Warlock Apprentice

“Jellal? Why is HE interested in the stupid toy?” Chalon pushed the lady sitting on his legs away and walked to the window.

He knew Jellal was a master alchemist, which meant something was definitely not right.

“No, no… Was Theron actually right, that the music box is something special?” Chalon muttered as he got a bad feeling.

The bid had reached 750, which was offered by Dave just now, who was trembling for some reason.

The apprentices around him were looking at him in either disdain or suspicion. At the same time, they admired Dave’s courage for going against a rich wizard who could enter a VIP room.

An apprentice whispered to Dave, “Hey you, I have one of those Mirage Boxes too. I’ll pass it to you for only 300 crystals. What do you say?”

“Don’t listen to him. You find this thing at about 200 crystals elsewhere. Just save your money.”

Dave paid them no mind. Angor’s music box was on a completely different level compared with the cheap knockoffs people used to know.

But… the others were right about how it was dangerous to enter the competition like this.

The situation grew more and more chaotic as the price reached 800.

That price was insane for a “toy music box”. Or rather, the price usually suggested “better items” sold during monthly auctions, but not something around the opening speech.

While the customers wondered who VIP 7 was, Theron slowly regained his confidence as a professional appraiser—at least the price told him that he was not wrong. It was Master Chalon who misunderstood the value of the item.

He wondered what Master Chalon looked like right now, when a “junk that was worth no more than 50 crystals” just had its price multiplied.

I don’t think Master Chalon would do anything to Jellal though. Jellal was a famous alchemist after all.

Speaking of him, why would Jellal buy the music box? Did he come to Remnant Coast just to buy this thing?

Without using Narda’s Vision, Jellal, using his great experience as an alchemist, had noticed that the music box being sold contained more than one tiered component, which meant the item was a tiered alchemy creation.

He came here today because he heard about a broken tome that he was interested in. However, getting an extra gift that might be a decent plaything didn’t hurt his plan.

He did not see any trace of synthesis on the music box, which meant it might be the product of enchantment or other minor alchemy subjects he didn’t know. Winning the item would allow him to look into new knowledge.

However, he wasn’t so sure about this anymore when the apprentice on the first floor raised the price to 900.

Jellal was never short of money, but he wasn’t someone who would waste money for no reason. The price already exceeded his comfort zone for buying a potential test subject. He was still competing just because he felt annoyed that a mere apprentice would oppose him.

“Nine hundred and ten.”

Before Dave could add his increment, Jellal interrupted him, “That was my last raise. You can have it if you wish to keep going. Heh.”

Those words definitely sounded like a threat.

Dave faltered for a moment. He knew he had offended the VIP guest for good, but he didn’t want to let Angor’s creation go to someone at such a low price.

Theron was counting down. As the host, he also wanted to get rid of the item faster. Each elevated price meant a heavy blow to Master Chalon’s face. If Chalon grew too angry, the members of the auction might expect some misfortune.

Dave decided to give up. He didn’t want to get killed by a wizard yet.

However, someone else stopped Theron from dropping his gavel.

“Tell me, young man, why do you want the item so much?”

It was Leona, who just addressed Dave. Earlier, she wouldn’t get too concerned about the strange music box. But Jellal’s intervention aroused her suspicion again.

And since Leona couldn’t question Jellal’s intention, she chose to speak to the apprentice who was challenging Jellal.

Dave hesitated and wondered if he should speak at all.

“I think I saw him earlier. He was the one who brought the music box here,” someone suddenly yelled to everyone.

Instantly, Dave became the center of attention.

“So that was phony bidding then?” Jellal scolded from his room. “You… pulled such a dirty on me? Do you know who I am?”

Dave’s face went pale.

This was the first time in his life that he felt so close to death. Even confronting Steel Hedgehogs in the Abyss with Hercules didn’t feel so dreadful.

Theron glanced at Dave and slightly shook his head.

He recognized that voice as Master Chalon’s assistant.

Revealing the seller of an item to the public was definitely against their policy. It seemed Chalon did that to divert all the attention to Dave so that people disregarded the auction’s bad item arrangement.

Of course, most people were smart enough to notice the fact. However, they had no reason to help Dave by pointing it out. Instead, they enjoyed joining the fray and restlessly accused Dave.

Dave felt his heart about to explode as he desperately searched for a way out of this.

“Yes! I’m the seller. But I was not tricking the auction. I just want it back.”

“That’s pointless! Whatever you wanted, you caused trouble to the auction, and us!”

“But you all see what I did! I never backed down even when mister wizard was going for it because I really want the box back!” Dave decided to speak the truth since telling excuses would only raise more problems. “I know I’m not supposed to do such a thing, but I just can’t give it up without putting up a fight.”

Someone used truth-detection means and noticed that Dave was telling the truth.

“I can understand when someone regrets their decision. Well, I appreciate your courage,” another voice in Leona’s room—Kate—spoke up.

“Lady Kate is right, that this happens all the time. Can I know the reason? Or do you just not want Mister Jellal to have the music box?” a wizard who obviously enjoyed fanning the flames commented.

Dave quickly shook his head. “No! I have nothing against Mister Jellal. I want to get the music box because—”

— Because I don’t want the auction to falsely treat Angor’s creation as some kind of insignificant gimcrack.

He didn’t say the last part of his phrase because he saw Theron, who always showed a gentle and professional smile, just gave him a sharp gaze.

Dave closed his mouth and stuttered, while Theron looked away in satisfaction.

Yet not everyone was satisfied.

“What? Tell us already! So you don’t hate Mister Jellal or something, so… something about the auction house then?”

Theron interrupted the argument with a cold look, “Let’s not waste everyone’s time here. The consignor has signed our agreement for selling the item, and we shall see it to the end. I’m afraid we must consider your bidding invalid, Mister Dave. We will resume the process starting from the first offer of Mister Jellal, which is 200 crystals. If no one follows up, the music box shall go to Mister Jellal.”

Theron didn’t give anyone a chance to protest.

There was no universal law system in the wizarding world. Here, the auction would follow their own rules, which meant an item would go through the entire process that would determine who owned it later. The original seller had no right to take it back.

Or Dave could try buying the item as a customer as long as his identity wasn’t exposed, in which case the auction house would cast a blind eye about this.

The other guests chose to listen to Theron’s advice and hurry up so that they could see the auction going.

“Two hundred magic crystals, going once, going twice…” Theron called.

Dave made up a quick decision as he suddenly called again, “That’s the alchemy illusion Angor asked me to sell!”

Theron briefly stopped his action. What was that? Was he asking for mercy just now?

However, he didn’t have time to worry about Dave when the screen in front of him was instantly flooded with offers from people, ranging from 300 to 1,000.

At the same time, a voice from a VIP room called out loudly, “I’ll take it! I give you two thousand!”