The Auction House

"Hm…"

Walking down the busy streets of Aria, looking at the massive buildings, and further broadening his understanding of the culture by spreading his senses around the area, there still one major thing that bothered Elish most.

… That was Astra's chatter.

"Woah. So amazing!!! Look at that dress, it's so pretty. This city is so huge! I've never been to any place as grand as this!!!" She kept saying.

'I blame myself…' His thoughts echoed as he kept his steady steps and kept walking, ignoring most of what she was spouting.

Back when had first met her, Astra was as dull as the skies before rain. She was subservient, yes, but her lack of life didn't quite do it for him.

Elish had always preferred interactions, and one of the major advantages of having a companion was to understand their perspectives more.

Especially since he had taken an interest in the girl.

As a result of this, he had told her to be more expressive around him.

… That was his mistake.

If there was one major thing Elish had come to learn about Astra, it was this: she was way too lively.

Always making comments on everything, so bouncy and full of energy. To be very honest, he was already feeling drained.

"You talk a lot, don't you?" he told her muttered to her once he couldn't take any more of her ramblings.

She fell quiet after he said that, and he was relieved, thinking she got the idea he was passing across.

He couldn't be more wrong.

After a few seconds of silence, she began blabbering again, this time only talking to herself and reducing the volume of her voice.

Had she forgotten that his heightened senses could pick up whatever she would say, regardless of volume ?

'Isn't she a bit too cheerful for someone who just lost her wings?' Elish asked himself.

However, upon further consideration, he could understand why this Fairy had become this way.

Some people found it easier to live by immersing themselves in a web of optimism.

Elish understood that this was ultimately self-deception in the end, and it was similar to how several relied on other forms of emotional crutches to live out their lives.

As a result, despite his disapproval, Elish decided to tolerate it.

'In time, she'll learn.'

********

The two continued walking for a while, considering the sheer size of the city, until they finally found the place Elish had been searching for.

They called it an auction site, a place meant only for the rich and the specially privileged ones, where goods were sold only to the highest bidder.

Elish saw several on the way here, but the one he currently stood in front of caught his eye.

The most prestigious one which stood above the rest.

"This must be the one," he smiled.

According to the information he had obtained, fairies were quite rare during these times. Fairies can prove to be troublesome for humans to deal with; however, a wingless fairy would still be very valuable, especially one as attractive as Astra.

Though she was quite a handful, she still looked like a beautiful young lady.

Then there was the issue of fairy wings. Even more valuable than the actual Fairies, the wings were the most coveted.

They would sell for a ridiculously high price. The reason for this, other than its attractive nature, was the vast amount of essence stored within it.

'The wings of a fairy contain most of their essence. Should a human obtain it and use it appropriately, they should be able to obtain powers akin to that of fairies.'

Such an item could only be found at the highest level of trade.

"All that's left to do is to seal the deal," Elish's smile broadened even further as he eyes the massive building before him.

It was pure white, having a large compound to complement its grandeur.

Having the appearance of a mansion, fused with an advanced shopping complex, the sight was certainly a unique one Elish had never seen before, other than in the memory he got from the soldier whose memory he absorbed.

"Oh? My wings are there?" Astra's voice interrupted Elish and she asked her question with an innocent look in her eyes.

He was tempted not to answer her, but after realizing she would keep pestering him until he gave her a response, he gave it a second thought.

"Not necessarily right now, but they will be soon enough. What we need right now is information," he told her.

"Ohhh! Okay." Elish could sense expectation from within Astra, and he simply smirked at the notice.

"Follow me. Do not say anything."

"Y-yes! Understood!"

Elish approached the building in a noble stride, and Astra trailed behind him trying her best not to act like… well, herself.

His appearance alone made it so that the guards assumed he was a valued customer, and so they bowed to let him in.

Elish smiled and continued his measured pace as he ventured inside. Greeted by the vast reception hall of the building, he took a moment to appreciate the grand sight.

From chandeliers hanging on the ceiling, murals painting the walls in luxury, high-quality tiles, and so many works of arts and jewels hung on the walls, the entire place screamed of bourgeoisie.

Still, Elish let none of this faze him, even though Astra was gawking like an idiot.

He felt like smacking her, but he exercised the self control of a Monarch and ignored her.

Most likely due to his and Astra's appearances, someone came to meet them and respectfully directed them towards an available receptionist.

The power of assumption once more allowed Elish to be recognized as a person of priority.

Being treated like a king in an establishment built for the upper class, while barely having any funds to his name, Elish continued this dance without any intention of stopping.

"Welcome, dear customer. We certainly hope you are well." This receptionist greeted them with utmost courtesy; her voice had a low pitch, her words were minimal, and her accent was polished

Elish wished Astra could learn a little from the young lady before him.

"Let's get down to business," he responded firmly, maintaining the high ground of authority.

The receptionist smiled with understanding, though Elish could tell from her facial features that she was slightly intimidated by his demeanor.

'If only those soldiers had her level of common sense, they could have lived.'

"This is The Scylla Auction Center, Artia's number one Auction house. What can we do for you, sir?" She asked him politely.

"I would like to acquire an item, one with the utmost rarity."

Elish reckoned he might as well just get to the point. He had no experience with auction centers, and neither did the soldier whose memory he stole.

He wondered how far he would be able to get despite the burden of his ignorance.

"Oh, well, sir. You have come to the right place. Here at Scylla, we only offer the best of the best to our members," she told him.

"Hmmm, Membership?" Elish asked, hiding his sheer lack of knowledge in that respect.

"Yes, sir. Should you so desire, you can become a member and obtain all the privileges of The Scylla Auction center."

He now understood what the woman was referring to. However, nothing ever came for free.

It was now time for the tricky part.

"How much?"

The receptionist maintained her polite smile, and to her it must have seemed like money wasn't an issue for the dear customer before her

If only she knew…

"For our basic Membership plan, it's 50,000 Coins, however, seeing as you are a man of high standing and the item you seek is of the rarest quality, I would recommend the Premium Membership, the highest form of membership apart from the ones attainable by the Royal family and nobles," she spoke.

Elish coughed within himself, still keeping up his facade despite the absurd amount he was hearing.

"How much is that?" he asked her.

"Fifty Million Coins," she told him with the brightest smile he had ever seen.

He could feel a bit of sweat form on his face. Calculating all the money they had on them, it was only 3,000 coins. Not even enough for a Basic Membership Plan.

'The money for Astra's wings were already given to the friends who betrayed her, and the soldiers were going to keep the profit obtained from selling Astra herself. Since they never went about the sale, they didn't have much money on them.'

It was even impressive they had up to 3,000 on them, but that was probably because there was an Imperial Knight among the group.

Regular soldiers would never have that much money on them.

Elish made a sideways glance at Astra. He knew she was thinking about the sheer impossibility and absurdity of the situation.

It did seem hopeless, but Elish didn't see it that way at all.

'So it's only that much? Not bad…'