System Nemesis

The roads, made of unified and leveled gray stones, were jammed with people and stalls on each side. Everything could be found, from food to souvenirs to cheap weapons.

Soldiers, all wearing well-maintained bronze armor, patrolled the streets and intercepted the rare troublemakers. Overall, everyone seemed to be happy.

Moreover, as they kept going, the already elegant buildings got more refined and their details increased. They also went from an average of two to four stories high. Some even had entrances made of precious gems.

The paths also had fewer people, but all those remaining looked like dignitaries. The small and tidy shacks made place to large and luxurious shops that offered products of higher quality.

One of the things surprising Derrick was that he had only seen humans roaming around, and he couldn"t help but inquire about it. Even when he was living in his small village, he knew that there were multiple races living on the continent.

"You"re observant. Terra is a human-only city. When they were founded, they tried a co-existing approach, but it failed miserably and caused a war. Ideals are hard to change..."

A bit of sorrow appeared on Brigand"s face, but he rapidly continued.

"Anyway, this war was won by humans at the cost of tens of thousands of lives, which set its development back by a lot. However, other races haven"t completely disappeared from this place. They are still sold as slaves in prestigious markets. Are you interested?"

Derrick wondered and came to the conclusion that he had to check them out. Various races had different skill sets and, if he could find specialists there, it would be a lifesaver.

"Yes, I"d like to go there after the auction if you don"t mind"

"It won"t be an issue. You"re also in luck because the next auction I hold is tonight. Afterwards, we can go there and look at their goods. I have an acquaintance that owes me a favor"

Derrick nodded and couldn"t help but appreciate the man in front of him. Of course, he knew that it was purely a business relations.h.i.+p.

Their trip lasted a few more minutes until the carriage finally came to a halt in front of a magnificent building. It was five stories tall and four imposing marble pillars supported its triangular roof. There were also large french windows that covered its facade. The entrance was two large bronze doors that looked absolutely unmovable.

The architect had gone for a domineering and opulent look and had brilliantly succeeded.

When Derrick stepped down, a red carpet welcomed him, which made his eyebrow rise. Just how important were the guests that came here?

Seeing his reaction, Lancaster couldn"t help but let out a raucous laugh. It had been a while since he had seen this type of reaction. Yet, he understood it perfectly well as someone who had lived at both extremes of society.

"Don"t be intimidated. You"ll not meet any of those people unless you want to. Follow me, I"ll show you to your quarters for the time being"

When they entered, the theme of luxury persisted and even though it looked like a palace, it wasn"t distasteful. You could see that every material had been used with purpose and care.

After leading Derrick to his room, Brigand excused himself as he had to finish preparations for tonight.

Without even throwing a glance at the various amenities, Derrick removed his cloak and armor and jumped in the large bed. After all his conquests and battles, it was finally time to rest.

***

*Knock-Knock*

"Sir?"

Silence.

*Knock-Knock-Knock*

"Sir, are you awake?"

Derrick grumbled and slowly opened his eyes. He had slept a few hours and it had rejuvenated him a lot, even though he wanted to lazy out more. He eventually answered the sweet voice that came from outside his room.

"Come in..."

Without pausing a beat, what Derrick took for a maid entered and greatly surprised him. It was a gorgeous elf! He never expected to meet one so soon.

"Master informs you that the auction will proceed in an hour"

After a courteous bow, she examined Derrick from head to toe. For a maid, she clearly didn"t have any boundaries. She gave off a mysterious feeling that he didn"t quite understand, and since she was a servant, he didn"t bother appraising her. After a few seconds, she continued.

"Do you have any demands?"

"None, thank you"

After his answer, she quickly vacated the room...

***

"What do you think?"

"He gives off a dangerous aura... You need to be careful. Also, I couldn"t a.s.sess his equipment, which means that it"s even above of what he"s selling"

"Hahaha!!! Good, good... Do you think he"s trustworthy?"

"From the little interaction I had, he doesn"t seem like a malicious individual, so I"d say so. At the end of the day, it"s your decision, Master"

"Understood. Keep an eye on him during the auction. Dismissed"

***

After taking a quick bath and cleaning his cloak, Derrick proceeded to a VIP suit that had been a.s.signed by Brigand. Guiding him was a butler that was well-dressed and cleanly shaven. Derrick even expected people to mistake him for a n.o.ble instead of a servant.

Once he arrived, he looked at the decor. The cubicle was pretty much like his room, minus the bed. One side was also made of tainted gla.s.s that only allowed one to see outside.

Through it, he could see the small hall where everything would take place. He admired how well-designed it was. There was a big red curtain hiding the stage, where the items would be sold, and a small seating section where guests could sit comfortably. The VIP suits were located above said section, giving off a pressure that made the people below feel their importance.

Suddenly, Brigand entered the room and Derrick came back to himself.

"I hope you"ve been enjoying your stay so far! I know that your weapons haven"t been sold yet, but I can give you credit as I don"t have any doubt that they"ll be. Your account will contain 400 gold. I"ll also be waving the usual fee as a gesture of goodwill for you choosing my establishment"

The husky man seemed to be in jovial mood and Derrick was really starting to genuinely like him. If everything went well, he considered asking him to be the supplier of his city.

"Thank you very much. Everything has been perfect so far"

"Well, if you need anything, just ask! The butler will also tell you about the rules of our auction. If you"ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend"

With that, he left as fast as he arrived. The butler, which had be standing in a corner of the room, advanced.

"My name"s James and I"ll be your attendant tonight. The rules are simple, you bid by minimum increments of 10% of the original value of the item. Of course, you can bet higher. All bets are final and paid the moment the item is obtained. As you have credit, it"ll be deducted off of it. Do you have any questions?"

Derrick shook his head before sitting in the large, and surprising comfortable, chair in front of the gla.s.s. His heart started to race. He never expected that he would be able to partic.i.p.ate in such a prestigious event!

The gallery below had already started to fill up and after a few minutes, every single seat was taken. Every member of the higher cla.s.s seemed to present, which made Derrick ecstatic and scared. His items could fetch more, but if he wanted something, its cost would also be higher.

Suddenly, all the lights, which were generated by magical trinkets, started to dim. The curtain lifted and a host appeared at the center of the stage. It was a beautiful woman that wore a tight sparkling black dress.

"For those who don"t know me, my name is Jacqueline and I"ll be your host tonight. Let"s begin!"