Well then.
Although no one could speak at the moment due to the silence spell, it didn't matter. It didn't dampen their enthusiasm for the auction in the slightest.
“Since there are a full hundred thousand people here, we have temporarily sealed everyone's ability to speak. But do not worry—beneath each of your seats, you will find a numbered plate. When the bidding begins, simply raise your plate to make an offer.”
Bei Adolis reached out a hand, introducing the rules of the venue to the crowd.
Upon hearing about the numbered plates, everyone leaned down to feel around under their chairs.
“Furthermore, you need not worry about being too far from the stage or being missed in the crowd when you raise your plate.”
“The mana in the air within this hall is now so sensitive that even the slightest vibration will trigger a reaction from these creatures, causing your number to appear on the screens.”
As she spoke, a series of floating screens appeared behind Bei Adolis, displaying real-time images of the venue.
“Not only can you see these images, but even outside the venue and in other cities, many viewers are currently watching this auction broadcast.”
What? So those bizarre creatures were just being used as cameras?
You could have just said so earlier instead of making us all so nervous, you little tease.
With that explanation, everyone finally understood the purpose of those strange-looking creatures.
The crowd stopped dwelling on the matter.
They didn't even stop to wonder what those creatures were or where they had come from.
“Excellent. It seems everyone has a general grasp of how this auction operates. Now, please allow me to explain the format of the bidding.”
Once the initial equipment had been introduced, Bei Adolis gave a small wave of her hand. A staff member pushed a small, short cart onto the stage.
The cart was simple, holding only a slanted display stand. On that stand sat a total of ten magic items.
As the cart came to a halt, the large screen on the stage and the various smaller screens around the hall displayed close-up images of these magic items.
“Because of the sheer volume of magic items being auctioned today, we will be bidding on them in groups of ten-piece sets.”
Hmm?
They were using bundled sales?
I see.
People had been wondering how long it would take to sell over ten thousand magic items. Selling them as sets would certainly save a lot of time.
However, this also meant that fewer people would likely be able to afford them.
After all, most of the hundred thousand people here had come with the mindset of buying one or two items to strengthen themselves.
Generally speaking, only those in the main hall who had bought their tickets from scalpers would likely have the funds for this.
After all, if they could afford to buy tickets at such high prices, it meant they had some financial power.
Sure enough.
The atmosphere in the hall shifted the moment Bei Adolis made the announcement.
But since no one could speak, they could only wave their hands and make gestures to express their dissatisfaction.
Bei Adolis, however, acted as if she hadn't seen a thing and continued her performance.
“Please, look. This is a D-grade set of magic items with water and ice magic bonuses, meticulously curated by our auction staff.”
“The set consists of the Frost Circlet, Water Drop Earrings, Frost Necklace, Frost Leather Armor, Flowing Water Leggings, Blizzard Spaulders, White Mink Fur Gloves, Azure Wave Ring, Late Winter Belt, and Ripple Wand.”
“This set provides a total of 61 points of frost resistance, 33 points of water element resistance, +26 Strength, +18 Constitution, +41 Spirit, and +14 Agility.”
“Of course, those aren't the most important details. What matters most is the price.”
“The starting bid for this set is 1 gold coin, with minimum increments of 10 silver coins. Let the bidding for the first set begin!”
As the wooden gavel in Bei Adolis's hand fell, the auction officially commenced.
The people who had been angry about the lack of prior notice were stunned when they heard the price.
Good heavens!
A starting bid of 1 gold coin? That was only 100 silver coins!
And increments of only 10 silver coins?
Doing a quick bit of math, that meant the starting price for a single piece of equipment in the set was only 10 silver coins!
Even the simplest tasks at the Adventurers' Guild paid more than that.
Their previous anger had stemmed from the fear that they hadn't brought enough money, making the trip a waste and their initial investment a loss.
But now it seemed the trip was more than worth it.
These were bargain prices.
What were they waiting for? Let's go!
The crowd, who had been indignant just moments ago, instantly changed their tune and began raising their numbered plates.
It wasn't just them; even the clan leaders and organization members in the private booths hadn't expected the witches to play such a bold game.
Never mind a high-profile auction like this.
Even if you searched in a regular shop, a single D-grade magic item would start at at least 1 gold coin.
The black market prices were even higher.
And now, they were going for 10 silver coins a piece—it was practically a fire sale.
Although the price would surely rise during the bidding, it at least gave people hope.
With ten items per group, ten thousand items meant a thousand sets. That would satisfy quite a few people.
Most importantly, the lowest items here were D-grade magic items.
While the people below were overjoyed, those above were not in such a celebratory mood.
The people who had already found this auction suspicious were now even more concerned.
Phrases like "An excess of courtesy is a sign of deceit," "The most expensive things are those that are free," and "There must be a massive conspiracy behind this" kept flashing through their minds.
Some were even shaking their legs in anxiety.
Amidst this atmosphere of tension, doubt, and uncertainty, Diana pushed open the door to one of the booths and walked in with Aina.
Who was Diana? Anyone who had spent even a single day in the Abandoned Land would have heard her name.
The Consul of the entire Abandoned Land, the right hand of the Witch of the Tower Lan Qingyou, the planner of Typhon City and other cities—this series of titles was more than enough for anyone to remember the Witch of Knowledge.
Although Diana's title might not be as catchy or flashy as those of the other witches, no one dared to look down on her.
Especially the clan leaders facing her in this booth right now.
The Little People race, Black-winged race, White-winged race, Grey Cat race, White Wolf race, Gem race, Yeti race...
The reason these clan leaders were here was entirely due to Diana's maneuvering.
As the host, she had already categorized these leaders based on how difficult they would be to recruit during their previous conversations.
This group of leaders was undoubtedly the easiest to win over.
After all, they had all done plenty of complaining during the buffet reception.
Even if these races combined only totaled forty or fifty thousand people...
As long as there was one "success story," things would be much easier moving forward.
And so...
“Now then, let us discuss the future development of your respective races...”
Rate on N.U.
