Seclusion [Old Version | Dropped]

"They're pathetic," said a feminine voice, hidden in a mass of smoke-like shadows. 

"What did you expect, Eternal?" replied a melodic voice.

"Don't know? At least a bit more...resistance. These lesser beings are so feeble. I honestly thought we could at least play with them for a tad longer ere they vanish entirely."

"Well, you're not wrong, but still not quite right either. Take, for example, the humans—they repeatedly replicate, evolve, replicate and evolve. They are one of those more short-lived races; thus, they need to adapt fast to changes. If they don't, only extinction awaits."

"Sooo, these apes are good as long-term test subjects?"

"Bingo. Still, even if they would struggle for an eternity, these pests could never harm us unless we would allow it. But even then, the most they could do is scratch us—like a little kitten. That's just how insignificant they are."

"But the others are helping them. They cou—"

"Eternal, don't spout nonsense."

"...sorry, mother," the smoky being contracted a little.

"Please, don't call me that. Technically, you're not my child."

The being wanted to refute, but she knew that only a stern rebuke would await her otherwise. So, she stayed silent.

"Good girl." 

"But what should we do next?"

"'We'? Your mess, not mine. Find a solution like an adult. I said I wouldn't interfere. These little...experiments of yours are way out of control."

"B-But, my children, they're based on the first one. They're based on y—"

The world turned dark. Purple, blue, yellow, dark red, and more different colored lightning bolts spread across the sky. The other being—that had no body until then—suddenly appeared out of nowhere as a tangled web of pure, unbridled energy.

"YOU DARE TO COMPARE ME TO THOSE UNPURE CREATIONS OF YOURS?!"

The ground, miles underneath them, shook and crumbled. The trees tore from the ground as it splits, and a chasm opened into the dark, cold depths of this world. 

"If you do this again, your accursed soul will be ripped from your body and thrown into the deepest depths of the endless void!" the ethereal voice howled in fury.

"Please, forgive me!" the child begged her. 

As suddenly as the world changed into an apocalyptic state, it returned to its former beauty. The energy vanished, leaving only the smoke-like mass of shadows and bitter silence.

 

---

 

I looked at the two newcomers. I usually would not greet anyone using this entrance; why should I? Ninety-five percent of the people who used this door were not relevant to the auction house since they were simply heading for the casino. These two, however, were different. 

The guards we had placed in front of the inn announced over the crystal that two dubious figures were on their way to us. It was this strange militia dress that drew attention to them. However, I couldn't get an accurate picture until I saw them with my own eyes. I had to rule out the possibility that we weren't letting someone into the guild who worked directly for the High Guards—those incorruptible bastards. 

Fortunately, my suspicions were not confirmed, yet something else worried me. First of all, their masks are a bit...odd. While one offered absolutely no chance of knowing where to step next, the other reminded me of something I never want to experience again. But the witch's hat from the one woman didn't bode well either. It was not too rare that we welcomed witches as our customers. Often from the door at the Royal District, but every now and then, a few came in here. I knew that their hats were also considered as a status symbol among them. Depending on the shape, size, and decoration, they revealed their rank. But this one, this one I could not specify. And especially for me, this was something that hurts my pride.

I led the two further along the corridor until we stood at a metal grid blocking a mine shaft leading into the earth. To the left of the frame of the mine cage was a lever, which I operated. The rattle of the machinery rumbled through the air.

I turned to the two guests. "We call this machine 'magivator', it was developed by the High-Dwarves to facilitate transportation between their mines and the upper world. We also use it to prevent larger groups of enemies from advancing directly into the heart of our facility, allowing us to evacuate our honorable visitors more safely if necessary. Unfortunately, I can't tell you exactly how this machinery works. For that, you would have to ask one of the dwarves who maintain it."

Sadly, I did not get the reaction I expected. Only the one whose eyes I could see showed a slight interest. But as quickly as her eyes had flashed, it had faded.

When the transportation chamber arrived, and the grid slid to the side, I invited the two to enter after I had stepped inside myself. Then I operated the chamber's lever. The grid closed again, and we descended. After not even fifteen seconds, we had arrived. 

When the magivator opened again, we found ourselves in a small, simply decorated entrance hall. On the sides of the room were polished crystals attached to the walls, illuminating it in a dim glow. Directly across from the guests and me was the metal double door, splendidly decorated with bronze ornaments. 

We went to the massive door and walked through. The lobby of the auction house unfolded before us. 

I looked at them and announced, "Welcome to the Auction House!"  

 

---

 

I must say that I am already amazed. The magivator, which by the way, was really very badly named, in my opinion, proved that at least the dwarves were on a stable way to unite magic and technology. It was a bit clumsy despite all that, but that was probably more due to the fact that this was treated as an entrance for the lower folks.

At least the entrance hall was much more atmospheric, but I must admit that I was pretty surprised at what this guild had achieved down here after I entered the lobby. It was more akin to a foyer of a theater or opera house. 

From the ceilings hung huge golden chandeliers, which were decorated with all kinds of precious jewels. The light was emitted by very brightly shining magic crystals, which gave you the impression that you were under a lightly clouded sky. The floor was built out of black and white marble; its shiny surface interrupted only by the high-quality red carpet that marked the main paths. To support the ceilings, large smooth columns—made of a reddish-gray obsidian-like stone—were placed everywhere, which fit perfectly into this scene due to their unique patterning. The walls, like the ceilings, were clad in wood to create a contrast to the cold stone. I didn't know exactly what kind of trees were used, but they seemed to be of the same quality as all the other splendor. The wood was painted in light green and turquoise, while the ceiling was painted in white and Venetian red. Following the red carpet, which began just a few steps after the metal door we'd entered, one came to an even lower floor. There was probably the proper waiting area to access the countless other private rooms, restrooms, relaxation areas, and the actual auction hall. I came to this conclusion because only a few people were gathered up here, and those who were did not dress as aristocratic as one would expect. So it was probably more the people who, like us, were from the eastern district. Also, there was no seating, which usually signals that you're just here to meet someone and then move the actual conversation downstairs.

I would've liked to have a good look around, but unfortunately, the old butler seemed to have other plans. 

"Dear ladies, I assume this is your first time here. Therefore, I would like to offer to help you with the matters that the ladies brought here. Since you're already wearing masks, I assume you didn't come here without hearing about our customs."

I just nodded and saw from the corner of my eye that two people stood next to the entrance door, each holding a box containing masks. You wonder how I could see them at all? Well, the mask was completely transparent from the inside. But even without this helpful feature, I wouldn't be blind. As long as I don't block things out, I always know what's going on around me, even if it's apparently in a blind spot.

"Very good, very good. Then I don't have to explain everything. May I ask what exactly brought you here tonight? As you probably already know, we have a special auction today about the exotic elements of this continent. We'll still auction our normal items that are always popular, but you may only see the highlights we offer today once in ten years!" said the butler in a glorifying tone that was meant to advertise the products.  

"If it's about exotic things, I should have a lot to offer that will arouse your interest. The question is rather how much the auction house is willing to pay. Besides selling, I would also like to partake in the auction, and if possible, get a private loge, if they are satisfied with what I am offering—which I strongly believe they will—and can afford it," I replied in an arrogant tone. 

I had absolutely no idea how much the goods traded here were worth and whether the items I would offer them were of any value to the guild at all. But sometimes you just have to bluff. If push comes to shove, I'll just take what I need and obliterate everything. This would be way too much work, though; I'd rather have a quiet evening. Most importantly, the chance to get more information and possibly make more contacts would be lost. 

The old man just stared at me in disbelief. I think he was rather shocked with the confidence I questioned their credibility. After all, we were in the empire's capital; thus, an establishment like this would be brimming with gold coins and other means of payment. 

He shook himself briefly, probably to regain his proper noble demeanor.

"Very well, if you're so convinced of your items, I will gladly lead you to our master appraiser. But you need to wait here for a moment—I need to discuss this with my superior first. I will hurry up so you two can fully indulge in the comforts of our facility."

With these words, he disappeared to the lower floor. I could track his presence but had no desire to do so. A few minor surprises, and the stay is immediately extra exciting. I noticed Tulsi next to me nervously sliding her upper arm up and down with her hand. 

"What's wrong?" I asked. 

"I-I'm, um, a little nervous," she whispered shyly.

"Why? This can't be your first time in a place like this. Didn't your parents take you to some aristocratic gatherings at some point?

She stared at me for a moment, then looked down at the floor. "Never..." she murmured, with a deep sadness that showed me how abandoned she felt.

I'm afraid I didn't know exactly what to make out of that. Not that I couldn't relate, but I'm really the wrong person when it comes to cheering someone up. However, I wanted to include Tulsi in the organization I was planning to create in the future. Therefore, it would be favorable to establish a close relationship from a purely logical standpoint—at least from her perspective. I don't like to be deceived, so the chance is directly minimized if she feels comfortable around me.

Out of helplessness as to what I should do now, I patted her head.

"Eep," she let out a surprised sound. She looked at me with wide eyes.

I smiled. Too bad she couldn't see it. But oh well, whatever. As I was about to take my hand away, she whimpered softly, followed by a hand guiding mine back to her head. My, oh, my, what a needy girl.

After a few more minutes of patting Tulsi and an occasional pleased 'mmmh'-sound, the butler finally returned. 

He had a somewhat stressed expression on his face, with a hint of concern. When he realized that I had noticed him, he symbolized that we should follow him and turned around without a word. 

Tulsi protested briefly but fell silent when she saw that the butler wanted us to follow him. I absolutely had no idea why one would like headpats so much. However, I've to admit that I don't recall anyone ever doing this to me. Genuine affection was never really my thing. I mean, having some fun is one point, but whether you really need another person for that, I can't tell. Most of what I knew came from my books. Love was always an abstruse construct for me. 

I banished those thoughts from my mind—didn't have time for that now. ...I doubt that such a moment will ever come anyways. Not with all the—

"Master, are you coming?"

I nodded and went to the butler, who was already taking the stairs down. With each step, the actual waiting room opened up more and more to us. Compared to the foyer, this one was much more spacious. The room was rectangular in shape. On the sides were countless doors that probably led to the places I think they did. The columns and seating were placed so that most people could stay in the center and rest comfortably on the dark blue luxury sofas. At the same time, those who wanted to change positions could walk along the perimeter around the room without any problems.

The people represented here were indeed mostly richly dressed people. Although they were obviously already much less, cause most of the people were already in the hall. Those who were still here had either something to discuss or their own boxes to go to once it started.

We were led to a door on the right, approximately in the middle of the room. This hallway was dimmer. We continued to follow it until we turned into a staircase down to the left until we finally stood before a massive door imbued with protective magic. In front of it stood two people in heavy armor, each holding a hand on their sword shaft. 

The man showed them a brooch, whereupon they slowly opened the door for us. Surprisingly, we didn't find any grandeur and ornate walls, but a workshop, which had a long curtain in its right corner, probably hiding the room behind it. That place was probably only accessible to particular individuals. 

"Thorald, you have guests," the butler called out. A grumble was heard, followed by what sounded to me like tools falling on the floor.

From behind the curtain emerged a dwarf—the brief moment when the room was not covered gave me a glimpse of the hidden shelves full of objects. The dwarf himself was broadly built, had a short braided red beard and dark brown hair. He carried various repair tools around his waist. His clothes looked worn out.

"This dwarf looks like he knows everything except how to determine the value of an item. Is this really your specialist?" I asked, a bit irritated. 

"Yom lassie, I may look like I look, but I can assure you that I have a clue about what I'm doing. When it comes to examining items, I'm the only one in this damn empire who knows exactly what he's doing in the first place. Haa, that's why I hate elves, you and your arrogance."

The butler said nothing but seemed to be visibly annoyed by my statement. Not that this was incomprehensible, but am I not allowed to ask questions? Okay, me, stay in character, stay in character.

"Very well. Then let's get down to business, and you show me how good you are!" I replied with a cheeky grin...that no one could see.  

I retrieved one of my items from my storage, which somehow seemed to take the dwarf right by surprise.  

 

---

 

I could not believe my eyes. This elf took an orb out of her [Storage Box] with an arrogant grin—I knew she was doing one, even with the mask on; I just knew it. The fact that I just couldn't believe it stemmed from the experience I had with this Skill, so I knew exactly how it felt. But her [Storage Box] appeared different, strange, and creepy.

She handed me the orb. I took it wordlessly, eager to see if the items that had been so arrogantly touted were really any good. My evolved Skill [Item Appraise] could not be underestimated. After so much time and effort, I'd perfected it. I could tell everything about an item down to the smallest detail—no one could hold a candle to me!   

[Appraise]