At first, the bidding for the mental attack bracelet was as explosive as ever, with dozens vying for the next wager, in case their competition backed out early.
But after the bid started to climb, Wolfe could hear murmurs in the crowd mentioning Baron Peter's name, and the enthusiasm for the product rapidly began to fall off.
Wolfe looked to Baron Peter, who was getting sympathetic looks from the other Nobles, for answers.
"It's my age, you see. Once they realize I made it, they treat it as apprentice made and ignore the actual quality." He sighed.
"Well, in that case, I might get it for a reasonable price." Wolfe replied with a smirk as he raised his placard to bid.
The bidders on the floor didn't notice at first, but after a few more rounds, it was down to just Wolfe and one Noble down below, who was being pressured by his peers not to overpay for the item.
That was the downfall of being on the main floor. You were surrounded by people you know, and they would definitely have an opinion on how much every item was worth, even if they weren't bidding.
The final bidder dropped out, and Wolfe ended up taking the bracelet for one and a half large gold coins.
Baron Peter sighed, but looked a bit relieved.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"It's not as much as I was hoping for, but it was more than I realistically expected." He explained.
"Well, a large gold should be enough to fix the warehouse, I believe, so there is that." Wolfe consoled him.
The nobles nodded. It was more than enough to do the repairs. But that didn't make it sting any less when your work was undervalued.
A few more auctions passed, selling rare ores, miscellaneous magical items and even a potion that promised to help enhance the growth speed of mages. Cassie and Ella chuckled at that one, as it was equivalent to a Rank One cleansing potion, but their reactions confused the Nobles.
Ella smirked and cast [Cleanse] over the area, which forced a number of impurities from the Nobles before vaporizing them.
"That's the effect the potion has. It's not nothing, but it's certainly not worth four large gold coins a dose." She whispered.
Countess Dewinter giggled. "Perhaps not to you, since you can cast the spell, but around here, that's pretty rare."
Ella's attention was caught by a person being brought up on stage, a bunny girl in a very short maid outfit.
"I was unaware that slaves were still sold here." She commented in a tone that made the Nobles suddenly fear for their lives.
"It's not like that. If you look at the sheet, she's not a slave but a debtor. Her family was caught stealing from their employers and ordered to repay. The way the law works, a child is liable for the debts of their parents, so after her parents took their lives in shame, she offered herself for an indentured servitude contract to pay the debts and remain out of prison.
The outfit is her choice, she hasn't signed a contract yet." Baron Roth explained hurriedly.
The outfit was working. There were dozens of lecherous old men eager to pay off the single large gold coin that would equate to over a year's wages for a domestic servant.
"Our next item, or rather, bid offer is for a five year Indentured Servitude contract, in lieu of the five-year prison term for debts owed over one Gold Strip." The auctioneer announced.
Wolfe recognized the gold strips, they were actually a square coin with a hole in the middle, and the standard gold coin. According to the auction listing, her family owed ten times that amount, which he understood to be the difference between petty debts and the local equivalent of a felony.
Wolfe gestured for one of the auction assistants to cforward to place bids for him so that those below couldn't see who in his box was bidding.
"Make it one Large Gold." Wolfe instructed as the bidding reached three gold strips.
"We have a bid of one large gold coin from up on the balconies. Do I hear a large plus one?"
There was a moment of shock down below at the huge jump, and then a greasy young man with acne all over his face raised his placard.
"We have a large plus one, do I hear two?"
"Make it a large plus five." Wolfe instructed.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe disgusting man's face twisted up in rage, and Cassie rolled her eyes at Wolfe.
"Are you seriously buying a bunny? You have bunnies at home." She asked, then paused and shook her head.
"That cout strangely. But the point remains."
"It will be fine. Like you said, we have bunnies at home, and they all get along fabulously." Wolfe agreed, then sent a mental message.
[I will leave her with the Countess Dewinter when we go, I just don't want that greasy weasel to get his hands on the bunny.]
The two witches subtly nodded, and the Nobles took that as acceptance that he was hiring another maid, while the auctioneer called out his warning.
"One large plus five going twice."The greasy young man was about to raise his hand when another voice boomed through the auction.
"Two large gold coins."
Wolfe looked down at the burly noble and smiled. It wasn't a Noble at all, but a magic using beastkin, in a disguise spell to hide his canine ears and tail. Dog and wolf type beastkin had a great fondness for bunnies, both personally and amorously, so Wolfe wasn't shocked that the man was bidding against him.
"Make it two large gold plus one." He instructed.
Immediately the response came. "Two large plus two."
"Hey, who gets all this extra money?" Cassie asked as the price was driven up well beyond what was owed.
If this was all going to someone else, or to the auction or the legal system, then it certainly wasn't worth the price to keep running up the bid.