In the grand auction hall of the Roland Empire, the audience's excitement surged to unprecedented levels. As the host's voice boomed, the main stage mechanism opened, and a square cage, draped in black curtains, ascended.
"Below is the final item of the auction, and truly, the one most anticipated by everyone present. Please, prepare yourselves!" The mature and elegant female host announced in a clear voice, then swiftly turned, unveiling the object beneath the black cloth.
Exposed to the lights for the first time in this world, Julian winced, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the glare. Under the gaze of all the auction's guests, his waterfall of sacred silver hair shimmered dazzlingly under the lights, and the skin on his arms was smooth and fair. Among ordinary human hair colors, silver was exceedingly rare, and Julian's particular shade of sacred silver was unheard of, even showing a golden hue when illuminated by the light. This hair color was typically found only in Moon Elves, a noble and pure variety of elves.
He was clad only in a flimsy cloak wrapped around his body, adorned with various peculiar, sculpted designs. It was less clothing and more akin to exotic lingerie. His slender form was completely exposed to the viewers, revealing alluring collarbones and translucent skin that only enhanced his appeal.
"Ohh..." A low murmur rippled through the hall. The air itself seemed to take on a certain atmosphere—invisible, intangible, yet distinctly felt. It was **desire**. Julian even felt the air around him thicken, his body sticky with the greedy gazes of countless people.
The cage door opened, and the elegant female host slowly entered, smiling as she gently pressed down Julian's hand resting on his face. "Be good," she said with a smile. In her experience, this little one had arrived already well-behaved, never refusing anything she asked, like an obedient little white rabbit.
Julian slightly shifted his arm, revealing more than half of his face, which was etched with defiance. However, to the woman, his expression was far from threatening; it looked more like the pouting or even coquettish display of a small white rabbit. Forcibly pulling his wrist down, the woman maintained her radiant smile. Julian's eyes widened slightly, finally shifting his attention from the host to the seated guests.
Leaving aside the private boxes above, why were all the seats below filled entirely with women? Aside from the occasional male server passing through, every guest he saw in the auction hall was female. And they were completely different from his preconceived notions of women. The biggest difference was that Julian felt they each exuded an intense sense of "aggressiveness" and "possessiveness." This felt deeply wrong.
Though it might sound discriminatory, in Julian's memory and even in the books he'd read, men and women had distinct natures. Regardless of time or place, from ancient times to the present, the upper echelons and rulers had basically been monopolized by men. A male-dominated world was the normal state. This implied significant differences in nature between men and women, with "aggressiveness" being one of them.
When Julian fully revealed his face, the women below clearly and honestly displayed their almost fanatical "aggressiveness."
"Is he (she?) an elf?"
"His ears are clearly human. Elf ears are full."
"Too bad it's a girl... But it's not bad; I just happen to need a 'daughter' to raise."
"Lady Caroline, look closely at this child's throat. This is no girl."
"An Adam's apple... Oh my god, I must have this child!"
Julian listened to the murmuring below, his scalp tingling. Being mistaken for a girl wasn't the main issue. The crucial point was that these women, judging by their tone, clearly had no reservations. What was going on with the women in this world? Julian remained silent, contemplating how the current situation differed from his past. Fortunately, having "died" once, Julian's attitude toward this new world was completely different from his former pessimism and world-weariness. He maintained his silence, awaiting further developments.
The host, meanwhile, spoke with a rich, emotional tone: "This child is today's final treasure. With a beauty comparable to an elf, an obedient and sensible personality, and most importantly... as a boy, his first night is still completely untouched!"
After speaking, she paused deliberately, then warmly took Julian's hand and bent down to brush aside the silver hair covering his right eye. With his silver hair swept aside, Julian's right eye was revealed to everyone: a pure white flower, with four petals blooming from the site of his right eye. Coupled with Julian's innocent face, it made people instinctively want to lean in and gently inhale, wondering if he carried a pleasant floral scent.
This time, the entire hall was devoid of any compliments. For a moment, the whole venue was so silent that even the disparate sounds of everyone's breathing could be heard distinctly. To ordinary people, Julian's right eye was a physical imperfection, but in the eyes of the nobles, this imperfection seemed more like a form of beauty.
In the prayers of the goddess Farad, divine guardians often had physical deficiencies in various parts of their bodies, such as arms transforming into blades, legs into snake bodies, or a third eye on their forehead. In the holy scriptures, these were not flaws but rather distinct boundaries separating saints from mortals. Julian's right eye was not simply blind; no ordinary person's eye would grow such a flower. Thus, this could only be a creation of the divine. Most importantly, Julian's face, combined with the flower in his right eye, did not appear strangely terrifying; instead, it added a touch of divine beauty to his already beautiful face.
"Has he undergone the awakening ritual?" someone from below directly asked.
"No," the host replied with a smile.
Gulps were heard, but no one criticized the person who asked, as they all understood what this implied. She looked around the hall; the noblewomen appeared calm on the surface, but the greed and recklessness in their eyes could not be concealed. With a smirk, the host officially declared: "And now, for today's final treasure, let the bidding begin!"
There was no need to emphasize the starting price, as it would be an insult to Julian, this precious item, and a waste of breath.
"10,000 Berler Gold," the first bidder, a countess, announced.
The opening bid was astronomical, enough money to directly purchase a territory in a distant region. However, the attendees in the hall were at least barons and above, so for them, this price was merely an appetizer.
"50,000 Berler Gold."
"60,000!"
...
The bidding climbed higher and higher, soon surpassing 100,000 Berler Gold.