Chapter 335: Gift to The People (1/2)
If Arthur flicked a pin to land on the wooden floor of the auction house, he would hear its sound. That's how silent it was in the auction house after Arthur made his bid.
”Four... thousands?”
The Knight of Courage muttered from beside him. Four thousand was no small sum, as it could arm a platoon of knights from head to toe.
”Our highest bid so far, four thousand!” Ma snapped out of his daze and gestured toward Arthur. ”Goes once, twice, are there no other bidders?!”
”Halt!”
The shout made Ma flinch, and he ceased talking. The Knight of Nobility rose in the air from the booth and looked at Arthur with disdain.
”You can only bid what you have.”
”Alrighty,” Arthur nodded and threw a ring toward the stage. It landed right in front of Ma's feet. The servant was confused until Arthur nodded at him. ”Check it out.”
”V-very well.” Ma grabbed the ring and checked what it stored before his eyes went wide and nodded toward Arthur. ”It is indeed four thousand golds.”
”Heard that, dumbass?” Arthur turned to the Knight of Nobility, who was glaring at him. ”Not everyone is as broke as you are.”
Arthur wasn't the type of person to judge a person by his wealth, but his character. Since these people were rotten and judged others using wealth, he would gladly make them drink their own medicine.
”You must have stolen it.” The Knight of Nobility glared at him, trying to save his face. ”This needs to be investigated first, I...”
”You are going to shut up.” Arthur tapped the table. ”And sit down so that we can continue with the auction. Unless you don't have the money.”
Whispers rang among the crowd as the guests tried to figure out the identity of the man challenging the Knight. However, all they could make out of his side-profile was the missing arm he had.
”Can it be... that this man is the rumored guest of the King, the Seika?”
”I heard he was called Lorius. I never thought I would see him in the flesh.” Another whispered. The crowd grew noisy as the Knight of Nobility glared at him with venom-spewing eyes.
A servant ran up the stage and whispered something into Ma's ear. Ma nodded and cleared his throat, making the crowd's attention shift toward him.
”The Ghost Runemaster instructed that if the Knight wishes to disturb the auction further, then he will be asked to leave.”
The words made the crowd gasp as the Knight's body shook. He grabbed his sword in a fit of rage, but the duke beside him grabbed his arm.
”Such a meager amount of gold doesn't mean anything.” The duke said with a confident face. ”I will handle it for you, Noble One.”
”You shouldn't bother with this man, your grace.” The Knight of Nobility found a way to save face through the duke's words, and he jumped on it immediately. ”But for the sake of the kingdom and its people, I'll let you teach him a lesson.”
”Thank you.” The duke said with a smile, and they sat back down. As soon as they did, the duke placed another bid. ”Five thousand golds.”
Ma sent the ring Arthur threw back toward him through a servant, and the bidding continued. He looked at Arthur to see if there were more bids, and the latter gave a thin smile.
”Six.”
Arthur said a single word, and it sank into the air like a pebble into a lake. The atmosphere grew suffocating as the duke frowned and placed his bid.
”Seven thousand!”
His voice held a threatening tone to it as if commanding Arthur to back off. However, before he finished the word 'thousand,' Arthur's bid arrived.
”Eight.”
”Nine thousand go...”
”Ten.”
”Heavens...” The Knight of Courage slumped back in her chair with a defeated expression. ”Are you mad? You can never outbid the duke.”
”Watch me.” Arthur smiled.
”Eleven!” Arthur made his bid, and Dia snorted. He turned to her with confusion, and Gala laughed out loud.
”Customer, there's no need to raise it further.” Ma wiped the sweat off his forehead with a wary smile. ”Your last bid is still the highest.”
”Oh,” Arthur turned toward the Duke of Contracts. ”What, are you done?”