Chapter 32: Esumi Gets Shamed

A few hours passed inside the Auction House. 

Noctis observed the situation inside the Auction House getting more tense and awkward, with the excited players bidding at absurdly high prices in an attempt to obtain semi-legendary class items. 

It's a wonder they can hike the value of so-so items that high. I'm not surprised. Dogs always fight for scraps, not the whole meal. 

Noctis thought to himself, totally unimpressed by the items being auctioned off. 

"It's a wonder that fights don't break out inside the Auction House. I can already sense that the tension is about to break the fragile peace inside from here." 

Noctis remarked while observing the whole scene. 

"Simple. If a player attempts a fight inside the Auction House, he'll be an open target to the other players inside the Auction House. If a player attempts to start a fight, they immediately get ejected out of the Auction House if they aren't attacked first. "

Oshe replied to Noctis. 

" Now that all the auxiliary items have now been auctioned off, let's proceed with auctioning the main attractions on show in this auction." 

Their conversation was cut short when the lady's voice, which is clearly Yurika's, announced. 

The din of conversation and bidding quieted down from the entire rooms of the Auction House." 

" The first item on this auction is the hybrid troll variant's mace. The starting bid is 2 million gems." 

Everyone inside the Auction House went crazy at the sight of the Legend Class Item, then non-elite players who didn't have the gems and the Nobility Badge quieted down upon realizing that the price alone could bankrupt them, and the item was way out of their league. 

"Hmph. A whole bunch of commoner ants who don't know their place. I bet they can't even afford ¼ the price of my mace, and can't even take a single hit from it." 

Noctis could hear a male voice, who is obviously an elite player from an adjacent  VIP room, say out loud. 

" The audacity. Don't you forget that you were once an ordinary player like us, Esumi Hidetora. "

A female voice from the lower house called out to Esumi, but Esumi just blatantly showed his middle finger to the unfortunate girl, and mocked the unfortunate girl with a mock awful expression on his face. 

Before the girl got ejected from the Auction House, she managed to say the words, 

"You'll soon have your own karma, Esumi, for thinking you are way better than us. Just because you climbed up the ranks, You even dare to disrespect common players upfront. Don't think you can hide behind your Nobility Badge forever, Esumi. Without that badge, you are nothing but another common player." 

The mention of Esumi's name nearly made Noctis jump from his seat. 

" Esumi's name rings a bell, right? All of us from The Gamer Guild, including your deceased brother, crossed swords with him one time or another, and we often fought  with him frequently. He's vain, proud, and angered so many elite players, elite guilds and even guild leaders that I wonder how he managed to stay alive to this day. "

Yuusei narrated from memory.

"Is  this guy a Fighter/Necromancer class player who is now with the Necromancer Guild? I heard he offended so many elite players. He's a sitting duck up there." 

"I don't think so. He must have come prepared. He's not someone simple to let himself get killed in a den of lions." 

Noctis could hear the din of talking and discussion from the lower rooms. 

So the Necromancer Guild Leader also made her move, and sent Esumi to represent the Necromancer Guild to try and snap up the three items. I guess Esumi also wants the girl who called him down dead for good, knowing his vain, proud, and self-centered nature. Too bad, because I won't let it happen. 

Noctis thought to himself. 

"Do you know the girl who just talked Esumi down? She must be outside the Auction House by now. I need your help in saving that girl." 

Noctis whispered to Yuusei,but Yuushei shot Noctis a warning glance. 

"Ah. That attractive girl is Kaori Matsumura. An assassin/archer who used to be part of an unimpressive trash guild, but later on managed to get accepted as a second rate member of a subsidiary guild under an elite guild named the Assassin Guild, which used to be a close ally of the Gamer Guild.  Don't just whisper into my ears carelessly, Noctis. I sense the presence of a lot of enemies backing the Necromancer Guild. "

Yuusei chatted back at Noctis through the system's message function. 

"Sorry. It won't happen again, Yuusei. I need your help in saving that girl. We can't let that girl fall into Esumi's hands, and we can't let her die. We need her on our side. She'll come in handy in the future." 

Noctis chatted back. 

"Alright, leave it to me, but help me explain when the Assassin Guild suspects something, Noctis." 

"No problem, Yuusei. It would be good if we had the backing of the Assassin Guild. You know my items alone are enough to make even the Guild Leader of the Assassin Guild shut up and support us." 

Noctis replied. 

" I bid 10 million gems for this mace. "

Esumi said with vain and self important confidence. 

" 12 million"

Noctis countered. 

Noctis knows that Esumi is now starting to get irritated.

He smirked, despite his best efforts to put on a straight face behind his mask. 

"15 million" 

Noctis heard a female voice. He knew in an instant that it was an elite girl who's an assassin/ice mage with a Nobility Badge who belonged to Assassin Guild, named Iona Matsumura.

"Iona! You again! You keep interfering with my plans."

Esumi practically shouted in anger. 

"Hmph. That's what you get for trampling upon my half-sister Kaori, you upstart Necromancer filth." 

Iona said in a cold but clear tone, fixing an icy gaze upon Esumi and her gaze sent shivers up Esumi's spine. 

"Why can't I move? How dare you use your ice lock skill on me! Unbind me!" 

Esumi shouted at  Iona. 

"Hmph. Uncultured wildling.Alright,I'll unbind you." 

Iona just coldly looked at Esumi from head to toe.

Iona unbound Esumi, then lifted Esumi up into the ceiling of his VIP room and let him dangle there, in a seated position with his head pointing down on the ground with her icy telekinesis space skill without lifting her hands,before releasing Esumi with a loud thud. 

Esumi got up with much difficulty, drank an HP potion, then sat down again, still mad and fuming. 

"Hmph. Be grateful you're hiding behind your Nobility Badge, or you'd be ejected out of this Auction House without a question,Esumi." 

 Interesting. So that's Iona Matsumura, the Ice mage/assassin of the Assassin Guild, who is said to blanket the entire battlefield with snow and ice that makes her  opponents tremble and lose HP in the cold weather, when she gets serious in a fight, and kills with lethal ice daggers. This makes things easier. 

Noctis thought to himself. 

Noctis got shaken off his train of thoughts, his eyes widening at the sudden turn of events. 

He fought the urge to laugh at Esumi, who is used to disrespecting ordinary players, but Esumi ended up getting shamed right in front of everyone in the Auction House. 

"17 million" 

Esumi countered amidst the boos and the jeers of the other elite players allied with the Assassin Guild. 

"25 million"

"30 million" 

"32 million" 

"70 million" 

Esumi countered. 

"Shit, I didn't expect this filth to be this rich. I only have 50 million gems with me right now. At this rate," 

Iona said. 

"I bid 100 million gems" 

Noctis said to the dismay of Esumi, who got up and walked out of the Auction House. 

"This mace goes to the player who bid 100 million gems. Congra-" 

"Yurika, hold it. Give this item to Iona instead."

Noctis stood up, and winked at Iona, who blushed right on the spot.