NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 46: The Auction at Loren City
Chapter 46: The Auction at Loren City
Familiar with the place, Thor and his group quickly settled in as the evening sun began to set, marking the end of the day.
"Daily Information System Updated!"
The flashing text announced the arrival of new information. However, none of it particularly excited Thor. Given that this was just an auction, held annually in Loren City, it was already impressive to have the rare find of a boy with an affinity for all things and the Thunder Stone. The likelihood of discovering other exceptional items was slim.
Night gradually passed.
A new day dawned.
With the break of dawn, the Habsburg Chamber of Commerce was already bustling with people. Numerous pioneering knights and nobles had gathered there, each with a look of anticipation and excitement.
"Have you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"Heh, seems like you don't know. The Habsburg Chamber of Commerce announced a few days ago that this auction will feature three bottles of Intermediate Life Elixir and thirty bottles of Basic Life Elixir."
"Really?"
"Of course, the Habsburg Chamber of Commerce wouldn't lie."
"My goodness, three bottles!"
"Yes, this will be exciting. The noble lords will surely go crazy."
Amidst the various conversations, Thor, Ryan, and Neil Morton were also among the crowd. Hearing the discussions, Thor was not too surprised. Life Elixirs are highly valuable no matter where you are. Intermediate Life Elixirs could incite fierce competition even in the Frostmoon Province, and even more so in the Northern Province. What puzzled him, however, was the lack of mention of the Thunder Stone.
Curious but not overly concerned, Thor, Ryan, and Neil Morton followed an attendant into the auction house, ascending to the second floor. Here, there were private rooms reserved for counts, count-level families, or territorial nobles like the Dresrosa family. Other pioneering lords had to stay on the first floor.
"Sir Thor, this is the catalog for today's auction. You may review it at your leisure. If you need anything, please call for me; I will be right outside the door."
The attendant respectfully handed Thor a catalog before retreating. Thor smiled in acknowledgment before turning his attention to the catalog. The catalog listed twenty-one items. As he scanned through, his eyes fixed on the fourth and sixteenth items.
The fourth item was a lot of slaves, the only male slaves being auctioned. Five hundred robust serfs skilled in farming were up for grabs, with a starting bid of two hundred gold coins.
The sixteenth item was the Thunder Stone, with a starting bid of one thousand gold coins. Seeing this price, Thor sighed in relief. He still had about five thousand gold coins left, so theoretically, there shouldn't be any problems.
As he exhaled, the auction began.
A blonde girl quickly took the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Habsburg Chamber of Commerce's auction is officially starting. Our first item is ten exquisite female slaves, starting at three gold coins, with a minimum increment of one silver coin."
Her pleasant voice rang out as ten attractive female slaves were brought to the stage. Soon, bids started to fly.
"Three gold coins!"
"Four!"
"Five gold coins!"
The auction commenced quickly. Thor, however, was not interested in this lot. The first item ultimately sold for five gold coins and twenty silver coins. The second lot, another group of female slaves, was more beautiful and larger in number, but Thor remained uninterested.
When the fourth item was up for bid, his demeanor changed to one of seriousness.
"From the Southern Moon Province, robust serfs with excellent farming skills. The starting bid is two hundred gold coins, with a minimum increment of one gold coin."
The girl’s voice echoed.
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Five hundred serfs with excellent farming skills, starting at two hundred gold coins, was undoubtedly a high price. Yet, skilled farmers were essential for any lord.
"I bid two hundred gold coins!"
After a brief silence, the bids began.
"I bid two hundred and twenty gold coins."
"Two hundred and thirty!"
"Two hundred and forty!"
"I bid two hundred and fifty!"
"Two hundred and fifty-one!"
"Two hundred and fifty-two!"
The bids continued, but the increments slowed down.
Two hundred gold coins were already a substantial amount. Even with excellent farming skills, recouping the cost in a year or two was challenging.
As the bids tapered off, Ryan’s voice came from Thor’s room.
"Three hundred gold coins!"
The hall fell silent again. Many shook their heads in resignation, while others looked toward the source of the bid, eyes gleaming.
"Any higher bids? These are very robust slaves with excellent farming skills, essential for any territory."
No one responded.
Three hundred gold coins were indeed the limit.
The girl tapped the wooden board and started the countdown.
"Three hundred gold coins, once!"
"Three hundred gold coins, twice!"
"Three hundred gold coins, thrice! Congratulations to the bidder!"
"Now, onto our fifth item!"
The auction continued.
The attendant knocked on Thor's door. Thor waved his hand, and Ryan stepped forward to hand over the remaining gold coins to the attendant. The attendant bowed and left.
The auction proceeded with various items, including supplies and equipment. Thor even saw some Black Iron and Silver Armor for sale.
The seventh and eleventh items were twenty sets of average-quality Black Iron Armor and three sets of average-quality Silver Armor. Yet, these items sold for ten gold coins and a thousand gold coins, respectively.
Yes, the three average-quality Silver Armors sold for a thousand gold coins, making Thor envious. It felt like daylight robbery. If such armor fetched over three hundred gold coins each, his should sell for at least four hundred gold coins.