Reincarnated as an Energy with a System

Chapter 1316 The Strange Auction

Gregory Noran was a thin man with a large forehead, bushy eyebrows, and a scar across his left cheek that hadnʼt fully healed. He was a distant cousin of Brassel Noran, the head of the Noran household, the Mayor of Ulharis city.

Yesterday evening, he was made aware of news during a gambling session in one of the taverns about a particular display that had been put on in the Arena. He had relayed it to the Mayor, but it seemed his cousin had already heard of it.

He had then been ordered to confirm the validity of the statement, and if possible buy the weapon.

Gregory trusted the news as much as any sane person would, but the amount of sources he had heard the news from had forced him to reconsider. With the Mayorʼs command on top of it, he had to make sure if it was true or false.

After searching for nearly 2 hours, he arrived in front of the shop that everyone and their mother were talking about in the city right now.

Heeranʼs love.

”This is definitely it,” he muttered under his breath as he looked at the amount of people that were gathered there, not just inside the shop, but outside as well. There was no place to step in.

Could he even take a step in here?

He tried to look for ways to go in when he heard a boy not even 15 saying something that he seemed to have reiterated hundreds of times today.

”Please stay in a line. Everyone will be allowed to make a bid in their own time. We wonʼt let anyone leave without putting on a bid,” the boyʼs tired voice went through the people again.

But no one seemed to care for what he said and tried to go in as soon as they could.

ʼOh, everyone puts on a bid?ʼ Gregory thought and looked at the boy. ”Hey kid, what is the highest bid right now?”

A few faces turned toward him before turning toward the boy with fervent curiosity.

”I donʼt know,” the boy said listlessly as if he would want to be doing anything else. ”I only know that no one will know either. Everyone will get a chance to bid and they will do so in secret. In the end, whoever bids the highest will get the trident. Please consider how much youʼre willing to bid as youʼll only get to do so once.”

A few newcomers asked more questions and Gregory managed to learn more about the shop than he expected. ʼSo itʼs new, is it?ʼ he thought. ʼYou should have remained low, whoever you are,ʼ the man thought. ʼDonʼt complain about getting cut when you stick out as a thorn.ʼ

Due to the number of people there, it took him nearly another hour of standing in the sun before he made his way into the shop. To his surprise, the shop was better looking inside than it was on the outside.

He looked around with a weird look on his face. ʼWhy are the shelves half empty?ʼ he wondered, looking at the weapons and armor that were still there. ʼWell, those certainly arenʼt very good—ʼ

His thoughts paused when he saw the prices attached to the weapons. ʼWhat?ʼ he nearly shouted in shock. He quickly looked around to make sure he hadnʼt spoken out loud, not that anyone wouldʼve noticed in the hubbub of the shop.

ʼWhat sort of idiot sells weapons and armor at 150 Fire Coins?ʼ he thought. His first thought had been that everything the shop sold was simple and needed no further glances, but the cost had turned his opinion upside down.

If the weapons cost what they did, then it was more than a bargain. No wonder so many in the shop were missing. Surely most of them had been sold already. He wondered if he should buy one as well, but then he already had all the weapons he could need.

And he didnʼt have money to spare right now. He had lost a bit last night while gambling. ʼIʼll come back once I earn more,ʼ he thought.

15 minutes later, he was at the front of the line with a slip of paper on the table and a pen next to it. Behind the table was a young man, and next to him was the Lightning Trident everyone talked about.

ʼDamn, so it was real,ʼ Gregory thought.

”Write your name and the amount you wish to bid.”

Gregory quickly took the pen and wrote his name. As for the bid, ”Young man, whatʼs the highest bid?” he asked.

”I donʼt know,” Ning answered him. ”Everything goes in that box. I wonʼt know until I open it at the end.”

The man felt a little annoyed at not knowing how much to bid. ʼHow is this an auction?ʼ he grumbled under his breath. ʼDid the shopʼs owner ever even go to an auction?ʼ

”Young man, whoʼs the owner of the shop?” Gregory asked.

”She lives upstairs,” Ning said. ”Why? I am the manager. If you want to talk to someone, you can talk to me.”

The man frowned a bit. How could such a young man be a manager? Still, he had to trust him, not that it mattered.

He went close and whispered. ”I was sent here by the mayor. He—”

Ning put up his hand. ”I have had 3 other people sent by the mayor, 14 by some governor, 2 by the owner of the Arena, 10 by some teachers in the institute, and countless more carrying names of noble families whose names I donʼt bother to remember.”

”Put your name, your bid, and leave. I give everyone a fair chance.”

Gregory was slackjawed at the words. He tried to say something, but nothing came. In the end, he could only do what he was told to do and left.

He waited outside for 2 hours, and 2 hours later the news came.

”The one who has bid the highest bid 4800 Fire Coins. If you wish to come get it right away, come. Or you can come at any time afterward within the next 3 days.”

A man quickly walked up the stairs and gave his name that Gregory didnʼt recognize. He went in and came back out with a satisfied smile.

Gregory couldnʼt believe it. The owner of the Lightning Trident was some person who was certainly nothing more than a visitor in the city. A tourist got it?

ʼDammit!ʼ the man thought. ʼI shouldʼve bid more than 3000.ʼ

He hadnʼt been aware of how low he had bid until the end. Sounds of grumbling passed through the street in front of the shop as people turned to leave. Everyone was disappointed by not winning the thing.

”One more thing,” Ning quickly spoke before people could get too far away. ”Tomorrow I will reveal another weapon in the Arena, and the day after that I will auction it off here.”

”I will do so for a month before I start putting the items on display without showing them off. You may come to get it again.ʼ

ʼTomorrow?ʼ Gregory thought. ʼAnother one? Another Lightning Trident? Or something new?ʼ

He didnʼt know, but he wanted to. And he was sure, more people than just him would want to know.