The ear-piercing singing finally ceased after five minutes. Immediately after, insincere yet enthusiastic applause erupted throughout the venue, loud enough to nearly lift the ceiling.
"This…"
Law and Salin, seeing everyone around them clapping, reluctantly joined in with a few polite claps to avoid standing out.
On stage, Clover bowed gracefully to the guests in every direction. Once the applause died down, he smiled faintly.
"I've always believed that music is an excellent way to relieve stress. Though my singing may not be the best, I still find peace in sharing it. I'm sure everyone here feels the same."
"To be frank, the Ohara Museum has recently acquired three ancient musical scores. Today, I've decided to open a new section in the museum dedicated to music-related artifacts. If any of you possess noteworthy items…"
Here, Clover paused, offering the crowd a knowing smile.
As a wealthy and renowned appraisal master, Clover never lowballed prices when purchasing antiques. Everyone in the industry who preferred to avoid auction houses was more than willing to sell their items to him.
In truth, many collectors in the field coveted the antiques housed in the Ohara Museum. However, Clover had a habit of only adding to his collection… never selling. Unless he faced financial difficulties, it was unlikely he would ever part with his treasures.
The poorly sung performance seemed to serve only as a prelude to announcing the new museum section. Without further ado, Clover stepped down from the stage.
The symphony orchestra resumed playing, and as the music flowed, servers entered the banquet hall, delivering dishes to every table.
'Musical scores…'
Law rubbed his chin thoughtfully. After obtaining the harp solo version of the Sonata of Darkness, there had been no news of the remaining three for years.
When establishing the Lawlin Museum, one of his long-term goals was to create a platform for acquisitions, hoping to gather information, or even obtain, the remaining pieces of the Sonata of Darkness.
In the Hunter x Hunter World, many collectors had eccentric tastes… some hoarded human organs, dog excrement, or even the nail clippings and hair of famous singers from the past.
Compared to those, musical scores and instruments were relatively mainstream and easier to acquire.
As the meal began, the guests raised their glasses, and the atmosphere grew livelier.
Clover made his rounds, toasting at each table before finally arriving at Law's.
Everyone stood to return the toast, and Clover maintained his dignified smile. As he raised his glass, his gaze lingered on Law for a brief moment.
Through his recent conversations with Salin, Clover had learned that Law was the main force behind the website. However, his glance was more out of anticipation for Ciredor's paintbrush and final letter… after all, Law had arrived just in time, leaving no opportunity for Clover to examine them beforehand.
Once the formalities concluded, the guests began indulging in the feast Clover had prepared.
'Not bad. This is Grade-B ingredients… and this is Grade-C…'
After sampling several dishes, Law couldn't help but admire Clover's extravagance, 'Serving Grade B ingredients to such a large crowd was no small feat… this single banquet must have cost a fortune.'
After returning to his seat, Clover was approached by Miki, who raised his glass to Law with a smile, " The founder of the Lawlin Museum… I've heard much about you."
"Nothing worth mentioning." Law replied politely.
"You were the first to bring antique trading online. Pioneers always deserve respect." Miki said with a charming grin.
Law chuckled lightly before responding earnestly "Thank you for the compliment. Everything in my collection is authentic. If anything catches your eye on the website, I'll give you a 20% discount."
The moment he said this, Salin kicked him under the table… though Law didn't react.
Miki blinked in surprise before replying courteously, " I'll keep that in mind. Let's hope you honor your word, Mr. Law."
A 20% discount in the antique trade was no small sum… assuming the items were genuine, of course.
Miki didn't take the offer seriously. As the owner of an auction house, he had no shortage of channels to acquire antiques and had little reason to buy from Law.
He didn't press the topic further, though he couldn't help but feel that poaching Salin wouldn't be too difficult.
Once the banquet concluded, the guests moved en masse to the Ohara Museum.
Clover, who is surrounded like a star, led the way.
Law and Salin walked side by side, keeping a slight distance from the main group.
"You really don't know how to hold a conversation, do you?" Salin asked helplessly.
"I do." Law replied bluntly.
Salin rolled her eyes and said, "You realize you just killed the mood, right?"
Law shrugged and chuckled, "That guy wants to poach you, and he's a competitor in the industry."
"And that's your excuse?" Salin asked.
"Yeah."
Law raised the antique box in his hand and said seriously, "Compared to something so trivial, we should be thinking about how to sell these two items at a high price later… and maybe get some free advertising while we're at it."
"That's your job," Salin retorted sharply.
"Come on, with this face of mine, I'm not exactly suited for public appearances later."
"And how is that my problem?"
"…"
The group arrived at the Ohara Museum, where they were greeted by the towering ancient trees up close. Every inch of their bark bore the marks of time, exuding an aura of antiquity.
"What a shame."
Law gazed at the massive trees, each easily over a thousand years old, and shook his head slightly. Though they couldn't compare to the World Tree, they were still rare giants of nature.
Judging by the untouched sections of bark, these three colossal trees had clearly fallen victim to human demands.
No matter how resilient a tree might be, it couldn't withstand the swing of an axe. After enduring for millennia, it could be felled in mere minutes.
The important guests numbered around a hundred, not counting the reporters or the companions and family members they had brought.
Including them, roughly two hundred people were allowed inside the museum, while bodyguards had to wait outside.
The largest tree stood in the center as the main hall, while the other two flanked it as annexes.
The tour began with the left annex. Upon stepping inside, the visitors were met with an atmosphere steeped in classical elegance, faintly scented with sandalwood.
The interior of the giant tree was circular in shape, with a spiral staircase winding upward along the walls, connecting various platforms built into the structure.
The ground floor already housed numerous artifacts displayed within bulletproof glass cases.
Law skimmed through them and found that most were ancient handmade items with genuine collectible value. However, after a quick scan, he didn't detect any objects imbued with Nen.
Under Clover's guidance and narration, the group toured the annex, admiring both the pieces he had collected in previous years and the new additions from this year.
"In a few more years, the Ohara Museum might not have enough space for Master Clover's collection." Someone remarked with a perfunctory compliment.
Clover merely laughed heartily before leading the group out of the left annex and toward the right one.
The tour was just a preliminary event… the real highlight was the Appreciation Conference in the main hall.
In truth, it was also one of Clover's methods of acquiring rare items. If the price was tempting enough, even those who had initially come to showcase their treasures might be persuaded to sell.
'Twenty-three… not bad.'
Law glanced back at the left annex. Among the displayed items, he had identified twenty-three that carried traces of Nen. There was no denying that the sheer volume of Clover's collection was staggering… its potential value could rival the wealth of a small nation.
'No wonder he dared to call it a museum...'
Come to think of it, Law has also defined his website as a museum.
As they moved toward the right annex, Law suddenly noticed a familiar woman leaning against a bald man.
'Pakunoda?'
Law's eyes narrowed slightly.
During the banquet, his attention had been on Clover and the food. Inside the annex, he had been focused on the artifacts, so he hadn't noticed Pakunoda's presence until now.
"What's she doing here…?"