Gilbert sighed. "It's one twist after the other. Well, I was ordered to ensure the safety of the final lot, but seeing as how it's just a fox... What're you going to do, son?"

"... I'll buy it. I don't trust for a second that everything is as it seems. If Milindo has taught me anything, it's to be sceptical of fuckin' everything. Worst-case scenario I get Soph a nice new cuddly pet," Lone answered. 'Plus, something feels... off about that fox... There’s no way they’d sell an ordinary animal just to just over some rumour mongers and would-be thieves, right?'

Gilbert nodded. "Very well. I do wonder if those rumours about a Golden Foxkin were false or not... Perhaps one did exist once upon a time but was swapped out to make a statement."

Grimsley nodded. "Aye. Seems mighty suspicious if ya ask me. Ah can feel ma beard tinglin'. 'At can only mean one ah two things; ah need a shite or 'ere's bullshit afoot. Either way, this 'ole thing reeks."

Gilbert grimaced. "Always the lovely imagery with you, isn't that right?"

Lone ignored the two old men as they started bickering and he instead glanced over at the empress of the Taslo Empire's booth.

'That old man is back...' He tried to look around and use his advanced foxkin hearing to see if he could pick up on anyone commenting about the hunched-over rag-wearing figure, but not a word was being spoken regarding him as he whispered into the empress's ear.

For whatever reason, the only person Lone couldn't hear even when focusing as best as he could was the decrepit old man.

Lone's heart almost stopped when the sun staff-wielding man turned his head in an unnatural manner to stare at him.

His face was horrid and grotesque beyond mortal comprehension. Puss-filled spots littered his every wrinkle as the corners of his mouth stretched rigidly into a toothless smile at Lone.

He was forced to close his eyes just to avoid expelling his dinner all over the smooth gem flooring he was stood on.

When he opened his eyes again, the man was nowhere to be seen.

"Odd," Gilbert noted. "Empress Okuldia isn't bidding on the fox. Surely someone as old and wise as she would have her suspicions as well... Is she avoiding butting heads with the church since they're actively participating?"

Lone shook his head to snap out of his stupor. He didn't humour Gilbert with a response and instead focused his attention on the fox in question.

Whoever or... whatever that old man was, Lone felt it would be wiser to try not to dwell too long on the subject. That's what his gut told him, anyway.

The Golden Fox was a bit on the plump side, which was a good thing. That indicated that it wasn't being starved, at the very least.

Lone couldn't see a slave collar which was yet another good sign.

After staring at the soft-looking creature for about ten seconds, it yawned itself awake and then turned its head to stare right back at Lone.

It seemed curious and almost happy to see him.

'Does it recognise me as a fellow fox or something? Is that possible? Is that normal? Gah, it fuckin' sucks living in a country full of demi-haters. Why can't there be more info about demis and their relationships with their more animalistic counterparts? Well, Gilbert seems to hate dragons, so maybe this isn't normal or this particular fox is just weird...' Lone thought. 'Maybe we’re connected somehow...'

Regardless, Lone joined in with the bidding.

----------------------------------------

It didn't take too long for the number of contestants still trying to win the fox to dwindle down to only two.

Lone frowned. 'Why the hell does the church want the fox so badly? Is there actually something special about it?'

During the bidding, Grimsley had commented that Golden Foxes usually sold for about a single gold coin as pets and 50 silvers as pelts.

Honestly, Lone didn't really like the idea that such a beautiful creature was actively hunted for its pelt, but such a thing was done with hounds and shot for sport back home in Scotland.

There were bans and laws against the practice when dogs were involved, but the traditional old countrymen who had gone through the whole rigamarole of actually obtaining a gun license - something incredibly difficult to get in Scotland - were exceedingly close-minded people.

At least, that was how Lone saw them; close-minded, cruel, and most important, abhorrently foolish.

Regardless of his thoughts on fox hunting, the bids had reached three gold coins when the third bidder had stepped down, leaving only him and the church's representative fighting over the animal.

As of the most recent bid, however, the current price for the fox was sitting at 15 gold, an absolutely ludicrous price for such an ordinary animal, regardless of how beautiful its fur was or how cute the animal itself presented itself as.

In fact, their small bidding war had been going on for so long, slowly raising the price to what it was now, that over half of the auction's participants had politely said farewell and left the establishment early.

Lone couldn't see a definitive leader in the chapel-like booth amongst the many robe-wearing individuals, so he focused his attention on the woman who was placing the bids against his own.

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She didn't even look his way. He felt that this wasn't a case of her simply not noticing his gaze but instead her choosing to ignore his existence since it was beneath her.

Gilbert sighed upon noticing what was going on. "Like I told you a while ago, son, the church is very for human and demihuman equality but also against, well, Beastkin like you and I being equal to anything, even monsters. Were it not for the support of The Academy and The Adventurer's Guild among a few other institutions, then our kind would likely be hunted en masse. We're lucky that only a few nations strongly agree with the church like the Taslo Empire."

Lone was aware of The Academy's policy of total equality and it was one of the reasons he wanted to learn magic there, but right now, he didn't really care for Gilbert's knowledge.

'Should I just big dick it? Slam down ten ruby-gold coins or something? Even when we flee the country, Sophia and I can easily survive on a few white-gold coins, let alone a handful of ruby-gold ones. That's true even if we have a pet fox and are escorting Breena here back to the Crimson Foxkin Clan,' he thought.

As he increased the bid marginally once more, he slowly nodded his head. 'Yeah. It's probably better to just throw down all of my cards. They're just a small branch of the church. I doubt they can afford more than a few ruby-gold coins. Ten is a bit much, so let's go with five.'

"18 gold coins," the church's representative said monotonously.

"Five ruby-gold coins," Lone immediately followed, shocking the whole auction hall into silence.

He grinned and said, "I can see a bit of myself in that little creature. My master is very gracious for allowing me to splurge some of her wealth to obtain such a lovely and lazy little pet."

Murmurs of how rich Lone's 'master' must be to afford such a massive sum for what was nothing more than a slightly uncommon animal spread throughout the remaining participants.

The members of the Church of the Primals collectively frowned and then started whispering amongst themselves. A moment later, the representative spoke.

"Have it then. It truly is fitting for a feral animal to fall into the custody of yet another feral animal. Undying Teller, we shall be leaving." Without waiting for a response from Peter, she and the other brothers and sisters of the church left their booth.

Shaking his head and sighing, Peter mumbled, "Why do they never call me Peter the Host or just Peter even though I've asked them to?"

He cleared his throat and then smiled widely. "There you have it, folks! Do we have any more bids on this young and plump Golden Fox? No one? Well then, going once, going twice, going thrice, and gone! Congratulations to the nine-tailed Golden Foxkin!"

Lone exhaled deeply as he stepped away from the jewelled balcony to sit down on the sofa Gilbert was nestled in. "Thank fuck. I didn't need another Daisuke incident."

Sophie approached his side and nodded. "None of us did."

Grimsley stroked his massive beard as he said, "What now? Is there a place we go an' collect the pup or what, they bring it tae us?"

Gilbert answered, "They'll come and tell us when to go down and receive the fox. We also pay at the same time if memory serves me well."

"Sounds good," Grimsley said.

And so they waited. It wasn't long until a member of the auction's staff knocked on the suite's door and then escorted the group to what was simply called the transaction room.

Surprisingly, Peter was there waiting for them with the baby fox sleeping peacefully on his lap.

"First thing's first, my lovely guests, the five ruby-gold coins, if you would," Peter demanded with a telling smirk.

Lone and Gilbert placed themselves on the sofa opposite Peter and the fox while Sophie, Grimsley, and the three former slaves, stood behind or beside it.

Lone nodded and reached into his pocket. "Here," he said as he pulled out exactly five ruby-gold coins from his Dimensional Storage and passed them to the man.

Peter inspected each one closely and then nodded his head. He stowed the large coins away in the chest pocket of his coattail before smiling widely. "Excellent."

He picked up the sleeping fox and passed it to Lone.

He'd never had a pet before because his mother was allergic to both dogs and cats. Anything not of those two species wasn't deemed to be a suitable pet by his father.

Lone held the fox a bit awkwardly, but it didn't seem to mind as it remained asleep even as he handled it.

Peter maintained his business smile as he said, "She is a young child, but I trust you shall treat her with care, yes?"

Lone nodded mutely, not really paying attention. 'She's so soft and... light.'

"Now, I have two additional requirements that you must agree to meet if I am to properly transfer ownership of her to you, Mister Immortus," Peter claimed as the look in his eyes deepened.

Gilbert frowned. "How do you know his name? He's far too unimportant for someone of your stature to be aware of who he is... unless... Also, what do you mean there are 'additional requirements'? I have never heard of such a thing happening before in any of the Deposit Conglomerate's auction halls."

Peter turned slowly to face Gilbert. "I fear that you do not have the right to know such things."

He waved his hand and all of a sudden everyone bar himself, Lone, Sophie, and the baby Golden Fox, were removed from the room.

"Now that we have some privacy, I trust you wish to hear these additional requirements, yes?" Peter asked as his lips curled in a friendly and warm smile.

Sophie's hands hovered over the pommels of her sheathed shortswords. "What is going on here? Where have our companions disappeared to?"

Lone was equally confused and on guard. "... They're fine, aren't they? And this isn't just a fox, is it?"

"Ah, trust the Primals' Shackles to have such a keen awareness. You feel a connection with the fox, do you not, Mister Immortus?" Peter asked knowingly.

"Primals’ Shackles? Are you somehow referring to me?" Lone asked, not understanding the name or title or whatever that was.

"Well, you are a nine-tailed Golden Foxkin, are you not?" Peter asked rhetorically. "Regardless, I do not mind answering questions within my ability to answer... just so long as you first agree to the additional requirements."

"Lone, we should leave," Sophie advised. "This man makes us feels uncomfortable, and not in the same way as that slimy hero does."

"Oh, of course. How could I forget about Miss Vladimirovich? Perhaps you'd prefer I called you Misses Immortus? Not yet? No matter. All in due time. Sir Deposit offers his condolences for your... condition," Peter said in a very sincere manner.

"Condition?" Sophie narrowed her eyes beneath her helmet. "What condition?"

"Of course, what condition indeed, as you likely do not have it yet. Well, at least not in an obvious manner. Regardless, I must, for a third time, stress the importance of the additional requirements," Peter stated.

"... Fine. Let's hear them th-"

"Lone!" Sophie yelled. "You surely cannot be willing to listen to this man? He speaks in riddles! Let us leave the fox and let him keep the money for the trouble. No good can come from conversing with him."

"You wound me," Peter said. "True, I come across as... suspicious, but I have only the best of intentions at heart. She needs care. She needs love. She needs protection. I will not ask a fifth time. Will you listen to the additional requirements?"

Lone made a quick decision given Peter's... imposing demeanour. "We will."

He turned to face Sophie and said, "If he can seemingly teleport even a powerful mage like Gilbert at will and have it so he hasn't broken into this room as we've been talking, then he's got to be pretty fuckin' powerful. It's wiser to listen and consider what he says. He hasn't threatened us or anything. Talking in riddles seems pretty normal for a guy who goes by the title of the Undying Teller."

Peter sighed. "Please, I really would appreciate being called Peter the Host, or just Peter."