I handed the golden envelope over and surveyed the festive scene before me, a stark contrast to the sinister purpose of this gathering. Carriages were lined up, with attendants escorting the newly arrived guests, all donned in elaborate masks and fine attire, inside the three-story building in front of him.
"Thank you. We have you seated in the upper row near the entrance." The masked man wrote the seat numbers on the invitation and returned the golden paper to me. "The auction will begin in half an hour."
"I guess we're not considered valued guests, getting the worst seats in the house." Jasper got out of the carriage right after me.
He didn't bother whispering his complaint, but the attendant was well out of earshot anyhow, having already moved on to the next carriage.
"Well, let's get ourselves something to drink while we wait," Jasper suggested, draping an arm around my shoulder as he guided me toward the building. With an orange mask covering his face, Jasper was, for once, not bothering with the public facade of being an attentive attendant.
"Two glasses of wine," Jasper signaled to the masked bartender inside and nudged me to put down the coin.
"Just one wine and a glass of water." I laid down a silver coin on the wooden counter.
The bartender poured the two drinks and slid the glasses toward us. "The wine is from the Daylan Dynasty's southern valley, and the water is from a natural spring within the Celestial Mountain Range."
"Thank you, my good man." Jasper turned with me to take in the carnival-like surroundings inside the building. All around us, hundreds of guests appeared to be enjoying the entertainment, alcohol being served, and the conversations between them. Jasper leaned in toward me, his voice barely above a whisper. "You'd never know they were selling off children in broad daylight."
I nodded and took a sip of my water.
Fin, along with many other mage children, were currently stored somewhere in this building, awaiting their turn to be auctioned off to some noble or other looking to purchase a young mage.
"It's a shame Micah couldn't convince the Spiders to simply give back Fin," I said.
With the help of Freida Stran's insight, I learned that Fin and Leona were stored in one of the Spider Synidcate's facilities. By some miracle, it appeared that they hadn't realized what Leona was, with Freida's description stating that the yellow bird remained locked up in the same mana-cage with Fin.
I considered rescuing them after learning the coordinates. However, unlike the orphanage and the tower, it was far better guarded, especially with the Summer Festival and the auction around the corner. Attempting to break them out would have certainly resulted in a few casualties, so alternatives were first considered.
The first of which was simply talking. Micah managed to contact one of the syndicate's leaders about returning Fin, but the response was lackluster.
"Do you have proof of ownership of this mage?" Jasper mimicked the response from the Spiders. "Do you have a certificate or a brand on his body indicating he is yours? We did not find any when we checked."
Their response made it sound like a signet ring rather than a human being was dropped and picked up. They argued that since we couldn't prove he was ours, they couldn't simply give up a mage for free and instead extended an invitation to the auction. But that was expected and our Plan B all along.
"Mages go for a pretty coin, you know. You're going to spend quite a bit to buy him back," Jasper said and sipped his wine.
"Money's not a problem," I replied.
I was in a cushy financial position with all the goods I'd sold in the Game Store. In the last couple of days, I had made it my sole mission to gather as much funding as possible for today, no matter what it took. Not to mention, Micah had relayed to me that I could dip into his personal reserves as well.
I was willing to spend a ridiculous sum, but it wasn't a waste. As Ridley had suggested, if the problem could be solved with money and no one getting hurt, that was the best possible outcome. Besides, I didn't want to needlessly restart the round because my cheapness prevented me from repurchasing my friends' freedoms.
"You shouldn't get too comfortable," a thickly accented woman sounded beside us.
We turned and took in a broad-shouldered woman in a glittering yellow dress and an enormous feathered mask that covered her whole head. Each of her earlobes and fingers dazzled with sparkling diamonds.
"Ah! Lady Shuzen," Jasper exclaimed. "I thought it was you."
"I was equally surprised to see you, Jasper," Lady Shuzen replied with a smile. "If you're looking to buy a mage, as word of caution, the quantity and quality have decreased yearly. Yet, mages remain in high demand. Thus, people in this room are willing and able to spend a fortune on a lackluster mage."
"Well, I must go." She picked up her drink and walked away toward a group of people, who, by their vibrant attire, I guessed were from the Lellei Kingdom on the far west.
"She's right; from what I've heard, the number of mages being auctioned off is lower than in any year prior. Yet the number of attendees is at an all-time high," Jasper said.
I frowned.
"Not everyone is here for mages," I stated.
My eyes fell on a familiar figure in a wheelchair. I had seen her outside, but it didn't click back then that it was Sedna Ozeryn. However, her short, slightly blue hair that peeked out of her mask was clearly hers.
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Beside Sedna was an imposing figure who was undoubtedly her mother.
I didn't know why Sedna was here at the auction, but given her kind nature, I doubted it was for something sinister, such as buying up another human being.
"Sure, some are here to buy artifacts, treasures, and weapons that one would normally be incapable of purchasing through normal channels," Jasper offered.
I wonder what Sedna and her mother are here for.
"The mage auction will commence in ten minutes!" A large man in a black mask announced to the room with the help of a mage's amplifying magic.
The room buzzed as everyone entered the large auditorium with a brightly lit stage.
"Best seats in the house," Jasper grumbled.
"Indeed," I said.
Our seats were right behind one of the large supporting columns, with a chunk of the stage blocked off. We had to lean away from each other to see around it.
He picked up our bidding numbered signs and handed one over to me. I turned the wooden paddle in my hands: #780.
I gazed around the large auditorium, which had quickly packed with people. Surprisingly, I saw Sedna and her mother sitting in one of the upper bleachers. Her mask turned, and she appeared to notice me as well.
I waved, and she responded in kind.
I'm sure she has her reasons for being here, as do I.
With most of the guests now comfortably seated, the orchestra music playing in the background slowly faded into silence. The ambient lights dimmed while a spotlight basked the center of the stage with a bright light.
A lone figure emerged onto the stage, a man dressed in a pristine white suit, his face concealed behind a black mask. A collective murmur from the audience hushed as the auctioneer stepped into the spotlight.
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests of the Spiders Syndicate, I welcome you to the most anticipated event of the year - the Annual Summer Auction," he proclaimed with a large smile, the only part of his face seen.
"As you know, our auction rules are simple and absolute. We deal in the extraordinary, the rare, and the priceless. In our first auction of the day, you will have the chance to take home a mage. Then, after lunch and a show, we have several exciting artifacts awaiting your bids."
The masked auctioneer raised a golden-gloved hand, gesturing toward the empty stage.
"Now, before we commence, allow me to remind you of a few crucial rules. Firstly, all bids are final. Once the gavel falls, there is no turning back. The mage you acquire is yours to command, nurture, or exploit."
He paused for effect, allowing the weight of his words to sink in.
"Secondly, interference with the bidding process will not be tolerated. We have our enforcers, both seen and unseen, to ensure a smooth and orderly auction. Disruptive behavior will be met with swift consequences."
The audience remained quiet, all well-versed in the rules of the auction.
"Finally," the auctioneer continued, "we shall begin with our first lot momentarily. Be prepared to present your bids clearly, for when it comes to the acquisition of mages, a delay may cost you more than you can imagine."
"I hear there's only thirty-two mages for auction this year," a man seated in front of me whispered to his partner.
"The Spiders are the only ones that can produce them consistently, yet even they are struggling," the other man grumbled. "A buddy of mine helps source kids with mana potential to them, and I hear it takes over a hundred potentials to produce a half-decent mage. What will we all do when mages go extinct?"
Bang!
My attention returned to the stage.
The masked auctioneer had stepped back, retreating behind a wooden podium, and had banged his gavel on the table.
"Let the auction begin!" he announced.
Four men rolled a large box covered with a yellow silk drape onto the stage.
"For our first mage, we have a Grade E mage of an Adept Rank." The yellow drapery slid off the glass box, revealing a girl with short blonde hair. She was no older than Jarvis or Elda.
"More like Grade EE," the man in front of me whispered.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the bidding will start at thirty phoenix eyes."
The first paddle went up near the stage. "40 Phoenix eyes!"
"45 Phoenix eyes!" A second paddle went up to my right.
"50 Phoenix eyes!" a voice called from a booth above.
The bidding continued to escalate, with each bidder trying to outbid the other. Finally, after several minutes, the auctioneer brought the bidding to a close.
"Going once, going twice, sold to the gentleman with paddle #423 in the blue suit for 140 Phoenix eyes!"
The crowd erupted into applause as the glass cage was carted off stage, and a new box appeared before us.
"Tch, back in my day, mages of such low rank went for Duex gold coins, not Phoenix eyes," an old woman behind me grumbled.
"For our second mage, we have a Grade D mage of a Novice Rank," the masked auctioneer announced. The yellow drape was removed to reveal a boy who must have been only eight years old.
I felt my mouth go dry as the new round of bidding began, with excited voices overtaking one another in an attempt to win the bid.
It's a child. They're just scared children.
My eyes stared at the boy who sat on the ground, holding his knees to his chest, while his face gazed out at the masked audience before him.
I wasn't naive. I knew what I would see at this auction, but actually seeing it unfold with my own eyes made my stomach churn. It was a spectacle I had managed to either avoid from my original life or block out of my memory.
"—AAAND sold to the lovely lady with paddle #1298 in the yellow dress for 180 Phoenix eyes!"
The boxes of children were carted in one by one before the masked audience, with a flurry of bidding taking place, each mage purchased for more than the one prior.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are coming to the end of our mage auction," the man in the white suit announced.
A chorus of disappointed groans sounded from the audience.
"I know, I know—if you wish to inquire about purchasing mages in the future, come check with one of us after the auction regarding what arrangements might be made." A large smile extended over his face.
"But, we have saved the best for last," he stated, and a new box was carted onto the stage, this one covered with a shimmering golden cloth.
Jasper and I perked up in our seats.
"It must be him," Jasper whispered.
I nodded, unsure whether I was more afraid of Fin being in the box or not.
"Ladies and gentlemen, unlike the lower grade mages you might have seen before, I present to you a mage that, while a rank of Novice, was awarded Grade A for his mana's potential."
A murmur passed over the audience, with everyone shifting in anticipation.
The golden drapery was lifted away, revealing a wide-eyed boy enclosed in the most heavily mana-stone-locked box thus far. To my relief and disappointment, it was Fin.
"Isn't that your bird too?" Jasper commented.
"It is," I replied, somewhat perplexed.
In Fin's hair was a patch of yellow fluff, no doubt Leona.
I attempted to telecommunicate with her, but it resulted in failure.
The mana stones in place on the cage are likely preventing any magic from entering in or out.
I was relieved that the Spiders didn't realize they had a phoenix on their hands this whole time, but it did concern me how they managed to capture her along with Fin in the first place.
"Given the rare quality of this mage, the bidding will start at 500 Phoenix eyes," the white-suited man announced, and another excited murmur spread across the audience.
"1,000 Phoenix eyes," a deep and booming voice echoed from the front of the room.
However, the announcer didn't even have a chance to make a comment before the next bids came rolling in.
"1,100 Phoenix eyes!"
"1,200 Phoenix eyes!"
Jasper gazed about the flurry of bids rolling in. "Luca, I think you might be out of luck."
However, undeterred, I raised my paddle.
"4,000 Phoenix eyes!" I announced, more than doubling the previously announced bid.