"A bid of 40 points! Can this item get any higher?" The host threw his right hand in a grand gesture. "Whoever wears this, man or woman will be someone who has the spotlight! Another bid of 50 points!"
Arthur had a little above 250 points that he managed to take from Rae and the others. He had more but he gave back Oliver and Jonah's share from the bets.
However, he didn't raise the bet any higher. He simply watched as Caleb started to raise the bet against his competitors. In a matter of seconds, no one dared to defy him.
"A 100 Jerano Point! Anyone wants to go higher?" The host but there was no response. "One call! Two calls! Three calls!" He was about to shout sold when Arthur raised it.
"102." A monotonous voice said when Arthur pressed the button. The base raising bid was 2 points, but none of these people had the thick skin to do it.
"110!" Caleb opened the speaker and spoke. His voice was static, making it unidentifiable.
"112." Arthur pressed the button again with leisure. The host seemed embarrassed but called out for more bids anyway.
"120! Whoever you are, stop acting childish!" Caleb's angry voice was a delight to Arthur. With a smirk, he pressed again to raise to 122.
"Who is this?" Caleb's voice was cold. "I advise you against this behavior." He was threatening someone he didn't know, a bold move in Arthur's opinion. However, he was a prince, what did he have to fear?
Arthur didn't care and kept raising it. When it got to a 152, Caleb didn't raise anymore.
"Whoever you are, this is..."
"If you're poor, then shut up." Arthur opened the microphone and talked. The hall was silent before it grew noisy again. There was a bang and the glass broke down revealing Caleb from the other side.
"Since you're so bold, how about you reveal yourself?" Caleb coldly looked in Arthur's cabinet's direction. "If not, I'll come there myself.
'Are all royalties that unreasonable?' Arthur was shocked. Someone outbids him and he starts trashing the place around? No wonder Yurirl, who was relatively nice, hated him.
"Isn't that Prince Caleb?" Arthur spoke into the microphone. "I had no idea that you'd be here, I'm very sorry. Wait, is that person is your fiancé?" Arthur said with a grin. He saw Caleb's face turn black as he gestured for the girl to leave the cabinet. "I guess not, how bold of you."
"You've crossed the line." Prince Caleb placed his foot on the railing and was about to jump forward. However, three robed men appeared in front of him.
"Your highness, please stand back. Any more of this and we'll report this to the college." A man interlocked his hands and bowed.
"I don't care."
"Then we'll have to stop you using force." The three robed men unleashed their mana and it served to suffocate everyone that was around. "Please return to your cabinet." They were all at the Deme-rank.
Prince Caleb glared at them before dusting his clothes and issuing a smile. He then turned back and left the cabinet he was in.
Arthur sat there with a smile as his detection followed after Caleb. He saw him talk to a few people who walked away from him.
"Sorry for the interruption! Haha," The host laughed awkwardly. "Any more bids for this lovely item? No?" He gave a pause. "One Call! Two Calls! And Three! Sold!"
Arthur had obtained the item for 152 points, which was expensive. He had bought a non-runic item for a price that was fifty percent higher than a set of weapons.
Nonetheless, he was happy about it as soon as he received the item in his cabinet. After scanning the payment device, Arthur was handed the item over.
He ran his hands over it with a smile as he felt the small plates. They were shaped as small leaves and held together in strings. He slipped it on and watched it shine bright green in the light.
"Wait, this is..." Arthur frowned when he found residue mana lingering. His eyes shone golden as he sensed the runes on it.
There wasn't a rune inscribed on it, but rather a rune has been used on them. A tracking rune, to be exact.
'Ah, Caleb.' Arthur smiled. 'I guess we're not meant to be best buds after all.' His finger shone black as he tapped the wrist protector. The Breaker insignia worked perfectly to sever the connection to the rune that has been used.
Arthur then threw the wrist protector into his subspace and got up to leave. He was sure that Caleb would find other ways to find out who he is, so he wasn't going to stand still and wait for him to come.
As he walked out, Arthur went deeper into the market looking for extra supplies for his runic inscriptions. He knew that runes can be stronger if inscribed with proper materials, so he needed to prepare for his ultimate artifact.
Arthur was walking in the street when he felt a vibration around his neck from the necklace that Miko gave him. He took out it and grabbed it.
'Hello, Arthur.' Miko's voice came from the other side. 'I didn't know that you dyed your hair.'
'Are you watching me?' Arthur looked around with cautious eyes. 'I should have thrown away this necklace.'
'Don't be grumpy, it lets me know if you're safe.'
'You act as if you care. Where are you?' Arthur said, teasing. He kept looking around but there were many people. There was a pause before Miko's answer arrived.
'I'm the only one that cares about your safety, it seems.' She said in a tired voice, striking concern in Arthur's heart. 'Let's meet in the tower in front of you.'
'That... cafe?'
'Yes, floor 23.' She cut off the connection without waiting for him. Arthur sighed and walked toward the tower.
When he got there, he told the reception that he wanted to head to floor 23. It wasn't that a single floor was a cafe, the whole tower was. It was a private space for rich people to make dealings. Privacy and security were valued in high-end transactions.
Arthur walked through a portal to find himself in a garden. He looked around and found a greenhouse in the middle. Glass panels that reflected the artificial light replaced the walls. Inside of it, there was a single table with flowers all around it.
"A dress?" Arthur was amazed as he walked in. Miko's blonde hair slide over her shoulder as she turned to face him. Her face was the same, but her scar had disappeared and her hair has grown longer.
"Works as a disguise." Miko smiled. "Sit, my lord." She said in a teasing manner.
"Such a noble gentlewoman, I might just fall for you." Arthur smiled as he sat opposite her.
"Why, because I have no scar?" Miko held a playful smile as she asked him.
"No, that's what I liked about you the most." Arthur sighed. "Now, we're just too strangers' faces sitting in front of each other." He caught a slight blush on Miko's face before it disappeared.
"I'm sorry that I haven't contacted you until now," Miko said. "I needed to infiltrate the Tanera Palace."
"Hazel's Palace?" Arthur frowned. "Why would you go there?"
"We think that they are planning something. Their forces have been raiding ruins left and right in search of something."
"Did you find out what it was?" Arthur asked. "What about Hazel and Jin?"
"I did uncover that whatever it was, it has to do with Jerano." Miko paused. "As for Hazel, she is... different."
"What do you mean different?" Arthur clenched his fist on the table.
"Arthur, power changes people."
"Not her."
"You don't even know her." Miko blurted out. "You think one kiss would make you two forever soulmates? It was just a kiss!"
"You knew?" Arthur laughed in shock. "It's not that, she wouldn't have helped me if she was like you say she is."
"She used you."
"Why would she need to use me?" Arthur blinked. "I was weak, barely a neo-ranker. She was stronger than I was."
"But you had my support." Miko sighed. "In the first trial, all of our powers were restricted. Did you know that Yurirl was also there?"
"I..."
"He was the one to clear the tower. Did you think a Vetus-ranker would have problems in the trial? All of us had restrictions on us. You had me and Kira, both a force to be reckoned with to help her get her legacy."
"Then why did you do it?"
"The same reasons I failed to see Jin's betrayal, I wanted to believe in what you believed in." Miko crossed her hands. "Since I was little, all I learned about life was about assassination and lies. You were the first person to prove otherwise."
"Even if you tell me that," Arthur composed himself. "I can't readily believe that she changed into someone else."
"I would never lie to you." Miko clenched her hands and Arthur saw them tremble. "Never." She looked at the table, hiding her expression.
"Why?" Arthur asked with furrowed brows. He had no reason to ask something like that, but he felt like he needed to. Miko looked at him with her eyes tearful.
"Because I like you, a lot."