Chapter 59

Chapter 21. Tesing Underground Auction (2)

As with any underground auction, the one run by Tesing required an introduction for entry.

After an hour in the carriage, they arrived not far from Jet's inn.

The place they arrived at looked like an ordinary nobleman's villa. However, it was actually a space where all sorts of illegal transactions took place.

"What, Jet. What did you bring today, all these things hanging off you? Are they goods?"

"Don't talk nonsense, they're my guests."

Jet immediately embarrassed the guards. The guard tried to brush it off as a casual remark, but this showed that Jet was quite well-regarded in Tesing.

The three followed Jet inside. Despite being run by back-alley thugs, the auction house had Akin's nobles enjoying a party in the garden.

'The corrupt scene remains the same, whether before the regression or now.'

The real power holders of the country were mostly decided by Tesing, and even official investigative agencies couldn't investigate them at will.

While unregistered mages and mercenaries caused the common people to suffer, here, alcohol and meat never ran out, and all sorts of stolen goods, including humans, were traded.

Ziph knew about all this but did not impose any sanctions. Akin was not important to them, and the old retainers of the Ziph family received monthly allowances from the spider-hand Alu.

This made his teeth chatter anew.

'Dirty bastards.'

Jet had the guards bring three masks and distributed them.

"If you're going to play upstairs, you don't need it, but since we're going downstairs, it's best to use it. Normally, it's not allowed, but since I'm the guarantor, it's fine even if your face is covered, hehe."

There was a hidden staircase behind the garden. This place had not changed at all, whether before the regression or now. Even 13 years from now, Akin would still be under Tesing's control, and auctions would be held here every day.

Unless Jin decided to intervene in their fate.

As soon as they descended underground, the noisy voices of people quieted down, and the pleasant sound of a violin could be heard. A group of men in tuxedos were playing music non-stop on the stage.

'Still the same.'

All this was according to the taste of the spider-hand Alu. He always emphasized that he was not an uncultured thug.

"What, is this really an underground auction? Music? What a joke."

"Indeed."

They sat in a corner and waited for an hour. During this time, Jet informed the Tesing officers that he had brought guests. No officer came to check the faces of the three.

"Clearly, this little insect is well-trusted by these thugs. Kid, what are you planning? Are you going to sweep away the thugs on your first day in Akin?"

"The guards we saw on the way here seemed to have decent skills. There were also quite a few who looked like unregistered mages. You're not planning to start a battle here, right, young master?"

"Are both of you thinking I'm an idiot? Let's just observe the situation for now."

Of course, Jin had no intention of overturning the place today. As his companions said, it was too dangerous, and there were items he needed to obtain here.

'Ancient spellbooks and the helmet artifact.'

Spellbooks containing magic that transcended the ages, and an artifact that usually took the form of a ring but could form a helmet when the owner channeled mana.

Among the spellbooks, Jin particularly wanted the legacy of the great mage 'O Henserk.' The helmet artifact was also desirable not only for its performance but also because it could hide his face when needed.

Jin did not know the exact date when O Henserk's spellbook would be traded here. The probability that it would be one of today's items was as low as being struck by lightning.

'Even if it's not O Henserk's, ancient spellbooks are items that come up for auction every day. I can wait a few days and snatch them when they appear.'

On the other hand, he knew the exact date when the helmet artifact would be traded.

About 5 to 6 years from now, this item, known as the 'Demon King's Helmet,' was destined to become the property of the Biment Emperor.

When the Biment Emperor received the Demon King's Helmet as a tribute, many appraisers, historians, and researchers gathered. They unanimously classified it as a masterpiece and began to trace its history.

The name 'Demon King's Helmet' was given because historians believed it was used by an ancient Demon King.

This caused a stir in the magical academic journals. Whenever a masterpiece was discovered, the researchers would make a big fuss.

Jin, of course, subscribed to all the major academic journals, so he naturally knew where the Demon King's Helmet was first discovered and the date it was traded.

- Surprisingly, the Demon King's Helmet was first discovered at Akin's notorious underground auction. It had been in storage for years, unsold.

'The helmet will be traded about 5 years from now. It's in storage now.'

Therefore, there was no need to wait for the exact trading date.

He could just take it.

'The problem is how to break this place.'

As Murakan and Gilli said, it was not a small organization that could be easily taken down. There were many guards who seemed to be 6th level or higher, and unregistered mages were also waiting in disguise as guests.

Jin could not handle them all alone, and he could not use Murakan's power recklessly. If Murakan revealed his dragon aura, an emergency would be declared across the entire Rute magic federation.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining Tesing's night. The auction will now begin!"

While he was pondering, the auctioneer stepped onto the stage.

At the same time, dozens of naked slaves were also brought out. Men and women were separated, and they all had dazed, drugged eyes. The only fortunate thing was that there were no children.

"Come on, from number 1 to 30. The goods today are particularly good. Shall we start?"

The slave auction began. It took less than an hour for all of them to be sold.

"You were planning to sell us like that, weren't you?"

"Haha, my lord. I was foolish."

Jin, of course, wanted to save them. Most of them were pitiful people who had been dragged here without knowing why.

But not now.

'No matter how I think about it, there's no way to break the underground auction without anyone knowing.'

The best method would be to hire a mercenary group like the Black King Corps or the Ghost Brigade, pay them a hefty reward, and have them sweep the place clean with 7th-level mercenaries.

But he didn't have that much money, and Jin, who couldn't use the name 'Runkandel,' couldn't mobilize these groups. Especially for such a large-scale request.

Then there was the terrorist method, which Jin often used when facing obstacles. But the risk was too high.

After a while, Jin thought of a third method.

'Well... it's a bit uncomfortable, but it should be interesting. It might also be useful when checking if Alu has any connection to Runkandel later.'

Jin returned to the inn without buying anything at the auction that day.

* * *

This routine continued for a while.

During the day, he practiced magic and spirit energy at one side of Jet's inn, and at night, he attended the underground auction to carefully examine the items.

As a result, the eyes of the Tesing officers, who initially showed no interest in the group, gradually changed, and Jet silently attended to their needs.

"Hmm, kid. I'm really curious what's in your head. Will your plan really work?"

"Sir, it does feel... quite unconventional. Do they really not know who you are? The spider-hand Alu is said to have a significant background. Jet emphasized this a lot."

"That's the blind spot, Gilli. While Alu might know some people in Ziph, it's probably just a few low-ranking mages or old servants. Because of this, he can't easily call me a fake if I say I'm Veradin."

"Still, you're Runkandel. Impersonating Veradin Ziph... This nanny is at a loss for words."

Jin's plan was as follows.

First, when a genuine ancient spellbook appeared at the auction, he would buy it and go to Alu.

Then, he would confront Alu, asking why this spellbook, which should belong to our family, is here, using the name Veradin Ziph.

Veradin, like Jin, was not yet a cardinal, so he was not a widely known figure.

"At my age, using 5th-level magic. If I were Alu, I would believe I'm Veradin. And if it's exposed, I can just run away."

"Unless I'm not in a weakened state, it's not that simple..."

"That's true, strawberry pie. I don't need to transform into my true form. Escaping with the two of you against these insects is not a problem."

"Ugh."

"Anyway, to execute this plan, a proper ancient spellbook needs to appear soon. Let's hope it shows up today."

As night fell, Jet prepared the carriage as usual.

"My lord, to be frank... if you don't buy anything again today, the Tesing side will likely start to bother you. They might question why you only look around without buying anything."

"Just drive the carriage properly."

"Yes, sir."

The auction began again. After the slave auction ended, and the spellbooks and artifacts were brought to the stage, Jin straightened his back.

"Today, the slaves selected by Tesing are all sold out! Now... let's move on to the antiques. I sincerely hope that today's items find their way to those who appreciate their value. Let's begin!"

"The first item. A spellbook by the once powerful mage, Matthew Worniac. We couldn't decipher it, but it must contain great magic. Oh! The first bid is already in!"

Jin chuckled. The introduction of Matthew Worniac was wrong from the start.

The correct name was Matthew Moroniac, and as far as Jin knew, all his works were stored in Ziph's library.

The auctions over the past week were always like this. The auctioneer made false claims, and the vain mages made foolish bids.

"......The seventh item. Hmm, the author of this spellbook is... Chenmi. Is there anyone who knows the mage Chenmi?"

The hall was quiet. Jin had never heard of a mage with that name.

'Such a spellbook is essentially a lottery. Winning is extremely rare.'

According to the appraisal method Jin learned from his teacher, Chenmi's spellbook was not worth buying.

But Murakan thought differently.

"Kid."

"Hmm?"

"Buy it. If it's the Chenmi I know... this is a big deal."

A strong recommendation from the dragon.

No need to ask why. Jin raised his hand toward the auctioneer.