The trip up to the Auction House was quiet, namely because it was just me walking into the city and also because I had left a little earlier in the morning, before most people would have been awake; perhaps not the smartest idea on my part, but I wanted to be in and out of the city today so that I could give some time to my babies before it was stolen away by these dignitaries.
I was beginning to realize too that time was something I was never going to be able to 'cheat' into having an abundance of; I could have infinite water, food and materials through some 'smart' thinking and the use of this reality bending System I had, but the things I could do with it still required time.
There was no way for me to slow it down, freeze it, or get it back, so I just needed to make all of it count for something... and I was beginning to realize that a recurring theme in my life was that I was horrible at managing my time.
Namely because I enjoyed getting pounded into a bed, pounded over a table, pushed down onto my knees... all of those things could be done quickly, sure, but that made them not fun and therefore not worth the time...
So instead I got fucked for dozens of minutes at a time by people who were always looking for hours of fun anyways, which made it easy for them to convince me to turn those dozens of minutes into hours.
Those sorts of thoughts made the journey to the city rather quick, and the walk through the relatively quiet streets to reach the always open - kind of - Auction House was much the same; some people still made a pass at me, others just whistled in appreciation or looked, but otherwise... things went smoothly.
Entering the lavish circular structure, I walked for a little in the empty halls before finally finding an employee, who looked surprised to see me and even more shocked that I was asking for the Madame, and yet she still guided me through the halls without much issue.
Whether that was because they were told I was coming - but had no idea when - or if it was simply because anyone could ask to see the Madame, I had no idea, but I was aware that knocking on someone's door before the sun was already up was a bit 'rude', so I prepared a gift for her too.
After the employee had left me be when the door was knocked on and the quiet voice from inside told us to wait a moment, of course; I quickly browsed the things in my inventory before just deciding to keep things simple.
A nice, higher quality bottle of sweet red wine that Renna and I had worked together to create completely on our own; pressed by our feet and looked over every step of the way, I was certain this would be a worthy 'apology' gift for the Madame.
When the door opened to reveal the robed Elf that Kalia had told me about, I was somewhat surprised to see that she wasn't that tired looking, nor did she seem to be all that surprised by my appearance.
She just... had a somewhat loose robe on that showed a bit of 'cleavage' - really it was showcasing her sternum and some of her ribs, but if I looked closely there was something there - and hair that wasn't completely tucked into her braid, suggesting she had just woken up.
"Mm... Miss Astra, please, come in."
Her voice was cold and sharp, and as I walked into her quarters I was very aware that her eyes lingered on my body as I stepped past her, but after so long I was so accustomed to it that I didn't care whatsoever.
"Your daughter - Kalia - is a very talented and impressive girl. I quite like her, and I certainly am pleased she's managed to temper Inik to the degree she has."
Humming softly, I took in the velvet cushions, thick velvet curtains, the giant silk clad bed and then the impressive mahogany desk that dominated the room; stacks of papers, piles of coins and a large orb of some kind sat atop the desk, drawing my attention immediately.
"Ah, have you ever seen a Scryer before? Nifty things; expensive, nifty things that let's someone view anything within a certain area, so long as you are capable of extending your mana too said area."
Stepping up behind me and gently resting a hand on the small of my back, the tall Elf walked me to her desk and had me sit down in one of the lavish chairs before she moved to the throne that was on the other side.
"I haven't ever seen such a thing. I suppose they are rare and seldom acquired by anyone without a plethora of hands everywhere?"
The question made the Elf 'smile', her lips curving ever so slightly into a grimace that Kalia had told me about, and it made me smile myself as I placed the bottle of wine on the table, which the Madame grabbed a moment later.
"That is correct. This is some of the famed wine from Domus Stella, correct? Likely a personal brew that would never reach the shelves... I've had some, you know? Quite good. Very cheap. Not a combination many were expecting."
"And that's why we did it. Wine should be for everyone, and we have the means to make that a reality. Besides, it isn't like we're simply giving the good stuff away, y'know? Bottles like this..."
I left it at that, causing the Elf to nod a few times as she uncorked it and took a sniff, her cold blue eyes flashing with appreciation as she savored the scent; when she recorked it and set the bottle aside I leaned back, pleased that she seemed to have liked it.
"It was pressed by Renna and I, if that makes you happier to hear."
A brow rose slightly at that, and she turned to stare at the bottle appreciatively again before she said "It does indeed. But as much as I would love to just think about you and our wonderful Duchess stepping on things, there was a reason I asked Kalia to send you here..."
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Check out the new novel 'Who Is Taming Who..?' if you want~!
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