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Taking another moment to think, Oli nodded to Fulkar and then asked the woman, “What are the deposit prices? And is it possible to upgrade the deposit in the middle of the auction?”

Smiling a bit wider, the woman explained, “Deposits are partially refundable to anyone that did not purchase an item. And the deposit will go toward the price of the items you purchase. However, it’s impossible to upgrade your deposit mid-auction. That would slow the auction and cause too many for both Icicle Palace and our clientele. The prices are as such: fifty gold for the standing section, two hundred and fifty gold for the seated section, two thousand five hundred gold for the lounge section, and ten thousand gold for the private booth.

“Unless you represent an influential organization, territory, or region, then some discounts would be available,” added the woman, fishing for information about the mysterious duo.

“Alright... And how much of the deposit is refundable?” asked Oli, avoiding that question before Fulkar had time to consider showing his Rot Region medallion.

“Seventy-five percent is refundable,” answered the woman. “Then, sirs, which deposit will you be making? Also, each lounge deposit includes two guests and each private deposit includes up to four guests. So you would only need one deposit for the both of you, should you buy one of those.

“We’ll take the lounge deposit.”

.....

Oli’s statement silenced Fulkar’s thoughts in an instant. He acted calm and didn’t depart from Oli’s lead, but he was shocked by how easily Oli had agreed to the two thousand five hundred gold deposit. And that was without confirming such a sword would be available! So Fulkar decided to keep silent while Oli handled everything.

Smiling and bowing, the woman thanked Oli, “We greatly appreciate your patronage. Please, follow me.”

As they were led to a service counter, the woman spoke with the receptionist. At the same time, Eeole’s voice trickled into Oli’s head. ‘Don’t use any oxite coins. You’ll want all of them for the trip to the quadrant capital.’

Oli quietly sighed and smiled, knowing Eeole had read his mind. It wasn’t Oli’s intention to use any of his black gold coins, but it was nice hearing that. He also felt a little more at ease to have Eeole’s presence confirmed.

“Sir, the deposit?”

“Right. Here you are.” Oli approached the counter and dropped the twenty-five hundred gold like it was nothing special. “Here you are. Now, what are we to do while waiting for the auction?”

Smiling wider than ever, the woman bowed once more. “Thank you, sir. Please follow me. You have a few options. With the lounge deposit, you’re allowed to either wait in the lounge section or stay in our restaurant until the auction, free of charge. We’ll also send someone for you before the auction begins.”

“... Is food available in the auction area?” asked Oli.

“For you sirs, yes it is. It will be the same food as the restaurant,” answered the woman. “There, you’ll also see a few smaller, insignificant items for sale while we prepare the full auction.”

Nodding to Fulkar, Oli stated, “Then we’ll choose the lounge section. But we’d like menus since we’ll be ordering food.”

“Very well, sirs. Follow me, please.”

They walked down the main hall. On the left and right were various sets of double doors. The woman spotted their wandering eyes and mentioned, “Those are for small auctions and can be reserved by third parties. For instance, an artisan might rent a room for a day and sell various wares. But anything perennial grade is always sold in the auction of our main hall, up ahead.”

Fulkar and Oli kept quiet as they spotted three matching sets of extravagant double doors on the distant wall. But Fulkar and Oli were led up a flight of stairs above those doors. There was also a second flight of stairs leading to a third floor, but they weren’t taken there. As they entered the main auction hall, the duo was speechless at how grandiose the room was. The lounge section was the entire second floor, a huge balcony hanging over the seated section on the first floor. And the standing section was closer to the stage and even lower than the seated section, barely high enough to see the stage. Above them was the third floor, or second balcony made up of only private booths with one-way glass. Like the rest of Icicle Palace, the colors blue, white, and silver were present everywhere.

“Sirs, you’re some of the first to arrive in the lounge section, so feel free to claim any unreserved seats.”

“Reserved? Is that an extra fee?” Oli deduced, getting a nod from the woman. “Very well. Thank you.”

“Thank you, sirs, for your patronage. This is where we part ways. But I’ll send your server right away with menus.” Bowing one last time, the woman left the lounge and walked back into the hallway.

“... Where do you want to sit?” Fulkar asked, letting Oli choose since he was the one who paid.

Smiling under his mask, Oli scouted the seats closest to the balcony’s edge. Some were reserved but there were still a few railing seats to be had. “We’ll take those two.”

They walked to the far right side to claim two railing seats with a table between them. And by the time they sat down, a man in an icy blue, silk vest and tie approached them with a bow. “Sirs, is there a name you’d wish to be addressed by?”

“No need for names,” Oli answered with a gentle tone.

“Very well. Here are your menus. Is there anything you’d like to start with?”

Glancing over the menus, Fulkar was the first to answer, “I’d like some wine. Red. I have no preference for any brand.”

“I’ll have the same,” Oli stated. “And I’ll have the roast beef sandwich.”

Fulkar added, “And I’ll take the pork potato stew.”

“Wonderful. I’ll bring those out in just a few minutes,” the man bowed and replied. “And please keep the menus in case you wish to order anything throughout the day, given how much time we have.”

“Thank you.” Oli and Fulkar nodded in unison.

Once they were alone, Oli noticed the formation etched into the table and poured some essence into it. The duo was quickly surrounded by a peculiar silent formation. They could hear everything outside the formation, but no one could hear them. Paired with their masks, no one would be able to tell if the duo was talking or not.

“... Thank you, Oliver.”

“There’s no need. I haven’t bought you anything,” chuckled Oli. “So far I’ve merely paid for information on weapon crafting and for an auction deposit. You just happened to be with me.”

“Still. Thank you. My worst-case scenario is now what my father considered our potential best-case scenario, given the discount at that man’s shop,” Fulkar insisted. “And now I get to experience a high-level auction as well. Already, you’ve proven to offer great experiences and aid to those around you.”

Shrugging off the compliment, Oli glanced at the stage as the curtain opened. Fulkar also watched in order to see the auction etiquette at play.

A man appeared beside a covered cart. But his vest and tie were flaming red, a stark contrast to the blue and white filling most of the stage and auction hall. The man adjusted his tie and gave the entire audience an enticing grin. At the same time, he held a strange item in his hand. It reminded Oli of a handheld microphone from his previous life, but it had a tiny cone on top with the fatter side facing the crowd.

“Ladies! Gentlemen! Our next item is ready!” The man’s voice spread throughout the enormous hall with ease thanks to that peculiar item, surprising Fulkar. “To the few that just joined us, you’re welcome to ask for a catalog listing all preliminary items. Now, onto the next bidding!”

Throwing a perfectly white cloth to the side, the man revealed a red velvet cushion holding a set of twin daggers. The white cloth then vanished, likely into the man’s void ring, while the crowd stood in silence.

“These are early-elder daggers, but they’ve been crafted carefully and passionately. They were also made with identical cores,” stated the auctioneer, doing his job well and attracting plenty of eyes from the standing section. “If they had been crafted with stronger cores, these daggers might’ve been one of our main attractions today. But they were a custom order of a now-deceased youth, whose final wish was to sell his greatest possession in order to pay off his family’s debts! ... For these early-elder daggers, being a part of a set with embedded cores, the bidding will start at five hundred gold!”

Hushed murmurs filled the crowd, mostly in the standing section but a few people in the seated section seemed to be interested as well.