It makes me reluctant to keep bidding, I don't want to draw more of her attention. However, that won't stop me if an item that I really want happens to come up. I will just have to hope that I can escape before the attention gets to the point where it could threaten me.

The stone alone is already worth me having come to the auction, anything else will only be a bonus. Then the next few items come up, except that they aren't items, they are beasts. They are magically controlled beasts that are meant to be used as guard beasts.

When I see the first beast appear on the stage I have to fight the urge to free it. There are absolutely more beasts that will be sold, freeing them would end the auction. Not to mention, we are in the heart of the capital, the beasts wouldn't escape.

To my surprise, Henrietta joins in the bidding for the beast, it is the first time she has bid. When I ask her about it she tells me this is the main thing she is here for. Her merchant group wants to acquire some beasts to help protect their caravans.

That is a good use for them, but I would feel better if the beasts were tamed. Magical control is just another form of slavery, it makes me itch to go on a rampage. However, I manage to calm myself down and not do anything stupid.

To avoid paying attention to the auction I move over to the table to get some food. I focus on eating until the beasts have all been sold and the auction moves on to other items. The auction tomorrow will probably also sell some beasts, so I need to be prepared.

Henrietta won two of the auctions, but she will claim the beasts after the auction ends. After all, even controlled beasts are still beasts and have no place in a luxury box. That is a good thing since I would be even more tempted to free them if they were in the room.

The thought of buying them all did cross my mind, but that wouldn't be a good solution. Not only would it draw a lot of attention, it would probably make me some enemies. Going against Henrietta could also ruin the relationship I have built with the merchant group.

As soon as the auction is back to other items I let it draw me out of my thoughts. Even though no more items I want show up, just watching the auction helps my mood. I just enjoy watching people fight over things, that is until the last item of the day comes up.

Auctioneer says "Now, for our final item of the day! It is technically a high-tier item, except no one knows how to hatch it! It has been positively identified as a drake egg! The bid will start at five hundred thousand with increments of fifty thousand!"

The auction hall erupts with noise as everyone reacts to seeing the drake egg, but no one bids. Half a million coins is a lot for an egg that can't be hatched and is just a display piece. Despite the risk, I send out a thread of mana to check the egg and verify it is still alive.

"500,000!"

Even before I make my bid, the auctioneer is smiling towards my box, she noticed again. I only used the tiniest amount of mana in my scan, she is way too observant! However, I want that egg, I can't let a drake be left in the hands of anyone else!

Bidder79 "550,000!"

"600,000!"

Bidder79 "650,000!"

"700,000!"

Bidder79 "750,000!"

It is the same bidder from before, the one I won the stone from, but I can't tell the purpose. Either they really want the egg, or they just want to make things harder for me. Whichever it is, there is no way that I am going to give up on the drake egg!

"1,000,000!"

When my new bid is announced by the auctioneer it is greeted by absolute silence. Bidder79 doesn't make another bid and it seems that no one else is willing to. The silence continues for a full minute and finally the auctioneer continues.

Auctioneer says "The bid stands at one million! Are there any higher bids? One million going once, going twice, sold!"

Henrietta says "I would say congratulations, but isn't the egg worthless?"

"Not to me."

When the door opens I jump up and eagerly take the egg from the attendant. As soon as I touch it I can tell that it is still alive and I can even feel a pule of heat from the egg. That should mean it is a fire drake and it will need fire mana to be hatched.

However, I don't plan to hatch it here, that would be far too dangerous. In order to check I feed a small amount of fire mana to the egg and it eats it greedily. Since it worked I go ahead and feed the egg about half of my mana to tide it over.

It should be more than enough for the egg to stay healthy for at least a few months. Now I can safely store it in my pouch, I will work on hatching it once I return to the ship. The fact that it is a fire drake makes me extremely happy and hatching it is really important.

I feel that as long as I can help this drake hatch it will in part make up for the drake I killed way back in the trial. I didn't have any choice at the time, but I still regret what I had to do. That is why I wouldn't have stopped bidding until I completely ran out of money.

Even if I caused a huge fuss and had to flee immediately, it would have been worth it. Besides, this will mean that Ekard has someone to play with that is similar to him. Having a younger sibling should also help him to mature a little faster.

"Henrietta, I am going to head back to the manor on my own. If my actions bring trouble I don't want it to implicate you."

Henrietta says "That is probably a good idea. I will see you back at the manor. Dinner will be waiting."

She gives me a smile and then goes to collect her new beasts while I go collect my money. After spending two million today I was left with just under four million. When I collect the money from today's auction I go back up to just over four and a half million.

That is all I have available to spend at tomorrow's auction, but it isn't too bad. With everything dealt with I leave the auction house and start making my way back to the manor. As soon as I leave the vicinity of the auction house I get the feeling that I am being followed.

It isn't all that surprising, but I am curious how they plan to deal with me inside the city. I realize something is wrong when I turn onto a street and find it completely deserted. As soon as I enter the street, ten men in full armor step out and surround me.