Death Game: Starting as a Trickster, Pretending to Be a God

Chapter 979: The Deal, Five Mermaid’s Tears

April followed the crowd into Sea Eye Sovereign’s residence.

Unlike the auction held at the auction house, Sea Eye Sovereign’s private auction was not nearly as formal.

There were no bidding paddles, no rows of neatly arranged seats, no spacious display platform, and no professional auctioneer.

The venue for this private auction was the reception room in Sea Eye Sovereign’s residence. A dozen or so guests sat casually on sofas and chairs.

Even the guests in attendance were all prominent Sea Demons and nobles. Apart from April, there were no members of any other race.

Rather than an “auction,” judging by the setup and preparations, it seemed more like a tea party or salon. You could even call it a casual gathering of old friends.

After all, these Sea Demons all knew one another, and they were busy exchanging pleasantries.

And so...

Among them, April seemed rather out of place!

“Strange. Who is this human lady?”

One of the Sea Demons studied April and asked in puzzlement.

Of course, since April had already appeared in the reception room, these Sea Demons, all prominent figures in their own right, were no fools. Naturally, none was foolish enough to turn up their nose at her or mock her simply because she was human.

Even those who were hardline warmongers, supremacists who believed the Sea Demons were superior, and nobles who despised humans all kept their thoughts to themselves for the moment.

Especially since they were in Sea Eye Sovereign’s residence. In Sea Demon high society, it was no secret that Sea Eye Sovereign had lost his tail and now had a life form resembling that of a human.

So, if someone who looked human showed up at Sea Eye Sovereign’s home, no one could be certain that they really were human. What if she were another unfortunate soul in the same situation, or his illegitimate daughter?

What’s more...

Some of them had already recognized April.

“She’s the guest of honor from the Central Sea, the one who sold that ‘Present-World Treasure’ delicacy... the one who publicly humiliated the Mermaid Prince.”

“I see... But why is she here alone?”

After those “in-the-know” guests filled them in, the suspicion in the others’ gazes eased considerably.

Not everyone had let go of their hostility and wariness, but at least they concealed them better.

Regardless of what the Sea Demons thought of her, April’s expression had remained unchanged from beginning to end. She simply sat calmly in a chair some distance from the others, maintaining her haughty persona as a “guest of honor from the Central Sea.”

The conversation shifted back to other topics, such as the explosion and assassination at the auction house, which had yet to be resolved.

“Speaking of which, have those two human assassins been caught?”

“I don’t know. The entire auction house is under lockdown, and no news has come out!”

“The only thing we know for sure is that Ancient Fang Sovereign is well and truly dead.”

“What a pity. Ancient Fang Sovereign had such a promising future...”

April listened in, hoping to determine what had happened to the two members of Order.

The casual conversation did not last long. Soon...

A Sea Demon dressed as a steward came out.

“Honored guests, our master has prepared the items that will be put up for sale. Please wait a little while. The servants of this residence will soon display all the items. After that, we will give you time to consider and discuss them, then begin the bidding in turn.”

The Sea Demon spoke, and the guests present nodded.

This was not the first time Sea Eye Sovereign had held a private auction. This system, which allowed prospective bidders to discuss matters among themselves beforehand, was one reason the Collector had earned such a good reputation.

In a small circle of nobles like this, everyone crossed paths constantly. If they could reach an agreement beforehand, both sides could save quite a bit of money on bidding.

In other words, Sea Eye Sovereign’s approach amounted to “giving the guests a better deal.”

However...

After hearing the steward’s words, one Sea Demon noble who had attended private auctions before raised a question.

It was not about the auction rules.

Rather...

“Wait a moment. From what you’re saying, Sea Eye Sovereign himself won’t be attending?”

A Sea Demon noble voiced his misgivings.

The steward smiled. “That’s right. Everyone attending this private auction is an old friend our master trusts, so... he believes there will be no problem even if he doesn’t preside over it in person.”

Although a few Sea Demons were clearly displeased by this, they could hardly make a scene after hearing that.

“If so... what is keeping Sea Eye Sovereign himself from joining us?”

A Sea Demon asked.

The steward looked toward April.

“Well... our master said he would like to meet with Miss April over there in private to discuss a few matters, mainly to finalize the details of the deal for the Mermaid’s Tears.”

As soon as those words were spoken, April, who had no longer been the center of attention, once again became the focus of everyone’s gaze.

She awkwardly rubbed the bridge of her nose.

This was a little beyond what April had expected!

“What exactly did that Yayu fellow arrange? What did she say to Sea Eye Sovereign?”

April was full of questions, but at this point, she swallowed them and stood up, putting on an air of confidence.

“Where should I go to meet your master?”

She looked at the Sea Demon steward and asked.

“Please follow me.”

The Sea Demon steward bowed slightly, then led April out of the reception room.

They crossed the corridor outside the residence and arrived at a heavy-looking door at the far end on the other side.

When the door opened, a room like a study came into view, lined with bookshelves and several display cases.

“Miss April, please come in. The master is waiting inside.”

The Sea Demon steward held the door open for April and gestured for her to enter.

April nodded and walked inside. The metal door slowly closed behind her.

As for Sea Eye Sovereign himself... he was seated behind the desk in the study, wearing a pair of special-looking magnifying lenses as he examined an artifact unearthed from an ancient civilization.

April walked up to the desk and spoke, alerting the deeply engrossed Sea Eye Sovereign to her presence.

“Your Excellency, forgive the interruption.”

Only then did Sea Eye Sovereign come out of his focused reverie. He lifted his magnifying lenses and looked up, his expression dawning with recognition.

“Oh, Miss April, you’re here. You arrived a little sooner than I expected.”

“Since you’re here, let’s discuss our deal.”

Sea Eye Sovereign stood up, turned, and opened the second drawer of the cabinet behind him. He took out a small box.

When the box opened, it revealed a transparent crystal, much larger than the one they had seen at the auction house before, with Mermaid’s Tears sealed inside.

Five Mermaid’s Tears lay quietly within.