"Creak!"
The study room door closed, and Weiss was escorted out of the castle by the maid. Someone would soon take him to meet Max.
Dahlia and Catherine stood dumbfounded, watching Lucas and Weiss converse. It wasn't until Weiss had left that they snapped out of their daze.
"City Lord, can you really build a fifty-meter-long ship?" Dahlia asked in disbelief.
"Mm! As long as we follow the blueprints, it's possible." Lucas nodded. With the blueprints and skilled shipbuilders, constructing a fifty-meter ship wasn't all that difficult.
From now on, Weiss's life—or at least his future—would be under constant surveillance. The design blueprints for the fifty-meter ship absolutely could not be leaked. It might not be completed but if it leaks someone might be able to complete it.
"This..." Dahlia was at a loss for words. Logically, it seemed impossible, but Weiss's reaction just now made it seem entirely plausible.
"You don't have to believe it right away. You'll see the ship for yourself soon enough." Lucas said with a gentle smile. He never forces anyone to believe him—after all, he would create more incredible things in the future that would naturally earn their trust.
Dahlia looked at Lucas's smiling face and softly replied, "Mm, I'll look forward to it."
"By the way, Miss Dahlia, Miss Catherine, there's something I'd like to ask you," Lucas said, sitting up straight. "Do you know of any cities nearby that hold auctions?"
"Auctions?" Catherine furrowed her brows in thought. After a while, she shook her head. "I don't know of any. I only know about the auctions in the royal capital."
"Mm." Lucas nodded, then turned his gaze toward Dahlia, who was still frowning, waiting patiently for her answer.
"May I ask, Lord Lucas, what kind of auction are you looking for? One that sells slaves?" Dahlia's eyes fixed on Lucas. Auctions came in many forms—some specialized in selling slaves, others dealt with large objects, and some focused solely on gemstones.
The nobles of this era had peculiar tastes. Some pursued gemstones, buying any they could find, as if collecting them were a hobby.
Others preferred more unusual collections—animal skulls. They would decapitate animals, preserve the skulls through special embalming techniques, and then mount them on the walls of their castles.
There were also those who loved weapons—knight swords of all kinds, knight armor, and lances were often collected, especially weapons crafted by renowned dwarven masters, which could drive collectors into a frenzy.
This passion gave rise to various specialized auctions. For example, gemstone auctions required an introduction from someone with connections to gain entry.
However, there were also more public auctions, accessible to the general populace, as the specialized ones catered mainly to the elite nobility.
….
"Slaves? No, no, I'm not looking to buy or sell slaves," Lucas shook his head and said calmly, "I have some items I'd like to auction off, so I'm hoping to find a large auction house for that."
"I see."
Dahlia let out a breath of relief, her furrowed brows easing as she softly replied, "About seven days' travel from here, there's a city called Pentos City with a population of thirty thousand. The city's lord, Count Hudson, holds an auction there once a month. Lord Lucas can send your items there for auction."
"Oh? A city of thirty thousand people?" Lucas's eyes lit up. Compared to smaller towns with only two or three thousand residents, Pentos City was indeed a large city.
And where there was a large city, there would undoubtedly be many merchants and nobles living there. Their defining trait? Wealth—plenty of money, or as some might call them, rich bigshots.
"Yes, Count Hudson is considered an old noble. His auction attracts many merchants and nobles every month." Dahlia replied softly.
Her father, Joe, had attended a few times but never managed to buy anything. It was said that the starting bid for most items was at least one silver coin, and the highest recorded sale had reached one hundred and twenty gold coins. As for what was sold, Dahlia had no idea.
"How long until the next auction is held?" Lucas asked.
"About eleven days." Dahlia replied without hesitation. Eleven days later would be the beginning of the next month.
"There's plenty of time, then." Lucas nodded, having already decided to attend the auction. He even knew exactly what he wanted to sell.
All he needed to do was return to Earth, place an order on his phone through Amazon or Ebay, and he was confident the items would fetch a high price.
"Lord Lucas, are you planning to go in person?" Dahlia's eyes flickered with curiosity.
"Mm, I probably will." Lucas nodded. He felt the urge to get out and explore a bit. Besides, there weren't any major issues in the territory at the moment—most of the routine affairs were being handled by Annie.
"Then, Lord Lucas, you can travel with us." Catherine said softly, surprising even herself with the sudden suggestion.
A faint glimmer of anticipation flickered in her eyes. She couldn't quite say she liked Lucas, but she was undeniably curious about him. After all, during her days in Sedona City, she'd witnessed fascinating things—the thrilling boxing matches, the fast-paced ice hockey games, the bustling marketplace filled with wonders, and the lively Drunken Night Restaurant. All of it made her feel that Lucas was nothing short of a genius.
"Alright." Lucas agreed with a light chuckle.
Over the past few days, the warehouse had already begun gradually shipping out goods. If not for Dahlia's fleet needing repairs and maintenance, they likely would've set sail within two or three days.
"..."
Dahlia turned her head, her eyes locking onto Catherine's gaze. Embarrassed, Catherine's cheeks flushed as she quickly looked away.
A flurry of thoughts rushed through Dahlia's mind. Could Catherine really be falling for Lucas? Wasn't it supposed to be just a passing interest? If this continued, things could get out of hand. Would she actually consider eloping? That would surely drive the duke into a rage!
No, this can't happen! Dahlia resolved to have a serious talk with Catherine—or perhaps even bring Elisa into the conversation. This situation was playing with fire.
A duke's daughter falling for a small noble from a remote region would cause a major uproar in the royal capital. And as for the Fourth Prince... He'd probably go mad with jealousy.
If it were someone like me with Lord Lucas, no one would say much—at most, a few jealous comments and surprised looks.
But Catherine… Dahlia's expression grew more serious. She's the daughter of a duke, carrying a trace of royal blood. Her future husband is expected to be a prince or a duke's son—at the very least, the heir of a marquis.
Dahlia didn't want her friend to live a life on the run, constantly in danger. If they were caught, the man would undoubtedly face execution, and Catherine would be forced into marriage against her will.
Unless Lord Lucas becomes powerful enough to stand against the duke... Dahlia frowned, feeling a headache coming on. She knew Catherine's stubborn nature all too well—once she set her mind on something, it would be nearly impossible to change it. This situation was becoming more complicated by the minute.
"Miss Dahlia, what kinds of items are usually auctioned there?" Annie asked curiously.
The fox-eared girl's voice pulled Dahlia from her thoughts.
"Many rare and valuable treasures, I suppose—large gemstones, knight armor, swords, and the like," Dahlia replied after a brief moment of thought. She spread her hands helplessly and added, "Occasionally, they also auction slaves—those who are..."
"..."
Annie didn't need her to finish. She knew exactly what Dahlia meant—beastkins, especially beautiful beastkin girls.
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