Later at night.

"Pff!! Hahaha! No way!"

Calder was sitting on a bench, laughing his ass off—literally. A vein popped on Emperal’s forehead when he heard that laugh.

It was one thing to be conned by a woman, and another when Calder was the one laughing about it!

It was outrageous.

Heat began gathering in Emperal’s fist as he stared at Calder’s face. Calder’s laugh abruptly halted when he saw this.

"H-hey! How petty, boss. I was just having a fun time~!"

He hurriedly raised his hand in surrender, knowing Emperal’s nature, he might just become a snake stew tonight.

Emperal sighed and shook his head, although Vara did arrive exactly five minutes later, giving the excuse of ’shopping’. He was still scolded by the shop owner properly.

It was shameful to say the least, he had even given his ring to Calder for restocking the supplies. So, he was essentially roaming at the mercy of his Mo—Vara.

The wind suddenly shifted, tilting his head back, and he saw Vara calmly walking towards them.

His face twitched when he saw a knowing smile on her face, but he refused to entertain her. After all, he had to save his remaining pride.

"Emperal, there seems to be an auction tonight. Want to go there with me?"

Leaning on his shoulders, Vara asked. There was a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Sure, as long as you are not scamming me again and there is something useful at the auction."

"Of course, I was just joking earlier, and I did come after five minutes."

"Alright then, Calder, you wanna join?"

Tilting his head, he asked Calder.

"Nah, I can’t interrupt you, love birds. And, today, a crane-blooded girl waved at me! Guess who is getting laid today and who is not?"

Calder laughed out loud, dramatically flailing his hands and flaunting his achievements. Emperal’s brow twitched.

"I’m sure it must be a hooker that is after you—no, my money."

"Cope harder. Hahaha!!!"

Saying that, the bastard actually slipped off.

"You really have one...eccentric friend there, Emperal." Vara chuckled, to which Emperal shook his head.

"He may act like this, but when in need, he really is reliable."

"...Was that a jab?"

"...How could I jab at such a pretty lady?"

"...P-P-P-P-Pretty!!? Did he just compliment me?"

The temperature suddenly spiked, surprising Emperal. Looking back, he saw the most astonishing thing he had seen in his entire life.

Vara’s entire face had turned beet red, yes red. The blush was so intense that it messed up her natural colour.

Emperal’s heart skipped a beat when he saw this. He was cold, merciless, and could even be called heartbroken to a certain extent.

These longing feelings and his heart were...desperate. Desperate for warmth.

But...Vara was not Vara. It was the Phoenix Empress behind the mask, one of the most powerful creatures to grace this land.

And he had already experienced such a type of love, and it wasn’t a lie to say...it was a mistake.

His mistake.

"I will not make the mistake of being the weaker one in the relationship—never."

Muttering inwardly, he swiftly controlled himself and his...beating heart.

With a smile, he took Vara’s hand and tugged her.

"Let’s go."

...

The auction house in Dawnreach was not what he expected. It wasn’t a building, but a large space outside an abandoned building.

Tonight, it was lit with crystal lanterns, powered by Verth crystals. They hung at irregular heights, glowing in golden light.

Looking ahead, he saw the auctioneer. It was a crane-blood, tall and silver-haired, his lateral eyes scanned the entire room and noted the atmosphere.

Emperal and Vara positioned themselves at the back. Vara held his hand close. Emperal looked at it for a second before ignoring her behaviour.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the auction! I know you are excited for the items, so I won’t waste your time any longer! Linda, bring the first item!"

He gestured at a girl standing back. When Linda heard her name being called, she hurriedly rushed over with a tray of bottles in her hand.

It was a cultivation pill, a specific pill to strengthen the muscles.

"Starting price: fifty Low-grade Verth crystals!"

The auctioneer shouted, and in the next instant, the lower bracket of the audience buzzed in excitement.

"Fifty-five!"

"Fifty-eight!!"

"..."

"Sixty-three Low-grade crystals!"

"Sixty-three Low-grade Verth crystals! Anyone else for the bid?"

Seeing that no one had raised the price, he brought his hammer down.

"Sold!"

The second items were brought, they were three sets of beast cores, which the auctioneer described enthusiastically.

The crowd replied with equal enthusiasm, but nobody did anything dramatic.

It was sold at a single Mid-grade Verth crystal. Quite high for a lower-middle-class man.

After that, a few more items came and were swiftly sold. Emperal never bid for anything; he just stood there quietly with an indifferent look. Seeing him not talk, Vara followed him and kept quiet.

Finally, after the ninth item, a wooden case was brought. The auctioneer opened it excitedly and delicately, as if handling a baby.

Inside, wrapped by a dark cloth, was a sword. Single-edged with a medium length and an incredibly sharp edge.

"Ladies and gentlemen! This is the auction’s last item! That is, a great sword!"

He spoke with an excited smile. Emperal raised his brows when he saw the shine on the tip of the sword.

"It is forged with Stormvein Steel!" he held it high. "Forged at the convergence of two Verth streams in Solmere’s northern Midlands, where lightning-affinity Verth runs endlessly, by extracting that lightning. A masterclass blacksmith had forged this lovely baby! The bid starts at twenty-five Mid-grade Verth Crystals!"

The moment his voice ended, the crowd below erupted wildly. Without hesitation, the bid started!

"Thirty Crystals!"

"Thirty-eight Crystals!"

"Forty-five crystals!"

"Sixty Mid-grade crystals!"

The competition was fierce. Emperal looked at the sword. And instantly deduced its worth.

It wasn’t a masterwork, but it was far better than adequate. The lightning-affinity Verth used to forge the sword had made the metal incredibly tough. Tough enough to hold Kraeth’sol at his current level.

The bid had come to a hundred Mid-grade Verth crystals, with a small smile on his face. Emperal finally raised his arm.

"Two hundred Crystals."