Chapter 1006: Alternate Timeline: Nexus Exposition (7)

It was already around half past twelve in the afternoon, and by now almost every guest who had arrived at the Nexus Training Grounds had gathered inside the auction hall according to the table numbers assigned to them earlier.

The VIP guests occupied the front rows where each faction received an individual table draped in dark velvet cloth, polished utensils, silver cups, and decorative spirit lamps that released a faint fragrance into the air, while the wealthy merchants, wandering nobles, influential adventurers, and the uninvited but daring guests were arranged toward the back, where several people had to share larger tables together beneath dimmer lighting.

Some guests had already finished their meals and leaned lazily into their chairs while swirling wine inside crystal goblets.

Some were still eating slowly while discussing politics beneath their breath.

Others were quietly observing their rivals from afar, smiling on the surface while calculating like gamblers before a battlefield.

And throughout the entire hall, dozens of robots moved continuously with smooth and precise steps, carrying trays filled with delicacies, desserts, steaming tea, chilled beverages, roasted meat, fruits imported from distant duchies, and various dishes whose aroma blended together beneath the golden chandelier lights overhead.

The sound of utensils lightly striking porcelain, low conversations, wine being poured, chair legs scraping against wooden flooring, and the occasional metallic footsteps of the robots formed a strange atmosphere that made many people feel as though they had stepped into a different world rather than an auction.

Naturally...

Not everyone admired it peacefully.

Some nobles looked impressed.

Some looked wary.

Some looked openly jealous.

Because there were people who spent their entire lives flaunting wealth and status, yet even they could not arrange hospitality on this scale.

Controlling so many puppets (robots) that aren’t even made by magic is something they think only the famed Puppet sect of the Mystical Eastern continent can do. So that would mean Kiara has connections into the Eastern continent as well? When it is closed for the outsiders...

And envy was a fire that produced no smoke but burned the chest all the same.

At table number three near the front of the podium sat the representatives of the Kingdom of Celestra together with the unofficial delegates of the Aryavarta Empire.

From Celestra, King Caleb Crescent had arrived personally alongside Prime Minister Philip, Prince Gideon, and a military general.

Meanwhile, from the Aryavarta Empire, Envoy Harshavardhan and Crown Prince Ayush had joined them.

Originally, Harshavardhan had planned to bring the Fourth Prince, Arjun, so that relations between the Aryavarta Empire and Celestra could deepen through political familiarity, yet at the very last moment, the Crown Prince himself volunteered to participate and forcefully replaced his younger sibling.

On the surface, it appeared like simple royal enthusiasm.

In reality...

Everyone knowledgeable about Aryavarta’s politics understood the desperation hidden beneath the move.

Although Ayush held the title of Crown Prince, his support among officials and citizens was embarrassingly weak compared to his younger brother.

And the reasons were difficult even for his loyalists to refute.

Ayush was already forty-nine years old. And he had reached only the 4-star rank despite decades of resources, teachers, treasures, and imperial backing, while the Fourth Prince, still merely twenty-seven, already stood proudly at the peak of the 6-star rank and was hailed throughout the empire as a genius blessed by heaven itself.

Then there was the matter of succession.

Ayush had married six times.

Six.

Yet for some strange reason, they would all die in childbirth.

Rumors spread endlessly throughout the empire like crows feeding upon a corpse.

Many claimed that the gods cursed him. And because of these strong rumors, no noble would want to give their daughters to Ayush.

As time passed, Ayush also no longer expressed his interest in another marriage either.

To make matters worse, Ayush’s mother, the First Empress, had passed away years ago from illness, while the current reigning empress happened to be the mother of the Fourth Prince.

The balance inside the palace had already tilted long ago.

Everyone could see it.

Everyone except perhaps the aging emperor pretending otherwise.

That was why Ayush desperately needed an opportunity. If he couldn’t have a family, that’s fine. Atleast, he wants to die as the Emperor...

For that, he needed a turning point to defeat the favorite prince.

And when reports regarding firearms reached him through loyal spies...

Hope appeared.

Not hope born from talent.

But hope that was born from power.

He had no real interest in giant war vehicles like the Panzer I or the PzH 2000.

Those weapons were too visible.

Too expensive.

Too difficult to conceal.

What he desired were portable firearms.

Weapons capable of arming loyal men quickly.

Weapons that could create a personal force independent from the imperial military structure.

Several firearms displayed earlier had already caught his attention, and deep inside his mind, he had silently decided that no matter how much gold he needed to spend today, he would acquire both the weapons and their exclusive rights.

Meanwhile, beside him, Gideon was calmly discussing political reforms with him while sipping tea.

"Creating a state-controlled adventurer guild for every profession is indeed wiser than allowing private guilds to sprout endlessly like weeds after rain," Gideon spoke thoughtfully while resting his fingers lightly against the table, his tone carrying the calm confidence of someone accustomed to strategy discussions since childhood. "But ruling people is not like planting crops where one simply scatters seeds and waits for harvest. If the state fails to provide enough incentives, then adventurers will merely migrate elsewhere, because loyalty follows opportunity just as rivers follow lower ground."

Ayush listened attentively.

Gideon continued slowly.

"And there is another danger."

"The moment officials gain control over licenses, rewards, rankings, and commissions, corruption will rise naturally. When too many hands touch the treasury, some fingers inevitably become sticky."

Ayush narrowed his eyes slightly.

Her words were simple.

Yet every sentence struck directly at the weaknesses within his proposal.

Before he could answer...

Movement erupted near the entrance.

The entire hall subconsciously turned toward the podium.

Kiara had arrived together with Arceus Silver and the Black Knight.

Instantly, conversations began dying down one after another.

Even those who disliked her could not deny her presence.

As the three reached the podium, Kiara stood quietly to the side while Arceus stepped forward with a composed smile.

He had already taken a sound augmentation potion earlier, allowing his voice to spread clearly toward every corner of the enormous hall.

"Welcome to Expo 1786," Arceus announced smoothly, his voice echoing across the room without strain. "My name is Arceus Silver, the Manager of Nexus, and I will be hosting today’s auction. It is an honor to meet all of you."

For a brief second, silence lingered.

Then—

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

Several clan leaders began applauding lightly.

Others followed afterward.

The applause was not thunderous.

But it carried weight.

Recognition.

Respect.

Curiosity.

Arceus waited patiently before continuing.

"Before we begin, let us first review the rules."

His calm gaze swept across the audience.

"As described earlier in the weapons hall, every item auctioned today will include both the product itself and its exclusive one-year purchasing rights."

"Once a bidder obtains those rights, only that faction will be eligible to purchase the corresponding weapon from Nexus Weapon Store and all future branches for the duration of one year."

Murmurs quietly spread among some guests again.

Many had already read this information earlier.

Yet hearing it officially announced still caused pressure to rise.

Because everyone understood what those words truly meant.

Monopoly.

Arceus continued.

"Additionally, every item includes a minimum assured order."

"Whether delays occur or not, our store guarantees supply according to the contract amount during the protected period. If we couldn’t, then we would pay the penalty price, which would vary according to the order, and it would be displayed in the contract."

Then he shifted toward the next explanation.

"As for the bidding process..."

"Each guest has already received a numbered token paddle."

"To raise a bid, simply raise your assigned paddle."

"Every item includes a buyout price equal to ten times the starting bid."

"One may immediately claim the buyout if desired, but only before the bidding process starts."

"However..."

He paused slightly.

"If multiple bidders express buyout interest simultaneously, then bidding will resume beginning from that buyout value, restricted only to those participants who declared interest at the start."

"If someone misses the opportunity..."