Elias Leywin POV
The auction unfolded like a drifting dream, a constant tide of hushed murmurs, polite claps, and the crisp call of the auctioneer's voice echoing around the vast hall. From my seat beside Mama and a little ways apart from Arthur, I tried my best to keep my eyes on the stage far below. But every so often, they betrayed me, flicking sideways to where Kathyln sat, poised and quiet next to her mother.
Sometimes, she was already looking at me. She never flinched when our eyes met, she just blinked once, slowly, before turning back to the stage as if nothing at all had happened.
There were plenty of treasures being sold to distract me, though. Early on, a set of finely carved elemental stones went up, each shimmering faintly with stored mana. A merchant from the front rows bought them all without so much as blinking, dropping more gold than my father likely earned in a whole year of work. Then came the beast cores, they were round and polished, giving off a weird vibe each time they were carried in by an attendant on a velvet pillow. Even a plain C-class core started at fifty gold. When a B-class appeared, the bidding turned into a polite battle: voices stayed calm, but the numbers leapt higher, so fast I couldn't keep count.
King Blaine himself raised a hand to claim an A-class beast core, his expression as calm as if he were ordering breakfast instead of gambling hundreds of gold on the hope that the creature's will hadn't already vanished. Beside him, Queen Priscilla leaned toward him once or twice, whispering something I couldn't hear. I thought I saw a faint smile tug at the corner of her lips, but it vanished as quickly as it came.
While the King hunted cores, the Queen claimed more practical things, a mana absorption ring glittering faintly under the crystal lights, a slender conjurer's wand chased in fine silver, and an old but well-preserved grimoire. She lifted her hand no higher than her shoulder when she bid, yet every time, the other nobles fell silent, letting her have her prize without argument.
As we approached the latter half of the auction, the items began increasing in value. As more and more items were sold off, my interest started to deplete until a large, square container, covered by a sheet, was rolled out onto the stage by a few workers.
This seems interes-
My thought is cut short as my brother places his hands over my eyes.
I begin to push him away, to no success. "What are you doing, Art?" I protest as I kick him in his chest, winding him slightly.
He pants heavily for a moment before speaking, "You shouldn't be seeing something like this"
"Why not?" I say, managing to wrestle free of his grasp as I take in the sight before me.
Why are there girls... in chains...
"Why are they..." I mutter as I stand from my chair and walk slowly towards the glass that separates our booth from the rest of the Auction Hall.
I rest my hand as I take in the sight before me, burning it into my memory. A cage full of girls chained together with only a dirty sack to cover their private areas, looking only a few years older than I am.
This is... Why are they...
They're hauled out of the cage one by one, dragged to their feet by men draped in black robes. As the Auctioneer begins to sell them off as if they're Property to be bought and sold.
I turn to look back as my Mother and Aunt Tabitha, their face plastered in solemn frowns at the sight of the slaves, but they simply shook their heads and focused their attention on Ellie and Lilia instead, covering their respective child's eyes as Art had done for me.
Uncle Vincent's face flashed with guilt, but he quickly regained composure.
I take a step away from the glass as I walk back towards my brother, His fists gripping tightly as blood drips from the corner of his mouth. I climb back up in the chair next to him.
Turing my head, I see the Queen covering Kathyln's Eyes as the Prince and his Father wear frowns as they ignore, or rather pretending that the scene before them isn't actually happening for the worse rather than better.
You're the King, surely you can...
My brother stands up from the sofa, with Sylvie doing the same, jumping onto his shoulder.
"Art, where are you..." I begin to ask as I'm vocally overpowered by a bowing Vincent.
"Your Majesty, I hope you're finding it worthwhile to visit this humble auction house of ours."
"This place and event were anything but humble, Vincent. And yes, I'm not sure how you managed to secure an A-class beast core from a silvercoat bear, but you've managed to build quite the network. Let's just hope that the beast will is still intact." He clasped Uncle Vincent's back excitedly with his hand.
"Don't get your hopes up too much, Dear. You know how rare it is," I could hear the Queen mutter quietly in response.
The Queen turned back to resume her conversation with Mama and Aunt Tabitha.
I felt a quiet tug at my sleeve.
I turned to my left, seeing a familiar girl up close, her dark hair framing her pale face like a curtain drawn back for only me to see. She stood just beside my chair, eyes flicking past our mothers, as if politely pretending not to notice them at all as they chatted up a storm with Aunt Tabitha.
"Hi," she said, so softly I wasn't sure if anyone else heard. "Do you... Mind if I sit here for a bit?"
I stared dumbly at her, then at the empty seat beside me, which had been temporarily vacated by my brother while he lingered near one of the Cloaked men who accompanied the royal family.
"Oh-um-of course! Please do so," I stammered, scooting over abruptly. The Princess sat down, smoothing her dress. For a moment, neither of us spoke.
"It's... loud," she said after a heartbeat, her eyes flicking toward the stage where a B-class beast core now gleamed under the lanterns. "I thought it might be quieter up here, compared to down there."
"Oh. Yeah. It is," I managed, my fingers worrying at the hem of my sleeve. I wanted to ask her what she thought of the auction, if she was bored too, and if she liked any of the items so far. But my tongue stuck.
Why am I so damn-
I looked to my side, where her gaze found mine again, and we both looked away at once. My chest felt too tight.
"I—" she began, at the same time I blurted, "Did you—"
We both stopped, a small, helpless laugh trembling on my lips before I swallowed it. She gave the faintest smile, barely more than a twitch at the corner of her mouth, but it made my heart thump even harder.
I let out a heavy exhale as I go to speak, but my throat tightens under some unknown external pressure.
My hand naturally finds my neck as I hold it, my head rushing through a flurry of different possibilities as to what its cause is.
What the Hell is going on?
This place should be safe...
I look up to see Kathlyn hunched over where she holds her chest, falling to her knees.
My breathing turned shallower as the overbearing pressure continued gripping at my insides.
I could feel beads of cold sweat slowly rolling down my face as if they, too, were afraid.
With much effort, my body relented a little, and I was able to turn my gaze slightly to see if they knew what was going on.
While they were at least able to move their bodies, it was clear that they were just as confused as I was.
I release my throat as I rest a hand on the princess' back.
"Are you alright, princess?" I ask through my raspy voice.
She raises her head to look at me, "Kathlyn", she says between bated breaths.
I'm glad she's okay at least...
I turn my gaze away from her as I look over the room.
The King walked over to Kathlyn, picking her up as he shouted out.
"Who's there? You dare try and attack the royal family?" the King roared as he pushed his wife and children behind him. Queen Priscilla had her wand out and was silently muttering a spell as she herded her frightened children.
My mother pulls Ellie and me close as my Father makes his appearance, picking up my brother along the way, carrying him over to us before walking over to Uncle Vincent.
Time ticked slowly for me as everyone in the room was in a state of panic and tension.
My father had stopped by, but, after making sure that we were okay, left to try and search for the mysterious attacker.
It wasn't until they confirmed killing an intruder on the roof of the auction house that everyone had calmed down.
We all return to our seats as the Auctioneer's piercing Voice breaks the temporary Silence.
"Now! For the final item, we have up for the lucky individual fortunate enough to acquire this!" The auctioneer's dramatic voice echoed from below as another cage covered by a silky cloth was dragged onstage.
Everyone in the room was still noticeably tense from the initial shock of an intruder, but their attention was now focused back onto the stage after Vincent announced he had been killed.
After a dramatic pause, the tarp covering the cage was removed, revealing a small feline animal the size of a large dog.
The auctioneer bellowed at that exact moment, "An infant world lion! For those who are ignorant of this magnificent mana beast, an adult world lion has the capability to at least become a B-class mana beast. I dare say that if taken care of well, this infant world lion could even become an A-class mana beast! Do you know what this means? Taking care of and treasuring this fine beast will allow its master to become a legendary beast tamer!"
The audience below us erupted into a frenzy as hands shot into the air, bidding without even waiting for the auctioneer. To my surprise, King Glayder smacked the glass with his hand as his eyes stayed glued to the mana beast.
Having never traversed to the Beast Glades, I too was naturally also intrigued by the cub.
"Now, now! I won't be able to start the bidding until everyone gets settled!" The auctioneer shook his fingers with a satisfied grin plastered on his face as he waited for the crowd to settle.
As the bidders all reluctantly settled, the auctioneer finally announced the starting bid. "We will start at one hundred gold!"
Immediately, the price of the world lion soared. Soon, it passed four hundred gold, and the bidders had no intention of stopping.
"500 gold!"
"550!"
"600!"
"700!"
"1000 gold coins!" the King bellowed into a voice-amplifying artefact.
Simply by hearing their king's voice, the crowd's incessant bidding stopped. It was obvious that, while there were plenty who could afford to bid higher, they were more debating on whether it was worth bidding against their own king.
After the auctioneer counted off, the price was eventually settled at a thousand gold coins or one white-gold tablet.
Vincent walked up to the King with his hand held out. "Seems like no one wants to bid against you, King Glayder," he congratulated.
"One white-gold tablet shouldn't be too unfair, right?" the King joked as he peered back down onto the stage, obviously excited.
"Thank you for the consideration," Vincent chuckled in defeat. "What are your plans with the new royal pet? Will you use it for yourself, or perhaps give it to your son?"
"While tempting it is for me to acquire a bond, I'm thinking of giving it to Curtis..." he said casually. "Of course, that all depends on how he does," he finished, patting his son's head.
"D-Dad!" Prince Curtis, whose face had visibly brightened at his father's first remark, stuttered out in worry.
Queen Priscilla, adding fuel to the fire, added, "Curtis, I remember you've been slacking off on your sword lessons."
"Ah! Mom! That was supposed to be a secret!" The fierce-looking prince tugged on his mother's sleeve as his eyes switched between his mother and father.
"Mama, can I have a pet?" Ellie asked.
"I want one too!" I protest as both my sister and I glare at our mother
"Haha! I don't know. Mana beasts only want to be pets for good Children," Mama teased, wagging a finger at us.
~~~
The Tenth Anniversary event concluded without further incident, and the guards escorted us all back downstairs. I stayed close to Mama, watching Arthur out of the corner of my eye. He walked ahead of us, calm as ever, Sylvie padding by his side like she owned the marble floors.
In the storage room behind the stage, Uncle Vincent handed Arthur a package wrapped in dark cloth. I craned my neck a little, wondering what was inside.
"Thank you," Arthur said, polite but distant, like always when grown-ups praised him.
"For everything you and your family have done for us, this is hardly enough," Vincent told him, then added, "Arthur, we have some swords in the back if you want to look. They might not be anything fancy, but I'm sure you'll find a sturdy blade until you finish growing."
"Oh! Are you planning on taking lessons with the sword?" King Glayder asked, one big hand resting on Prince Curtis's shoulder. The prince peeked at Arthur, wide-eyed.
"Swords are merely a hobby for me, Your Majesty. I would never hope to amount to the same level as your son," Arthur said evenly, turning back toward Vincent.
"Your Majesty, Prince Curtis would only become infected with bad habits if he began sparring with mere commoners." A royal guard with snake-like eyes comments with a slight scowl as he looks between my brother and his bond.
Before Arthur could say anything back, Papa arrived, beaming as he lifted Ellie into his arms. "Ah, you guys are here! How did you enjoy the auction?" he asked us, then dipped his head quickly to the King and Queen before he pulled Uncle Vincent aside as he and the Twin Horns began debriefing about the event.
"Big Bro, can we get a Sword yet?" I groan out as I play with Sylvie, holding her front paws as she stands up on her hind legs.
He patted my head slightly as his eyes lingered on the same robed man as he leaned close to the king's ear.
Something about it made my stomach squirm.
After a few moments, King Glayder shot his royal guard an irritated glance, but let out a sigh.
The King's gaze slid past me and fixed on Papa. "I never did catch your name. You must be this young boy's father, correct?"
Papa lowered his head a bit. "My name is Reynolds Leywin, and yes, that is the case. What might be the matter, Your Majesty?"
I hugged my elbows as the King went on, smooth but cold. "Sebastian here has served our family loyally for many years. For his service, I feel the need to reward him. He has taken a fancy to your son's bond. I know it's not easy to sever a contract, but I would be more than willing to hire a mage and compensate you for the trouble."
My breath caught.
He wanted Sylvie?
I looked up at Arthur, but he didn't flinch as his eyes glared intently at the King. The air around him grows heavy as he lifts his hand from my scalp.
Papa stammered, "Y-Your Majesty... my son found his bond on his own. I cannot speak for him about it."
The King turned, eyes landing on Arthur like he was some stubborn little thing in his way. Beside him, the man I assume to be Sebastian slammed his staff down. "Boy. Didn't your father teach you to lower your gaze when speaking to your superiors?"
I felt my cheeks burn. Should I look down, too? But Arthur didn't move. The King raised a hand, silencing Sebastian. The air got tight. Even Papa was quiet now.
The King stepped closer to Arthur. "Hello, child. I'm sure you heard what I just said. How about it? My royal armoury has a sword fit for any aspiring knight."
Arthur didn't bow. He didn't even blink. "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your gracious offer, but I must refuse. A simple sword could never replace Sylvie."
Sebastian's face twisted, "How dare-" but before he could spit more poison, the King snapped, "Sebastian!" His tone turned sharp as a knife when he looked back at Arthur. "How about a trade then? The world lion cub I just purchased for your bond?"
"Father!" Curtis tugged at the King's sleeve. "I thought the mana beast was mine?"
The King ignored him, eyes boring into Arthur. Arthur didn't flinch. "Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. I do not wish to give, sell, or trade my bond."
The King's shoulders tensed. He leaned in, voice low but heavy as a mountain. "I have asked you twice, child. I will ask once more: will you give me your bond?"
I felt my chest pound so hard it hurt. All eyes were on Arthur now. Arthur didn't back down. His words cut clean through the air. "Then let me ask you a question in response, Your Majesty. How much are you willing to sell your children to me?"
The King's mouth dropped open before twisting in anger.
Thrown off guard, the King wasn't able to respond to the seemingly random question. "You have asked me twice and I have rejected you both times, yet it seems your pride won't allow you to accept my refusal. You don't seem to be aware of what you were asking me, so I hoped to clarify using my question instead. How much money should I give you in return for your son or your daughter, King Glayder?" Art reiterates staring down the King of Humanity.Top of Form
I heard the sharp whistle of a sword leaving its scabbard. "Insolent peasant! You dare insult the King and his family?" a guard roared as he charged at my brother.Bottom of Form
As the sword arced towards my brother, he pushed Sylvie and me aside with a burst of wind mana, sending us skidding across the marble flooring.
I hold my brother's bond close to my chest as he easily side steps the guard's swing. Continuing his movement, Art brings his fist to the outclassed guard's jaw, shattering it with a deep thud as he collapses to the floor.
Art flicks his wrist, waving off any pain that his punch may have caused him, as he stares down at Sebastian.
He takes a step forward.
Then-
What the hell?
My brother stands over Sebastian, both of his legs shattered as bone and tendon poke free of his flesh, as blood begins to pool on the floor.
Art lets out a heavy exhale as his body begins to collapse.
Shit
I thrust both of my arms out sending a burst of wind mana in a similar manner to what my brother had done to me mere moments prior, slowing his fall ever so slightly.
WC – 3284
Thanks for reading this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it. 😊
All Criticism and feedback are welcome. Any suggestions for the story or plot are also more than welcome.
A lot of Arthur Glaze in this chapter, but he's one of my favourite characters in fiction, so it's acceptable in my eyes. I hadn't planned for the auction to last 2 whole chapters, but I needed to add some dialogue to not fluff up the story, but to add a sort of base for me to build up relationships for further down the story.
Finally, having some more original stuff happen next chapter, so stay tuned.
If we're all still alive, the next chapter will be released at 12 Likes or on Sunday.
Rius out.