CH338 Auction Finale III

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"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you—the first and only one of its kind—the Coinage Moonstone Interspatial Storage Ring!"

Haggleworth's words echoed through the hall, plunging it into stunned silence for a long, heavy moment.

Then—

"What? It really is an Interspatial Ring?"

"How was it made? What material was used?"

"How big is its internal space?"

Questions exploded from all corners of the audience.

"I'm sorry," Haggleworth replied, his voice firm yet polite. "In order to preserve the value of the item, I won't be answering any questions about its construction or internal workings. All I can tell you is that its internal space exceeds that of the Interspatial Storage Chest you just saw in the projection."

Murmurs swept through the crowd.

"For more information," Haggleworth continued, "you'll have to participate in the auction for the ring itself."

"Then begin the auction already!" someone shouted impatiently.

Many others raised their placards, eager to bid—but Haggleworth calmly shook his head.

"Please, be patient, ladies and gentlemen. I'll now reveal the auction method for the final two lot items."

The audience quietened again, curiosity burning in their eyes.

"First," Haggleworth declared, "the Arcane Library will be the final auctioned item for today's event. The auction for the Coinage Moonstone Interspatial Ring will take place tomorrow."

"What? Tomorrow? Why?!" cries erupted across the floor.

"This," Haggleworth explained evenly, "is to allow the guests who qualify to bid for the Coinage Moonstone sufficient time to prepare the required tender—Top-grade Mana Stones."

A collective gasp swept the hall.

"What?! Top-grade Mana Stones?!"

"Yes," Haggleworth confirmed with a nod. "The craftsman who created the Coinage Moonstone has requested that only Top-grade Mana Stones be accepted as payment. And before you ask—no information about the craftsman will be revealed unless to the guests who have earned the right to participate in tomorrow's auction."

The hall fell silent again as countless minds raced with calculations and possibilities.

Finally, someone called out, "How do we gain the right to participate in tomorrow's auction, Palace Head? Don't leave us guessing!"

Haggleworth smiled subtly and looked up toward the private boxes.

"Thank you for asking, High Comptroller," he said, giving a polite bow. Straightening again, he announced, "The process to obtain an invitation to the Coinage Moonstone auction is simple."

He gestured toward the Rune Server crystal slab still on display.

"Simply win the bid for an Arcane Library crystal."

"Due to the complexity of its production process, which requires a team of Grandmaster craftsmen working in perfect harmony, we have only been able to produce a total of nine Arcane Library Crystals. Therefore, there will be nine invitations available for the Coinage Moonstone Auction tomorrow."

"However," Haggleworth continued, "after much deliberation within the Palace, it has been decided that five of these will be presented to the five great Empires — the Virellian Empire, the Elarion Empire, the IronHammer Empire, the Eternal Valkyrie Empire, and the Nearmarch Confederacy."

"These five nations are the pillars of our current era's knowledge and civilisation. As part of our efforts to preserve the light of this age for those yet to come, we believe it is only fitting to present these devices as tribute, ensuring that the wisdom safeguarded by these empires will endure for generations."

A murmur rippled through the audience. Not everyone was pleased by the decision. For every Arcane Library Crystal given away by the Palace, their own chances of obtaining one — or even bidding for the Coinage Moonstone Interspatial Ring — diminished.

Others, however, merely sighed. Whether the Palace distributed them or not, the Empires would inevitably claim their share. Competing against an Empire in an auction? Impossible.

In their eyes, the Palace had simply hastened the inevitable — and in doing so, earned valuable goodwill from each Empire.

'A very smart move indeed,' thought the High Comptroller of the Merchant Union.

He wasn't alone in that opinion. Many sharp minds among the attendees reached the same conclusion.

"A very sensible company," remarked Elder Melias of the Elarion Empire.

"Normally, I dislike companies that curry favour with Imperial power instead of earning it," said Lady Kaelwiryn of the Eternal Valkyrie Empire from her private box, "but I'll make an exception this once."

The other imperial representatives shared similar sentiments.

"Now then," Haggleworth said, his tone shifting, "today's auction finale will conclude with the sale of the remaining four Arcane Library Crystals."

"For this auction, we have not set a base price. On one hand, the Arcane Library is an incredibly expensive device to produce. On the other, it was designed for the betterment of civilisation itself. So rather than assign a value ourselves, we leave it in your capable hands."

"With the proceeds from your generous bids today, we shall construct and make available more Arcane Library Crystals for public sale. The fixed retail price will be set at a thirty percent increase over the highest bid received tonight. So, esteemed guests, we invite you to help us determine the true value of the Arcane Library — according to your discretion."

"Haha! What a sly gnome," the Merchant Union's High Comptroller laughed from his private box.

"Let me guess," Zora said, shooting Alex a knowing look. "This wasn't your idea, was it?"

"It really wasn't," Alex replied, feeling wronged.

"It's definitely a sly move though—something a gnome would think up," Eleanor remarked. "If they'd simply asked the audience to set the price through auction, people might have colluded to drive it down. That would've forced the Golden Palace to sell the Arcane Library Crystals cheaply and at a loss, since going back on their word would damage their reputation.

"But," she continued, "by tying the auction to the Coinage Moonstone event, they've made cooperation nearly impossible. Everyone wants to participate in that auction, and no one wants to risk being left out."

Alex gave her an appreciative look, feeling somewhat vindicated by her reasoning. Then he added thoughtfully, "That said, there's still some risk involved. The owners of the remaining four crystals — and the auction slots — are pretty obvious. They'll end up with the factions in those private boxes. If they can reach an understanding, nothing stops them from controlling the price."

"If that's the case," Eleanor asked, frowning slightly, "why is the Golden Palace still proceeding with this plan?"

"How should I know?" Alex shrugged. "I'm not a Palace staff member, nor am I a worm living in the Palace Head's stomach."

Eleanor's brows furrowed, but Alex only smiled.

"All I can do," he said, his tone turning amused, "is make a guess."

Eleanor gave him a stare. She decided to play along. "And what is this guess of yours?"

Alex's smile widened.

"What if," he said slowly, "the Palace doesn't care about the money at all? What if, like Haggleworth said, they simply want the crystals in the hands of the continental powers — to secure our… or rather, their knowledge?"

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