Ethan kept quiet, choosing to stay out of the matters of such powerful characters. He knew meddling in their affairs could be perilous, perhaps even fatal.
"Alright, let''s start the bidding," Gresham Bel''or announced. "You can ce your bid as you wish for this item."
"5,000 gold coins." The bid came from a well-dressed VIP who looked both eager and determined. As soon as he finished speaking, several other VIPs joined in, their bids escting with an urgency that suggested their lives might depend on it.
"Fools!" Leon muttered quietly, his disdain barely concealed. Ethan caught the words clearly and nced at Leon with bafflement.
"7,000 gold coins."
"8,500 gold coins."
"9,000."
"10,500."
"15,000." The same imposing VIP bid, his voice dripping with arrogance as he nced around the room, daring anyone to challenge him. His demeanor suggested he was a very high-level character, someone of considerable influence and power.
"He is the Devil Ape n''s leader," Leon said, noticing Ethan''s interest in the man. His voice was calm and controlled.
"Oh!" Ethan eximed, his curiosity piqued. "The Devil Ape n? Are there no other powerful ns that could rival him?"
Leon chuckled softly. "Haha, the real show hasn''t started yet, dude. This is just the beginning. Watch closely."
As the bidding war intensified, Ethan could feel the tension in the air. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation and unspoken rivalries. He watched as the VIPs engaged in a fierce contest, knowing that the true significance of this auction was yet to unfold.
Just as the auction seemed to be winding down, amotion erupted near the entrance, causing a stir among the attendees.
Dressed in luxurious robes, several new groups entered the auction hall, attracting immediate attention.
"Winged Tiger n arrives!"
Following them, other prominent groups made their entrance.
"Thunder Leopard n arrives!"
"Fire Crow n arrives!"
"Silvermoon n arrives!"
"Phantom Wolf n arrives!"
Each n was represented by 30-40 people, moving in organized groups of 5-6 important individuals each. The hall buzzed with excitement and curiosity as the new arrivals made their way to their VIP rooms, their presence adding an extrayer of tension to the already charged atmosphere.
Others watched in awe as these powerful ns entered, each one exuding an aura of authority and strength. They had heard tales of their influence, but seeing them in person was an entirely different experience. They were the five great ns of Arcadia City. Their mere presencemanded respect.
Ethan''s interest was piqued when he heard the names of the Fire Crow and Silvermoon ns. He scanned the crowd and spotted Aria and her uncle among the Silvermoon n members. Aria''s father, a stern-looking man with sharp eyebrows, was in the center.
Among the Fire Crow n, Ethan didn''t recognize anyone immediately, but his thoughts were preupied with Lenora. She also wasn''t present there. Neither was the leader of the Fire Crow n. Instead, a few powerful elders were present.
The presence of these powerful ns brought an air of tension to the auction hall.
"Haha, how can you start the fun without us, Gideon?"ughed Mirrel Nortel, the leader of the Winged Tiger n—a person in his fifties, while ncing disdainfully at the Devil Ape n''s room through the transparent ss.
The leader of the Thunder Leopard n, Zephyr Stormw, chimed in, "It seems Gideon doesn''t respect the five great ns anymore, now that he''s achieved S-Rank. So arrogant!" He snorted.
"Hmph.." In response, Gideon, the leader of the Devil Ape n, snorted in irritation. "Whatever! But you should all know this: the key will belong to our n in the end. No one can change that."
The other n leaders responded with disdain. "We''ll see about that."
They all huffed and proceeded to their respective VIP rooms.
"See, brother, that Gideon never respects us. He''s so arrogant," Astrid, Aria''s uncle,ined to Aria''s father.
Aria''s father sighed. "I know. He''s always been like that. But he''ll get his karma today. Isn''t this is why we''re here?"
He paused before continuing after brief moment, "For now, focus on looking for any suspicious activity. Today''s mission should not fail; this is our primary goal."
Aria, her uncle, and the rest of the Silvermoon n members nodded in agreement.
As the Silvermoon n members settled into their seats, Aria''s gaze unexpectedly fell on Ethan. "What is he doing here?" she wondered and became worried recalling their mission ofing here. This could be dangerous for Ethan, she realized, and her face turned pale.
Their eyes met, and they exchanged a brief nod.
Her father noticed the interaction and inquired, "Who is that boy, Aria? Do you know him?"
Aria''s uncle, recognizing Ethan as the boy he had saved from imprisonment, kept silent, curious about Aria''s response.
"Ah, um…" Aria hesitated. "Yes, Father, he''s a friend."
Her father shook his head disapprovingly. "Aria, how many times must I tell you? You can''t just befriend anyone. It doesn''t fit your image as a noble."
Aria lowered her gaze, feeling a pang of frustration and sadness. She wondered if her father would ever ept her feelings for Ethan if their rtionship ever deepened.
Once everyone was seated, the auctioneer resumed. "We have received a few more honorable guests at our auction hall, so let''s continue where we left off."
"Lord Gideon has offered 15,000 gold coins. Are there any higher bids?"
"We, from the Winged Tiger n, offer 17,000 gold coins."
"25,000 gold coins from the Fire Crow n."
"26,000 from the Thunder Leopard n."
"28,000."
"29,000."
The bidding escted rapidly as each n vied for the prize. The other participants could only watch in awe, realizing the stakes involved in this auction.
"Brother, the time is here. Shouldn''t we ce our bid now?" Astrid asked, anxious.
Aria''s father remained calm. "Not yet. Wait for a little more."
Aria, meanwhile, continued to focus intently on Ethan. Her uncle shook his head, realizing Aria''s distraction.
Gideon, fuming with frustration, raised his bid to 33,000 gold coins, nearing his limit.
"35,000," the Fire Crow n countered.
"36,000," Gideon snapped, ring at everyone with bloodshot eyes..
"Ba*tards!"
It seemed the other ns were deliberately pushing Gideon to his limits.
"Brother, the price already gone so high," Astrid said, concern evident in his voice. "We should bid now, right? Everything had gone ording to our n, after all."
Aria''s father nodded. "Yes. Raise the stakes now. Push Gideon to the limit. Only then will he reveal his true face to us."
"Okay, brother," Aria''s uncle nodded and raised his paddle for an increased bid.
"Aria, focus! Where are you looking?" her father snapped.
"Hmph!" Aria pouted but returned to her seat in frustration. Her heart was full of worry regarding Ethan''s safety.
"We have a bid of 36,000 from the Devil Ape n. Are there any higher bids?"
"40,000," Aria''s uncle announced loudly.
The crowd gasped. "40,000? The Silvermoon n is really wealthy."
"Yes, as expected from an elite assassin n."
"Bang!" Gideon, furious, smashed his chair. "Damn these cockroaches! It looks like I have no choice."
He turned to his subordinates. "Go and bring them here. It''s time to make our move. We can''t let them get the key for the humans."
His subordinates, d in dark, imposing armor, nodded and quickly left the room, their movements precise and intimidating.
The tension in the auction hall escted as people whispered among themselves, specting about Gideon''s next move.
However, even after awaiting for a while, there''s no further offer from the Devil Ape n Leader, so the key went to the Silvermoon n.
"Congrattions to the Silvermoon n for winning the auction at 40,000 gold coins," the auctioneer Gresham announced, prompting apuse.
"p, p!"
While the other attendees pped, the major yers in the room knew that something significant was about to unfold.
Ethan, sensing the rising tension, knew he had to stay vignt. Despite his decision to avoid meddling, he couldn''t shake the feeling that he was already too involved.