CH336 Auction Finale I

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Clap!!!

The audience erupted into a rousing ovation for Haggleworth.

Inside his private booth, Alex joined in the applause for the gnomish Palace Head.

'That worked out better than I expected,' Alex thought, amused. 'We didn't even need to use the planted members of the crowd to get the reaction started. Nicely done, Haggleworth.'

"Was this your idea?" Zora suddenly asked, noticing his expression.

'Am I that predictable to her?' Alex mused.

"I may have mentioned something similar to him," Alex replied with a faint shrug, "but the speech itself was all Haggleworth."

Eleanor, seated nearby, was now quite certain of her suspicions.

"It was a good idea… and a good speech," she said, giving Alex a knowing smile.

The young noble mage smiled back at her for a brief moment before turning his gaze to the stage once more.

Indeed, Alex had been the one to present the showcase-style speech idea to Haggleworth.

There had been one problem to solve when they were planning the auction. The penultimate and final lots were already reserved long before the event began. After all, the entire festival and auction had been orchestrated for the sake of selling those two items. They had no choice but to place them last.

However, this arrangement came with a glaring issue.

Because the preceding lots were all of greater apparent value, the final two items risked looking underwhelming by comparison if nothing was done.

Alex and Haggleworth spent a great deal of time brainstorming solutions, weighing how the audience might react and how best to shift their attention.

In the end, one of the methods they agreed on was a speech—

a well-crafted statement that would redirect the audience's focus from the preceding high-value items and set the stage for the final lots, reframing them as something special in a different way.

Alex recalled that many companies in his previous life had used a similar approach.

Whenever a company anticipated poor reception for an upcoming product—or simply wanted to build stronger anticipation—the top executive would host a press conference or showcase, spending an hour or more talking about the product's strengths while tactfully downplaying its flaws.

It was surprisingly effective. Even when everyone knew the product had issues, the enthusiasm, hype, and goodwill generated from the showcase often led to soaring sales regardless.

It had been a common tactic among the tech companies of Alex's previous life.

Alex had only mentioned the idea to Haggleworth in passing; he hadn't actually expected the gnome CEO to make it work.

After all, this wasn't his previous world—where speeches and media held sway over the masses. This was a realm where power was the true currency. And the Golden Palace… didn't have that—at least, not any obvious kind.

Yet Haggleworth hadn't just made it work. He had excelled.

Without even using the subtle manipulative tactics Alex had included as backup options, the gnome had completely won the crowd over. He'd done it so well, in fact, that Alex was convinced the Palace could now sell dirt as gold, and the audience would still applaud and pay.

And the best part? This wasn't limited to the auction hall.

The event was being broadcast live across the entire Entertainment City. Meaning, not only the guests present but countless spectators throughout the city were now equally enthralled by Haggleworth's speech.

It wouldn't be long before the content spread like wildfire. And by then…

Of course, Alex knew this was only the prelude. The real test of whether the idea was a success—or a failure—was about to begin.

These thoughts flickered through his mind as he leaned back into his seat, just as Haggleworth stepped forward once more.

"Thank you. Thank you," the gnome said warmly, taking a moment to acknowledge the audience's applause before waving for calm.

It took a moment, but eventually, the thunderous ovation settled into a quiet hum of anticipation.

"I know you're all wondering what the final two auction lots will be," Haggleworth began. "We've already offered rare resources, exceptional artefacts, and top-of-the-line equipment.

"You must be thinking—what could possibly top a relic from an ancient, unknown era; an epic-tier material; or a pinnacle-grade weapon of war and conquest?"

He paused deliberately, a teasing glint flashing in his eyes.

"The truth is… nothing."

'Huh?'

The word rippled across the hall like a wave of confusion.

Hundreds of heads tilted at once in collective confusion.

Haggleworth only smiled faintly, unfazed by the puzzled stares.

"Nothing we have can surpass those items," he continued calmly. "After all, they represent the pinnacle of what currently lies within our vaults. A Tier V masterpiece of craftsmanship, and a genuine Tier VI material—both are rarities beyond measure."

"However, make no mistake—those items are not the most valuable things we possess." Haggleworth's smile deepened, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

The audience collectively leaned forward, as though the gnome had just tugged on the strings of their curiosity.

"Just as we've demonstrated our core mandate and our commitment to mutual benefit," he continued, "we also wish to show that we understand something fundamental—value is relative. And here at the Golden Palace, we respect that."

A murmur swept through the crowd.

"The final two auction lots are not the most powerful of the collection. In truth, they are the opposite. They are the weakest and most useless in battle—yes, even more so than the relic of Archmage Lyssara Merath."

Several nobles exchanged baffled looks. A few chuckled under their breath.

"But their value," Haggleworth said, letting the words roll like a secret shared, "lies in their uniqueness… and utility."

"Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, allow me the honour of presenting to you—the final two lots of tonight's auction."

Behind him, the stage shifted with a deep mechanical hum. A pedestal slowly rose from the floor, bearing a crystalline cuboid roughly two metres tall, one and half metres long, and a metre thick. Its surface shimmered faintly under the light but otherwise looked like nothing more than a slab of polished crystal.

A puzzled silence filled the hall.

"This ninth lot item," Haggleworth began, gesturing proudly to the crystal, "is a product very dear to our hearts. Like the Rune Phone, it was conceived, designed, and crafted entirely in-house by the Golden Palace's runesmiths. Its first value lies in that alone—its exclusivity. This is a product you will not find anywhere else."

He paused, scanning the hall.

"I can see it in your eyes—you think it's just an ordinary crystal slab." His lips curled into a knowing smile. "But there's far more to it than meets the eye."

"The history of cultivation in our Pangean realm is long, rich, and illustrious. Yet throughout our history, there has been one unending tragedy—the lost of knowledge to time. The techniques of our predecessors have faded, buried under war, neglect, and the slow decay of transmission through the ages.

"Even now, in this modern era, where knowledge is stored in magical scrolls, papyrus, parchment, tomes, and grimoires, we've merely slowed that decay—not conquered it. Despite our progress, the truth remains: time will always consume what is written."

He turned slightly, his hand resting reverently on the crystalline construct behind him.

"That," Haggleworth said, his voice rising with pride, "is where this product comes in."

He smiled grandly and declared,

"We call it—the Arcane Library."

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