At the end of the auction, all those who hadn't won at least one item in the 20 rounds were asked to leave the auction, and several event staff members escorted them out.
Meanwhile, the event organizers asked the winners of each round to wait at their venues until all non-essential staff and event attendees had left the local theater building.
Amid this, Livia was in her VIP room with her group, and one of Nicolas' men had already learned who the level 5 person was who had caught everyone's attention earlier.
"Cesar Mazzanti, huh? So this Acolyte is the local underworld leader in Millfall." Nicolas muttered after hearing the basics of Vicente's alternate identity.
"He sounds like the kind of person not to be underestimated." Livia's advisor said. "To grow and dominate a city like this in such a short time, he must be talented in magic but also clever in his strategies.
No one can achieve what he has by luck alone."
"He's just an Acolyte. Why do you think so much of him?" Livia asked her advisor. "Besides, he's from Millfall. What's there to be proud of? Compared to Dryhaven, this place seems like the end of the world."
Her advisor shook his head negatively, not liking this side of his young lady. "Don't be so quick to judge this situation. This young man named Cesar is only at the beginning of his journey. Where he started doesn't really matter.
He could leave this town or expand his operations elsewhere in a year or two. I wouldn't be surprised if we start hearing about him from the big shots in Saltstar City in three years or so."
"You think that much of this person?" Nicolas looked at the old Mid-level Mage from the Norris family.
"Not that I think much of him. I hardly know him. But he seems to have what it takes to become someone great. All he has to do is defeat those who will surely try to kill him along the way.
That's not an easy task, so I don't know if he'll be able to reach the potential he seems to have. But if he does, he will likely become as big a name as Warmaster."
"Warmaster?" Livia and Nicolas heard one of the ways the province's biggest underworld member was referred to.
"Then let's keep an eye on him," Nicolas commented, accepting the advice of Livia's old advisor.
Maybe something like that wouldn't happen, but it would be interesting for him and Livia not to be on Cesar's bad side if it did.
Even if Cesar was a mobster and they were children of nobility, it might be interesting for them not to annoy him for nothing.
While they were talking about this, an auction official knocked on their door and invited them to the item collection area at the back of the theater building.
The same thing happened with all the other winners of the evening, so 14 groups found themselves at the back of the building, in a place that looked like where the products of a large market arrived.
There were a few wagons and many dismantled structures, with boxes here and there.
Vicente and Layla stood side by side, avoiding looking at anyone they shouldn't have. Meanwhile, Livia looked at Shelby, who was there with Molly and Mira, as well as some of her family's guards.
Nicolas watched Vicente without drawing attention to himself, while the Viscount had this young man with black hair and a mask on his face in his eyes.
'Cesar... Cesar... You're not going to challenge me tonight, are you?' He thought in a good mood, wondering if today was the day he would solve his problems with such a person.
Marcus also stared at Vicente, who was the reason he had been under house arrest for days. Luckily, everything had worked out for him in the end, and now his father seemed to have the same thoughts about Cesar as he had.
'If you act up tonight, you'll die, Cesar.' He thought, 'But even if you escape, you won't last long. We'll take care of you right after my wedding!'
Amidst the silence in this area, several Mages looked at Shelby, who had won a high-value item even though she was only an Acolyte.
'I'll take care of this girl right after we leave this place.' A Low-level Mage from outside, Millfall thought as he smiled.
It wasn't just people who didn't get the items they wanted at the auction that had nefarious intentions for the post-auction. Several of the winners of the items auctioned that night were watching their competitors in the area at the back of the theater, determined to go after some of those people to increase their winnings.
That was the case with a level 5 Acolyte, who was interested in the plant Vicente had purchased.
'I'll take care of that bastard as soon as he thinks he's safe.' He thought to himself.
Meanwhile, the only two groups that seemed to have no interest in their items were the group of members of the local Awakening Temple, and the woman shrouded in darkness.
The temple members were not interested in joining the nocturnal adventure that would take place after they left the building.
As for Miss Death's emissary, she still hadn't decided what to do.
'My orders were only for Fear Anise. But I should waste the opportunity in my hands...' She looked at the people, not feeling that the Mages there would be a challenge for her.
As she discreetly watched the people there, she looked at Vicente, that young man in a mask who gave her a strange feeling.
'Why do I keep looking at this Acolyte?' She asked herself, looking up and down at Vicente but seeing nothing at first glance that could justify her feeling.
'I would understand if he were a powerful Mage of the element of light or even darkness. But he has affinities with Lightning and Earth.' She easily sensed the affinities of Vicente's first gem.
Sensing the elemental affinities of a person close to you was something extremely difficult that only the most talented and powerful magicians could do!
That was the case with this woman, but she still couldn't understand where this strange sensation she felt when she looked at the masked man came from.
He didn't seem to be a Dark Path magician with deeper elemental affinities than hers. On the other hand, he also didn't seem to be a magician with a strong affinity to the nemesis element of darkness, which could also justify the feeling of apprehension she felt when looking at him.
'I will follow with you to see you in action. The way several mages are watching you, I think you'll be joining the action later. I'll see what kind of powers you have before I decide what to do.' She subtly clenched one of her fists.
At that moment, the auction representatives arrived with the resources of the night's winners and quickly handed the items over to their new owners!
