention than I expected,’ he thought. ’But I needed them to show me where that auction was.’

None of the women seemed to consider the looks worth commenting on. When they reached a main street wider than the roads they had taken so far, Evelyne raised a hand to summon one of the carriages waiting near the curb, then asked its driver to take them to the auction house.

’Wait, it’s that simple? Isn’t the place as mysterious as I thought?’

Ravian almost had a stroke when the driver merely nodded in reply.

"..."

He was at a loss for words.

’Well, perhaps I’ve already wasted the day on a pointless outing.’

He had already lost hope of gaining anything useful from the trip.

Once they agreed on the fare, the driver opened the door and all four climbed inside. Lysandra and Claria took one of the two facing seats, while Ravian sat beside Evelyne, shifting his legs slightly to let the driver close the door.

"Is the auction house far?" he asked, looking out the window.

"Not far, but the streets will grow busier as we approach the city center," Evelyne replied. "If we want to arrive before it starts, we’d better not waste time in the shops."

Ravian looked at her in confusion.

"But I never said I was going into any shop."

"You looked at every clothing shop we passed."

’Is everyone watching what I look at now, or what?’

His expression darkened, but he merely leaned back as the carriage made its way between supply wagons and pedestrians. The closer they came to the center, the less space there was between buildings, and the broader and better-kept the shopfronts became. Soon, they began passing finer carriages and people who carried nothing themselves, leaving their purchases to attendants walking behind them.

A short while later, the carriage stopped before a spacious stone building. Short pillars supported a fixed canopy over the entrance, beneath which employees greeted arrivals and directed carriages to the side of the street to keep the road clear.

The building was not decorated with everything gold could buy, but its heavy doors, tall windows, and finely polished stone were enough to suggest the sort of people who frequented it.

Ravian stepped out first and moved aside to let the women follow. Before they reached the steps, an employee approached.

"Welcome. Do you have a reservation?"

"No, but I believe my father’s name should suffice." Evelyne raised her hand to show him her ring. "Evelyne Arden, daughter of Count Mark Arden."

’Damn! That’s some confidence!’

The sheer arrogance of it surprised Ravian. He had yet to understand just how distinguished her status was, even among nobles.

The man’s attention sharpened immediately at the name, though he did more than simply glance at the ring. He asked her to wait a moment, then signaled to another employee inside the entrance and exchanged a few words with him before returning.

"Of course, Miss Arden. Please come in with your guests. We’ll register your party inside."

It was the most respectful tone Ravian had ever heard.

He looked at Evelyne as they climbed the steps.

"Mark Arden?"

"My father." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Don’t tell me you thought I was exaggerating his wealth just to get us through the door."

"I thought nothing of the sort," Ravian replied.

He had, in fact, but he certainly would not tell her.

’It seems I’ve been overlooking some useful advantages of this squad.’

Inside stood two registration desks, beside which a passage led to the main hall, while a broad staircase ascended to the upper floor. The guests were not all heading in the same direction; some entered the hall after receiving a small numbered paddle, while others waited for an employee to escort them upstairs.

A woman in formal attire approached and bowed slightly to Evelyne.

"Would you prefer seats in the hall or one of the private rooms in the elite tier? We still have rooms available for four guests."

Evelyne turned toward her companions, but Ravian answered before she could ask.

"An elite room."

He spoke with the confidence of a man who had already decided what suited him, then added when Evelyne met his eyes, "It will give us more privacy, and we won’t have to sit among everyone else and draw more attention to our group."

She looked at him for a moment.

"Of course. And who do you think would attract that attention?"

"Would you like an honest answer?"

Evelyne paused before replying.

"No, I think I know."

She turned back to the employee and asked about the fee, then paid thirty gold coins from a small purse before Ravian had given himself enough time to decide whether to take out his own money.

One of his eyebrows rose slightly at how easily she handed over the amount.

"Is that just the admission fee?"

"It’s the room fee," the woman replied. "It covers admission and service for your party until the auction ends. Purchases are paid for after bidding concludes and before collection."

Ravian nodded as Evelyne closed her purse.

"Don’t look so surprised. You’re the one who chose the room," she said, expecting him to object to her paying, or something of the sort.

Ravian’s pride, however, seemed to regard the amount as mere pocket change, so he paid it little heed. Without comment, he followed the employee with the others.

She led them up a carpeted staircase that muffled their footsteps, then stopped at a room along the corridor and opened the door. Four comfortable chairs surrounded a low table, beside which stood water, cups, and a small tray. Opposite the entrance, the room overlooked the auction hall from behind a high barrier and a curtain they could draw aside as far as they wished.

The room was not completely enclosed from the hall, but its position made their faces difficult to examine from below, especially given the difference in lighting between the two areas.

The employee explained the bidding procedure and placed a paddle bearing the room’s number on the table.

"Raise the paddle to place a bid, and an employee in the hall will confirm your number and the amount. If you wish to offer a specific increase, inform your room attendant, who will relay it. At the end of the auction, one of our employees will come to settle your purchases."

She then indicated the small bell beside the water.

"You can request service with this. Is there anything else you need for now?"

Evelyne shook her head, and the woman withdrew, closing the door behind her.

Ravian took the chair nearest the opening, glanced at the paddle, then looked down into the hall. The seats were arranged with clear aisles between them. At the front stood a broad platform, behind which employees checked sealed boxes while others guided late arrivals to their places.

Ravian shifted slightly in his chair, checking what could be seen from below before turning toward the platform. He wanted to watch the whole auction, and this place seemed perfect for it.

The auction began only after the flow of entering guests had slowed. A middle-aged man stepped onto the platform and briefly greeted the audience before explaining that the lots would be presented in order, with each remaining on display until bidding concluded.

When Ravian looked away from the platform, he spotted a familiar face among the rows.