Once their discussion with Iris was complete, Shui allowed her to leave so that he could talk more with Fox. She left the room and tried to linger nearby, but with a gust of wind, he safely sent Iris out of the building. He didn't put much effort into it so she could have fought back, but that would have defeated the point.
"I should apologise. I must have bothered you with my sudden guest."
"You certainly did. My first thought was that you fell to her seduction, but as a talented array master your soul couldn't be that weak. So, do you have some sort of connection with her?"
"You could say that. I won't protect her though, so you don't have to mind me if you want her head."
"While I'm interested in finding out if that's true, I already have another target in mind. Now for the auction, we can let her fend for herself, so there's something I want you to do while we wait for the map fragment to appear."
"Oh? What is it?"
"..."
Shui laughed once he heard her request, but he accepted it soon after. He had given up on attending as a guest after getting Iris involved, so this would be a good way to pass the time.
"I'm looking forward to tonight."
The nights of Paraj were always bright. Even while the people slept, the streets were lit, and there were a couple of stores, some legal and others in the gray area, that were open.
On this night, in an amphitheatre so large that it was hard to believe it was hidden, there was a clandestine gathering. Considering the number of guests, it should have been easy for the city's administration to discover them, but in addition to the countermeasures taken to conceal this place, the organisers had an agreement with certain members of the administration to turn a blind eye.
Several big names that were famous both inside and outside of Paraj gathered here for the event that was about to commence. It was a regularly held exclusive auction that drew people from several nearby territories. Their respective territories had big auctions of their own, and Paraj also had an official auction that was treated like a festival, but there were rare and forbidden items that could only be found here.
Among this group of rich and prominent men and women, Iris stood proudly. She had to use illicit methods to obtain it, but she had an invitation, and the organiser wouldn't interfere as long as she had money to spend. She didn't bring her girls because she knew that tonight would be very rowdy. In addition to Shui, who she assumed was in a disguise, Iris also looked around for a Sky Realm expert who could "guide" her.
She had approached a few already, but they were aware of her identity and kept their guards up so she didn't have a chance to use her charm.
'Tch, so wary. Looks like I'll have to wait until I get that mask.'
Iris was discouraged by her failures, but she expected them to an extent. She also tried to approach women, but the ones who had reached the Sky Realm were even more reluctant to speak to her because they were concerned about their reputation. There were many who were interested in the rising star of the underworld, but few wanted to take the risk of approaching her. However, there was one who made their move.
"My, my. To think the famous cult master of the Pink Devils would fail to find herself a partner."
A slender young woman with a devilish charm and a perky butt that she deliberately swung with every step, walked towards Iris with three bare-chested, handsome young men behind her. If Iris was a temptress that pulled men into the pit of desire, then she was a proud courtesan who made men beg for her favour.
Iris had a good idea of her identity when she spotted her, but she still responded, "Oh, I didn't know my name had spread so far. May I learn yours, little miss?"
"Hmph, I suppose I should expect you to be ignorant. Aria of Raiha," the young woman proclaimed.
Aria of Raiha was a woman well known for having intimate relations with several sect master-level figures and nobles. In fact, she had once been seen walking around with three different powerful men on the same day. This scandal sounded impossible to most, but the ones who had the chance to enjoy her company said that no one was capable of monopolising her.
For decades, Aria considered herself the number one seductress of the Alterna Kingdom, and many tacitly agreed, but Iris' emergence changed that. Although she had the means to keep many dogs on a leash, it was said that Iris could subdue any dog, no matter how big and ferocious it was. Unknown to Iris, as news of her and the Pink Devils spread, Aria was very eager to meet her. She anticipated this meeting as well as the moment Iris's head was at her feet.
Iris, on the other hand, didn't care for the woman's sense of rivalry.
"I see. I do enjoy the company of women, but I'm sorry. You're not my type, little girl."
As Iris' response spread to the ears of surrounding spectators, everyone turned to watch the growing tension between the two.
With her expression changing rapidly like a stormy sea, Aria roared, "What was that, old hag?!"
"Hmph, I see that you're a brat without manners. Shall I be the one to discipline you?"
Iris kept a cool face, but her eyes showed a burning fury that could melt adamantine. Not only was she younger than Aria, but even a certain several thousand-year-old spirit wouldn't accept being called a hag. Aria didn't back down from this glare and snorted in reply.
"Won't your back give out before you can try?"
The two then started a staring contest that was no less intense than the face-off between two Sky Realm experts. Their conflicting presences caused cold sweat to drip from several members of the audience. Neither of the two was particularly strong among those gathered, but the intimidation they could put out was certainly top-ranked.
This was the first of many memorable scenes that would appear on this night.
After some time, the staff came to dampen the tension between the two, so the audience missed the chance to see a good catfight. Once the auction began, guests dispersed into their various seats and rooms. Most had to take a place in one of the standard seats of the amphitheatre, but the select few could look down on the rest from private rooms set up above the highest row of concentric seats.
Iris was one of these few, to her surprise. Usually these seats were reserved for those who had the solid backing of an expert in the Sky Realm or above, but apparently her fame was so great that she was considered an influence equivalent to a fresh Sky Realm expert. Iris was grateful for this evaluation, but that didn't make her arrogant. Their 'praise' was worth little in battle; only true strength would matter then.
"Welcome, everyone, to another exciting night. Let's get right into the festivities with the first item."
The auction started with life-prolonging medicines made with less than honourable means. Many old monsters would request their juniors to buy these medicines as long as they could still be effective. As for the knowledge that countless mortals, women and children, had to be sacrificed to make some of these medicines, insignificant. For those who could be killed with the wave of a hand, it was their blessing to extend the lives of these powerful elders.
After the life-prolonging medicines were the artifacts. The artifacts that were shown here always had interesting stories behind them, so some even collected them for fun. The first artifact that was put up for auction was a tesora-rank scythe of the sinister variety. Sinister artifacts were artifacts that had ominous side effects due to the forbidden methods used in their crafting.
This scythe had the ability to drain the life essence of anyone in the vicinity, including the wielder, so it was currently sealed with talismans made by one of the few talisman masters still in the kingdom. Despite the fact that it drained essence indiscriminately, the artifact still retained its innate insights, so Iris' eyes lit up when she saw it. However, she held herself back since she predicted she would have to face some trouble to get the mask she wanted.
The innate insights of a tesora-rank artifact contained the natural laws used in the forging of the artifact, for instance, the law of devouring in the case of this scythe. If fully digested, one's comprehension of the particular set of natural laws could match that of a peak Sky Realm expert. However, for a sinister artifact there was a high risk of losing control, which was why no previous wielder had managed to absorb its innate insights.