Mystery: The Witch of Desire

"I'll tell you anything you want to know, just don't kill me!"

With a flick of her silken thread, another cold corpse lay on the ground.

"No need, it's much easier to communicate with spirits."

She smiled gently and activated her ability to communicate through mirrors, summoning Hussein's spirit from his corpse.

"Why did you collude with the witch cult to engage in human trafficking?"

Hussein's spirit, its face blank, slowly said:

"The Viscount Stratford ordered me to transport people to Backlund..."

Viscount Stratford?

Livre was taken aback. Wasn't this the current head of the palace guard, the king's confidant? Why would he be involved in human trafficking? Wait, earlier, Ms. B mentioned that the Witch Cult had some kind of cooperation with the royal family, and Hugh's father, Earl Mason, was also silenced because he knew about the Witch Cult's cooperation with the royal family...

Could it be that their collaboration involved human trafficking?

Livr continued to press:

"What does Viscount Stratford need so many people for?"

Hussein opened his mouth slightly, and a buzzing tremor came from his throat.

However, before he could utter a sound, a twisted energy suddenly surged within the soul. Livre quickly dodged backward, and the next second, Hussein's soul exploded, turning into dust and disappearing into the air.

Hmph... Someone has tampered with his spirit... It must be mentioning a certain name that triggers a self-destructive curse.

Livre breathed a soft sigh of relief, collected the yellow extraordinary properties extracted from Ruger Doyle, and then turned the two corpses into ashes.

Then, she disguised herself as Hussein and ordered the helmsman to start the ship.

About an hour later, the steam-powered hybrid sailing ship that Hussein intended to use for transporting people arrived at a private harbor near Bayam.

Livre instigated one of Hussein's guards to put explosives into the steam boiler.

With a loud bang, Livre activated her Mirror Stand ability and teleported directly to a fisherman's house on the shore.

"With this sapphire ring, my basic mirror magic abilities have also been enhanced, and the activation range of Mirror Substitute has increased from tens of meters to hundreds of meters."

Livre looked at the sapphire ring on her hand and couldn't help but feel more and more satisfied with this 'breakup gift' from Chick.

Levi left the general store with a few banknotes as compensation and took a carriage to the city of Bayam.

Finally, Livre set foot on the streets of Bayam, the hub city of the Middle Sonia Sea, the capital of the Rothschild Islands, and known as the city of generosity.

Chapter 167 Auction

It was already afternoon, the hottest time of day, but it did not affect the bustling street scene of Bayam in the slightest.

The wide streets are lined with buildings of various colors, and pedestrians walk on the even and neat brick pavement. Tall kerosene streetlights and tropical palm trees stand on both sides, showcasing the beauty of the combination of steam technology and natural scenery.

Bayam's planning and architecture were strictly modeled after the native cities of Loen, and King George III wanted to make it a model for the Loen Kingdom's colonies. If it weren't for the dark-skinned native inhabitants, Livre might have thought she had arrived at the beautiful Dixi Bay.

Aside from being too hot, it has no other drawbacks... In that respect, it can't compare to Dixi Bay...

Livre had never been to Dustyshire, but that didn't stop her from secretly comparing the two places in her mind.

On the coachman's recommendation, she checked into the Blue Inn, which was reasonably nice. Her first stop was a local clothing store selling a variety of unique and revealing garments.

Livre chose a women's suspender dress made of a local mulberry leaf as fabric, strung together with rattan, which could barely cover her chest.

It is said that this type of clothing, through the friction of the rough mulberry leaves against the breasts, helps pregnant women produce breast milk.

Livr tried it on in the dressing room and indeed felt a strange pleasure, and it was exceptionally cool.

For her lower body, she chose a short skirt made of seabird feathers. This skirt was decorated with colorful coral accents, combining beauty and breathability, and was very comfortable to wear. The only drawback was that it was too short; in her previous life, it would have been too short even to wear as safety shorts.

After finishing her outfit, Livr admired her alluring reflection in the mirror for a while before donning a flesh-colored robe as thin as gauze.

This robe was made of a silk-like material, so it was almost weightless to wear. It was breathable and cool, yet it covered the body completely, maintaining the dignity a young lady should have.

Livre nodded in satisfaction, then took a white sun hat, put it on, paid the bill for nine sous and seven pence, and left the clothing store.

Next, Livre headed to the Honest Man's Bar, located in a no-man's-land. According to Danitz, there was a vast underground market there, selling all sorts of strange and mysterious gadgets. Although Danitz didn't explicitly say these were extraordinary materials, Livre naturally understood what he meant.

On her way to Honest Man's Bar, Livre passed by Bayam's Storm Church.

Remembering her promise to Danny, Livre entered the church and, under the watchful eyes of the clergy, dropped a total of 37 soules into the donation box.

"Storm above!"

She clenched her fists reverently and pressed them against her soft, full breasts, drawing frequent glances from the clergy.

"Thank you for your generosity, Miss."

The clergy seemed unaccustomed to communicating with female believers, speaking haltingly and appearing slightly embarrassed.

After leaving the Church of Storms, Livre took a carriage ride for more than half an hour, turning three blocks, and arrived at the Honest Man's Bar.

As soon as she stepped off the carriage, she was startled by the pirate flag and the navy flag hanging crossed at the entrance of the bar:

How dare they hang pirate flags directly on land in this place?

A bartender proudly explained:

"At Honest Man's Bar, there are only customers who pay, no distinction of status. Whether you're a pirate, a sailor, or whatever else, you have to follow the rules here!"

In the maritime colonies, official power was limited, while pirates, various secret organizations, and local colonial forces resisting Loen rule emerged in large numbers.

Even in Bayam, a pivotal town on the Middle Somniya Sea, the Church of Storms can only maintain order in the main urban area. Places like the Honest Man's Bar, operating in a lawless zone, are generally tolerated by the church.

Of course, this is on the premise that they don't do anything too outrageous. Otherwise, the Cardinal of the Storm Church, the Archbishop of the Rosede Sea, the High Deacon of the "Punisher," the true ruler of the extraordinary world of the archipelago, and known as the "Sea King," Arne Cortman, will make them feel the power of lightning.

As Livre entered the bar, she immediately spotted the passageway leading to the back area, where two burly men stood guard on either side, revolvers with exposed grips hanging from their waists.

Unlike the underground market in Tingen, the underground market here openly displays information such as entry prices, auction times, and popular items using large signs.

The entrance fee to the trade fair is one sole, but those who are somewhat famous can be exempted from the entrance fee.

Besides the small stalls and shops that are similar to street vendors, Honest Man's Bar also regularly organizes auction parties. The next auction will be held at 7 p.m. tonight. Among the popular items are various potion recipes and extraordinary materials described in slang.

Among them, Liviel was drawn to the 'tip of the two-tailed black snake', which is an auxiliary material for the Sequence 5 Pain Potion.

She immediately paid a sole at the guard post and entered the underground area.

"I must say, the guards here have no manners whatsoever."

Liviel couldn't help but recall the guard who had given her a free meal at the Dragon Bar in Tingen last time, and muttered a curse under her breath.

The underground area had an open space roughly the size of the Marlin's deck, from which many crooked passages extended in all directions like sewers. Above each passage hung a sign indicating what type of materials were sold in the area that passage led to.

Some passageways have "weapons" hanging above them, some have "potion recipes" hanging above them, some have "extraordinary materials" hanging above them, and one place has "Relaxation Time" written in pink lettering, indicating that the business that pirates love most exists here.

Under the rule of the Storm Church, which disregarded women's rights, the sex industry in the Rothschild Islands was highly developed. The "Red Theater" in the main city was the most famous brothel on this sea, attracting countless pirates. Even though one or two of their peers were caught there every now and then, it did not stop them from coming one after another.

Besides the spice trade, the brothel industry was another major pillar of the Rothschild Islands. Apart from the "Red Theater," brothels of all sizes, open or hidden, were everywhere, fully satisfying the desires of the strong men on the high seas. As for the female pirates, they didn't have to worry about this issue. They could be satisfied whenever they wanted. After all, there were many mouths to feed but few meat to share. On the high seas, where the Lord of Storms was widely worshipped, the number of women was always small.

Even in places like underground markets, there's a designated area where customers who didn't find good deals can vent their frustrations.

I have to say, the owner of Honest Man's Bar really knows how to do business...

Livre silently scoffed to herself and turned to another passage guarded by guards: the sign on this passage read "Auction".

To enter this passage, an additional entrance fee of one sole is required.

After paying, Livre received a mask with a number tag. This mask could both conceal her face and indicate the bidder's number, which was quite thoughtful. It seems that the auction here has been operating for a long time and has a mature system.

Liviel put on Mask 38 and entered the passage. After walking about several dozen meters, Liviel entered a house roughly the size of the Storm Church. There was a table in front serving as an auction stage, and rows of chairs behind it. It looked to be larger than a typical extraordinary gathering.

It was nearly seven o'clock, and there were already quite a few people sitting in the venue.

Livre also found a corner to sit down and quietly waited for the auction to begin.

A moment later, a middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses and a thick beard walked to the front of the stage. His appearance was quite incongruous with the world of Sea World, where strength was paramount. But as soon as he appeared, the noisy arena instantly quieted down, as if everyone had complete faith in him.

The middle-aged man tapped the small wooden hammer in his hand and said with a smile:

"I believe most of you here already know me. Let me introduce myself again. I am 'Appraiser' Kuchi, and I will be hosting this auction. We will first auction ten prepared items, followed by a free auction. We will take a 5% cut from every item sold."

Five percent, that's really expensive... On land, the commission is usually two to three percent, but this is at sea, so it's understandable.

As Liviel waited in suspense, the 'appraiser' Kuchi announced the first item:

"The first item up for auction is the corpse of a whole fishman."

Before he finished speaking, two strong men carried a long wooden crate filled with ice from backstage, inside which lay a ferocious monster.

Its two enormous eyes rolled outwards, and a tongue more than half a foot long protruded from its sharp mouth full of fangs. It had limbs like a human, with webbed organs connecting its fingers. Its dark blue skin was covered with a foul-smelling slime, making it look extremely creepy.

Kuchi introduced with a smile:

"The murloc corpse contains a Sequence 9 Sailor Extraordinary Trait. Murloc meat is delicious and can be used for grilling and stewing. Its webs and teeth can be used as Extraordinary Materials, and its skin can be used to make diving suits..."

The merman corpse, which he described as a treasure trove, started at £120. While this price wasn't high—after all, its extraordinary properties alone were worth £150—Liviel still thought Mr. Kuchi was quite the conman. How could the flesh of such a monster possibly be delicious?

She simply watched from the sidelines and did not participate in the bidding. A short while later, the fishman's corpse was sold for £205 to a man with short, gray curly hair wearing a number 25 mask.

After delivering the merman corpse, Corki put on gloves and took out a pure white cane that shone with a dazzling light:

"The second item, the magical artifact Ritual Staff, is formed from the extraordinary characteristics of the Reader Path Sequence 7 'Guardian of Knowledge'. It enables the user to master ritual magic, not only increasing the success rate of ritual magic but also allowing the user to create some unique ritual magic... Most importantly, its negative effects are minimal, only making people love learning and having an extraordinary thirst for knowledge."

It sounds like a really useful and magical item, with minimal negative effects...

Livre was tempted, but clearly the other bidders shared the same view, and the atmosphere in the auction room had become tense.

Kuchi cleared his throat and said in a deep voice:

"Ceremony cane, starting bid £1000, minimum increment £50!"

"1100 pounds!"

"1200 pounds!"

“1250 pounds…”

Soon, the price of this magical item exceeded 2000 pounds, which made Liviel feel that it was not worth it. She did not have much need for ritual magic at the moment. After all, ritual magic was mainly for praying to the gods, and even if she insulted the gods, she could still get a friendly response from them.

Ultimately, the ceremonial staff was sold for £2350 to a tall, muscular man wearing a mask with the number 17 on it.

With a beaming smile, Kuchi brought out the third item for auction: a talisman that crackled with silvery-white electricity.

"The 'Lightning Strike' talisman seals the power equivalent to a full-force attack from a Sailor Path Sequence 5, but can inflict massive damage on enemies with its raging lightning!"

Liviel felt a surge of warmth. The talisman was easy to use and a very effective way to replenish one's strength, not to mention a Sequence 5 talisman.

Ordinary talismans are generally ranked at Sequence 7. If the rank is higher, the required spiritual power increases exponentially, and the price increases many times over. Talismans with terrifying destructive power, like lightning strike talismans, are even more priceless and unavailable. After all, who wouldn't want to hold a lightning strike talisman, shout "Storm above!", and furiously deliver a bolt of lightning to their enemy?

"Lightning Strike Talisman, starting bid 50 pounds!"

Kuch struck the auction hammer, and a fierce bidding war immediately ensued.

"55 pounds!"

"60 pounds!"

"70 pounds!"

"80 pounds!"

Livre also submitted a bid, but it was quickly surpassed by higher bids. Left with no other option, she called out an unprecedentedly high price:

"100 pounds!"

In an instant, the room fell silent; no one made another bid.

A Sequence 5 charm sold for £100, which is already a very high price. Unless someone is really in urgent need of it, they generally wouldn't offer a higher price.

Just when Livre thought she was about to get her hands on the lightning strike talisman, the man number 25 who had bid on the merman's corpse made his offer:

"110 pounds!"

Livre was taken aback, and called out with some heartache:

"120 pounds!"

"130 pounds!"

The man with number 25 almost without hesitation offered a higher price, as if he was determined to get the lightning strike talisman.

Livre was a little annoyed. 130 pounds was far beyond her expectations, and she didn't really need the lightning charm. So she gave up the bidding and watched enviously as the man with number 25 went to complete the transaction.

After missing out on several other items, Livre finally saw her target at this auction: the tip of the two-tailed black snake's tail.

These were two pieces of black, hard, horn-like material, contained in a transparent glass bottle. Whether it was her imagination or not, Livre felt that the tip of the tail was faintly emanating an aura of pain.

"Tail tip of a two-tailed black snake, starting bid £400!"