Aldred entered the hallway. A lady gave them a black robe, a mask, a sign, and what seemed to be a quill.
"Please wear this before you enter the hall," the lady said.
"What is this for?"
"To keep the auction fair and just, we would like everyone to wear disguises. If you would like to bid, you can use this quill and sign to write the amount. Please try not to speak as someone can track you with your voice alone."
"I understand."
They wore the black robe that covered their entire body and put on the mask. Surprisingly, they had children's size for Aldred.
The lady opened the door and the fat man guided them up the stairs. Unlike most people below, the ones here sat straight and upright with a noble demeanor. At a glance, you could make a distinction between the poor and the rich.
The fat man smiled and told them to sit down in the front row. One man with a noble demeanor glanced at them before turning his head back to the stage below.
"I will take my leave now, esteemed guests, the servants will bring you drinks and snacks shortly."
Aldred and the others did not reply. They understood that they should not expose their voice. The black robe was wide and baggy, making it hard to see the outline of their features. They even gave them a backup robe and a backup mask should this one get broken or ripped.
Aldred leaned on Mary and whispered in the softest voice possible. "Can you give me the backup robe? I want to transform into an adult."
Mary nodded and gave him the backup robe. Aldred put it on before his body size started to grow bigger and bigger until finally, he was adult size.
Some people noticed this but kept their silence.
A beautiful lady 170 CM tall walked onto the stage in an incredible dress. A bright light came from above and put the stage and her at the center of attention. The rest of the auction hall only had dim lights which seemed to be intentional as they tried to hide the identity of every buyer.
"Ladies and gentlemen from all around the world. I welcome you to Mount Fargon Auction Hall. Now, this is no longer a secret as everyone here knows why so many people come to this place. That is right! For the treasure! All of you want this treasure to achieve your dream, and we are here to help you in that endeavor. Our list of items is made with a specific effect that can assist you in passing the first challenge, climbing Mount Fargon. Before we start the auction let me tell you the rules. First, everyone is not allowed to reveal their identity whether intentionally or unintentionally. The moment we know who you are, you will be kicked out."
The audience was shocked by that statement. This meant that the owner of this auction was powerful enough to ignore the status of the powerful noble families.
"Second, if you bid on an item but cannot pay for it, we will take everything you have until the value matched the price you bid, if not we will hold you in custody until someone pays for it. If it is deemed impossible for you to pay, we will put an enslavement spell on you until you have paid the money. We are allowed to do this under the permission of Thignia, Ceraisian, and Montcresia."
The audience was shocked again. To have the permission of three nations, who was the owner of this auction?
"Third, fights and arguments are not allowed. You can have a discussion with your friends, but do not be loud or disturb the auction. Of course, know that some people can identify you with voices alone, so we recommend you not to speak."
"Now, Without further ado, let us start the auction with the first item."
Another beautiful lady pushed a cart draped over black cloth. She pulled it open and revealed a set of armor covered by dazzling white feathers.
"This an upper rare grade armor. Now some of you might scoff at this armor, but did you know that this armor can prevent you from falling to your death? Should you ever fall while climbing a mountain, this armor will slow your fall until you reach the ground, giving you the chance to climb again. Many people fell from the mountain for one reason or another, so why don't you buy this armor and climb the mountain without the fear of falling?"
"The starting price for this item is 1,000 gold coins."
Mary almost got a heart attack when she heard the price.
The audience started showing their sign.
"Alright, folks. Someone already put up their sign with 2,000 gold coins. Oh, it rises quickly to 2,500, and now 2,600."
"Is it expensive?" Aldred whispered to Mary.
"A Gold Rank only got around 10 gold coins per month as salary."
Aldred calculated the amount and realized that a Gold Rank had to work for 100 months just to reach the starting price. That was 8 years of labor.
'This thing is god damn expensive.'
"They're lucky the auction doesn't ask for mana crystals as payment. Otherwise, none of these peasants would have a chance against me." the man near them said. He was the one with the dignified posture. The people around him seemed to be his guards.
'This guy not worried his voice would be identified? He must be confident in his guards.'
Aldred analyzed the man with his system.
[Henry]
Title: The heir of Anzalatti, Honorless Warrior
Level: 64
Power: Power Fist, Balls Kicker, Nutcracker, Virgin Forever, Seedless.
History: The first and only son of Lewis, the Count of Anzalatti. Henry was born with a golden spoon in his ass. Loved and pampered all his life, he cared less about the suffering of others and held great resentment if his wishes were unfulfilled. He was known as the Honorless Warrior by his male enemies for his abilities always struck their weak spots. But as scumbag as this man is, at least he is not as dumb as the user.
So he was the one in that carriage. This man was quite powerful, but what was up with that power? The first ability was fine but the rest... what a scary human being. Aldred definitely did not want to be his enemy. He could already feel the pain down there from imagining his fight against this man.
And what was up with the last comment… The system really developed some personality now, huh.
"The price went up to 3,200 gold coins. Come on folks, don't be shy to bid because your life might be saved by this item. No, wait. Your life WILL be saved by this item!"
