"Well, isn't this interesting!" A strange voice tinged with a haughtiness said.
Both Adam and Carl turned toward the voice, only to be rendered speechless. They remained frozen as the figure approached, extending a hand with a polite smile. "Hello, nice to et you. I'm Nigel."
The n were montarily stunned but quickly regained their composure. Adam stood up, offering his hand, "I'm Ada—Shod. Shod Butlick." He couldn't help but twitch his eye at the absurdity of the alias.
Adam felt embarrassed saying the words and could not help but get angry every ti he had to say the na.
He wondered whether it was done by the kid but his mind quickly drifted to that figure shrouded in mystery whose voice was the only thing he heard about that annoying person.
Carl, seemingly unfazed, chid in, "And I'm Mish Trigger. It's a pleasure to et you too, Mr. Nigel." To him it didn't matter much whether he got a bad na or a good one, He wouldn't be eting this person ever again.
Nigel nodded as both n settled back into their seats, eyeing each other with a mix of caution and curiosity. Nigel was fairly certain the nas were fabricated, but he chose not to press the matter.
While it was uncommon to use pseudonyms at an auction of this caliber, it wasn't unheard of—so preferred anonymity to avoid being targeted later if they acquired sothing of significant value.
But to use such outlandish nas… Nigel was torn between seeing them as either brilliant or absurd. The nas were so crude that one might forget the entire encounter while struggling to stifle laughter. Out of politeness, Nigel decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.
"Quite the spectacle out there today, wasn't it?" Nigel remarked, attempting to break the ice.
"Yes, indeed it was. But I assure you, it was never my intention for things to escalate like that," Adam responded, with Carl nodding in agreent.
"Yes, we ca here specifically for the sword and didn't anticipate things would spiral out of control over sothing so seemingly trivial."
Nigel interpreted their words with a different understanding. "So, you were only after the sword?"
Adam resisted the urge to reprimand Carl for his bluntness. After all, it was entirely reasonable for soone to attend solely for such a coveted item.
"Yes, that's correct. However, along the way, sothing else caught our eye, so we placed a bid on that as well."
Nigel nodded, choosing to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Regarding the incident with the previous house master, there's no need for concern. The man was clearly deranged, and his actions reflected poorly on both you and this establishnt. The bla lies squarely with him."
"So we won't face any repercussions for what happened?" Carl inquired, seeking reassurance.
"No, you won't. The man is already dead, so you can expect no further issues from or my establishnt."
Carl nodded, visibly relieved, but Adam detected the underlying implication in Nigel's words. He had ntioned that no trouble would co from "them," but there was the unspoken possibility of retribution from another quarter—perhaps the Friggart Great House.
This was Nigel's subtle way of conveying that if sothing did occur later, they would wash their hands of the matter, denying any involvent.
Adam forced a smile, masking his unease. "It's comforting to hear that. Thank you."
Nigel, recognizing that Adam had grasped the subtext, decided not to dwell on the issue. Instead, he shifted the focus of the conversation.
"Could you tell more about who you both are? Specifically, in relation to the Trust Family. I couldn't find any information on you two, so I'm curious."
Adam smiled and delivered the prepared response, "I'm a close confidant of the family. The master is a dear friend of mine, and since he was preoccupied today, he entrusted and his accountant to attend the event in his stead."
Nigel scrutinized Adam and Carl, his gaze lingering on Adam before he smiled. "Ah, a trusted friend indeed. It's rare to see such confidence in a friend these days."
Adam understood that Nigel was implying disbelief in their story.
"I once had a friend like that as well. She and I were inseparable, willing to do anything for each other. But as ti passed, we drifted apart, and the relentless march of ti revealed the true value of genuine friendship."
As Adam listened, he couldn't determine if Nigel was being sincere or playing a ga. One mont, the man seed to accuse them of deceit, and the next, he was sharing a personal anecdote.
Carl, however, oblivious to the subtleties, simply nodded and said, "Yeah, I know exactly what you an. True friendship is simple yet profoundly valuable, though few truly appreciate it."
"When I was in the forces, I had friends like that too. But in our line of work… it wasn't easy to maintain friendships. They faded away quickly."
Nigel's interest was piqued. "Oh, you were in the forces? Would you mind sharing a story?"
Adam shot Carl a warning glance, sensing he was about to divulge too much. "A-Ah, perhaps another ti. We really need to report back to my boss about today's events."
Nigel nodded understandingly. "Yes, today's events were certainly unexpected, but life has a way of surprising us, doesn't it?"
Adam and Carl nodded in agreent, careful not to betray their true thoughts.
"Would you like so tea or perhaps a glass of our finest alcohol?" Nigel offered.
"Yeah, sur—" Carl began, but Adam swiftly interrupted.
"No, it's probably best that we don't. We've already had more than we should. Thank you, but we'll pass."
Nigel nodded, then glanced toward the door. "Your items have arrived."
Adam and Carl turned as they heard a knock at the door.
"Co in," Nigel called out.
The door opened to reveal the sa female employee who had escorted them earlier. She carried a tray with two items, which she placed on the table before them.
Nigel glanced at the objects, each wrapped in pristine white cloth, and said, "If I'm correct, your full estimation is 92 million dollars for the Bunny Striker, correct?"
"Yes. Should we pay in cash or by check?" Carl asked, adjusting his gold monocle.
"Neither. As a gesture of goodwill for what transpired today, we're giving you the Bunny Striker and sothing else entirely free of charge."
"Free?" Both n asked in unison, to which Nigel nodded.
"Yes, free. Consider it our apology."
Adam smiled graciously. "You really didn't have to do that; we bear so responsibility for what happened as well."
"But you didn't fire the death ball, did you?"
"No, we didn't."
"So please, accept our apology, and I hope today's events won't tarnish your opinion of us."
Adam nodded, accepting the small item and unwrapping it to reveal a purple bunny, which he handed to Carl.
"Alright, I think we should be on our way then. It's getting quite late, and we have a flight to catch."
"Oh! But you haven't taken the final item yet."
Adam looked at the long-wrapped object, then at Nigel, who gestured for him to proceed. As Adam unwrapped it, his eyes widened in astonishnt. "But this is!!!"
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