After that we have dinner and despite my hints, Seraph stays to have dinner with us. Luckily, she leaves after dinner without making a fuss, but I doubt this is the last I will see of her. She is very determined and isn't going to give up, but after the auction I will be gone.

Since dinner is over I head up to check on Grimgar and give him some food. While he is eating he asks all the questions he thought of during the day. After answering his questions I create a soulscape and invite the kids.

I also invite Myria but she doesn't show up, she probably thinks I am mad at her. That's fine by me, I just focus on training and then playing with the kids. After I end the soulscape I try to get some sleep, but I am too excited to sleep.

Even though the auction might not be anything like I am imagining I am still excited. It is the exact same feeling I used to get as a kid on Christmas Eve. I want it to be tomorrow already, but the time is crawling by since I can't sleep.

Since I am too worked up to really concentrate on anything I let myself sink into my memories. In truth, I had forgotten these memories even before I came to this world. Its seems the improvements in my stats have allowed me to remember them now.

The time before my parents died was something I intentionally tried to forget. At the time these memories were much too painful, but now they feel different. They still have a note of sadness, but now the original happiness of the memories is back.

Reliving my memories allows time to pass and before I know it the sun is up. When I wake up from the memories I am surprised to find my face wet from tears. As I get up and wash my face I somehow feel lighter, like a weight has been lifted.

However, because of my excitement for the auction, I don't really pay any attention to it. I have some breakfast with Grimgar and tell him the plan I have for the auction. Including the possibility of having to run away at the end of the auction.

"So, Grimgar, the question is when do you want to leave? If you don't want to go to the ship with me, now would be the best time."

Grimgar says "Well, I feel fairly confident about being able to teach my tribe. While I feel staying with you would benefit me, I am worried about my tribe. It has been a long time since I was captured."

"It is your decision to make."

Grimgar says "I will stay and practice today. Then tonight when the auction is over I will ask you any questions I have and then leave."

"Alright, sounds like a plan. I will escort you out of the city and gate you to the place I have been that is closest to your tribe."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Grimgar says "I want to thank you for all your help! This could end up saving my tribe!"

"You're welcome!"

Leaving Grimgar to practice I head out of the manor, on my way out I send a message to Henrietta. That way she will know I have already left and won't be looking for me. On my way to the auction house I move carefully and avoid the main streets.

On my way I see a lot of suspicious people, but I manage to avoid them. I don't relax until I reach the auction house, which is surrounded by guards. The security is dozens of times higher than when I came to look before.

To get to someone who can take my money I have to show my invitation three different times. Luckily, they have magic to count the money otherwise it would take forever. Once the money is counted they give me a voting paddle that has my seven million on it.

It looks like a ping-pong paddle, but it has my voter number on it, which is one-thirty-two. Then it is explained how I use it and the rules of the auction since it is my first time. All I have to do is hold up the paddle and think of the amount I want to bid.

As long as I have enough the bid will be shown on the paddle and transmitted to the auctioneer. If I win a bid the amount will automatically be subtracted from the total on the paddle. Whatever item I win will be delivered to me within a few minutes of the winning bid.

After receiving the bidding paddle I have to bond to it with a drop of blood. This makes sure that no one else can use it, so stealing it from me would be worthless. Aside from that I need the paddle to reclaim any money that I don't spend during the auction.

Once all the rules have been explained to me, an attendant leads me up into the actual auction house. The auction area is a three story circular area, the center of which is hollow. On the main floor in the center is a circular stage where the auctioneer will be.

The stage is surrounded by humanoid statues that I realize are all golems. Anyone trying to steal an item on the stage would be doomed to be surrounded and killed by them. Surrounding the stage are rows of seats much like those in a movie theater.

Those are the common seats, the attendant leads me to the second floor. The second and third floor are the VIP boxes, they overhang the common seats. The boxes on the third floor are for the VIPs of the Magic Kingdom and the royalty of the surrounding kingdoms.

The second floor boxes are for the super rich and strong merchant groups. It is one of these boxes on the second floor that the attendant leads me to. When I enter the box it is empty, but there is still an hour until the auction starts.

Inside the box there are a number of extremely luxurious seats that face the stage. Other than that on one side of the box is a long table covered in various foods and drinks. The enchantments on the table instantly attract my attention, they are quite complex.

Not only do they keep the items on the table from changing temperature, but allow items to be teleported to them. Meaning an attendant doesn't need to enter the room to replenish anything on the table. This probably means that unless you call for someone, no one will enter the box during the auction.

As I am looking around I realize that the walls of the box are also enchanted. Not only is the room soundproof but it is also protected against magical spying. Even the front of the box, which is open, doesn't allow sound to pass out.

That is why the paddles are necessary, if you are holding a paddle up you can send sound out. Without a paddle you could scream your bid at the top of your lungs and no one would hear it. However, what interests me the most is the enchantments to prevent magical spying.