Mika 030 (Patreon)

Though he was doing what Elder Yan had done last night, this time it was flying against all convention. A young Alchemist like him should know his place, but he was being far too bold and gaining all kinds of attention. 

Since most everyone here was of his generation, he decided that he needed to find a way to coax them all out to see what they were like. Patriarch Leone was quite the character as well, and Mika wondered how far he could push the wild man.

“So,” Mika said. “Is anyone willing to bid against me?”

“Four hundred and fifty,” Patriarch Leone called out. “Since you want to play, let’s play.”

“Five hundred,” Mika returned. “This kind of playing is much more my kind of fun, but please don’t tell my sister that.” Mika placed a finger on his lips.

Leone roared with laughter. “I’ll surrender.” He waved his hand. Leone had every intention of buying items for outrageous prices, but to him, most of the fun came from trading blows with other wealthy patrons.

Everyone else surrendered too, and Mika smiled as he won his first proper battle alone. Of course, he was still using the Elder’s name, but he was doing it more overtly. 

“Five hundred to Mika of Starr Alchemy!” Tara called out. She understood partly what Mika was doing, and so decided to affiliate him with the store in order to assist him. 

“He really spent five hundred on a full set of Iron Grade equipment?”

“His pockets must be so deep!”

Then came out the full set of High Iron Grade equipment. Leone waited for a couple of bids, bringing it from a thousand to one thousand two hundred, whereas Mika went right to one and a half thousand gold. The next two sets went for one and a half thousand and two thousand respectively, all to Mika, who kept facing all challengers. 

Then there was a High Grade Bronze set, which went for ten thousand to Mika. This set was something which Mika was interested in since it held a lightning attribute, and even though another Young Master had brought up the bid, he fought for it.

“I heard that your Elder had spent much of his coin at the auction last night!” a Young Master called out.

“He did.”

“It seems you have deep pockets as well.”

Mika smiled and waved his hand casually. “Oh, no, no. It’s just that my Elder had given me this money and asked me to run an errand for him.”

“Was it to clean out the auction?”

“Something like that,” Mika said as the auction continued, with another full set of High Bronze grade equipment appeared. 

As the bid rose to five thousand, someone bid to six thousand. Mika looked over to see that there was a Young Master with dark hair, a straight face, and looked to be a viper out in the open. 

“Excuse the ignorance of this young Alchemist, but is the one who bid Young Master Chen?” Mika asked.

The young man looked up to Mika, surprised to hear someone call out to him. “Correct. I am Lo Chen.”

“If it is a member of the Chen family, which has treated my Elder well, I will lay down my paddle for this armour.”

The crowd began to murmur, watching as Mika retreated for the first time, and graciously at that. 

Lo Chen bowed his head to Mika, surprised to see that some stranger had allowed him this set of armour. He kept in mind that apparently the boy’s Elder was treated well by his family. 

Mika wanted the full set since it also used gauntlets, but since it was a Chen, it couldn’t be helped that he’d have to give it up. He had to be equally as merciful as he was ruthless.

The next full set was Steel Grade, which held the attribute of wind. Unfortunately, it was far too good for him to pass up. The moment it came to bidding, he instantly bid thirty thousand for it, causing the others to stagger. 

“Forgive me, but my master especially wants this item.” Mika smiled.

“Forty thousand,” called out a voice from the distance. It was Patriarch Tegro, who apparently had managed to find himself in the auction for the fourth phase. Mika assumed that he must have paid quite the heavy fine. 

“Fifty thousand,” Mika said, knowing that the suit’s upper limit was around that much. Any more and he could look foolish trying to aim for it. “I hadn’t expected to see Patriarch Tegro here after last night. I wonder,” Mika said, leaning back and looking down at the Patriarch in the same way his Elder had done so. “Since the Patriarch was unable to attain any of the potions, doesn’t that mean his pockets are still heavy? Will the Patriarch truly be able to keep Starr Alchemy company in this endeavour.”

Patriarch Tegro clenched his fists together. It was one thing for Elder Yan to show him up, but a crippled boy like Mika? Such a thing was absolutely ridiculous. He couldn’t allow his family to be trashed on by some small dinky guild out in the boonies. 

“Sixty thousand,” Patriarch Tegro replied. “It just so happens that I’d like to gift this to my son.”

“Seventy thousand,” Mika said. “I’m sure if your son had this full set, he would have been able to deal with a cripple.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Though perhaps you should be careful, or he’ll forever remain a cute little kitten.”

Patriarch Tegro’s brow twitched. All the others within the Auction Hall gasped when they heard Mika’s provocations. 

“Is he serious?”

“Does he wish to die?”

“This boy’s mouth is bigger than his wallet!”

Patriarch Leone smiled. “Cute little kitten,” he said before roaring with laughter. 

Patriarch Tegro grit his teeth. That bastard Leone! They didn’t have the best relationship, but now he’s traipsing with outsiders? “One hundred thousand!” He glared at Mika, daring him to continue.

“One hundred thousand?” Mika said, feigning surprise. “Since Patriarch Tegro is so desperate for a Steel Grade set with such an attribute, I’ll have to surrender it. My Elder will be mad if I waste his money on such an item.” He held out his hands as though there was nothing he could do. 

Patriarch Tegro realised that he had paid far too much for an item with such a terrible attribute. 

‘That brat!’

Wind was something very few families wished for, and though there were some Young Masters and Mistresses who wanted it, going up against Starr Alchemy and Patriarch Tegro was a bad idea. 

Lo Chen looked to Mika, wondering how he had the audacity to go up against a Tegro. Patriarch Leone was beside him too, so perhaps there was a connection there? Yet he also had a connection with the Alchemist. He’d have to speak with his father about the situation. 

Patriarch Leone couldn’t help but laugh, his roaring laughter echoing through the Auction Hall. Patriarch Tegro could hear the laugh deep within his mind, making him clench his fists. ‘Brat! If we weren’t in this Auction Hall, I’d have strangled you myself!’

“Looks like even Starr Alchemy can’t go up against a Patriarch of a main family.”

“You can’t blame him, he probably has a limit he can spend.”

“A town guild will forever remain a town guild.”

Mika’s ears twitched when he heard those words. ‘Oh? It seems I’ve been too merciful.’

“Shall we begin with the last item?” Tara could feel the air shift slightly, tasting the gold that would soon shower over her. A small box was brought over to her and she opened it up. The light shone out from the box before she quickly closed it.

“Whoa!”

“Is that?”

Tara smiled. “That’s right! This is a Steel Grade shield ring! It’s an extremely powerful item, and though I’m sure many of your families own one or two, but whose to say you should stop? Isn’t it right to be greedy when you’re young?”

Patriarch Leone grinned wide, clenching his fists and cracking his knuckles. Mika could see he was getting fired up. It was a shame that Mika needed this, not just because he had to put people in their place, but also because it would be a useful card to play if he was ever truly in danger. 

“Please note it requires at least Middle Grade gems to recharge it. Now, let’s begin the bidding at ten thousand gold!” Tara smiled. If it could go for at least fifty thousand, she’d be happy.

“Ten thousand,” Patriarch Tegro said, daring anyone else to bid against him. His eyes fell to Leone.

“Twenty,” Patriarch Leone called out, smiling as he took to battle.

“Thirty.”

“Forty.”

“Fifty.”

“Sixty.”

Tara inhaled deeply, ready to smell all the gold that would soon come into her palms. She was glad that Mika had riled Patriarch Tegro up, and it was lucky that he had somehow managed to rope Patriarch Leone in on his antics.

“Seventy,” Patriarch Tegro said, recalling that he had already spent so much in the auction. Perhaps he shouldn’t have enticed the Lion. If he had started with sixty thousand, he probably would have been able to secure him. The brat had rattled him too much. 

“Eighty,” Patriarch Leone held a wild grin on his face. His own wealth wasn’t so far from the Tegro family’s, and he hadn’t wasted a hundred thousand gold.

Patriarch Tegro was quickly approaching his limit. He sighed, ready to surrender when a voice cut through the silence.

“One hundred and twenty thousand,” Mika said, raising his paddle. He could see that Patriarch Tegro was going to surrender, but he wasn’t going to miss this chance. He stared down at Patriarch Tegro, letting him know that he wasn’t going to be able to surrender to anyone but Mika.

Leone turned to face Mika in surprise. “One hundred and twenty?”

“It just so happens my Elder would really like this item.” Mika rubbed the back of his head and chuckled childishly. “I just thought that I could secure it if I went so high.”

“One hundred and twenty thousand is a little too much, don’t you think?” Leone chuckled.

“Yes, but I have to offer so much if I want a chance to beat you, Patriarch Leone.”

“So my family is within your sight?”

“Patriarch Leone, are you joking? You’re sitting right beside me! Even in my peripheral vision I can see your bulging muscles!”

Leone threw his head back, laughing so loud that it threatened to shake the entire Auction Hall. “That’s right! You’ll need to bring out whatever the stops to deal with the likes of me!”

Tara remained standing on the stage, dazed by the joy of all the money soon to come her way.

‘I need to kidnap him,’ she thought. 

“I’ll surrender to you, young Alchemist.” Leone held a wild grin on his face still. Playing in the auction had filled his stomach.

“What about Patriarch Tegro?” Mika asked. “Will you surrender to me?” He couldn’t help but smile at the Patriarch, whose veins were threatening to burst.

“I will surrender.” 

“One hundred and twenty thousand to Mika of Starr Alchemy!” Tara clapped her hands, almost jumping for joy. 

Mika beamed happily. “That was so much fun!” He stood up, ready to go get all his items. “My Elder should be here tomorrow to buy a few more things, will you be here again, Patriarch Leone?”

“You two are vicious!”

“Haven’t you bought enough?”

“Leave some for the rest of us!”

Patriarch Leone chuckled. “You should be careful, Alchemist Mika. You shouldn’t go around spending so much gold if you don’t have power.”

Mika smiled. “Gold is power.”