Even though the other two factions preferred the paths opening to the square, the ones newly appearing were showing their difference. The moment they stepped on the ground by jumping from the roofs one by one, they quickly advanced and lined up behind the short woman who drew attention with her aggressive movements.
Only a single person stood crouching on the roof, but even in this state, he possessed a physique reaching the dimensions of a normal human. Then he too wanted to join the commotion below, and jumping in a single move, he took his place in front of the woman who could only reach his waist.
Wind of Death and Soul Stealer were waiting on alert; the moment they felt the slightest threat, they wouldn't hesitate to drench the place called the Grand Bazaar in blood, but after the latest developments, the Commander-in-Chief of the Orc Empire Armies was beginning to understand what was going on around her.
"Ma'am, what are we doing?"
When the Leader of the Elite Ten, finding a completely different storm of tension in the place they had entered a few hours ago, consulted her, she relaxed her tense shoulders and started speaking.
"What are we going to do? Nothing. I was saying I'd find them one by one, but luckily they all gathered in one place. I plan to let things flow and watch what happens, and you are staying right beside me!"
Even if the other three factions didn't realize it, there were now four fronts in the square with a stage rising in the middle. The man whose head could barely be seen amidst masses of fat and the dwarf, the blond shouting 'I am an engineer' and his carbon-copied smaller version were the relatively calm sides, but the third side was completely different.
Behind the woman in leathers, who seemed to produce aggressiveness from every cell, there was an army of maniacs from every nation, every color, and every race. Hairstyles you wouldn't see anywhere else, tattoos covering the entire body without leaving a centimeter of space, metal pieces piercing through the flesh, and fiery gazes in the eyes of all of them without exception, as if they were going to commit a massacre the next moment. Only the person standing in front of the group was calm; unshakeable, indestructible, he stood like a green rock that had been there for centuries.
"Ma'am, this is an orc!"
Even though Soul Stealer was surprised because all the details hadn't been explained to her, Wind of Death showed no reaction when she saw her compatriot. The information gave her the courage to stand where everyone else fled, and this attitude of hers would catch the attention of not only her subordinate but also the others.
"Hey, you two! What are you waiting for?"
When the impatient dwarf and his master on the palanquin took their places around the stage, he called out to the duo with covered faces waiting a few paces beside them. Even though his question was 'what are you waiting for', what he really wanted to know was 'what are you doing here?'
"We are waiting for whatever you are waiting for. We came to participate in the auction!"
The crowd adorned with gold glitter watched the person responding; the Leader of the Elite Ten, who looked like a giant next to the dwarf even though she was slender and short by orc standards, was saying in the subtext: turn around and mind your own business!
The duo who revealed the stage were right across from them, and the other group, where every member was of a different kind, filled the remaining empty space under the leadership of the orc, who was at least as imposing as Wind of Death. When the wooden stage with a radius of five paces was completely surrounded, the people slowly starting to come out of the holes they had entered began to form a new circle five paces behind.
They had put distance between themselves and those right at the foot of the stage, but this gap wasn't far enough to prevent them from witnessing what was going to happen. The hierarchy was complete; while the four factions formed the circle at the front, the cowards would stand in the back and watch their struggle.
The hierarchy of the inner circle was also absolute; up until now, only the assistants, who were clearly just the right hands of their masters, had spoken, and this included the group consisting of two orcs. The pieces were falling into place; only a single spot remained empty, but it wouldn't take too long for it to be filled either.
When the man wearing a costume made of bright blue fabric, taking off his top hat and bowing to greet the crowd, appeared with the half-naked women he took on his two arms, a commotion began in the outer circle. While applause and cheers followed one another, the saliva of the men overflowed from their mouths and wet the floor of the Grand Bazaar.
"Wind of Death ma'am, who is this guy?"
The man greeting the enthusiastic crowd by waving his cane had a thin face and pointy mustaches spilling out from his cheeks. While showing his teeth, which the mustaches curling upwards defying gravity failed to hide, he managed to walk the entire way and arrive at the middle of the wooden stage.
"The person who is the keystone of the Heart of the Sand, the Auctioneer!"
Soul Stealer raised her head and looked at him, but her eyes were on the man smiling broadly as if wanting to show every single one of his teeth. Still, she knew the Leader of the Elite Ten wouldn't be satisfied with this short explanation and continued her words in a low voice.
"I will tell you what you need to know until the preparations for the auction are finished, keep your ears wide open and listen to me. The Heart of the Sand is a place dominated by the three powers we are in the same circle with, and is the last refuge of the unwanted people in the World of the Six Civilizations.
The older of the duo who destroyed the fountain and made the stage appear in its place is named Clemens Holzmeister, and his subordinate who is an exact replica of him is his son Neues. From the weapons pointed at us at the entrance to all the mechanisms that keep the city standing, they are their handiwork. He is a legend in architecture and city planning as much as he is in mechanics. The Machine Empire has placed a hefty bounty on his head to be captured alive."
When Soul Stealer looked at the father and son, she saw two normal humans, and if she wanted to catch them, it would be as easy as clapping her hands, but her instincts whispered to her mind that if they could act this relaxed, there was something they relied on.
"The guy looking like a fresh pile of shit inside the palanquin that can only be carried by ten people is the person who directs trade in the Heart of the Sand. Dona Gracia was someone who managed to conquer the Mercenaries' Lodge without fighting at all, using only the financial power in his hands. He ran everything from behind the scenes with intrigues, flawless plans, and the people he bought.
Until the supply of products coming from the Orc Steppes was cut off and the flow of hot cash, the biggest weapon in his hands, ceased. His fall from the peak began with that event, and it ended with him being condemned to live within the lands of the Heart of the Sand.
He reached his final destination by fleeing from hundreds of bounty hunters who trailed him, along with the dwarf he took from the orphanage and raised by his side, and the ten rings he carried on his fingers."
Even though Wind of Death explained it quite indifferently, the collapse of one of the three pillars holding up the Heart of the Sand had been carried out by her and her family. While the money the mines poured in almost unconditionally went to the Balsici family instead of Dona Gracia, the one giving the order was her brother in person.
"Finally, the name of the team managed by a compatriot of ours, which constitutes the military power of the Heart of the Sand, is the Hyenas. Clemens Holzmeister's machines manage to protect the city against the outside, but in the narrow streets where every kind of outlaw runs rampant, they are the only law. To suppress murderers, thieves, and degenerates, they managed to be even filthier and more cruel than them.
Even though we don't fully have a grasp of their internal hierarchy, we know that this crazy bitch is the right hand of the orc addressed as the Boss, and has the authority to do everything on his behalf."
Soul Stealer was creating a template in her head by supporting the superficial information from before with clearer explanations, but her thoughts would be interrupted by the Auctioneer who finished his preparations.
"Today, we have two guests in the special area at the foot of the stage!"
When those in the inner circle turned their gazes to Wind of Death and Soul Stealer, those in the outer circle shouted with excitement, mercilessly slapping one hand against the other.
"We hadn't seen such a thing for a long time, and in honor of this, I leave the choice to you to do justice to the area you've occupied. Tell me, what do you want to compete with?
Money, power, or science; choose one and resign to your fate!"