Chapter 194: Hunter and Prey

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this banquet!"

"I believe the reason we are gathered here is not only because of our devotion to Saint Xisi, but also because we possess warm hearts!"

In the center of the main stage, a middle-aged gentleman announced the opening remarks for the auction in a resonant and dignified voice.

In the venue below the main stage, the thunderous applause was like a roaring fire in a fireplace, cooking the quiet atmosphere of the venue into a pot of hot soup.

Sitting in the auction seating area, Andi performed a ceremonial round of applause, then smiled and cast his gaze toward the gallery of the venue.

Although there were still many empty rooms in this manor, this "uncrowned king" of Lei Ming City still chose to sit in the middle of the crowd.

He did not do this because he liked the bustle or intended to show off his "closeness to the people," but because it was the way of life passed down through generations of the Andi family.

As an ordinary citizen without a title, he kept his posture very low.

He had arranged for all the guests who possessed actual titles to be seated in private boxes, even if they were barons from the backwoods.

Conversely, those guests who, like him, had no titles but were equally important, would not feel they were being treated differently or neglected after seeing him sitting beside them.

Pangke, sitting not far away, quietly glanced at Mr. Andi in the crowd. While secretly surprised in his heart, he was also silently learning.

Perhaps these experiences would come in handy later.

After finishing the opening remarks, the middle-aged gentleman on the main stage clapped his hands lightly, and a maid wearing a long evening gown walked onto the stage.

In her hands, she held a box made of black walnut wood, and on a velvet cushion inside lay a golden pocket watch, looking just like a pearl held within a seashell.

The moment it appeared at the auction site, the entire venue fell silent, and everyone's gaze focused upon it.

Including Princess Ailin Campbell, who was sitting in a private box on the second floor.

From the moment that pocket watch ascended the main stage of the auction, her eyes had been fixed on the screen projected by the magic crystal, and even her voice when speaking had unconsciously softened.

Sitting opposite her at the tea table, Luo Yan carefully scrutinized her profile for two seconds, seeing that her dignified and elegant smile had not changed much.

However, he could still feel that those eyes were slightly moved; three parts carried a sense of loneliness, and seven parts were relief.

It was evident that the pocket watch was very precious to her, and not just in terms of property, but more so in terms of sentiment.

On the main stage within the screen, the auction host was using a passionate yet solemn tone to introduce the story behind this pocket watch.

"This pocket watch was crafted by a renowned dwarf artisan, and its exquisite mechanical structure can be said to be the crystallization of dwarf craftsmanship! Thirty years ago, to thank the Campbell Principality for extending a helping hand to the dwarf kingdom in crisis, the dwarf king gifted this commemorative pocket watch to our respected Grand Duke Aaron Campbell, and later, our respected late king gifted it to his beloved daughter... who is our Princess Ailin Campbell."

"For over a decade, its owner has not wound it once, yet its hands have been as precise as they were decades ago, intimately reporting the most accurate time for its owner, keeping every minute and every second of its owner's life in perfect order."

"... Ladies and gentlemen, this is not just a precious work of art, but a piece of history whose value cannot be measured by money!"

The host continued with a solemn tone, "Out of love for his daughter, Grand Duke Campbell gave it to her, and now our beloved Princess Ailin, out of great love in her heart, is donating it unconditionally to the countless people displaced by war."

"In the name of Saint Xisi, please let us offer applause for this benevolent Princess! Offer applause for the great Campbell family!"

The venue resounded with thunderous applause.

Watching the thunderous applause in the venue, Ailin Campbell's eyes flickered slightly, and the last three parts of loneliness and reluctance in her eyes turned into relief.

"I think Grand Duke Campbell's spirit in heaven must be comforted by your choice today," Luo Yan said in a very soft voice. "That respected gentleman not only left a powerful principality for the people of this land but also left them a benevolent and respectable princess."

Princess Ailin, who had averted her gaze from the screen, looked at Luo Yan in surprise, and a bright, joyful smile appeared on her face, which contained crystal-clear eyes.

"Thank you."

She hadn't expected that Mr. Kelin, whom she had only met once, would actually voice her own inner thoughts; he truly was a considerate gentleman.

"It was just a thought that occurred to me."

Luo Yan nodded slightly.

In truth, he didn't think Grand Duke Campbell would really think that way; it was just that he happened to know what this young princess most wanted to hear at this very moment.

At the same time, Pangke, sitting in the venue, was rubbing his index finger against the bidding paddle he held tightly, his body leaning slightly forward, looking eager to try.

Finally, the middle-aged gentleman on the main stage announced the starting bid of one thousand gold coins in a resonant voice, with each increment being no less than one gold coin.

With this, the auction officially began!

"Two thousand gold coins!" Pangke was the first to raise his paddle, pulling out a high-pitched voice, his tone almost cracking from the excessive force.

However, everyone was immersed in that tear-jerking, moving story, so no one noticed his lapse in composure.

The host tapped the gold-rimmed wooden mallet in his hand and, in a passionate tone, shouted loudly to the guests below the stage.

"A bid of two thousand gold coins from the noble Mr. Kelin! Once! Is there any higher?"

"Two thousand five hundred!"

The person raising the paddle this time was also a servant of a noble, and judging by that arrogant expression, his master's status should not be low.

Recalling Mr. Kelin's instructions, Pangke steadied his nerves, ignoring the provocation in the eyes of that dog-acting-on-behalf-of-his-master fellow.

He was going to grab the first bid and the last bid, not squawk around the venue like a parrot that had just learned to speak.

Seeing that Mr. Kelin's servant did not respond, the noble's servant showed a slightly disappointed expression on his face, as if he had punched a ball of cotton.

However, he did not gloat for long.

Because it wasn't just his master who wanted to show off in front of the Princess; they were everywhere in the venue.

The host on stage hadn't even had a chance to tap the mallet in his hand before another servant who had come to their senses raised their paddle.

"Three thousand!"

The atmosphere at the scene was pushed to a climax, and the host excitedly tapped the mallet in his hand, shouting in a passionate voice.

"Baron Amante bids three thousand gold coins! Three thousand! Is there any other gentleman or lady willing to offer a higher price?!"

The price had tripled in just three bids!

Many of the guests present were slightly moved, and some young masters and young ladies couldn't help but hold their breath.

That was three thousand gold coins!

Not silver coins, and certainly not copper coins!

On the Aus Continent, the vast majority of gold mines were controlled by the Empire that monopolized the colonies, so even though the Empire had been using gold coins to harvest the world's wealth, the purchasing power of gold coins remained quite astonishing.

Most of the time, the nobles of the Aus Continent primarily used silver coins in their daily lives, only using gold coins for large payments or when calculating their family assets.

Don't look at the citizens of Lei Ming City fighting over a few mattresses; in reality, the highest they had ever been bid up to was only 20 gold coins.

This thing is not being compared horizontally to high-end graphics cards or Audis of the 21st century, but to the Santanas and color televisions of an era of material scarcity.

A mattress for 200,000 copper coins definitely had a premium, but the premium was obviously acceptable to the citizens of Lei Ming City. After all, people in this world didn't have short videos to scroll through, nor did they have that much gossip to chat about; the biggest entertainment scene was in bed.

As for the pocket watch worth a house in the Queen's District...

The value here could no longer be described as a premium; its true value could be said to be worthless, or it could mean everything.

After all, those qualified to raise a paddle at this auction didn't need to time their lives to the minute and second to accommodate someone else's schedule, so a pocket watch with precise hands was naturally worthless to them... that was something only the people serving them needed.

But relatively speaking, the reason this pocket watch could be accurate was that the clock tower of Lei Ming City followed the owner of this watch.

The weight of this could not be measured by money.

However, not many people could see this. After all, guests present who didn't care about a pocket watch were everywhere, but those who truly "owned everything" were few and far between.

Baron Gess, who had been preparing to let his servant join in the fun, hesitated several times and finally restrained his hand.

The income contributed to him by Yinsong Town in a year was only a few thousand gold coins. It was true he had money, but his daily expenses were not small either; he couldn't just pay for a house in the Queen's District just to get a familiar face in front of the Princess.

Moreover, the true ruler of the Campbell Principality was Grand Duke Edward after all; the cost-effectiveness of sucking up to Princess Ailin was not as good as sucking up to the Andi family. He had to consider whether it was worth it.

The other nobles were the same.

Especially the higher the status of the noble, the lower their interest in participating; it was mostly small nobles and wealthy people without titles competing there.

But for Princess Ailin, this was enough.

As the price was raised from three thousand gold coins to four thousand, the increment of each bid began to slow down, changing from a four-digit contest to a three-digit or even two-digit one.

But even so, this price far exceeded Princess Ailin's expectations; after all, in her original calculations, a one-jin loaf of bread only cost 5 copper coins.

She had specifically instructed her confidants to conduct a serious survey and investigation on every street in Lei Ming City, confirming that this was the price level in Lei Ming City, with at most a fluctuation of one or two copper coins depending on the region.

Three thousand gold coins was six million jin of bread, enough for the refugees outside the city to eat for a year, with even more to spare!

And now, the price of this pocket watch was heading toward five thousand gold coins!

How many loaves of bread would that be?!

"That's great, Theresa! With this huge sum of money, we will definitely be able to let the refugees outside the city safely survive this winter!"

Looking at the rising price, Princess Ailin, sitting in the private box, showed a joyful expression on her face, to the point that she subconsciously reverted to her usual self.

Before tonight, she had been a bit apprehensive, worried that no one would support her idea, but she hadn't expected that just one auction item would achieve her fundraising goal for the night.

The female guard standing behind her also showed a smile of heartfelt joy, sincerely feeling happy for the Princess and the refugees outside the city.

"Thanks to your generosity, Your Highness, I believe those people who are spared from dying in the cold wind and hunger will definitely be grateful for your kind deeds."

"Whether they are grateful to me is secondary; I am not doing this for their gratitude; this is the responsibility of the Campbell royal family."

Princess Ailin's lips curled up slightly, and she suddenly looked at Mr. Kelin, who had been silent, and said with a sweet smile.

"And thanks to Mr. Kelin's support."

"It is my honor to serve you, although I haven't done anything."

Looking at the Princess who winked playfully, Luo Yan smiled and nodded slightly, just returning such a humble sentence, and then quietly watched the performance of the "chess pieces on the stage."

In fact, he quite envied this carefree Princess, being able to naively treat this auction as a simple auction, having her every expression moved by the rising price.

However, her smile seemed too early here; after all, the good show had just begun.

His chess pieces had paved the way for so long.

It was about time to start taking action.

As the price competition entered a heated stage, Mr. Andi finally raised the paddle in his hand, raising the price to five thousand gold coins.

Seeing Yan Andi raise his paddle in person, some people who were originally eager to try hesitated for a moment before suppressing their bids.

On one hand, five thousand gold coins had long since far exceeded the value of the pocket watch itself; on the other hand, the masters behind them had to consider the Andi family's stance.

Although this Mr. Andi kept his position very low, it didn't mean the nobles sitting in the private boxes on the second floor could ignore his influence.

This auction was undoubtedly hosted by the Campbell family's youngest daughter, yet everyone knew clearly who the real organizer was.

Looking at Mr. Andi sitting in the auction seating area, the host's excited voice on stage was like singing.

"Five thousand gold coins, twice!! A bid from Mr. Yan Andi! Thank you to this generous gentleman, may the great Saint Xisi bless his noble soul... Is there any other lady or gentleman willing to offer a higher price to sponsor the Princess's benevolence and save those suffering in the wind and snow?!"

The warm fireplace made Pangke sweat behind his back.

He kept in mind every word the noble Mr. Kelin had instructed him before coming here—keep a close eye on Mr. Andi's reaction after the first bid, and if the auction host tapped the mallet a second time and no one bid, then double Mr. Andi's bid and raise the paddle.

He didn't know why that gentleman had arranged it this way, but he knew now was the time for him to act, so he decisively raised the paddle.

"Ten thousand gold coins! A tribute to the benevolence and kindness of Ms. Ailin Campbell!"

When his voice fell, the atmosphere at the scene was like firewood that had suddenly exploded, resounding with thunder in the silence.

Pair after pair of eyes focused on him, like countless red-hot horseshoes, making him feel as if his back were as scorching as fire.

Sweat slid into his collar, Pangke swallowed a mouthful of saliva, desperately holding up under the pressure, maintaining the calm and composed look on his face.

He could be certain that Mr. Kelin must be watching him right now! If he had any improper performance that made that gentleman feel embarrassed, he would lose everything he currently possessed!

Fortunately, his performance was not bad, and he didn't make any mistakes.

And people, besides subconsciously casting surprised glances at him, didn't pour too much energy into him, a small character.

Ten thousand gold coins!

The guests at the auction site exchanged glances, whispered in discussion, and looked toward the second floor from time to time.

"Ten thousand gold coins for a pocket watch?! Even if it's to save poor people... Saint Xisi above, what kind of immense wealth have you bestowed upon the Kelin family! Have they saved the world?" A wealthy priest couldn't help but cross himself on his chest, his pious face filled with emotion and shock.

【Missing text】

Not far from that priest, a man who looked like a merchant couldn't help but let out a sigh of complex emotions.

"What on earth does he want to do? Compete with the Andi family to see who is richer?"

He could certainly come up with ten thousand gold coins, but with that much spare money, he would rather add two more cargo ships to his ocean-going fleet!

"Perhaps it's to win the Princess's favor..."

The guest sitting next to him couldn't help but voice his guess, and this sentence quickly rippled out like a stone thrown into a calm lake.

When it comes to gossip, wealthy people and poor people are actually no different, especially when it might be closely related to their interests.

"Speaking of which, I seem to have heard a rumor... It is said that this respected Mr. Kelin is an admirer of the Princess!"

"Really?!"

"But why do I feel... he didn't show special enthusiasm when he met the Princess, but rather the Princess invited him to sit at the same table."

"Don't know! So they have mutual affection?"

"When did it start?!"

"Perhaps there was correspondence before... this kind of thing isn't very rare. Haven't you heard? He is the eldest son of a Prince, and will inherit an entire principality in the future, so he is quite a match for the Campbell family."

"A principality enfeoffed by the Empire, I think it's the Campbell family climbing high... if you don't count the hero's bloodline."

"If that's the case... then ten thousand gold coins really isn't much."

Thinking that Mr. Kelin might have already gotten together with the Princess, many men present showed expressions of envy.

And those noblewomen and young ladies who had been full of interest in Mr. Kelin since the banquet began had smiles on their faces that carried a bit of loss, stiffness, and bitterness.

However, they wouldn't go so far as to be jealous of the Princess; at most, they just sighed at the "reality" of the world, people always falling into the clichés of status and family background, unable to faithfully choose beautiful love... as if they represented beauty and love.

Watching Pangke, who was raising the paddle, Andi smiled slightly, once again showing that expression that any man would understand, politely and gentlemanly nodding slightly, and putting down the paddle he had raised.

No one would raise a paddle again.

The host standing on the candle stand had palms full of sweat, almost unable to hold the wooden mallet, and it almost fell several times.

"Ten thousand gold coins, once! Ten thousand gold coins, twice!"

"Praise the noble Mr. Kelin! Coming from a distant continent, he still cares about the suffering people of Saint Xisi on the old land! Third time! Sold! Please let us offer applause for this generous gentleman!"

The wooden mallet hammered heavily onto the tray, and the host threw away this mallet, which felt like it weighed ten thousand jin, with a sense of relief, excitedly clapping first.

The whole venue was filled with thunderous applause.

Including Mr. Andi, countless prominent figures in Lei Ming City offered sincere blessings and applause.

This was not only praise for that generous kind deed, but also praise for a beautiful story achieved tonight, as well as anticipation for the beautiful future of the Campbell Principality.

The significance of this auction had long since transcended the auction item itself, and the tens of thousands of poor people waiting to be saved.

Even, these were just incidental.

The relieved host looked at the maid holding the wooden box on the side, passing the remaining pressure to her.

Closing the wooden box in her hand, the maid bowed slightly and walked toward the stage, trembling, feeling her legs shaking, fearing she might make a mistake.

Ten thousand gold coins!

Even subtracting a zero, it was an astronomical figure to her!

At the same time, inside the private box on the second floor.

Watching the thunderous applause in the venue, Ailin Campbell was even more stunned on the spot, her crimson lips slightly parted, unable to say a word for a long time.

Ten thousand gold coins, let alone for ordinary people, even for her, born into a royal and noble family, was a huge sum of money.

Perhaps her two older brothers could touch it, but it was too much for her.

How many jin of bread would that be?!

Her brain was blank, unable to calculate it at all.

Perhaps... she could even let the people outside the city eat a bite of cake?

Appreciating the cuteness revealed by the surprise, Luo Yan picked up the teacup and took a sip of black tea, then gently put it back on the tray.

It seems that compared to the vampire princess Vivian, the quasi-hero Ailin's pocket money is still too little; one hundred million shocked her.

But thinking about it, it's actually normal.

The Kelin Principality is not benchmarked against the Campbell Principality; in Hell, it's at least at the level of the Lei En Kingdom. And the Demon Capital is benchmarked against the Holy City of the Empire, not a "countryside place" like Lei Ming City.

Plus, Hell, where living materials are scarce and distribution is extremely uneven, also has serious inflation, and high-tier demons have long been numb to the string of zeros on their cards.

If some fool spent one hundred million Kaila to pursue Princess Vivian, I'm afraid that apart from surprising the latter, it might only be exchanged for a "heh."

This is also where the two are different.

"This gift is really too precious... I really don't know how to thank you." Seeming to finally come back to her senses from the shock, Ailin looked at Mr. Kelin sitting opposite her and sighed sincerely.

She almost subconsciously thought that the mysterious gift Mr. Kelin promised to give her was this ten thousand gold coins.

And she also admitted that she was indeed frightened by this surprise, to the point that she momentarily lost her composure and forgot her expression management.

However, her level was still too low after all.

After all, the person sitting in front of her right now was a demon who had graduated from the Demon King Academy, just happening to have a human appearance.

Extraordinary power was actually the area where the gap between the two was the smallest.

Luo Yan smiled without answering, let alone admitting that his gift was such a superficial thing, just casting his gaze toward the screen projected by the magic crystal.

After a period of warm-up, the host on stage quickly struck while the iron was hot and brought out the next auction item, pushing the entire auction from one climax to another.

"The next auction item is a special treasure..."

At the same time his voice fell, a maid wearing a bright green long gown walked from the stage to the front, holding a walnut wood box.

The moment the wooden box opened, the bright green luster on the velvet cushion was like a magnet, firmly grabbing the gaze of all the guests at the scene.

Surprise.

Bewilderment.

And even shock and desire...

Those faces with different expressions were filled with thousands of different emotions.

If a pocket watch of unknown origin was shining entirely because of the glory of the Campbell family, then this treasure didn't need anyone to support it.

It just stayed there quietly, radiating an incomparable and brilliant light, making people unable to help but be fascinated by it.

That is the magic of wealth itself.

Even Yan Andi, who had already regarded it as something in his pocket, couldn't help but hold his breath again after seeing it under the spotlight.

As for Baron Gess, who was sitting in a private box, his palms were even more scorching with excitement.

If his strength didn't allow it, he would have loved to grab it into his pocket regardless of his manners, and pass it down as a family heirloom forever.

The host standing on the stage restrained his excited emotions and continued with a passionate voice.

"The diameter of this diamond is nearly five centimeters, weighing about 100 grams, possessing 76 facets, its bright green luster is unique in the world, beautiful beyond compare, like a miracle left in this world by Lord Saint Xisi... Please forgive my presumption, I believe your first reaction after seeing it must be the same as mine! Besides interpreting the word beauty itself, it is also an excellent magic tool material... but if it were me, I would definitely not put such a beautiful thing in that kind of dangerous place!"

"This precious auction item comes from the respected Mr. Roxai Kelin! His family discovered this treasure on a distant land and decided to present it as a gift to Princess Ailin and the Campbell Principality!"

"Starting bid! One hundred thousand gold coins! Each increment no less than one thousand gold coins!"

This was no longer a contest that ordinary people could participate in.

The vast majority of people had already given up on competing after hearing this number, but instead, the great nobles who had been sitting on the sidelines showed expressions of interest.

Whether it was practical or not was not important at all; they needed to use this kind of legendary treasure to decorate their scepters and highlight their prestige.

At the same time, this deal would not be a loss for them; gold coins would always increase, but this kind of rare treasure would not.

Looking at Princess Ailin, who had fallen into a daze again, Luo Yan smiled lightly and said in a gentle voice.

"Among my many collections, I took a fancy to it at a glance, as if it had a special charm for me, making it hard for me not to notice it."

"It is indeed... too beautiful." Ailin subconsciously replied, not immediately waking up from that brilliant light.

Everyone has a love for beauty; that is not a vulgar emotion, and she was naturally no exception. What she didn't expect even more was that Mr. Kelin, whom she had only met once, would actually take out such a legendary treasure to support her wish.

She had no doubt that he was a kind gentleman, but this could no longer be explained by just the word kind or benevolent.

And just when she didn't know what to do and could only use surprise to cover up the panic in her heart, a light sentence drifted into her ears like the evening breeze blowing the lake, and instantly dyed the quiet and elegant lake with the red glow of ten thousand miles of smoke.

"Indeed, but what attracts me most is not its beauty, but that it looks exactly like your eyes."

Looking at those eyes that were as panicked as a little deer lost in the forest for a moment, Luo Yan could even hear the thumping heartbeat.

Perhaps he really had vampire genes in him; for a moment, he even had the thought that she must be delicious right now.

However, he was not a vampire after all, and certainly not with that kind of superficial purpose.

With no ripples in his heart, he smiled and retreated half a step, leaving room for the prey to breathe and fantasize, instead of continuing to press forward step by step.

"... Please forgive my presumption, I have no ulterior motives, I just purely want to present this gift to you."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 195 =====