My Eldritch Horror Wife Followed Me To Another World
Chapter 99: Auction Start

Chapter 99: Auction Start

"Of course, it means I don’t have to fight as much," Lily answered, not surprised by the voice.

"Does that mean I also don’t have to fight?" Dima asked, looking around for the complimentary wine.

"Are you wearing a tight dress?" Lily shot back while hiding a bottle under her armchair.

"We can swap if you want," Dima offered, raising a glass bottle to the light.

"The most important part of Sugar Dame is over, and I brought clothes if you want to change, Lily," Squawks said as he yanked the bottle from Dima’s hands.

"You know just as well as I do that Sugar Dame is just getting started, Captain. I need to look like this until the end of the night."

"And you’re fine with it?" Squawks asked carefully.

Lily rolled her eyes.

"With Damas caught, this is our best bet. We need as much money as possible. Speaking of...How did you even get this room?" Lily glanced around. It was a luxurious room on the third floor. The only floor above them was for the Syndicate executives.

Squawks just grinned.

Lily sighed. He had done something reckless, and she would find out sooner or later what it was. But prying the answer out of him right now was impossible.

Dima was about to say something about them keeping all the wine bottles away from him when Squawks’ expression turned serious, and he held up a finger to his mouth to silence them. He also slowly backed into the corner again.

A moment later, there was a knock at the door.

"Pardon me. Mister Burgundy requests your presence," A servant said from the other side of the door.

"Already? Horny bastard," Lily cursed under her breath. She and Dima stood up and opened the door. Lily left, but the servant held up a hand and stopped Dima from following.

"Just the lady."

"But...!"

"Just. The. Lady." The servant was insistent, and there was a dangerous gleam in their eyes as they gave Dima a sharp look.

Dima was hesitant. He couldn’t just let Lily go on her own!

But what was he supposed to do, disobey the Torak Syndicate in their own house? Eventually, with regretful and tearful eyes, he nodded and closed the door as the servant led Lily upstairs.

"It amazes me every time. You could have made it reach if you joined a troupe."

"No thanks. I tried that when I was young. It’s not as fun as it seems." Dima’s expression turned cold as he plopped down in the armchair again and looked out over the gallery.

Lily getting dragged away on her own was part of the plan, but it wasn’t believable if he didn’t protest.

But he couldn’t get used to this plan, even if he knew Lily would be fine. Still, they were in a position where they had to use what they had, and Lily had assets that none of them had. It would be a waste not to use them, especially if using them to their fullest meant increasing the odds of success.

Dima crossed his arms and focused on the crowd that filled up the seats on the floor and in the rooms and boxes on the second and third floors. The rooms on the fourth floor were built so that it was difficult to peer into them from below. They were also mostly soundproof and guarded.

As the auction hall filled up, the clamor of people rustling and moving in their seats or talking with their neighbors slowly filled the house.

However, as the lights along the walls were put out and only a large chandelier above the stage in the front remained lit, silence ruled the auction hall. It was time to begin.

A well-dressed elderly man took the stage, and four strong servants carried in a table covered by a cloth behind him.

"Greetings, dear guests!" The old man’s voice carried across the silence, and everyone who wanted to hear him heard him.

"I’m old and have already wasted enough time in my life, so I’ll get started right away.

"Today, we’re starting off with a tableware and porcelain set, which, on its own, doesn’t sound very exciting. But if it had been just that, I would have tossed it out myself. No, ladies and gentlemen, this isn’t just fancy pottery." The old man made a gesture with his hand, and one of the servants flicked the cloth off the table to reveal several rows of plates, vases, cups, and even neat cutlery.

"It’s Argonian craftsmanship!" The old man said with a flair and stepped to the side so that everyone could get a clear view of the table’s contents.

"Now, I’m sure I don’t need to, but who knows? Maybe we have guests who have spent their lives under a rock or two.

"The Argonian Empire is a fallen empire of ages past. They were once mighty enough to rule the continent. But now, they’re naught but memories and relics. When the empire fell, it took with it countless marvelous techniques, such as the techniques used to create these plates.

"These things you see before you...They are unique and can’t be replicated or reproduced." The old man smiled and let everyone take in what he had said and the sight of the porcelain items.

Items from the fallen Argonian Empire were almost always valuable. The Argonian Empire had been a superpower that ruled the continent. It was the height of civilization with incredible feats of architecture, science, literature, and craftsmanship.

But plates and vases weren’t the most useful items. Only collectors or investors would be interested in them.

There was also one problem.

The Argonian Empire fell a long time ago, and the knowledge it had amassed disappeared into history.

It was difficult to differentiate between something well-made of today and something mundane of the past.

Everything on that table could be fake.

"I personally vouch for the authenticity of everything on this table," The old man said with a bow before standing upright.

"The bidding starts at thirty Voradi royls with minimum increments of five. Syttle crowns go double, and Matarok sang are only accepted if you are from Matarok."