After breakfast, Weilin strolled with Elizabeth along the streets of Snowcell City in the gently falling snow.
The coat she had retrieved from Reki was once again draped over Elizabeth’s shoulders. As the saying goes, red and blue have made couples since ancient times. The two girls in their matching couple-like outfits walked side by side: one with snow-white hair, cute and demure; the other with raven-black hair like a waterfall, radiating a natural, refined elegance. Passing pedestrians couldn’t help but turn their heads, murmuring in admiration—what a stunning pair of beautiful sisters akin to loving mandarin ducks.
The girl Weilin also possessed a relatively petite and adorable figure. However, compared to the even smaller Elizabeth, she exuded more of an older sister’s style.
And indeed, Weilin treated Elizabeth as a little sister.
As for what Elizabeth thought, Weilin had no idea…
Actually, she was quite afraid that Elizabeth might “fall for” her. It was precisely for this reason that she had asked Reki to temporarily keep secret the fact that she’d bought all the White Mice.
?
She let her mind drift, enjoying a leisurely, peaceful morning.
Weilin noticed that the city folk, living comfortably in their homes and jobs, seemed to have absolutely no sense of impending war. This gave her a bit of a headache.
During this time, with Elizabeth’s dedicated explanations, Weilin had also formed a more comprehensive impression and understanding of the fundamental things in this world.
The morning passed in the blink of an eye.
At lunchtime, the flush with cash Weilin ordered an utterly unfinishable feast at the finest restaurant in the city, causing Elizabeth to purse her lips in distress. To avoid letting more food go to waste, she had no choice but to muster her strength and eat with abandon. In the end, the two girls managed to consume over half the massive spread of dishes.
After eating and drinking their fill, they supported each other back to the Cloudstride Merchant Guild. The auction was just about to begin. The usually vast interior of the guild was momentarily packed, teeming with noise and a continuous stream of people.
Cailing was waiting specially for Weilin at the guild entrance and directly ushered the two of them into the VIP special passage.
“Big Sister… when did you get a VIP!?”
“Maybe while you were sleeping?”
“Why use ‘maybe’? Fine, if Big Sister doesn’t want to say…” Elizabeth lowered her head, her voice dejected.
Weilin just smiled, and conveniently reached out to rub the ears of Elizabemouse to warm up her own hands.
What surprised Elizabeth even more was that Reki later actually came to receive her and Weilin personally, leading them all the way to the VIP room on the third floor (the main hall was open from the first to third floor). She only departed with peace of mind after inviting the two of them inside.
The room was nearly ten square meters, furnished with one table and two chairs, and equipped with a pane of one-way glass that allowed them to see outside. For the two girls, this VIP room was spacious enough to do all sorts of more interesting things.
“Wait, Sister Reki’s attitude… why is it a bit strange? She even asked me if I wanted black tea or green tea…”
“What’s so strange about it? We are guests, after all.”
“But, given Sister Reki’s status…”
“You’re thinking too much!” Weilin rapped her on the head, then seized the opportunity to rub her round fluffy little warm beast ears again.
Friction—generates heat! Friction generates heat! She was suddenly going devilishly enthusiastic!
Damn it, she’d never noticed before, so how come now she got more and more into rubbing them? Could she be getting addicted?
Elizabeth also began to think she was overthinking everything, becoming suspicious and fretful.
Knock-knock—
There was a knock at the door. Upon receiving Weilin’s “Come in” permission, the door gently opened. The gothic maid Cailing gracefully stepped in, carrying a tray with a pot of hot tea and two teacups.
After placing the tea set on the table, Cailing took a small pouch from her waist and respectfully handed it to Weilin, smiling gracefully. “This is what Big Sister asked for.”
“Thanks for the hard work.”
“No, no hard work at all! Being able to help Big Sister is Cailing’s honor.”
With that, she hurriedly retreated out the door… as if a shy girl fleeing from embarrassment.
This left Elizabeth staring blankly, her mind starting to panic. “…Big Sister, who is that girl? Why can she also call you Big Sister? I clearly haven’t seen you meet her before, so why…”
Elizabeth was flustered and distracted, even missing the fact that Cailing had handed something to Weilin.
“Oh. Met her last night. As for why she calls me Big Sister… maybe I’m the bigger one?”
Weilin blinked, then suddenly put on a look of extreme surprise. “Wait… you don’t mean you’re jealous?!”
“I-I am not…!”
Elizabeth suddenly realized what she’d just been blurting out. Her face instantly flushed bright red, and she spun around at maximum speed, pretending to look out the window.
And just then, the announcement “The auction begins!” echoed from outside. It practically saved Elizabeth’s life.
————————————
The first floor of the Cloudstride Merchant Guild was the largest, packed with over a thousand people. As for the second and third floors—closed private booths that only the wealthy could reserve—they held a combined total of less than a hundred people.
The continent’s undisputed trading overlord—the auction held by the Cloudstride Merchant Guild—attracted countless magnates and nobles on its name alone, ensuring its scale was anything but ordinary.
At the very center of the main hall, an old man with white hair and beard stood silently on a raised stone platform. His eyes were closed, his expression solemn and dignified, like a peerless master standing aloof from the world.
Below, over a thousand people in the vast audience, plus the major players in their private booths like Weilin and Elizabeth, couldn’t help but crane their necks subconsciously, full of eager anticipation.
According to the maidservant who opened the event, this was the strongest mage of their branch—also their most venerable and highly respected expert in appraising treasures—Master Lei!
He could also be called Lei Shi (Master Lei).
For Master Lei to personally oversee the auction today was a testament to its importance!
After a long silence, the old man, rumored to be over two hundred years old with a magic rank already at Grand Legendary Peak (Lv. 70), slowly opened his cloudy, ancient eyes. He stretched out his large, wrinkle-ridden hand and chanted a short spell. Instantly, a dazzling radiance bloomed in his palm. Simultaneously, every person present with even a basic mana foundation could feel the water elements in the air trembling and resonating, as if woven into a vast, invisible net.
In one move, he had utilized the resonance and fluidity of water elements to construct a Sound Transmission Magic Field. From this moment on, every word Master Lei said would be transmitted crystal-clear into every single ear in the building!
“This auction…” Master Lei scanned the entire venue and spoke with an authoritative voice. At that very instant, everyone unconsciously craned their necks, dying to know what the first auction treasure would be. Master Lei, living up to their expectations, cried out with gusto, “—is sponsored by Dream Demon Honey Brew, for when you’re tired and weary, and our old partner, Imperial Card Entertainment, with history’s first online card collection and trading casual game ‘Imperial Mist’! Our slogan is: The Empire—Mastering Core Technology!”
Complete silence descended upon the hall.
A silence so profound you could hear a pin drop.
…
…
…
“—Next up, which rate-up character should we hint at…”
