Ascension Of The Villain

Chapter 145 - 145: Battle In Auction

The night was a glittering spectacle under the open sky, mingled in the grand outdoor auction. The ancient relic market that afternoon had been a lively affair, more fair than festival, with merchants peddling their dubious wares amid a chaotic swirl of colors and noise.

As enjoyable as the relic market was, it was quite uneventful without any mishaps. Vyan and Clyde were nowhere to be seen the entire duration as well. So, Iyana and Althea had fun on their own, roaming the fair all by themselves until they bumped into Ronan and Katelyn, who reluctantly joined them but later ended up being their own selves.

Since it was the last day before departure the next morning, the entire day was packed with events.

Now, the atmosphere had shifted from the bustling of the relic market to one of elegance of the grand auction. Rare artifacts, jewels, and potions—each one gained from the monster hunt—were displayed on velvet cushions, the auctioneer's voice rising and falling with each bid.

The prices were astronomical, but all in the name of charity for the less privileged, the noble purpose of the entire Monster Hunt Festival.

Iyana stood at the edge of the crowd, her sleek black mask with silver accents hiding a face of utter boredom. She had been here for hours,

Iyana, still in shock, turned to Vyan with wide eyes. "Are you out of your mind?" she hissed, trying to keep her voice low enough to avoid attention.

He simply gave her a half-smirk, the kind that usually preceded him doing something reckless yet brilliantly calculated. "What? Since you said they weren't your type, I thought I should probably take them off the market for my future wife then. Perhaps, it can be my wedding gift to her."

Before Iyana could respond, a voice cut through the murmurs—an icy, authoritative tone that silenced everyone. "Sixty thousand gold coins."

The crowd gasped collectively as they turned towards the source.

Jade had entered the fray. Her eyes, barely visible through the slits of her mask, were fixed on Vyan, challenging him in a way that spoke volumes.

Vyan, however, didn't falter. His smile widened, not in arrogance but in the thrill of the challenge. He knew well enough that this was more than just a bid for pearls for Jade.

For her, it was a subtle power play between the Empress-consort and the Grand Duke, whom she disliked. As for Vyan, he had seen the wistful look in Iyana's eyes as she forced herself to decide that she didn't need those jewels. Therefore, he had made up his mind. And he wasn't going to let them go for someone like Jade.

"One hundred fifty thousand," Vyan countered smoothly, his voice calm as if discussing the weather.

"Did you just go beyond doubling the price?" Iyana whisper-yelled, grabbing his elbow tightly. "You could buy so many new lands with that sort of money!"

"I got an entire grand duchy; I don't need more lands," he retorted in a low voice, sounding serious, "I need those damn jewels."

"I swear you are so petty," she scolded.

"Yes, well, I was the one who first chose them. Who told her to butt in?" he complained.

On the other hand, Jade narrowed her eyes, considering her next move until she declared, "Two hundred thousand."

A murmur of approval and awe spread through the crowd. The stakes had risen beyond what most could even dream of affording.

If the underprivileged heard of these prices, they would just fall flat to the ground, convulsing and screaming, "Rich people are utterly mad! Give us back our tax money! Who buys useless things such as jewels for this sort of price?"

After all, they were not even bidding with bronze or silver coins. They were freaking gold coins. Two hundred thousand gold coins was a huge deal—

Vyan simply raised his hand one last time and said, "Five hundred thousand gold coins."