The auction continued after the bidding of the Raehorn.
Following it, several beasts were displayed... most of them common but with rare features.
Eventually, the auction moved on to rare beasts.
However, none of the beasts managed to capture the attention of Cassian or the others in the VIP room.
"I would've really thought this was a waste of time if I didn't know the contents of this auction," Helda remarked, lounging lazily in her chair.
Felix yawned, looking equally uninterested.
Vivienne and Theon also appeared bored, while Elisa was practically glued to the glass, her eyes shimmering with interest at each beast presented.
Cassian observed their interactions with his usual stoic expression.
'Of course, they'll wait. The contents of this auction are too tempting to ignore,' he thought.
Even in the game, this particular auction stood out. The final six beasts were significant, with each one symbolically representing a member of this group.
Elisa, Vivienne, Theon, Felix, Helda—and, of course, himself.
The sixth beast, a snake, was the one Cassian had come for.
In the game, Cassian didn't attend this auction. Another bidder won the snake and met a grim fate when snake bit him as he tried to claim it in the back room. The poison killed him instantly.
"But I don't think I need to worry about that," Cassian muttered under his breath, a small smirk playing on his lips.
"What's got you smirking like that? It's not something we see often," Helda teased, leaning closer to him and speaking directly into his ear.
Her voice wasn't quiet, and everyone else in the room clearly heard what she said.
Not only that, but she was now leaning against Cassian's shoulder, her usual carefree behavior. No one else in the room said anything... this was just how Helda was, and they were used to it.
Well, almost everyone.
"That doesn't concern you, Helda," Cassian replied flatly.
Helda pouted dramatically at his response but didn't pull away. Cassian, knowing her nature, didn't push her off.
He knew that asking her to stop touching him would only make her cling even more.
Vivienne, however, wasn't as indifferent. Her suppressed anger bubbled to the surface as she remembered how Cassian had told her not to touch him earlier.
"Helda, stop leaning on Cassian. He's not feeling well," Vivienne said, her tone gentle, though her intense gaze was locked on Helda.
In response, Helda grinned and, instead of letting go, wrapped her arms around Cassian's neck in a full embrace.
"But he hasn't said anything, so he must be fine with it. Right, Cassian?" she said, glancing at Vivienne with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Cassian sighed, knowing this was Helda being her usual self.
'Helda, the [Anomaly] of the game,' he thought.
Unlike Elisa, Vivienne, or Felix, who had fixed roles as [Heroines] and [Supporting Character], Helda's role shifted with each route in the game.
Sometimes, she was a [Villain]. Other times, she played a [Supporting Character].
In one route, she became a [False Heroine], forming a relationship with Theon only to betray him later.
The only role she had never been a true [heroine].
'What are you this time, Helda?' Cassian wondered.
Finally, he responded to her question.
"Yeah, I don't have a problem," he said, his tone calm.
Helda beamed brightly and looked at Vivienne. "See? He doesn't mind at all."
Vivienne turned to Cassian, her expression simmering with anger. She was about to say something when—
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending our auction," Trake, the host, announced with a charismatic smile.
"Now, as we move toward the final segment..."
His voice carried an air of mystery, drawing everyone's attention.
"Many of you must be bored by now, seeing these mere common beasts," he said, a sly chuckle escaping his lips.
Those who had bid and won beasts earlier frowned at his words, feeling slighted.
"Now, now, don't make such faces," Trake continued, laughing softly. "The beasts you will see in this final segment are such that, in comparison, everything before them truly is mere common."
In the VIP room, Theon grinned. "Finally, it's starting," he said, his excitement clear.
Felix nodded in agreement.
Helda continued leaning comfortably against Cassian.
Elisa, her enthusiasm unbroken, kept her eyes glued to the auction below.
Vivienne, on the other hand, alternated between stealing glances at the stage and glaring at Helda, frustration simmering beneath her composed exterior.
-----------------
"Our first beast in the final segment is..." Trake began, as two staff members rolled out a small circular table draped in luxurious red fabric.
Unlike earlier displays, this one wasn't hidden beneath a cloth. Instead, atop the table rested a small cushion, upon which a tiny cat sat lazily.
Its fur was midnight black, gleaming under the light, and its eyes were mesmerizing... one golden like the sun, the other white like the moon.
"...The Eclipse Cat," Trake declared with dramatic flair.
A stunned silence filled the hall, followed by a flurry of murmurs.
"An Eclipse Cat? Isn't that just a myth?"
"I've heard they went extinct ages ago!"
...
...
...
In the VIP room, Felix's jaw dropped. "They're seriously auctioning an Eclipse Cat?" he said, his disbelief evident.
"I thought it was just a bluff when I saw the auction's contents," he added, shaking his head.
The others nodded in agreement, except for Cassian, who remained impassive, already aware of what was coming.
"So, who's bidding on this one? Because I'm out," Helda said, stretching lazily.
"Me too," Vivienne agreed. "I already know what I want to bid on."
"Same," Theon chimed in, while Felix gave a casual shrug of agreement.
Elisa, however, was undeterred. "I'm bidding on that cute, fluffy, adorable pookie cat," she declared with sparkling eyes.
Everyone in the room winced at her overly enthusiastic description and sent silent prayers for the cat's well-being.
On the stage, the cat, sensing a chill, shivered slightly and glanced around.
--------------------
"As you all know from myths and stories, Eclipse Cats draw their energy from the sun and moon," Trake explained.
"As for their other abilities... well, let's leave that as a surprise for the winner to discover after forming a bond," he added with a sly grin.
"The starting bid is 1 million gold," he announced.
The crowd collectively gasped at the exorbitant amount.
Before they could recover, the automated bidding system announced:
"VIP Seat No. 3 has bid 5 million gold."
A wave of murmurs rippled through the hall as everyone turned their attention to the announcement.
"VIP Seat No. 7 has bid 6 million gold," came the next automatic voice.
-----------------
In the VIP room, Elisa gritted her teeth, her competitive spirit igniting. "That cat is mine," she declared.
"VIP Seat No. 3 has bid 7 million gold," the system announced.
"How's that, huh?" Elisa said smugly.
"VIP Seat No. 7 has bid 8 million gold."
"VIP Seat No. 3 has bid 9 million gold."
"VIP Seat No. 7 has bid 10 million gold."
"VIP Seat No. 3 has bid 15 million gold."
The room fell silent after the final bid.
Seconds later, the Host announced, "The Eclipse Cat goes to VIP Seat No. 3."
Elisa jumped up, cheering loudly. "Hell yeah! That's mine to take, Seat No. 7!"
After calming down slightly, she turned to the others and asked, "Does anyone know who Seat No. 7 is?"
The group collectively shook their heads.
Cassian remained quiet, his thoughts elsewhere. 'The person who won the snake,' he mused, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
[Seating arrangement→]