Chapter 181 - The pot and the kettle
The gallery around Scarlett buzzed with hushed murmurs as a gavel resounded against the wooden podium at the center stage. An elegant man in a finely tailored suit stood in the spotlight, overlooking the assembled crowd.
“Last call, ladies and gentlemen. The decision rests upon a precipice, and this is your final opportunity. Going once, going twice, sold! To the discerning bidder with the keen eye, this exquisite amphora is now yours for thirty-three hundred solars!”
With a deliberate motion, the auctioneer’s gavel struck the podium once more, signaling the end of the bidding. A round of applause filled the room as two attendants stepped onto the stage to carry away a tall vase with a narrow cylindrical neck and a pair of graceful handles at its mouth.
Scarlett lightly tapped a finger against the armrest beside her as her eyes trailed the vase for a moment. She imagined Garside might have appreciated such an item, given the eclectic collection in his quarters. That wasn’t what she was here for, though.
She was currently an observer at one of the Golden Gavel’s auctions, the very establishment she had visited upon her arrival in Bridgespell and through which she was auctioning her Zuverian artifacts. While there wasn’t anything in particular she wanted to buy here today, she’d had some time over in the afternoon and thought it might be an interesting diversion.
Unfortunately, it had proven somewhat underwhelming, in her opinion.
Not only was it excruciatingly tedious to simply sit here and wait for each item to be unveiled, but the offerings displayed failed to catch her interest for longer than a second. That vase came closest to something you might consider getting, if only as a gift to her butler, but she wasn’t certain he’d even appreciate it. Besides, 3300 solars was a significant sum to just throw away for most people in the empire.
At least she could take some solace in the fact that the items she had put up thus far had fetched decent enough prices. She was already fifteen thousand solars richer, and there were still many more of her items slated to be auctioned off in the coming weeks.
As the auction continued, Scarlett observed the proceedings half-attentively, making some casual mental notes on the bid prices. Her thoughts drifted to other matters more often than not, though.
As a guest who had contributed several notable pieces, the Golden Gavel had arranged a private seat for her, and she appreciated not having people giving her looks all the time. While today’s auction likely didn’t attract an extensive nobility presence, given how none of the featured pieces commanded astronomical sums, and thus it was unlikely many here would recognize her, Scarlett’s presence had a tendency to draw attention with just her general demeanor.
Once the auction came to a close, Scarlett motioned for Fynn, who had been standing behind her the entire time. Together, they made their exit. Since she hadn’t bought anything, there was no need to bother picking any items up, allowing them to smoothly slip out through a side exit, avoiding the main throng of departing attendees leaving the auction house.
Upon arriving at their awaiting carriage, Scarlett found Allyssa, Shin, and Rosa already standing by. The trio had been allowed to spend the last couple of hours however they wanted, and judging from the laden pack Shin was carrying, the two Shielders had busied themselves procuring supplies and books. Rosa was holding her klert, so perhaps the bard had spent the time in a nearby tavern or similar establishment.