Chapter 157: Familial Bonds

Words : 1225 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

Chapter 157: Familial Bonds Old Mitchel thought he’d seen it all. But the Master of Ceremonies for Mylor’s Grand Auctions for more than three decades couldn’t have been more wrong. As an experienced host, he had never felt this much pressure since the last time the Empress attended a charity auction he was emceeing. This time, it was like facing a pack of hungry beasts, literally. And they were ravenous. But who wouldn’t be when you know exactly what you’re buying?! While they added a few items to the auction to pad the program as the main items were being prepared, it was obvious that people were buying the items to get to the better parts. The attendees weren’t even listening to the items and were just outright buying them off. Like the full-sized packs of these Banana Chips. Now, Mitchel could understand precisely why these people were acting like that. Before the auction began, he was given a sample to see what he was about to auction. And maybe it would’ve been easier if he didn’t know. But now that he did, his knees just wouldn’t stop trembling. It would’ve been worse if they found out why these nobles, who usually liked sending representatives, came in as families. Families that were watchful of each other. In reality, the enemy was not the one from the other box but the family member who volunteered to represent the House. There was a real risk that the items would not return home intact, in full, and without little or big bites. And so, most families decided to come themselves in case such a thing happened. It was just that they didn’t expect the same thing to happen to nearly all the households. If anything, Princess Kira was lucky in this regard. For as long as her father hadn’t tasted the food, then there was nothing to miss in life. And one less family member to think about was one less competitor. She just had to keep it that way until she found a way to link up with the vendor. But for many of these families, that wasn’t the case. And it only changed the moment they figured out just how many items would be up for sale. Such was the case for the normally close Arzen twins. Duke Caius was surprised to see the twins attempting to put each other in a headlock as they fought for a safely enshrined packet of what looked like snacks. And the two, who were much younger and still green behind the ears, couldn’t match the Duke’s speed when it came to snatching the packet that they were fighting over. And it had always been, may the best person win in their household. So, the Duke was able to see just what was getting the normally harmonious twins screeching at each other. Labeled as ’Banana Chips.’ The golden chips sometimes varied in size, but what didn’t change was the crispiness and crunchiness of each bite. And the Duke, who hadn’t had the chance to taste the popular fruits going around, didn’t even know how to describe this sweet taste that definitely did not taste like those horrid nutrient solutions. All he knew was that it was an experience he’d never had before, not even when he ate those passed-down relics that were supposed to make him weep with joy. But this one? Mind-blowing. Not to mention the blinding spiritual energy that was emanating from these golden chips. How in hell did his children get their hands on something like this? He thought as he looked around for evidence, only to find a box with the Mylor family seal. Why it was, of course, through opening the curious box that was supposed to be for him, and the Duke couldn’t help but wonder if he was raising adults who were regressing or if he just failed somewhere as a parent. But the lectures were rescheduled because none of them were that stupid to assume that they were special enough to be the only ones with an invitation. It was clear that most major families would be given one, and they would be embarrassed to death if they couldn’t even obtain a single pack. So, imagine their surprise when each pack was about the size of a small sack?! "!!!" Frankly, these nobles were willing to fight over the small packets, but now you’re telling them that each full-size pack was that big?! Well, do they accept unruly sons and daughters as payment? No? Well, that’s unfortunate. Thought Duke Caius, who had to deal with the twins who were now eying him as if they were ready to throw away their family fortune. And maybe the disciplined father didn’t think so at first, but when they revealed the rest of the goods, the Duke was practically the first one to hit the bidding button. Luca witnessed a rather horrifying scene of people nearly losing it over the packs of banana chips. And those prices?! The little money grubber had to rub his eyes repeatedly as people kept on increasing their bids. What he assumed would sell for about 100,000 Star Coins a pack was now way past 100 million Star Coins. A pack. Not a box, but an actual pack. And the little chipmunk, at one point, felt like hiding behind Xavier as he was so scared about getting caught for overpricing. Those land prices now seemed reasonable, as he realized who was the actual extortionist, or in this case, the scammer. It was him. He was the scammer! But really, even the Princess thought the prices were still affordable as she was even willing to shell out 200 million for half a bowl of Egg Fried Rice! So, what was 200 million for that sack that was as big as a human toddler? Pittance. And so the Princess happily bid on a few packs while letting the others win when it felt like she was going to get a severe case of stalkers. She thought to herself that there were other products, and it was important for her to keep a healthy stash for what was said to be far better. Also, these humans seemed desperate and were even combining their family’s funds with other houses just to afford a winning bid. Because this was a lifeline for many, and if they only needed a few chips to extend someone’s life, then it was a no-brainer to partner up with other families. When the wealthier families noticed this, they refrained from competing and only resumed when the smaller buyers managed to acquire some, or what looked like enough. But, of course, they could only be charitable to a degree. And when the more elaborate Egg Sandwiches came out, the real moguls came into play—like Imperial Butler Henry, who made sure to buy only one pack of Banana Chips for the sake of the Empire’s people. But that was the Banana Chip, and this was a sandwich. And there was no way the loyal Butler would return without a box in case a member of the Imperial family succumbed to another case of spiritual power imbalance! And so Xavier, the Imperial Crown Prince, watched as their own tiger-like Butler raised his bid on the sandwiches prepared by his little wife.

Chapter 157: Familial Bonds

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