Chapter 1007: Alternate Timeline: Nexus Exposition (8)

He smiled faintly.

"Then that loss belongs to them alone. They can’t join later."

Some people immediately exchanged glances.

Several quietly frowned.

The rules were designed carefully.

Too carefully.

Arceus continued without interruption.

"And naturally, everyone understands that the auction today concerns rights only. The purchased products themselves will require separate payment afterward."

"Finally..."

"The auction is divided into two phases."

"The first phase concerns exclusive items carrying one-year protection rights."

"The second phase concerns the military vehicles displayed outside, each carrying different protection periods depending upon category."

Then, after a brief pause, Arceus finally declared—

"Without further delay..."

"Let us begin the firearms auction."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kiara calmly stepped forward and removed the first item from her inventory.

At almost the exact same moment...

Inside the weapons hall nearby, several guests were still wandering around while inspecting firearms carefully beneath the supervision of Zion.

Suddenly—

[Message received.]

Zion’s eyes flickered faintly.

Without hesitation, he placed his hand upon a pistol-like firearm resting within one of the display cases.

The weapon vanished instantly into storage.

Then he raised his voice throughout the hall.

"Attention, everyone. The auction has officially begun."

"Please proceed toward the auction hall if you do not wish to miss the bidding."

Some ignored him lazily.

Others immediately stood up and rushed outside.

Zion remained expressionless either way.

His responsibility was simple.

Remove items once bidding begins.

Remind potential buyers.

Nothing more.

Meanwhile, back inside the auction hall, Kiara gently placed the first firearm atop the presentation desk beneath the focused gazes of hundreds of eyes.

Arceus glanced toward the item briefly before continuing smoothly.

"The first item for auction is the machine pistol known as Tigon-1."

"Since everyone has already reviewed its specifications in the weapons hall, we will skip detailed explanations and proceed directly."

"The price per unit is thirty-five gold coins."

"The immediate supply quantity is fifty units."

"The minimum assured order during the one-year contract period is ten thousand units."

"The starting bid for exclusive rights is one thousand gold coins."

"The buyout price..."

He paused deliberately while scanning the hall.

"Is ten thousand gold coins."

The atmosphere inside the hall quietly tightened.

Then Arceus smiled politely.

"Those interested in immediate buyout rights may raise their paddles within the next thirty seconds."

"Thank you."

Kiara calmly took out the silver pocket watch from inside her sleeve and pressed open its lid with her thumb. It caused the tiny gears within to produce a soft metallic click beneath the noisy atmosphere of the auction hall. The thin second hand immediately began moving in sharp little jumps that somehow made the entire thirty-second countdown feel heavier than it truly was.

The majority of the bidders remained silent.

Some leaned backward while crossing their arms.

Some narrowed their eyes toward the Tigon-1 resting beneath the chandelier light upon the podium.

And some merchants quietly bent closer toward their business partners, lowering their voices into whispers as they rapidly calculated profits, transportation costs, smuggling routes, future demand, and regional instability.

After all, thirty-five gold coins per machine pistol was not expensive for wealthy people sitting inside this hall.

The real problem...

Was the buyout price.

Ten thousand gold coins.

Even among rich merchants, that amount was not something thrown carelessly like rice during a wedding ceremony.

Gold only looked light when stacked in stories.

When it actually left one’s treasury, every coin felt like flesh being carved away from the body.

Naturally, these merchants were not worried about whether firearms would sell.

That answer was already obvious.

Weapons always sold.

Fear sold.

Power sold.

War sold fastest of all.

What they worried about was whether the profits from distant kingdoms, independent cities, underground organizations, mercenary groups, and frontier territories would eventually exceed the initial investment or not.

And while calculations continued beneath hushed voices and shifting expressions...

The clock continued ticking mercilessly.

Arceus Silver stood near the podium with a calm smile on his face, yet inside, nervousness slowly coiled tighter around his chest with every passing second.

This was the first item of the entire auction.

The opening strike.

Like the first arrow released during war, it carried symbolic importance far beyond its actual damage.

If the opening failed...

The atmosphere could collapse.

Even though the Tigon-1 was merely a machine pistol suitable mostly for civilians, guards, and low-level adventurers, Arceus still wanted everything to proceed smoothly.

Meanwhile, beside him, Kiara remained far calmer.

Truthfully...

She did not care much whether the Tigon-1 sold or not.

After registering the eight weapons earlier, she had already earned around 30 thousand credits from the system, an amount equivalent to nearly 150k gold coins.

The real targets today were never these smaller firearms.

The real monsters were the vehicles outside.

The artillery.

The destroyers.

The military contracts with the kingdoms and the Empires.

That was where true profit waited.

So while Arceus grew increasingly tense watching the silent audience... Kiara merely observed quietly like a fisherwoman waiting beside calm waters.

Ten seconds remained.

Still no paddle rose.

Several merchants had already decided internally to avoid a buyout and enter normal bidding instead, hoping to secure the rights at a lower price once competition stabilized.

Kiara noticed it immediately.

And honestly...

She expected the same outcome.

Five seconds.

Still silence.

Three seconds.

Then suddenly...

A paddle rose.

The blue token marked with the number three appeared clearly beneath the chandelier light.

Instantly, several merchants widened their eyes slightly in surprise.

Some frowned.

Some cursed inwardly.

Because the moment one person declared buyout interest at the final second, hesitation became regret.

Kiara’s gaze shifted toward the bidder.

It was Prince Gideon.

For just a brief instant, surprise flashed across Kiara’s eyes.

Meanwhile, the countdown ended.

Without wasting another heartbeat, Kiara pressed the tiny button atop the pocket watch.

Click.

"The buyout period has ended," she announced calmly.

The tension around Arceus vanished almost instantly.

A bright smile bloomed naturally across his face as he lifted the auction hammer and struck downward cleanly.

Tok!

"Sold."

"Congratulations to bidder number three for acquiring the one-year purchasing rights for Tigon-1."

The atmosphere inside the hall shifted slightly.

Some merchants sighed quietly.

Some looked annoyed.

Some began reassessing their strategies immediately.

Meanwhile, Noah, who had remained standing quietly beside the podium until now, finally moved.

His steps were smooth and graceful as he carried the prepared contract toward table number three, where the representatives of Celestra and the Aryavarta Empire sat together.

Earlier, before the auction began, dip pens and ink bottles had already been distributed across every table specifically for moments like this, allowing bidders enough time to review agreements carefully before signing whenever they desired.

At table number three, Gideon Crescent accepted the contract calmly.

His sharp eyes moved across every line.

The agreement required a total payment of 11750 gold coins, covering the first batch of fifty Tigon-1 machine pistols, along with exclusive purchasing rights for one year.

Without hesitation, he signed his name elegantly.

Yet instead of finalizing payment immediately and putting down the royal seal, he simply placed the contract aside. Noah also didn’t stamp the Nexus’ seal on the contract either as the payment has not been finalized.

After all, the auction had only begun.

There would be more bidding ahead.

Far more important bidding.

The final exchange of gold and goods could wait until the event concluded.

Meanwhile, back upon the podium, Kiara removed the second firearm from her inventory and placed it gently upon the display desk.

Arceus’ mood had clearly improved now that the opening had succeeded.

A bit more confidence entered his voice as he began the next introduction.

"Now..."

"It is time for the second firearm of the Tigon series."

He gestured lightly toward the weapon.

"Also known as the Executioner..."

"This oversized revolver fires shotgun pellets powerful enough to fatally wound even a 3-star rank Spirit Warrior if aimed properly."

Several people leaned forward slightly.

Arceus continued calmly.

"Due to its relatively small size despite possessing tremendous close-range firepower, it can easily remain hidden within sleeves or robes, making it an ideal weapon during ambushes or sudden confrontations."

The hall grew quieter.

This weapon interested people far more than the first.

"The price per Tigon-2 is seventy-five gold coins."

"One hundred units will be sold immediately."

"The minimum assured annual order is five thousand units."

"The starting bid remains one thousand gold coins."

"And the buyout price is ten thousand gold coins."

Then Arceus raised his gaze toward the audience.

"You have thirty seconds to decide."

Kiara pressed the timer once again.

This time...

The atmosphere changed completely.

No one intended to wait until the final seconds anymore.

Almost immediately, a paddle rose from the merchant section.

It belonged to Wilheim, a merchant famous for dealing in potions and alchemical products.

The instant he declared interest, several others hurriedly raised their own paddles as well.

No one wanted to repeat the earlier mistake.

One after another...

Paddles continued rising.

The movement spread like sparks jumping across dry grass.

Some wealthy merchants joined.

Several clan representatives participated.

Even Phaethon Solaris raised interest toward the weapon.

As for Emperor Alexander...

He remained seated calmly like a mountain observing ants fight beneath it.

He only cared about three specific items.

Everything else was noise.

Yet despite his calm appearance, inside his mind he was cursing Kiara repeatedly.

Because earlier...

He and Grand Secretariat Quenric had already made preparations beforehand.

Using the item list Kiara secretly provided in the invitation letter, they planned alliances carefully among major noble houses so that bidding competition could remain controlled while important weapons quietly fell into imperial hands through proxy buyers.

It was a clever strategy.

A ruler’s strategy.

Yet who could have expected Kiara to invite not only Solaria Kingdom but even a prince from the Aryavarta Empire as well?

Now the situation had become far messier than anticipated.

And worse still...

Every item carried absurdly high starting bids and buyout prices.