บท 47: Auction Invitation 2
Montgomery spoke with a mixture of truth and deceit in order to avoid raising any suspicion. "I apologize, but I only know that she has traveled abroad. I'm not certain where she is currently located," he said.
Ragnar was taken aback by Montgomery's lie, but he quickly concealed his surprise. He couldn't understand why Montgomery had chosen to deceive Daniel.
As the Archangel, Michaela could tell if anyone is lying or not. She reached out and touched Daniel, sending her telepathic message directly to him.
[My lord, he lies about not knowing Miss Wrath's location.]
Unless it was about his girlfriend's well-being, Daniel wouldn't show any sign of change on his face. Right now, he still didn't know that Wrath was in the middle of her recuperation due to the loss of her magic and blood essence.
"Mr. Montgomery," he started. "During my short experience as a businessman, I've learned that trust built on lies does not last long. What do you think of this phrase?" Daniel probed Montgomery, who remained unfazed.
"That's a good phrase, but I think trust alone would not make our business last long. We need to have our priorities in mind," Montgomery replied.
"Oh?" Daniel was intrigued. "And what is your priority right now, Mr. Montgomery? Because if you're here to make a friend, I'm afraid your approach is flawed. But if you're here to make an enemy," Daniel paused, his voice turned cold and unfeeling.
"You're doing it right."
Daniel didn't use any spells to intimidate Montgomery, as he only had access to attack, kill, and restriction spells in his mindscape that are using the combat deck. The spell "Frozen in Fear," which he often relied on to intimidate others, was not available to him at the moment.
This is one of Daniel's weaknesses, as his power of actualizing cards is based on the game rules that he created. The rule of having a maximum of 7 cards in hand strictly applies to him, and sometimes he can't even draw the card he wants to actualize.
In that case, he needs to repeatedly change his deck in the hope that the first 6 cards he draws in the first hand will have his desired cards. This is the only rule that was strictly inherited from the game. As for the other rules, they can be bent, and some rules do not exist as they contradict how the real world works.
There are two solutions that Daniel could think of: first, the Archmage Profession card from the set related to the Arthurian legend, and second, the legendary unique Artifact card in the Atlantean set. These two cards would allow him to constantly search for the cards he desires in the deck he had prepared.
Despite Daniel's unfriendly demeanor, Montgomery remained unfazed. He believed that his status as a Hightower councilor, along with Ragnar's backing, made him untouchable.
Additionally, data obtained from Klause suggested that Daniel was not the rash or impulsive type, which emboldened Montgomery to push his luck.
Montgomery also saw Daniel as a talented Artificer, and he knew that these types of individuals often had a haughty attitude. Thus, he felt the need to knock Daniel down a peg in order to make him more compliant when he eventually needed something from him.
Seeing Montgomery's unfazed attitude, Daniel couldn't help but let out a smile. Based on the information he had gathered from the minds of the mages he had defeated in the past five days, he knew that Montgomery held the position of Hightower Councilor, which made him practically untouchable. Killing him would only provoke the Hightower enforcers, which would be troublesome.
Furthermore, Daniel was aware that Wrath knew Montgomery, so he didn't plan on being rude to him unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Mr. Montgomery, out of respect for Miss Wrath, please…" Daniel pointed towards the door leading to the outside. "Help yourself," he said calmly.
"Oh? And what if I refuse to leave, Mr. Magitek? What would you do?" Montgomery taunted Daniel.
Montgomery was confident that Daniel wouldn't be able to do anything to him, even if he refused to leave. After all, he was a Master Rank mage and a Hightower Councilor. Additionally, Ragnar, the top combatant of the Hightower and also a High Councilor, would protect him. He also had a mana disruption artifact on him, making it difficult for Daniel to even touch him. He wondered what Daniel could possibly do to force him out.
"Montgomery!" Ragnar's voice rang out, his tone admonishing. This old fox started to recklessly push his luck.
"Oh, I'll do this." Daniel raised his hand for all to see and then snapped his fingers. "Goodbye."
As the word left his lips, a bright blue light enveloped Montgomery's body and he disappeared from the room. Ragnar was startled by what he witnessed and immediately put on his guard. The red light on his glove began to glow as its rune stone was activated.
"What did you do to him, boy?" Ragnar asked warily, sensing danger in the air. He noticed that the silver-haired girl was staring him down, and he knew that he had to be careful with his words and actions, or he might get into real trouble.
Of course, Ragnar sensed that if he were to go all out and use his forbidden spell and trump card, he was confident that he could fight the silver-haired girl toe-to-toe.
However, he knew that doing so would result in massive collateral damage and expose the curtained world to the outside world as the appearance of his trump cards was not known for their discreteness. He couldn't afford to do that, so he decided to play it safe and not make any rash moves.
Daniel didn't sense any of Ragnar's hostility, and he found it strange as one's bodyguard. Shouldn't they feel hostile to the one who made a move on their employer? But since this muscular old man didn't become hostile he wouldn't bother with him either.
"He became more and more unbearable, so I teleported him back to where he thinks it is the safest and most comfortable for him," Daniel answered with the reason that Ragnar could accept.
What Daniel just did was use the power of his spell card on Montgomery.
Card: Forceful Eviction
Picture: An illustration of a person with a surprised expression being teleported out of a magical shop
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Quick Spell
Mana Cost: 1 Water, 1 Non-Element
Description:
Return target creature to its owner's hand. If used outside of combat, reveal the top card of your deck. If it's a spell or quick spell, add it to your hand.
Flavor text: "There's always an emergency exit for a rude guest."
"Huh?? Teleport!?"
Ragnar was stunned by the sudden teleportation. He couldn't believe that such an ancient magic as teleportation could be used in modern times. Just to be sure, he quickly grabbed his smartphone and dialed Montgomery's number. The call connected immediately.
"Hey, Baldy, you okay?" Ragnar asked through the phone.
— Meanwhile - Prosperity Auction House - Safety Room —
Within the luxurious room filled with various high-end amenities such as a personal computer, refrigerator, and mini home theater, a pale-faced middle-aged man sat on a long black sofa. It was Montgomery, still reeling from the sudden teleportation that had just occurred.
His body was trembling with shock and disbelief. Teleportation was an ancient magic category that had long been lost to the modern-day mage.
He couldn't fathom how Daniel had managed to forcefully teleport him into his safety room. The realization that he was not as safe as he thought he was hit him like a ton of bricks. His mind was racing with questions and fear. He didn't even notice his phone ringing until he picked it up and heard Ragnar's voice on the other end.
"Yeah... yeah... I'm okay, just a little shocked," Montgomery managed to answer, his voice lacking his usual pride and arrogance.
Montgomery couldn't believe it. Daniel had just forcibly teleported him into his safe room using ancient magic.
He felt ashamed and embarrassed that he had underestimated Daniel. The fact that he had tried to belittle him earlier now seemed laughable. If he had known that Daniel could use ancient magic, he would never have dared to push his luck and would have been courteous as much as he could.
The reason why ancient magic was considered lost was not because it was hard to use, but because it required an absurd amount of mana or mana that was so pure that it was only present during the middle ages before the pollution and interference from modern technology and scientific mindset. Montgomery couldn't help but wonder how many sets of magic veins Daniel had to be able to sustain that much mana to the point that he could use Ancient Magic.
— Veneziale Estate - Guest Wing - Common Room —
Daniel stood patiently beside the muscular old man, waiting for him to finish confirming Montgomery's safety over the phone.
After a few minutes, the old man ended the call and turned to face Daniel.
"Okay, Mr. Magitek, now that Baldy is safe, let me tell you why we're here," the old man said, his tone slightly awkward. He never expected Montgomery to be slapped in the face like that.
Ragnar cleared his throat and quickly adjusted his necktie and suit, trying to regain his composure after his sudden movement due to Daniel's show of power.
"I'm Ragnar Stenmark, the Patriarch of the Stenmark Clan and the High Councilor of the Hightower. On behalf of the Stenmark clan, I would like to extend an invitation for you to attend the auction event tomorrow at the Prosperity Auction Hall," Ragnar said courteously as he extended his hand towards Daniel, who was still a little confused by Ragnar's sudden change in demeanor.
Ragnar couldn't help but think to himself, "Heh, you old thing Montgomery, since you messed up your plan to bring this Artificer to your side, don't blame me for being opportunistic."
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บท 48: Prosperity Auction Hall
Hearing Ragnar's introduction, Daniel was taken aback. This bear-like muscular old man was the patriarch of the Stenmark clan, a major player in the Curtained World! And to top it off, he was also a High Councilor of the Hightower. Daniel couldn't believe that he had been in the same room with such a prominent figure.
For the past five days, other than ruining the royal family's underworld business and killing some royal court mages, Daniel had instructed Maria to gather general information about the Curtained World society, including its norms, common knowledge, and laws, since he was not yet strong enough to disregard them completely.
As a result, he knew exactly who Ragnar was and how much influence he wielded over the Curtained World as the High Councilor of the Hightower.
Daniel stood up and shook hands with Ragnar, acknowledging the respect given to him.
"Oh, nice to meet you, Lord Stenmark," he replied.
Daniel then turned to Maria, asking her to prepare a cup of coffee for Ragnar. However, the patriarch raised his hand to stop her.
"Thank you, but you don't need to. I still have urgent business outside," Ragnar politely refused, earning even more respect from Daniel for his lack of arrogance despite his position of power.
Daniel nodded in acknowledgment before considering Ragnar's invitation to the auction event. It could be a good opportunity to see what kind of things the mages in the Curtained World were interested in, especially since he needed a lot of gold bullion and magical materials to buy booster packs from The Keeper.
"Sure, I'll go. Do I need an invitation card, or can I just mention your name when I arrive?" Daniel asked.
Ragnar reached into his suit's inner pocket and pulled out a black card trimmed in gold, handing it to Daniel.
"This is a VIP card for the auction event, which I received from Montgomery. Write your name on it, and it will display the location of the auction hall. The card also serves as the key to enter the auction hall, so don't lose it," Ragnar instructed.
"Got it," Daniel replied, taking the card and writing his alias "Magitek" on it. The map of the auction hall immediately appeared on the card, displaying his current location and the shortest route to the hall, like a GPS.
After explaining about the invitation card, Ragnar added, "Just a reminder, the auction hall is heavily guarded. So make sure that your followers don't cause any trouble."
"Understood," replied Daniel with a nod.
He then handed the invitation card to Maria and said, "Maria, please keep this safe for me."
"Yes, Master," Maria replied and took the card, tucking it safely into her pocket.
Daniel thought for a moment before deciding to bring Michaela as his bodyguard and Maria as his assistant. They would be his eyes and ears at the auction, and he trusted them to handle any situation that might arise.
"Thank you for the invitation, Lord Stenmark. We'll be sure to attend," Daniel said, showing his appreciation.
"Then, see you tomorrow," Ragnar said, and he began to make his way out of the common room. Daniel followed him to see him off.
As they walked, Ragnar felt obliged to tell Daniel about the negotiation tomorrow. He didn't want to deceive the young man, so he decided to come clean.
"Kid, tomorrow Tessia's king would like to use the auction house as the place to negotiate with you," said Ragnar.
Upon hearing the mention of the king, Daniel's face immediately darkened, and his eyes turned cold as he looked at Ragnar.
He suppressed his anger as he sensed that Ragnar was just trying to give him a heads up. He wasn't surprised that Ragnar knew about his feud with the king, as it wasn't a secret to someone in Ragnar's position.
Ragnar nodded in appreciation of Daniel's coolheadedness and proceeded to tell him about the negotiation.
"He knows that he messed up big time, so he wants to negotiate. What he wants is for you to stop your vengeance against him," said Ragnar, his tone serious.
Daniel clenched his fists, feeling the anger and hatred burning inside him. He had vowed to avenge what the king did to him and Koyuki, and he couldn't just let it go.
Seeing Daniel's reaction, Ragnar gave a warning.
"I know you've killed many royal court mages before, and it's not a big deal in the eyes of the Hightower Law. But Victor has a seat in the Hightower council, and the law states that..." Ragnar trailed off, hesitant to say the next part.
Daniel let out a cold smile, finishing the sentence for him.
"The life of a councilor is to be protected, and anyone who makes an attempt on their life would be severely punished. I know, Lord Stenmark," Daniel said, his voice laced with cold and calculative malicious intent.
Ragnar couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy as he observed Daniel's cold and calculated expression. He had dealt with dangerous people before, but there was something about Daniel that made him even more uneasy than Wrath's overwhelming power.
At least with Wrath, Ragnar knew what to expect. But with Daniel, he had both power and a calm demeanor that made him unpredictable.
"I just wanted to give you a heads up, Kid. You don't have to accept the negotiation if you don't want to. Just don't kill the king, that was all I asked." Ragnar said, trying to diffuse the tension in the air.
Daniel's expression softened a bit, and he nodded his head in understanding.
"Thank you for letting me know, Lord Stenmark. I'll keep that in mind," Daniel replied, his tone more neutral now.
Ragnar nodded in response before bidding Daniel farewell and heading back to his hotel. As he walked, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of monster Daniel truly was and what kind of trouble he would bring to the Hightower in the future.
— Morning 10.00 AM - Prosperity Auction Hall —
Daniel arrived outside the white high-rise building, the Prosperity Tower, one of the landmarks of Sector Alpha city. The building was as prosperous as its name suggested, with a sleek and modern design that stood out against the rest of the city's architecture.
Inside, there were several amenities, including a five-star hotel, conference rooms, and various financial offices. The lobby was spacious and filled with people dressed in business attire, bustling about their day.
Daniel was dressed in a green formal suit with a black luxury vest over a crisp white shirt, giving off an air of extravagance that caught the attention of office workers and passersby alike. It was clear from his attire that he was of a different class than the people around him.
Michaela, his bodyguard, wore a black formal suit and black gloves, a standard outfit for a professional guard. Maria, on the other hand, wore a formal dress paired with a black suit jacket, giving her a serious yet elegant look befitting her role as Daniel's secretary.
Daniel strode confidently into the building, with Michaela and Maria following closely behind. The lobby was grand, with polished marble floors and high ceilings that exuded luxury. As he surveyed his surroundings, Daniel's attention was drawn to a large, muscular man with long white hair that flowed like a lion's mane.
It was Ragnar Stenmark, dressed in his usual attire of a large overcoat over his black vest and formal shirt. Despite his imposing stature, Ragnar greeted Daniel warmly, waving him over.
"Good to see you, Kid," Ragnar said with a friendly smile as they approached each other.
"Likewise, Lord Stenmark," Daniel replied respectfully, shaking hands with the muscular old man.
Ragnar turned to Michaela and Maria, acknowledging them with a nod.
"I see you brought your entourage with you," Ragnar remarked with a chuckle, his suggestive smile making Daniel feel uncomfortable.
In mage society, polygamy was considered the norm and even encouraged, especially for mage family lines with special magic related to the bloodline. Ragnar himself also had three wives waiting for him at his main house.
"Michaela is my bodyguard and Maria is my secretary," Daniel explained, trying to steer the conversation away from any romantic implications.
Ragnar nodded in acknowledgment but his teasing smile was still on his face telling Daniel that he did not believe him before gesturing towards the elevator.
"Shall we get going then?" he said.
Daniel nodded, and the group headed towards the elevator to make their way to the auction hall.
—
The opulent glass elevator swiftly carried Daniel's group and Ragnar to the 70th floor, where the circular sightseeing room with an outdoor observation deck encircled the large auction hall inside. Upon arriving, they saw that many guests had already taken their designated seats.
Ragnar deftly navigated through the crowd, leading Daniel's group to the VIP room of the auction hall that was reserved for members of the Stenmark Clan. The room was lavishly decorated with plush velvet armchairs, crystal chandeliers, and artwork that adorned the walls.
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