As for Orsaga's actions—
The other bidders were both annoyed and disdainful.
They were irritated that something they wanted had ended up in the hands of a mere "vase" of a woman, yet they also looked down on Orsaga's wasteful spending.
In their eyes, that woman was absolutely not worth the price of a legendary item.
In this world, anything that reaches the "legendary" rank signifies a transcendent nature beyond the ordinary.
If it's a living being, it means they're either a powerful force or a devastating threat. If it's an object, it's something that could be passed down through generations as a priceless inheritance.
One step further, and it might touch upon the realm of demigods—entities at the pinnacle of the material world. Even kings must bow in respect before such existences.
Beings of that level, barring a few exceptions, could move freely across most planes. Even in dreadful places like the Abyss, they could still manage to establish themselves as some kind of overlord.
The young woman who had recently sent someone to investigate Orsaga's background looked at the crown now resting on someone else's head, and then at Orsaga, who acted as casually as if he'd just bought a toy.
Hand on her hip, a trace of displeasure flickered across her face. "Hmph, just another man blinded by beauty…"
Though her tone was filled with disdain, there was an unmistakable hint of jealousy in her voice.
After all, she had been one of the bidders vying for that crown.
But halfway through the bidding, she'd been edged out by others—she hadn't even made it to the final round…
The memory of it made her feel rather embarrassed.
She shot a resentful glare at Orsaga, who hadn't spared her a single glance, and muttered under her breath with unwillingness, "If it weren't for the need to save enough funds for that item…"
Yet for all her bitter, sore-loser remarks, Orsaga, whose keen hearing picked up her words effortlessly, didn't so much as blink—let alone react. He didn't pay it the slightest attention.
Idle chatter meant nothing to him.
Especially for someone who could, if he wished, hear the roar of a beast from dozens of kilometers away.
Just by standing here, he could clearly hear thousands of people—both inside and outside the auction hall—whispering among themselves, slandering him, mocking him with all kinds of crude remarks.
"Wastrel," "lecher," and such things were child's play to him.
As someone born in the Abyss, he couldn't care less.
After all, the Abyss was the true gathering place of the multiverse's foulest tongues. Vulgarity there started at cursing your entire bloodline. Outsiders with fragile egos could literally be enraged to the point of vomiting blood.
Compared to that, Orsaga found this world's insults utterly lacking in creativity—bland, even. Watching them fume and gossip behind his back while unable to do anything about it was actually amusing in its own way.
That kind of petty discontent, mixed with helplessness, was quite pleasing to him.
Such was the simple, honest joy of a demon.
He didn't even need tangible rewards. Just watching others feel miserable and envious was enough. Other people's suffering was his entertainment.
The auction continued in an orderly fashion. The few items following that lady's crown didn't interest Orsaga in the slightest. Instead, the woman beside him—who had the right to pick one item—set her eyes on a pair of legendary-Rank elf-style earrings carved from pure jade.
She successfully won the bid for just over 100,000 gold coins.
Orsaga, once again unfazed, calmly handed the money to the maid who brought the item over.
There wasn't the slightest trace of pain or hesitation on his face, as if thirty-some thousand gold coins were just pocket change.
Watching this, many in the hall felt their hearts ache from envy. Some wished they could take her place, while others wished he would just share a bit of that wealth with them.
Ignoring those wishful idiots, Orsaga nonchalantly picked up the earrings and gently fastened them to the woman's ears.
The jade green, classical-style earrings paired perfectly with her fair skin and slender neck, creating a striking harmony.
Even Orsaga couldn't help but nod and remark, "They suit you."
The woman immediately threw herself into his arms with a face full of emotion, purring sweetly, "You're the most amazing man i have ever seen!"
Whether her feelings were genuine or fake didn't matter to Orsaga. He let her cuddle and coo however she liked—it didn't concern him at all.
Honestly, he didn't even remember her name.
He'd picked these two women simply because they were pretty. That was all.
Just lust at first sight. Why overthink it? He wasn't some romance expert. As a self-aware womanizer, he knew not to complicate things with unnecessary emotions.
However, in contrast to his laid-back attitude—
The other woman standing beside him furrowed her elegant brows at the flirtatious display. Disgust welled up inside her; she was dying to just kick the other woman in the face.
But in order to maintain her image as a refined lady before Orsaga, she forced down the urge, smiled sweetly, and asked with sincere concern, "We've been the only ones buying. Is there nothing you're interested in?"
The other woman, curious as well, lifted her head, waiting to hear his answer.
Orsaga gave a slight shake of his head. "There should be something—I just haven't seen it yet."
So far, everything on stage was just child's play to him. None of it sparked any desire to buy.
But according to a nudge from his innate talent, today was likely to yield something valuable. So he remained perfectly calm and composed.
The two women nodded in vague understanding and said no more. They simply stood beside him quietly, watching the auction, occasionally feeding him pieces of fruit with smiling faces.
This, Orsaga quite liked. He wasn't fond of overly talkative women.
And in this regard, the two of them were doing quite well.
More time passed.
When a palm-sized, rust-covered piece of bronze was solemnly brought onto the stage, Orsaga's eyes lit up with interest.
Though most of its power had long been eroded away, he could still faintly sense lingering remnants within it.
Others, lacking his perceptive eye, had no clue what made this item special.
They began discussing and speculating among themselves.
Finally, amid the confusion, the auctioneer gestured toward the bronze fragment and explained:
"I understand many of you are puzzled as to why a mere fragment is being auctioned—but this piece was discovered by a legendary-Rank expert in a hidden chamber within ancient ruins. When it was found, it was buried thousands of meters beneath the ground, sealed in one of the most well-concealed compartments imaginable."
"Though time has stripped away all of its power and we can no longer determine its original form, its extreme durability remains. Even a demigod cannot leave a scratch on its surface. According to several experts, it may be a fragment of an ancient divine artifact."
"As such, it holds significant collector's value."
"The starting bid is 100,000 gold coins!"
The moment the word divine artifact was mentioned, even the commoners outside the auction hall—watching through magical projection—sat up in excitement. Inside, the bidders were momentarily stirred as well.
But that interest didn't last more than a few seconds before vanishing completely.
Clearly, the item had already been researched to death. If it truly were a divine artifact and had any use, it wouldn't be on the auction block now.
Moreover, even the host had emphasized collector's value, not practical value…
In other words, the auction house was covering its bases—implying that the fragment likely had zero functionality.
So, unlike the cheering from the crowd outside, the bidders inside the hall showed little enthusiasm.
Spending 100,000 gold on an item of unknown origin and questionable utility? Even if it could withstand a demigod's strike, that felt like pure indulgence.
"110,000 gold coins."
It was Orsaga who finally broke the silence—raising the bid by a full 10,000 at once.
Immediately, nearby bidders turned to look at him, trying to gauge what he might know that they didn't.
Emboldened by his move, a middle-aged man hesitated for a moment before calling out, "115,000 gold coins."
Unfazed, Orsaga calmly raised the stakes again: "120,000 gold coins."
At that, the man hesitated again, face wavering, before finally giving up.
He had no idea what that thing could actually do, and Orsaga clearly had no concept of money as something valuable. Rather than risk wasting gold, the man chose to bow out.
Thus, the mysterious item was won by Orsaga—for the price of 120,000 gold coins.
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T/N:
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