Another hour passed.
Finally…
The first guest arrived.
And not just any guest.
It was none other than Morvain Wolf himself, the current House Lord of House Wolf.
Unlike the other House leaders who had accepted invitations to accompany Emperor Alexander together later, Morvain Wolf completely ignored such arrangements and arrived independently.
Naturally, everyone understood why the Emperor invited the major noble houses collectively.
Because once the auction began…
Most noble leaders would avoid competing directly against the Imperial Family over the aircraft and howitzers.
After all, openly opposing the Emperor in bidding wars rarely ended peacefully.
As for the Martial Clan leaders…
Very few had been invited.
Partly because the annual summit coincidentally began the same day.
Partly because Martial Clans usually lacked liquid wealth compared to Noble Houses.
And partly because most Martial Clans valued cultivation techniques above worldly weapons.
