Cosplaying As Pure

"Well then, if there's no one who's willing to fight for it, this Soul-exalting Old World parchment will be going to this dear young man! 100,000 silver coins going once... going twice..." The auctioneer slowly said with a gratifying smile, as if trying to encourage even the sun to bid for it. But only 100,000 coins of any wouldn’t be enough for an item of this caliber, even if the person bidding for it knew the chances to learn its secrets were diminutive. "And so-"

"Excuse me. This parchment is not something a trifling First Step kid can use. I will bid 200,000 silver coins!" All the way to the back of the crowd, where an empty spot of seats was only occupied by 3 people sitting together. One of them in the middle looked and seemed slightly bulky, of regular height, but was entirely silent. The one to the cloaked person's left was a middle-aged man with very short-length black hair, combed like a gentleman's with gel. And to the cloaked person's right was the one who spoke, an aged fellow with blonde hair and whitest hair at his bear, eyebrows, and mustache.

“Woah…” - “A battle has started!” - “They’re bullying a child. How inhumane!”

The crowd began going at it, more excited and expectant than worried or feeling unjust, but such was the world. Heian Ciemnosc didn’t even look back nor use Spirit Sense to take a look, but he remembered every person he saw here and recalled what those 3 looked like. He didn’t mind and, just like one would to a pet, began stroking Elena’s skin from the right side of her face. She was simply enjoying his touch with closed eyes that she covered with her forearm like a dog.

Seeing the smile on her face as she embarrassedly continued to be his little playtoy for the moment, and with nobody recognizing her, Heian Ciemnosc continued to enjoy stroking her face. He didn’t even look back at the aged fellow who spoke. But the auctioneer smiled beautifully, and her eyes shone as she began the countdown. This time, the auctioneer could react faster and appropriately, “200,00 silver coins going once… going twice…”

“250,000 silver coins!” Heian Ciemnosc’s loud and overbearing shout echoed again. His words immediately made the aged man’s expression twist and twitch nonstop. The auctioneer simply hopped a little on the spot with a satisfied, grand smile, shrinking her eyes and clapping quickly before saying excitedly. “We have a raise for 250,000 silver coins!! Going once, going twice, and s-”

“300,000 silver coins,” the middle-aged man to the cloaked person’s left stood up and said. The aged fellow from before sat back down after being given a glare by the former and kept quiet, letting this middle-aged man handle things from there. Then, the short haired man looked down at Heian Ciemnosc’s back and slowly said as he equally slowly moved his gaze to the auctioneer. “This parchment is important for us, esteemed Student. I’m sure you may have the money, but you shouldn’t waste it on a teacher’s gift or for your master when you might not even be able to use it.”

“You should just focus on yourself first. The Wrath Nihility Academy does well doing that, after all. It is not wise throwing away your money just to please your superiors. You should set your eyes on things you can hold a grab onto.” The middle-aged man finished, sat on his seat, crossed his right leg over his left one, and looked at the stage where the auctioneer nodded and again went to countdown directly.

“For 300,000 silver coins, this parchment will be bought by this gentleman going once…going twi-” Yet, the auctioneer was just flowering the hall with her words and antics when Heian Ciemnosc’s voice rang out again… “350,000 silver coins!”

The same interruption to his bidding and the auctioneer, though slightly faster than the first one. The same treatment was given to his rival. Nothing had changed even after the middle-aged man gave so many words of advice towards the young man. Heian Ciemnosc looked like he frankly didn’t care what anyone outside the Wrath Nihiltiy Academy, just like any outsider thinks those from the Academy are.

“Young gentleman!” The middle-aged man stood back up. He looked directly at the back of Heian Ciemnosc’s head and breathed deeply in from his nostrils before slowly sitting down and looking at the cloaked person. Only now did Heian Ciemnosc become surprised to sense a Spirit Sense fluctuation. It was a message sent through one’s mind from the cloaked person to the middle-aged man!

“If there’s no more bidding,” the auctioneer was content. Now, no matter who brought this to their homes, organization, or shady group, the auction house would receive a ton of money for a piece of paper, useless to most people due to the ‘needy’ requirements this parchment is said to have. “350,000 silver coins going once to this young Student, going twice and-”

Yet again, but to her pleasant surprise, the auctioneer was interrupted by a heavy sigh followed by words.

“Siigh… Though Students might really have a lot of money, I don’t believe just any kid like you can simply use their coins this way, or you might actually lose all reason for you to be in the Academy or any organization, for that matter. I bid 500,000 gold coins!” The cloaked person finally spoke, lifting his head slightly to reveal the rough, toughened tip of his nose, nothing more.

“... 511,000 silver coins.” Heian Ciemnosc said after suspensively creating a pause. The auctioneer was dumbfounded again but began waking up. And just as she was about to start the countdown with a dry throat, she and everyone in the room heard Heian Ciemnosc talk, not as loudly as before but still holding to that overbearingness.

“...” The cloaked person became silent and looked down, hiding and shadowing his face. The auctioneer and everyone else could feel the ‘shame’ of such a high bid being bested by the parchment’s initial price and the lowest number of coins needed for each offer. But they could only remain silent until the auctioneer began counting down for the sixth time, “511,000 silver coins for the Soul-exalting Old World parchment going once, twice, sold!”

“Ooh…” - “Woaah…” - “Haha, someone’s gonna have it hard back ‘home’ now, hahahahaha!”

“Congratulations! You’ll item will shortly be delivered after the payment is completed! If you could please follow us?” Amidst the hushed chattering and murmurs, the auctioneer spoke loudly towards Heian Ciemnosc. He nodded, and she smiled in response. Afterwards, she faced the crowd and announced with her arms raised to the sides, “With this, ladies and gentlemen. The Very Beautiful, Very Amorous auction house is concluded! Many thanks to everyone for participating…”

“... Kid, if you honestly believe this is worthy for you, then it better be so. Time won’t return to you with some more money, and that Academy is only for the best. You might have just sent your cultivation path down the gutter. Would it be worth to be this foolish in the future, then?” Amidst the auctioneer’s professional, loud words and the chattering of people around the hallway, Heian Ciemnosc heard a whisper directed to him not by mental messages but simply with those words traveling to the back of his head, like a viper’s eyes before striking.

“...” Heian Ciemnosc didn’t answer, and Elena didn’t seem to notice someone just whispered their words to him, her face still content and gloatingly smiling since he won the parchment. He repeatedly picked her blonde air, gently caressing her sideburns with his fingertips as he strangely went back to the sensation of helping her cultivate before. Then, as people left the hall and there were few and fewer remaining, he lifted his face. ‘Who dares speak to a Student like this beside the Academy?’

Heian Ciemnosc then lowered his face to look at the dog-kitty sleeping on his lap. He tapped her nose 4 times, no response. He tapped her upper and lower lips 4 times each, and she finally woke up… by biting his fingertips harshly without letting go. Heian Ciemnosc watched as the baby tiger was going through the feeling of growing its fangs for the first time before softly nudging her nape. She stood up but still acted mellow and leaned over him with her arms around his neck as they walked down the stairs before walking towards the upstage.

The process was relatively casual. Heian Ciemnosc went to a private room and exchanged ‘his’ silver coins with his Universal Conveyance, a quick and efficient transaction process. Heian Ciemnosc was given the parchment as soon as the payment was completed. He kept it in his Covert Space bag once scanned, but the auction house continuously reassured Heian Ciemnosc. After all, they were under the Wrath Nihility Academy for so long. Why would they scame its students?

It didn’t matter that someone wanted to use gold coins while he only had silver coins. They only represent one’s Step and not a different quality or value, and it would be the same even if it were silver coins competing against violet colored ones. Of course, no one would think anyone would waste such valuable violet coins in an auction like this. Even if it was this parchment was being sold, the times it had been ‘used’ properly were so few across Changes that only desperate organizations would try to get it.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

And from the memories Heian Ciemnosc had of the place when he looked at it and from everyone else in the hall, only one person remained quiet and never bid for anything. At one point, perhaps this person wanted to bid for the parchment. But as the money kept increasing, they finally gave up and regarded themselves as helpless to get it. It didn’t matter now, anyway, as Heian Ciemnosc exited the auction house with ease and a mellow Elena under his right arm.

In the end, Elena was recognized by the auctioneer and those in charge of the auction house, but she didn’t stop acting. However, as they went over to meet their teams and Sub Students, the trio from before, with the cloaked person seemingly as their leader, remained near the auction house and watched the pair leave.

“... Boss, that’s his disciple!” The aged blonde man said with his eyes as wide as saucers, looking at the couple’s back. “Shouldn’t we take this chance?!”

“Calm down at once! So you want to ‘do something’ and spoil everything that has been prepared this long? After so long?! We’ll go back and continue. Nothing is going to ruin this. Just check that kid’s background. He seems familiar.” The cloaked person harshly berated the aged man, who, in response, cringed and sheltered himself by looking down at becoming stiff.

“Yes, it will be done, grand alliance leader.” The middle-aged man said with gentlemanly manners and nodded to the cloaked person. He looked at Heian Ciemnosc’s back, more interested than in Elena’s, and his eyes became profound. The aged man cooled off and said while stuttering, “I-I-I-I understand, I apologize. We should go back and prepare everyone. Too many setbacks are gnawing at our forces. I’ll accept any punishment, grand alliance leader.”

“...” The cloaked person glared at the aged man but said nothing, not even nodding at him. The blonde man became visibly at ease, sighing in relief before turning around with the other 2, following suit to depart this place with utmost secrecy.

. . .

A couple hours later, in a humble hotel, with a living room with paid-for-time rental service.

“Woaaah! Team leaders! You are both too good to us!” - “Waah, it smells already so good!” - “Mn, not bad.” - “Mn, it does smell kinda good.”

In a spacious place with several couches forming a square formation with the corners and in the middle of the sides having opened gaps in between. The Concealed Ornament Team and Crystal Fist Team sat with the Sub Students. Heian Ciemnosc and Elena were just coming into the living room, where everyone seemed to be mostly recuperated, even the Sub Students who received too many injuries.

The team leaders carried a few boxes, some resembling a pizza or any food delivery like it is usual to see in cities, and bore grins on their faces. As they walked closer to them, their team members noticed the odor of one team leader’s on the other and looked perplexed. But before anyone could say anything, Elena opened her mouth to speak, narrowing her eyes as if she was so glad to see them, “Do not misunderstand, ah. If anyone dares speak nonsense, I will spar with you next.”

“I’m hungry!” - “Very hungry!” - “I-I’d like to test the food…” - “Yeah, good idea.”

For now, there was a clear difference between both teams. Heian Ciemnosc’s team was used to eating every day. If not cultivating, training, or meditating, they would sleep at night like ordinary folk. Besides those, they ate at least twice every day in the morning and before ‘bedtime’ at night. Thus, they were used to having food cooked by their team leader.

At first, he wanted them to have 3 meals per day, but he had already tried that nonstop and wanted to see the differences in other schedules. He was also honing his culinary skills at not making good dishes, simply some mediocre ones that tasted and looked well but were nothing special or had any particular feature or flavor that made them remember or long for the dish. Naturally, now that they were being treated, and with one of the large Cities with the best gastronomy in the world, they wouldn’t be holding back…

On the other hand, although Elena also has her team occasionally eating and resting. It is only for missions, the few times they’ve gone on smallish operations. In their free time, studying and living their academic life, they were practically eating nothing and barely resting, spending most of their time cultivating and Craftsmaking. On the other hand, Heian Ciemnosc has made them have those meals and rests ever since becoming their team leader. As for taking his role as team leader? Nobody in his team thought about it again after their first mission. It was curious.

“Okay, here. Start eating,” Elena placed her boxes on the table in the middle of the sofas and sat on one herself. It was on one of the extreme opposite sides to the other. While the other side was also empty for Heian Ciemnosc, he simply let the boxes float through air onto the table and sat beside Elea. She was no longer mellow and bimbo-acting, but she revealed content, silent, and stern eyes when he sat beside her.

“What? Oh, just eat, or I will take it away. After all, I couldn’t have any sumptuous meal the last few days…” Heian Ciemnosc looked at the watching pairs of eyes that looked at him and Elena after he sat beside her. After hearing him speak these words, their eyes widened, and they quickly opened the boxes. Each one glittered like gold, silver, and pearls onto their faces as each fell engrossed with what they saw.

“Woaah!” - “So many, so different! Yes!!” - “It, gulp, looks good.” - “Sowre, I cwunw hwew wwt ywu swyywng~, nom nom nom…” - “What’s the big d- sniff snif- wah, so good!” - “Really?! Let me check! Ah, we can also eat, right?” Heian Ciemnosc’s team began devouring the boxes’ contents first. Some were bakery products, others roasted meat, and others soups and broth. Only the Sub Students were confused, with the other Students being rather adamant about eating ‘food’ for civilians.

But after the first few Sub Students commenced to smell and feel the taste of the food in the air, they began hesitating over their cultivator’s pride and asked. The team members of both team leaders didn’t have time to talk or look at them, so they simply nodded at the Sub Students’ words, not stopping eating for even a second. Even though the Students didn’t care what the Sub Students understood from their nods and even hoped they wouldn’t eat. The Sub Students’ senses quicked in, and they rapidly joined in wolfing down the food.

“Ah! Right. Give team leader Cici your armor and other tools you didn’t utilize. If you want to keep them, pay up. It will be the same for future endeavors, so make sure to get some coins ready if you want team leader Cici to show you how crazy and murderous his mind can be. Mmmn, maybe this part is unnecessary, but… Do not attempt to cheat him, alright?” Elena suddenly said, tomboyishly leaning her head back and placing her arms on the top backrest.

“...” - “...” - “...” The three diverse groups of people wolfing the food down became paralyzed. They slowly lifted their faces and eyes to look at her and Heian Ciemnosc. Only Fengli looked curiously at both and asked with a tilt of her head to the right. She was devouring a pork-crocodile rib whose meat was shaped in a rectangle and impaled with a stick. “Team leader… Cici, huh? Heh…”

“Sure! I’ll set the example.” - “Oh, I’ll follow!” Violet stood up, left the softest donut in the world on the table, and walked to Heian Ciemnosc with empty hands. She extended her hands to her team leader, and a violet glow emanated. Heian Ciemnosc mimicked her. He immediately received 40,000 silver coins, his ‘actual’ bank account’s numbers increasing almost to triple its previous amount. Following right behind her and who was seated beside her, Esteban paid the gold coins to Heian Ciemnosc, keeping the armor and tools he didn’t use within him.

“Oh, right, right, right…” - “I will, too. “- “Mmn, me too!” Thus, the other team members and Sub Students stood up. The former paid in silver coins and kept the things, but the latter couldn’t keep the armor or tools, so they just gave them back to Heian Ciemnosc with a swift demeanor, afraid they couldn’t bear to part with them. As for hiding a tool or 2 from Heian Ciemnosc, they didn’t dare try that after Elena gave them some words.

After everyone was done with the payment, or returning, of the armor and tool, everyone waited for Heian Ciemnosc to say something, and he didn’t disappoint. With a calm tone, he said as his charm invaded the living room. “I will make free repairs during the missions, but you will pay for them after we return. And for repairing before, I will directly charge coins or Stones. If you buy the materials I tell you, or we agree on. I can also create more tools of your choosing with whatever specifications you might want.”

“Thank you, team leader.” - “Many thanks, team leader Cic- Heian Ciemnosc!” - “Many thanks, Senior Apprentice Brother!”

“Ah, right! I almost forgot.” Elena suddenly exclaimed louder than before. Heian Ciemnosc immediately understood what she was trying to say. He attempted to stop her, opening his mouth. Of course, he could only try as she spoke first, even specifically staring at his team members. “Tomorrow, I’ll dress Cici up for some cosplay, and we will depart from Lampard City in 2 days. Is anyone interested in accompanying us?”

“Oh! Really? Team leader?” Fengli immediately asked Heian Ciemnosc. He slowly closed his opened mouth and nodded after a long pause. Fengli narrowed her eyes and said as Sakura and Victor nodded with pensive thoughts exposed in their eyes.

“Haha, the team leader would surely look like the most handsome teenager in the world! He only wars his black club jacket, but he’s already sooo charming with so little black clothing. Imagine with a full outfit!” Violet smiled and offered encouraging words, but that was when Elena frowned and slightly pouted.

“Hey! I will be cosplaying as ‘dark’ and Cici here as ‘pure’! You got it all wrong.”

Everyone: （◎0◎）ᵒᵐᵍᵎᵎᵎ (⚆ᗝ⚆) (；ꏿ︿ꏿ) (꒪⌓꒪)

Heian Ciemnosc: (⊙＿⊙) ( ɵ̥̥‸ɵ̥̥)

…