Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 835

The Golden Bunting Auction House was one of the larger establishments of its kind in Nolan City. According to Papa Oliver, its true owner was a high-ranking local noble, though he had always been vague about the man’s identity.

White marble pillars flanked the entrance, forming an elegant archway. A massive, painted sign hung from the third floor all the way down to the ground. Even on a weekday morning, a steady stream of well-dressed gentlemen and ladies flowed in and out, for attending an auction required, at the very least, formal attire.

From a distance, Jenkins spotted his lawyer standing by the entrance, studying a piece of paper in his hands. As he walked over, he saw that it was a form of some kind, likely the lawyer’s daily schedule.

“Ah, Mr. Williams, I’m surprised to see you here.”

He greeted Jenkins with a smile.

“Viscount Augustus left me a gift,” Jenkins replied. “It’s only right that I take my duties seriously.”

The two men and one cat entered together; thankfully, small pets were permitted. As Jenkins passed, a doorman bowed respectfully.

“Good morning, Baron Williamette.”

This caught Jenkins by surprise, but the lawyer leaned in and explained in a low voice that the staff at such formal venues were trained to recognize most of the city’s nobility by sight or by some distinguishing feature.

As it was a Tuesday morning, the auction house wasn’t holding any large, official events. Jenkins soon learned that three smaller auctions were taking place simultaneously in separate halls, dedicated to ancient artifacts, manuscripts from modern public figures, and various curiosities.

The truly grand auctions were held only once a month, typically on a weekend evening when the city’s wealthy nobles and merchants, flush with cash and time, would gather.

The auction hall wasn’t very large, but a sudden thrill coursed through Jenkins as he took his seat. Attending an auction after arriving in a strange new world was practically a rite of passage for transmigrators, and he felt a little pathetic that it had taken him a full six months to finally attend one.

Neither Jenkins nor Lawyer Onis had come to buy anything, but an attendant still thoughtfully provided each of them with a numbered bidding paddle.

Jenkins had been worried that Silver Flute Miss might be in a different hall, but just five minutes before the auction began, the middle-aged woman pushed open the door and entered.

Since this was not a major event, the hall had no private boxes—just eight simple rows of seats before the auctioneer’s stage. The bidders were scattered sparsely, and most of them looked as if they were still half asleep.

The lawyer held an auction catalog. Viscount Augustus’s ring was listed as a headline item, scheduled to be sold as the third-to-last lot. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NoveI[F]ire.net

“What happens if no one bids and it doesn’t sell?”

Jenkins inquired softly, stealing a glance at Silver Flute Miss—also known as Mrs. Forant—who was seated at the other end of his row. She looked like any other ordinary attendee, showing no sign of anything unusual.

“They’ll simply reschedule it for another time. The Viscount’s ring is quite valuable, so the auction house will certainly want to earn their commission. But if they do reschedule, it will likely be for the large auction at the end of the month...”

The lawyer explained patiently, using his finger to point out which items in the catalog he considered worth buying.

He seemed to assume that Jenkins’s uncharacteristic appearance meant he was actually interested in making a purchase. Unfortunately, Jenkins had no... well, he did have eight thousand gold pounds in cash, but he had no intention of spending it on antiques.

A quick scan with his Eye of Reality confirmed that the items for sale were all ordinary. This only deepened his confusion. Why had Silver Flute Miss gone to such desperate lengths to raise money, even resorting to a double-cross with him and selling her own house?

He had no intention of competing with a woman over an auction item; he was only here to verify the huntress’s information. But curiosity, much like Chocolate’s appetite, was a bottomless pit.

Before the auction officially began, Jenkins chatted with Lawyer Onis about the banking industry, discussing the potential impact of the Fabry Fraud on its future. The lawyer was quite interested in the topic; with his extensive knowledge and years of experience, he offered insights into issues Jenkins had never considered.

Of course, the topic that most interested Jenkins was pet insurance. Though he would do everything in his power to ensure Chocolate’s safety, he felt a policy was still an important precaution.

Perched on Jenkins’s lap, Chocolate twitched its ears, listening in. When it heard the price of a standard pet insurance policy, it decided the money would be far better spent on desserts.

The auction was far more boring than Jenkins had imagined. There were no jealous nobles vying for treasures, no treacherous bandits with ulterior motives, and certainly no peerless artifacts hidden from the world. The small hall was filled only with sleepy bidders and an auctioneer trying his best to inject some life into the proceedings. The most animated creature in the room was Chocolate, who, having eaten a bit too much for breakfast, was now squirming restlessly on Jenkins’s lap.

There were no real treasures to be found in the small auction hall. Most of the lots were of similar quality to the goods stored in the warehouse behind Papa Oliver’s antique shop, only significantly more expensive. Despite the auctioneer’s enthusiastic calls, only a few people sporadically raised their paddles. Everything proceeded in an orderly, almost monotonous fashion.

“This isn’t nearly as exciting as I imagined.”

Jenkins leaned back, relaxing into his chair as he played a gentle patting game with Chocolate.

It wasn’t that nothing had caught his eye. He had been momentarily interested in lot number three, a three-hundred-year-old cat food bowl, but then he remembered that Chocolate refused to eat from one. The bowl he’d bought when he first adopted Chocolate last autumn had been quite expensive, likely due to the intricate patterns decorating its surface.

Now, it sat outside under a drainpipe, channeling rainwater and melted snow. The only alternative was to let it gather dust in the basement.

“Speaking of which, I need to hire someone to fix that drainpipe before the rainy season arrives,” he mused. “The sound of the flowing water kept me awake all last autumn.”

As his thoughts drifted, he found himself intrigued by lot number ten: a pair of bone rings. They were ordinary items with no real history, but their unique design appealed to his aesthetic sense. However, the price was a bit steep, and he wasn’t particularly keen on wearing jewelry made from human bone, so he ultimately let the idea go.

The auction could hardly be considered a success. By the time lot number thirty-two, Viscount Augustus’s ring, was presented, more than half of the preceding thirty-one items had failed to sell. Throughout it all, Silver Flute Miss had not raised her paddle once. She kept her head bowed, her eyes fixed on the catalog, which suggested her target had to be one of the last few, truly valuable antiques.