Chapter Twelve: Dedicated to Squandering Wealth

When the Thirteenth Young Master entered, the auction was already more than halfway through. Of course, the auction would not wait for his arrival to begin; not only did they not know he was coming, but even if they had, they wouldn’t have waited—every profession has its own rules.

Most of the items auctioned earlier were ordinary; the truly valuable treasures were always reserved for the end, with the very best left for last.

It was only after many lots had passed that the Thirteenth Young Master finally stirred, raising his paddle to bid. The moment he did so, the other bidders fell silent, allowing him to win the item without contest.

It was not because his bid was the highest, but rather because the item was of little importance—no one wished to offend him, at least not over something so trivial.

Occasionally, being a notorious spendthrift has its perks; it lets you pick up bargains.

The only issue was—

“Young Master, what do you want this for? Don’t tell me you intend to give it to the Seventh Princess?” Tiger Girl frowned as she asked.

The item in question was a sword, a decorative piece with some historical value, but utterly useless to a warrior—a purely ornamental object. Such swords were typically worn by young gentlemen, not by noble ladies. Perhaps a noblewoman with martial inclinations might carry one, but the Seventh Princess was a mage.

“No, this one’s for myself. How could I give something so cheap to my wife as a gift? I’ll buy something better later,” the Thirteenth Young Master replied, shaking his head. By “better,” of course, he meant more expensive.

Several more lots came and went, and the Thirteenth Young Master continued to bid now and then, purely for his own amusement. What he bought were either strange and peculiar magical devices, or magic scrolls he set off like fireworks.

Magic scrolls require little explanation. Suffice it to say, on this continent, they are difficult to make and costly as well, making them luxurious and extravagant items.

Yet the Thirteenth Young Master squandered them as if they were mere fireworks—truly a display of extravagance and wastefulness, though, in all fairness, the magical effects were far more splendid than any firework could offer.

“And now, we come to the final three lots of today's auction—the undoubted highlights of our evening. First, we present the legendary Moon Goddess's Diadem, once bestowed by Emperor Sis upon his most beloved empress—a masterpiece wrought by nearly a hundred renowned craftsmen, and set with the largest sapphire ever known. The starting bid is fifty thousand gold coins. Who will make the first offer?” The auctioneer, in his polished manner, finished the introduction and the bidding began.

“Young Master, this looks perfect—you could give it to the Seventh Princess as a gift,” Tiger Girl suggested, though she thought it decidedly expensive. Still, of everything so far, it was clearly the best choice.

Yet, to her surprise, the Thirteenth Young Master showed little interest, making no move to bid.

“Oh? Is this a good choice? Then I’ll buy it. One hundred thousand…” he said offhandedly. His words made it clear: had Tiger Girl not reminded him, he would not have realized this was exactly the sort of thing girls loved.

“Young Lord Ye of the Thirteenth House bids one hundred thousand. Any higher offers? One hundred thousand, going once—”

“One hundred and ten thousand!” The value of the Moon Goddess’s Diadem far exceeded a hundred thousand, so many continued to bid. Unless someone grossly overpaid, no one would simply stand aside.

“One hundred and twenty thousand,” the Thirteenth Young Master replied instantly, without a second thought.

“One hundred and fifty thousand!” the other bidder called, but as everyone expected, the Thirteenth Young Master’s voice followed immediately.

“One hundred and sixty thousand.”

“...One hundred and seventy thousand…”

“One hundred and eighty thousand.”

“...”

In the end, the Thirteenth Young Master secured the Moon Goddess’s Diadem for the rather steep sum of one hundred and eighty thousand gold coins—a price that, to him, was all the better for being high.

Next came the second highlight of the auction—a treasured sword. This one was no mere ornament, but a masterpiece forged by a contemporary weaponsmith, the sort of weapon any swordsman would dream of possessing.

While fierce bidding drove the price ever higher, the Thirteenth Young Master remained unmoved—not because he was waiting to snatch victory at the last moment, but simply because he wasn’t interested at all.

Violence and bloodshed were not his domain; such weapons held no appeal for a prodigal like him.

“And now, the last lot of the evening—a blind auction. This box, starting at one hundred thousand gold coins.” The auctioneer’s introduction betrayed a lack of confidence.

Blind auctions take many forms. Sometimes the auction house knows what is being sold; sometimes, as in this case, they do not.

Usually, even if the contents are unknown, there is at least some hint as to their value. Not so this time—no information was offered about the box, and the seller, having paid the requisite fees, made no further disclosures.

No matter how the auction house probed, they could learn nothing about the contents. Still, since the fee was paid, the box was put up for sale.

But how many would dare buy such a lot? One hundred thousand gold coins—for a box that might not contain anything nearly so valuable. Who would take such a risk?

The auctioneer’s confidence faltered; he expected the lot to go unsold.

“One hundred thousand gold coins? What’s inside?” someone asked. After all, it’s hard to make up one’s mind about a box shrouded in mystery.

“We don’t know. Anyone feeling adventurous may bid—there could be something inside worth more than one hundred thousand gold coins. If not, the auction house bears no responsibility,” the auctioneer replied, cautioning his guests not to act rashly—and, more importantly, making it clear that any loss would be theirs alone.

Some might wonder at such a format, but it is simply another rule of the auction world—albeit one rarely used. Few are willing to take the risk.

The more complete the information about a lot, the more bidders it attracts; thus, item-blind auctions are rare, while price-blind auctions are more common.

Of course, some sellers adopt this mysterious format to achieve special goals, but even then, they usually provide at least some clue about the item—information that must be truthful, as the auction house will later verify it during the transaction.

But this box was truly exceptional—no information at all, and a starting price of one hundred thousand gold coins. Such a high starting bid is seldom seen, reserved only for national treasures.

Curiosity was piqued, but caution prevailed; most chose to wait and see…

And so, as everyone—including the auctioneer—expected the lot to go unsold, a voice broke the silence. Surprised, and yet not, the crowd realized it was only natural.

Had it been anyone else, astonishment would have prevailed, but from this person, it was only to be expected. Among all present, only he would buy such a mysterious box.

Because he was a prodigal, through and through—a wastrel for the sake of waste itself. He was, after all, our Thirteenth Young Master.

“One hundred thousand!”

PS: The new book has slipped off the genre rankings; if you still have recommendation votes or haven’t added it to your favorites, please help out!