While Seth's additions were a surprise, the finale of the auction was actually yet to come, although it was relatively unspectacular for the group. The final piece of the auction was a spirit-grade glaive
After the grand finale, the auction ended as the bidders and sellers were able to redeem their wins and prizes. The trio was guided to a private room, where an attractive female servant waited for them. The room was moderately decorated, creating a calm, professional atmosphere. There were already cups of high-quality tea waiting for them on the table.
They didn't know whether all bidders were treated like this, but they were pleased with the situation. "Greetings, esteemed guests," the staff greeted them with a polite bow before offering them a seat and the tea.
As the trio sat down, the servant clapped her hands. From the adjacent room, a group of clearly lower-ranking servants entered. They began setting up the items they had bought in the room. There were the sets of robes, the sword, the broken coin, as well as boxes of trinkets the girls had bought for themselves or as presents.
"Honored Guest, forgive the delay. The Blue Sparrow Auction House values your privacy above all. Here are the treasures you won today. The legacy of Artisan Liu Yun, the Wailing Shard, the Ancient-" Seth interrupted her.
"No need to name it all. We know what we bought and trust you wouldn't try to deceive us," the blacksmith raised his hand and stopped her with a polite smile. "I would prefer to finish the transaction quickly."
"Of course, the grand hero has more important business to attend. The overall sum comes to exactly 3230 Taels of Silver and 370 Low Grade Spirit Stones," she said with a business smile, but Seth made no move to bring out money.
"On that note, could we also settle my earnings right now?" he asked with a smile and placed the token he had gotten when putting up the weapons for auction on the table. The servant looked at the token with slight surprise.
"I'm sorry, Benefactor. I did not realize you were also a patron. Please give me a moment; I will be back shortly," she said and excused herself. She didn't return; instead, the auctioneer appeared from the door she left from not too long ago.
"Great Hero, I'm sorry for the lackluster treatment. I hope you can find the magnanimity in your heart to forgive this humble auction house that we didn't immediately recognize such an exalted guest," he fawned over him.
"I don't mind. Can we settle the accounts now?" the blacksmith asked, slightly annoyed by the verbose speech. The old man seemed to understand and nodded hurriedly in agreement. He brought out a pouch from his spatial treasure and placed it on the table.
"Here are your 500 Medium Grade Spirit Stine. All fees and costs have already been deducted," the old man assured with a bright smile. Seth looked at the pouch, slightly surprised. This was actually more than he expected.
"Did you lower the fees?" Seth asked directly. He had read that the auction house would take up to 10% at the entrance, but they had barely taken 5% fees. They also didn't ask for the 300ß Taels of Silver anymore.
"Just a small favor for an exalted patron like you. I hope you also accept this VIP Token of our Blue Sparrow Merchant Guild. It will guarantee preferential terms in future business," the auctioneer added and placed a dark green jade token on the table.
"I have no reason to refuse, but we are actually only passing through and don't intend to stay in Konan. I don't think I will have many chances to return," the bard answered, picking up the token.
"There is no problem at all, great hero. Naturally, a small backwater city cannot hold you, but we are also but a small branch. You will find a Blue Sparrow Auction House in most bigger cities. Though we may not always be the biggest or most prestigious, I can guarantee you preferential treatment with this token," the old man assured.
Seth nodded in acknowledgment. If that was the case, it was actually quite handy, since he now had a place to unload some of his loot, in case they needed more travel funds.
"Then we will gladly accept this favor," he answered, mimicking their respectful bow. They exchanged some more pleasantries, but soon the trio packed up their items and finally left the auction house.
Visiting an auction house in another world ended up being quite fun, especially since the theatrics of the natives were quite entertaining to a third party. As they kept talking about the stuff they saw and bought, they made their way back to the inn.
...
"Are you sure that was the right decision, branch manager?" the female servant asked once the guests left with their goods. The old man looked at her with a little surprise in his gaze.
"I thought you were more capable," he said with a teasing smile. "Maybe you need some more training," he suggested jokingly. She blushed but didn't speak up at first.
"Branch Manager, what did I overlook for you to say that?" she finally asked after taking a deep breath. She couldn't play along with the manager's teasing, or he would stop for ages. The old man sighed, seeing that she couldn't be teased, or maybe because she still didn't realize her shortcomings.
"You observed the auction, did you not? You also observed Number 72, correct? Describe their behavior during the auction," he prompted her to recount her observation.
"Laid back, jovial, only interested in smaller souvenirs, but aggressive in bidding when bidding," she recounted quickly and precisely. The old auctioneer sighed.
"Your observations are still shallow, and you lack insight. You have observed at all times, not just during the bidding. They lacked any interest in rare pills or artifacts; on the contrary, the great hero even showed a hint of disdain whenever a weapon was auctioned, even his own spirit-grade weapons. What does that mean, if you connect everything we know about what happened tonight?" he asked her again.
Even when told all that, she still couldn't grasp what the manager was hinting at. She couldn't understand how someone could look down on their items. They were selling some of the best items in the region! Unless one traveled closer to trade hubs and immortal mountains of the province, they wouldn't... It clicked.
"You mean that young man traveling and happily flirting with two fairies was actually a great master?" she asked, shocked at her own blindness. She had thought it weird that someone so ordinary had such an advanced spatial treasure. Why had she not questioned that earlier? The old man nodded slowly.
"And one that could easily put up spirit grade weapons for auction on a whim," he added. Who else would set up what could be called the highlight of an auction just 30 minutes before it started? Were he desperate for money, he would have done it for a later auction, to allow for proper testing and publicity. Those blades may have sold for double their price, if they could have spread the news.
"I bet he has so many weapons that he does not care for the chump change. He probably set those up to watch the show and entertain himself," he added solemnly. "If that is the case, he is sure to do it again."
"And you just made sure he would do it in one of our establishments. I really am lacking; the branch manager is a paragon of wisdom." She bowed deeply before him, showing her respect.