Beginning of Upper Echelon Bid

 "So, are the Noble Realm experts in the other gold-ranked room?" Ryker asked, ignoring the look Sophia was giving him.

 "No," the manager shook his head. "The gold-ranked room is usually for those related to the Noble expert, influential people, and the more powerful families. But they were not where the Noble experts are at,"

 "Then, where?" he asked, after all, for the true experts of the territory, they must have an even better room.

 "The Platinum-ranked room, which is reserved for the Noble realm experts, from this city and elsewhere," she told him.

 "Elsewhere? Does that mean they come from the other major cities, as in the ruler of those cities?" Miriam connected the dot, earning a nod from the manager.

 "Yes, after all, it is rare for Spirit Grade Items to appear even in the entirety of the Birak Kingdom. Rare but not to the point of impossible.

 When they did, it depended on who was the closest and strongest that could hope to obtain such treasures. If the Noble expert did not have any use or need for such a thing, they usually sell it to a nearby Auction House or trade it with an acquaintance that has what they need.

 Most of the Spirit Grade Items in today's auction were gained this way. And a lot of those experts are eying the treasures in the last part of the auction, so expect things to heat up," the manager gave him a seductive smile before walking away.

 Before she left, Sophia looked at the servant, "Stay with them and serve their need, will you," the servant nodded frantically, earning a light giggle from the manager, who then left the room.

 The room went silent, as neither Ian, Miriam, nor the servant said anything. When Miriam opened her mouth, the light went off briefly before being back on.

 As the light was back on, the two began to pay attention to the person on the stage, which they recognized immediately. After all, the woman on stage was right in their room a few minutes before.

 "My little auctioneer had already welcomed all of you into today's Grand Auction so I will skip that part," she flared a seductive smile, which was covered somewhat by her hand.

 "Now, let's get to the more interesting part, the auction of Spirit Grade Items," powerful auras were released all over the place, sending some of the people who did not manage to get out in time to faint from the sheer might of Noble expert.

 The servant was about to cover the two with her aura to protect them when Ryker swiped his hand and a more powerful and robust aura covered the entirety of their room.

 'Wh-wha! This aura! It's even stronger than mine!' she could not help but think. She could tell, aside from the two strongest people in the entire Elkom Auction House, their manager not counted, no one could hope to match the mighty aura.

 "Enough," she heard the manager say, causing all of the aura to calm down. From her spot, she could see several servants running around and collecting the fainted members of the crowd, those who wished to see the high-tier party auction but were just too weak to do so.

 "Looks like things are about to get interesting," Ryker said, looking forward to the auction that will soon happen.

-x-

 "Now, let us begin with the first item," a spear was placed on an exhibit, letting out mighty wind energy, pulsing and seemingly alive.

 "This is the Gust Hunting Spear. A single swipe could create a gale that could decimate an entire city, even in the hands of a Genesis Sea expert. In the hand of a Noble expert, well, the audience will have to find out themselves," Sophia said before stroking the blade of the weapon.

 "Now, let us begin with... how about 10 Low-Grade Spirit Gold?

 "10"

 "15"

 Sophia smiled. Even if the weapon is a low-grade Noble Artifact, it is still more than enough to attract the Noble experts who stay outside of the capital city.

 They might have a better weapon already, but giving such a thing to a subordinate or family member could raise the strength they possessed.

 "40"

 'Oh, looks like it is already over,' Sophia thought. Oh well, there are more items she had prepared for the occasion.

-x-

 "10 Spirit Grade Items, yet tiger skin is still put on the stage just yet," Ryker said, watching the auction with great interest.

 He also was forced to realize how poor he was compared to the higher echelons of the city. If the Genesis Sea experts from the common background hear his thoughts, they will gang up on him and beat him to half-death.

 After all, his wealth far surpasses theirs, by a lot. Not to mention, he still has 3 more items in the auction.

 "Do you really own the tiger skin, along with the fangs and claws?" the servant asked, looking slightly subdued.

 "Yes, though I was not the one who killed the beast," he told the servant. "My... superior is the one to kill it," if superior means his Remnant Power that came from when he was part of the apex experts of the world, then yes, he is not lying.

 "Really, why did he let you have it?" the servant asked. Ryker had no doubt she would tell Sophia of every part of their conversation, but letting the servant tell the manager the half-lie he told would be better than telling them himself. 

 The manager might caught on to his lie, after all.

 "The thing is no use for him, so he let me take it, before leaving. I am pretty sure he will either go to the core of the Birak Kingdom or the core of the continent," contrary to his first expectation, the Birak Kingdom is not one of the superpowers of the Boluron Continent. 

 It is still a powerful kingdom with a strong foundation, but it is considered to be 2nd tier power. There were a lot of factions equal to the Birak Kingdom in the continent, with few standing on top of it, with three being the masters of the continent, and they were not even part of the Four Supreme Powers.

 "Okay, so, why are you traveling alone?" she pushed. Ryker wondered if he should cut their conversation right away before deciding to do so would be risky in maintaining the facade.

 "I am... searching for something in this continent," he told the servant, which was not false, and made him seem to come from the other continents, even other regions of the Human Realm. However, they most likely attribute him to come from the Core Region, the center of the Human Realm, literally.