Under the dim lights of the auction hall, two strikingly similar beautiful girls, bound by iron chains, were roughly dragged onto the stage.
They were both wearing prison uniforms that had been deliberately torn, their fair bodies exposed to the air, like exquisite jade statues, emitting a soft glow.
Even though their clothes were tattered and their faces covered in mud and dust, their beauty remained undeniable.
Both girls possessed deep, clear blue eyes like the sea, pearl-white cheeks that were smooth as porcelain, and cherry-red, soft lips that invited a kiss. Their ice-blue hair shone like a waterfall, shimmering and captivating.
The girls huddled together in fear, their pointed ears trembling. They saw the people below, those whose breaths quickened at the sight of them, whose eyes, masked though they were, gleamed with lust, like those of rutting beasts.
(Are these elves?)
Siegfried was also taken aback. He had thought that Krinhild was the most beautiful girl, but now he realized he was too young; this was another world.
The crowd fell silent for a moment at the sight of the two elven girls, a calm before the storm. Then came a deafening roar of bids, the usually elegant and refined nobles and wealthy men abandoning all pretense of decorum.
The men raised their number plates, surging towards the stage like a tide, trying to catch a glimpse of the fleeting glimpses of skin beneath the torn uniforms.
As Krinhild and the others had said, this was a bacchanalia of beasts.
You might wonder, are two pretty elves really worth this much frenzy?
The answer is complex, and it begins with the magical mechanics of the Kiran continent.
We've mentioned before that magic in this world isn't easy to use; magical power, intelligence, and elemental affinity are all indispensable.
And if you had to choose the most important of these three elements, it would undoubtedly be elemental affinity.
Every creature in this world possesses elemental affinity, and the level of affinity directly determines the level of elemental magic you can use.
Take humans, for example. Every human has an affinity for the four basic elements: earth, fire, water, and wind. However, most people have low affinity for these four elements.
No matter how hard they study magic, they can only squirt water and produce a small flame. The kingdom is full of such people; what they use can only be called tricks, not magic.
Siegfried affectionately gave these people without elemental affinity a name: "Muggles."
Those few humans with higher elemental affinity are recruited by various forces, sent to major magic academies for advanced studies to become magicians.
If the level of elemental affinity a human possesses is entirely a matter of luck, elves are different.
Every elf is born with an extremely high affinity for a particular element. They are, in essence, natural-born magicians.
This isn't limited to the four basic elements of earth, fire, water, and wind; they may even have affinities for higher-level elements like lightning, wood, and ice, which humans cannot possess.
Their elemental affinity is so strong that it manifests in their hair color.
For example, these two ice-blue-haired elven girls are likely relatives of the Ice Elf King from the far north, the Glacial Forest.
There are many ways to increase magical power, but almost none to increase elemental affinity.
Elemental affinity is so rare that the appearance of any elixir that can improve it will cause ambitious adventurers to fight each other.
And elves are one such elixir.
Don't get me wrong, the elixir here doesn't mean boiling and eating elves; it refers to the offspring produced by mating with elves, that is, half-elves.
Half-elves possess both the creativity of humans and the elemental affinity of elves.
In fact, the three so-called "elders," the high-level magicians in the human kingdom, are all half-elves.
Our lovely little brother Darren is one of them. A mid-level sixth-order magician at a young age, his achievements have surpassed 80% of human magicians. His light green hair is proof of his high-level wind elemental affinity.
Imagine what would happen if a family raised an elf?
Elves have long lifespans, producing half-elves generation after generation. After a hundred years, a magical army composed entirely of half-elves would emerge.
At that point, dominating a region would be child's play; even establishing a kingdom would be possible.
In addition, elves are all beautiful, eternally youthful, skilled in both magic and archery, making them excellent as playthings or bodyguards. And this pair of twins are still young, making them easier to train.
Now you should understand why these guys are so crazy.
This so-called other world isn't something to look forward to. If you're not the protagonist, in this world, you'll likely end up like these elven girls, at the mercy of others.
But luckily,
Siegfried is the protagonist.
"Two hundred million!"
An icy voice echoed through the auction hall. He'd seen enough of the farce, gathered enough evidence, it was time to act.
A man in a black suit and hood emerged from the shadows, the crowd automatically parting to make way for him. He stood there, as if he were the protagonist of the world.
The auctioneer's face was contorted, but he still managed to suppress his anger, reminding him out of professional courtesy:
"Mr. Lochiel, I told you before that reckless bidding would be punished. Didn't you hear me?"
"I said, two hundred million. I'll take these two elves."
"Are you crazy! The kingdom's tax revenue for ten years doesn't add up to that much! Where did you get that money!!!"
The auctioneer was so angry his nose was practically crooked. He had never seen such a stubborn person; was this man really suicidal?
"Hehehe, is that so? I don't know how much the kingdom's tax revenue is.
But I do know that today, you won't earn a single coin."
"Enough! I've had enough! Guards! Guards, get this madman out of here!"
The doors on both sides of the auction hall burst open, and two squads of fully armed soldiers rushed in, seizing Siegfried's arms to drag him away.
The so-called "dragging out" meant taking him outside and executing him. This person's influence in the territory of Count Conston would also be completely eradicated afterward.
During the struggle, the black hood slipped off…
Revealed in the light was a head of short, night-black hair.
Silence.
The furious auctioneer was silent, the crowd mocking Siegfried was silent, the soldiers holding Siegfried's arms were silent,
The whole world was silent; no moment tonight had been as silent as this one.
The black-haired man was like a black hole, standing silently, yet absorbing all sound, all sight, even the dazzling brilliance of the two elven girls was crushed beneath this black hole.
Siegfried slowly removed his mask, revealing the features of a youthful, handsome man with a gentle smile.
It wasn't the face of the merchant Lochiel; no one present recognized this smiling young man.
But they recognized that black hair, those black eyes filled with mockery and sarcasm.
They saw the gentle smile on the black-haired young man's face twist uncontrollably, slowly turning into an icy sneer.
"What are you guys trying to do?"