Chapter 673: It’s easy to invite Lanqi, but hard to send her
away 10 am, Petras Auction House.
As one of the most famous auction houses in the Southern Continent, Petras Auction House has a branch in the eastern part of the Southern Continent located in the Parieux 3 area. It has long been a treasure trove for art and antique collectors to find treasures.
In addition to regular sales, dozens of large membership auctions are held every year, involving paintings, furniture, jewelry, magic devices and contracts.
The facade of this huge, multi-story fortress-like building is decorated with carvings and classic paliet elements, and the golden sign above the door sparkles in the sun.
As soon as you step into this historic building, it seems that with every step you take, you can hear the bidding of past high-priced items echoing in your ears.
Inside the hall, lights shine down from the exquisitely crafted chandeliers, like stars adorning this palace of art.
At this moment, a large weekly auction was being held in the deepest part of the Petras Auction House.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's grand event of the Huadu Petras Auction. What we are about to launch is not just an auction, but a journey through time, taking you to appreciate the charm of priceless treasures. Let us set sail with passion, and hope that the most precious collection will find its most ideal new owner."
The auctioneer's voice can be heard inside and outside the auction venue.
The auditorium is arranged in a fan shape around the stage like a theater, and there are seats exclusively for VIPs behind the stone railings on the second-floor platform.
Lanqi, Talia and the cat boss were sitting in a less conspicuous seat, surrounded by rich people dressed elegantly.
"Your membership actually works."
Talia glanced at Lanqi beside her and said.
Neither of them had much interest in the treasure currently being auctioned, so they took advantage of the noise all around them to start chatting.
"Of course. I won't take you on this trip for nothing."
Lanqi smiled smugly.
If they hadn't decided to come today at the last minute and the seats were not so tight, they might have been able to make an earlier reservation and get a seat in the VIP area above.
But this time he couldn't ask for three seats, as he was the only member of the Petras Chamber of Commerce, and Talia came in with him as his female companion.
And the cat boss could only be held by Talia.
"Meow, what are you selling here?"
Boss Cat looked at the prices of goods on the auction table in the distance and felt like a country cat.
If the revenue had not increased several times after Asna took over the Cat Boss Restaurant, it would not have dared to consider bidding to buy a chef.
Of course, even if it buys a demon chef, it may have to ask Lanqi to advance some money first, and then use the restaurant's monthly revenue to pay back Lanqi.
In the auction area in the distance, the auction table on the stage looks like a cabinet from a hundred years ago. The gold foil decoration and exquisite woodworking skills make it particularly prominent in the entire auction venue.
In the glass display case next to it, the immortal crystal necklace lay quietly on the velvet cushion, and each orange-yellow crystal shone with interlaced light under the light.
“The next lot is a century-old masterpiece. It not only bears witness to the changes in a family’s history, but also carries the profound artistic heritage of Master Jera Zert. This lot is undoubtedly a treasure that every jewelry collector dreams of.”
During the auctioneer's introduction, this necklace named [Memory of Starlight] and its information were displayed.
【Memories of Starlight】
[Type: Magic Item]
[Grade: Rare]
[Attribute: Spirit/Link]
[Rank: 1]
[The creature wearing this necklace will increase a small amount of basic spirit, and there is a small chance that it will resonate with the memories of the ancestor wearing the necklace, only once. ]
It didn't take long for the bid to break through the 10,000 pounds mark.
In the audience, the cat boss looked at Lanqi in confusion in Tata's arms.
"Can this thing be worth so much money, meow?"
The properties of this necklace are close to nothing. If it is sold at a very high price, the cat boss would not dare to estimate how valuable the statues that Lanqi repaired in the orc city-state in the shadow world are.
Of course, if the statue was stolen and sold for money, all the orcs would go berserk and fight to the death.
"Its own attributes are not that strong, but it has been endowed with the legendary aura of a great craftsman. If it is used as a prototype to be processed into an equipment card, perhaps it can be made into an epic one."
Lanqi held his chin and muttered to himself.
The concept of legendary color was taught to him by Professor Bolaio, but Professor Bolaio did not explain it very clearly to Lanqi, hoping that he could understand it by himself.
According to Professor Bolaio, excessive interpretation will only erode spirituality. If a craftsman embarks on a path of blindly pursuing legendary colors, he will never be able to obtain true legendary colors. Therefore, he does not want to teach Lanqi too much, nor does he need to teach him too much.
Lanqi could probably feel what the so-called legendary color was. When making cards, there was always an element that could not be expressed in words but only understood. This was probably the key to anchoring history. Once given a legendary color, an epic could be created.
Talia listened quietly to Lanqi's thoughts.
Ever since her mind was connected with Lanqi's, she always felt that she could gain some of Lanqi's insights.
To some extent, Lanqi's learning is equivalent to her learning, and she can directly benefit from Lanqi's achievements.
"Of course, the collectors who bid for this necklace may not have any intention of processing it, but simply appreciate it."
Lanqi felt that the premium of more than 10,000 pounds was too high, mainly because of its collection value.
Converted into the simplest purchasing power measurement method, 10,000 pounds can buy 30 million bottles of mineral water.
As the auction progressed, the auctioneer's voice echoed in the venue.
Every time a piece of art was sold, there would be a discussion in the auction hall, and occasionally when an extremely high-priced item was sold, there would be cheers and applause.
In addition, outside the door of the hall stood a range of people, from professional art collectors to ordinary curious reporters. They were either crouching or standing, concentrating on recording everything that might become content for the report through the small glass window of the door.
"Alright everyone, now comes the main event."
The carefully arranged auction table was still the focus of the whole venue. The auctioneer stood on it, wearing a dark suit and holding a small silver gavel that symbolized authority.
His brisk speech immediately drew all attention to him.
It was like a wonderful solo, bringing the atmosphere of the entire venue to a climax.
Then, a demon servant was brought onto the stage.
"Celestia is a sixth-level demon with well-trained all-round scout capabilities. She was the former captain of the 35th Brigade of the 6th Army of the Demon King. After surrendering, she chose to sign a 355-year servant contract to avoid the death penalty. In other words, she currently has 231 years left on her legal contract."
The demon servant introduced by the auctioneer had a light blue skin color different from that of humans. Her pupils were as deep as the night sky, and her long ears trembled slightly.
Despite being in an unfavorable situation, she maintained a calm demeanor.
As the auctioneer finished introducing the special abilities and identity background of this demon servant, the atmosphere in the venue became more tense, and many wealthy people seemed to want her.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Celestia is not only a stunning servant, but also possesses extraordinary fighting power that can multiply the strength of any noble family."
The atmosphere in the venue was ignited, and the auctioneer once again attracted the attention of the distinguished guests with his charming voice.
"What's even more incredible is that once she becomes your Servant, she will protect you and your family for eternity.
He cleared his throat and continued.
In the audience.
Talia looked away, not wanting to pay attention to the stage anymore.
Her eyes could not be seen clearly under her bangs, as if they were shrouded in shadows.
“…”
Lanqi looked at Talia beside him and said nothing.
He could probably understand how Talia, as a princess of a fallen country, felt when she saw her people being auctioned off.
At the same time, she couldn't argue anything, because the demons who were being auctioned off really had no complaints, and she understood this very well.
On the stage, the auctioneer knocked the podium with a silver hammer, announcing that the auction was about to begin.
Many wealthy businessmen immediately began bidding, each hoping to bring this powerful sixth-level demon servant home.
The bidding numbers rose rapidly, from a few thousand to tens of thousands in less than half a minute, and each increase in the price was accompanied by surprised whispers from the audience.
This bidding war is not just a display of wealth, but also a struggle for power and status.
A sixth-rank servant would be a strong contender even if he entered the Flower City Holy Grail Familiar Contest. Moreover, as a true former Demon King, Celestia had combat experience and practical ability beyond imagination.
The participants' expressions were a mixture of anticipation and calculation, and they kept looking at the strong competitors from time to time.
The demon stood quietly on the stage, there was no fear in her eyes, as if she had seen through the noise and vanity.
"55,000 pounds."
Finally, when a blond nobleman in a formal suit sitting in the VIP stand on the second floor made the final bid at an astronomical figure, no one in the audience made any more bids.
The auctioneer made the final move with his hammer, and the demon servant simply bowed her head slightly, accepting her new fate.
“Meow…”
Boss Cat has never seen so much money in his life.
It was stunned by what it heard.
"The reason why she is sold at such a high price is mainly because she is very capable and her employment contract is long."
Not taking into account the possibility of Celestia's death midway and the risk of her harming her master, this was equivalent to a long-term employment contract of more than two hundred years.
In addition, Celestia's contract clearly states that she cannot be forced or harmed, her work must be legal, and she must be provided with basic living care, a meager statutory minimum salary, and normal holidays.
"Another reason is that she is very good-looking. Often, the price of beautiful demons at the auction house will double."
Lanqi explained to the cat boss.
“…”
Talia's eyes immediately locked onto Ranch.
"Putting aside the strength and purely talking about the appearance of the card, the Great Love Poet is still the best in the world. No demon can surpass her peerless beauty."
Lanci said, looking at Talia.
Talia looked away.
The strong and beautiful Crazy Love Demon King is indeed the most perfect.
“Meow.”
Boss Cat felt that these two were at it again.
"If we capture the vampires and sell them, would it be more profitable? A minimum contract of 50,000 years would be enough..."
Lanqi seemed to suddenly think of something and muttered to himself.
“Meow!”
Just by listening to Lanqi's words, Boss Cat could already imagine Xiubao kneeling in front of the statue of the goddess and crying.
More than half an hour passed in a flash as they chatted and watched the show.
Occasionally there are a few interesting auction items, and every once in a while there are VIPs coming in, or customers who lose interest and leave halfway.
Occasionally, Lanqi saw something he wanted to buy, but after thinking about it, he decided not to buy it.
For example, [Shadow Petals], a mysterious plant that is said to grow on the edge of the void, can temporarily allow the user to blend into the shadows, achieving a short-term invisibility effect, covert operations, assassin missions, or highly confidential exploration. It would be a good choice to make a skin for the Great Love Poet.
There is also the [Traveler's Compass], an antique magical compass that can keep the holder from getting lost no matter where he is.
You might come across strange things every week, and if you really want to buy them, you can never buy them all.
On stage.
The auctioneer paused and glanced at the crowd in the audience.
"Next, there is another commodity contract for a demon servant. Perhaps her starting price is still high - but remember, the opportunity to obtain a legend will never be too expensive."
As the auctioneer finished speaking, the entire auction hall became lively again.
The distinguished guests exchanged words and glances with each other, waiting to appear on stage.
Soon, a pale-skinned, thin, silver-haired woman who looked like a demon boy was brought up.
"Alvin originally belonged to the logistics unit of the Ninth Army. Although she is only a second-level demon and is not a combat demon, she has multiple functions such as housekeeper, magic chef, gardener, etc. She can provide a comprehensive and luxurious quality of life guarantee for your mansion. There are 156 years left on her contract. The starting price is 950 pounds. Who will be her new owner? Let's see now!"
In the audience.
Boss Cat's eyes suddenly lit up when he saw her message.
Although her cooking skills were far inferior to those of Miss Lisansi whom she met on the airship, her rich life functions made the cat boss feel that it was worthwhile to hire such a chef.
"She's stronger than Pranay!"
Boss Cat exclaimed.
It saw that although Pranay never made a mistake at work, most of the time he just stood behind the bar and wiped the glasses.
Moreover, Pranay seemed very weak, and even it could not feel Pranay's magic.
"Well."
Lanqi felt that the cat boss might have really been optimized by the restaurant. He didn't realize how efficient Planai's work was. It was just that Planai was relatively low-key and didn't look like he was working.
Often, useless bosses don’t realize that the real pillars of the company are the employees who seem to be relatively idle.
If you bring an ordinary demon back and discover the true face of the big demon in the store, you might be scared to death.
"1,100 pounds."
Lanci held up the sign.
The cat boss was slightly interested in this demon with cooking skills. Lanqi called out a price for him, but it was quickly surpassed.
"Still filming? Boss Cat."
Lanqi watched the price rise to 1,500 pounds in a short while.
If the price really reaches 2,000 pounds, it would actually be a loss. It is purely because this demon looks good that others would bid against them.
"Meow, go ahead and shoot. It doesn't matter if there's a premium. It's a long-term contract anyway."
Boss Cat said with some distress.
"1,550 pounds."
Lanqi raised the sign again.
"Two thousand pounds."
The new offer coming from above immediately made the auctioneer on the stage smile, while Lanqi was slightly stunned.
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
"What did Boss Cat say?"
Lanqi lowered his head and asked the little black cat for his opinion.
"Try again."
Boss Cat said unwillingly.
"Two thousand and fifty pounds."
Lanci holds up the sign.
"2,500 pounds."
A voice came from above again, accompanied by a hint of mockery.
This time the cat boss didn't say anything, and Lanqi put down the sign.
When the auctioneer struck the hammer with a smile, the ownership of the demon's contract was settled.
A new round of auctions also started in an orderly manner.
"Who is that gentleman?"
Lanqi asked curiously to the customer who was chatting with him from time to time.
Now he was sure.
Almost all of them were bought by the blond nobleman sitting in the VIP stands at a very high premium.
Whoever competes with him, he will give a price that will make people give up immediately.
Even when it comes to raising the price, they won't hesitate, which will only make the other party feel that even a slight increase in price is embarrassing.
"The young master of Count Baptiste's family."
The rich businessman and Lanqi beside him whispered,
"It is said that all the maids in his house are demons, and they love to participate in demon competitions and call themselves the Little Demon King of Person."
The customer who showed him the table used to chat with Lanqi from time to time, and now they are getting to know each other better. Lanqi basically asks the people around him if he doesn't understand something.
“…”
Talia frowned slightly.
She found it strange.
How come Lanqi has such strong communication skills? In the blink of an eye, he started chatting with strangers again.
But what made her a little unhappy now was the man in the VIP seat above who was called the young master of Count Baptiste.
"Hehe, if it's a rare demon, I'll buy it no matter how much it costs."
In the VIP seats on the second floor, the blond nobleman said with satisfaction to the secretary of the Petras Chamber of Commerce beside him.
His voice did not subside.
It seemed like he was telling other new customers who didn't come often to the auction house not to think about competing with him.
In the end he will be the one to buy it anyway, so if other people raise his price, he doesn't mind raising the price for other things that others like.
Talia watched the man's high-profile words and actions silently, seeming a little unhappy.
The blond nobleman soon noticed this direct gaze.
He glanced at them, and his eyes locked with Lanqi and the others for a while, piercing like an icicle.
Then, a hint of displeasure flashed in the eyes of the blond earl, as if he was dissatisfied with Talia's look.
"Humph, this gray-haired village girl looks pretty good, but unfortunately she has an ugly face."
The corners of the blond earl's mouth drooped slightly, forming a cold arc, and at the same time he snorted contemptuously.
He glanced at Talia and Lanci as if he was looking at two cheap commodities, full of disdain.
The young Earl pointed at the auction house clerk next to him and motioned him to come over.
"Bring me your catalog of products. I'll buy all the ones I'm interested in at a flat price."
He said something calmly.
Some items at Petras Auctions have a fixed price option.
Generally speaking, the price set by Petras Auction House will be much higher than the regular transaction price, and few customers are willing to buy at this price.
But the arrogance in the blond earl's words, like his aristocratic temperament, was beyond doubt.
Obviously, he wanted to show off his wealth and absolute gap in front of Lanqi and Talia, and he also wanted to deprive them of the opportunity to participate in the auction.
It seemed that because of the look Talia just gave him, he decided not to let this rude girl like Talia get whatever she wanted today.
However, Talia still frowned and looked at the distant VIP seat of the blond noble without saying a word.
"Tata, forget it."
Lanqi spoke softly, as if trying to ease Talia's dissatisfaction, and looked back from time to time following Talia's line of sight.
"I'm not angry."
Talia stared at the Persian nobleman who had an exaggerated amount of money and knew that he was not someone to be trifled with.
If we really want to compete with financial resources, we may have to call Hyperion over, and that must be on the premise that Hyperion inherits the Duke's property.
Moreover, in the auction house of such a core city-state, there is almost no room for action. Even Loren cannot use high-level spells at will. Once the town enters a combat state or has a high magical reaction, it will trigger an alarm and suppression reaction.
"A country bumpkin who has never seen the world..."
The blond earl narrowed his left eye and slightly opened his lips, making it easy for people to read his meaning.
He seemed to find it fun to provoke this gray-haired girl who looked like she would explode easily.
“…”
Talia's eyes gradually turned cold.
If it were a hundred years ago, she would not tolerate such provocation at all.
Lanqi quickly grabbed her wrist.
He was afraid that Sister Tata would act faster than she thought.
If they show any violent tendencies, they may be treated as criminals.
No matter how lively the auction was going on.
Silence enveloped the seats of the blond nobleman and Talia, who were sitting far apart from each other. Talia seemed to have heard Lanqi's advice. Her eyes moved away from the blond noble's seat and turned to look at Lanqi's face.
Talia slowly freed her wrist from Lanqi's grip.
"Lanqi, do you have any way to teach that guy a lesson?"
She finally spoke.
Although she didn't like asking Lanqi for help, and didn't know whether Lanqi would be willing to help her, she did feel a lump in her heart.
There was no way for him to deal with the nobles in an unfamiliar place without violating the law.
It's times like this that make me feel it's so difficult to fight against others amidst all the rules and regulations.
"...Of course not. We can't break the law."
Lanqi stared at her and answered seriously.
"I understand."
Talia said.
There was no disappointment in her tone.
This is the relationship between her and Lanci. She never expected Lanci to treat her the same way he treated Hyperion, and she was not the kind of girl who would feel aggrieved.
This guy loves to provoke her the most, so when he sees others provoking her, he probably doesn't think anything of it.
However, she saw Lanqi raised his hand and motioned for the staff in the aisle to come over.
"Hello, I have a super rare contracted creature here. Can I add it to the list of products?"
Lanqi asked the auction house staff who was walking over.
"Well, according to the rules of our auction house, disrupting the queue is not allowed. Although there is a precedent for this situation, it must be ensured that the contract is very valuable before an exception can be made."
The staff explained.
No matter how he looked at it, he didn't think that this man had any contracted beast that he particularly treasured.
But he is not qualified to make a decision in this situation, and he still has to take the other party to see the manager to determine whether the product can be added temporarily.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Cat, we have to part ways for a while, but in order to save the demons, I have no other choice."
Lanqi helplessly lifted up the cat boss with both hands and said to it.
“Meow meow meow, no!!”
screamed the cat boss.
"Hey, Lanky, are you serious?"
Talia held Lanci's shoulders.
Although she understood a little bit, only by getting huge funds could she compete with the blond nobles and start a game.
But that’s not how money comes from.
Selling out the cat boss was a bit too much, no matter how you look at it.
Lanqi could only shake his head helplessly.
…
Twenty minutes later.
Boss Cat and Lanqi had left the auction venue for a while.
Talia still sat in her original seat, watching the stage silently.
"I have news for you all. An unprecedented auction item has been inserted into the queue!"
Suddenly, the auctioneer received the news, a mysterious smile appeared on his face, and he announced to everyone in the venue.
That was a super special rare race work contract.
Even in all the years he served as chief auctioneer of Petras Auction House, he had never seen one.
"Of course, the racial determination has also been completed!"
Suddenly, there was a burst of noise from the audience.
They didn't expect there would be a surprise in today's auction.
This usually happens when there are extremely rare treasures of extraordinary specifications, which will prompt the auctioneer to temporarily add the merchandise and hype up the atmosphere.
Next.
The curtain opens.
On the stage, the staff brought Lanqi up.
"The race is called the Lanci! Starting price is 10,000 pounds!"
Talia: "Puff!"
She almost choked on her saliva.
Whoever takes this thing back will find it easier to invite a god than to send him away!
Recommend a friend's book ~ "My Misbehavior in a Time-Standstill World"
(End of this chapter)