“I want to make a bid.”

  I spoke those words without turning my head, my eyes remaining fixed on the stage below. I could feel the presence of the attendant standing just a step behind me, her attention sharp and focused on my every move.

  “Yes, sir. How much do you want to bid?” she asked, her voice steady and professional. She didn't bat an eye at the high numbers being thrown around in the hall, behaving as if this were a perfectly ordinary transaction.

  “1600 Hazaroth gold coins,” I replied calmly.

  “I understand, sir.”

  She immediately took a pen and began to write on the small tablet that was placed on a stand at the side of the room. I watched as she completed the entry, the information transmitted instantly to the announcer's podium.

  “Room 13 is bidding 1600 Hazaroth gold coins!” Savir Loran announced, his voice carrying a boastful, energetic tone. He looked down at the large tablet on his podium, which functioned similarly to the one my attendant had just used. “The bidding had started to calm down, and now, our guest in Room 13 is heating it up again!”

  This was a scene that had played out several times already during the auction. While many participants were seated on the main floor, others were watching the proceedings from these special private rooms, communicating their bids through their assigned attendants. Whenever a bid came from one of these rooms, Savir would announce it to the crowd, keeping the identity of the bidder hidden while maintaining the competitive momentum of the event.

  “1620!” a voice shouted from the floor. “1640!” another followed. “1660!”

  The number of voices joining the bidding began to dwindle. The prices had reached a point where only a handful of determined individuals remained.

  “Oh, it is now Room 7! They are bidding 1700 Hazaroth gold coins!” Savir said, his tone shifting to one of reverence. “Worthy of its creator’s name, the bids for this masterpiece made by Master Thrain Coldhammer have reached such an impressive amount. We have already passed the typical market value for weapons with skill crystals. I have even seen equipment with three skill crystals sold for similar values in the past. Is there anyone else who wants to increase the bid?”

  He paused, scanning the room and mixing bits of information into his speech to keep the crowd engaged. The hall fell into a few seconds of heavy silence as the remaining bidders weighed their options. Finally, someone on the floor mustered the courage to speak up again.

  “... 1730!”

  “Here comes 1730 gold coins!” Savir exclaimed. “The increments are starting to come in smaller numbers. Is there anyone who wants to increase?... Oh, Room 7 is bidding 1800 Hazaroth gold coins. It seems we are at a pinch point right now. Is there anyone willing to bid more for this azure blade?”

  He continued to narrate the auction, dramatizing the situation as much as possible to squeeze every last coin from the participants.

  “2000,” I said in a low voice, intended only for the lady standing beside me.

  “Then I am informing the announcer of your bid of 2000 Hazaroth gold coins, sir.”

  She did not show much reaction to the large sum, her hands already moving to update the tablet. She spoke the words more as a confirmation of my intention than a question, so I did not feel the need to reply, allowing my silence to confirm the move.

  “... Oh, Room 13 is joining the homestretch! They are bidding 2000 Hazaroth gold coins!” Savir’s eyes swept the room, looking to see if any other bidder was prepared to counter. When he confirmed that no one was making a move, his voice took on a final, excited edge. “Is there anyone who wants to bid a higher amount? Two thousand gold coins once... two thousand gold coins twice...”

  There was no sound of a new bid from the floor or the other rooms.

  “If there is no more bidding, the sword… is… sold!” he declared, stretching out the final word for dramatic effect.

  “Congratulations, sir,” the servant girl beside me said. Her voice was as emotionless as ever, but she offered a slight bow.

  “Thank you,” I replied, a satisfied smile spreading across my face.

  To the eyes of everyone else in this building, I had just spent significantly more than the sword's objective worth. They recognized that the sword was a high-quality product and that Thrain Coldhammer's brand carried a certain prestige. But what they were completely unaware of was the sword's true value: its potential for having four skill crystals embedded in it.

  I had made a huge profit in terms of utility. Once I manage to add four skill crystals to this weapon, it will become a priceless relic. At that point, I would have no intention of selling it; I would use it myself. I had heard rumors that some equipment exists made from even higher-quality materials like adamantite, but I doubted I would be able to get my hands on such things anytime soon. Until that day comes, this Bastion sword will be more than enough to serve as my primary weapon.

  “And here is the last item before our special lot,” Savir announced, signaling for the staff to bring out the next display. “It is a spear crafted by the same famous master blacksmith, Thrain Coldhammer. If you wish to compare this spear with the previous sword in terms of its base value, they are said to be equals. Master Thrain has stated that he used the same exacting methods to forge both of these weapons. Therefore, we will be opening the bid at 500 Hazaroth gold coins, just as we did before.”

  “1000 Hazaroth gold coins!” someone shouted from the floor the moment the bidding opened.

  It might have seemed like the spear was garnering more immediate attention than the sword I had just purchased, but I didn't misunderstand the situation. This was exactly what I had expected. Since the crowd had seen the sword sell for 2000 gold coins, they realized that starting with small bids would be a waste of time. The high opening bid was a way for a serious contender to clear the field immediately.

  “1200 gold coins!” “1300!” “1350!” “1400!” “1450!” “1470!” “1500!” “1520!” “1540!” “1570!” “1600!”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  The price for the spear started much higher than the sword’s initial bids, and it increased faster in the beginning. However, the momentum started to slow down more quickly as the numbers climbed. The total number of active bidders also seemed much lower this time, as many people knew they simply could not compete at that level.

  I had expected that the spear would eventually sell for a price similar to my sword. The only real difference was that swords typically have a higher demand than spears, but the participants today seemed particularly eager to bid high after seeing my aggressive move on the sword.

  “It seems like our special guests are making a move. Room 7 is bidding 1650 Hazaroth gold coins! Is there anyone who wants to bid higher?” Savir asked, his eyes turning toward the upper rooms.

  The hall remained silent. When the amounts reached these heights, it was generally a competition between one special guest and another. Since I chose not to participate in this particular bid, and the other rooms did not seem interested in challenging the offer, no one made a higher bid.

  “If there is no other bidder… the spear goes to… Room 7!” Savir concluded, finalizing the sale of the item.

  After the last of Thrain's individual weapons was sold, a massive commotion broke out both on the stage and among the crowd. On the stage, the staff members were scurrying to prepare the final lot, while the people on the floor were murmuring to one another, their anticipation palpable. Everyone knew the highlight of the day was about to be revealed.

  “Dear guests, I am humbly thankful to you all once again for visiting our auction today,” Savir began, his tone formal. “We have tried to present you with unique and useful items befitting your status. And now, the auction has reached its climax. For today’s final lot, we present to you something that is incredibly rare to find in any market.”

  He spoke as if he were closing the auction, but it was clear he was just separating the previous lots from the one he was about to show. He paused, looking out over the crowd.

  “Normally, at this hour, most of our guests would have already left to avoid the rush. But looking around, I see that nearly no one has left their seats. All of you want to know what this final lot is—the item that has caused such a stir among the city’s elite. Here, I present it to you. This is a full knight set.”

  He spoke with an empathetic tone, mirroring the curiosity of the audience, and pulled away the large veil at the end of his speech.

  Revealed behind the cover was a complete suit of steel plate armor. The set included a polished helmet, a heavy breastplate, a pair of articulated gauntlets, and a set of footwear. Arranged beside the armor set were two weapons: a shining long sword in its sheath on the right side, and a spear with a smooth, sharp blade on the left.

  “As you can see, this is a set specifically designed for a knight. It consists of six individual pieces of equipment: four pieces of armor and two primary weapons. All of this equipment has been produced using high-grade steel.”

  Savir began to explain the equipment in great detail, pointing to each part as he described its function and craftsmanship.

  As the crowd focused on the display, I noticed that some of the participants looked dissatisfied. To them, the set must have seemed like a regular item, lacking the exotic materials or the legendary colors of the items that had come before it. They clearly felt it wasn't of high enough quality to serve as a final lot. However, the more experienced merchants knew that there had to be more to the story for a set like this to be the star of the show. They waited patiently, listening to the announcer’s continued explanation.

  “From the outside, these items look quite refined, but I am sure you would agree that aesthetics alone are not enough to make them the star of our event, especially considering the masterpieces we have already seen today. So, let me tell you what is truly special about them. Every piece of equipment here is enchanted with skill crystals. But the critical point—the feature that makes this set unique—is that all of them have three skill crystals embedded into them!”

  He continued his explanation, stirring the crowd by lengthening his sentences and emphasizing the difficulty of the feat. His voice boomed as he extolled the features of the final lot.

  The hall went into a brief, stunned silence once he finished that sentence. Almost immediately afterward, the guests began to murmur or speak loudly, their voices carrying across the room as they processed the information.

  It was an established fact in the trade city that even a regular steel sword would be worth more than 2000 gold coins if it possessed three successfully embedded skill crystals. Successfully completing such a task was notoriously difficult, and the announcement that all six items in the set shared this trait was enough to cause a massive commotion.

  “... I am happy to see that the product we worked so hard to prepare has captured your attention so thoroughly,” Savir said, waiting for the noise to subside before speaking again. “Please, allow me to detail the specific features granted by these skill crystals.”

  He began with the sword, ensuring that no detail was left out.

  “This steel long sword is a well-forged and balanced weapon. It features a Mantis skill crystal as its first enchant, which increases the blade’s sharpness by 20%. The second is a Centipede skill crystal, which boosts the sword’s durability by 40%, making it significantly harder to break in combat. Last but not least, there is a Therianthrope skill crystal, which reduces the recoil from clashes by 20%. It is certainly a powerful and effective combination.”

  He moved on to the second weapon in the set.

  “The other weapon is a spear with a steel blade. It features a Wasp skill crystal for 20% increased piercing power, a Centipede skill crystal for the same 40% durability boost, and an Imp skill crystal that grants a 10% chance to leave a bleeding effect on a successful strike. Every crystal has been carefully selected to suit the nature of a spear.”

  He then showcased the third piece of the set, the armor components.

  “Next, we have the steel helmet. It has been fitted with a Lightning skill crystal to increase resistance against shock by 40%, a Bear skill crystal to increase resistance against bloodlust effects by 40%, and a Turtle skill crystal to decrease impact power by 40%. This is a truly defensive item that provides both physical and psychological protection.”

  He pointed to the gloves next.

  “This pair of steel gloves features a Beetle skill crystal to increase grip strength by 40%, a Therianthrope skill crystal to reduce the recoil of an attack by 20%, and a Kangaroo skill crystal to increase attack speed by 10%. This is a versatile piece suitable for both armed and unarmed combat.”

  He then indicated the lower protection.

  “For movement, we have a pair of steel footwear. It is enchanted with a Wolf skill crystal for a 20% increase in movement speed, an Insect skill crystal for a 40% weight reduction, and a Rabbit skill crystal to increase jump force by 20%. They are specifically designed for swift and agile movement on the battlefield.”

  With this, he had explained all the equipment except for the centerpiece of the set.

  “And lastly, we have the full plate steel breastplate. This piece of armor carries an additional advantage: all three skill crystals added to it have been enhanced using goblin skill crystals. The features of this breastplate include a Slime skill crystal that allows the equipment to slowly repair itself over time, a Turtle skill crystal that decreases impact power by a massive 60%, and a Centipede skill crystal that provides a 60% durability enhancement.”

  Savir concluded the introduction of the items and walked back to his initial position in the center of the stage.

  “Now, I know that was a long explanation, but I did not want to leave you, our esteemed guests, in the dark regarding such a monumental achievement. I wanted to give you every detail. I must remind you that all of these items are on sale as a single, unified set. We will be opening the bidding at 5000 Hazaroth gold coins!”

  He spoke calmly as he justified his long speech, and although the tiredness in his voice was now apparent, he managed to restart the bidding with a loud, excited shout. With that declaration, the bidding for the final lot officially began.

  [Edited]

  12 chapters ahead and support me on Patreon.

  Heroes:

  NaTaS

  sjturner79

  Knights:

  ?yb48