Chapter 91: The Auction House (Part 1)
That night, before the clock struck midnight, Damian slipped out of the royal palace.
Upon arriving at the tavern, he was greeted by Carmen.
“Thanks for the invitation.”
“It’s an opportunity to host someone like you, Damian. I couldn’t pass it up.”
Carmen flashed a charming smile, her knack for flattery evident.
“Let me escort you to the auction house.”
Carmen led Damian to a carriage that had been prepared in advance. As the carriage rolled through the night streets, Damian turned to Carmen.
“Where’s the auction being held?”
“It’s set up at the Malburn Theatre.”
Damian raised an eyebrow in surprise. The Malburn Theatre was the largest in the Apple Kingdom, a symbol of the capital itself. He hadn’t expected the Green Fragrance’s influence to extend to renting such a prestigious venue.
“It seems bigger than I thought.”
“Many nobles are attending the auction, so we were able to secure a prime location.”
It appeared the Green Fragrance had connections with numerous nobles.
Soon, the carriage arrived at the theatre. Despite the lights being out, a considerable crowd was gathering, all likely nobles eager to participate in the auction.
“This way, please.”
Following Carmen, Damian entered the theatre through a passage reserved for VIPs. Carmen led him to an opulent room, its floor covered in a red carpet and adorned with expensive-looking artworks.
“This room is usually reserved for the theatre’s leading actors. You can rest here until the auction begins.”
Damian nodded, taking in the art around him.
“Damian, I heard you’ve had some friction with Lord Alexander recently.”
Carmen’s sudden comment piqued Damian’s interest, and he looked at her curiously.
“You have sharp ears. How did you hear about that so quickly?”
“We have to stay informed to survive in our position.”
Carmen approached a corner of the room, tapping lightly on an otherwise unremarkable wall.
“This wall is particularly thin, so you can hear everything from the next room.”
“Shoddy construction, I suppose.”
Carmen chuckled softly.
“Please bear with any noise. We appreciate your understanding.”
With that, Carmen left the room. Damian settled onto the sofa, pondering Carmen’s intentions. But it didn’t take long for him to realize he didn’t need to guess.
-It’s an honor to have you here again.
Carmen’s voice drifted in from the adjacent room.
-Lord Alexander.
Alexander.
The moment Damian heard the name, he stilled his presence and moved closer to the wall, listening intently.
-I’m not particularly pleased to be here.
-If you tell me why, I’ll fix it immediately.
-Don’t play dumb. It’s because you botched the job!
There was a sound of something shattering. Alexander must have thrown something.
-I told you repeatedly to keep that fool Oliver in check!
-About that… I have no excuses.
-You shouldn’t! You failed to even keep that idiot in line.
Previously, Carmen had mentioned that entertaining Oliver Apple was a way to manage connections. But from the conversation, it seemed there was more to it.
-Do you know what that fool did? He said he was going to hunt orcs! That idiot who lived for booze and women!
-I have no words, even if I had ten mouths.
-Damn it! If you had done your job, that fool would have been ousted by now!
Heavy breathing followed, as if Alexander was trying to calm his anger.
-Damian Haxen warned us not to approach the Crown Prince, so we had no choice.
-Oh, so you’re afraid of that arrogant brat but not of me?
-That’s not it…
-Don’t lie!
Crash.
This time, it sounded like a piece of furniture had been overturned.
-We’ll do whatever it takes to make up for this.
-Who would trust fools like you with another task? I’ll make sure you pay for this!
-Please, calm your anger…
-Get out of my sight!
Another object was thrown, followed by the sound of a door closing. Carmen must have left the room.
‘So, he’s not what he seems.’
In the palace, Alexander Apple played the role of a knight devoted to the kingdom. In reality, he was just a man scheming against his own nephew.
‘There’s only one child of the king, Oliver. If Oliver is ousted from the position of Crown Prince, Alexander might think he can inherit the throne.’
As Damian pondered these thoughts, the door opened again.
-Your Excellency, you seem quite upset. I could hear the commotion from the hallway.
A woman’s voice, cold and formal, as if she would remain expressionless no matter the situation.
-Leona! How can I not be upset? These fools have ruined everything!
Alexander Apple shouted in anger.
-Calm yourself. What’s done is done. Anger won’t change anything.
The woman spoke in a firm tone, and surprisingly, Alexander began to calm down.
-Crisis is opportunity. If we use this chance, you might achieve your goals even faster.
-Faster?
-The original plan was as good as failed. We tried to bring down Oliver Apple’s reputation, but the king’s support has been unwavering for years.
-That’s true. That fool has been a disgrace for years, yet my brother remains steadfast.
The woman continued.
-The Crown Prince has volunteered to hunt orcs. If he fails, he won’t be able to retain his position.
-Do you think I haven’t considered that? But Damian Haxen is with Oliver! Not to mention Michael Ryanbloom and the knights of the Goldpixie Duchy!
-They are formidable, but there’s no need to worry. We can mobilize all our resources.
-Do you have a plan?
As Damian focused intently, trying to discern their plan, the woman spoke again.
-The auction is about to begin. I’ll explain in detail later. There are items we must acquire to proceed with the plan.
With that, the two left the room, leaving Damian unable to learn more about their scheme.
As he clicked his tongue in frustration, Carmen re-entered the room.
“Is this why you brought me here? To let me hear this?”
Damian asked Carmen, who simply smiled quietly.
“If what Alexander Apple said is true, I can’t just let you be. It sounds like you intentionally targeted the Crown Prince.”
“There’s no excuse for that. But please understand, when someone like Lord Alexander demands something, we have no choice but to comply.”
No matter how powerful the Green Fragrance was, they couldn’t stand against royalty. They likely had no other option.
“What do you want from me?”
“We just wish to step back from this troublesome conflict.”
“If Alexander Apple gains power, it would benefit you too.”
At this, Carmen’s lips twisted into a wry smile.
“Damian, the Green Fragrance is a gathering of the weak. Our sole purpose is survival.”
A modest goal for the largest organization in the Apple Kingdom.
“We’ve seen many powerful figures fall. From our experience, Lord Alexander isn’t someone we can trust.”
A wise judgment. Indeed, Alexander Apple would leave no mark in history.
“So, you find me trustworthy?”
“That’s why we arranged this meeting.”
Damian couldn’t help but laugh at Carmen’s words. She had a way with words, as if her tongue were coated in honey.
“Do you know who the woman with Alexander Apple is?”
“We know nothing about her. We’ve tried to investigate, but found nothing.”
Even the Green Fragrance knew nothing, making her all the more suspicious.
If the Green Fragrance couldn’t find out, Damian would have to uncover it himself.
“I’ll need your help one more time.”
“Of course.”
“The theatre is being used entirely for the auction, so VIPs are seated in the box seats, right?”
Box seats were separate spaces within the theatre, perfect for private conversations, though expensive to rent.
“I’d like to be placed in the box next to Alexander Apple.”
Carmen kept her promise to Damian.
The box seats at the Malburn Theatre were quite spacious, furnished with tables and chairs for comfortable viewing.
Looking out, Damian saw people filling the seats. Given the secretive nature of the event, the crowd wasn’t large.
-Leona! Tell me, how do you plan to ensure the hunting party fails?
Alexander Apple’s voice, along with the woman’s, came from the adjacent box.
To hear their conversation clearly, Damian used his magic to enhance his hearing.
-Please wait a moment. This is a dangerous topic, so we must prepare first.
A strange wave emanated from beyond the wall, and suddenly, their voices were silenced.
The ripple of realization made Demian’s eyes widen in shock.
“Dark magic?”
There was no mistaking it. The woman had just used dark magic.
“And not just any dark magic.”
She had employed a spell to silence sound, a feat only achievable by a high-level dark mage.
“Alexander Apple is consorting with a dark mage?”
In his past life, Oliver Apple had ascended to the throne after quelling a rebellion, yet he had kept everything under wraps. If Alexander Apple was the mastermind behind the rebellion, it all made sense.
If it became known that a royal was in league with a dark mage, the Apple royal family would be disgraced, and the church would surely intervene.
“A prince consorting with a dark mage.”
The thought of a dark mage being so close made something simmer within Demian. He forced himself to remain calm.
It wasn’t time to let his emotions explode. There was still much to uncover.
“High-level dark magic, but… there must be a way to eavesdrop.”
The woman’s spell absorbed sound by creating a barrier. Even if Demian amplified his senses, he couldn’t hear through it.
But Demian could use dark magic too.
He discreetly released a small amount of dark energy from his bracelet, careful not to alert the woman, and subtly cast his own spell.
“Just need one small hole.”
Using his dark magic, he created a tiny breach in the barrier, allowing the voices to filter through once more.
”…It’s unfortunate. Noctis went through great trouble to gather the orc horde for you, sir.”
Demian clicked his tongue in disbelief.
“They orchestrated the orc incident?”
There was only one school of dark magic capable of such a feat.
The School of Monstrosity.
Known for controlling and mutating monsters, it was one of the most notorious and difficult schools of dark magic.
“Damn, the plan was to use that to extort funds from my brother. Who would’ve thought that fool would intercept it?”
It seemed they had intended to stage the orc incident and have Alexander “defeat” them, a ploy to boost his reputation.
“Come to think of it, Alexander Apple has gained a lot by resolving incidents in the kingdom.”
Perhaps all the incidents Alexander had “resolved” were orchestrated by him to enhance his reputation and expand his influence.
“I’ve instructed Noctis to grow the orc horde and mix in other large monsters.”
“Orcs and ogres? Can they really fail the subjugation with two mid-class mages on their side?”
“That’s why I’ve told Marina to prepare poison.”
It seemed Alexander Apple had more dark mages in his employ.
“Poison, huh? That means the other one is from the School of Venom.”
A school of dark magic that dabbled in alchemy, specializing in poisons.
“This is getting troublesome.”
Poison was a terrifying weapon. A single drop of potent poison could kill even the strongest warrior.
Demian had many ways to counteract poison, but the other knights were a concern.
“However, creating a poison effective against mid-class mages is extremely difficult. That’s why I suggested attending this auction.”
“You need me to acquire something, I presume?”
“Quite a few things. It might be quite costly.”
“Don’t worry about that. I came prepared with plenty of capital.”
Alexander Apple boasted confidently.
“But you must promise me. Ensure the subjugation fails.”
“Rest assured. I swear on the name of Pandemonium that this plan will succeed.”
At that moment, Demian felt a jolt as if an arrow had struck his mind.
Pandemonium.
The largest, most powerful, and most feared dark mage organization, operating at the heart of the empire.
With their full might, they could annihilate an entire nation.
Their immense threat level made them a constant target of scrutiny by both the empire and the church.
“Interesting. Filthily interesting.”
In his past life, Pandemonium had been the strongest ally and force behind Dorgo.
The thought filled him with rage. The buried hatred reared its head, screaming for him to storm into the next room and tear the woman apart.
But Demian clenched his teeth and suppressed his fury.
Killing that woman, Leona, would be easy. But doing so would mean losing track of the other two dark mages.
He needed to strike when he could eliminate all three.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Just then, a man in a tailcoat entered Demian’s box seat.
“Here are the items up for auction.”
The man handed Demian a catalog and left. Demian opened it and began to peruse the contents.
“Hmm.”
Unfortunately, nothing caught his interest. Still, he flipped through the pages just in case.
Then, one item caught his eye.
“Mana Refinement Techniques and Related Skills. 50% damaged by fire?”
It was the mana refinement technique Demian had been searching for.
The starting bid was low, likely due to the fire damage.
“Should I try to buy it?”
Though it was a shame it was damaged, Demian’s experience and knowledge would allow him to restore it.
“Anything else?”
As he turned a few more pages, an unusual item caught his attention.
“Unknown, grants immunity to cold, blocks ice magic?”
Reading the description, Demian exclaimed in surprise.
”…A spirit’s heart?”
If his guess was correct, it was a rare find.
The spirit’s heart was not widely recognized for its value, meaning it could be acquired cheaply.
“Sir, look here. A spirit’s heart is up for auction.”
But Demian wasn’t the only one who recognized the spirit’s heart.
The dark mage from Pandemonium had also identified it.
“We must acquire this. It’s not something easily found.”
“Understood. I’ll make sure to purchase it.”
“Thank you for your generosity, sir.”
Demian stroked his chin. It wasn’t an ideal situation.
Though he had considerable wealth, his opponent was royalty.
There was no guarantee he could outbid them.
“What else do you need?”
“A bundle of Moon Dream Grass, a basilisk’s eye, mandrake powder, a seven-pointed star’s heart, and the fruit of a withered tree.”
“With those, you can create a poison that can kill mid-class mages?”
As he listened to their conversation, an idea struck Demian.
The spirit’s heart was listed later, while the items the woman mentioned were earlier in the auction.
Anyone could participate in the auction and raise the prices. And Demian knew exactly what they needed.
“Let’s see if I can throw a wrench in their plans.”