Lewd System: Every Scream and Moan is EXP Chapter 424 : The Bidding War

The masked woman spoke without looking back with voice both rude and flat. "I don’t remember giving you permission to challenge my decision, Amane."

Amane clenched her fist in anger and stayed silent. Nora stepped forward, still holding her temper between confidence and rising heat.

"Hold on. You can’t just walk into my cell, look at the man I’ve already chosen, and then tell me to pick another one. I have a rather bad habit of becoming possessive once something catches my interest and this one has caught far more of it than I intended to give."

The masked woman stayed calm and cold. "You are talking as if he is yours."

Nora answered without raising her voice. "Not yet. And that is the reason I am still polite."

Dia replied. "Then stay polite. It suits you better than disappointment will."

Nora calmed herself after the short lines started getting under her skin.

"You seem quite confident for someone wandering around in rags and a mask as though either one is enough to make people take you seriously."

Dia turned her head just enough. "Then I suppose this is the part where we find out how much that confidence is worth."

Nora formed a small smile when she recognized the meaning. Dia was already looking at Lucy. Nora spoke first.

"Mrs Lucy, tell us your price for that man."

Lucy answered with perfect professional calm.

"As I explained earlier, Madam Nora, the boy was brought in only yesterday and has yet to complete our standard registration and appraisal, so the establishment has no official valuation for him yet. However, since two clients are now interested in acquiring the same slave, I can no longer leave his value undecided. To ensure a transparent transaction and give both parties an equal opportunity to make their offer, the establishment will now determine his official valuation."

She continued without pause.

"Taking into account his physical condition, physique, apparent potential, and the performance we have just witnessed, I would place his immediate market value at one hundred thousand Ranas. For international trade currency that would be equivalent to fifteen thousand gold coins."

Amane stepped up in fury.

"One hundred thousand Ranas? Are you insane? That is daylight robbery. You’re taking advantage of the bidding pressure. No mortal human should ever cost that much. Even you just said your premium High Dragon was priced around eighty thousand."

Lucy kept the same calm tone.

"I am being completely honest about the valuation. You can see the justification standing right in front of you. Two high-status clients are competing for him. In addition the sale includes two artifacts. One of them is our special Magicule Binder. It completely prevents the wearer from gathering or using any magical essence, and that piece alone is valued at fourteen thousand Ranas."

Amane’s eyes went to the leash on Jax’s neck. The collar held a glowing orb that was disrupting his magical flow and she knew the truth of it.

A mere contract with a slave did not turn him into an obedient dog. The laws forbade absolute control and allowed only mutually accepted terms but these black-market collars gave the master real authority.

With a single command the orb could flood the wearer’s body with raw accumulated mana, setting every limb and nerve on fire with unbearable pain. That kind of lesson made most slaves think very carefully before disobeying again.

Lucy added the last point.

"Finally he possesses a dimensional ring. We have reviewed everything stored within it. The ring contains multiple high-value items and his personal belongings which will fetch a strong additional price. The current valuation should no longer be in question."

Nora let out a soft laughing breath. "Puahaha. There is a difference between being rich and merely standing near rich people. You two are making that difference very entertaining to watch."

Dia spoke without looking at her. "Amane, hand the matron sixteen thousand gold and finish the transfer. I have no interest in standing here listening to this."

Nora’s soft mocking laugh returned. "Wait a moment, dear. You haven’t won anything. The bidding has just begun. Lucy, enter my offer of twenty thousand gold."

Amane went rigid. She knew the exact amount her master carried. Fourth Princess Dianna Apsarine Mayavesh, daughter of the late King Ravana, only had sixteen thousand gold on hand.

Under her present circumstances gathering anything above twenty thousand was almost impossible despite her title.

Yet Dianna did not accept defeat as she answered without hesitation. "Then I bid twenty thousand and one."

Nora laughed again, softer this time.

"Twenty thousand and one? How wonderfully precise. I was beginning to think we were actually going to have an interesting contest but sadly it will end sooner than I expected. Lucy, record mine as twenty-five thousand gold."

Amane stared at Dianna’s determined eyes and horror crept across her face. She walked straight to her and whispered low.

"That’s enough, Dianna... I mean Your Highness. Don’t let your pride make this decision for you. We hardly have money left in our inventory and soon the money coming from the royal vaults to maintain our palace and servants will be cut off. We could..."

Dianna spoke in a voice low enough that no one else could hear. The firmness in it silenced Amane at once.

"I’ve told you many times not to put your nose into my affairs, haven’t I? You know what I’ve chosen. There are only two roads left for me now. The throne or the grave. So don’t talk to me about money, status, or comfort as though any of them still matter more than what I have decided."

Amane pressed a hand against her chest and spoke through the pain in her voice.

"I know that, but if you can’t produce the money we won’t be able to leave this place quietly. The moment they discover who you are the story will spread everywhere. A princess caught trying to buy a slave and then failing to pay the price... That won’t just damage your position in the succession war, Dianna. You’ll risk losing your title along with it."

Dianna closed her eyes and thought for several moments. Nora grew impatient.

"What’s wrong, dear? You were so quick to answer a moment ago. Don’t tell me you have run out of money."

Saying that, Nora walked over to Jax who still had no idea what the hell was happening. She bent down and spoke softly.

"Let’s go home."

From behind them Dianna’s voice cut through the cell, clear and final. "One hundred thousand gold."