CH335 Golden Palace – Core Mandate and Commitment

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Haggleworth was dressed in a sharp merchant’s suit that perfectly complemented his gnomish frame, boosting his charisma.

[A.N: KCD players 😏]

He stood before the massive audience—an assembly of the representatives of the continent’s most powerful organisations—with calm, unshakable confidence.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began, his voice rich and composed, "I hope our auction has met your expectations so far."

It went without saying. The crowd’s reaction—the gleam in their eyes, the quiet excitement in the air—told him all he needed to know.

With a satisfied smile, he continued, "My name is Cromwell Haggleworth, and I am the Palace Head of the Golden Palace. Before the final two lots are revealed, I wish to take a moment of your time to share a few words—words that will help you understand why these two are our finale, and what we truly aim to achieve with this auction. Therefore, I ask for your patience."

Ordinarily, such a request might have earned murmurs of irritation from a restless crowd. But perhaps because of how perfectly the event had unfolded so far... or because of the powerful figures seated in the private boxes above... or simply because Haggleworth’s voice carried the weight of sincerity, no one objected.

The hall quieted. The audience listened.

"The Golden Palace is a new company," Haggleworth said, his tone shifting into something humbler. "Barely a year old, we might as well be an infant among the continent’s merchant giants. You wouldn’t be wrong to say that our rapid rise was carried on the back of our flagship product—the Rune Phone."

A ripple of amusement and acknowledgement passed through the audience. Everyone knew it was true.

"The Rune Phone was such a success that we received generous support from many of you here tonight," Haggleworth continued, bowing slightly. "For that, I extend my sincerest thanks."

He straightened, his tone turning deliberate. "But over the past few months, we’ve worked hard to diversify—to show the world that we are more than just the Rune Phone Company. We are the Golden Palace.

"And make no mistake," he said with a knowing smile, "our Palace isn’t built from gold, nor do we trade only in wealth. To us, ’Palace’ and ’Gold’ are symbols. They represent the very core of our philosophy—our belief in mutual benefit. Or, as we like to call it, the win-win policy."

Inside one of the private boxes, Eleanor’s eyes widened in sudden recognition. She turned sharply toward Alex.

For a heartbeat, everything seemed to click into place in her mind.

It took all her restraint not to speak aloud as she forced herself to look back toward the stage.

Her reaction didn’t go unnoticed by Alex and Zora. Their lips arced up in a very similar manner.

’Very perceptive... good,’ Alex thought inwardly.

Back on stage, Haggleworth’s voice carried across the hall.

"More than this auction itself—this auction festival, at its core—was designed to show this core principle of ours to everyone here.

"In every deal we make, the Golden Palace strives to meet a win-win standard—a situation of mutual benefit where both we and our customers or our partners, gain together.

"For this particular festival, our major partner is the DragonHold Enclave. And from the preceding five days of the auction festival, you can see this principle reflected in the event itself.

"While many of you came here with the intent of attending a Golden Palace Auction, what you found was a Golden Palace–DragonHold Enclave Festival. The Golden Palace brought the people, and the DragonHold Enclave provided the land.

"The result? Both organisations profited from the event without discrimination—a win-win on both sides."

Haggleworth paused for a moment, letting his words sink in before continuing.

"For you, our customers, we’ve gone the extra mile." He smiled. "We understand that many of you have travelled from various parts of the continent to answer our call. Because of that, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to make your experience as smooth and convenient as possible.

"To this end, we’ve invested a massive sum to establish an extensive logistical network capable of transporting any and all products you purchase during this auction festival—back to your homes or any destination of your choice—all at little to no cost.

"This, once again, demonstrates the essence of our core policy. Knowing that the Palace will handle the transport of your goods for free—or at a mere pittance—you, our valued customers, have opened your wallets even wider to purchase more goods from us and from our partner in this event, the DragonHold Enclave.

"A perfect demonstration of our win-win philosophy—for all sides involved."

"In addition to demonstrating our core mandate in action, we also wanted to show you something else—our commitment to you, our customers. Our promise to get you whatever you need, wherever you need it.

"We were subtle about it during the festival. Throughout the event, we showcased nearly every product the famed DragonHold Enclave has to offer. We also signed numerous contract agreements with various clients to acquire different goods in varying quantities. And as we speak, deliveries of purchased products and contracted items have already begun—sent directly to the requested locations of our customers and partners.

"But we felt that wasn’t enough. We decided to be more direct in showing this commitment to you, and thus, we have today’s auction.

"By your own reactions and admissions, this auction has met your expectations and can be considered a success. But did you notice? Each item displayed here tonight was carefully curated—not only by effect, standard, and value—but also by geography.

"In the last eight lots, we’ve brought you items from all across the continent: from the northwest, northeast, east, south, and central regions. We’ve even sourced treasures from the desolate, war-torn Ironmourn Desert, the depths of the terrifying ocean, and a forbidden zone in the void of a subspace orbiting our plane.

"Each of these exemplifies how far we are willing—and ready—to go in order to provide you with the finest products and the best services available.

"To us at the Golden Palace, ’Palace’ doesn’t mean a mere castle. We’ve given you a city for an auction festival, and a hall unlike any other to host this event.

"And ’Gold’ doesn’t mean coin—for in this auction, the true tender of value has been high-grade Mana Stones.

"To us, Palace and Gold represent a promise—a commitment to you—that there is always a place, a Palace, where you can obtain whatever you need and value... your Gold."

Haggleworth’s gaze swept across the crowd. Seeing their full attention fixed on him, he brought his speech to a close.

"This auction, for us, is more than just earning profit from curated items. It’s about you—helping you understand who we are, our core mandate, and our unwavering commitment to our customers."

He spread his arms slightly and smiled.

"We are the Golden Palace—the place where you find value... and mutual benefit."

Haggleworth bowed deeply.

Clap!

Clap! Clap!! Clap!!!

No one could tell who started it, but within moments, Haggleworth was bathed in a rising ovation—even from several of those seated in the private VIP boxes.

***