I thought Otto would be the only new person at our breakfast table today, but I was wrong.
“Who’s this?” I asked, pointing at a boy with round glasses and long braided green hair sitting at our table.
“Hello.” The young man said, “My name is Halit Ramsey. I’m Nikola’s new boyfriend.”
“Another one,” I said, and Nikola rubbed her nose, looking real proud of herself. “How did she get you?”
“She used the bracelet you made, and I fell for it.”
“Oh, ah…” He said it so casually it threw me off. “What?”
“Yes, she seduced me with the bracelet, but it’s okay. Now, I’m her boyfriend.”
“You’re fine with that?” I asked him.
“Yeah, it’s fine.”
“Hm,” Otto grunted.
Nikola pulled on Halit’s cheek and said, “Isn’t he just the cutest.”
Well, he is cute, but, “How can you just let him in?” I asked her but turned to him and said, “No offense.”
“None taken.” He said.
I couldn’t understand this guy at all.
“Why?” Nikola asked. “He’s a good guy.” She said, and turned to Halit and asked, “You’re a good guy, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.” He said.
I realized there was no point in trying to talk to Nikola. “So you’re fine with leaving the capital?”
“Yeah.” He said.
“You’re fine with becoming floppy ear’s boyfriend?” I can understand the two moochers, but… Wait, maybe he’s a moocher too. Though he doesn’t look like one. “Don’t you have a job? Don’t you have a family?”
“Yeah, I have a family. But my mother said it was okay. And as for a  job… I was a mechanical magician’s assistant. Well, the magician was my  sister, but I was paid. Do I need to pay for my own things?” He looked  over at Nikola.
“No, no. I’ll pay for you, don’t worry,” Nikola said.
“It’s okay if I have to pay. I have a lot saved up.” He took out his bank card.
Okay, he wasn’t a moocher, so why Nikola? “Are you really willing to be with her?”
Nikola didn’t like the question. “Hey, what are you trying to do?” She asked me.
“I love her.” Said the green-haired cutey. Nikola smiled.
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes, really.” He said.
“Are you sure it’s not the effect of the bracelet?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” He said.
“Don’t worry, he’s seen me without it,” Nikola said. “He’s seen me without out anything if you know what I mean.” Floppy ears winked at me.
I sighed.
That’s how another boy was added to our family.

After breakfast, the 5 of them, Garth, Dixon, Woodie, Halit, and Nikola, went off on a date, and Otto asked, “Should we go on a date too?”
“I have a lot of work to do,” I said.
“You can work later.” He said and then asked Sterling, “Don’t you want to go out too?”
“Don’t you have work?” I asked right after.
“No, I have the day off.” He said.
“See, we should go out,” Otto said.
“Alright, I do have to buy a few things. That’s right!” Putting my fist to my palm, I said, “I need to get sweets. We’ll shop for some sweets.”
“Okay.”
“And I need to return The Theoretical Fundamentals of Energy Magic. So we’ll go downtown.” I had borrowed it from the downtown library.
“Okay.” They weren’t sure what I was talking about, but they agreed.

***

We took a rickshaw to the downtown library. I returned the book, and then we went to a nearby bakery.
I was holding on to the preservation box as I looked through goods.
“Oh, that looks good,” Sterling said, pointing at some Tiramisu.
“They’ll have a piece each,” I told the clerk. “None, for me, just give me like a small bite. Cut off the edge of it. I just want a taste. Just the tiniest taste.”

The clerk smiled and took out 3 plates.
He was right. They were good. “I’ll have another one to go.”
“Just one?” Asked the clerk.
“Yes, please put it in this preservation box.”
She put the one piece in the big box and asked, “Is that all you want?”
“Ah… Let me see… Give me 2 of those Macarons.” I said.
“You don’t want to taste it?” The clerk asked.
“Do you guys want to taste it?” I asked them. “I wouldn’t mind a small crumb, just to see the taste.” Sterling nodded. Otto shrugged. “Give one to Sterling.”
I looked in the box as we left the shop. There was still plenty of room. “Okay, know any good sweet shops?” I asked.
“We’re going to more bakeries?” Otto asked while Sterling was still nibbling on his Macarons.
“Yeah, we’re going to sweet shops till this box is full,” I said.

So we  went to various bakeries and filled up the box with cake bites, cookies, cupcakes, an apple fritter, a Cream Filled Zeppole, a cinnamon bun, halwa, etc.
“I don’t think I can eat anymore.” Sterling groaned.
“I told you to stop eating at the Greno Bakery. If you really wanted to taste them, you should’ve had little bite-size ones, like Sherrie.” Otto reprimanded him.
“But they’re so good.”
With the box full. I said, “Let’s go home.”

***

Before we knew it, the day of the auction was upon us. The auction house sent us a big carriage to pick us up. They were treating us like VIPs, just as they said they would.
Everyone got in the carriage with me. Garth, Nikola, Dixon, Woodie, Sterling, Otto, and Halit; I told them they didn’t need to come. That I could go alone, but they insisted on coming. So I sat in a crowded carriage.

J was there to guide us to our VIP room. J, the same assistant that ran around and helped us out 2 weeks ago.
Nikola groped J’s ass while he was leading us to our room. He was startled, and I had to apologize. I made sure to pull on her ear and  give her a few stern warnings. J laughed it off and said it was fine.
After J left us in our room to get us some drinks, I said, “This is the best auction house in the entire continent! Don’t cause me problems  because you can’t keep your pants on!”
“Alright, alright. God, why do you always pull my cute ears.” She said, soothing her ears.
We got one of the balcony rooms/seats. From the balcony, you could see  the entire auction house. Our balcony was pretty close to the stage. I leaned against the balcony and looked down. The people were slowly filling out the seats. I recognized a few of them; they were bigwigs of  the Minkin Queendom. There were various A-rank Adventurer groups I  recognized in the seats. Then there was the leader of the Merchant’s  guild. Quite a lot of people I recognized were in the seats, then there were many I didn’t recognize as well. Also, in one of the balconies across from us, I saw Crystal Fire, one of the S-rank adventurer’s  groups of the Minkin Queendom.

“Ah, you’re here.” I turned around and looked at where the voice had come from. Lusi, the manager of the auction house, had returned with J.
“Yes. Thanks for the balcony room.” I said.
She waved her hands and said, “Think nothing of it. This is nothing.” She smiled. “Do bid if you see something you like.”
“Thanks, but I’ve already read the list.” I shook my head. “I didn’t see anything I wanted.”
“Oh, but we might have a surprise item.”
“Surprise item?” I was confused. “The list isn’t complete?”
“Yes, sometimes we like to add a few surprise items.”
“Hmm. Why would you do that? Wouldn’t more people come if you advertised them?” I asked.
“Not necessarily. If we have surprise items every now and then, some people will always show up hoping to get something good that wasn’t  advertised. And thanks to your bracelet, we were able to hide something  good this time.” Lusi smiled.
“Oh.” The regular guests were charged an entrance fee. They were making money at both ends. Their reputation was amazing, but they were vultures  all the same. “I see.”
Then she turned to J and said, “J, why don’t you stay here and assist our guests. Get them anything they need. On the house.”
“Yes, madam,” J said.
“I need to go help out with the products. I’ll see you all later.”
“Alright, see you later,” I said.
Lusi smiled and left the room.

We sat  down on a balcony seat and looked down at the empty stage. I looked over at the other balconies and saw that most were empty. Some were filled with people I didn’t recognize. I kept looking at the leader of  Crystal Fire till our eyes (might’ve) met, and I looked away. I stopped looking in that direction after that.
Then as the clock ticked closer to the start of the auction, 3 of the balconies were filled with people I recognized.
“Isn’t that…” Garth didn’t finish his sentence. He recognized the persons as well. The 1st princess of the queendom, the 2nd princess of the queendom, and the 1st prince of the queendom. “They’re all sitting in separate balconies,” Garth said. “Doesn’t that mean they’re going to bid against each other?”
“Looks like it,” I said with a big smile. I was happy. It would be best if they bid against each other; that way, the price would soar.

Then a beautiful woman in a suit and her handsome assistant came out onto the stage.
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen!” She said to the crowd. “Today, we have some amazing products for you.” She paused and looked out at the  anticipating audience with a big smile. “Our first product comes to us from a dungeon in the Demon Queendom. A product from the inhuman north.” The assistant brought a tray with a box onto the stage. The host removed  the box and revealed, “A pair of red Tiger Demon Horns!” She smiled. “We’ll start the bidding at 10 gold.”