"Hubby? What's wrong? Your arms are shaking." Avril patted his arms on her waist and turned to face him. Her worry was laced in every word and action.

Unable to tear his attention away from the three factions, Oscar considered his options on what to do about them. While he desired to live in peace with his wife until one week later, when the portals would open, he also couldn't avoid their presence here. As a member of the Blue Ocean Pavilion and a citizen of the Brilliant Drake Empire, he had a responsibility to contribute to the war.

'I'll have to observe them.' Oscar then noticed his wife's worried gaze, his tense shoulders loosening from watching her. Should he tell her? Oscar thought for a moment and opened his mouth to explain. "I saw some people from my home. They're the enemies we are currently at war with. Over there."

"Huh?" Avril faced the direction Oscar pointed at. "Should we do anything? If they are enemies, then we can't leave them be."

"Maybe later. For now, I want to observe them and discover what they're after. The next portal opens in a week. Sorry. We might not have such a peaceful time here as we hoped." Oscar sat on the couch, capable of seeing the entire auction stage from here, a spectacular view.

Avril rested her head on his shoulder as always and giggled. "You and I always seem to run into trouble on our own or together. I wonder if we're cursed. Just don't overdo it."

"Cursed….that sounds depressing." Oscar sipped from a cup filled with sweet juice. He sometimes wished he could see the threads Metures spoke of. If he had the power to see the threads and ponder on possible futures, he could nudge things along to be more favorable to him. "However, were our lives cursed or a blessing? I had many moments of despair and joy, but I can say it was a blessing. After all, I found you at the end of it."

As he hugged her, she said, "Mhm. What a sweet talker. She feels so strange hearing all of that from his mouth. Why does her head feel so floaty?"

"And you?" Oscar rested his head on hers. The soft feeling of her head was the most comfortable, more comforting than the softest bed. "Do you believe your life has been a curse or blessing so far?"

Avril paused and looked deep in thought, a small action that caught his attention. Raising his eyebrow, Oscar tilted her head toward him, gazing into her fair countenance. She smiled and kissed him. "To be able to do this must mean it's been a blessing. I don't even want to remember that cursed past of mine."

Before Oscar could respond, a loud clap silenced the noisy auction hall as the lamps and crystals died down, everyone in the balconies and rows staring at the stage. A bright light beamed down from above and showered the stage in its glow, focused into a circle. A woman, garbed in a beautiful red dress, walked on the stage into the circle of showering light, her steady and elegant steps showcasing her experience and pedigree. When she bowed, the lights turned back on, and everyone started to applaud.

"Good evening to all of our honored participants. Welcome to the opening night of the Grand Gamble! As tradition as always, the Golden Rose Auction House welcomes everyone to our 58th opening auction. I am your host and auctioneer for tonight, Esmere Salazar." Esmere patted her golden rose pin on her dress with an enticing smile. "I hope everyone can enjoy the night and remember not to cause any trouble as everything here is under the protection of the City Lord."

Following a clap of her hand, a pair of auction workers carried a box over to the pedestal and opened the top, revealing a grade-four Supreme Healing elixir. Gasps and shouts of awe brought the auction hall to chaos. However, Esmere faced the crowd with a business smile and snapped her fingers as a vast Ein overwhelmed the room, coming from an individual on the top balcony above the sky-tier rooms. This man wore a suit of gray armor, covered from head to toe, with a greatsword resting from his hand.

"We greet the City Lord. You grace us with your presence!" Hearing everyone's respectful welcome, Oscar glanced at the legendary City Lord of Convecia, Lord Aldric Inron, a Marshal Exalt who ruled the neutral ground that was Convecia City. Though he was only a Marshal Exalt, his influence reached far in all six powers as they allowed this neutral city to stand. Lord Aldric Inron raised his hand and gestured toward Esmere.

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Esmere smiled with slightly bashful cheeks and addressed the crowd. "Our City Lord has graced us with his presence. Please refrain from any unruly behavior. Let us continue with the auction." She turned to the side and allowed the elixir to be the focus. "Our Alchemist Guild branch head, Helen Alkemar, concocted this grade-four elixir after exerting much effort. Grade four ingredients are rare, only in the richest lands or the most remote and harsh environments. The Supreme Healing elixir can cure almost all injuries for a Marshal Exalt, bringing them back from the brink of death. As you know, we always enjoy starting the auction with a big surprise. The starting bid for this one will be 500000 gold coins or an item of equal value."

Immediately, the auction hall burst into activity, everyone raising their hands to bid. Oscar watched the proceedings as the loud voices became smaller until only a handful of individuals continued to battle it out for the grade-four elixir. He paid the most attention to the group of the Pavilion's enemies, watching as they hoped to outbid the others until they lowered their hands with deep frowns from the loss.

'Could they be here to replenish some resources?' His home had the Divine Essence planted for around two decades now, meaning the number of resources should have at least quadrupled and increased in quality. However, they faced three large empires and a large debt, meaning all that had to be used. Oscar tried to find the traces of anyone from the Pavilion, but none stuck out. Perhaps, some were here, hiding in plain sight and hoping to win some wares from the auction to supplement the war effort.

"I guess I can't stay idle. Avril, do you want to join in on the fun?" Oscar grinned.

"Oh? She smiles, thinking of what fun plan Oscar has cooked up." Avril munched on an almond, behaving like a cute squirrel.

From a ring of the soundless bell, the door to his room opened, and an attendant entered and bowed. "What does the honored guest require?"

"Is it possible to auction something off right now and use the funds before selling it?" Oscar asked.

"If sir is referring to the wind-element spear, we can give you a loan of the estimated amount we expect to receive from it." The attendant went up and refilled their jugs of water and juice. "Once it's all settled, you may owe us, or we owe you some more."

"What about a last-minute entry to the auction?"

"In that case, it depends. All entries to the auction are labeled and scheduled to be revealed at their precise moments. The auction is like a smooth play with acts and beats. However, we can make a special exception if it's something truly worth putting in." The attendant explained.

"Then, may one of your auction appraisers come in and judge whether what I have is worthy?" Oscar held out a token he received from Hector, bearing his mark. He could show this mark if anyone tried to cause trouble and escape precarious situations. The most important function was the representation of Hector, meaning he had to be treated to equal respect as Hector.

"Certainly, my lord." The attendant seemed to understand the meaning and changed how he addressed Oscar. He quickly departed and returned moments later with an appraiser.

Oscar asked the attendant to leave before greeting the appraiser. "Welcome. I am sorry to be so last-minute in my request. At first, I only wished to observe. However, after seeing this heated action still going on, I have a desire to join in." Oscar spelled it out for the appraiser that he would be spending most of the money he would earn from his goods. The appraiser's relaxed smile gave him the confirmation he needed. Oscar took out another vial of Wildersap, and the appraiser's eyes instantly widened.

"Is there any need to continue? Will this be good enough to enter the heat of the auction or not?" Oscar asked, refilling Avril's cup, not nervous at all. No one in their right mind would reject such an enticing item.

The appraiser coughed and regained their composure, a sign of their tenure. "Indeed, this is a good item. The raw Wildersap has many applications, especially since it is in grade four. At our base estimate, it should sell for ten million, my lord."

"4 million gold coins!" A shout came from outside as the battle still raged for the grade-four Supreme Healing elixir. Hearing that, Oscar felt he had gotten ripped off by the Alchemist Guild, who asked for one to upgrade his card to platinum and another to hire the services of an alchemist. He put that matter aside for later and nodded to the appraiser. "Let's do that. Also, add on the estimate for the wind-element spear."

"By your will." The appraiser bowed and took the Wildersap with him. Oscar expressed his intentions to stay anonymous, so they didn't ask to keep a record of his name, only the room number. He returned moments later with a space pocket full of gold. "This space pocket is a gift from the auction house to the young lord. There are eleven million gold coins inside."

"Thank you very much." Oscar checked inside the space pocket, and sure enough, there were eleven million glittering gold coins. So much money brought a smile to his face. As the bids for the grade-four elixir finally came to a close with an astonishing amount of eight million gold coins, Oscar straightened his back and listened closely. With his new war funds, he sought to disrupt the auction for his enemies.