Chapter 334: VIPs Of El Hazzard [Part 2]
"If there is something you need, don’t hesitate to ask your attendant," the Manager of the Auction house said with a smile. "Her name is Serena."
"Thank you," Alex replied before sitting down on the comfortable chair.
Dim Dim jumped on top of the small table in front of Alex, where a platter of fruits was laid out.
The little bun started to eat the grapes, while Alex asked the pretty Wolfkin lady beside him for some fish and chips.
"Understood." The pretty Wolfkin placed her hand on top of a crystal ball at the corner of the room and informed the kitchen about Alex’s order.
A glance was enough to tell Alex that Serena was also a warrior. Anyone with trained eyes would notice it from the way she moved and from the aura of confidence that exuded from her body.
’At least Rank 4,’ Alex thought. ’Their attendants are already at this high level. It seems that they provide their VIP guests with their own bodyguards.’
Serena had long, flowing silver hair that cascaded down her back like moonlight, shimmering faintly under the glow of the enchanted lamps inside the room.
Her silver eyes, sharp yet calm, carried both the watchfulness of a guardian and the serenity of one who had seen countless battles.
She looked like she was in her early twenties, and her wolf ears were twitching slightly as if picking up sounds that normal humans would miss. Her tail, neatly groomed, swayed lazily behind her, betraying a hint of playfulness that contrasted with her otherwise professional demeanor.
The pretty lady wore a tailored black-and-white uniform that accentuated her tall, athletic frame, but the way she carried herself left no doubt that beneath the refined exterior was the body of a seasoned fighter.
A faint scar peeked out from her collarbone, quickly hidden again by the high-necked cut of her attire—an unspoken reminder that her beauty was tempered with steel.
Alex could feel the restrained pressure in her aura, steady and controlled, like a blade kept sheathed but ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
Serena wasn’t just a servant. She was a Rank 4 Magic Swordsman, trained to fight and protect the guests of El Hazzard’s establishments.
Her presence alone made it clear that this was no ordinary auction.
"Your order will arrive shortly, Sir Alex," Serena said in a composed voice, bowing slightly before returning to her post at his side.
"Thank you, Serena," Alex asked. "By the way, I only became a VIP Member of El Hazzard recently. If I remember correctly, they also offer protection services for the right price, right?"
"Yes, Sir," Serena replied.
"Then, if I were to hire you as my bodyguard, how much would it be?"
"It depends on how many days I’ll need to protect you, as well as your situation. I must also know if you’re expectingassassination attempts or if you need to venture to a dangerous location, which was why you needed to commission an escort like me."
"I expected to be paid at the bare minimum of five gold coins a day and a maximum of twenty gold coins depending on the commission’s difficulty."
Alex nodded in understanding. She was a very expensive bodyguard, but her skill was the real deal, so this amount was fair in his eyes.
In ELO, you could also hire mercenaries and other NPCs to become a party member.
If you manage to raise that person’s affection or familiarity level, they might become a permanent member of your party, or you would receive a discount when hiring them on missions.
’Maybe I should hire a dozen warriors of Serena’s Rank during the Walpurgis Night,’ Alex thought. ’If I have a team of Rank 4 Fighters, I don’t have to worry about dealing with the small fries during that event.’
The Walpurgis Night was an event where Eleanora and a few members of the Demon Worshipers would clash with the members of the Student Council during the academy’s first field trip.
This would happen two months after the delegation from the Solara and Faelarun Academies returned to their respective kingdoms.
While Alex was thinking about this matter, a familiar beauty, whom Alex had seen in the past, climbed up the stage to start the auction.
She had long blonde hair and blue eyes, and the moment she appeared, many people in the stands cheered happily.
She was none other than the most popular host of the Auction House, Anya.
"Good evening, everyone," Anya greeted. "Today is a very special day. I hope that all of you will loosen your pockets, so I can get a good cut from today’s auction!"
Cheers and laughter spread in the surroundings.
Even Alex was impressed with how Anya easily set the mood of the auction, allowing everyone to have a good time.
The items auctioned by El Hazzard were a must-see for all players because the chance of a Unique Item or even a Legendary Item appearing within the auction was guaranteed.
However, whether you could identify these items or not depended on your ability.
Fortunately, there was a Wiki for the items that could only be bought in the Auction held by El Hazzard.
Alex had memorized the important ones, so he was confident that he would be able to identify them right away as soon as he saw them.
Suddenly, someone knocked on Alex’s room, which prompted Serena to walk toward the door.
However, the young lady frowned because it wasn’t the room service that arrived, but a beautiful elf girl accompanied by an Elven Attendant, which was of the same rank as Serena.
"I"m sorry, but this room is already occupied," Serena said.
"I know," the elf lady answered. "The one inside this room is my acquaintance. I would like to share this room with him if possible."
Serena hesitated for a bit before glancing at the Elven Attendant, who only nodded in her direction.
"Please give me a moment. I will ask him first," Serena replied. "Can you tell me your name or your alias?"
"Aeris," Aeris said with a smile. "Tell him it’s Aeris."
"One moment, please." Serena nodded before closing the door gently, so he could relay the message to Alex.
A moment later, the door once again opened, but instead of Serena, the one who opened it was none other than Alex.
"Come in, Ms. Aeris." Alex opened the door wider and stepped aside.
He wasn’t too surprised to see the President of the Obsidian Club in the Auction House of El Hazzard. Just like him, she also had the qualifications to be here.
"You don’t look too surprised to see me," Aeris commented as she entered the room.
"If I am here, why can’t you be here?" Alex answered as if this was simply common sense.
Aeris arched an eyebrow, but she didn’t say anything else and sat on the couch as if she had done it multiple times in the past.
Alex sat on the same couch, but he made sure to sit a meter away from her.
Dim Dim, who saw that they had a new guest, offered a piece of grape to Aeris, which the latter politely rejected.
Serena and the Elven Bodyguard stood behind their respective clients with their hands behind their backs.
These types of situations were not uncommon in the Auction House, and there was no problem as long as both sides agreed to share a room.
"I’m surprised to see you here," Aeris said as she looked at the item that was being brought towards the stage. "Not many First Years can be present inside one of El Hazzard’s Auction."
"Well, I just got lucky," Alex replied.
He didn’t want to say that the main reason why he was there was because he used the academy points that he had blackmailed from the presidents of the Crest Clubs.
The two then focused their attention back to the auction, so they wouldn’t miss the chance to bid for the items that they deemed would be useful for them.