14. The Fruitful Auction

"So, what do we do now?" Dain asked as we started walking towards the exit of the post office.

"Let's continue with our plan." I tried to sound as seriously as I could.

"Ok."

After asking for some directions, we reached the auction house of [GARAI]. It wasn't that big, it just looked like a small auditorium where dramas and other events of the village were performed.

As we walked towards the entry a guard stopped us. He was wearing light armour and was carrying a spear with him. He might be the private solder of the auction house.

"Please state your entry. You people don't look like you are from this village." The guard was not even looking at our face. Instead, he was looking us from top to bottom to see if we are carrying any weapons.

"Um… I am a merchant from the Merchant Guild. My friend here wants to participate in the auction." Telling that Dain handed him some kind of card. It must be id from the merchant guild.

"Alright, how much money do you have to buy the bidding?" the solder asked me glaring at me seriously. Man! Solders are scary!!

"Umm… we are here to sell, not to buy in the auction." I said in a small voice.

"What?!" he shouted.

"What?? What's wrong? Can't people sell here?" Dain asked rudely.

"No that's not what I meant. Its just too rare to for people from outside come to this small village to sell something."

"So can we go inside?" Dain asked the soldier.

"Please wait here a moment. I will inform this to the manager and come back." Saying that the young soldier ran towards the building.

After some time, the soldier came running towards again.

"So, what happened?" I asked him as it was getting late.

"You have gotten the permission to bid your products in this auction house." The solder told us catching his breath.

"So, can we unload our products?" I asked him as he nodded.

"Um… the manager also said to send it your products for checking for safety purpose."

"What?? You don't even trust your customers??" Dain shouted.

"It's alright Dain, that's nothing to worry about." I patted on his back too cool him down.

"Thank you for understanding." Bowing us the solder went to other solders.

Two to three solders came to our wagon and started to unload the bags that we pointed and started taking to a room inside the auction house, we silently followed them.

As we entered a small room filled with different kinds of goods like weapons, clothes, leather….

CREAK a door opened from another side of the room, "Hello young men." A middle-aged woman probably in her thirties entered the room.

"I am the manager of this auction." She introduced herself.

I bowed at her. "I am Robin and this is Dain, as you can see, we are not from here."

I noticed that Dain was giving me a weird stare. What?? I am doing as I saw in some movies. If I want to gain some profit then I have to grab that pass marks from the examiner.

"Hoho how very nice of you." She seems to be impressed. Huff that's a good thing. That's why people advice you to tell greet an interviewer before they can even evaluate your first impression.

"So, what do you want to sell young man?" staring asked me staring at the bags.

"Umm… just some fruits…. I don't know how much they can fetch" I opened the bags. As soon as I opened the sweet sour sent spread the whole room. I didn't get the chance to smell the fruits as they were in open space but now that we are in a room the fruits waters my mouth.

"Wow where did you get those fruits?! Aren't they totally out of season." A man who was beside us shouted.

"They smell so good! It should take us to heaven if we eat them." A lady behind us shouted catching her cheeks.

Umm… so let me tell you a small lesson. When a fruit grows on a tree in a different season as there are very less fruits the tree tries to provide all the food to that one fruit which makes it tastier and plumply.

"Umm! You bought something surprising! Lets hope you get a good price for them." The manger smiled at me.

After some time, the auction started. The stage was nicely decorated where I and Dain found a nice spot to sit beside the stage so that we can see both the seller and the buyer.

The curtain slowly raises. "Welcome to the auction house of the [GARAI]." The manager was the one who was anchoring?!! Well, she looks exited. She even wore those fancy looking clothes where she was wearing normal clothes minute ago.

"The first item to be displayed is… the Eloka wood that can only be found in the deep forest of the eastern plateau. The bid price starts from 1gold and 300 silver per cart!"

"2 gold per cart!" as soon as the manager started the bid the price started to go up.

"Yeesh! I want our fruits to sell like that too…" I said to Dain turning towards him.

"??" He was looking a bit more seriously. That's odd. "What happened Dain?"

"There is something odd here." Dain whispered staring at a box that someone who sat beside us. That means he is here to sell something too.

"There is nothing. You are just imagining things!"

"…"

Bruh!! I should really be his imagination!! Please, don't throw me into something dangerous, oh god!!

After some time, it was our time to appear on the stage. I made Dain slice each type of fruit into small pieces, of course the best fruit of every type and mixed them making it into a salad like looking thing.

"AAHHH! I want to eat them!!" Dain shouted that word a hundred times in that process.

We took all the fruits and displayed them on the table. As the sweet aroma filled the auditorium, I can see the people watering in their mouth.

WUW! This is too good of a reaction. I will definitely become a farmer in the future!!

"These are the guest from the far lands who are here to sell these fruits which are more valuable than gold in this season!" the manager shouted.

"So, the bid starts from…." Oh no!! I forgot to tell the starting bid price!!! "… 1 silver per fruit!"

. . . . . "Huh?" no I should have heard it wrong! She said 1 silver per basket, right?

"3 silvers per fruit!!" Someone shouted.

"…. WHHHAAAAAT!!" I shouted internally. The manager winked at me and smiled where I did not understand anything.

"So, I'll be executing the plan as you said." Saying that Dain gave a small bowl filled with the slices of all fruits.

The person who bid turned red out of happiness as he ate them.

"4 silvers and 5 copper per fruit!" Another lady shouted. As soon as she shouted Dain gave her another bowl.

"AAAHH this is too good." She started crying as she ate the fruits. Everyone were staring at her.

"4 silvers and 5 copper!! And anymore?" the manager provoked them.

What the hell is happening here?

"Oh, I forgot to tell but imagine making these fruits into wine?" Dain whispered casually.

"…. I will buy for 5 silvers!!" ….

And like that the auction went till 1 gold and 2 silvers. Tho its still too much for me to take in. it's definitely too much! I mean there are atleast eighty fruits in there.

"Please move this way for the exchanges." A guard pointed us towards a small room.

"You go with him I'll come later." Dain said seriously staring at his suspect.

"Sigh… alright be careful." Saying that I followed the guard.

After I entered the room, a man bought all my goods on a cart.

"It's nice to meet you."

"??!!!" suddenly a huge muscular man who was twice taller than me greeted me!!

Don't be afraid Robin!! He is the one who is buying our fruits be thankful.

"So… how many fruits are you selling to me now?" he asked with his mouth watering.

Wow his looks doesn't match his personality! "Umm there are 80 fruits sir." I replied.

"80!! That's good!!" saying that he stared at someone beside him.

Oh! he is so small that I can't even notice him. He looks like he is this muscle guys assistant.

"Umm it sums up to 96 golds sir." He replied.

"All right than give him the amount!!" the muscle man ordered.

Soon after counting the gold the PA gave me a bag containing gold!!

"It was nice dealing with you. See you later." Telling that he stretched his hand towards me to give a shake hand.

"Same with me." I smiled and shook his hand smiling back at me he left.

"Huff… that was good. I have to thank manager later." Telling that to myself I slowly sat on the chair.

"Robin!"

"PFFFF" man that started me!!

"Come with me!!" Dain shouted.

"What is it?" I ran towards him.

"Let's follow them!" Dain pointed at someone.

"…" I staired at him "It's no time to follow a girl." Saying that I turned towards the chair.

"AAAHHH" suddenly Dain grabbed my shirt and started dragging me.

TO BE CONTINUED…

"Wait!! Don't pull hard or else it will tea-" "RIP"

"AAAAAHHH Why did you tear it!! I had only one shirt!!" I shouted.

"One shirt?" he still didn't stop dragging me.

"I am wearing this from the past week!!" I shouted.

"Alright, alright… I'll buy you a new one!! Just follow me for now!"

"Then leave me shirt!! Or else you will tear it agai-" "RIP"

"AAAHHHHH"