Chapter 16: Tia, I cried my eyes out

After entering the auction house venue, since Tia hadn’t notified the staff in advance, her seat was not in the VIP room on the second floor.

But that suited her just fine.

However, once she took her seat, the noble lady sitting behind her seemed to have some grievances.

“Isn’t this the Young Lady Tia? Don’t tell me Earl Harris also has ideas for the Heart Gem?”

She folded her arms, seemingly talking to herself.

“If that’s the case, I’m afraid it’ll be difficult for us to win the gem from him.”

As those words fell, many people in the venue turned their gazes over, and the same happened in the VIP rooms on the second floor.

They all seemed to regard Tia as their greatest rival for the Heart Gem tonight.

Tia remained silent in response.

Seeing that she hadn’t gotten a rise out of her, the noble lady behind her wanted to voice further mockery, but her words were interrupted by a nobleman beside her.

“Not necessarily. Don’t forget, the nobles from Hela City aren’t the only ones here.”

Tia glanced at this nobleman, and the latter smiled and nodded toward her.

There were nobles who were hostile to her in the auction house, and naturally, there were also those who wanted to curry favor with her.

Just as the noble lady behind her let out a cold snort, the auction host walked from backstage to the front.

Instantly, the entire auction venue fell silent.

Everyone knew that the auction was about to begin.

The first item to appear was a longsword engraved with magic inscriptions.

The auction heated up immediately because of this sword, with a never-ending stream of bids.

As time passed, the auction neared its end, and the final item was brought onto the stage.

At this time, not only did no one leave, but the atmosphere reached its climax.

Countless people looked at the black cloth on the stage, their eyes flickering with hints of greed.

“Next, we come to the treasure everyone has been waiting for — the Heart Gem!”

Saying so, the host whipped away the black cloth.

A heart-shaped gem, looking like a real heart, was exposed along with its display case.

Many people’s breathing began to quicken.

“This gem is said to have been left behind by a legendary Witch. It contains incredible Magic Power, though to this day, no one has been able to unlock its secrets!”

“If you win the bid, you might just be buying a nice-looking stone to display in a prominent place in your manor as a family heirloom for guests to admire.”

“Of course, it’s also possible that winning it will directly change your destiny, allowing you to ascend to the top of the Empire! You might even create a new empire! After all, under the great power of a Witch, nothing is impossible!”

The host’s words pushed the atmosphere to its peak.

A Witch’s power could not be described in words.

They all longed to touch that Heart Gem and become one of the legendary lucky ones.

“Heart Gem, starting price, 1 gold coin!”

“100 gold coins!”

“1,000 gold coins!”

In just 3 seconds, the bidding price for the Heart Gem soared to 1,000 gold coins.

Even Tia, sitting in the venue, couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air.

In this world, the purchasing power of 1 gold coin was about the same as 10,000 in her previous life, so 1,000 gold coins was already a huge sum of money.

However, this was only the beginning.

“6,000 gold coins!”

“8,000 gold coins!”

“Tch, 8,100 gold coins!”

Once it passed 6,000 gold coins, many of the nobles in the second-floor VIP rooms stopped.

Although they craved the gem, they knew deep down that they were likely not that lucky person.

They couldn’t unlock the secret of the Heart Gem or obtain the Witch’s power left within it.

So, if it was just to have a look at it, it wasn’t worth spending that much money.

As for Viscount Silas…

When the bidding price exceeded 5,000 gold coins, she had already stood up from the sofa in excitement, her face flushed and her breathing heavy.

This money was enough for her family to turn things around!

As the nobles in the VIP section dropped out, the bidding voices grew fewer and fewer.

However, just then, the floor of the auction house shook violently.

*Boom!*

The chandelier above the venue swayed, and some dust fell from the walls. Many people cried out in terror:

“What’s happening?!”

“An… an earthquake?!”

In the next second, the walls of the venue were smashed through.

Accompanied by thick smoke, rubble, and several Monsters about 3 meters tall, the creatures charged into the venue like savage bulls, their fierce eyes glinting with a cold, blood-red light.

“Monsters! It’s Monsters!”

Those who recognized them screamed in panic.

When others heard they were Monsters, they instantly lost their composure, rising from their seats to flee for their lives toward the exit.

“Quick! Run!”

“Protect… protect the auction items!”

The entire auction venue fell into chaos.

Many people lost their logic, desperately squeezing toward the exit regardless of how narrow the escape passages were.

The noble lady behind Tia didn’t want to squeeze in with them, but under her maid’s urging, she was forced to rise from her seat.

In the next second, she was accidentally bumped and fell to the side.

Her pretty face turned white in an instant.

Everyone knew that in such a crowd, once someone fell, an unavoidable trampling accident would follow.

And the one who fell first would surely be crushed to death.

Just as she was in despair and didn’t know what to do, a hand grabbed her arm, saving her from her falling posture.

She looked back gratefully, only to see Celestia, whom she had regarded as an enemy.

“Are you alright?”

Tia, whom she had mocked earlier, was now looking at her with worried eyes.

Her words were full of concern, as if their relationship were very close.

“I… I’m fine…”

Her heart stirred, and she didn’t know what to say.

She could only shake her head.

Then, led by her maid, she squeezed into the crowd.

But when she looked up at Tia, she found that she was still in her original spot.

“Aren’t… aren’t you going to run?!”

She shouted nervously, but Tia only gave a slight smile.

“You all escape first. I’ll come out in a bit.”

“You…”

She wanted to say more, but the flow of the crowd carried her forward.

At the same time, for some reason, a white mist began to drift through the venue, shrouding the entire interior in an instant.

‘Why… why did Tia stay behind?’

With just a brief glance at the crowded escape passage, she understood everything.

‘The more people squeeze together, the slower we escape.

She must have stayed behind so she wouldn’t be a burden to the rest of us.’

‘Even if it’s just her alone… even a slightly lighter burden is still better.’

‘Is that what she’s thinking?’

Pressing her lips tightly together, the noble lady’s eyes turned red, and for a moment, she was speechless.