Master Assassin of the Ronan

Chapter 50. Tollois Auction House (3)

“What? Kingven went into the auction room himself?”

A restricted area within the auction house, where only insiders were allowed.

A sudden shout echoed in this crucial part of the facility.

Moreover, this was the moment when the auction house’s rule of referring to attendees by entry numbers rather than names was broken.

But the person responsible seemed unfazed. He didn’t bother to follow the rules and mentioned a name once more.

“Damn it! I should have noticed when Kingven walked in. So, where is he now?”

The man asked as he swept his hand over his face.

In front of him, twenty auction house attendants stood in formation, faces tense beneath their sealskin hoods.

“He’s in Bidding Room 122 in the eastern section, Capone.”

Capone ruffled his hair and unfolded the summary list distributed earlier that day. His face twisted as he scrolled his finger to the information on Bidding Room 122.

“Fiery Jade Stone? What the hell is that?”

Despite Capone’s exclamation, the attendants had nothing to say.

The summary sheet had no description of the “Fiery Jade Stone” either.

If the appraiser had left no comments, there were only two possible reasons.

It was either a truly worthless item.

Or, it was so valuable that a low-level appraiser couldn’t perceive its worth.

“What is that weasel planning this time?”

Capone.

He was one of the five executives of the Tollois Auction House.

An important figure in the auction’s hierarchy, his reactions carried a special weight for the attendants.

But now, he was struggling to keep his composure. All because of Kingven and the Fiery Jade Stone.

“When does bidding on that Fiery Jade Stone or whatever it is start?”

“It begins in thirty minutes, sir.”

“I’d better go see it for myself. One person follow me, the rest of you disperse.”

With that command, the attendants scattered with slaps of sealskin.

Their pale faces and hurried movements were a sight to behold—something one wouldn’t expect from auction house personnel.

Capone walked through the rushing attendants. Unlike them, he did not wear sealskin.

Mingling with the attendees, assessing the flow of the auction and keeping an eye on important figures was one of his primary responsibilities as an executive.

“Kingven…”

As he walked, Capone pictured Tis Kingven’s face in his mind.

That weasel-like face.

The arrogant, sly demeanor.

Unconsciously, he clenched his fist.

Their relationship was different now, but just five years ago, Tis Kingven had been one of the attendants under his management.

He was a pretty decent worker—until he shattered all trust.

Most of the Tollois Auction House attendants were criminals, fugitives, or vagrants. Taking them in and giving them new identities and jobs was the Tollois way.

Kingven had been one of those, though he didn’t handle clients. His job was as an appraiser.

“I thought he had a low-level Appraiser’s Eye at first…”

That assumption had been way off.

By a long shot.

As a low-level appraiser, one day he abruptly announced he was leaving the auction house.

He was a clever and resourceful fellow, so it was a shame to let him go, but one of the rules here was to let anyone who fulfilled their duty period start a new life if they wanted.

Kingven had completed his mandatory service, so they couldn’t hold him back, and he was just a low-level appraiser anyway.

At the time, Capone thought it was just a matter of filling a vacancy for a low-level appraiser.

“Most people who leave the auction house end up crawling back, begging to return.”

Capone had assumed Kingven would be no different.

But instead, the man deceived everyone. It was as if he had slapped Capone in the back of the head with all his might.

Less than a year after leaving the auction house, Kingven revealed his true colors.

It soon became clear that Kingven possessed an appraisal skill unmatched by any appraiser.

Whether it was a skill he’d always had or one he developed at the auction house… No one knew, nor did they care to.

Kingven became a businessman with that ability, amassing wealth. While he remained a mystery to most, hiding his identity, Capone knew exactly who he was.

“A conniving weasel constantly dealing blows to the auction house.”

For reasons unknown, Kingven found countless ways to harm the auction house.

One method was connecting with royals to broker artifact transactions that bypassed the auction house.

Another was staying below the canopies in Tollois City and intercepting high-value items from people waiting to enter the auction.

“Idiots who might have sold something for a hundred million Rilk through the auction happily part with it for just ten million.”

Of course, such exploits had been recently curbed thanks to measures taken by the auction house.

“What enrages me the most…”

The way he mocked the auction’s system.

Whenever a low-level appraiser failed to recognize an item’s value, that guy would step in as a bidder and snatch it up.

Considering his incredible appraisal eye, many of the items he grabbed were undoubtedly worthy of “special sale weeks.”

This was Tollois Auction House, after all.

One of the most prestigious auction houses on the continent, where distinguished guests and rare items gathered.

Being bested by Kingven in this manner inflicted more than financial loss. It struck a severe blow to their pride.

“Why are you showing up now after lying low for so long, Kingven?”

The last he’d heard, Kingven had been wandering the continent, searching for something.

A Soul Artifact? A relic?

Whatever it was, they said it was something extraordinary—worth betting his entire life on.

And now, out of the blue, that damned Kingven had shown up.

Capone finally arrived at Bidding Room 122. With all 41 registered bidders already inside, the doors were firmly shut.

Normally, entering after the doors closed would be against the rules, but Capone, as an executive, simply opened the door and walked in.

The dimly lit interior.

“Is that the Fiery Jade Stone?”

At the front on the pedestal.

The auction item, “Fiery Jade Stone,” was displayed in a glass case under the lights. The auction was just about to begin.

He heard the auctioneer’s voice nearby.

“The starting bid, as requested by the consignor, is…”

* * *

Bidding Room 122.

Rubin and Kuze were in a separate section within the bidding room.

A space designed so that bidders couldn’t see them. Made from special glass, they could observe the bidding process from here.

“It’s starting now, young master.”

Compared to Rubin’s calm demeanor, Kuze was clearly tense. Just the day before, he had resigned himself to losing three million Rilk.

Seeing all 41 bidders seated brought a surge of unexpected hope, making him realize this was real.

Soon, the auctioneer’s voice rang out.

“…Please note that this item received no comments from the appraiser. Before we begin bidding, we will take questions. Does anyone have a question regarding this ‘Fiery Jade Stone’?”

Following the set procedure, the auctioneer guided the event.

A light flickered among the dark seats, signaling a request to ask a question.

“…Yes, bidder 7670, go ahead.”

“Did the consignor name this item the ‘Fiery Jade Stone’?”

“Hmm, the consignor has permitted me to share this. Yes, the consignor named it.”

Another light blinked from a different direction.

The auctioneer smiled slightly, wondering if this was merely a coincidence or if more serious buyers had gathered than anticipated.

“Yes, bidder 0529.”

“I’d like to confirm if this is the item I’m looking for. May I examine it up close?”

“Hmm…”

The auctioneer hesitated.

This wasn’t something pre-approved, so he glanced toward the special viewing room where the consignor sat, seeking permission.

“What do you think, young master?”

“Let them.”

Kuze activated a signal light to indicate consent.

“Yes, it is permitted. Each of you may come up to the platform and examine the item.”

One by one, the bidders ascended the platform to inspect the item.

Every one of them wore a mask to conceal their identity.

This wasn’t unusual. In fact, showing one’s face in the auction room was rarer.

Rubin watched them with a silent smile.

“…?”

Why is he smiling?

Kuze tilted his head in confusion but didn’t have time to ask. The auction was about to commence.

“With no further questions, we’ll begin the bidding. The consignor’s requested starting price is…”

At that moment.

A brief light from outside entered the darkened auction room. Executive Capone had just stepped in, intending to verify Kingven’s presence.

“…One hundred million Rilk.”

The auctioneer’s single statement caused an immediate stir in the room.

Capone’s and Kuze’s eyes widened.

In this moment, only Rubin remained composed.

One hundred million Rilk?

If no one placed a bid, the starting price would gradually decrease. Everyone in the auction assumed it would drop as no one would bid.

But then.

The auctioneer’s gaze fixed on a particular spot.

He blinked several times and then—

“A bid! Bidder 0529, one hundred million!”

An unexpected bid.

The murmurs in the room intensified. Kuze stood up in his seat, doubting his own ears. But the real shock was just beginning.

Another bid followed.

“Bidder 7670, one hundred and ten million!”

This was merely the beginning of a bidding war.

0529 and 7670. The two people who had asked questions before the auction began were now locked in a fierce bidding battle.

“One hundred and twenty million!”

“One hundred and thirty million!”

It was only those two. When 7670 raised the bid, 0529 matched it, and 7670 would then increase it again.

“One hundred and ninety million! Bidder 7670.”

“Oh, and again, bidder 0529!”

Capone observed the escalating bids in silence.

As an executive of Tollois, two hundred million wasn’t that large a sum.

“The problem is that one of those two is definitely Kingven.”

Capone thought of Kingven as a weasel because the man never made a loss.

Kingven never invested more than one hundred million.

Of course, with his current wealth, a hundred million Rilk was nothing to him.

Even so, he was always cautious and sought the maximum profit.

“But now it’s already at two hundred fifty million… Kingven, what are you trying to buy?”

Meanwhile, Rubin rose from his seat and approached the window.

The two locked in the bidding war.

One of them was surely his target, Tis Kingven. But what about the other?

-You’re doing great. Keep pushing a little further.

-Got it!

It was Tina, his Roincrow, visible only to Rubin’s eyes.

Kuze might have thought Tina had betrayed or died, but in reality, she had entered the Tollois Auction House days ago, already under Rubin’s instructions.

-Just keep driving up the bid, how high?

-Three hundred million. There’ll definitely be someone who’ll follow that high.

-Three… hundred million Rilk? But what if we actually win? You’ve already spent all our funds on the deposit!

-Don’t worry. Even if we win the bid, it’s fine. Either way, we’ll end up meeting Tis Kingven. The real negotiation starts then.

Rubin had subtly manipulated things so Kingven would notice the existence of the Fiery Jade Stone.

There was no guarantee Kingven would attend the auction, so getting him here had been the first hurdle.

To achieve this, Rubin had deliberately circulated low-level advertisements and allowed repeated postponements to buy time.

Even if Kingven himself wasn’t at the auction, his informants stationed here would certainly relay the information to him.

And the result?

“Once Kingven recognized the value of the Fiery Jade Stone, he would have mobilized all resources to secure the item.”

He would have asked why the item kept being postponed.

He would have learned about the requirement for forty attendees.

And to meet that requirement, he would have gathered 39 people and sent them in as bidders.

Seeing that the attendance condition of 40 people had been met made it clear this was Kingven’s doing.

“Kingven won’t stop here. He isn’t after the Fiery Jade Stone itself. He wants to meet the person who understands its value.”

If he thought he alone knew its worth, only to find out otherwise, it would be like finding mold on what he thought was a golden future.

His response would be one of two things.

Eliminate the potential rival or recruit them.

Whether Tina won the bid or Kingven did, his next move was clear.

“He’ll come looking for Tina and me. That’s when the real negotiation begins.”

Just then.

“Young master! The winning bid has been decided.”

No further bids came. The auctioneer, veins bulging in his neck, shouted. With a resounding hammer strike, he announced the winning bid.

“Fiery Jade Stone sold! Three hundred million Rilk, awarded to Bidder 0529!”