Chapter 3961

"I always feel that ever since I arrived in Arcadia City, there have been more and more strange and disgusting things. Compared to dealing with abnormal events and organizations related to flesh and blood, I actually prefer dealing with events related to machinery. No matter how unpleasant the smell of machine oil and rust is, it's still better than this thing."

Xia De complained in his heart, while "She" laughed softly:

【Later, there will definitely be an opportunity.】

"Yeah, there will definitely be an opportunity... If I were to bestow the spark from the Source of Fire onto this skin, what would happen... Oh, how could I think of such things? Forget it, forget it. I've been in contact with too many strange things, even my way of thinking has started to become strange."

Actually, the Outsider was originally a very smart person who was very good at association and creation. In the past, he just hadn't encountered such strange items and scenes.

Xia De waited for another ten minutes before Weige returned, but her complexion was still not very good, though this time it was definitely not because of health problems.

"I let Eve go to rest first."

She said to Xia De, and then looked at the box with an indescribable expression:

"Mr. Watson, you go to the auction first. I'll continue to check it myself."

Xia De was very worried:

"The auction and that manuscript are actually not particularly important. I'd better stay."

But Weige shook her head and rarely refused Xia De:

"I want to be alone and think about my mother's affairs."

Although he had originally planned to go to Mr. Copus as early as possible tonight to ask about the 【Active Metal】, Xia De still said:

"Alright then, I will return as soon as I finish the auction."

Weige nodded, walked to Xia De, stretched out her arms to wrap around his neck, hugged him, and leaned her head on Xia De's shoulder. After a long while, she let go of Xia De, kissed Xia De lightly on the side of his face, and then ordered Miss Luo Lin to prepare a carriage for Xia De so that Xia De could go to the auction.

The auction, held under the pretext of a "literary salon," was located at the "Nightingale Club" in the Upper City District. Most of the members of this club were famous local scholars, inventors, and artists, and it was a place with a rich academic and artistic atmosphere.

Xia De had originally thought that although the "literary salon" was just an excuse, there would always be some symbolic activities related to the salon before the auction, but in reality, there were none.

After showing his invitation to the club manager, he was led by the tall and thin middle-aged man to a small lecture hall on the second floor. And what Xia De saw after entering the door was rows of seats neatly placed in the middle and back of the room, while at the podium at the end of the room and around it, the "stolen goods" about to be auctioned were being displayed.

"How blatant."

Xia De thought in his heart, but still walked in.

This room was not large and had mostly been used as a room for small lectures in the past. Now that the seats were set up, it could only seat more than thirty people. At this time, there were still more than ten minutes before the auction started, and the guests who had already arrived were holding champagne from the table on the right side of the room, gathering together with familiar friends and whispering, as if they were really attending a serious auction.

Of course, many people were also visiting the auction items for later. Xia De's goal for coming this time was very clear, which was the original design manuscript of the 【Mark I Steam Engine】, so he walked directly toward the high platform after entering the door.

【Isn't there also Luo De cards?】

"She" reminded softly.

There was no mistake this time. The manuscript was indeed here, properly placed in a glass display cabinet. On the yellowed paper were lines and letters outlined in faint ink, there was a signature in the lower right corner of the paper, and a nameplate was placed below the manuscript explaining the starting price of the manuscript—

"100 Crowns..."

According to the recently fluctuating exchange rate, 100 Crowns was at least equivalent to 1200 Gold Pounds, and when the exchange rate was high, it could even be equivalent to 1400 Gold Pounds. This exaggerated price was equivalent to the annual salary of a top lawyer or doctor for one to two years, and the total value of a villa with a garden in the suburbs of Tobesk was about the same figure.

But Xia De was not very surprised. The Mark I Steam Engine was the most classic steam engine in the early steam era, and even in the cognition of most people, this was the greatest invention that started the steam era. This manuscript was a top-tier industrial relic and a relic of a scientific celebrity, so it was normal for its auction value to far exceed ordinary literary or artistic collections.

Coupled with the very clear signature and date in the lower right corner of the drawing, if it weren't for the fact that it belonged to "stolen goods" now, the starting price would probably be at least 140 Crowns.

And according to Xia De's advance estimation, without malicious bidders, he should be able to buy it for a price below 220 Crowns. And the value of the other two manuscripts requested by Mr. Old Leibury was actually basically this price.

The house and land of the Blue Ink Library were certainly not worth so much money. If the three manuscripts were auctioned at a regular auction house, the Crowns obtained would be enough for Xia De to set up a nice manor locally.

The most valuable promise given by Mr. Old Leibury was actually "If you want, I can sell you the books in the library at half price." Books had a very high value in this era.

"I hope not too many people bid against me."

Xia De thought in his heart. Although he was not short of money now, he was not the kind of person who would spend money recklessly.

And this manuscript was not the most valuable auction item in this auction, let alone the finale. The finale auction item was the portrait of the last Wang Hou passed down from the Delin-Oll era, which was currently on display in the center of the exhibition stand. The starting price of that thing was as high as 500 Crowns.

"This Wang Hou seems to be the suspected source of the blood disease in Weige's family."

Xia De thought in his heart, but even locally, there were not many families who could take out a huge sum of 500 Crowns at once and were willing to participate in a "stolen goods auction," so the competition for this collection should not be particularly fierce.

As for the collection that people were most concerned about, it was neither the portrait nor the design manuscript, but a membership badge issued when the Candle Keep Library was first established. This badge naturally also came from the Old Delin-Oll era and could almost be considered the first batch of membership proof for the Candle Keep Library.

Although the condition of the badge was not very good, the starting price was as high as 20 Crowns. Although Xia De did not chat with others, he guessed that almost all the locals who came to attend the auction would be interested in this badge.

The Luo De cards that Xia De was somewhat interested in were placed at the edge of the exhibits. Looking at that position, Xia De knew that this was definitely not the "Founding" series, otherwise it would have been fully qualified to be placed in the middle, and this auction would not have attracted only these people.

Xia De was not disappointed:

"Since it's not the Founding series, then what series could it be? Angel, Demon, Holy Sword, Dragon, or Legend?"

He was thinking of the first five series of Luo De cards issued. Xia De now already possessed the Angel, Demon, and Holy Sword among them. At the celebration banquet after the end of the Battle of the Snow Mountain, Xia De had also talked to Miss Bell, Flora's apprentice, about wanting to see the remaining two series, and he thought that maybe the opportunity would be today.

But it was a pity that he guessed wrong this time.

There were a total of three Luo De cards waiting to be auctioned in the display cabinet, two of which only had special card faces and no special rules. On the only card with special rules, a huge thin-necked bottle containing flocculent matter was drawn, being embraced by a person wearing a black robe.

【Ancient Alchemy · Soul Solvent】, suit Moon 6. When drawing this card, if the total points equal 7 and there are no Sun suit cards on your side, you win directly.

"Ancient Alchemy series, huh? This can indeed be considered the oldest series of Luo De cards. The rules are simple and clear. I remember the rules for my 【Ancient Alchemy · Dragon Transformation Stone】 are even simpler: when drawing this card, if the total points are greater than 26, you win directly... These initial series really dared to write special rules."

"Dragon Transformation Stone" was one of the three precious Luo De cards that Xia De heard of and finally obtained during his adventure in Moon Bay.

And the 【Ancient Alchemy · Philosopher's Stone】, 【Ancient Alchemy · Serpentine Medical Agent】, 【Ancient Alchemy · Elixir of Immortality】, 【Ancient Alchemy · Universal Solvent】, etc., of the Ancient Alchemy series, each one appearing in modern times could sell for a high price of at least 600 Pounds at an auction, which was 10 times the price of a normal special-rule Luo De card.

Limited by the fact that this card was currently stolen goods, although it had an appraisal certificate, the starting price was still only 20 Crowns. However, Xia De believed that the final transaction price should only be slightly lower than the transaction price in a normal auction. Even if this was stolen goods and could not be easily taken out and used, the people here had plenty of ways to launder it; it was just a slightly troublesome matter.

【Then, are you going to buy this card?】

"She" asked softly while Xia De was admiring the cards. Xia De did not deny that he had such thoughts:

"【Ancient Alchemy · Soul Solvent】's auction order is earlier than the manuscript I want to buy. If there is an opportunity, I will try to bid... I now have 45 special-rule cards, and I am still 9 cards away from collecting the full set. Moon 6 happens to be a suit I don't have for the time being."

It was clear that Xia De was not the only one interested in this card. Luo De cards were also a quite elegant game in the upper society, and special-rule cards had extraordinary significance for every player. And besides opening card packs and gambling with others, auctions were the most common channel for obtaining special cards.

When Xia De stopped to look at the cards, more than one person also cast their gaze toward this card, among whom were Xia De's "acquaintances."

"Madam, I want this card~"

"Okay, okay, my sweetheart, I will buy it for you. Compared to my jewelry, this little piece of paper is not worth much money."

The person speaking was a plump, heavily made-up woman and a young man wearing silk stockings and smelling very heavily of perfume. This was Mrs. Connaught and her young lover whom Xia De had met at the charity banquet last week.