Chapter 1011: Alternate Timeline: Nexus Exposition (12)

When compared to the Panzer series, the Iveco-LMV looked far more refined and elegant in appearance, and although it possessed greater speed, greater range, better maneuverability, and more seating capacity for soldiers, the people within the auction hall still remained hesitant because of one simple factor.

Its price.

It costs ten times the price of a Panzer 1, yet it can only shoot with the power of a 4-star rank. Yes, moving is good, and it has good defensive capabilities as well, but they would prefer taming a 4-star or 5-star rank beast over this.

Thus, silence slowly descended over the hall once the bidding began.

Not a single paddle rose.

The luxurious hall that moments ago echoed with aggressive bids and rising voices now became strangely quiet, carrying only the distant clinking of teacups as several nobles exchanged uncertain glances with one another while quietly calculating whether the machine deserved such an investment.

Standing beside the podium, Kiara maintained a calm expression outwardly, though inwardly, she felt slightly disappointed.

Not deeply.

Only slightly.

After all, even she personally believed the system had priced the military vehicle absurdly high, considering she originally intended to use the thing merely for comfortable traveling.

Still...

Greed remained greed.

And greed always whispered dangerous hopes into people’s ears.

"What if some rich fool buys it anyway?"

That was the thought she had earlier.

Unfortunately, reality appeared uninterested in cooperating.

As seconds passed one after another and no paddle moved, Kiara slowly lowered her gaze toward the pocket watch in her hand while silently preparing herself to announce the item unsold.

Yet just as the final second approached...

A wooden paddle suddenly rose into the air.

Kiara’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Surprise flashed across her face immediately afterward.

Because the bidder was someone she genuinely did not expect.

It was Morvain Wolf.

At the same moment, Barbara Wolf, who sat nearby, furrowed her brows sharply in displeasure upon seeing her cousin’s action.

Besides Kiara, Arceus also looked momentarily stunned because he, too, had already assumed the vehicle would fail to sell.

But once the bid appeared, his professional smile returned instantly as he lifted the hammer gracefully.

"One hundred thousand gold coins from Number Nineteen."

"Do we have one hundred and five thousand?"

The hall remained silent.

No one followed.

Arceus glanced across the crowd one final time before striking the hammer lightly.

"One hundred thousand once..."

"One hundred thousand twice..."

TING

"Sold."

"Congratulations to Number Nineteen for purchasing the six-month rights to Iveco-LMV."

Polite applause echoed throughout the hall afterward, though many nobles still looked toward Morvain Wolf with expressions filled more with confusion than admiration.

At table nineteen, Barbara immediately leaned closer and whispered sharply through gritted teeth.

"Cousin, do you even understand what you have done?"

"Hundred thousand for rights."

"Then, two hundred fifty thousand for the vehicles themselves."

"You just spent nearly one-tenth of our treasury on those things."

Her voice carried restrained frustration.

Yet Morvain slowly turned his head toward her with such a cold expression that Barbara instinctively stiffened.

His eyes contained neither anger nor shouting.

That calmness itself felt more dangerous.

"Barbara."

His voice emerged low and icy.

"I shall repeat this only once. Do not question my decisions."

The pressure behind those words instantly silenced her.

Barbara lowered her gaze toward the table, her nails subtly pressing into her palm beneath the sleeves of her robe while resentment quietly brewed within her chest.

"This bastard... If he continues leading House Wolf, he will drag everyone into ruin sooner or later."

Her thoughts rapidly turned darker.

"To remove him... I need stronger backing. And for that... I must create conflict between him and the Imperial Family."

Her eyes slowly shifted toward Serestia Phoenix.

Then toward Alucard.

A dangerous idea quietly formed.

"That boy appears close to the princess to the point she was arguing with me earlier. Moreover, he had already hurt him once. Now, if something happens to him and blame falls upon Morvain..."

"Serestia will definitely attack him. And if she gets injured in the process..."

"Then the Imperial Family itself will develop hatred toward him. Maybe, they will make sure to replace him with my father, again."

Yet almost immediately, caution followed.

"No... I cannot move carelessly. House Wolf cannot afford to become enemies with Kiara at the moment. And also, Serestia is dear to Magnus. If I get caught, it won’t be easier for me. I need to wait for the right time..."

Barbara slowly exhaled and buried her thoughts deep beneath a calm expression once more.

Meanwhile, Arceus smoothly continued the auction before the atmosphere could settle fully again.

"Now..."

"It is time for the top 3rd of this event."

The moment those words echoed through the hall, everyone immediately became attentive again.

Even those who previously looked bored straightened unconsciously.

Arceus gestured elegantly toward the illustration displayed nearby.

"Panzerhaubitze 2000."

"Or simply..."

"PzH 2000."

His voice grew heavier with each explanation.

"This is a self-propelled artillery weapon. In simpler terms, it is a moving fortress capable of striking enemies from over thirty kilometers away."

Several nobles inhaled sharply.

Arceus continued steadily.

"For ammunition..."

"It uses a special guided artillery shell known as SMArt-155. Each shell possesses enough destructive force comparable to that of a 7-star rank and has a terrifying efficiency."

The atmosphere shifted immediately afterward.

Even powerful cultivators looked visibly serious now.

Because this weapon no longer targeted ordinary soldiers.

This threatened high-ranking Spirit Warriors themselves.

"Each vehicle costs 5000 gold coins, and each SMArt-155 shell costs one hundred gold coins."

"We are offering fifty vehicles and one thousand shells."

"The protection period will be one year."

"And the minimum assured order is five hundred vehicles and ten thousand shells."

Then finally—

"The starting bid is one million gold coins."

"Each raise..."

"One hundred thousand."

"You have sixty seconds to decide."

Silence followed immediately afterward.

Not the earlier uncertain silence.

This one carried pressure.

Heavy pressure.

Before the raise is in thousands, but this time, even a simple bid raise is 100,000 gold coins...

The wealthy merchants no longer even considered participating.

The Noble House Leaders themselves also hesitated visibly despite the option to pay only twenty percent initially.

Because everyone understood something clearly now.

This was no longer a wealthy merchant’s game.

This was warfare between kingdoms.

And exactly as Kiara expected, the true battle began between only three parties.

Alexander Phoenix.

Caleb Crescent.

And Phaethon Solaris.

Even the twelve-year-old king of Solaria, despite disliking these weapons internally, could not deny reality anymore.

A kingdom without power became prey.

A peaceful ruler without fangs merely invited invasion.

Still, unlike the others, he carefully maintained restraint.

Because he also understood another truth.

"A starving kingdom holding divine weapons still collapses eventually."

Thus, he mentally limited himself to between ten and twelve million.

The bidding escalated relentlessly afterward.

Eventually it reached...

"4.6 million. Number Three."

"4.7 million. Number Twelve."

"4.8 million. Number Twenty-Five."

The voices rose continuously.

The atmosphere grew hotter.

Several nobles unconsciously stopped breathing during certain moments.

"7.8 million. Number Twelve."

"7.9 million. Number Twenty-Five."

"8 million. Number Twelve."

"8.1 million. Number Three."

Kiara silently clenched and unclenched her fists beneath the podium while forcing herself to maintain a calm expression.

Inside her mind, however, numbers exploded like fireworks.

Every bid sounded sweeter than music.

Every increase made her heartbeat rise.

Then eventually—

"14.5 million. Number Twenty-Five."

"14.6 million. Number Three."

Silence.

Heavy silence.

Arceus slowly lifted the hammer.

"14.6 million once..."

"Twice..."

TING

"Sold."

"Congratulations to Number Three for purchasing the twelve-month rights to PzH 2000."

For one brief moment...

Kiara almost forgot how to breathe.

14.6 million gold coins.

What kind of monstrous amount even was that?

With such wealth...

A person could practically establish an independent kingdom.

And there were still more products remaining.

At that instant, Kiara’s thoughts spiraled wildly.

"If I convert all this into credits... I can upgrade the missile defense system again."

Her wealth graph today would no longer rise gradually.

It would erupt vertically.

Yet despite the storm inside her chest, Kiara forced herself to maintain a calm poker face while only tightening her fists subtly before relaxing them again.

Across the hall, reactions varied greatly.

Some Noble House leaders looked toward Kiara with admiration.

Some with envy.

Some with greed.

And two individuals...

With regret.

Daniel Storm silently lowered his gaze.

Back then, he had distanced both himself and Lucian Storm from Nexus Weapon Store because of pressure from House Silver.

Now he finally understood how foolish that decision had been.

Nearby, Neron Silver also felt bitterness quietly gnawing at him.

After imprisoning Wester Silver, he never attempted to repair relations with Kiara.

At the time, he believed the young woman possessed only temporary brilliance.

Now...

That brilliance threatened to outshine entire kingdoms.

Both men arrived at the same conclusion silently.

"We must somehow return to her good side."

Meanwhile, unlike everyone else, Arceus remained surprisingly calm.

Not once did regret appear upon his face regarding the rejected two percent share.

Instead...

He merely felt happy while watching Kiara succeed.

A faint smile unconsciously formed upon his lips before he smoothly continued the auction once more.

"The top 2nd item of this event..."

"Light Combat Aircraft, Yak-130."

The entire hall immediately focused again.

"As mentioned in the details in the weapons hall..."

"You must construct at least a six-hundred-meter runway or a properly paved straight road for safe takeoff and landing. If such conditions are not prepared, Nexus Weapon Store shall not bear responsibility for accidents involving either the aircraft or pilot."