The colleagues dispersed as they began looking for a precious masterpiece to buy, Maximus walked down the main street where most of the street merchants were located. One may get the biggest chance or the biggest scam if he is inexperienced.

'Gemstones for sale, gemstones for sale. Wholesale or retail, buy as you like.'

Among the street merchants who spread the ground with carpets to exhibit their products, one attracted the attention of Maximus.

Ordinary gems, magic gems, elemental stones and some stones of unknown properties.

"Is it really what I think? It would be great if it were it!"

'Good morning, may I ask how much you sell this gem?'

Maximus pointed to a polyhedral jewel the size of an apple. More like polished black glass than jewels.

'Hello dear customer, if you are asking about that jewel, I would sell it for 5 gold coins. It doesn't look ordinary, but I don't know much about it.'

Maximus smiled, bent over, picked up the jewel and examined it for confirmation.

'It's good, good price too.'

He took the money out of his pocket and gave him five coins exactly as he ordered and put it in his dimensional storage.

"I apologize to you, dear seller, if you knew its value; you would not sell it for less than 40 gold coins. In this case, none of us lost anything."

Maximus heard a whisper in his ear, a whisper communication from one of his colleagues and then moved instantaneously to the source of the signal.

'What do you need, Eddy?'

'I was thinking of buying magic cores to use in my latest inventions, I just wanted to ask you what you think."

Maximus rubbed his short beard while gazing at the polished and carefully preserved magic stones in the glass display tables and began to distinguish them based on quality and their magical energy content. As soon as he finished checking all the stones, he turned to his friend asking him something.

'How many stones do you want to buy?'

'Frankly, I need five, if it was more than that; it wouldn't hurt if it could.'

'This and this and that... That's the top ten cores of them.'

'You're the coolest, buddy. Your services are the best.'

Maximus turned to look for what might attract his attention from the shop's exhibits; the jewels on the first floor were of high quality but not irreplaceable opportunities. Just usual products in his view. He headed to the second floor where the magic items were on display. Like a gallery or museum, all items were kept in glass boxes bearing the price of the item.

"Can we find something attractive here?"

He passed between the rows and examined the exhibits, putting his hands behind his back.

'Acceptable, bad, good enough...'

Among the many objects, a magic wand caught his attention.

"Was it here before? He'll definitely like the gift."

A staff one and a half meters long, at the top of which is a red magic ball under the head of a phoenix. It was certainly the 'white flame staff' that Maximus remembered. He paid attention towards the price and it was really exorbitant... 200 gold coins! This price explained why this item has not yet been sold.

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He turned back to the payment desk where the employee in charge of the keys to the glass safes was next to her the clerk in charge of opening the safes to take out the items and give them to customers.

'Sorry, miss, I want to buy that stick there. Can someone come and open the safe.'

‘Frodo, accompany the client to open the white flame stick safe. Pay in cash, sir.'

He took out his bag of money, put two hundred gold coins in front of the cashier, and gave him a special receipt to buy the cane. He returned with the clerk towards the stick to take it after paying for it. Maximus now spent mostly all his money he had till the moment, he would get more eventually with a trick in his pocket.

.........

'Ah, you came in time, employee. Open this safe for me because I want to buy this stick.'

One of the store's customers spoke in a rude tone to the employee who was a few steps ahead of Maximus, pointing with his hand towards the stick that Maximus had just bought.

'Sorry, dear customer, it was sold a little while ago and I am taking it to the buyer.'

'What are you talking about? I came to buy it and I would not leave without it. Tell that customer I'll buy it from him.'

His provocative tone became brazen than before thinking that he could get what he wanted just because he had money or power.

'He told you it was just sold, look for another.'

Maximus intervened to defend the employee against this violent customer.

'And who are you, sir, to interfere with my conversation with the employee?'

He annoyed the heavenly magician, as he could not bear arrogance and high self-esteem at all. He grabbed this customer by the shoulder and pressed him so hard that his eyes watered.

'I am the customer who bought it and I will not sell it to people like you. If you had spoken to him respectfully, I would have thought a little about it, although my answer would still be no.'

'I apologize sir, you can take it. I changed my mind.'

'It's not me you should apologize to.'

Maximus pointed to the employee who was directly behind him.

'I apologize; clerk, for yelling at you. Now let me go, sir. My shoulder is about to break.'

Maximus released this customer and warned him not to repeat such behavior again. He left quickly walking away after being terrified by Maximus.

'People these days don't even know manners!!'

'Thank you for your help a little while ago sir. Have a good day.'

'No thanks for duty.'

Maximus descended the stairs, left the building, and returned to the agreed meeting point, as the time was almost over.

He walked slowly until he arrived; he was the last to arrive.

'You are a little late, Max. Where are we going now?'

'I was thinking of visiting other markets but if we did that we wouldn't find good seats at the auction. We may meet some faces we even know.'

The rest agreed to the proposal and walked towards the auction house located in the city center near the city hall, the magic tower and many landmarks visited by many.

Ten minutes passed and they arrived at the place, which was closer to the palace of a Comte or Marquis than to an auction house. A four-story building with two entrances from the same façade, guards were present in every direction at the entrance, windows, corners and even nearby streets in anticipation of any disaster, robbery or theft.

There were no blind spots or gaps in the guard, and this was to say the least, for even the guests who would attend were not just ordinary people: sorcerers and great knights, heads of noble families and even some royalties.

The auction had another name: 'Annual gathering of dignitaries of the continent'. As the only occasion that is held periodically and attracts many, it is an occasion to discuss economic developments, form partnerships or establish political alliances, sometimes even discuss and announce marriage between dignitaries.

.........

'It's been years since I last visited this auction.'

'Same here, I am curious about what is going to be shown today.'

Mark and Emily expressed their enthusiasm and curiosity as it had been a long time since they visited the place. Albus stopped them in the middle of the conversation.

'Don't forget our purpose of coming, we came for the announcement and it still is. The auction is secondary.'

'It wouldn't hurt to make some money from selling a number of things. I'll catch up shortly.'

Maximus stopped at the office to put a few items on sale at the main event...