Auction Part 4
"Ugh, I would never have done this if I knew she was that big of a glutton. There were signs two years ago when she devoured the cake I made for her in seconds, but I thought that was just a one time thing, because it was her favorite dessert...."
Theo said as he walked through the hallway with steady and careful steps.
I can already guess what she's going to request.... Sigh, I wonder why.... I really can't get a read on Selene no matter what I do. I just tunnel vision and get riled up just with her existence alone
Theo as said previously was always an observant person. Every crumb that falls from a biscuit when someone eats, every fluctuation someone had on someone's body or sometimes even the tone of someone's voice, was something Theo was very keen about.
His feelings would never get in the way of his eyes, but in the face of Selene? His emotions overwhelm him to the point that thinking became an incredible chore.
"If only I had observed her expression and thought more about that two faced cat, I would have avoided this.."
Theo was now going up the red carpeted stairs, holding the railing as a support for his ongoing nausea. A man in a black robe went past him and Theo noticed something that alarmed him.
"This smell.... It's familiar. The game... a game description describes it.....!"
Theo froze mid way up the staircase, coming into a realization to what he caught on from the robed individual
"Followers of Greed mask their scent with the scent of a fragrant flower and a weird cooling sensation in your mouth for a split second."
That specific smell was actually a magic infused potion that eases people whoever smells it and slightly masks the aura of the wearer.
It was a great perfume-like potion to use for espionage missions.
This information could be discovered later in the story, when raiding a demon worshiper hideout in the Academy.
Why are the demons here?
Theo stood in place and thought of an answer for a couple of seconds.
"I need to inform Selene about this."
<Selene- > Theo
<Theo! The Crown of Wrath is in auction! Come back here right now!> Selene
"WHAT!?"
Theo shouted loudly in shock.
Of course that's the case! I need to go there now!
Theo, without wasting a single second, sprinted back to the VIP room they were staying.
***
A few minutes ago
"Theo's taking so long. It wasn't that bad. We only had to drink twenty-three drinks each."
Only Twenty-three, 500ml glass drinks you mean.
Violet thought that Selene treated the twenty three drinks she just swigged as mere shots instead of a single full-on drink.
How?
Violet thought that it was physically impossible and she was impressed that Theo was able to finish half.
Selene on the other hand finished everything without wasting a single drop.
Violet bet that her stomach was capable of beating a Pinnacle tier in an eating contest.
Absolutely insane. I'll ask father to increase our pantry supplies back home for Selene.
Violet was positive that Selene was definitely holding back, now that she discovered her friend's craving, Violet was willing to look past her and support her diet as much as she could.
Nice thinking Violet!
Violet mentally patted herself on the back, happy that she discovered another thing about Selene.
Why are her eyes sparkling? The apple juice was good, but not thaaat good.
Selene misread what Violet was thinking.
Now that I'm done with the drinks, maybe I should order us some food, I'm kinda craving for a pizza.
Before Selene could even reach out to ring the bell, the announcer said something that caught her attention.
"For our next item. It was discovered in an ancient ruin south of the Lands of Astrea"
Hm, maybe this time, it's actually something interesting.
Selene propped herself back onto her couch and continued listening to the announcer present the next item.
"A mysterious crown trapped inside an unbreakable glass box! That mask, unknown great power!"
A maid carried the item onto the stage and placed it on the pedestal. As the Announcer described it, it was a glass box with a Crimson crown, floating and looked like it was frozen in time.
"THAT!!!"
Selene, seeing the crimson crown, jumped from her couch and pointed at the crown laid on the pedestal.
Violet became alarmed and jolted in shock by Selene's reaction
"I-is everything fine, Selene?"
Selene unintentionally ignored Violet and kept her gaze at the crimson crown.
"Even our greatest grandmaster has tried and tried again to open it with their sheer and overwhelming strength was unable to break or shatter the glass box that contains this mysterious crimson crown."
That's definitely the Crown of Wrath.
<Selene- >
Selene heard a voice in her head, but the nerves she felt were overwhelming that she responded, overpowering the voice in her head.
<Theo! The Crown of Wrath is in auction! Come back here right now!> Selene
After a few seconds Theo responded that he'll come back faster.
This is where that damn item was!
Selene clenched her fist in celebration. The item presented on the stage was a very important part of the story.
Selene felt it again, the weight of the vow she promised to carry.
The crown before her was the harbinger of destruction, a weapon that took thousand of lives and a malevolent piece of artifact that boost strength far beyond mortal conventions.
The Crown of Wrath, the crown given to the successor of the Demon king of wrath.
An item that will be deemed responsible for the destruction of the Academy and Land of the Central continent, Astraea
*****
Crown of Wrath
One of the Crowns that represent the authority and power of a Great Demon king.
Each Great demon king is split between seven sins, representing their nature and origin of power.
Greed, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath and Pride.
Seven Great Demon kings that rule the lands of hell, under the Demon God, the prime of all evil.
The Last great war, Thousands of years ago, almost decimated the entire planet, when the demons, for the first time, invaded the lands of Alethea. All races, humans, elves, or dwarves, it didn't matter who they were, they were involved in the war one way or another. The Angels also sent down their forces to aid the residence of Alethea, but much to the Allies' expectations, victory was not a cheap price to pay.
The Allied forces had driven out all the demons from the realm of Alethea and destroyed all the entrances from the demon world, hoping to prevent the war from repeating itself again.
The number of casualties numbered millions, technology regressed, many were homeless, and many of the lands became barren wasteland that needed hundreds of years to restore their vitality for farming.
Luckily a few of the Great demon kings perished during the Great war.
Wrath, Envy, and Gluttony, three of the Great Demon kings perished in the battlefield, slain with immeasurable amounts of sacrifice.
What was left from the corpses of these powerful beings were Crowns.
The Crowns were the symbol and held the authority of a Sin.
Attaining the power of this crown was equal to attaining the title of an heir to the Throne of a sin.
The Allies weren't able to destroy it. Many guessed that the artifact itself was an authority and no mortal or even god could wipe an authority out of existence. It was simply rooted to reality.
So they did the second best thing to prevent the crowns from falling into the wrong hands.
They sealed it away, where it would have been hoped to be hidden and sealed, forever.
Now that one of the crowns in question was in Selene's very eyes.
How could she not tremble and fear in the face of such a malevolent artifact?
All the demons needed was to get the crown within their hands and Selene would say goodbye to the central continent.
Out of all Sins of the Demons, Wrath was the most destructive. The scenes that flashed in Selene's mind was a testament to its overwhelming power.
Many lost their lives once again to put the New demon of Wrath down. This included the headmaster of the academy, injuring it greatly, weakening its power for others to slay it.
Selene felt the cogs of fate are turning once more. It was they're chance to snatch this item from the clutches of evil and seal it away for the sake of Alethea and its people.
"The starting bid is 100 gold!"