Episode 59
Chapter 21: Tesing’s Underground Auction (Part 2)
As is typical for underground auction houses, entry to the one run by Tesing required an introduction—no exceptions.
An hour’s ride by carriage, not far from Jett’s inn.
The place they arrived at looked like an ordinary noble’s villa. But in reality, it was a den for all manner of illicit dealings.
“What’s this, Jett? What’s with all the gear you’re lugging around? Merchandise?”
“Watch your mouth. These are my guests.”
Jett’s blunt reply left the gatekeepers embarrassed. They tried to brush it off as a careless remark, but it was clear that Jett was well respected in Tesing.
The three followed Jett inside. Despite being run by lowlife thugs from the back alleys, the garden was filled with Akyn nobles enjoying a party.
“Same as before the reset—still a rotten scene.”
The real power in the country was mostly decided by Tesing, and even official investigative agencies dared not probe them. While unregistered mages and mercenaries tormented the common folk, here the flow of alcohol and meat never ceased, and all sorts of stolen goods—including humans—were traded.
Jipl knew all this but did nothing. Akyn wasn’t important to them, and their long-standing vassals paid regular bribes to the spider-handed Alu.
It made Jin’s blood boil.
“Filthy bastards.”
Jett had the gatekeepers bring over three masks and handed them out.
“You won’t need these upstairs, but since you’re going down below, it’s best to wear them. Normally not allowed, but since I’m your guarantor, it’s fine if your faces are covered. Heh heh.”
Behind the garden was a hidden staircase. Nothing had changed here since before the reset, and in thirteen years to come, Akyn would still be under Tesing’s control, with auctions held here every day.
That is, unless Jin intervened in their fate.
As soon as they descended underground, the noisy chatter died down, replaced by the soothing sound of violins. A group of musicians in tuxedos played nonstop on stage.
“Still the same.”
All according to the tastes of spider-handed Alu, who always made a point of showing he wasn’t some uncultured thug.
“What? This really is an underground auction? Music? What a joke.”
“Right?”
They waited an hour in a corner. Meanwhile, Jett informed Tesing’s executives that he had brought guests. No one came to check their faces.
“Sure seems like that creature has solid trust among these thugs. Kid, what’s your plan? Sweeping out all the gangsters on your first day in Akyn?”
“The guards we passed on the way here didn’t look half bad. There were quite a few unregistered mages, too. You’re not planning to start a fight right in the middle of this place, are you, sir?”
“Do you both think I’m an idiot? Let’s just get a feel for the place first.”
Of course, Jin had no intention of turning this place upside down today. It was too dangerous, and there were items he needed to acquire.
“The old spellbooks and the helmet artifact.”
Ancient spellbooks containing magic that transcended eras, and an artifact that usually took the form of a ring but could release magic to form a helmet whenever the owner wished.
Among the spellbooks, Jin especially wanted the legacy of the great mage O Hensark. And the helmet artifact wasn’t just powerful—it was invaluable for its ability to conceal the wearer’s face on demand.
Jin didn’t know the exact date when O Hensark’s spellbook would be auctioned here. The odds of it appearing today were about as likely as being struck by lightning.
“Even if it’s not O Hensark’s, ancient spellbooks come up every day. I can wait a few days and snatch the best when it appears.”
On the other hand, Jin knew the exact date the helmet artifact would be traded.
About five or six years from now, the item that would come to be known as the “Demon King’s Helmet” was destined for the Bimant Emperor.
When the Bimant Emperor received the Demon King’s Helmet as tribute, numerous appraisers, historians, and researchers gathered. They unanimously classified it as a masterpiece and began tracing its history.
The name “Demon King’s Helmet” came from historians’ belief that it was once used by an ancient demon king.
For a while, the entire magical academic community was in an uproar. Researchers always went wild whenever a masterpiece was discovered.
Jin subscribed to all the major journals, so he naturally learned where the helmet was first found and when it was traded.
—Surprisingly, the Demon King’s Helmet was first discovered in Akyn’s notorious underground auction house. It had sat unsold in storage for years…
“So the helmet won’t be traded for another five years. Right now, it’s just sitting in a warehouse.”
Therefore, there was no need to match the trade date exactly.
He could just take it by force.
“The problem is how to storm this place.”
As Murakan and Gilly had said, this wasn’t a small gang you could just fight blindly. Among the guards were many who appeared to be level six or higher, and unregistered mages disguised as guests were on standby.
Jin couldn’t handle them all alone, and Murakan’s power couldn’t be used recklessly. If he revealed the dragon’s energy, the entire Lutero Magic Federation would go on high alert.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting. We will now begin the auction!”
While Jin was still pondering, the announcer stepped onto the stage.
Along with him came dozens of naked slaves, men and women separated, all with glazed, drugged eyes. At least there were no children.
“Alright, items one through thirty. Today’s goods are especially fine. Shall we begin?”
The slave auction began. It took less than an hour for all of them to be sold.
“So you were planning to sell us off like that, huh?”
“Ha, ha ha. My lord, I was foolish.”
Jin wanted to save them, of course. Most were pitiful souls dragged here without knowing why.
But not now.
“No matter how I think about it, there’s no way to raid this underground auction without anyone noticing.”
Hiring mercenary groups like the Black King or Ghost Squad with hefty pay, bringing in multiple level-seven mercenaries to wipe this place out—that would be the best option.
But Jin didn’t have that kind of money, and without using the name “Runcandel,” he couldn’t command those groups. Especially not for a job this big.
Then there was the option Jin often relied on when in a pinch: terrorism. But that carried too much risk.
After a moment, Jin came up with a third plan.
“Well… it feels a bit off, but it might be fun. Also useful later when checking if Alu has ties to Runcandel.”
Jin left the auction empty-handed and returned to the inn that night.
Days passed in this routine.
By day, Jin trained magic and spiritual energy in a corner of Jett’s inn; by night, he attended the underground auction, carefully observing the items.
Gradually, the Tesing executives who had initially ignored the group began to look at them differently, and Jett quietly tended to their needs.
“Hmm, kid. Sometimes I really wonder what’s going on in that head of yours. Do you think this plan will actually work?”
“Sir, it’s a bit… unconventional. Do you really think they don’t know him? I heard Alu has powerful connections. Jett emphasized that a lot.”
“That’s the blind spot, Gilly. It’s true Alu knows some people in Jipl, but probably just minor mages or old servants. Because of that, even if I told him I was Veradin, he wouldn’t dismiss it outright.”
“But sir, you’re Runcandel. Pretending to be Veradin Jipl… this nanny doesn’t know what to say.”
Jin’s plan was this:
If a genuine ancient spellbook appeared at the auction, he would buy it and confront Alu.
He’d demand to know why a spellbook that belonged to their family was here, threatening him under the name of Veradin Jipl.
Veradin, like Jin, wasn’t yet a recognized figure in the world.
“At my age, I can wield level-five magic or higher. If I were Alu, I’d probably believe I was Veradin. And if I get caught, I’ll just run.”
“Unless you’re powerless, it’s not that simple…”
“You’re right, Strawberry Pie. I don’t need to transform into my true form. Leading these lowlifes away with you two won’t be a problem.”
“Hmmm.”
“Anyway, for this plan to work, a proper ancient spellbook has to show up soon. Let’s hope it appears today.”
That night, as always, Jett prepared the carriage.
“My lord, forgive me for saying this… but if you don’t buy anything again today, Tesing might start pestering you. They’ll probably ask why you’re just looking around without purchasing.”
“Drive the carriage properly.”
“Yes, sir.”
The auction began again. After the slave auction ended, spellbooks and artifacts were brought to the stage, and Jin straightened his back.
“Tesing’s selected slaves have all been sold! Now, onto the antiques. We sincerely hope these items find their way to those who appreciate their value. Let’s begin!”
“The first item is the spellbook of Matthew Worniak, a mage who once ruled the world. We haven’t deciphered it yet, but it likely contains powerful magic. Oh! The first bid already!”
Jin let out a short, amused laugh. The name “Matthew Worniak” was already a mistake.
The correct name was Matthew Morniak, and as far as Jin knew, all of his works were stored in Ziphl’s archives.
This week-long auction had been like this every time. The auctioneer babbled nonsense, and the vain wizards made foolish bids.
“…Up next, the seventh item. Hmm, the author of this grimoire is Chenmi. Does anyone here know a wizard named Chenmi?”
The room fell silent. Jin had never heard of any wizard by that name either.
‘Books like this are basically lottery tickets. The chances of hitting the jackpot are incredibly slim.’
By the authentication method Jin had learned from his master, Chenmi’s grimoire wasn’t something worth buying.
But Murakan thought differently.
“Kid.”
“Yeah?”
“Buy that. If it’s the Chenmi I know… this is huge.”
A dragon’s recommendation. And a strong one at that.
No need to ask why. Jin raised his hand toward the auctioneer.