Chapter 283

Chapter 283

The way the mages were bidding was enough to leave anyone speechless.

Those who had originally come just to watch the excitement were already beyond astonishment.

Especially the ordinary people, who pinched every penny, were now completely blank in expression.

In their limited imaginations, even the wealthy practitioners and noble lords could only spend up to a silver coin a day.

Who would have thought that in this world, there existed a group of people who always measured their purchases in gold coins? To them, tens of thousands of gold coins were just a matter of raising a bid paddle.

Today’s sights and sounds were a complete shock to the minds of these ordinary people.

Years from now, they might still remember this auction that left such a lasting impression.

The massive venue, the beast boxes twisting skeletons above their heads, the hostess stunning to the point of not seeming human...

Everything was so luxurious that even the colorful flyers seemed to shimmer with wealth to these ordinary people.

Not only were the ordinary people greatly shocked, but Lorant was also momentarily stunned by the seemingly crazed mages below.

He turned his head and looked at Lancelot with eyes as if he were examining a new and exotic species.

"Are all you mages this rich?" the beast shop owner couldn’t help but express his awe.

He already knew that mages were generally well-off.

Ever since the Dream Weaver, his eyes had never left these truly wealthy practitioners, but he hadn’t expected them to be this affluent.

Even he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of envy.

Lancelot, seeing the man’s amazed expression, couldn’t help but slap his forehead and helplessly said, "Dear shop owner, what do you mean 'we mages?'"

"First of all, I lean more towards being a knight than a mage. Strictly speaking, I’m more of a knight than a traditional mage."

"Secondly, even if most mages are loaded, that doesn’t apply to me. My financial situation should be quite clear to you." As the white-haired knight spoke, he couldn’t help but sigh in frustration at his own poverty.

Come to think of it, it’s true, most mages are wealthy, so why does my situation suddenly seem so off?

Lorant nodded understandingly. What Lancelot said was indeed true; the count’s level of poverty was something he was well aware of.

If the man really had money, their first meeting wouldn’t have been in the village of the Knight Academy, where this knight was recruiting Simon.

Thinking back, it was odd for someone of Lancelot’s status to show up in person, even given how much he valued Simon’s talent.

But then again, it made more sense when considering how Lancelot’s Black Gold Yew Squad could earn some extra money by collecting protection fees from the best students of the Knight Academy while completing tasks.

Although Lancelot’s main goal at the time was to scout for promising talents and bring fresh blood into his family, the fact that he earned money from it was undeniable.

"Alright, poor knight sir," Lorant couldn’t help but curve his eyes at Lancelot’s self-deprecating expression, "When the year-end bonuses are distributed, I’ll give you a generous bonus as a reward for your diligent work throughout the year."

Lancelot immediately took the opportunity to lean closer to Lorant, "Actually, shop owner sir, I don’t need a big bonus, and I can even do without the dividends."

"In the Cavendish family, the lady of the house has always managed the finances. You can hold all my assets in your hands," Lancelot said with an intense gaze.

His gaze was impossible to ignore, burning so intensely it felt like it could sear Lorant's skin. The look in his eyes suggested he was ready to put on a show right in front of Lorant.

Lorant blinked and shot Lancelot a peculiar glance. "I actually think this tradition should change starting from your generation," he said.

He hesitated, sensing that Lancelot might be hinting at wanting to take charge of the finances.

Lorant didn't consider himself to be the kind of man who insisted on holding the money no matter what. It wouldn't be impossible to let Lancelot manage the finances.

But he did feel that Lancelot didn't seem particularly suited for such matters. It might be more reasonable to have Lancelot take care of more household affairs.

The Beast Pet Store was indeed well-funded, and as long as the pets kept coming, they wouldn’t need to worry about running out of money. However, Lancelot’s knack for spending money was truly alarming.

Though he wasn’t sure exactly what the previous Earl had done, the fact that the Cavendish estate in Earl’s Castle had nearly gone bankrupt in just a few generations...

Honestly, he had to admire such a remarkable feat.

Lorant silently sighed, making a mental note to discuss this seriously with Lancelot when the time came. Otherwise, he’d just have to shoulder the burden himself.

"Assets are best managed by those who are better suited," Lorant said tactfully. "There’s no need to insist on who’s in charge."

Lancelot was slightly stunned, then nodded happily. The fact that Lorant didn't show resistance to the title of 'Lady Cavendish' made Lancelot so happy that he felt like jumping on the spot.

Seeing his reaction, Lorant also silently breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he was persuadable, it was fine.

Despite their mismatched thoughts, the two created a surprisingly harmonious atmosphere for the moment.

The auction soon approached its end.

A total of twenty-nine light-winged butterflies made their appearance.

Though these light-winged butterflies were just a tiny fraction of the whole population, they triggered an unseen seismic shift across the world.

The abilities of these twenty-nine light-winged butterflies spanned various practitioner types, from basic attributes to specialized skills. Several were chosen from each major category defined by Kimberly and her team, then showcased at the first auction to astonish the world.

In record time, they highlighted the unique allure of the light-winged butterflies.

As it turned out, these light-winged butterflies indeed brought an indescribable surprise to all the people present.

The highest final auction price went to a set of synergistic butterfly abilities.

This trio of light-winged butterflies was specifically chosen to enhance fire-element mages skilled in the 'Dance of the Fire Serpents' spell, ranging from level seven to level eight.

The set included three light-winged butterflies: one boosting overall abilities, another enhancing fire affinity, and the third amplifying the 'Dance of the Fire Serpents' spell.

This set of light-winged butterflies truly set the auction floor on fire—literally.

Several great mages who couldn't get auction passes and attended as spectators were so hyped that one lost control of his powers. Just as he was about to complain about why spectators couldn’t bid, he accidentally spat out a ball of flame...

Luckily, the spectator area was well-protected by numerous protective charms, preventing any damage from the emotionally charged mage.

While he was being escorted out, this set of light-winged butterflies fetched an astounding $1.3 million.

Though the price might seem unbelievable, it was actually a surefire investment.

With these three butterflies, a level seven mage could challenge a level eight practitioner, and a level eight mage could even briefly contend with a level nine practitioner!

The transcendent power of high-level practitioners cannot be measured in mere gold.

As the auction neared its end, the elite practitioners present—among the best on the continent—became keenly aware of the value of the basic ability-enhancing Glassy Ice Flame Butterflies.

After the auction concluded, several shield knights and sword knights couldn't help glaring at Paul, watching as this sly old fox grinned and left with his Glassy Ice Flame Butterfly vouchers.

Another type of beast pet, the "Wingless Flywheel," which was introduced at the auction, also garnered significant attention.

Though the Glassy Ice Flame Butterfly set a high bar, the Wingless Flywheel seemed somewhat less impressive by comparison.

In terms of combat ability, it didn’t match the Glassy Ice Flame Dog or the Furious Ragdoll Bear.

In terms of functionality, it wasn’t a support-type beast pet.

However, these little guys had the advantage of being inexpensive.

At 20,000 gold coins each, the Wingless Flywheel's market position was crystal clear.

They were aimed at low-level practitioners or ordinary folks with limited funds, and had the potential to become one of the Blue Star Pet Shop's most sought-after attack-type beast pets.

For the Wingless Flywheels, Lorant naturally didn’t opt to auction them individually like the Glassy Ice Flame Butterflies.

Of the fifty-one auction items, three lots featured Wingless Flywheels.

Despite Lorant's explicit statement before the auction that Wingless Flywheels would be available at fixed prices in the pet shop, it did not dampen people's enthusiasm.

The two lots of fifty Wingless Flywheels sold for 1.1 million and 1.2 million respectively, while the lot of one hundred was purchased by the Thorn Knight Group for 2.15 million.

Logically, people could wait and buy these pets at their regular price from the pet shop, so bidding high prices to get them early wasn't strictly necessary.

But this was the Blue Star Pet Shop, after all!

Who knew how many Wingless Flywheels they actually had in stock? What if they ran out again after this auction?

Currently, the Windbreaking Horse and Glassy Ice Flame Dog seemed to be produced regularly, with the pet shop releasing batches daily. However, buyers would soon realize they still had to wait a long time to own a Glassy Ice Flame Dog.

Moreover, due to the characteristics of these pets, they needed to stay in the pet shop for a long time before they could interact with the buyer.

Combining these factors, the difficulty of obtaining a pet had never decreased. Smart people no longer believed Lorant’s empty promises about how there was “no need to worry about quantity” and how “breeding was going smoothly.”

Having the chance to purchase a large number of pets at once, money was absolutely not an issue!

Other miscellaneous items that made it to the auction were also extraordinary.

These included the special Windbreaking Horse, the rights to join the Slime ranch, the Candy Rabbit ranch, and a meticulously crafted, completely transparent glass statue of a pet.

Although these items weren’t as attractive as the pets, they were novel enough to spark a round of bidding and were all successfully auctioned off.

With that, the auction officially came to a close amidst the fluttering confetti.