Chapter 26 The Banquet
One week later.
Roland Manor had been completely transformed at the request of Lin Qi. He had discarded the previous opulent aristocratic style in favor of a modern, minimalist design.
During this week, Lin Qi spent his time gathering intelligence within the capital. After all, the capital was vastly different from Kissmark Town.
Kissmark Town lacked anything like the Transcendent Management Bureau. After all, how many transcendents could a small town possibly have?
The capital was different. As the most prosperous city in Viridian, young people desperate to fulfill their dreams entered its gates every single day.
This was the ultimate stage for the powerful to realize their ambitions, a magnificent treasure trove for merchants to amass wealth, and the core social circle that provincial nobles yearned to squeeze into.
Dressed in a black suit with a red trench coat draped over his shoulders and his hair styled in a neat side-part, Lin Qi arrived at the Pactum Mundi Chamber of Commerce accompanied by Viola, who wore an elegant black dress.
Most nobles chose to bring a female companion to such gatherings. This was not only to showcase their personal charm but also to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Countless brawls broke out between nobles due to jealousy and rivalry over women. Of course, those idiotic aristocrats preferred to call such encounters "knight duels."
In his previous life, Lin Qi had been fortunate enough to witness one in the game. Two ugly, obese nobles had hacked at each other at a snail's pace using swords encrusted with diamonds.
How could he describe it? Even a fight between stray dogs was more entertaining than that.
Lin Qi handed the invitation that Malina had previously given him to the doorman and was subsequently led to the second floor of the chamber.
Inside the banquet hall, solid marble pillars stood steadily on both sides.
Under the glow of crystal chandeliers, people in formal attire held wine glasses and conversed in low voices, punctuated by occasional bursts of restrained laughter.
Footsteps were nearly silent on the thick carpets. The only audible sounds were the intermittent, crisp clinks of silverware touching porcelain.
Waiters in formal dress moved silently through the crowd, refilling empty spaces in glasses with fresh wine.
"Are we late?" Viola asked softly, clutching Lin Qi’s left arm.
"No, on the contrary, we arrived half an hour early," Lin Qi replied, glancing up at the clock hanging on the wall.
Although he wore a watch, his left arm was being held, making it impossible to check.
"Why did they all arrive so early?" Although Viola was a noble girl, she had been too young to participate in such gatherings before. Consequently, she was curious about everything.
"They have only one purpose in arriving early: profit. Whether it is befriending nobles ranked higher than themselves or reaching a cooperation with others, the ultimate goal is to benefit themselves," Lin Qi said, taking a small sip of the champagne a waiter had just refilled.
As the two of them whispered to each other, a middle-aged man walked over.
The man appeared to be in his forties. He wore a custom gray suit and gold-rimmed glasses. On his left hand, which held a wine glass, he wore a ring shaped like an Ouroboros.
"Greetings. I am Hode Brague. My family is in the coal business," the man said as he pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Lin Qi.
"Hello, Mr. Brague. I am Isaris Roland. I recently moved to the capital. This is my sister, Viola," Lin Qi said, accepting the card and tucking it into his pocket.
Brague? This was a lucky break.
Wasn't this the noble family where Silas was currently serving as a guard?
Viola gave an awkward yet polite smile and nodded to the man.
"Mr. Roland, if your manor requires coal in the future, you may choose us," Hode said with a smile.
Are they mistaking us for easy marks? Lin Qi and Viola shared a look, thinking the same thing.
This was a lapse in Lin Qi’s logic. As a modern person, Lin Qi was well-versed in various scams and sales pitches.
He assumed Hode thought they were provincial nobles with more money than sense, someone he could squeeze for extra profit.
However, from Hode’s perspective, the pair was young, attractive, and possessed a noble, powerful aura. Although they claimed to be nobles from out of town, they had managed to gain the recognition of the Pactum Mundi family in a short time and were invited to the banquet.
They are not simple. Definitely not simple.
Furthermore, there was a sharp edge to the man’s presence. It was an aura that only someone who had experienced life-and-death combat would possess.
As the siblings fell into a contemplative silence, they appeared increasingly inscrutable in Hode’s mind.
Just as the scene fell into an eerie silence, a voice suddenly drifted from the stage in the banquet hall. "Pardon the interruption. Since most guests have arrived, we shall begin today’s auction phase."
On the stage, a woman in a uniform spoke into a transcendent tool designed to amplify her voice.
An auction? Lin Qi was somewhat curious. He had assumed this banquet was purely for nobles to network, cooperate, and share a dinner to build rapport. He had not expected an auction phase.
As if sensing his surprise, Hode explained from beside him, "This must be Mr. Roland’s first time attending a Pactum Mundi banquet, right? They host these gatherings periodically to exhibit and auction the fine items they have acquired during that time."
"I see. Does Mr. Brague have any information on the items?" Lin Qi inquired.
"Haha, I merely heard that there is a potion in this auction that does not circulate on the market. It is said to permanently strengthen the consumer’s physique," Hode said with a casual wave of his hand.
A potion? Permanent strengthening?
Why does that sound like a health supplement?
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is today’s first item, the D-Class Forbidden Object [Snake Crossbow]. Its effect is to fire bolts coated in snake venom. The price is that the user will also be infected by the toxin," the auctioneer began to introduce the first item.
The price is far too high.
Who would buy this besides certain transcendents who are immune to toxins?
The rank of a Forbidden Object was proportional to its power and the price it exacted. Those with great power and a small price were the elite of A-Class Forbidden Objects, such as [Judgement] and [Rose of Truth]. Those with great power but equally great prices were considered ordinary A-Class Forbidden Objects, like [Devil's Contract] and [Voice of Nightmares].
However, some Forbidden Objects were exceptions. For instance, this D-Class Forbidden Object [Snake Crossbow] appeared quite useless, but for someone immune to poison, it was effectively a weapon with no price.
The strength of a Forbidden Object was inseparable from how its master utilized it.
Ultimately, the Snake Crossbow was purchased by a bald noble for his collection.
"The second item: Transcendent knowledge for the Sequence 7 of the Order Pathway, Edict-Mage!"
There is even transcendent knowledge here!
The twelve orthodox sequences were strictly controlled by the churches. However, no matter how strict they were, knowledge would leak out. Most of it came from wild transcendents who had defected from the churches; they would trade transcendent knowledge for money to fund their escape.
This was also one of the points of contention between the churches and the nobility.
The churches did not want transcendent knowledge falling into the hands of nobles, but the nobles purchased it with cold, hard cash. If the churches tried to reclaim it, the nobles would certainly not agree.
"The third item..."
"The fourth item..."
Lin Qi observed the proceedings and found that the items were mostly D-Class or C-Class Forbidden Objects and low-sequence transcendent knowledge.
Just as Lin Qi felt there was nothing of value and was about to give up, the auctioneer suddenly produced a small white porcelain bottle.
"The potion, Ares’ Blood. It was crafted by a heretical apothecary. It can enhance one's physique in a short period, though it consumes the body’s potential."
That is a good item!
This potion was mediocre for someone like Lin Qi because it would lock his character panel stats. However, for these nobles in their forties or fifties, it was a rare and precious find.
At their age, their strength would generally not improve further without some miraculous encounter. Now, there was a potion that could enhance their physique and allow them to live for many more years.
The price was the consumption of potential. But these guys are already in their fifties; what potential do they have left?
This Ares’ Blood successfully piqued Lin Qi’s interest. Would there be even more powerful and bizarre Forbidden Objects or mysterious and rare transcendent knowledge later?
"The next item is the highlight of this auction, and the object desired by all nobles. The napkin used by the number one diva of the Viridian Kingdom—Miss Lena!!!"
Lin Qi: "¿"