Chapter 205: Counterpart (IV)

Counterfeit…

It was a distinctly plausible hypothesis.

What if the Tears of Siren I possess are fake, and that’s why I haven’t been able to uncover its secrets all these years?

To be frank, it wasn’t as if he had never considered the possibility before. He had acquired the Tears of Siren over two hundred and fifty years ago, after all. How much time and effort had he devoted to studying this necklace since then? Yet despite his tireless research, he had failed to uncover the slightest hint of its secrets. It was an idea that had occasionally crept into his mind—that perhaps this wasn’t the real Tears of Siren he’d always believed it to be—but he had worked hard to dismiss such doubts each time…

If all this time I’ve spent searching for answers has yielded none, perhaps it’s because this is a counterfeit—there’s nothing special to uncover at all… It makes sense.

Louis nodded thoughtfully.

I must keep an open mind to every possibility.

Even the possibility that the Tears of Siren in his hand right now were genuine. Or, conversely, that the Tears of Siren that appeared in the auction might be the real deal.

Everything was possible at this point.

Therefore, Louis had only one thing to do.

Participate in the auction and get his hands on the possible real Tear of Siren.

Luckily, the auction was today, in just one hour.

Am I lucky or is this destiny…?

It felt like the Tear of Siren was urging him to buy it quickly.

He looked at Tanya and spoke up.

“Tanya, let’s go somewhere together.”

“Where?”

“Here.” Louis held up the auction flyer.

Tanya’s eyes lit up.

”…Just the two of us?”

“Yeah, it’s a bit late to call other people.”

That settled it.

Enthusiastic, Tanya nodded vigorously.

“Let’s go! Right now!”

She smiled brightly, linked arms with Louis, and pulled him along as fast as she could.

And so, their next destination was decided: the auction house.

It was a simple task to find the auction house. Thankfully, the flyer had even included a rudimentary map.

“This is the place, right?”

“I assume so.” Louis raised his eyes to the sign above the single-story building.

The bright and colorful sign even sparkled as if some sort of magical enchantment had been placed on it. Louis couldn’t help but chuckle at its familiar design.

Hmm, is this…a night club? It sure looks like one.

The sign clearly stood out from the others in the surrounding area, closely resembling the design of one from his previous life—a neon club sign. Not far from the building’s entrance, another sign similar to the one for the auction house was attached to a carriage, and there was also a gaggle of people standing several feet away handing out flyers to passersby.

So this is how they conduct themselves like bandits.

How could this possibly be an auction house? More like a den of knights, wasn’t it?

Louis scoffed inwardly as he led Tanya towards the entrance of the establishment. As they approached, a guard stationed at the threshold blocked their path.

“halt.”

”…?”

The guard’s eyes swept over both Louis and Tanya from head to toe.

“You may not enter.”

“Why not?” Tanya asked, her curiosity piqued.

The guard’s face remained expressionless as he replied, “This is not a place where just anyone can waltz in.”

He then proceeded to size up Louis and Tanya once more.

Just then, a couple brushed past them and slipped inside the building. Witnessing this, Tanya’s face contorted with mild irritation as she turned to ask:

“What’s going on? They said no one could enter, so why are those people getting in?”

“Those aren’t just any people, you see.”

Louis’s eyes widened at the guard’s response.

So we’re…being turned away because they don’t like our clothes?

The difference between the people who had entered earlier and themselves was immediately apparent: attire. Louis and Tania were dressed casually for travel, wearing clothes that could be seen anywhere. In contrast, the outfits of those who had just entered were clearly high-quality at a glance.

I guess it makes sense, since auctions are all about money.

In other words, Louis and Tania were being refused entry because they didn’t look rich enough. Louis muttered under his breath, looking displeased.

“Why did you have to go around acting like such a thug if this is how you were going to be? You should’ve just picked the ones with money!”

Despite the overt grumbling, the guard remained unmoved, merely raising his arm to block their path.

Louis sighed internally.

There’s no other way.

This was the time when a display of wealth was called for – or more accurately, a show of wealth.

“Mister, things aren’t always what they seem on the surface,” Louis said, pulling out various accessories from his space pocket and starting to equip them. Bracelets first, then necklaces, rings. With each item revealed, clearly of very high quality, the guard’s eyes flickered slightly.

By the time Louis had loosely adorned four bracelets on each arm and slipped rings onto every finger, the guard’s impassive face finally crumbled.

Jingling jangling.

“How about these? Don’t they look expensive?” Louis waved his hands theatrically.

And then came the finishing blow:

Clinking.

A heavy sound emerged from Louis’s rabbit-shaped wallet—a unmistakable sound of gold pieces clashing against each other. He cracked open the wallet to reveal its sparkling contents, then casually plucked out a gold coin and flicked it lightly.

Ping!

The guard deftly caught the flying gold piece. Simultaneously, his previously frozen expression softened like snow in the sun.

“Oh dear, excuse me.”

Was it really worth 10,000 gold to get someone’s expression to change so quickly? His face softened as if he was a block of ice melting on a breezy spring day. Even his tone and behavior transformed.

He bowed low in apology. “I couldn’t recognize our distinguished guest due to my lack of discernment.”

“Understanding is enough.”

“Please proceed inside. Someone will be waiting to escort you to your destination.” The guard cleared the way and respectfully gestured toward the interior with both hands.

Louis smirked at the guard’s sudden change in attitude.

How flexible! Isn’t this the true taste of capitalism?

Jingle-jangle.

Louis ostentatiously jingled his bracelet as he strode through the carpeted entrance, his head held high.

Louis kept his bracelet and ring on for quite some time after that. Perhaps it was thanks to this that the guide waiting inside was overly nice to him.

Though Louis never said as much, his guide brought him to the best spot in the auction house and even explained in detail how to participate in the auction.

As a gesture of thanks, Louis slipped the guide a gold coin as a tip, and predictably, the guide bowed their waist below a 90-degree angle.

Tania, observing this from beside them, gasped in amazement.

“Wow…”

“Take note, Tania. This is the raw power of money.”

Tania nodded vigorously, as if her head might detach from her neck at any moment.

Louis surveyed his surroundings with a proud expression, having imparted valuable lessons to his young disciple.

It’s quite dim in here.

True to its name, the underground auction house was shrouded in darkness, so much so that it was impossible to discern the identities of the participants.

I wonder if they also use numbers here?

The basic rule of the auction was simple: just remember the customer’s assigned number.

We’re number 245.

Louis chuckled softly, gently caressing the numbered badge.

Meanwhile, Tanya couldn’t suppress her racing heart.

A-a closed space!

The area where the guide had led them had a clear view forward but was tightly confined on both sides and behind. It was a private space reserved exclusively for the customer.

This fact made Tania’s heart race.

To be a-along with the teacher… just the two of us!

Tania’s face flushed crimson as her imagination ran wild.

She was relieved that it was too dark for anyone to see her and fanned herself nervously. Just then:

Pop!

Light flooded the stage at the front—a raised platform presumably where the auction would take place.

Soon, a man impeccably dressed in a suit ascended and bowed deeply toward the clients gathered below.

“Esteemed clients of Demonia’s underground auction house, we extend our heartfelt welcome and gratitude for visiting our humble establishment!”

There was no applause following his greeting, but the auctioneer, unfazed, continued unabated.

“Ladies and gentlemen, today we have once again curated an exceptional selection of rare items from the Winter and Autumn Continents to delight your eyes. Without further ado, let us begin. Our first item is a fine specimen obtained from the Hamirou region…”

During the lengthy announcement, an item was placed on the podium. A beam of light illuminated the object, and a hologram-like video appeared behind the auctioneer—a system designed for the benefit of distant customers.

This is actually quite impressive.

Despite the cheap-sounding promotion and the nightclub-like atmosphere, the auction house’s technology was top-notch. As Louis marveled at the advanced system, the first auction commenced.

“We’ll now begin the auction. Starting bid is 50 gold, with increments of 5 gold.”

Thud!

The sound of the hammer signaled the start of the auction.

“Bidder 134 at 55 gold, bidder 23 at 60 gold…”

The auctioneer rapidly called out the bids as they came flooding in. In moments, the gold count breached the 100-mark.

“Bidder 89, 150 gold. Do I hear 155 gold?”

Seeing no further bids, the auctioneer pounded his gavel.

“150 gold, 150 gold, 150 gold… sold! Congratulations to bidder 89.”

Tak-tak-tak!

The item, having been knocked down after three chants, was removed from the podium.

Numerous other items followed, but Louis remained content to observe.

Nothing here really catches my eye.

He had come for the Siren’s Tears, but he was open to bidding on other quality items if they appeared. Unfortunately, nothing met his standards.

As time drudged on, more and more items found new owners. It seemed the less valuable items had been presented earlier, as the bids continued to climb with each passing moment.

Tania’s jaw dropped as the last small jewel fetched several hundred gold.

“Wow…”

To Tania, it was nothing short of miraculous. The world was full of rich people who could dish out hundreds of gold in a single transaction. As someone with little life experience, the auction house felt like a whole new world to her.

As Louis and Tania watched the auction, the master of ceremonies announced, “Now, then, let’s move on to item number fifty-six.”

The auctioneer’s face radiated confidence. Simultaneously, a new item was placed on the podium.

Blip!

A video appeared behind the auctioneer. It was a beautiful necklace studded with blue jewels.

Upon seeing this, Louis, who had been leaning back in his chair, bolted upright.

Finally, it’s here.

As if in response to Louis’s anticipation, the auctioneer continued his narration.

“This item was recently acquired with great difficulty by our auction house. Its name… is the ‘Tears of Siren’.”

No sooner had the words left his lips than a ripple of excitement spread throughout the room.

“It was crafted by the greatest artisan of the time, four hundred years ago, and its first owner was none other than Princess Sermeno, known as the most beautiful woman of her era.”

The Tears of Siren on the podium began to rotate slowly, showcasing its magnificence.

“The last known owner was Carey Brent. This piece was discovered while the Bunt family’s assets were being catalogued. Accompanying it is a authenticity certificate, which dates back to 250 years ago and was issued at Carrie Brent’s personal request. Given that the certificate was verified by the foremost appraiser of the time, there is no doubt that this item is genuine. Furthermore, for the esteemed customer who purchases the Tears of Siren…”

Th-i nk.

When the auctioneer flicked his finger, several men approached with framed portraits.

“These artwork pieces will be included in the gift,” the auctioneer announced, revealing the video behind him.

“Although these works originated from the fallen Bunt, the subject of this portrait is none other than the most celebrated artist of our time. It certainly holds significant value as a collectible.”

Upon seeing the frames displayed on the podium, Louis’s eyes widened. Initially, The Tears of Serein had captivated him, but now it was something else.

His gaze was drawn to the man and woman within the frame.

“That’s…”

The image held within the frame was one of Lucia and Carrie at their past selves, now grown into a beautiful woman and handsome man. Their hands were tenderly clasped together in a touching scene.