Having a good night’s sleep, Aston finds himself awake at dawn’s first light. Gray was sleeping by Aston’s feet, still curled like a ball.
To prepare for the renovation of the house, Aston decided to store important items in his spatial accessory - the house documents like the title deed and his auntie’s memorabilia. He also packed some of his favorite clothes in a backpack. He thought that he needed newer clothes and would go shopping for new clothes and stuff while the workers did the work. In order not to disturb the workers, he purposefully rented a room for two weeks in a cheap hotel near the city square. He will receive updates from the customer portal of Ironwood Home Services.
When he was finished storing his things, a knock was heard by the door.
Aston opened the door and found Grant with his team of workers.
“Hello, Aston. We will start renovations today. Daily updates will be sent on the portal. We will inform you when we will finish.”
“Hi, Grant. Yes. I have rented a room in the city so that we will not disturb your work.”
Grant gave a satisfied nod. “Smart move. Makes our work easier too. No need to work around anyone’s schedule.”
A few workers began unloading materials from a transport vehicle parked outside, their spirit beasts already assisting,
Grant glanced at the house, then back to Aston. “We’ll start by clearing debris, then work on structural reinforcement. If anything unexpected comes up, I’ll message you through the portal.”
Aston stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter. “Thanks. I’ve already packed the essentials. Everything else can be moved or tossed if it’s in the way. For my auntie's room, if possible, I want the furnitures and decorations to be restored.”
“Understood,” Grant replied. He raised a hand and signaled his crew to start entering.
As they passed by, Aston gave a small nod to each worker, watching as the quiet energy of focused labor began to fill the home. A part of him felt nervous, but the other part felt excitement. Change was happening.
Grant gave him a brief handshake before heading in. “You’ve got a good start here, Aston. When we’re done here, this place will feel like new.”
Aston smiled. “That's the plan. Thanks again, Grant.”
A gray kitten walked from Aston’s bedroom to where Aston is. It jumped to his shoulders and let out a lazy meow. With Gray in tow and a bag full of clothes, he stepped out of the house. He took one last glance over his shoulder at the old house. When he comes back in the near future, it will be a new home.
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He turned and walked down the street, heading toward the city square and the temporary home that would shelter them for the next two weeks - Fairfax Hotel.
The night before, he browsed the internet and found a hotel near the city square. He booked a room for two weeks.
It was already eleven in the morning when he arrived at the city square. The city square was alive with its usual bustle. Street vendors peddling skewers of grilled meat. Musicians playing upbeat tunes. Citizens weaving between stalls. But at one corner, an unusually large crowd had gathered.
Curious, Aston slowed his pace, shifting Gray slightly on his shoulders as he scanned the cluster of people. Colorful banners fluttered above them, marked with an elegant blue veil insignia.
Azure Veil Auction House… right!
The realization clicked as he stared at the crowd. Today was the first Sunday of the month - the day of the Azure Veil’s monthly public auction. He had read about it before but never attended. It was well-known across Shale City, sometimes even attracting wealthy patrons from nearby cities. Artifacts, spirit beast eggs, potions, alchemical reagents, and rare treasures often surfaced in these auctions.
Aston opened his phone and quickly navigated to the auction house’s website. The homepage was adorned with polished images and bold text.
Next Auction: April 4th - 1:00PM | Seats remaining: 0 SVIP, 0 VIP, 29 General Admissions.
Entrance Fee: SVIP - 1 dragon gold. VIP - 10 gold. GA - 1 gold
Still open!
Without hesitation, he purchased a general admission ticket and received a QR code linked to his account. While he was registering for the auction, snippets of conversation from the gathered crowd reached his ears. The excitement in their voices was unmistakable.
“I heard there’s a rare alchemist’s cauldron up for grabs. Top-tier craftsmanship, imported straight from Feather Wind City.”
“Dad, will we be able to bid for the Ink Shell Turtle egg? They’re supposedly a 9-star spirit beast!”
“The Azure Veil always has a few surprises. Last time, they auctioned a sealed spirit artifact from the ruins near Tranquility Lake. Who knows what kind of treasure will appear today?”
Upon hearing the conversations, he tucked his phone away and turned toward the hotel just across the square.
Fairfax Hotel. The building had a clean, modest charm. Its beige stone walls are trimmed with soft copper highlights. A bell chimed as he stepped through the front doors, the interior cool and neatly maintained. The lobby was cozy, with plush, armchairs, and a soft carpet that muted every step.
After checking in at the front desk and receiving his room key, he brought his bag upstairs. He then headed back down to grab lunch from the hotel restaurant.
A warm scent of roasted herbs and butter filled the air as he entered. He ordered a plate of pan-seared chicken, herb rice, and grilled vegetables. He also ordered another serving of the chicken for Gray. As they ate, Aston pulled out his phone and opened the Azure Veil Auction catalog, scrolling through previews of items set to go under the hammer.
Among the catalogued items, he saw items with differently colored stars. Uncommon materials were inlaid with a copper star, while relatively rare ones were laid with a silver star. The ones with a gold star label are special items. The items are displayed using their silhouettes, keeping the nature of the items in mystery.
Among the silver-starred items, laid the item Aston wanted to purchase - the Crimson Genesis Elixir.
