Chapter 301
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Chapter 301: The All-Purpose Oil
"What kind of auction is it?" Karoso asked with great interest.
"It’s a regular auction," the man in black replied softly.
"How did you find me?" Karoso raised an eyebrow.
"We have our ways…" The man in black smiled slightly and handed Karoso an invitation letter, "If you want to attend the auction, just wait at the entrance in two hours. You can’t bring any weapons into the auction, and you can bring one attendant."
"Okay." Karoso accepted the invitation letter.
The man in black bowed and left.
Karoso watched the man in black walk away, then focused on the invitation letter in front of him.
The emblem of the Corleone family…
The Corleone family is not to be taken lightly.
Giving the invitation letter to those qualified to enter the auction in this way shows off power.
Anyone who wants to cause trouble there should think twice.
"So, what do you think? Want to take a walk later?" Karoso waved the invitation letter in his hand. "It would be a nice way to relax."
"I wasn’t invited," Aileen said, surprised.
"I can bring a guest; would you like to join me?" Karoso said with a smile.
"Alright, then I will be your knight in shining armor!" Aileen laughed upon hearing this.
……
Two hours later, the two of them waited outside.
Even with the magic of two people, after drinking so much wine, they felt a bit tipsy.
A carriage came from far away, and the driver got down and bowed to Karoso.
Karoso nodded and took Aileen onto the carriage.
Karoso pulled back the curtain and saw the scenery outside changing quickly; if measured by the speed of the carriage, it was at least going one hundred eighty miles per hour.
"The carriage isn’t going faster; it’s magic," Aileen said.
"If it can fool us, I wonder if it can fool the experts," Karoso muttered.
"This auction won’t invite anyone above the seventh tier," Aileen explained. "The Corleone family’s auction is one of Laria’s great traditions. Every year on this day, there is such an auction. People come to Laria for the Knight Tournament and for this auction."
"Three hours before the auction, they deliver invitation letters to all qualified non-clerics; that is also one of the traditions. Those above the seventh tier are not invited."
"The person who spends the most in the auction will receive the friendship of the Corleone family and get a VIP card. It is said this VIP card allows entry to an even more exclusive auction."
"The VIP cards are not given out often. How to qualify for them, besides through the auction, depends on the Corleone family’s decision."
"It is said that no clergy member has ever received a VIP card from the church."
"Today, the regular auction and the top auction will be held together. One interesting thing is that items that do not sell in the top auction will go into the regular auction. If nothing is unsold, a few items that are only available at the top auction will still be presented."
Karoso nodded.
He didn’t know much about the top auction, or rather, netizens are not very clear about it either.
It’s quite an interesting tactic to have items from the top auction go into the regular auction. As long as the items are good enough, it will make people look forward to the top auction even more, enhancing the atmosphere and encouraging spending.
The main storyline of The Tragedy of the Dark Elves begins with this auction.
"How do you, a little knight, know so much?" Karoso joked.
"Huh?" Aileen was taken aback.
It is clear that an ordinary knight cannot have such rich information.
"Um…" Aileen looked to the left and then to the right, feeling a bit nervous.
Soon, she thought of a perfect reason to fool Karoso, "I used to be a noble lady’s guardian knight, and she told me!"
"Oh, I see now!" Karoso looked surprised.
"You have to believe me!" Aileen grabbed Karoso’s face and pulled it to the sides, "You little kid!"
Karoso was almost unable to hold back his laughter.
[Let go of Honey Karoso’s face, let me do it!]
[Don’t hit him, he belongs to Elizabeth!]
[Master and apprentice together are the best in the world!]
[Has Neymar not interacted well with Honey Karoso for too long that you have forgotten about her?]
[Actually, Alita and Master Karoso also have a teacher-student relationship.]
[Aren’t these two the CEO and the secretive assistant?]
[Wow, how did you do that?]
Aileen finally let go of Karoso’s face after she had touched it enough; she realized that the child’s face felt really nice and was very comforting to touch.
"Tell me, why can’t clergy participate?" Aileen clapped her hands.
"Clergy members are all honest; where would they get the money to join such a high-class auction?" Karoso began to explain, "It’s normal for their friends and family to come."
"So that’s how it is." Aileen was surprised and wasn’t sure if she understood the deeper meaning behind Karoso’s words.
"As for not inviting strong people above the seventh tier, maybe it’s because they are afraid they can’t control the situation?" Karoso sighed, "Moreover, those above the seventh tier have status and are already moving beyond ordinary people, aiming for higher goals. If they are invited, they would probably bring their representatives with them too."
"Besides, the protective measures of this auction might make them feel uncomfortable…"
Karoso suddenly thought of something, "By the way, will any warriors of seventh tier or above attend this auction?"
"I don’t know…" Aileen felt a bit ashamed, as the host, she didn’t even know this.
But she quickly realized that she was just an ordinary little knight; it was strange for her to know such things, right?
"Hmph, I don’t know!" Aileen proudly puffed out her chest.
Karoso looked confused, clearly not understanding what Aileen was being proud about.
……
Soon, the carriage came to a stop.
Karoso and Aileen got out of the carriage, and the two seemed to be in a large estate.
The manor is very grand, looking even larger than Colloa Manor, with no signs of any buildings around it.
"What amazing magic! The time we came… it’s impossible that we left Laria. Laria doesn’t have such a manor!" Aileen exclaimed. "Could it be that we really traveled at one hundred and eighty, and we’ve left Laria?"
She had only heard about this place and had never been here in person.
Seeing the scene in front of her, her jaw dropped in amazement.
"Maybe we’re not on the ground, but underground or even in the sky!" Karoso pointed to the ground, then to the sky. "The air flows freely, the moonlight looks real. But if you feel closely, this air is completely different from the ground, yet it doesn’t have the stuffy feeling or the smell of moisture that underground air does. And the moonlight… it doesn’t seem fake; the power of the moon feels stronger. So, looking at it this way, it’s more likely we are in the sky than underground!"
Clap, clap, clap…
At that moment, applause erupted.
Karoso turned to see a young man clapping there.
"Honorable young master Karoso Colloa, welcome to Corleone Manor," the young man smiled. "I never expected you would discover our greatest secret on your first visit."
Looking at the middle-aged man, it is clear he does not care much about this secret.
Or rather, this might be a semi-public matter.
[Wow, isn’t that Rio Corleone?]
[That’s the boss of Chapter 5!]
[That guy shouldn’t even be at the ninth level yet, right?]
[In this timeline, he can only be at the seventh tier at most.]
[Master Karoso, this person is one of your future best friends; he supplies you with a lot of weapons.]
[Yes, he even provides you with troops.]
[This guy was taken down by Neymar in Chapter 5… Neymar’s CG from that time was legendary.]
[Master Karoso, congratulations! It’s great to see such a good friend so soon.]
[Are you sure he can still be friends with Master Karoso in the future? Master Karoso’s goals have changed!]
[Yes, Master Karoso is no longer the future Blackening Card; they might not get along.]
Karoso stated that there is no such thing as just friends; the members of the Corleone family and the Colloa family are either enemies, partners, or they might work together while still being against each other…
The continuation of each family is not so simple.
It is because the Colloa family is a rising noble that understanding the continuation of other nobles and politics is a top priority for Karoso and the others.
"Hello." Karoso extended a hand of friendship to him.
Rio stepped forward and shook hands with Karoso, "Can you tell me why there is water vapor underground?"
"Laria Coast," Karoso replied briefly, "there must be some underground water."
"Oh? That’s interesting. Actually, you can guess the plain ground. It’s not impossible to create a hidden magic circle to conceal this manor, right?" Rio continued, "Without that lady’s reminder, would you have felt this subtle difference?"
"It’s simple. I don’t believe the Corleone family would be so dull," Karoso said.
It’s easy; these are all comments from the bullet points. If Karoso didn’t know the answer, he wouldn’t be able to figure it out no matter how hard he tried.
He was searching for the problem with the answer in hand, which led him to notice the subtle differences in air and light.
"Ha, you are using outside methods," Rio chuckled. "Let me introduce myself; I am Rio Corleone."
"So you are from the Corleone family; my apologies."
"Hahaha… There are so many people from the Corleone family. If you throw a stone here, six out of ten of the workers would be named Corleone." Rio shook his head. "Unlike your Colloa family, where the future will surely revolve around you."
"I may not be my father’s first choice; my older brother is more suited to help Canglang Province develop healthily."
"Oh? Heroes come forth in chaotic times; it seems you are better suited for disorder."
"I am still a child and don’t understand these things."
Aileen, feeling confused by their conversation, said, "Can you introduce me? I am a person too!"
"Aileen, right? A popular contestant in the Knight Tournament, my apologies." Rio Corleone bowed to Aileen and politely said, "I believe you will surely earn the title of knight in this competition."
This is also one of the prizes of the tournament; for those who do not have a title, the mightiest will gain a title and all the rights of a knight.
Although being a knight is not a very high title, it represents a leap in class and is a rare opportunity.
"That’s more like it," Aileen shot Rio Corleone a glare.
Rio looked at Karoso and flashed a smile again, and Karoso nodded back with a smile.
[Damn, why do I feel like these two are communicating?]
[Aren’t they supposed to have no communication? Is this mind-speaking?]
[I don’t know!]
[I don’t understand.]
This is the difference between Karoso and the netizen; both Karoso and Rio have clearly had special training.
When the two were talking earlier, Rio said that Karoso is suited for chaotic times and asked about the military stationed in Canglang Province.
Anyone can see that the development in Canglang Province is unhealthy and could collapse at any moment; cutting the military force in half is still manageable.
In this situation, there is only one explanation: preparing for war, which is also the reason why the Kingdom of Persia is always on guard against Canglang Province, and why some in the military want to strike first.
There is no way around it; Canglang Province is preparing for war, and it’s not likely they want to deal with the Presea Empire or the monsters from the dungeon, right?
Karoso brushed off the matter by saying he is still a child.
As for the smile that followed…
Clearly, Rio knew Aileen’s identity, which is why he was so polite to her. He smiled at Karoso and asked if he knew who she was, to which Karoso replied that he did.
"Please, both of you, go ahead. The invitation letter has your name and your brother’s name on it. I think it’s better not to attend an auction with family, as it can be more enjoyable," Rio made a gesture inviting them. "I have found you a seat closer to the stage. I’m sure you will like it."
Soon, Karoso and Aileen were taken to the auction venue. The One layer hall of the mansion looked like a grand stage, with a main color of black, giving it a calm and elegant feel.
The auction had a total of three levels; the first two levels had regular seating, while the third level had private boxes, which could only be accessed by those holding a VIP card.
Guests would receive a list of auction items before arriving, and if there was nothing that interested them, they might not come here.
The invitation letter in Karoso’s hand also listed the names of the auction items.
After Karoso and Aileen took their seats, Rio told Karoso, "If you need anything, feel free to call the waiter. All drinks and dishes are provided for free."
"Okay," Karoso nodded.
……
After arranging things for Karoso, Rio went outside again.
When he saw Saaya coming down with a female companion, Rio quickly approached him, "It’s been a year, Young Master Saaya."
"Yes, long time no see, Rio." Saaya and Rio greeted each other at the same time.
"I believe this time you will surely find the item you desire. This invitation letter has your name and your brother Karoso’s. I think it’s better not to attend the auction with family, as it allows for more freedom," Rio gestured invitingly. "I have found you a better spot with a good view; I believe you will like it."
