Firefly Journey

The unicorn Pegasus carried the two to a private residence in the central district.

The huge parking lot was already sparsely populated with cars, and the magical beasts pulling the cars were all different in form, but they had one thing in common: they were all winged magical beasts.

The owners of winged magical beasts are usually either very rich or very powerful, so you can imagine what kind of auction this is.

The coachman brought the carriage down to a steady stop.

"Is it inside?" Lin Yuanran asked curiously.

"follow me."

Tong En Fernando quickened his pace slightly, walking ahead of Lin Yuanran. Lin Yuanran looked around, feeling very strange; there wasn't a single servant around, hardly the appearance of a grand event.

Tong En led him into a small building, only to discover that it was a hidden gem.

A wide staircase came into view, its lower section brightly lit and seemingly endless.

Da da da.

Footsteps echoed down the gentle staircase as Tong En and Lin Yuanran descended the steps. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the end.

Unlike the deserted ground, at the top of the stairs, two rows of well-dressed waiters stood respectfully. As the two passed by, they bowed slightly, only returning to their original positions after the two had completely left.

Lin Yuanran asked, puzzled, "This is..."

Tong En patiently explained: "In the Duchy, no highly profitable industry can avoid the Holy See. They are responsible for security on the ground, but they mainly monitor and do not care about the specific internal operations."

The owner of the auction house is shrouded in mystery, and most people are unaware of his true identity; I am one of them.

But since they've managed to make a business successful, they must have official backing; they might even be major taxpayers.

Lin Yuanran nodded as if he understood, then changed the subject: "So... do you have any items you'd like to auction?"

“Yes,” Tong En replied. “Didn’t I tell you? Elf blood is an invaluable food for us vampires.”

However, the item I want to auction is not that; I want something much rarer.

"What is it?"

"Tree sap, you could arguably call it a kind of blood," Tong En said with a leisurely smile. "The sap of the World Tree."

"Huh?" Her answer was clearly beyond Lin Yuanran's comprehension. "What is the World Tree?"

Tong En said, "I suggest that you study geography more after you start school."

Lin Yuanran ignored the sarcasm in her words and gave an awkward laugh.

Tong En continued, “The elves have their own country called ‘Takenvia,’ and they have lived on the Sambick Tree for generations.”

There is only one Sambik Tree in the entire world, and its size is larger than the entire Principality of Bema, so the elves call it the World Tree.

Lin Yuanran asked in surprise, "Aren't their houses built on tree branches and leaves...?"

"I've heard that's true. I've never been there; I've only heard rumors about it." Tong En didn't elaborate on the topic, as the road had come to an end.

Following regulations, the guards searched the two men before letting them pass.

"Please." The guard bowed and embraced his sword.

Tong En ignored him and led Lin Yuanran away.

After walking a while longer, we pushed open the door to find ourselves in a large meeting hall. There were no private boxes or extravagant decorations, only rows of seats resembling those in an opera house, covered with soft cushions, which did not reflect the owner's extravagance in the slightest.

The venue was very large. Lin Yuanran glanced around and found that it could accommodate up to a hundred people. If it were full, wouldn't it be a gathering of most of the important figures in Yicheng?

I pulled my thoughts back. The rows of seats were only occupied by a few scattered guests. They sat quietly, whispering to each other in hushed tones, as if afraid of offending someone.

Finding an empty row of seats, Tong En led Lin Yuanran to sit down.

Lin Yuanran whispered, "When does it start? It's already two o'clock."

Tong En said, "The time they give you is just a number to make sure you're not late; the actual time depends on the master's mood."

Tong En's tone was somewhat helpless, but when you're under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. After all, he was the one who needed it. If the host was unhappy, there was nothing he could do if they didn't want to do it.

After waiting in the venue for about half an hour, more and more people arrived. When about thirty seats had been filled, the door suddenly closed.

At the same time, the dim lights gradually became clearer, and Lin Yuanran knew that the auction was about to begin.

On the central platform, the curtain slowly opened.

The hostess was an absolute beauty. Her loose skirt reached just to her knees, revealing her fair and glossy thighs. Her upper body was even more stunning, with a deep cleavage that resembled a cliff cleaved by an axe, flanked by towering mountains.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Yogiri Auction. May the light bless you all and may you all obtain the items you desire."

I am Lisa, and I will be co-hosting this grand event with a beautiful young lady.”

The moment she finished speaking, the curtain that had been lifted quickly closed, and then slowly opened again.

A classical funeral dirge began to play, filling the entire venue.

Behind the curtain, a woman in a white suit slowly walked in. Her forehead was smooth, her hands were slender, and her stockings were tied with childlike bows, as if she had just been pulled out of a snow cave.

From below the stage, Tong En looked puzzled: "What's going on? Are they dissatisfied with Lisa's work and want to train a newcomer?"

Lin Yuanran didn't understand this and didn't dare to speak up.

On stage, the girl lifted her skirt and gracefully bowed to the bidding buyers:

"Claudia Elilanca warmly welcomes everyone."

The lights shone on her face, clearly revealing her appearance to everyone.

It was only then that everyone realized that she seemed to be a very young girl.

“Eriranka…Eriranka…” Tong En repeated the surname over and over, then suddenly remembered something and asked in surprise, “They actually sent the princess to promote it. Is the Kingdom of Delos really behind it?”

Most of the auction attendees were unaware of the owner's identity, only having vague guesses. Was today's unusual arrangement a deliberate political maneuver, a clear indication of a confrontation with the duchy? Or had it been met with a warning from the duchy?

Tong En didn't think about it in detail; those weren't things she should worry about. Her goal was the World Tree Sap.

Lin Yuanran's eyes widened slightly. He brushed aside a strand of silver hair that was obstructing his vision and was slightly taken aback. She was indeed a beautiful girl.

Unlike Wendy's sweetness and Wind Chimes' quirkiness, she exudes a confident and noble aura.

"What? This girl isn't as charming as that older sister?" Tong En Fernando couldn't help but tease from the side.

Lin Yuanran looked away and said awkwardly, "No... I was just thinking that she's as delicate as a porcelain doll, and she's also a princess, so I'm quite curious."

Tong En said, "Tylo is a small country, a vassal state of the duchy. Their princes and nobles also go to school in St. Louis. Perhaps you will become alumni. Aren't you looking forward to it?"

Lin Yuanran thought to himself, "She's pretty, but her hair is purple and not bright at all."