“Should we really indulge that habit of hers?” asked Joshua, the elder of the twins, lounging on a chair.

Every house had a booth for themselves. There was no way to tell who, among the house, was bidding in the auction if you didn’t recognize their voices.

“Why not? It makes us seem cooler,” said Joseph and shrugged.

He sat on another chair, hugging a comfy pillow as he looked at what happened below.

“Still, father is such a cheapskate. He never gives us enough,” said Joseph after a long sigh.

“He gave us Three Green Crystals. Don’t be spoiled,” said Joshua, “That’s six in total. It’s more than peasant families make in their lifetime.”

“But we aren’t peasants,” he pouted.

“Shush,” said Joshua as his eyes narrowed.

“What?” asked Joseph.

“The ginseng isn’t the last item in the auction,” said Joshua, a smirk on his face, “It should be the the third from last. This is absurd. Theodore’s already used four crystals on this one. He’ll never afford the next item. If all three of us pool together our money, we might be able to show off.”

“Five Green Crystals going once,” said the host and tapped his hammer on the gavel, for dramatic effect, “Five Green Crystals going twice. Is there no one that’ll match Young Master Springwell’s bid?”

“Seven Green Crystals,” said a familiar voice.

“What!” shouted Joshua as he stood up in shock, staring down at the public booth.

The show-offs liked to bid in the public booth and that meant Emma frequented that place.

An eerie silence reigned over the auction house but soon murmurs followed.

There were smaller Noble Houses, too, and vassals as well. Not everyone at the auction was a big shot like the Beaumonts and the Springwells.

“S-seven Green Crystals!” shouted the host, “We have a bid of Seven Green Crystals, everyone!”

“Hmph,” snorted one of the too-many-to-count nobles in the room. His most defining feature was his cleft chin and loose black hair that reached his shoulders. From behind, most would see him as a lady that wore masculine clothing but would soon be proven wrong by his pronounced jawline and goatee, “As late as always.”

“All but the last items are for the peasants, as they say,” said Emma, a resting bitch face, a big frown on her face contrary to her cheery demeanor and her eyes expressionless, “Were you actually bidding on them, Young Master Springwell?”

Of course, linked to her arm was Adrian, for intimidating purposes or something of the ilk.

“Umm, sir,” said one of the servants with a fancy vest over a clean white shirt, approaching the duo, “A-are you sure that you bid Seven Green Crystals? There’s a no-refund policy and if you will, we need proof.”

Up above, Joshua stared at the scenery below, eyes alternating between narrowed and as wide as it could get.

“How much does he even have?” he mumbled underneath his breath.

“I suppose I can say it now, since he’s showing off,” said Joseph after a self-confident snigger and a snort, “All the items from this point on… will be his.”

“I-is Mr. Anderson that wealthy?” asked Joshua, words barely forming in his mouth.

“Not always. I happened to stumble into him wrangling out most of father’s and Lord Gunther’s personal savings after the tournament,” said Joshua with a shrug and a smirk, “How do you think I got over my Martial Disturbance that easily? Comedy helps.”

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“Get to the point,” said Joshua.

“He has fifty. I saw him at the treasury,” said Joseph and anyone could see that Joshua, the more composed of the duo, was on the verge of vomiting blood, “That’s more than the total amount we’ve gotten on hand in our lives, isn’t it? In total, too.”

“Does Emma know?” asked Joshua, to which Joseph gave a tilt of his head.

Just one version of shrugging that he did frequently, of which he had dozens of if not hundreds.

“And who’s that peasant you’ve got there?” asked Theodore Springwell down below, the one with the cleft-chin, “Does he even realize the difference between Red and Green Crystals?”

Emma tugged at Adrian’s arm ever so slightly.

It was time to flex.

“You’re a shameless son,” said the Shadow inside his head.

“He’s just paying me back for my soul,” thought Adrian, “I assume that’s expensive enough.”

He turned to the servant, and asked, “How many items are left?”

“I see, I see. I knew that you’d rethink your decision. We actually have two more items so the Screeching Ginseng isn’t actually the last item. So, sir, should we assume that the ginseng is Young Master Springwell’s?” the servant asked.

“Two items left,” said Adrian and let out a deep sigh.

“Ha, as expected of a peasant,” said Theodore.

Emma tugged on his arm again, far harder this time.

“It’s fine. I’m bidding for the ginseng,” said Adrian and then turned to Emma, “Do you want the other items as well?”

Emma didn’t give him an eager nod or anything of the sort. Rather, she sneered at Theodore.

“Whatever. The last item will be my dowry,” said Adrian and he turned to Theodore, “Tell me, are you the richest one here?”

He didn’t need to ask.

Theodore had saved up for two years to afford the ginseng, so he had to be the one with the most funds.

Unlike merchants who could stockpile their wealth and spend it accordingly, Nobles had little effective wealth unless they were corrupt. The wellbeing of the cities were paid for by the Nobles and the taxes that they collected from the people didn’t add onto their wealth, but that of the Crown’s.

One of the many unfair caveats of the system.

Theodore stood there, for a few seconds, and questioned Adrian.

“I assume that is an effort to offend me,” said Theodore.

“Of course not, Young Master Springwell. My betrothed, as you said, is a peasant. He is unfamiliar with the etiquettes that are to be upheld,” she said and gave him a small bow.

Then came a pinch on his arm.

“Oh, that’s offensive,” said Adrian, as if he didn’t even care.

Emma wanted him to show-off but on top of that, he had to show-off for his father.

He did have enough.

“I’m merely asking how much you’ve brought. I see no need to waste my time with a mere Regional Imperial Auction if there aren’t any competitors,” said Adrian and raised a hand, flashing his Spatial Ring.

“You want to sell a Spatial Ring?” asked Theodore and smirked, “Woe to you, but the Imperial Auction House does not barter. That’s something only second-class Auction Hous-”

He froze mid-sentence as a mountain of Green Crystals dropped to the ground from Adrian’s Spatial Ring.

Emma, too, froze.

“Ah, that feels much better,” said Adrian.

Spatial Rings didn’t simply store everything in a void. It made everything smaller and stored it in a special crystal that could only be mined on the Central Continent. It made the weight of objects insignificantly small but if it was full, it was akin to carrying around a boulder.

It was full with crystals.

The servant knelt down next to the mountain of crystals and grabbed one of them, pulled out a monocle to examine them and nodded.

“These are genuine,” he said.

That was when the host came around, walking like a penguin, adorned in a black suit and a top hat.

“Ah, it’s Mr. Anderson’s son, I see,” said the host and nodded, “Indeed, I am afraid that none can contest your wealth among the Young Masters, but I am sure that so much will not be necessary. Would you humor an auction, just to estimate the amount you’ll have to pay?”

“No need,” said Adrian, “A mere Fifty Green Crystals isn’t a lot for me. Take it as a gift from me to the ones that put the items on display. For saving me the hassle of finding a passable dowry myself, that is.”

With that, he turned around, practically dragging Emma out.

Up in the booths, Joseph could be seen cackling like a maniac while Joseph just stared at the mountain of emerald crystals that glimmered, not because of light from the outside, but because of the Qi within it.

Most had seen such an amount only in the Treasury, where everything was kept for storage.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had that much?” grumbled Emma after they finally got seated in the carriage, whispering to not be heard.

“It worked out decently, didn’t it?” asked Adrian, “As far as showing-off goes.”

“No, no. That’s not showing-off. That’s wasteful spending. You should’ve humored the auction in the first place,” she said and then whisper-shouted, “You could’ve gotten everything with twenty!”

“Not to my father. He’d make it rain Red Crystals if he wanted to show off,” said Adrian, “It’s fine. I had to show off. Why do you think I had that much?”

As if she finally realized that she wasn’t the only one playing the games, Emma quieted down.

“But aren’t you worried about your father’s finances? That his company will bankrupt if you spend too much?” asked Emma.

“Not one bit,” he said.

Emma just stared at him, a weird mix of a smirk and a frown on her face.

“I only do that for my father’s company, though. He’s practically a bottomless wallet,” said Adrian. Then, as if reassuring himself, he thought, “Because he sold my soul.”

Just to make himself seem a little less like an insufferable prick.