Mika 023 (Patreon)

“This Elder is crazy…”

“Why does he even need all those weapons?”

Tara clapped her hands together, smiling up towards the Elder. ‘You’re the best, uncle! Even though I don’t want anyone to rile you up, please spend all your coin for me!’ 

“The second to last item,” Tara said, pulling off the tarp. “A set of gauntlets.” She allowed everyone to take in the sight of the gauntlets, which were sparkling up at everyone. 

This time everyone sat up, and the minor families and those of the lower floor realised that they could not bid on such an item.

“Steel. Grade. Gauntlets.” Tara smirked wide as she motioned her hands towards them. “They have a special property which allows someone to store a technique within them to utilise later!”

Mika leaned in slightly. “I would like that,” Mika said.

Elder Yan brushed his beard. “How high should we go?”

“As high as a High Grade potion,” Mika replied simply. The Elder looked down at him and then nodded.

“We will start the price at five thousand!” Tara threw out her hand, wiggling five fingers. Her eyes were far hungrier though.

“Five thousand,” Elder Yan said.

“Elder Yan seems to be so greedy for these weapons,” Patriarch Jones said. “Can’t he save some fun for these Patriarchs as well?”

“This Elder can only apologise to all the Patriarchs,” Elder Yan said. “Our guild has need for such items, especially when we are to go out to gather ingredients. Unless Patriarch Chen believes that the ingredients we gather magically gather within our storerooms?” Elder Yan smiled. 

They were fighting words, daring Patriarch Jones to come and fight.

“I hope the Elder will not hold it against me if I bid against him.” Patriarch Jones’ eyes narrowed as he smiled coyly.

“As the wise City Lord and Patriarch Chen have said, an item belongs to no one until it is bought.”

“Then I will raise the bid to six thousand,” Patriarch Jones said, smiling up at the Elder.

“Seven,” another voice called before Yan could even raise his paddle. It was Patriarch Chen of the Viper Fist.

‘Right, of course he’d bet against us.’ Mika smiled slightly.

“Ten,” Elder Yan said.

Chen looked up at Elder Yan, who smiled in response. “Elven,” the Patriarch said.

“Twelve,” Patrirach Jones said, not giving in just yet.

“Fifteen.” Elder Yan.

“Elder Yan,” Jones called out, chuckling. “You’re quite the warmonger!”

“I suppose it is harder for a town Alchemists’ Guild,” Expert Baex said, the Alchemist with the internal condition who had met with the Tegros. “I can’t blame the poor Elder.” She smiled warmly.

“I will surrender,” Patriarch Jones said.

“I would not call Elder Yan poor,” Patriarch Chen said. “I will surrender.”

“I thank Patriarch Chen for his kind words. Indeed, I have spent much more than Expert Baex.” He smiled and brushed his beard. “Ah, it seems my ring is still so heavy.” 

Expert Baex narrowed her eyes towards the Elder, but did not react otherwise.

Mika tapped his armrest. “Elder,” he said, his voice low and calm. “I believe the Young Mistress had agreed that we could put a few items at market value to pay for everything.” He brought up his hands together, his fingertips pressing up against one another as though he were plotting something awful. “Please don’t be afraid to show them how much money you are willing to spend. As long as you have the ingredients, I will assist you in silencing the entire Auction Hall.”

Elder Yan looked down to Mika, who seemed to hold a gleaming look within his eyes, and a most wicked smile. He sighed and then adopted the same wicked smile. No matter which devil he had sold himself to, Elder Yan was going to put these people in their places. 

“It seems that the most wonderful guests are no longer being so shy with their bids!” Tara clapped her hands once again, almost jumping for joy, though she had to remain careful of her disposition since she was the Young Mistress. There was only so much she was allowed to get away with. 

The last item of this phase was brought. It was in a case, denoting that it was probably a sword. “The last item is a High Grade Steel sword. It has inscriptions which allow one to shift their position metres away with each charge. The charges each require a Low Grade gem, though Middle Grade gems boost the effects, and so do High Grade gems.” She grinned wide. “This item will begin at five thousand, but I hope your wallets aren’t so shy!”

“Five thousand,” Patriarch Jones said, snapping into the fray.

“Ten,” Elder Yan said.

“Eleven.”

“Twenty.”

“Twenty?” The crowd hadn’t expected such a large jump.

“Twenty one,” Patriarch Jones continued.

“Thirty.”

“Are you sure you wish to bid so high, Elder Yan?” Patriarch Jones said. “That is quite the jump, and you’ve spent so much gold already.”

“You need not worry about my wallet!” Elder Yan tilted his head back, as though he was looking down at the Patriarch. He had pushed the Elder so much, constantly prodding him with his slights. “I welcome any and all who can bid against me to join me! It’s too quiet for this Elder’s taste.”

“Thirty five,” Patriarch Chen said. “If the Elder wishes for company, I must join in.”

“Fifty thousand.” Elder Yan crossed his legs, leaning back as though he was sitting on a throne. 

The others stared at the Elder, who had bid so much so quickly. They hadn’t expected that this Elder from a town Alchemists’ Guild would be willing to go up against the Patriarchs of the major families.

“Was the Elder always so brash?” 

“Does he have a vendetta against this city?”

“I can’t possibly keep up with this Elder,” Patriarch Jones said, chuckling nervously. He noted that the Elder was pissed, and he decided he was going to retreat.

Patriarch Chen looked up to the Elder, who wasn’t paying any attention to him. The Elder had his eyes closed, and was waiting for someone to bid against him. The Patriarch couldn’t help but wonder how high the Elder could go, but he decided there was no need to fight here. “I surrender.”

“Fifty thousand gold to Elder Yan!” Tara bowed her head to Elder Yan, hiding the drool which had slipped out from the corners of her lips. 

“It was such a wonderful item. Niece certainly has a wonderful eye for such things.” He nodded.

“This niece thanks you, Elder!” She grinned wide.

“Yet my wallet is still so heavy. I hope there are more interesting items for this uncle to buy.” Elder Yan smiled politely, though it was definitely hiding the smile of a greedy dragon.

Mika could only contain his laughter, crossing his arms together as he soaked in the peripheral gazes of those who were looking their way. 

“The third phase has exclusive offerings from the Alchemists’ Guild, as well as some gems. The last item is particularly special, but let’s keep that a surprise for now!”

The items shown were potions, each which were better than the last. There were a few High Grade potions too, though they were scattered around here and there. Some of the lower quality potions came in sets, and some were standalone.

Elder Yan remained eerily silent, though almost everyone noticed the lack of the Elder’s voice, which had dominated the auction for some time now. Even the Steelforge pill didn’t catch a single word or glance from him.

“Seems like the Elder might be out of cash,” someone whispered. 

“These items are such great quality!”

“I thought he’d want to bid at least.”

“Maybe they’re too poor quality for him?”

“Shut up, idiot! You think you can say that with Expert Baex right there?”

“Or he might be too poor for them?”

The potions and pills continued, and the Elder didn’t move at their provocation. Some figured he was done, others figured he had no need for the items, but others could see that he was merely biding his time to lash out.

Patriarch Chen bid on a few items in order to see if the Elder was going to bid against him, and then realised that the Elder didn’t have an issue with his family. 

“The last part of this phase are all gems.” Tara brought out a set of ten Low Grade gems. “We have ten singular Low Grade gems for private bids, each going to those who bid the most for each gem. You’re only allowed to bid on two gems for those singular gems.”

“Low Grade gems go for around twenty gold?” Mika said, glancing up at the Elder.

He nodded. “That’s right. I don’t think many of the families will bid for any of the gems, they should have a large number of them. They can spend the time relaxing and drinking tea.”

“Let’s start this lot at a hundred gold for the lot of ten!” Tara smiled.

“Two hundred,” called out Young Master Alte.

Elder Yan and Mika both sat up straight, their eyes gleaming. The pair exchanged a look between one another.