Last Born Of The Desdemona Chapter 172: Auction [1]

Chapter 172 – Auction [1]

Saturday finally ca.

The Origin Store that Saturday was uninteresting, holding nothing Cassius was willing to spend his precious OP on.

It was so frustrating that he almost bought the Honorary Prayer of the Mother Demoness of Pestilence out of spite.

However, once again, Ananke issued a stern denial that left him with no other choice but to grumble under his breath and dismiss the panels.

Only two weeks remained before the Academy officially started. His training was progressing, and he was constantly finding new and ingenious ways to use his skills.

His favourite remained Bloodfla.

But Cassius had to admit that his Third Skill was slowly growing on him. It had no explosive power like Bloodfla, nor the unpredictability of his Chains. However, it was a very sneaky ability that could tip the scales of a fight in his favour.

Beyond that, he still hadn’t succeeded in fusing fire and blood into a single, harmonious attack.

At this point, he had to admit it was far more difficult than he had initially believed. But not everything was lost. By constantly attempting the fusion, his control over both fire and blood had increased enormously.

Cassius was now able to manipulate blood quite freely. And with his own blood still carrying the poison he had survived from the Children of the Red Moon, he was becoming lethal in every sense of the word.

Under normal circumstances, that Saturday was supposed to be spent training again.

But Cassius had decided to postpone it. Because that Saturday was the opening auction of his own company, and he needed to be there, to see with his own eyes the first root of the empire he was going to build.

"Today it’s black and silver." He whispered, looking at his own reflection in the mirror. With the eyepatch covering his left eye, Cassius gave off a strangely compelling and mysterious aura.

His smile turned wry as he rembered the excuse he had given his parents about his new look.

He hadn’t lied to them, but he hadn’t told them the whole truth either.

All they knew was that due to the evolution of his First Skill, their son had sohow gained the characteristic dragon eye on his left side.

That was all Cassius said, and all he needed to say.

Because it was clear to him that both his mother and father knew of the 333rd ancestor and her favourite pasti: killing and cooking red dragons.

Thinking about their reactions, Cassius found his previous suspicion becoming more and more credible: they had been intentionally suppressing themselves to avoid being targeted by the gods.

He sighed, gave his reflection one last look in his sharp suit, then turned.

A black cane with the poml shaped like a snake eating its own tail, with white stripes, was resting against the fra of his bed.

In one smooth motion, Cassius grabbed it with his right hand, tapped the tip on the floor and walked out of his room.

Outside, his right eye landed directly on Océane, who straightened imdiately, smiled and bowed her head.

"Good morning, young master. Everything is ready." She said. "But the driver is asking whether we will be picking up Lady Isolde along the way."

"We will." Cassius nodded, walking past her. Océane followed closely behind. "Isolde will be waiting just outside Desde City, beside the Hood Road."

"I will inform the driver."

"Aye, do so. However, Océane, I have been curious about sothing lately." He said leisurely, and the maid nearly jumped at the sudden words.

Before she could compose herself, Cassius continued, the sound of his cane on the floor and the bowing and greetings of passing servants echoing around them.

"You don’t have to answer if you find it uncomfortable. But you seem livelier lately. Care to share the reason?"

"Huh?" Océane’s eyes began to quiver. "It’s nothing much, young master. It’s... truly nothing. Nothing worth your attention, yes?"

Cassius briefly turned his head, sparing her a cursory glance.

Océane froze as the intense crimson of his right eye bore into her. She didn’t know why, but it felt like so overwhelming creature was staring down at her, her body heating, feeling like it was burning from his re glance.

For a brief instant, Océane noticed that the eyepatch over her young master’s left eye seed almost to glow a faint crimson. But it was fleeting, and Cassius only offered her a smile before turning back.

"Is that so? Alright then." He said. "I quite like seeing you happy, so perhaps I should tell you sothing that will make you even happier."

A bad feeling crept through her mind. "Might I know what, young master?"

"You are coming with ."

"...Pardon?"

"The Academy." Cassius’s voice was deeply amused. "You are coming with , Océane. You are only at Imbued rank and twenty-three years old. You are still eligible to be admitted as a first-year student. Aren’t you happier now? I will cover all your expenses."

Océane said nothing for a couple of seconds, her heart hamring against her chest, not knowing what to feel.

Happiness that she had the opportunity to attend the most prestigious school in the Kingdom with the greatest teachers guiding her?

Or sadness that she would almost certainly no longer be able to see Valor, the man she had co to fancy. The first — no, the second man ever.

Océane didn’t even have to choose.

Both happiness and sadness arrived inside her heart without ceremony, tightening her chest all at once.

She smiled wryly, and with clenched fists...

"Yes." She whispered, her voice almost fragile. "I am happier, young master. Thank you for the opportunity."

No other words were exchanged between master and maid, not until they took the road and picked up Isolde along the way, heading straight toward Vorn City for the Opening Auction of the Devil’s Advocate Company.

...

The company’s location was on Argent Street — a calm street with only a handful of buildings, all of them high-class, belonging exclusively to the wealthiest people in the Kingdom, and occasionally those from outside it who opened businesses in Badur.

On normal days the street was quiet, but that Saturday was not a normal day.

Many journalists and reporters had positioned themselves outside a magnificent building painted in black and red with touches of gold. The company’s na was proudly displayed at the entrance, and their devilish symbol sat on the side.

They had arrived three hours before the official start of the Auction. And when only one hour remained, the main door of the company swung open, revealing a young man with brown skin and hazel eyes reflecting calm and serenity, wearing a beautiful green and black suit with black gloves.

It was none other than Omm Min Jambar.

"Soone ca out! It’s starting! Quick, get pictures!"

"Is he an employee? He looks so young, he must be talented and well-connected! Everyone get pictures and find out more about him!"

Just from his appearance, noise flooded the surroundings and the clicking of caras rang in his ears.

His body trembled subtly at the attention washing over him, but Omm held his ground and tried to look calm.

Shortly after his appearance, the invitees began to arrive.

The first to be seen was Raven Hood himself, and at his side, surprisingly, was Anesthesia Amaris.

The journalists and reporters erupted.

"Get everything! We are live now!"

"Keep the quality high! This is the Prince and the Favorite, Anesthesia! How beautiful they are!"

"Are they a couple?"

"A heavenly couple!"

Raven and Anesthesia walked side by side and reached Omm quickly. After presenting their invitations, Omm smiled and stepped aside to show them through.

"Please enter, Prince Raven and Lady Anesthesia. You have been allocated to VIP room number three."

Anesthesia thanked Omm with a smile while Raven said nothing, only walked forward.

And that was the beginning.

Next ca Love de Bayard and Emrys Stormblessed, representing the Runic Tower and the Stormblessed family respectively.

The Tier Two Safara family arrived as well, with Jeanne as their representative, her cold face making the journalists flinch.

Surprisingly, the Tier Three Kanam Family also appeared, with their Matriarch Faye Kanam coming alone with only her maid.

Next were the Amaris, Cole Amaris stepping forward with Veronica faithfully following behind, his handso face turning heads among the female viewers.

More and more people from renowned families and institutions continued to arrive, showing just how much influence the Wealth family carried.

All of them were welcod by Omm, who was doing his best to remain composed in front of so many famous and wealthy people, inwardly in a quiet daze.

Never would he have believed a day like this would co for him.

The feeling was surreal — intoxicating even — but Omm did his best not to be carried away by the euphoric sensation of being seen and acknowledged by people of power, even if it was only through a greeting and a glance.

He wondered if his parents were watching right now. He had told them he might appear on the Net.

Omm shivered inwardly.

He began checking his heart and his intentions throughout the entire welcoming process, and kept doing so until he greeted the final guests of the Auction.

The mont he saw him, Omm’s heart beca humble by itself — emptied of any trace of vanity or pride — as if it instinctively recognised the hidden imnsity of the man walking toward him, a beautiful woman on his arm.

The journalists and reporters froze for half a breath, then went absolutely wild.

Cassius — immaculate white hair, eyepatch over his left eye — walked unhurriedly with his cane in his right hand, while Isolde, wearing a black and silver dress that matched his own colours, wrapped her right arm through his left and walked beside him.

They looked like a couple made in the heavens and sent down to earth purely as a greeting to the world.

"Get them! I SAID GET THEM! This is our cover! You heard , this is our cover for the event!" a reporter bellowed with a flushed face, spit flying in his excitent.

"Cassius Desdemona with an eyepatch! This man is so goddamn beautiful!!"

"I have been flashed, man! Flashed by his beauty! By their beauty! Vorn’s breath, how can a man be this beautiful!"

"No no no, the real question is how can she be this beautiful? Who is she? Is she the wife of the Last Born of the Desdemona?"

"You fool! That is not only the wife of the Last Born! That is Lady Isolde Amaris, firstborn of the Amaris Household!"

"The Favorite’s older sister? This family’s genes are criminal!"

"Lady Isolde is way better!"

"Blasphemy!!"

And they continued.

The rate of pictures being taken increased exponentially, each reporter trying to capture as much of them as possible.

Finally, Cassius and Isolde arrived in front of Omm.

"Good to see you again, Omm." Cassius said with a faint smile. "This is Isolde, my wife."

Omm bowed his head. "Greetings, sir. Greetings, Mrs. Desdemona. I am glad to see you both in good health."

"Likewise. But look at you." Cassius said with amusent. "A suit and a goddamn tie around your neck. All of that in barely a month. Tell , Omm, are you secretly the son of Lady Luck? If yes, please tell . I have been wanting to et her."

Ananke rolled her eyes. ’Don’t be so eager,’ she muttered to herself.

Omm smiled awkwardly. "It is all thanks to Miss Wealth’s generosity, sir. None of it is . But thank you for the kind words. I hope I am not making a bad impression on my first day."

"Man, you’re doing well, trust ." Cassius laughed. "However, tell , Omm. What do you think of my eyepatch?"

He asked with a grin, pointing to his left eye.

Omm suppressed a wide smile and settled for a faint one. "I never knew an eyepatch could be so beautiful, sir."

"Hahah! Of course, it’s because it’s ."

Isolde rolled her eyes. "Stop boasting." She said, then looked at Omm with her glowing purple eyes. "So he is the one."

"He is the one."

"I can see why you like him."

"Do I?"

The couple shared a knowing smile, leaving Omm thoroughly confused. However, he rembered his duties and quickly relayed their allocation.

"As per your request," Omm said, "you will share the sa VIP room as Prince Raven and Lady Anesthesia. Is that acceptable?"

Cassius and Isolde smiled, a smile so eerily similar to the logo of the Devil’s Advocate that Omm was montarily stunned by the sight of it.

"Of course..." Cassius began, walking past him and giving Omm a slight tap on the shoulder.

And Isolde finished.

"...we are completely fine with that arrangent, Omm Min Jambar. And oh, nice to et you."

And so, the Auction began.

—End of Chapter 172—