Chapter 88: One-Eyed Auction

Chapter 88: One-Eyed Auction

(Arthur POV)

The so-called "magical ring," supposedly identical to those in my "Lord of the Rings" film, was set to be auctioned at the "One-Eyed Auction".

Though I seriously doubted it matched the rings from "Lord of the Rings," I still felt it was worth checking out. After all, it might indeed be a magical ring, even if it couldn't compare to the ones in "Lord of the Rings".

The auction was slated to begin in two days. Firfel seemed to have gotten wind of it too, as she came to my office asking, "Arthur, did you hear about the auction?"

"Yeah, I've heard about it," I nodded. "They're saying the ring's the same as in my film, but I doubt it."

Firfel raised an eyebrow. "How so?" She paused before adding, "Didn't you base the film on real history?"

I nodded with a wry smile. I couldn't exactly tell her it was based on a film from my previous life, so I just said, "Well, yeah, but I took some creative liberties with the rings' powers and capabilities. Truth is, no rings as powerful as those in 'Lord of the Rings' actually exist."

Firfel nodded, seemingly satisfied with my explanation. "I'm thinking of attending the auction with Shafel. Want to join us?"

"Funny you should ask," I replied, a bit surprised. "I was planning to go with George. The ring's piqued my curiosity."

"Really? Why don't we all go together then?" Firfel suggested.

I shrugged, seeing no reason to refuse. "Why not? But tell me, what's drawing you to the auction? Is it the ring?"

Firfel shook her head. "Not really. While I'm curious about the ring, I'm actually after the Ancient Amulet."

"Ancient Amulet?" I echoed, intrigued.

"It's an amulet said to have belonged to the third queen of the Roses Kingdom," Firfel explained, a hint of reverence in her voice.

"Ah, the Roses Kingdom," I nodded, recalling Firfel's origins. "So it's a treasure from your homeland?"

Firfel nodded, her eyes distant, perhaps lost in memories of her kingdom.

***

(3rd Person POV)

The day of the "One-Eyed Auction" finally arrived. The auction house stood proudly in the upper district of Ferland city, one of the wealthiest areas in town.

This district was a bustling hub of commerce and luxury. Upscale restaurants and trendy cafes lined the streets, alongside high-end bookstores and fashion boutiques. Jewelry stores glittered with precious gems, their windows drawing admiring glances from passersby. It was also home to some of the most prestigious schools and universities in the city.

Today, however, all eyes were on the One-Eyed Auction house, or more specifically, on the "Rings from Lord of the Rings" that were to be sold there.

High-end cars, each worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, began pulling up to the auction house. The who's who of demon society stepped out, ready to vie for the prized items.

"I'm Jenny Lee, and I'll be presenting the items up for auction today," she announced, launching into the first item - a decaying dragon tooth starting at one hundred dollars.

In their VIP room, Arthur, Firfel, George, and Shafel settled in for a long wait. As the auction dragged on, Arthur found himself stifling yawns.

Finally, the moment they'd been waiting for arrived. Jenny presented the Ancient Amulet, starting the bidding at 1,000 dollars.

Several VIP rooms sprang into action. A figure in a gorilla mask from one room bid ten thousand.

Firfel, her eyes gleaming, countered, "Eleven thousand."

The auctioneer acknowledged her bid, but the gorilla mask quickly upped the ante to fifteen thousand.

Arthur watched the back-and-forth, noticing Firfel's frown deepening as the price climbed. Sensing she was nearing her limit at twenty thousand, he decided to step in.

"Thirty thousand," Arthur called out, his voice firm.

His bid drew surprised looks from Firfel, Shafel, and George. Even the gorilla-masked bidder seemed taken aback, his gaze shifting to Arthur's VIP room. Though he couldn't see inside, it was clear the new voice wasn't the woman who'd been bidding before.

The auctioneer's gavel struck twice. "Sold to VIP room number 8 for thirty thousand!"

Firfel turned to Arthur, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you," she said warmly.

Arthur just smiled, shrugging off her thanks. "It's nothing."

As they spoke, a veiled succubus entered their room, presenting the Ancient Amulet. Firfel and Shafel rushed over, admiring it with reverence.

Arthur studied the amulet curiously. "So... what exactly does it do?"

Firfel hesitated. "To be honest, I'm not sure. But it can't be simple. It belonged to the third queen of my homeland, after all."

Arthur nodded, examining the clearly ancient artifact. Shafel chimed in, "Legend has it, this amulet was a gift from a King of the Giants."

"Giants?" Arthur's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Firfel smiled wryly. "So they say. Who knows if it's true, though."

Arthur nodded, recalling the mysterious disappearance of the Giants in this world's history.

Their discussion was cut short as the auction's main event began - the unveiling of the "Magical Ring." The atmosphere in the auction house shifted palpably.

From the gorilla-masked individual to the robed figures in the VIP rooms, from Lucy with Apollonia and her classmates to the representatives of the Solarus faith - all eyes locked onto the ring box.

As the box opened, Jenny, the host, launched into her introduction. "The seller, who wishes to remain anonymous, is a pirate who acquired this ring at great cost. Many of his crew perished in the quest to obtain it." Her voice dropped to a dramatic whisper. "This ring, ladies and gentlemen, is said to bestow unparalleled authority and power upon its wearer!"

The room buzzed with excitement and tension. Arthur found himself leaning forward, despite his skepticism. Could this ring truly be as powerful as claimed?