Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
As time passed, the hall started to become more and more lively as more and more people gathered in the hall. Aside from the extravagantly dressed ladies that looked like butterflies, there was also the occasional young nobleman. Of course, they weren’t here for a bottle of perfume; they had their eyes set on the women.
Occasionally, young woman or noblewoman would pass by Hallister, and the daring few would even give the blonde haired, blue eyed, and absurdly handsome man an enthusiastic stare. However, this time, Hallister only smiled back and did nothing else. If he weren’t on a mission, Hallister would already be on his way home with a pretty lady in his arms, but since he was, he must stay focused.
A crisp ring of a bell echoed across the hall as a young elven girl appeared behind the podium and struck the bell in her hand.
Hallister glanced at the door with his peripherals, but Eva was still nowhere to be found. His heart jumped a little; had Eva decided not to show up? As he thought of that, his fingers unconsciously tightened around the armrest in panic.
Hallister’s every move could be seen by everyone around him, and Gail smiled faintly when he saw Hallister’s reaction. He leaned down and smoothly said, “Young Master, the auction just started; why worry?”
Hallister froze and gave Gail a grateful look. As he calmed down from his panic attack, he rested his chin on one hand and started tapping on the chair with the other, appearing both leisurely and bored. However, in his mind, Hallister was bitterly smiling; when was the last time he had been this nervous? He had always thought of himself as a man of great confidence, yet when the plan was actually put into action, he acted like an inexperienced teenager. It was human nature to panic at the slightest error when it came to a matter that was extremely important to them personally.
Hallister suddenly remembered something his father always said: the higher your expectation, the bigger your disappointment. Maybe he was thinking too much about this. What good would that do anyway? It wasn’t even clear if the dragon slayer could help him, and all he could do at this point was to do his part well. As for the future, that wasn’t something he could control.
As he thought about that, Hallister’s attitude immediately changed from doubtful back to his usual confidence. Even though Eva hadn’t shown up yet, Hallister knew very well how tempting Moonlight Perfume was to women.
You will show up eventually, my dear! Hallister silently said.
The atmosphere in the hall became more and more excited as the eighth bottle of Moonlight Perfume was sold. Hallister had placed bids several times as well, but hadn’t managed to win a single time.
Only two were left at this point, and although Hallister kept his calm, his heart had started to sink.
“3,000 gold! Going once!” The elven girl on the podium raised her gavel.
“3,100!” an exquisitely dressed woman bid.
“3,200!” Another woman raised her bid.
“4,000!” The exquisitely dressed woman seemed determined.
Just then, a figure clad in a cloak which covered its figure walked into the hall. Judging by the shape of its body, it was a female – one that had a pretty figure at that. An elven girl greeted her, then stepped aside after checking her invitation.
“5,000!” The exquisitely dressed woman raised her bidding sign high and even looked scornfully at her competitor.
The other side fell silent. Clearly, she wasn’t willing to throw more money into this.
“5,000 going once!” the elven girl behind the podium shouted.
No one responded, and the exquisitely dressed woman lifted her head in triumph.
“5,000 going twice!”
“6,000!” The female figure covered in a cloak suddenly raised her sign.
There was an instant uproar among the potential buyers. After all, this was only a bottle of perfume, and even the previous eight only sold for around 5,700, yet this person here immediately raised the price to 6,000
“7,000!!” The exquisitely dressed woman’s face turned ugly, as if she couldn’t bear the fact that someone had dared to challenge her.
The audience started to chatter, “That’s too absurd! All that money for a bottle of perfume?””What do you know? That’s the mistress of Laurance, the head of the Mercenary Association Laurance.”
The cloaked figure hid her face and expression in the dark, but she clearly heard the discussions. After a moment of hesitation, she ultimately gave up.
The exquisitely dressed woman finally won her Moonlight Perfume and glanced triumphantly at the cloaked woman.
“Only one bottle of Moonlight Perfume remains! Bidding starts now!”
And again, a wave of bids was placed among the audience. After all, this was the last bottle. If they didn’t win this time, they would have to wait another month.
Hallister looked around carefully and still could not find any trace of Eva, so he shifted his attention to the cloaked woman. If Eva was indeed in this hall, it had to be that person.
“Is that her?” Gail whispered in Hallister’s ear. It was very strange for someone to cover their faces even at night, and she must have done that for a reason.
Hallister shook his head slowly. “Maybe, maybe not.”
Gail blanked. “Then what should we do?”
Hallister sighed. “We have to take the risk!” He had to gamble on the fact that the woman was indeed Eva, because the dragon slayer definitely did not have the patience to wait until next month. If he missed his chance here, he would just be treated as a useless playboy, and would have no chance of gaining the dragon slayer’s assistance.
“3,000!” A young woman leaning against a nobleman raised her sign.
“4,000!” The cloaked woman raised her sign once again.
Everyone in the audience gasped. After all, not everyone was of the same caliber as the mistress of the head of the Mercenary Association. Judging by the mysterious woman’s tone, she had no intention of giving up so easily this time. The only reason why she had conceded before was probably because she knew there was no way she was as rich as the exquisitely dressed woman.
“4,500!” Hallister raised his sign with a smile.
“5,000!” The cloaked woman was indeed Eva, and at the moment, her mind was filled with rage. Usually, the perfume sold for around 5,000, but just because she had been late today, there were only two left, which usually also had the fiercest competitions. Eva had indeed been intimidated last time, because she had seen that woman place a bid of 10,000 before. 10,000 for a bottle of Moonlight Perfume! That was the most glorious moment since the elves had started auctioning Moonlight Perfume. Eva knew she didn’t have the money to fight that mad bitch; that woman’s money came from her lover, while she and her brother had to earn theirs with their own blood and sweat.
“5,500!” If he was going to take the risk, he might as well go all in, Hallister said to himself bitterly. He would either grab this opportunity to change his life, or go back to living pointlessly for the rest of his life.
“6,000!!” Eva gritted her teeth. That was the highest she was willing to go. If she went any higher, she wouldn’t have the face to go back to her brother. This was a dire time for them; if they had that much money, they could buy more magic crystals to increase their chance of survival.
“6,500!!” Hallister was still smiling as if he wasn’t spending his own money.
The audience fell silent, including Eva.
“6,500 going once!”
“6,500 going twice!”
“6,500 going thrice!”
“Sold! Congratulations to the gentleman there; this bottle of Moonlight Perfume is now yours!” The elf behind the podium’s face was red with excitement. 6,500 gold coins. That was an astonishing result by any standard.
After they had paid the coins and had gotten their hands on the perfume, Hallister, along with Gail and his two ‘guards’, started to leave. Just then, the cloaked woman happened to walk past, and just as the two of them were about to brush past, Hallister suddenly gasped as he tripped on something and fell toward the woman. His arms flailed helplessly in the hair as if he was trying to grab onto something, and happened to drag past the woman’s cloak. With a light pull of his finger, her cloak fell on the ground. After all that was done, Gail stepped up timely and steadied Hallister, preventing him from actually falling on the ground.
“What are you doing?!” The woman turned around violently and asked in an angry voice.
Hallister, with a startled expression on his face, stood up with the help of Gail. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and confirmed she was indeed Eva! Despite his heart pounding with excitement, he put on an apologetic expression. “Please forgive my insolence. It was truly a dreadful accident…”
Hallister suddenly stopped and opened his mouth in excitement. His eyes stared straight at Eva as if he was witnessing something miraculous.
“What are you staring at?!” Eva was completely enraged at this point. This bastard had first stolen the last bottle of perfume, and now he had nearly slammed into her. If this wasn’t Isolated Cliff City, his face would already be greeting a giant fireball.
“You… No… No… It’s not possible! Bernice… Bernice you are not dead?” Hallister’s face was pale as he muttered madly in a shaky voice.
“Am I dreaming? Tell me! Am I dreaming?!” Hallister very un-nobly grabbed Gail’s hands and baragged him with questions.
Gail’s eyes flashed as he understood Hallister’s plan. He silently laughed and thought that although this kid was a little impatient at times, he reacted impressively fast.
“Young Master! Please don’t act like this; Bernice is dead!” Gail said with apparent sorrow, then bowed toward Eva. “Please forgive the rudeness of my Young Master. You simply… you simply look too much like my young master’s fiance who had passed away.”
Eva could feel her anger calming down. Looking at the sentimental young man, she could tell how deeply he loved his fiance. Every woman had a soft spot in her heart, and Eva felt like hers had just been touched. When she looked at the impudent young man again, he didn’t look half as rude.
When someone’s attitude changed, their perception of events would change too. At this point, Eva was not as disgusted by Hallister as before, and when she actually took a clear look at him, she realized the blond young man was extremely handsome – more handsome than any man she had seen.
Hallister recovered from his thoughts and said in a sorrowful tone, “You are right… Bernice is dead already. She will never come back…” He then bowed at Eva. “I am extremely sorry. Please forgive my rudeness.”
Afterwards, without a response from Eva, he left as if nothing else in this world mattered to him anymore. He even looked back at Eva before he left, and his eyes were a perfect mix of sadness, longing, and regret.
Looking at his lonely back view, Eva’s heart jumped and almost stopped him. She didn’t know why she had this absurd thought, but she was truly considering it.
Suddenly, Hallister stopped and walked back to Eva, took out the bottle of Moonlight Perfume he had just bought, and handed it to Eva with both hands. “Will you accept my sincere apologies?”
Eva was shocked. “But… didn’t you just buy it?”
“I have no use of it anymore.” Hallister shook his head, a sorrowful frown seemingly permanently etched on his face. “This was Bernice’s favorite perfume, but she’s already gone. She’s never coming back.”
Eva finally understood that this man had bought the bottle of perfume as a commemoration for his deceased wife. Looking at the frown on the blond young man, Eva suddenly had the urge to cheer him up.
“Are you going to refuse?” Hallister shook his head in disappointment. “I truly have no other intentions. Please forgive my rudeness, but you truly… look like Bernice; exactly alike. Please take this. For my Bernice.”
Eva finally opened her mouth. “If Bernice were still alive, she wouldn’t want you to be so sad.”
Hallister’s eyes instantly lit up. “Does that mean you accept my gift?”
Eva took the Moonlight Perfume with a helpless smile. “Do I have the option to refuse?”
“Thank you.” Hallister sighed as if he had just completed his life’s goal. “Your beauty is only comparable to the bright moon, and all the stars in the sky have lost their light in comparison. I wish with all my heart that you will find your soulmate.” With that said, he left with Gail and the rest of the entourage.
“Wait!” Eva shouted subconsciously.
Hallister stopped and looked back at Eva in confusion. “Is there something else?”
“I…” Eva was suddenly at a loss of words. She didn’t know why she had opened her mouth.
Hallister just stood there quietly, patiently waiting for Eva to speak.
“I… I just want to say thank you for such an expensive gift.” Eva finally found a good excuse.
Hallister smiled warmly. “No matter how expensive the perfume is, it would only be a minor touch if you were to use it. Please don’t mind it.”
“I… should invite you to my place, but… we are in some tight situations as of late, so please forgive me,” Eva said embarrassingly. No matter what, a normal person would make an invitation after receiving such an expensive gift, even if it was only a simple dinner.
The news of that dragon slayer’s return had spread around Isolated Cliff City, and Eva and Manteco had heard about it long ago. Manteco had originally opposed Eva’s insistence on going to the auction, but her love for Moonlight Perfume was almost like an addiction, and the days without it felt like torture to her. Ultimately, Manteco conceded, but since more people in the city knew him than Eva, he didn’t dare show up personally and only warned Eva to disguise herself well.
And Eva was indeed careful. She had covered her face with the cloak the whole time, and was even suspicious of the blond young man that had knocked off her cloak. Even when Hallister had given her the perfume, Eva still did not drop her guard. The moment Hallister showed any signs of wanting to approach her, she would instantly reject his advance.
But the fact that Hallister had left without any hesitation after she had accepted the perfume made Eva drop her suspicion. It seemed like the blond young man had truly only wanted to gift her the perfume as a commemoration for his deceased fiance, and not for any exterior motives.
“Trouble?” Hallister said with an astonished expression. “If you forgive my intrusion, could I ask if there’s anything I might be of assistance?”
Eva smiled and shook her head. “I truly appreciate your kindness, but this trouble… Please forgive my directness, but it is not something an ordinary man can solve.” Eva saw Hallister start to frown again, and hurriedly added, “I don’t mean any offense, but this matter… is not something someone of your power can meddle with.”
Hallister stared meaningfully into Eva’s eyes. “It would be my honor to help you. As for the other…” Hallister paused and smiled. “Do you know my power? Majordomo Gail, is there any person of relevant power in this city?”
Gail said in a casual voice, “Here? Young Master, this city is only filled with a group of irrelevant mercenaries fighting for a living.”
Eva’s face changed slightly. She was a little annoyed. Even though he said it with such an amiable tone and his face was calm, his eyes looked as if he was looking down on her. Irrelevant mercenaries? Eva laughed coldly in her heart. That dragon slayer was a mercenary; let’s see if this old man would dare talk like that in front of him!
Just then, the crowd suddenly fell silent. An entourage of elves walked out from the back and straight toward Hallister. The elf in the lead was very ugly, which was quite unusual; there was never a lack of pretty elves, but one that was ugly? That was truly a rarity. However, her ugliness wasn’t because she was born so, but because of a diagonal scar that extended all the way from her forehead to her chin, right across her left eye. Her right eye was as clear as a crisp green lake, but her left eye was strange, hollow, and white. There wasn’t any pupil in it, and it gave anyone who stared into it goosebumps. A mess of a bright red spot was on the right side of her face, and one could clearly see the intertwining network of muscle and blood veins. It looked as if someone had ripped out a piece of her face and left this scar, because she hadn’t treated it in time.
However, her face looked calm, as if she was completely unaware of how ugly she was. She slowly walked up to Hallister and bowed. “Young Master Ender, one of our elders wants to meet you. Could you…”
“I’m not in the mood right now. Some other time.” Before the elf could finish, Hallister very rudely interrupted her.
“Forgive my interruption.” The elf was not angered at all by the rejection, and instead looked at Gail. “Greetings.”
“Greetings,” Gail replied formally.
“Please pay respect to the master for me,” the elf said with a smile.
Eva’s expression changed drastically. The elves had set up a strict set of rules for the auction, including fostering competition by only auctioning ten bottles of Moonlight Perfume every month in order to maximize profit. Their customers weren’t dumb, and many expressed their displeasure. Some even tried to vent their rage at the elves after losing an auction, but all of them realized very fast that they made a mistake – a very big mistake.
And all that was because of the existence of a single elf! One of the two absolute killing machines of Wild Willow City, the Grand Elf Lydia! According to rumors, Lydia had become a tenth-grade ranger 150 years ago, and her current power was even more mysterious. During the war against Black Raven CIty, Lydia was one of the main reasons why they could resist Zaganide. Even more scarily, during the past century or so, Lydia had suffered through too many battles and had forged a heart of steel. If anyone truly angered her, they would suffer even more than at the hands of the cruel Zaganide.
What kind of man was worthy of a personal invitation from the Grand Elf Lydia? Eva stared dumbly at Hallister and didn’t dare make a sound.
A weak, young nobleman, who somehow was accompanied by a powerful professional respected by even Lydia. Even more absurdly, she couldn’t tell how powerful the two guards beside him were. At this point, Eva was absolutely convinced that the young man was the heir of some powerful family. There was no other explanation.
If they could acquire his assistance… Eva hesitated, but after some internal deliberation, she decided she must discuss with her brother first.
Gail stared at the back of the elf and said in a light voice, “Young Master, if an elder from the Wild Willow City wants to see you… I would recommend you oblige, or else…”
“I said I’m not in the mood.” Hallister appeared very unreasonable. Of course, that was usually a sign of naivety, which, in turn, usually meant the person could be easily manipulated.
Eva bit her lips and finally made a decision.
