Chapter 133 – The Value Of A Sword (2)

Adelian.

A city where commerce was most actively developed in the northeast due to the existence of the Warp Gate. So the people of the Adelian family were the richest in the northeast, but the Central Government was the one taking the lead in the Warp Gate installment, so they paid huge taxes for it.

Even if the total amount they earned was similar, they were different from Dmitry, who made their own place and developed their own technology.

When he got to Adelian, which was full of people, Lucas put on his robe and headed to the auction house.

“Guest Number 23.”

“Yes.”

The waiting line was long. Because the Adelian Auction House was known for its reliable work, many people sought to sell their items there, even if it meant traveling a significant distance.

Lucas was Number 23. After leaving people’s eyes behind, he moved to the examination room and held out his sword at the words of the employee who wanted to check them.

“It will only be a moment.”

The employee put his gloves on and raised the sword with careful movement as he checked the object by shining light on it.

‘Oh!’

His eyes changed.

The magical artifact would change to seven colors depending on the strength of the object, and the blue light lingered on the sword.

And it wasn’t just that. The feeling from the sword was unusual. As someone who worked at an auction house and looked at a lot of swords, it was rare to see a weapon like this.

The staff asked,

“How do you plan to conduct the auction?”

“We will conduct the auction anonymously.”

“Free competition doesn’t guarantee a minimum winning bid. And a fee of 10% is added, is that fine?”

“Yes.”

Free addition.

Was that a flower of this auction too? The condition of the item was quite good, and the employee decided that he had to get more information.

“I do not think it is right for me to judge the value of the sword with my abilities. In order to win a high price in the auction, I have to know how great the value of this item is, so I will call for an expert and proceed with a more accurate assessment.”

Not long after, a person came. With his head held high, he extended his hand with a bright face.

“I am Maurice. I am the one who manages the Adelian Auction House.”

“Nice to meet you.”

And they exchanged handshakes.

There was no reason to waste time with pleasantries, so Maurice turned to the weapon expert who followed him.

“Check it.”

“Yes.”

The expert sat down and looked at the sword, saying some similar stuff like the employee earlier.

“Certainly the strength and sharpness of the sword are a prize to hold. It is rare to find a sword this well-made… In addition, it is presumed that the sword’s weight was moderately crafted by a skilled craftsman. Actually, it is standard practice to obtain at least 30 gold or more of these swords. 30 gold isn’t a small amount, but it takes time and patience for one to get it.”

30 gold—it was a considerable amount. Considering that the cost of living for a common family was 1 gold per year, the value of the sword was enough to cover the livelihoods of a hundred and twenty people.

The problem was that it was reasonable. If there was a competition for the sword right now, it could get approximately 40 gold in a hopeful scenario.

“I will test the mana reaction.”

It was another essential process of appraisal. How the sword would handle the mana could determine whether it was a sword used by an ordinary swordsman or an aura.

Mana reaction was divided into 1 to 10. Only by reacting to at least any of those stages was it possible to earn the title of a treasured swordsman.

Woong.

Mana was infused into it. It was then that the response of the sword made the eyes of the expert widen.

“… uhk?!”

The sword strongly absorbed the mana. It had no restrictions on absorbing mana and was consuming it as if it were starving.

This was by no means common. Some swords would break with even the slightest mana, but this one was accepting it a lot better.

Furthermore, the power of the mana was amplified. It didn’t just end with simple mana acceptance but showed a reaction that maximized the power of mana.

‘This is nonsense.’

His eyes shone wildly. He had spent decades as an appraiser and seen many swords, but this was the first time he had ever seen anything like it.

“What the hell is this? How great is it for you to react like that?”

Maurice asked.

He noticed the expert’s expression, and the man looked at Maurice as he spoke loudly, wanting Lucas to know.

“Mr. Maurice. It has a level 10 reactivity. No, it reacts completely to mana to the extent where the stages seem so meaningless, and rather it even amplifies the mana. What’s even more shocking is that it is not a mana artifact. The power of a magician didn’t even go through it, and yet the sword shows perfect synergy.”

Maurice seemed shocked.

Level 10.

This was an unprecedented figure in the history of the Adelian Auction House.

That evening, people flocked to the Adelian Auction House. Due to the larger number of people than usual, people showed signs of being wary of others.

‘Everyone must be having the same thought. The information about the special item that came, it is clear that everyone is aiming for it.’

Before the auction, Maurice spread a little bit of information. It felt important to have a good number of customers come in order for the goods to be paid for.

“We need to attend this auction. I promise in my name, never before in the history of the Adelian Auction House did something like this come. Brief information about the object is that it is a great sword that uses aura. You can think of it as a monstrous sword that can allow a 1-Star Swordsman to defeat a 2-Star one.”

This was a shocking statement.

The distinction.

It was common sense that a 1-Star Swordsman couldn’t defeat a 2-Star one, but Maurice promoted the sword by saying such a thing.

Rumors spread, and only the vital information was spread to the key people. Then why did so many come to the auction house?

All the guests looked gorgeous at this auction. The staff let the people in after checking their identities and holding back their surprise.

‘… from the local nobles to the ones of wealthy nobles. In addition, Marquis Valentino, who is known to be the richest man in the Cairo Kingdom, also attended the auction. The Marquis is a person of enormous wealth who runs a continental business. The Central Government always keeps him in the middle ground of politics, but when a good time is coming up, they are famous for fighting like wild hens.’

Marquis Valentino—a VVIP of the Adelian auction house. He would spend hundreds of gold each time he visited an auction, and his appearance now made people gossip even more.

It was certain. Those who visited the auction without accurate information now knew something was up after seeing this man. A person like him wouldn’t make a move without verified information.

It meant that the information was delivered directly from the auction house, and Marquis Valentino entered the auction house proudly.

Soon after, prominent individuals who could be recognized just by looking at their faces arrived one after another. The auction hadn’t even started, yet the auction house was heating up.

The auction had started. And the items weren’t bad. These items were worthy to be displayed here, but people didn’t show much interest.

The reason was obvious. All of them were only interested in the item Maurice was talking about, and they didn’t bid on anything big, thinking they wouldn’t have enough money to buy it.

It was a pretty unlucky day for the owners of other items for auction. On a day like today, with an important item scheduled, the overall bid price dropped. Before the storm, the atmosphere darkened.

After such long auctions, the host smiled.

“Everyone. You have waited for too long. For today’s main event, let me introduce you to the famous sword Blaze!”

Swish!

He removed the cloth covering the object and threw it away. In an instant, a colorful light was focused on it, revealing the smooth figure of Blaze.

“Blaze displayed the blue light in the strength test. If that were all, this sword wouldn’t have been put as the main event for the Adelian Auction House. Blaze’s true ability lies in its mana reaction. Was it a year back? A rapier called Needle showed a level 7 mana response and got sold for 300 gold. That is a huge amount. It was a huge advantage to show the excellent reactivity that the sword showed.”

300 gold—an amount that small families couldn’t afford or even touch. To win a bid for the sword, the wealthy men of the capital would start with an amount that could feed thousands of people.

For that reason, people called Flares money eaters. To destroy a castle, a good number of cannons must be shot, and one Flare boasted of tens of gold for one bullet. So, even if one mobilized a Flare, if they did not win the war, there was a saying that the family would go bankrupt.

The people of this place were those who were called rich and had hundreds of gold that they could spend on anything.

“Do not be surprised that Blaze’s mana reaction is level 10. Not just that, but it has also demonstrated the ability to amplify the power of aura. We have done auctions for a lot of swords but not once have I heard or seen anything like this. We will proceed with the auction now. The starting price will be 10 Gold.”

At the words of the host.

Whisper.

People looked a bit shocked. They knew it was a great thing. However, no matter how much it was, they didn’t know that the item would be a level 10 mana-responding sword.

This was a treasure. If the ability of the sword that wasn’t touched by a magician was this good, then this was a sword that an aura swordsman couldn’t help but admire.

Artifacts enchanted with magic.

Their abilities were really great, but it was a sword in its pure state that could receive aura, and that was the major thing, so everyone raised their hands.

In response to the announcement that the bid was starting, the host decided to start counting.

“No. 12 on 10 gold. No. 29, 20 gold. No.18, 30 gold…from now on, we will proceed in units of 50 gold. No.39,100 gold. No. 41, 150 gold. Guest No. 12 said to double it, so 300 Gold in an instant!”

And the wall got crossed. This was expected. There had already been a successful bid like this, so they knew that 300 had to be touched.

“From now on, we move to 100 gold.’

The price rose quickly, making the hearts of the people race.

100 gold—it was a price even the rich would think twice about. Using 100 gold wouldn’t cause a financial loss, but investing that amount in a sword was something to think about. Because it didn’t seem like it would be worth buying it for 100 gold.

In a situation that would break through 500 gold in an instant, the people showed signs of hesitation.

Finally…

“No. 12 came with 600 gold!”

“Wow!”

“… 600 gold”

It was a huge amount.

Even with a simple calculation, it could feed around 2,400 people a year, and it was an amount that most families couldn’t even dare touch.

Number 12 is now a celebrity. It was an expense that could be considered high, but the moment he heard the details about Blaze, he had to get it.

It was then.

From the other side, a signal was given, which made even the host’s eyes turn wide.

“Ahhhhh! No. 53 just said to double the winning bid! 1200 Gold! This is totally unprecedented in the history of the Adelian Auction House!”

Everyone immediately turned their heads. The people who recognized the face of the man fell into despair.

‘Marquis Valentino.’

Cairo’s great wealth. He clearly expressed his will to win the bid.