“So… there’s a super important guest, huh?”

 

Though she was somewhat curious about the identity of the mysterious guest, Violet figured she’d find out soon enough. Meanwhile, the auction had officially begun, so the girl turned her attention to it for the time being.

 

The auction’s format was rather typical: various rare and valuable items were presented, the host would introduce or boast about them within reasonable limits, and the guests would bid on them.

 

Despite the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild’s mysterious and powerful reputation, it seemed they were not above such conventions.

 

However, the content of the auction items surprised Violet slightly.

 

Instead of weapons or magical gems, the first item up for auction was a painting.

 

“A rare masterpiece by the renowned artist Eden Priestley from over 400 years ago. This is his only and final work, 【Ten Thousand Mile River and Mountain Painting】, preserved by a special method until now. It is unique, with no other copies. The starting price is… one million Sacred Light Coins? What is this?”

 

“It’s not ‘what,’ Miss Dawn, as you can see, it’s a painting.”

 

Having quickly read the brief introduction that appeared on the magical crystal board before her, the expression in the silver-blue eyes behind the white fox mask became peculiar.

 

“Um, let me ask, this painting should be…”

 

“Yes, let me emphasize once more: this is just an ordinary painting. It has no other uses, no hidden treasures or mysteries, and it does not possess any magical properties. There is no need to speculate.”

 

“Uh…”

 

The old man replied without hesitation, as if foreseeing her question, causing the girl’s speculations to remain unspoken.

 

Looking again at the bidding paddle, which had already been raised to over two million in such a short time and was steadily approaching the three million, Violet couldn’t help but wonder if these people had lost their minds. Or perhaps this 【Ten Thousand Mile River and Mountain Painting】 painting had some other mysterious use that even the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild was unaware of.

 

One million Sacred Light Coins was equivalent to twice the value of Human United Kingdom gold coins. If used to buy magical equipment, it could secure at least a top-quality purple magical weapon, despite its rarity. Although it might not be significant to Violet, spending such a sum on a painting with only collectible value and no practical use seemed absurd.

 

Moreover, one million was just the starting price. Judging by the unhesitating bidding, the final price might approach five million Sacred Light Coins, equivalent to ten million Human United Kingdom gold coins.

 

Sensing the girl’s astonishment, the old man smiled gently.

 

“There are no secrets, but this 【Ten Thousand Mile River and Mountain Painting】 does indeed hold a story within. Miss Dawn, would you be interested in hearing it?”

 

Since the diviner had said so, and she had nothing else to do, Violet thought she might as well listen.

 

With this in mind, she nodded slightly, and the old man began without delay.

 

“A long time ago, a traveler attempted to cross the vast ocean from the outer seas to this realm. However, the Eastern Sea is expansive and perilous, with countless explorers having met their end there. This traveler was no exception. His ship was caught in a storm halfway through, and the relentless forces of nature dragged everyone on board into the depths, turning them into underwater spirits.”

 

“Though he was exceptionally skilled and narrowly escaped with his life, he found himself adrift in the vast Eastern Sea with no place to stand. Relying on a few wooden planks, the traveler drifted alone for a long time, exhausted and on the verge of perishing in the boundless sea…”

 

“At that moment, a majestic scroll suddenly descended from the sky. The traveler felt the world spinning around him and, overwhelmed by exhaustion, he fainted.”

 

“When he woke up, he found himself in a new, incredible world of miracles.”

 

“It was neither this realm nor the traveler’s homeland, but a mystical world never recorded before. There, he encountered various wondrous beings he had never seen before, and the place was peaceful and serene, like a paradise.”

 

“Amazed, the traveler journeyed across this miraculous world, making countless friends and experiencing all the flavors of life. After an unknown amount of time, the world spun around him again… When he woke up, he was back on the beach of the Eastern Sea in this realm.”

 

“At that moment, the scroll fluttered around him and then soared into the sky again. The traveler quickly looked at it and was shocked.”

 

“The landscape of thousands of miles depicted on the painting was exactly as he had seen it!”

 

“It was a world within a painting.”

 

“Later, the traveler shared his experience with others, but he was mercilessly ridiculed. People said he had merely been washed ashore by the waves and had a bizarre dream.”

 

“Angry and determined, the traveler decided to recreate the magnificent scenery depicted in the scroll. He devoted all his efforts to mastering the art of painting, exhausting his wealth and spending a hundred years painstakingly reproducing the scenes from his memory.”

 

“However, all living beings have a finite lifespan. Despite his best efforts, the traveler could not finish painting the entire landscape of that world before he died. The painting he completed covered only ten thousand miles.”

 

“Before he died, the traveler entrusted the unfinished painting to his disciple, instructing him to take good care of it and to ensure that the landscape and rivers depicted in the painting would never be lost to the world. Then, he passed away peacefully.”

 

“The painting was named 【Ten Thousand Mile River and Mountain Painting】 by his disciple. It is 1197 meters long and weighs tens of thousands of pounds.”

 

After finishing the story, the diviner looked at the pensive white-fox girl and smiled gently.

 

“Miss Dawn, what do you think of this story?”

 

“That traveler was Eden Priestley, wasn’t he? I suspect that is an alias.”

 

“Hehe~ Exactly right. So, Miss Dawn, do you still think this 【Ten Thousand Mile River and Mountain Painting】 painting isn’t worth those millions of coins?”

 

“…If this story is true, then it’s worth it.”

 

Meanwhile, the bidding for the first auction item, the 【Ten Thousand Mile River and Mountain Painting】 painting, was coming to an end, reaching the astronomical price of 4.99 million Sacred Light Coins. And Violet actually recognized the wealthy bidder.

 

Dressed in a gentlemanly black suit, with his right eye covered by a pirate-like eyepatch, and his graying hair neatly combed, he sat alone at the front of the first floor. Others seemed to deliberately keep a distance from him, as if out of respect or fear.

 

This man had led the delegation from the Austre Empire during the Feathered Emperor’s birthday celebration in the Azure Sky Kingdom. Although the official representative was some red-haired prince, it was clear to everyone that this elderly man named Seer was the true leader of the imperial delegation, even the prince found it difficult to oppose him.

 

Additionally, after the great collapse on Spryce Island, this man had promptly led the Austre Empire delegation back to their homeland, citing the necessity of ensuring the prince’s safety. Violet found it hard to judge his actions, but due to an accidental encounter at the Feathered Emperor’s celebration, the priestess became somewhat interested in him and conducted a brief investigation into his background.

 

Seer Wycliffe, a human, serves as a protector of the Austre Empire and is the martial arts instructor for the current emperor and royal family, with at least legendary-level strength. He is also the leader of one of the world’s only three legendary-level mercenary groups, Silver Claw. Compared to younger rising stars like Scarlet Flame Flora and Farnell, Seer undoubtedly possesses deeper strength, foundation, and prestige.

 

It’s surprising that this old man would come to the Holy Empire at this time and spend a fortune on such an impractical ancient painting. The thoughts of the elderly are indeed hard to fathom.

 

“What is Miss Dawn thinking about?”

 

As the bidding was about to end, the white-fox girl suddenly spoke up in response to the diviner’s inquiry.

 

“By the way, can I participate in the bidding too?”

 

The old man immediately smiled and said, “Of course you can. However, Miss Dawn, if you want, aside from the final highlight item, you may choose any three items from the auction to take with you as a small gift from the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild for our first meeting.”

 

Surprised by the generosity of the guild master, Violet smiled beneath her mask.

 

“You are quite generous, but it’s unnecessary. Taking them for free would undermine the value of these collectibles and the efforts of their creators. I’ll take this 【Ten Thousand Mile River and Mountain Painting】 for ten million Sacred Light Coins.”

 

It seemed the diviner had anticipated her response. He didn’t insist and instead smiled, summoning a nearby maid. He whispered a few instructions, and she quickly nodded and left.

 

Not long after, in the first round of bidding that was about to conclude, Miss Violet’s high bid suddenly surpassed Seer’s 4.99 million, standing proudly and causing quite a stir!

 

After all, the 【Ten Thousand Mile River and Mountain Painting】 was indeed just a collectible with no practical use. The price of 10 million Sacred Light Coins far exceeded its normal value. Though the elderly gentleman Seer from the Austre Empire briefly looked grim, he soon regained his composure and did not continue bidding.

 

Thus, the winner of the first auction item was decided. However, due to the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild’s deliberate confidentiality, no one knew it was a certain fox lady who placed the winning bid.

 

“Congratulations, Miss Dawn, for recognizing its true worth. I am impressed.”

 

“Tch, enough of that… To be honest, I’m starting to suspect that you made up that story just to trick me into overpaying.”

 

Miss Violet, who had impulsively spent ten million, felt the diviner’s congratulatory words were somewhat mocking. However, since she had already made the purchase, she had no regrets. The story had indeed deeply moved her.

 

She decided to change the subject.

 

“By the way, where does the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild get all these strange and rare items from? Are they all from the Spirit Veil tribe’s own collection? But this painting is only a few hundred years old, and Eden entrusted it to his disciple before he died. How did it end up in your hands?”

 

Although the topic change was abrupt, the experienced diviner understood her intent and smiled.

 

“Some of the items do come from the Spirit Veil tribe, but that’s a small portion, usually reserved as the highlight items for each auction. Most of the Spirit Veil’s goods are acquired through our numerous branches and secret agents scattered around the world. After all, no matter how rich the Spirit Veil tribe is, we would eventually run out of resources if we relied solely on our own stock.”

 

“Secret agents, huh…”

 

This statement carried a hidden meaning.

 

The value of treasures lies in their rarity and secrecy. Information related to them is worth millions in gold. Ordinary people would find it extremely difficult to even learn about them, let alone acquire them. For the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild to easily collect rare treasures from around the world, wealth alone is insufficient. It implies…

 

Their intelligence network must be extraordinary. Speaking of intelligence…

 

“By the way, Diviner, you still haven’t told me why your name was erased, or about the so-called destiny and what’s going on with your eyes?”

 

Hearing the fox lady’s forthright questions, even the elderly man, with his remarkable composure and manners, couldn’t help but smile wryly.

 

“Miss Dawn, you are indeed straightforward, just as Ming Lan described… My eyes are not defective, covering them is a necessary condition for an ancient spell. As for the so-called destiny… have you ever heard of a thing called the 【God’s Favored】?”

 

“God’s Favored?”

 

After a slight frown, Violet quickly nodded again.

 

“Of course, I’ve heard of it.”

 

Not only had she heard of them, but she had also seen quite a few and had connections with some of them.

 

Whether it was Menna, who possessed the power of Revelation, or Anastasia, the lord of Flame Dragon City in the Human United Kingdom, or one of the three legendary-level individuals of the Courage City, Mr. Thunderlight Farnell, these individuals were special beings born with incredible, unique abilities that couldn’t be replicated. They were commonly known as the 【God’s Favored】.

 

Of course, in different places, these individuals are referred to by another name.

——【Cursed Children】.