Chapter 535: A dark-golden glow!
Translator: Translation Nation Editor: Translation Nation
However, Sheyan was merely being a crafty bidder, and abstained from bidding further.
If that was a black or silver storyline grade cutlass that contestants could employ, Sheyan would definitely contest it. However, it appeared like an unappraised unique storyline equipment. To Sheyan who possessed his ‘Pirate Captain’ plundering ability, it wasn’t worth it at all.
Following that, Yurena ambled out once again. Before she could commence her speech, an attendant hastened towards her from outside before whispering several words to her. Yurena revealed an alarmed countenance as she hastily returned behind the scene to confirm several matters, before finally trudging back out.
Upon her return, Yurena held onto an oil-paper wrapped parcel that was shockingly dripping with fresh blood.
Yurena cleared her throat and announced.
"To reasons that everyone is aware of (referring to Norrington’s promotion), our Port Royal underground auction will have to lay low for a long period. Due to that, a veteran client of has rushed back here to auction off a priceless treasure! As everyone can see, it wasn’t a plain sailing process to obtain this article, where he definitely has offended countless others. As such, this client of ours would depart immediately after receiving his auctioned profits."
"Our next auctioned article will be this newly inserted treasure. The voyage journal of a second-class noble, Jaime Gama, the portuguese captain who sailed three times to the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mines of Japan in the east! A starting bid of 100,000 guineas, with each raising bid capped minimally at 10,000 guineas. Our trading company vouches for the authenticity of this article, and should any issues arise, we are willing to compensate by the ten folds of the price!"
Yurena unwrapped the blood stained oil-paper as she spoke, and revealed an archaic journal that wasn’t thick at all. Handwritings done by a goose feather brush was inscribed onto its cover. One could also notice starry speckles of inky bloodstains vandalizing the journal’s cover, portraying a ghastly sight to the viewers.
During an era without satellites or radars, where navigation relied solely on the compass, the upsurge of european expedition voyage were helmed by renowned figures like Christopher Columbus and Magellan. Despite this upsurge, nobody was willing to publish specific shipping routes pertaining to the fabled mysterious east. Speared by the immense profits of silk and tea leaves, shipping routes linked to the eastern sea territories were always soaked with blood, avarice and riches.
The only method of passing on voyage routes was dependant on the oral accounts of experienced captains! Naturally, due to the frailty of human life, navigators faced the inevitable threat of dying anytime at sea; of course, they would record their journeys within voyage journals.
This also indicated that if one could obtain such a voyage journal, one could grasp a safe and prosperous shipping route leading to the fertile east! Why wouldn’t this article stir up the hearts of bidders?
Of course, practically most contestants from the future would be roughly aware of how voyages from the caribbean sea to places like Hangzhou and Osaka would be. Yet knowledge wouldn’t represent that one could simply draft out a voyage journal to auction off.
The ancient and modern world had vast disparities. Citing a simple example – volume of freight, transportation capacity and capabilities were vastly inferior. For a merchant ship to convey supplies to another port in asia from an european port, port to port sailing was simply impossible. How many other ports would a ship require for stopovers, could a contestant directly be aware of those ports in this boundless sea?
Furthermore, kinetic energy of winds governed this sailing era. Would a contestant be aware of wind directions in different regions? Or the sea currents of the endless seas?
Even if those issues were to be resolved. Would a nameless unreputable contestant be trusted by others based on words alone?
A distant voyage would require an assembly of fleets as well as deliverable merchandise, such investments would surpass over 100,000 guineas. Unless the realm arranges one’s identity as a children of influential wealthy lords or officers, otherwise, nobody would undermine themselves and trust in barren speech.
Yet the most crucial aspect resides in the conventional practice of this era – whoever supplied a new shipping route, would definitely have to proceed along with the venturing ship! Otherwise, one would have to mimic the Sheffields Trading Company who was backed by the Governor’s Mansion, offering one’s prestige to guarantee a ten fold compensation!
Even so, a round trip to china would require minimally two years, and on the pretext of a smooth voyage. Ask any contestants, who could afford such luxury of time??
Individuals invited to this auction were all prominent or affluent figures. Despite the absurd starting bid of 100,000 gold guineas, this amount soared to 150,000 guineas in no time!!
Individuals who possessed shipping routes to the east desired to monopolize the market, and were naturally reluctant to offer up a share of the action; they similarly competed for the journal. Instead, the rest desired to foil their monopoly, attempting to seize it for themselves.
Although bidding for this may retard their velocity of attaining personal goals, this article remained a necessary procurement for several powerhouses.
As Sheyan spectated the mobs scrabbling madly, he noticed the gypsy profoundly calling bids before discarding her attempts; allowing him to affirm his judgement in his heart.
Then, he watched on as Fernandez directly raised the price to 200,000 gold guineas, throwing the other guests into hesitation. Instead, Bloodshark refused to barge as he slapped his desk and waved.
"210,000."
At another moment, Wahabu surprisingly blurted out.
"250,000!"
Upon hearing such astronomical figures, Sheyan couldn’t refrain from becoming startled.
250,000 gold guineas.
That was an adequate amount to construct a fully armed 7-masted warship!! Warships of such a scale could be counted with one finger in the Royal British Navy. He hadn’t anticipated for an eastern shipping route to skyrocket to such figures.
Instead, Sheyan was further shocked. As though no deliberations were made, Fernandez bluntly called out.
"300,000 guineas!"
The crowd instantly turned mute. Yet to their horror, Bloodshark actually squeezed out a bid from his stammering lips.
"310,000 guineas."
Skrtel was one who had given up after placing several bids during the 200,000 guineas interval. At this instant, he observed this scene and sighed.
"Cursed the stringent smuggling prohibitions of Norrington. Even a veteran pirate like Bloodshark harbours notions of retirement, intending to purchase this shipping route and convert to an armed merchant ship. Forget it, I shall acquiesce this opportunity to him."
Even though Bloodshark’s 310,000 gold guineas appeared to be his final attempt, Fernandez maintained his expression and instead ceased to bid further; allowing this expensive journal to be sold off.
After auctioning off this massive article, Yurena sensibly ordered the attendants to serve coffee to their guests; easing up the tense atmosphere, and console the dejected hearts of those failed bidders.
She then reconciled the guests’ mood.
"Gentlemen, please refrain from feeling anxious. This is merely the beginning of our auction, the climax has yet to arrive."
Sheyan continued enjoying the auction. The next article was an antique Jingdezhen porcelain from china, probably a stolen booty. Marred by only its dodgy source, this porcelain naturally fetched an exorbitant price; ultimately auctioned off for 10,000 guineas. Through this, one could realize the degree of popularity antique china porcelain had in europe. No wonder its valuation could rival gold.
(TL: Jingdezhen porcelain is porcelain that is produced in Jingdezhen, a prefecture-level city, well known for its pottery)
Obviously a porcelain wouldn’t incite Sheyan’s interest, as he sat there leisurely while sipping his coffee. The following auctioned articles was a dazzling line-up of antique china, silk, tea leaves and many others. Unexpectedly, a store deed in Tortuga was even auctioned off!
This sufficed to illustrate that Norrington’s increasing attempts to eradicate smuggling had similarly affected the prosperous Tortuga; merchants no longer held faith as they resorted to auctioning off a deed, equivalent to one’s livelihood.
Sheyan continued enjoying the auction, observing that the worn out Yurena from her hosting had returned to the back stage to rest, while a substitute replaced her.
From then on, several fascinating objects of bizarre applications took to the stage; objects that could only captivate individuals related to it.
For example, there was a spyglass. Yet it contained special medical effects that could treat rottened nether regions. Putting it to present day context, it referred to male’s scrotum eczema.
Sailors and pirates labored out at sea for prolonged periods, where hygiene beneath the waist was poorly maintained; leading to such illness that wasn’t convenient to treat. This spyglass could converge sunlight towards affected regions and disinfect the area. Naturally, it had been tested a hundred times without discrepancy. Hence, this spyglass was competed ferociously over, and was auctioned off at a high price of 10,000 guineas.
Next, a lemon was auctioned off. This lemon was enchanted with witchcraft, allowing its juice to be squeezed out daily which could prevent the crew from scorbutus.
Apart from those, there was an endless canteen which could store nearly four barrels of rum, and a pistol that wouldn’t kill.
This pistol wasn’t loaded with bullets, but would release a barbaric sound upon triggering it. Its usage was to prevent crew members from the melodious allurement of mermaids.
Just when Sheyan was about to be bored stiff, yet another few tanned slaves strained themselves to heave a chest over.
When Sheyan casually shifted his gaze onto it, his gaze could no longer be retrieved.
That was because within the gaps of this carelessly crafted crate, Sheyan shockingly caught a glimpse of a dull golden radiation!
In this instant, he kneaded his eyes with disbelief at what he was observing. Yet after carefully scrutinizing for several times, he could finally affirm. "It’s true! That is truly a dull golden glow!"
In this instance, Sheyan became mentally prepared for an all out expenditure.
With a swing of her foot, the hostess kicked open the chest lid.
"A precious article obtained through the ten thousand miles expedition venture of The April’s Bloom. Rumoured to have been discovered on a barren island, blood was shed to retrieve this article. A starting bid of 1,000 guineas, with each raising bid capped minimally at 500 guineas."
Evidently, the auction hostess felt that this object wasn’t particularly precious, and her attitude and introduction of it was dealt with hastily. Naturally, her standards of professionalism was unsatisfactory; failing to perceive the importance of flattery and arousal of emotions.