《The lost olden tale》


 A serendipitous encounter

    Those darn outlaws! All I did was borrow couple of pennies!


    I ran and ran,trying to escape from the grasp of those Idiotic backstabbers.


    I returned all the promised money yet they lust for more..greedy pigs!


    Hell..did they manage to tatter me..


    Slowing down my pace,I turned back and reveled in merry,hopping around like a rabbit.


    Those bastards wanted my money? Dream on! I giggled to myself.


    Ha-! I paused.


    footsteps..? I quickly hid behind a narrow alley.


    ¡°Your grace!..we- have failed in searching for the replacement!¡± a panicked voice yelled.


    ¡°You..failed..?¡± a sigh was let out, ¡°What did I even expect from that..man..¡± a feminine voice spoke annoyance and regret evident in her tone.


    ¡°My lady..we are lacking in time..¡± a gentle voice informed.


    ¡°I know- I know..¡±


    A noble..?


    I palmed my mouth shut.


    Had they come to search for me-? No,no that¡¯s illogical,they don¡¯t have that much time on their hands..


    But..what was a replacement..? Curiosity poked at me.


    Just a sneak peek! That¡¯s all! Nothing could go wrong..right..?


    I tilted my head just enough to see a luxurious carriage parked on the road,blue and white in color,golden lines that carved its outline and some fancy looking decoration spread all over the carriage.


    If I ever get my hands on such a treasure..I¡¯ll be sure to cherish it..


    I grinned like an idiot while drooling.


    Instantly the lady in the carriage shot a glare at me.


    Swiftly moving back to the wall,I dashed as quickly as I could.


    I really am an idiot!


    ¡°Where do you think you''re heading?¡± it was the gentle voice,but now with fury on top of it.


    I halted my steps,a shining light reflected on my neck,a blade that threatened to slit if I moved even an inch.


    I gulped down my saliva,sweat dripping down my face.


    ¡°Th-this lowly one merely stumbled upon your lordship''s carriage..!¡± trying to hide my trembling.


    ¡°In this dark covered time?¡± he inched his blade nearer to my fragile skin.


    In panic I reached for my dagger,holstered at my waist.


    ¡°I was..playing with some friends..¡± lying my way out..at least..I attempted to.


    ¡°Games,huh? Are we not playing one now?¡± he giggled and pushed the side of his blade into my skin,blood dripping down onto my shirt.


    ¡°Please..forgive me!¡± My hands trembled immensely, ¡°I-I truly had by chance came upon your lordship¡¯s nightly activity!¡±


    A laugh echoed from a distance.


    ¡°Hans,enough,enough..release him.¡± It was a familiar voice..ah! It''s the lady in the carriage! I hoped that she had come to save me like a saint.


    ¡°But-¡± the presumed knight,Hans,tried to protest.


    ¡°Hans.¡± the lady said with a flat tone.


    ¡°As..you wish..¡± Hans reluctantly released me from his harshness.


    ¡°Please accept my apologies,my dear knight is on guard due to circumstances¡± I turned back slowly,holding onto my bleeding neck.


    ¡°May I know how to address one such as you?¡±


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    ¡°This peasant''s worthless name is Crowley.¡± I tumbled over to the wall beside me,using it as support.


    ¡°Crowley..?¡± the lady stared intently at me,as if trying to remember a forgotten memory.


    ¡°That infamous Crowley? Hm..your famed title..thief of the slums?¡± She laughed.


    Hans glanced at me with disdain.


    Ouch..that sure hurts..I may be shameless but I still have pride..


    ¡°Sorry- It¡¯s just too..!¡± the lady couldn''t help but continue her laughter at my..gifted title..


    ¡®At least I have a title!¡¯ I thought to myself trying to patch up my pride.


    ¡°My lady..we don¡¯t have time for this jokester!¡± the knight,Hans yelled out.


    ¡°Pardon me,how unsightly that was.¡± the lady under the darkness ceased her laughter,her piercing sharp silver eyes stared into mine.


    ¡°Are you acquainted with the noble¡¯s etiquette?¡± she questioned.


    ¡°Absolutely not! How could I,a mere peasant,have knowledge on such..¡± I panicked.


    ¡°Daring are you now?¡± Hans glared at me.


    ¡°M-my apologies,your grace!¡± I frantically grovelled.


    ¡°You ought to have some pride,thief.¡± Hans struck my foot with his.


    ¡°It¡¯s of no worries,one last question,I assume you are quick to integrate into your surroundings?¡± she tilted her head,waiting for an answer.


    ¡°You¡¯re correct,your grace..¡± I hesitantly said,confused.


    ¡°Excellent! Thief of the slums,I shall propose a deal that you could not even consider to decline,serve as the missing replacement and be my partner for the banquet of the hidden. Shall thou dare decline,you will be sentenced to imprisonment in the dungeons to atone for your wrongful acts¡± She pointed at me.


    ¡°I reckon there''s not much room for my opinion,let alone a choice..right? Your grace?¡± I let out a nervous laugh.


    All the lady did was..smile..she was no saint,she was a devil..


    How humiliating..I shuddered at the mere thought of the lady¡¯s capabilities.


    How unlucky of me to be chosen as the prey.


    Just why did it have to be me! Answer me Lady Luck! Well..if Lady Luck did answer me,I''m sure it would be humiliating..


    ¡°Crowley,thief of the slums! I believe our deal has been declared as settled?¡±


    All I could do was stare at her,baffled at this situation.


    ¡°Silence is defined as agreement. We are short on time,hurry now.¡± She hurried me.


    ¡°Hol-hold on! Before we depart..isn''t it common courtesy among noble¡¯s to..well,introduce themselves? And..just where exactly are we headed to..your grace?¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Pardon me,¡± She cleared her throat, ¡°name is Arlen Baskerville,duchess of Baskerville to be exact and Where else could we be headed to if not the banquet of the hidden?¡±


    Arlen..Baskerville¡­oh god¡¯s above..have you planned my death ahead?


    My eyes felt heavy,my consciousness flickering.


    Ah..this is it¡­


    ¡°Crowley!¡± a faint call was heard before I blacked out.


    Ugh..my head..


    Where am I..?


    I rubbed my eyes open.


    The first thing that greeted me was..Arlen?


    I looked down at my clothes and they were changed?


    Wait-how-


    ¡°You look rather dumbfounded,lessen your worries! As I had my men over here help dress you¡± Arlen smiled as she pointed out in front of the moving carriage.


    Instinctively I flew back,knocking my head at the door.


    ¡°My,you truly are entertaining.¡± she giggled.


    ¡°Uh- thank you..your grace?¡± I said,the edges of my mouth twitched,barely able to form a smile.


    I had never been complimented before..it was an unfamiliar territory I had not yet uncovered.


    But..ahem..I must say- It¡¯s quite..nice..


    I sat up straight and stared out the window.


    Was that even a compliment? Not sure..but it sure was one to me!I grinned slightly.


    I was unsure of how to act around a noble,a duchess of all..


    And so I sat there in silence,like a hostage.


    It felt as if I had been trapped in time.


    Should I speak..? No..no..I quickly shrug off that idea.


    ¡°It seems that there is still a tad bit of time before arrival,rest up for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Appreciate it,your grace.¡± my thoughts played all kinds of scenarios,one where I die,one where I suffer the fate of a slave..one where I..


    I shook my head,thinking so much will only lead to worse.


    I turned my head,my gaze on Arlen,she sat across from me,her head tilted to the side,looking at the window with her ashen eyes that reflected moonlight,her smooth pale skin complimenting her shining eyes,her face sculpted in the shape of a diamond,her nose with a high bridge and wide tip,her lengthy dark layered hair shined slightly as moonlight dawned on her being.


    She..was beautiful..


    ¡°Captivated?¡± She smirked.


    I snapped out of my daze,flustered.


    ¡°So-sorry! .¡± I looked out the window,


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen plentiful men like you,seemingly ¡®admiring¡¯ my beauty.¡± she said coldly.


    I shuddered..just how many had lusted?


    ¡°Crowley once we enter,be sure to only address me as milady and none other. You are not to interact with the rest,do not leave me and stay close at all times.¡± her tone,commanding,her gaze sharp.


    ¡°Ah. Un-understood..your grace..¡± she sure was scary..


    ¡°Excellent!¡± she smiled brightly at me.


    Arlen laughed and sat beside me,extending her hand out to my head.


    I sat frozen like a statue.


    ¡°What are you-¡± cut off before I could finish my sentence.


    ¡°I¡¯m fixing up your shaggy hair,gosh how could you enter with such disrespectful hair..¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± embarrassed by my thoughts.


    ¡°Alright,that much is better!¡± she said after ruffling and styling my hair.


    I glanced out the front window,catching the knight staring daggers at me.


    Giving him a slightly nervous smile back,I turned away in speed.


    ¡°My lady,we have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,shall we head in,Crowley?¡± Arlen looked out and back at me.


    ¡°We shall,milady.¡± I sighed.

 peak into the world

    ¡°We greet,your grace,duchess of Baskerville.¡± the guards bowed,proceeding to push the giant white painted door wide.


    Followed behind by Hans.


    ¡°Duchess of Baskerville,her grace has arrived!¡± they announced.


    As the door opened its glory,shimmers of dim light crept through the cracks,until it had fully unleashed its true form,inside was rows of cushioned seats that sat before a single lonely dark stage,in the shape of a semi-circle,with wine red curtains that hung from the ceiling enclosing the sides of the stage,on the side of this grand room was balconies that sat along the walls with carved pillars separating each individual balcony,the most noticeable of all was the lone chandelier that strung itself on the high ceiling,Its form in four unique masks,one was of the mask of a jester,mask of a broken human,mask of a weeping man and lastly the mask of a lady laughing,the very eyes of the masks emit light that brightened the gloomy hall.


    Instantly all chattery that had been ongoing halted,dozens of nobles flipped their heads over to the entrance,locking their gazes on her grace.


    I could feel their gazes linger on me,as if evaluating my worth and status.


    Deep rooted fear in my heart had begun its bloom,slowly creeping its way around my mind and heart.


    Sweat dripped from my forehead,my head tilted down,staring at the ground. I was frozen in place.


    Clenching my hand into a fist,I tried calming myself.


    Breath in,breath out,breath in,breath out..


    I needed to..blend in.


    Taking in one last deep breathe,I looked straight.


    There sure were ton''s of people..


    ¡°Stay by my side,remember.¡± her grace whispered,soft enough to keep others from hearing.


    ¡°Alright..¡± I took glances to my sides.


    After that short moment of silence,whispers began to erupt.


    All sorts of gossip could be heard..it was..not that foreign to say the least..


    ¡°Well..well isn¡¯t it our dear duchess!¡± a voice cheered from one of the balconies.


    I turned and looked towards the source of the voice.


    It was a young man,with striking blond hair that shines even in this dark space,jade eyes and chiseled face,both dashing and attractive.


    Hans prepared his hand on the hilt of his sword.


    Her grace glanced up.


    ¡°And if it isn¡¯t the scoundrel of Grandor! Rodrick?¡± she countered back.


    Rodrick bursted into laughter.


    ¡°Oh dear,oh dear,trying to make me fall under your charm once more?¡± he grinned.


    ¡°Never,never I would,someone as unpleasant as you should fall for your fellow peers.¡±


    ¡°How exciting,I shall be looking forward to that day! But..to show up here,I wonder what must be the reason?¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Oh? Am I not allowed to enter without reason?¡± placing her finger on the cheek,tilting her head.


    ¡°Of Course you can! My,pardon me!¡±


    ¡°I lay my guess that you came here to enjoy yourself too?¡± her grace questioned back.


    ¡°My lovely grace! How right you are!¡± he laughed louder.


    ¡°Truly a pleasant surprise to have you here,¡± Rodrick slyly smiled, ¡°I hope you,your grace,enjoy your dear time here with your little partner.¡± a tone mixed with joy and mockery,glancing at me curiously.


    Her grace smiled softly and excused herself,I followed along like a lost and clueless boy.


    ¡°Cursed coincidence..¡± I heard her grace murmur.


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    Escorted by servants and with Hans at the front,soon we had arrived at the balcony space that we had been granted special access to.


    It was spacious,with couches on both sides,the usual long table,seats nearing the edge of the balcony and some other fancy luxuries.


    Thud.


    The door had closed.


    But her grace did not speak,she went towards the edge of the balcony and gazed down,her back facing me.


    I was clueless on what to do next,should I sit down? Should I move to her side?


    ¡°Crowley,¡± her grace spoke abruptly,breaking the awkward silence, ¡°do tell me,what someone such as yourself would survive in this den of power thirsty animals?¡±


    ¡°Me..? I..have no clue on anyone here,how could I ever think of an escape?¡±


    ¡°Come,move to my side.¡± She spoke softly.


    I move to her side as per her request.


    ¡°Observe these animals,they speak to one another in the mask of a human,waiting for an opportunity to devour them.¡± her eyes spoke of disgust.


    It was true that I was a peasant who knew nothing of nobles and their affairs,but I knew,as one who had been active as a criminal,that power was key in retaining your life,that cunning was your weapon and ruthlessness was a pillar that supported your weapon.


    I assumed such laws applied the same for nobles,if not more dominant.


    ¡°I..may be a petty criminal,but I''m not naive enough to not know of the dangers of being a noble..especially those high ranking ones..¡± I scanned the crowd below.


    ¡°If given the chance to enter the hierarchy of nobles,would you accept?¡± her grace looked at me intently,waiting for an answer.


    ¡°If such a person like me was given such a sought after offer,I would..turn it down.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡± she asked for confirmation,as if amused,placing both arms on the balusters,leaning close. She turned her head to me.


    ¡°Truly,your grace.¡± I softly grinned.


    ¡°Milady.¡± she corrected me.


    ¡°Truly,milady.¡± causing her to slightly chuckle.


    ¡°Are all commoners similar to you?¡±


    ¡°Similar to me? Doubtful..I¡¯m an infamous criminal after all,¡± I sighed, ¡°but if I had to speak of an opinion,I would say no,as I adapt to all sorts of environments and..people.¡±


    ¡°Arrogant are you?¡±


    ¡°No,no..I¡¯m not trying-¡± Interrupted by her sudden laughter.


    ¡°Ease down,mere jokes I played.¡± patting me on my shoulders.


    ¡°Ha..¡± trying to let out a laugh awkwardly.


    The rays of light from the chandelier dimmed,eventually darkness covered every inch.


    A sudden rush of light streamed onto the used-to-be gloomy stage.


    ¡°Ladies..and gentlemen..! We applaud your desire to enter this humble event,we welcome you with respect and appreciate your entries!¡± a man dressed in a black and white suit stood in the middle of the stage,paired with a top hat and a smiling mask that veiled his appearance.


    ¡°As you all have been prior informed of! This will be an auction,not just any ordinary one! But one that includes dances,drinks and..the hidden ones.¡± the masked man danced along the stage.


    ¡°Now,now! Who,what and where are the masked ones?! Well,well this humble one shall brief on such details,first and foremost! The hidden ones are individuals that are masked,but with..what kind of mask? Only through your perceiving minds shall you know.¡± placing his finger on his head.


    ¡°Any questions? Dear nobles?¡± he hopped to the edge of the stage,leaning out slightly,his hand cupped ear facing out to the audiences.


    Silence,only silence.


    ¡°How dull...one last thing,they are everywhere,they are with you,they watch you and they shall pry into you. And that is all...I wish you,nobles,a pleasant night worthy of remembrance.¡± the masked man cracked one last giggle,the lights flickered and went dark.


    ¡°May I ask..your grace?¡± curiosity brewed in me.


    ¡°Ask away.¡±


    ¡°Just..what exactly are the hidden ones?¡±


    ¡°As the names imply,they are hidden but once found by me,per example,they would reward me.¡±


    ¡°How exactly would they reward you?¡±


    ¡°They devote their souls to you,trained skilled knights,assassins,or medics. All varies.¡±


    ¡°Oh..¡± my thoughts wandered,were they not essentially..slaves?


    ¡°But why would-¡±


    ¡°This event is held by the emperor,used to check in on nobles,may it be their health,their activities,their desires.¡± her gaze turned cold,staring down into the crowd.


    ¡°How restricting..¡± my eyes wandered among the crowds.


    ¡°Still will this not benefit nobles?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Both..connections could be made,that is indeed true,but with connections comes annoyances,you would never truly understand the other party nor would you know of their intentions,no relations formed here are pure..only hidden daggers are formed,¡± she grimaced, ¡°the twist to those hidden ones are that they only serve you for a limited period,ranging from a year to two.¡±


    But that would still benefit nobles,would it not? They still serve you..


    I wanted to learn,to ask more but I refrained from doing so.


    My guts told me that if I were to continue to learn more,I would be falling into a trap.


    The noble world..truly isn¡¯t much different from the outlaws world..eh?


    If only the world was as peaceful as a merry town.


    I turn my back to the short stone wall,leaning on it.


    ¡°How cruel..¡± I said.


    ¡°Truly is.¡± her grace replied back.


    At Least we had something in common?


    Not that it eases me the slightest..


    ¡°Wa-wait you said this event is held by the emperor..?¡± my eyes widened.


    ¡°Indeed it is."


    ¡°Am..I even allowed to step foot in here..?¡± straightening my back.


    ¡°As long as no one figures out.¡± she smiled.


    ¡°You..truly are gonna lead me to my death..¡± horrified at the thought of being exposed.


    ¡°Stay by my side and not speak,then you shall be able to leave here alive.¡±


    I shivered.


    She truly was no saint..would I even be able to leave alive? I hope so...if needed,sure as hell would I sacrifice a limb or two just to survive!

 The bids

    Knock.knock.


    ¡°Your grace,this humble one has come to serve appetizers.¡± a voice echoed from behind the door.


    ¡°Enter.¡± the door clicked open,a servant tip-toed in,bowing before her grace.


    ¡°Please pick whichever you may fancy.¡±


    Her grace looked over to me and then to Hans.


    ¡°Do you fancy any?¡± I shook my head,Hans replied similarly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need then,you may leave.¡± her grace told the servant.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± the servant bowed and closed the door.


    ¡°Milady..did you not wish for any?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is to avoid being poisoned,to avoid danger.¡± instead it was Hans who replied to me.


    ¡°Oh..¡± frozen in place by that response.


    I wasn¡¯t..really expecting that..


    ¡°Is it not common within your society?¡± Hans asked,brows furrowed.


    ¡°Well- it is but I didn¡¯t expect nobles would outright kill another..¡±


    ¡°As long as tracks are hidden,anything is possible.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t nobles suppose-¡±


    ¡°Filthy. Extremely so,¡± her grace unexpectedly joined in, ¡°Nobles are only a title,none act accordingly.¡± she scoffed.


    ¡°I..see..¡± it would be untrue to say I hadn¡¯t expected such a thing,but I still hoped that nobles were different from outlaws.


    During my one year as the famed thief of the slums,I had met many whom I called brothers,but in the very end greed got hold of them,ending with their angering betrayal.


    Yet I have also met those who I trusted,till now,and that will remain unchanged.


    Through my interactions with certain outlaws that had some sort of affiliation to nobles,never had once had they spoken with good intent about the nobles,all they ever spout was curses and frustration.


    Now..now I wouldn¡¯t defend those so-called righteous nobles,but I truly believe that there are some nobles that truly live up to the title of a ¡®noble¡¯. I had admired them..ever since I was a child that was until now..


    I cackled.


    Glancing at her grace,I wondered to myself,how exactly had her childhood been like?


    As a noble,I assume she must have gotten that good o¡¯l special treatment,especially since she was born in such a famed house.


    I was growing curious about her life as a noble.


    Should I ask..?


    As if I had snapped back to reality,I reconsidered what I was thinking.


    Had I gone insane? Asking about her life?


    The scene of Hans slitting my throat slightly replayed.


    My body shivered,remembering the cold touch of Han¡¯s sword.


    ¡°Hans,prepare.¡± on queue to the statement,a knock sound was heard.


    ¡°Speak,who?¡± Hans asked coldly.


    ¡°Who else could it be!?¡± an angry voice huffed.


    Hans went over to the door with a relieved expression,grabbing the handle,twisting it.


    ¡°Arlen! How could you be so cold and leave me in the middle of a god forsaken town!¡± it was a lady in her late 20¡¯s,brown hair tied into a ponytail,small glasses that fit her eyes perfectly,wearing a rather costly dress.


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    ¡°Oh forgive me would you,Ann?¡±


    ¡°Shameless as you always are!.¡± Ann stormed her way to the couch.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered why you are constantly grumpy..¡± Hans laughed.


    ¡°That¡¯s because of the two of you brats!¡± she yelled,pointing at them repeatedly.


    ¡°Enough,enough.¡± her grace laughed along.


    ¡°But who the hell is this?¡± Ann glared at me, ¡°replaced your replacement eh?¡±


    ¡°Right on the mark!¡± her grace clapped.


    Squinting her eyes,Ann scanned me up and down,soon averting her gaze to her grace.


    ¡°This..gentlemen? He sure looks ragged.¡±


    Ouch.


    That sure stung..to be called a rag by a maiden,have I made it to the world of rat kins now? Was I really so unkempt..?


    ¡°Ann,oh Ann,how could you introduce yourself with such rudeness? Look at how hurt this gentlemen is..¡± she pointed at me.


    ¡°Ahem..pardon me,apologize for that comment,though it is mere truth,¡± she maintained eye contact, ¡°but I''m called Ann,pleasure meeting ya.¡± extending her hands out,with a forced smile.


    ¡°The pleasure is mine.¡± I spoke while trying to maintain a smile,exchanging handshakes.


    This lady named  Ann..sure is straightforward..not that it¡¯s a bad trait to have- no,it is both favourable yet unlucky.


    ¡°Hello there! Dear nobles! Pleasure to see y¡¯all,I¡¯m James and tonight shall be your host! Now settle down,and prepare for the first item to be presented! There will be a total of 5 items that will be sold tonight,bid well!¡±  out of the sudden light only shone on the middle of the stage,at a display box,inside was..some kind of sword? Blame my foggy vision or my bad eyesight. Maybe both.


    ¡°The very first item will be¡­! The sacred sword,long lost from history,namely the hilt of langar! Now..start your bids!¡± he announced.


    ¡°A hundred gold coins.¡± one yelled.


    ¡°A hundred and two!¡± another proudly announced.


    ¡°Five hundred.¡± someone amongst the crowd bid.


    ¡°Going once..going twice..¡± the auctioneer paused, ¡°Sold! Congratulations to our dear noble who bid five hundred,please claim your possession by informing a servant or attendant once this function has been concluded.¡±


    Fi-five hundred?! For one single sword!?


    I was flabbergasted from these rich nobles.


    Even I have yet to stea- I mean gain five hundred gold coins..let alone a hundred of it!


    ¡°Moving along,with the second item! The halberd of the sea,forged from mythril and crafted by the famous artisan,Beldor!¡±


    ¡°Fifty.¡±


    ¡°Sixty.¡±


    ¡°A hundred.¡±


    ¡°Two hundred.¡± A voice echoed from one of the balconies.


    Ah,it was the smirking jerk..


    Rodrick was it? From house Grandor,something along those lines!


    ¡°One,two! And sold!¡± the auctioneer stood there as he eyed the audiences.


    ¡°The third item of the day! Bring it in!¡±


    A lady dressed in a suit pulled a cart out,displaying a slab of...stone?


    ¡°This ancient stone-¡±


    ¡°A hundred.¡± A deep voice resounded,interrupting the introduction.


    It came from..the balcony beside us? They bid immediately? Without even knowing its origins?


    It was surprising. These high ranking nobles sure are scary with the amount of money they have..


    ¡°No one else dares to bid?¡±


    As if the silence was taken as agreement,the auctioneer deemed the slab sold.


    ¡°On to the very next,second last item of the night!¡±


    It was a book,a silver engraved book that lost its shimmer.


    ¡°A hundred and fifty gold coins.¡± her grace swiftly declared.


    ¡°Two hundred~¡± Rodrick countered.


    ¡°Three hundred.¡± her grace gripped the banister.


    ¡°Four hundred!¡± Rodrick¡¯s laugh vibrated through the hall.


    ¡°Five hundred!¡±


    ¡°And one! Two,¡± the auctioneer waited for a response, ¡°Sold!¡±


    ¡°Lastly,our long awaited item of the night! Behold..the weaver¡¯s ring!¡±


    Gasp resounded from the crowds below.


    The weaver¡¯s ring? What is that?


    ¡°Begin your bids!¡±


    ¡°Two hundred.¡± Rodrick spoke.


    ¡°Four hundred.¡± her grace proclaimed with a grin.


    ¡°Four hundred and fifty.¡±


    ¡°Five hundred! Rodrick,oh Rodrick,dare bid more?¡± her grace smiled slyly.


    ¡°All yours,your grace.¡± Rodrick said with agitation,trying to keep his smile up.


    ¡°Six hundred.¡± the deep voice from the balcony beside us spoke.


    ¡°Duke of the north,please reconsider.¡± her grace asked.


    ¡°Seeing youngsters fight,how could I not join in?¡± a loud laughter erupted.


    ¡°Seven hundred!¡± Rodrick declared.


    ¡°Seven hundred and fifty!¡± her grace clenched her fist.


    ¡°One..two¡­sold!¡± the auctioneer cheered.


    ¡°Thank you for your participation in this auction dear nobles! Please do enjoy the rest of the night,enjoy your stay!¡± the lights focused on the stage flickered off,dim light soon descending on every part of the hall.