Starting Today I'll Work As A City Lord

Count Hudson stood up, gave Lucas a courteous bow, and said with an apologetic smile, "Excuse me."

With that, Count Hudson strode confidently toward the auction platform. The most important moment of the day had finally arrived. If everything went smoothly, he would receive the support of that mysterious organization—his path to a dukedom lay ahead.

"Ahem! Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you've all heard of the Amos Notes," Count Hudson announced from the stage, raising his voice. "I won't go into the background of the Amos Notes, but I know many of you have questioned its authenticity. Today, I'm going to read a page from it for you all."

"Whoa~~"

The crowd below erupted with surprise and excitement—no one had expected a chance to glimpse the contents of the Amos Notes.

Count Hudson didn't waste any more words. He turned to the auctioneer and said, "Bring out the Amos Notes."

"Yes, sir." The auctioneer nodded and gestured to the knights. Immediately, eight knights positioned themselves around the auction platform, each with a hand resting on the hilt of their sword, ready to stop any attempt to seize the item by force.

Only after confirming the knights were in place did the auctioneer reach into his robes and draw out a wooden box. It turned out the Amos Notes had been hidden on his person the entire time. With great reverence, he handed it over to Count Hudson, then stepped back.

Click~

Count Hudson opened the box and took out the thick Amos Notes. Made from sheepskin, its pages were noticeably thick and sturdy.

He casually flipped to a random page and, after glancing at it briefly, began to read aloud in a clear voice:

"Today marks the 170th day of my search for the Divine Heavenly Kingdom. I have witnessed a miracle. A multicolored pool—no one would believe it. A single pool with five distinct colors. The upper half is azure blue, the lower half a fiery orange-red. The left side is sky blue, the right side green, and the center… yellow."

"All I could see were dazzling, multicolored pools, each one different from the next. I've decided to rest here for the night. Tomorrow, I will press on. I have a feeling… I am not far from the 'Divine Heavenly Kingdom'."

Count Hudson finished reading the passage in one breath. It was actually his first time seeing the contents himself—after all, the Amos Notes had only been handed over to him just yesterday.

"My god! How could such a pool even exist? Is it where the gods of the 'Heavenly Kingdom' bathe?"

"Incredible… could the Amos Notes actually be telling the truth?"

A chorus of amazed exclamations rose from the crowd. People were murmuring all kinds of theories, but the voices of doubt had noticeably diminished.

"Multi Colored pools?" Lucas frowned slightly, sweeping his gaze over the crowd. Everyone's eyes were gleaming with fascination—even Nicole's eyes held a spark of wonder.

He couldn't help but think of that scenic area back on Earth, the one known for its vibrant, multicolored pools. He'd never been there himself, only seen pictures of it online—but it really was stunning.

There are many natural reasons behind the formation of multicolored pools—terrain, temperature, light refraction, and more. It's nothing but nature's extraordinary craftsmanship.

But in this era, people loved to link anything beyond their understanding to the divine. The unknown was mysterious, and mystery often came wrapped in superstition. Lucas strongly suspected that the Amos Notes was nothing more than an old-school adventure guide.

"Whether the Amos Notes is real or not, I'll leave it to all of you to decide," Count Hudson declared, snapping the journal shut and raising it high with a flourish. "The starting bid for the Amos Notes is: 300 gold coins."

Silence. A heavy hush fell over the crowd—many were stunned by the price. Some eager minor nobles and merchants were immediately frozen in place.

"Five hundred gold coins," A viscount called out, raising his hand. It was equivalent to a whole year's income from his fiefdom. He added two hundred coins hoping to scare off the competition.

"Six hundred gold coins." A count sneered, glancing at the viscount with disdain. "Naive," he muttered with a cold laugh.

"Seven hundred and fifty gold coins."

"I bid eight hundred gold coins."

"…"

"One thousand three hundred gold coins!" Shouted Count George, raising his hand high. That was nearly half a year's income from his domain.

He glanced toward Lucas, who had remained silent throughout the bidding, and couldn't help but quietly ask, "Your Highness, why aren't you placing a bid?"

"Just passing through," Lucas replied with a frown, showing a hint of frustration. "Didn't bring that much gold with me."

"Sigh… what a pity," The man whispered back, visibly relieved.

Count George, on the other hand, let out a subtle breath of relief. His strongest potential rival wasn't carrying enough coins. If he hadn't come specifically for the auction himself, he wouldn't have brought that much gold either.

"One thousand three hundred gold coins! Any higher bids?" Count Hudson called out, his voice loud and full of anticipation. This was already the highest price ever seen at this auction house.

Inwardly, he couldn't help but wonder—What if I had revealed the existence of the Amos Notes earlier? Maybe even marquises or dukes would have shown up. If that had happened, the final price could've easily hit three or four thousand gold coins… though, in that case, there was a good chance someone would've just tried to steal it outright.

Count Hudson waited a while longer, but no further bids came. With a sigh, he called out, "One thousand three hundred gold coins—sold! Congratulations to Count George for acquiring the Amos Notes!"

"My thanks," Count George said solemnly. Though he'd won the bid, he wasn't celebrating—he could tell from the greedy glints in the nobles' eyes that this was far from over. Blood might very well be spilled tonight.

He stepped up to the platform personally for the exchange, handing over a chest filled with gold coins and receiving the Amos Notes in return. Clutching it tightly, his eyes swept sharply across the room, alert and cautious, before returning to his seat. He had made up his mind: tomorrow, he'd head straight to the royal capital and hand the journal over to the Fourth Prince, in exchange for a promised dukedom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes the first segment of today's auction. The remainder will be an open bidding session—feel free to make your offers." Count Hudson said with a relaxed smile as he stepped down from the platform.

Overhead, Mina's blue eyes shimmered in the shadows of the rafters. Her gaze lingered briefly on the Amos Notes now cradled in Count George's arms. Should I snatch it now? She wondered.

But she quickly reminded herself—right now, the auction took priority. Silently, the cat-eared girl hugged the wooden box beside her, gave a quick glance to the tavern attendant down below, then began to move lightly and swiftly along the beams.

The tavern attendant blinked in confusion, then his eyes widened in shock. Is she planning to steal the Amos Notes?! He couldn't let her ruin the organization's plans! He opened his mouth to shout a warning—but froze as Mina moved.

She suddenly leapt from the rafters, landing squarely on the auction platform in a single fluid motion. Mid-fall, she tossed a handful of pebbles with perfect precision, striking several candle flames around the stage and plunging the entire area into sudden darkness.

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