"Now, as usual, you all know the rules," the Orchid Auction House manager began, his voice calm but laced with authority. "Do not bid on anything you cannot pay for immediately, here and now. We neither can nor will wait for anyone to run home to gather more funds. I assume you all came with enough gold coins to meet your ambitions. There are to be no fights within the Orchid Auction House, any disputes must be settled once you've stepped beyond this property's walls… otherwise, things might get rather messy."
His tone shifted as the last word slipped from his lips, the cold edge of killing intent wrapping around it like a blade. It wasn't an empty threat.
No one spoke, no one moved. The silence wasn't born from fear, but rather familiarity; these rules were already known by everyone present. They were the kind of laws no one dared test.
