Chapter 26 Auction House

"We have arrived..."

Kaine announced as he parked the car. Oscar and I exited the limousine, and we were immediately greeted by a magnificent sight. A massive building made of snow-white marble glittered in the sunlight before us.

I instinctively spread my Mana around, but I quickly realized that there were safety barriers in place. My Mana bounced off a few feet away from the building, indicating that it was impossible to damage it.

"...Cool..."

I muttered to myself. Since I didn't know which Auction House we were going to, and there were quite a few of them near the Mage Academy, I wasn't sure what to expect. But Oscar didn't disappoint me. We had arrived at the second biggest and most grandiose Auction House, likely in the entire Human Continent.

This begged the question of what Oscar's background was.

"My dad owns a major share in one of the popular companies."

Oscar spoke, sensing my glare. He didn't mention which company it was, so I assumed he wasn't keen on sharing and let it go. I could also barely keep myself from punching him as I watched him raise his chin.

"I'm a bigshot, you know?"

Oscar said and this pointed towards one of the negative sides of our friendship. I was always exposed to his random teasing and stupidity sessions.

"Bigshot my ass, you were just picking your nose!"

I shot back, making him frown. However, it didn't have a major effect on him since he had no shame.

"Stop fuming and let's go!"

Oscar took the lead and headed towards the entrance, making me sigh as I quickly followed after him.

Approaching the door, a Mana Controlled device emerged from the wall, revealing a small scanner. Oscar scanned his golden card, which slightly surprised me. Having a VIP pass to one of the fanciest Auction Houses was no small expense.

"Hello, Sir Oscar..."

A man dressed in all black greeted us as soon as we passed through the door. He wore a white mask that covered his face, leaving only his red eyes visible.

"Is that your guest?"

He asked, bowing his head slightly and gesturing towards me. There was a slight hint of interest within his red irises.

"Yes, this is my friend Aiden!"

Oscar nodded, prompting the masked man to extend his hand towards me. As I shook his hand, I felt the strength of his muscles and Mana flow beneath his skin, making me gulp. This guy was probably at least a B-rank awakener!

"Please put this on and follow me."

The red-eyed personnel said, handing us masks similar to his. However, ours only covered half our faces, leaving our chins and mouths visible. These masks were more cosmetic than a means to hide our identities from other bidders.

There was an option to hide our faces completely, but there was no need since I had no intention of bidding on anything. As for Oscar, I doubted he would try to fight someone for an item.

We followed the masked personnel through a corridor with white walls and marble flooring until we reached the main hall. The auction house was a magnificent sight to behold. The walls were decorated with expensive paintings, and the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling sparkled with light. I could see people dressed in their finest attire, some of whom I recognized as famous awakener families.

Quietly observing, I followed the red-eyed man as he led us towards one of the private booths. It was spacious and had darkened windows, providing complete privacy. Looking around, I noticed a mini bar, tables, comfortable couches, and even a shower. It was a top-level room, and I frowned recalling how much it cost to rent it out for the auction.

As we settled into our seats, I noticed that Oscar was already eyeing the items up for bid in the catalog.

"So, what was the reason for my visit here?"

I finally asked, making Oscar turn to me. His eyes briefly met mine before he redirected his gaze to the floor, kicking at the red carpet beneath his feet.

"I won a bet!"

He spoke proudly, and I became even more confused. What bet? I didn't recall ever making a bet with him.

"My brother and I made a bet that I could win more times against you in our spars, and I won. So, you get to choose whatever item you want, and it'll be paid for out of his pocket!"

Oscar's face morphed into a smirk, while I frowned, recalling all the times I had lost to him in our sparring matches. I had thought he looked strangely eager to win, but I guessed his simple competitiveness wasn't the only reason for it.

"Look here, this is the catalog of all the items that will be auctioned today..."

He said as he threw it into my face, making me grumble as I picked it up from my nose. If it had been someone else, I would have punched him, but with Oscar, I had given up. I was also too tired to fight.

Glancing over the pictures on the first page, I scratched my cheek and looked over the items and their prices. With my current capital, I wouldn't even be able to buy the cheapest sword being auctioned. However, since Oscar's brother would cover my costs, it was time to buy something cool.

For a moment, I felt slight jealousy towards Oscar, who had no shame and would surely just pick the most expensive item.

"Oh, if only I had no conscience..."

I sighed and was about to turn the page since nothing of interest caught my eye when suddenly the massive red curtains parted, revealing a huge scene, with a single spotlight aimed at the man standing on it.

[ Good day, ladies and gentlemen! ]

His voice, enchanted by Mana, traveled through the entire hall, even managing to reach our ears with perfect clarity.

[ Welcome to the 256th Loriel Auction! ]

He spread his arms wide and clicked his fingers, making all the lights dim down, so only the stage would be illuminated.

[ Let's start the auction! ]