Chapter 63: Hilda Kurk

“Well… maybe.”

In response to Philena’s obvious insinuation, Vilyric could only smile noncommittally without saying anything further.

Then, the auction continued.

While there were a few items that piqued Vilyric’s interest, unfortunately, upon closer inspection, they were either quite mediocre or things she could tell were of no real use to her.

However, the final item, which had been kept under wraps, surprised her — it was an incubable Earth Dragon egg.

The Earth Dragon is said to be a second-generation descendant of the hybrid between the Yellow Rock Dragon and another magical beast, with a bloodline purity exceeding 50%. It has surpassed the Earth Dragon and belongs to a more rare and powerful sub-dragon species.

Generally speaking, once matured, an Earth Dragon can at least reach tier 5, also known as legendary level.

Moreover, the combat power of a large tier 5 magical beast is fundamentally stronger than an ordinary humanoid legendary creature, unless the latter possesses some super-spec weapons or equipment.

Although the Earth Dragon is unsociable and has an enormous appetite, requiring at least decades from hatching to adulthood, if raised successfully and its loyalty can be gained, the benefits are apparent, even enough to become a cornerstone of a huge family.

After all, even in the United Kingdom of Humans and the Kingdom of Wings, nations that rank in the top five globally in terms of power, the number of legendary beings won’t exceed a couple of handfuls.

The Winged People’s decision to auction off this dragon egg instead of hatching it themselves suggests that, on one hand, it is notoriously difficult to raise and tame, and on the other hand, the Earth Dragon cannot fly, making it awkward in the living environment of the Kingdom of Azure.

In the end, the dragon egg was sold for a staggering 20 million gold coins, bought by Room 76, which belonged to three beastmen from the Beast Kingdom, their main purpose for visiting likely being this Earth Dragon egg.

It’s no wonder they eventually chose to back down in the bidding against Vilyric.

After the successful conclusion of the auction, it was already past ten at night, and Vilyric and the others, as the customers who purchased items, were soon led by Duo Duo to the backstage to pay for their auction acquisitions.

To ensure customer privacy, transactions were conducted completely decentralized and independently. When Vilyric and the others returned to a room in the corridor they had entered, they pushed the door open to find another white-feathered Winged Woman inside, along with several items neatly placed on the table.

The Little Dragon Daughter, unimpressed, didn’t want anything. Vilyric bought a few potions and that nameless book, while Philena spent the most, including a high-quality purple inner armor and later, spent 3 million gold coins to buy a purple magic item in the shape of a necklace.

These were among the highest quality items in the entire auction, with few comparable in final price. At that moment, seeing her expressionless as she splashed out 3 million, Vilyric couldn’t help but think, this lady looks upright and honest, who knew she had such deep pockets!

“Milady, the person is here.”

“Mm.”

After Duo Duo led them into the room, she greeted the white-feathered woman dressed in a palace gown and mask similar to Xiao Mo’s, then exited silently, taking the door with her.

The woman, who had been facing away from Vilyric and her companions, slowly turned around, a smile that was half genuine greeting them.

“Ah, didn’t expect to see you so soon again, the three of you.”

Hmm? That voice…

The Priestess had a moment of realization.

The woman’s mask must also be a magical item with a concealment effect; while not as strong as the golden-quality “Cognitive Obstruction Mask,” under Vilyric’s lack of scrutiny, she initially hadn’t identified the issue.

But once the woman spoke, the effect of the mask was evidently reduced, and even Philena, who was the weakest, immediately reacted with a surprised yet unsurprised expression.

“Are you… Lady Hilda Kurk?”

Hilda smiled slightly and removed her white mask, revealing her gentle and mature, stunning face.

“It’s me. Didn’t expect to meet you here, Philena Trelop, and… Miss Vilyric and Xiao Guang, right?”

“Wow, what a coincidence! We just saw each other this morning, so let’s skip the long-distance greeting. Good evening, Miss Hilda.”

Vilyric waved with a smile, whereas the Little Dragon Daughter only gave a cold nod, which Hilda seemed unbothered by.

Looking at this face that easily brings warmth and trust, the Priestess couldn’t help but mutter within.

So it really is this person… one of the right and left arms under the Wing Emperor, a legendary powerhouse belonging to the “Free Wings,” and also responsible for hosting the United Kingdom envoy.

In truth, upon hearing that “Fragrant Residence” was backed by “Free Wings” and finding out they even had the rare white-feathered Winged Woman as a host, Vilyric had been thinking that this place must be directly related to the Wing Emperor.

Since even Hilda of the “Four Wings” appeared here, that assumption could also be considered solidified.

However, Vilyric’s unspoken question was naturally taken up by Philena, the envoy leader from the United Kingdom.

Or rather, one might say it was a question she already knew the answer to.

“Since Lady Hilda is here, that means the ‘Fragrant Auction House’ is actually an organization under ‘Free Wings,’ right? What identity do you have appearing before us? A merchant? Is this auction under the Wing Emperor’s orders?”

Hilda smiled back and posed a question.

“Then Lady Philena and the two have come here tonight in what capacity? Envoys of the United Kingdom?”

“……”

Adjusting her hood, Philena held silence for a moment and helplessly shook her head.

“Alright, as expected of Lady Hilda, really threading needles perfectly; I concede.”

The Winged Woman then discreetly covered her mouth and chuckled.

“Hehe, where where, it’s still Lady Philena being meticulous and clever, with a broad view for the country and people. I’m just a little girl who understands a few verbal tricks~”

Meanwhile, the Little Dragon Daughter, watching these two women banter about vague nonsense, tilted her head and quietly leaned toward Vilyric.

“Master, what are they even talking about? I understand every word but can’t piece it together. Did my translation device break?”

“Cough…”

Vilyric didn’t know how to respond.

Should I say these two are so close they’re relaxed with each other, or that they’re at odds yet don’t forget to catch each other’s little slips during moments like this?

In any case.

“Listen up, little one, don’t bother understanding these adults; it’ll corrupt you.”

“I’m over three hundred years old! I’m not a baby dragon! Master, really… Fine, they seem to have ended.”

After neither side gained the upper hand, the representatives of the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Azure tacitly avoided further entanglement.

Hilda moved aside to reveal several items on display.

“Alright, without further ado, here are the items you three purchased: ‘Magic Potion Pack,’ ‘Sakura Leather Armor,’ ‘Nameless Book,’ and ‘Thorns of Love.’ The total is 5,507,000 gold coins. Let’s round it to 5,500,000. How would you like to pay?”

“Of course, direct payment with magic crystals. According to your country’s exchange rate, 5,500,000 gold coins is exactly 550 tier 3 Magic Source Crystals, if I recall correctly?”

Philena began pulling out five large bags filled with some kind of hard material from her ring, each about the size of a human head. Without waiting for Vilyric to speak, she also took out a smaller money pouch approximately half that size and placed them on the display table one by one.

“Do you need to count it?”

   

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