The area Kieran walked into could be considered the Merchant Association's Auction House. However, it wasn't as grand as an actual auction house found in more outstanding Royal and Imperial Cities.
After all, those auction houses were dedicated to auction events. Then again, if one wanted to visit the association's showcases, one would have to visit one of the branches.
The association didn't supply enough funds to the Aeredale branch to create a separate building. Hence they were forced to dedicate a part of the building to create an auctioning space.
Be that as it may, the setting was quite lavish, given its admitted small scale.
The area could easily accommodate 1,000 people on the floor. Yet there were also the seats above that wrapped around the auditorium-like setting.
And directly above the balcony seats were the VIP suites, which were spacious private rooms that protruded from the walls.
In fact, there were a total of thirteen such rooms.
The extra was built with the impression that most VIP members may appear in the future.
Of course, having them gathered in one space was quite tricky to accomplish. Still, Dillon and the other Managers felt it was best to prepare for the improbable rather than not be prepared and become blindsided.
As Max led Kieran up to the VIP suite that had been prepared for him, he continued to steal incredulous glances. 'Unlike the other VIP members, who obtained their membership through familial connections, Lord Aatrox obtained this through his efforts alone. That's amazing!'
The more Max considered Kieran's circumstances, the more he idolized him. If there was one thing that warranted his praise and amazement, it was being in the presence of incredibly talented youths.
Doing so led Max to believe that he too could be capable of great things.
A few minutes later, Max and Kieran approached the suite door. "Lord Aatrox, your card. It'll only open if you verify your status as an Honorary Member."
'Ah, so their security measures are this sophisticated? I should have expected as much.' Kieran inwardly nodded.
As per Max's directions, Kieran placed his card against the door, which lit up with an inscription matching the symbol on the card.
A second later, an opening appeared in the door, allowing one to walk through.
From what Kieran's True Unveiling Eyes gleaned, the inscription on the door made it so that the material of the door could be phased through.
In other words, the wall was solid and could not be opened like a typical door. Moreover, the wall was reinforced to withstand several attacks from an Awakened Being.
To what extent of an Awakened Being, Kieran did not know.
Though he could discern and unveil, he wasn't at a level that allowed him to properly gauge these matters. He'd first have to experience the inscription in action to understand the inscription's power.
Or the other alternative would be to deepen his knowledge of inscriptions and formations.
After he entered, Kieran turned back and noticed Max's conflicted expression. Curious, he asked. "What's wrong?"
"Ah, Lord Aatrox, if it isn't too big of a request… may I sit in on the auction with you? I promise I won't be an annoyance," Max pleaded, his eyes brimming with reverence.
Because he was familiar with the reverence more people showed toward him, whether now or in his past life, Kieran praised those confident enough to voice it. Hence, Kieran agreed with a faint nod. "You're welcome to keep me company. Besides, having a staff member by my side might prove convenient."
"Yes!" Max exclaimed, drawing his fist in with a giddy and triumphant smile.
Kieran found the behavior to be entertaining as it highlighted the innocent nature of Max's request.
Though, Kieran couldn't help but bring up an important question. "Though I've given your permission to stay… are you sure you won't face any troubles for abandoning your post?"
"Not at all! I'll just plead for my father to understand if it comes down to it. I'm sure I'll be able to work something out with the right words," Max replied, maintaining his cheeky grin.
Looking at Max's smile, Kieran arched his brow and nodded.
How long had it been since he had such confidence to confide in a parent like that?
Thinking about this made Kieran recall his adventures with his father, primarily the ones where his father carried him around the city on his shoulders. 'The consolation and security that a parent offers is sometimes unmatched. You can see that Max really trusts his father.'
Not long after, Kieran took a seat on one of the luxurious couches that outfitted the room before looking at the prepared refreshments.
At a glance, Kieran could tell it was food and drinks from the Savory Palace—a restaurant in Aeredale that everyone knew.
Its menu ranged from everyday food to truly refined cuisine, befitting royalty, hence its name.
After snacking on a few fruits and sipping what seemed to be some wine to tend to his declining Satiety Bar, Kieran soon glanced outside the one-way glass pane.
The seats beneath the VIP suite and the auction floor were filling up quickly, so Kieran presumed the auction would start shortly.
Since there were a few more minutes before the auction started, Kieran continued to speak with Max, using him to gather information about the relationship between the Merchant Association's Managers.
"Has your father ever discussed the exact criteria to receive his next promotion?" Kieran suddenly asked.
"I mean, he hasn't discussed it directly. But there have been multiple occasions where he spoke his thoughts aloud due to stress. Overall, it's very demanding on a person's ability to manage—they must be able to make something good out of nothing."
"And this next step of Managers, they're what's known as Diamond-level Managers, correct?"
"That's right. They're referred to as Diamond-level because they have shown the ability to polish rough situations. Also… their presence alone should bring up the value of the area they're in," Max answered, giving little insight into the roles of the Merchant's Association.
Listening to this information, Kieran nodded subtly.
This was the first time he had ever befriended any medium to high-level staff inside the Merchant Association, so he wasn't exactly aware of all the criteria.
But now that he was, Kieran formulated a better opinion of what the culprit could be after. "Hypothetically, could another branch benefit from the downfall of a nearby association branch?"
"Well… if they had the means to swallow and control the finances of the declining branches, it's possible. Doing so could also be an express ticket to becoming a Diamond-level Manager," Max said after some thought.
"Is that so?" Kieran muttered, his eyes flashing with intrigue.
He had already suspected as such, but Max's input greatly solidified his speculations.
The downfall of Aeredale's economy was undoubtedly the act of an outside presence, but it couldn't have been accomplished alone.
Something told Kieran that the information leak burrowed deeper than just Jackson. One would need intimate knowledge of Aeredale's financial bearings to concoct a plan to bring it down.
Information like that was rarely disclosed as knowledge of it could hamper a Manager's ability to obtain future promotions.
Though curious, Kieran couldn't continue to ask such questions.
Before he knew it, the stands below had reached their maximum capacity as two individuals appeared from behind the mahogany-colored curtains.
One of the individuals was a petite girl with short, curly blonde hair. She wore a bright pink frilly dress with a maid's apron tied around her waist. Atop her head was a frilly ribbon that created a meek and adorable air.
On the other hand, the other person that appeared was an old man with a thick mustache and a thick yet small bifocal. He wore a black top hat and tuxedo while politely bowing.
"Welcome all! I'm sure you all know me—the Chief Appraiser, Keen. My presence is solely so you can rest assured of the pricing given to all items."
After speaking, he glanced in the direction of the petite girl and nodded. "You may take the floor, Ameena."
"Thank you, Chief Appraiser Keen," Ameena replied.
After giving her thanks, Ameena approached the podium and swept her gaze throughout the crowd. "As all of you have been told, the purpose of this auction is to revive Aeredale. As such, we have stopped at nothing to gather quality items. Some may even help you succeed in whatever endeavor that's been keeping you from flourishing."
Listening to her words, many of the auction participants grew curious. There were many items scattered throughout Xenith that could easily help one transcend their limits, but these items were usually gatekept by hazardous environments or stingy people.
Hence, most people could only rely upon their natural endowments or struggle to amass enough money to purchase items capable of assisting them.
"We'll follow the general theme for auctions. We'll start off with the less favored items. As the auction progresses, we'll continually present items of higher value. Who knows, you may be surprised by what you find," Ameena announced, keeping her tone sweet and endearing.
A moment later, she added: "A successful auction would make me so very happy!"
This tone captured the hearts of many, resolving them to at least spend enough to ensure this adorable girl, Ameena, remained happy.
Meanwhile, Kieran laughed to himself and shook his head. 'Playing on emotions, is it? She has been trained quite well to use her traits to her advantage. From here, it seems like she possesses a class focused on charm. Luckily, things like that have little effect on me.'
All female auctioneers had to excel at appealing to the hearts of potential customers. In fact, it was the reason why most auctions were typically handled by beautiful young women or gorgeous middle-aged women.
Nevertheless, after gaining everyone's attention, Ameena clapped merrily. "Let the Aeredale Revival Auction… begin!"
