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16: the existence of sea pearls

16: the existence of sea pearls
Alt. Title: he could only endure until that day comes

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"Tonight, the highlight of the auction house... is a pair of Sea Pearls! The owner of these Sea Pearls said that he discovered them when his crew got lost in the sea after a storm. Surrounded by lush greeneries, plants that had never been seen before, were a pair of Sea Pearls, almost buried completely by a lakeside. From how deep they were buried, it is estimated that these Sea Pearls are over five hundred years old.

"The starting price for them is a hundred thousand gold coins!"

Sounds of awe and intrigue filled the auction house. Right after the host finished speaking, consecutive shouts of bids filled the air. The festive atmosphere was the result of the Sea Pearls, which were bigger than an average human head. They brimmed with mana, glowing even without a spotlight shining on them.

The bid increased, reaching an astronomical value of over a hundreds of million gold coins.

Watching inside a VIP room, a pair of eyes the color of sage watched the people below go crazy over a pair of Sea Pearls. The man crossed his legs, leaning against the palm of his hand in a nonchalant manner. Although the atmosphere in the auction house rivaled a festival, the man only hoped that they would finish bidding soon.

Before he could leave this empire, he needed the money that could help him on his search.

A deep sigh escaped his lips, "Humans really love wasting money for things they could not even use. Only magicians could use them; are those humans thinking of making a decoration out of those Sea Pearls?" The disdain he held for humans was evident as he spoke.

Lack of respect, coupled with a condescending gaze; how could he not despise them when they like boasting and flaunting their wealth and power for fame that could not help save their lives in the face of danger? How stupid were humans, to buy treasures that they had no use of other than for showing off?

Then again... He did get a thrill out of them facing the consequences of their miserable decisions.

So, maybe, he did not mind their stupidity.

It was greatly entertaining, after all.

Soon, the Sea Pearls were auctioned off for a whopping two billion gold coins. The man chuckled, taking a sip of tea. Silence brewed in the room, broken only when the cup clinked with the saucer. "Two billion? Well, that's quite far from my initial estimation of five billion. Oh, well, two will do. I can just sell some Sea Pearls in a different land when I run out of money."

Three knocks came from the door, "Esteemed sir, the money from the Sea Pearls is here."

The man glanced at the door, displeased for being interrupted, before fixing the murderous look in his eyes. Instead, he acted calm and collected, like a true gentleman who made others unworried. "Come in."

Like a true gentleman, whose intentions hidden deep in his heart.

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"Sea Pearls?"

Even in the early morning — no, rather, especially early in the morning, the market bustled with people. Anastacius had gone on his own, seeing that his daughter slept late to finish her homework. As he talked with the locals, he overheard from a travelling merchant that a pair of Sea Pearls had been sold in the neighboring empire for a sky-high price.

But the price did not stun Anastacius.

It was the fact that Sea Pearls had appeared, and that someone had recognized them. Take the Sea Pearl Calyx had bought months ago. If Nereus had not mentioned what it was, Anastacius would have no idea that that ordinary looking pearl was the tear of a merfolk. For someone to recognize it for what it was, Anastacius had a bad feeling.