Book 5: Chapter 66: Auction House
Book 5: Chapter 66: Auction House
The customers within the auction room gradually increased, the majority being human. Generally speaking, human adepts had a greater demand for treasures than demons. Demons and vengeful spirits were naturally powerful, and on top of that it was difficult to change one’s advancement path with external objects.
A group of servants wearing rabbit masks proceed to serve the customers tea. Lily suddenly noticed that most of the tables were full. The lanterns on the dance stage lit up as the tall fat boy started beating the drum, after everyone’s attention was drawn to the stage, a scroll floated up and unrolled.
The unrolled scroll was as tall as a regular person, on it was painted a blindfolded maid surrounded by beautiful flowers and birds, with a glow, that blindfolded maid stood up from the painting.
“She’s a Goze Scroll.” an elegantly dressed small elder recognized from the table beside her.
“Today, I shall be your host for this auction,” the goze sat down beautifully on her floating scroll. “Guests from all over who have come to attend Fuyutsuki’s auction, I welcome and thank you all. Tonight, we will be auctioning many true treasures, some pinnacle treasures, and there will even be a few miracle treasures making their first appearances. We are sure this collection will not disappoint you all!”
Though the goze had covered her eyes with a black cloth, she was still a beautiful woman, only her sitting posture was a bit inelegant. Her kimono was short skirted, and it was clear that she was not wearing any pants underneath. Though she sat on her scroll, her buttocks could be clearly seen. Smooth and round, many customers enjoyed the sight.
“This picture demon is too slutty, acting all innocent while dressed like that.” Lily complained, her face red.
The goze continued, “Right now, the auction starts! Whenever you see a treasure you’re interested in, please lift up your table’s jade plate and make a bid. If there are no more challengers after I call out three times and Taro hits the drum, the treasure will be yours.”
Lily nodded, the rules were simple and easy, but Taro? That tall fat boy was called Taro?
Goze introduced carelessly, “Today’s first item is a treasure, a grade seven metal jade, this piece was mixed with the rare green bamboo spirit fibre, it’s extremely flexible, a material suited to forging a flexible sword.”
With that, two porters entered. They were wearing white clothes over their heads and a loincloth. They carried a red sandalwood table, on that table laid a square object covered in cloth. The auctioneer floated over and lifted the cloth, a black metal block emanating light threaded through with green was revealed. On a closer look there were thin green runes over the metal.
Lily had a natural affinity with metal jade, just looking at it made her like it. “What a good treasure, this auction is extraordinary.”
“This grade seven green bamboo jade metal, starting price, three magatamas.”
“Only three magatamas?” Lily couldn’t help but mutter, she was carrying two thousand magatamas, this treasure seemed a bit cheap.
“Only three magatamas!?” The elder looked at Lily in surprise, “Young lady, don’t speak so arrogantly. Those are magatamas, not gold or silver! A single magatama can be exchanged for several hundred gold coins in the night-market!”
“That’s right!” A middle aged merchant beside the elder agreed, “That’s a youngster for you, even though their purses are clearly lacking, they speak with such a big mouth!”
“Isn’t that true! Sigh!” The elder continued to look at Lily, treating her as a big breasted no brained woman. Shaking his head he lamented, who told her to be so beautiful. Even if she said a few ignorant words, others wouldn’t get too angry.
Lily pretended to not hear and continued to watch the auction, she couldn’t be bothered to explain. Regular attributeless magatamas were ordinary grade seven items, and jade metals were originally more expensive than regular grade seven items, add in a naturally formed special attribute and this jade metal’s rarity and value increased enormously. Lily could tell that the three magatamas were only a starting point, the actual selling price would be much higher.
“I bid five magatamas!” Not far, an eagle eyed samurai raised a jade plate.
“Six magatamas!”
“Seven magatamas!”
The auctioneer looked at the state swordsman who bid seven magatamas and announced loudly, “Does anyone bid more than seven magatamas? Going once, going twice, going three times—— congratulations to this lord, the green bamboo jade metal has been sold for seven magatamas!”
Lily didn’t bid, though she liked the jade metal, she was a samurai, not a collector. She didn’t need this piece of jade metal.
“The next item is Emperor Go-Toba’s tea set. The Yufu tea set is a grade seven treasure with a starting price of four magatamas.”
No one was interested, and in the end the item failed to be sold. The current world was chaotic, though tea sets were elegant, they could not save one’s life. Even if the tea sets could help raise one’s spirit power, to the regular adept not only this was something too high levelled but required a high grade tea set to have a noticeable effect..
Lily carried a ninth grade tea set so her standards were very high. It seemed that this tea set’s craftsmanship wasn’t too outstanding, she felt it was famous only because the emperor used it, and it’s own value wasn’t too high.
The auctioneer looked a bit disappointed, but rallied herself, “The next treasure is not ordinary at all! But, for the men here, I’m afraid you’ll be a bit embarrassed to bid, but don’t be! You can all gift this to your wives or perhaps a female adept? You’ll be sure to win her affections!”
This time, a dog-eared maid carried a beautiful brocaded box onto the stage.
“This treasure is said to be from Takamagahara! An eighth grade treasure, an undergarment set worn by Takamagahara’s celestial women. This was originally not going to be displayed, but you lords and ladies are this realms adepts, I believe you will be able to tell it’s value.” She opened the box and pulled out a translucent light pink embroidered lace undergarments hung on a jade hanger. The undergarments were a bit different than the modern version Lily knew of, it carried a hint of Heian dynasty’s ancient charm, but in essence was a small cross strapped bra and panties.
“This is…” Though Lily didn’t really like wearing pink, this pink wasn’t too eye-irritating, it was a soft pink carrying a mix of light apricot. A gentle noble color yet with hints of youthful temptation.
Lily felt a throbbing in her heart, if the undergarments she wore were of a color she rarely wore, she would not only feel shameful but she would also be quite sensitive. Of course, that sensitivity would increase her perception toward charming intent. This set, Lily wanted to purchase.
“Starting price, nine magatama.”
“Damn, it’s just a palm sized female undergarments, and it’s so expensive? What’s
the point of buying that for? Nine magatamas will get me a street full of 16 year old noble virgins!” A red faced fat minster exclaimed. He didn’t look like a powerful adept, instead he had the look of a wealthy merchant. The rest of the guests didn’t make any sounds.
“Ten magatamas.” Lily raised her table’s jade plate.
“What!?” The elder and middle aged merchant looked at Lily in surprise. The elder lowered his voice to remind Lily, “Lady, think before you bid! If you win but can’t pay, you’ll be arrested and sent to the brothels until your debt is repaid!”
Lily sighed helplessly and ignored them.
However, Lily’s bid had an unexpected side effect. Not only those close to her table, but other customers around the room all looked at Lily.
For a while, their surprised gazes looked strangely at Lily.
A relatively unknown woman being capable of bidding ten magatamas, it would be strange if they didn’t look strangely at Lily. But most of them were eyeing Lily’s graceful body, as if they were imagining how she would look in the undergarments.
Feeling those gazes Lily’s face heated up in embarrassment. In such a large venue, a young graceful girl like her bidding on such a sexy set of undergarments was extremely embarrassing. Only, this purchase was of great importance to her physique tempering.
“Twelve magatamas!” From the other side, a young woman’s voice sounded.
Lily’s heart sank, not only did she have to endure this shame, she had also been eyed by so many men and someone still wanted to compete for this set? Lily looked over and saw a short haired woman wearing a white kimono embroidered with yellow birds, she was slender, pretty and of an average height, her face showed hints of arrogance.
“Wa! That, isn’t that…”
“That’s lady Taira no Toryu!”
“She’s, she’s the Taira clan’s genius young female samurai, Toryu!”
The room was filled with chatter about her.
“Taira no Toryu?” Lily overheard, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of danger, this woman had a high background, her purchasing power wouldn’t be low.
At that moment, Taira no Toryu gave Lily an expression, as if saying, “Someone like you wants to compete with me?”
“Fifteen magatamas.” Lily calmly raised the jade plate.
“What!?? Lady, you…” The elder beside her was stunned.
Taira no Toryu’s body trembled in anger, and despite the protestations of her elder attendant, she raised the bid, “Twenty magatamas!” and then gloated at Lily as if she had won.
“Twenty-five magatamas.” Lily once again made a bid.
“You——”
“Bang!” Taira no Toryu was furious, slamming the table and standing up, staring angrily at Lily.
“Twenty-five going once, twenty-five going twice…” The auctioneer purposely looked at Taira no Toryu’s outburst.
Taira no Toryu wanted to raise the jade plate, but the elderly knelt desperately tugging on her sleeves, “Ah, my eldest lady…a set of luxury grade eight undergarments with no power costing 25 magatamas, I’ll be punished by the lord if you buy that…please, have mercy on these old bones!”
Taira no Toryu could only give up helplessly. She could only stomp her foot in anger, looking contemptuously at Lily’s breasts, hips and waist, her eyes and expression expressing her doubt of the origin of Lily’s money. With a snort of disdain, she sat down angrily.
“Twenty-five going thrice! This high grade Takamagahara celestial undergarments now belongs to this beautiful lady in red!” the auctioneer announced.