System Nemesis

After a short trip where he took in the majestic sight of the city, he arrived at the Auction house and was lodged in a luxurious room. It was slightly better than the one on his last visit and while unpacking, his butler apologized on Brigand"s behalf, as his master couldn"t meet him due to work. They would catch up tomorrow before the Auction.

Derrick didn"t mind much and simply went to bed, readying himself for what would be a tumultuous day…

***

When he opened his eyes, the sun was already brilliantly illuminating the entirety of the room. He lazily took three quarters of the King size bed, unwilling to get up and get on with his day. To be fair, he couldn"t do much without money.

When he settled on going back to sleep and wake up later, a loud and repet.i.tive knocking sound interrupted him.

"Sir Derrick, my Master is ready to see you!"

With a sigh, he left the comfortable fabrics and dressed up. He kept pus.h.i.+ng back the construction of his house in Akata, but when the mine would start its operations, it could stop being delayed. There was still so much more to do that his inner fire started burning violently. His determination was unwavering, and he would do whatever it took to achieve his goals.

The butler, named Pablo, didn"t lead him to the usual room, and instead brought him to a study where Brigand sat to a huge wooden desk. It looked exquisite and was made of oak, with lions carved in its structure. The details were astonis.h.i.+ng and it looked more like a sculpture than an actual piece of furniture.

The burly man seized Derrick and smiled while welcoming him to a seat in front of him. It appeared that Brigand wanted to conduct business in a formal manner, and the necromancer didn"t mind as he had a few demands of his own.

"It has been a while, Sir Derrick. The auction will happen tonight, and I can a.s.sure you that the goods you sell will fetch an even better price. Our previous commotion seemed to have awakened the interest of several hidden parties, and they will partic.i.p.ate. Fret not, I can guarantee your anonymity"

After speaking, he swiftly pulled out a pouch and laid it bare in front of Derrick. Gold coins fell out and shone on the smooth surface of the desk.

"The 500 gold coins I owe you"

Derrick gulped. It had been a long time since he had been in possession of such a sum, but he controlled his urge of immediately grabbing it.

"Could you keep it and grant me a line of Credit instead? I would like the previous arrangements. I"d also like to discuss a transaction with you"

Brigand"s eyebrows creased and his business flair took over. With another, albeit slower, movement, he recouped the coins and stored them in a drawer, which he promptly locked.

"It"s possible. What would you like to buy?"

"Weapons. Which quality do you offer?"

The big man stroked his chin and seriously searched his memory. He was no stranger to Derrick"s expansionist plans, and he had no intentions of ruining a future business venture. After a few moments, he spoke.

"I can offer you Iron swords and standardized bows. They are used in every army of this Empire. However, the price won"t be cheap as I"ll have to cover the details of the transaction. Otherwise, large orders will definitely catch the attention of the higher-ups"

Derrick could only admire Brigand"s business tactics. The man had taken in consideration every part of the equation, allowing him to be greedy and thoughtful. Calling him a genius was almost selling him short of his abilities.

"That"s one of the reasons why I wanted a line of Credit. I need 200 Iron swords and 50 bows. How much?"

"With the privacy surcharge, it amounts to 50 silver coins per sword, which totals 100 gold coins. As for the bows, they are pricier since their technology is more advanced. They also come with a quiver of 20 arrows. One bow costs 1 gold coin, meaning the total transaction equals 158 gold coins, including my 5% fee"

Ah… So expensive! Derrick"s heart was in turmoil… Every time he had access to money, it vanished. He almost thought he was cursed. However, he needed to bite the bullet. It also made him appreciate his Blacksmith skills even more.

"Great, I"ll take them. Now that this is concluded, would you like to see what I"ve brought?"

The eyes of the merchant shone. That was what he really wanted to see, and he had somehow managed his impatience until now.

Without further ado, Derrick opened his magical pouch and neatly arranged the weapons in front of Brigand, who seemed to be having a stroke caused by delight. After tonight, he was sure that his establishment"s name would spread far past Terra…

***

Derrick was comfortably seated in front of the tainted gla.s.s, sipping a delicious gla.s.s of wine. His heart loudly thumped, excited by the prospects of finding something that would allow him to progress on the path of necromancy.

Once again, his butler stood in a corner of the room like a statue, imperturbable. The only time he had spoken was to ask if Derrick knew the rules, which the latter had confirmed.

The gallery below was slowly filling itself, with parades of well-dressed n.o.bles flaunting their wealth. After all, such an event was a show of ones social standing. Derrick inwardly sneered, dismissing these "threats".

The true powerhouses were next to him, and from what Brigand knew, the depths of their pockets were unknown. However, Derrick wasn"t too worried. The line of Credit he had been granted by Brigand had flabbergasted him, but after a brief reflection, it had made sense. The last two weeks had really been productive.

After a few more minutes, the gallery was at max capacity and the lights dimmed. The red curtain covering the stage parted, revealing a beautiful woman wearing a tight blue dress. Of course, Derrick remembered her. While seductively glancing at the crowd and showing her plentiful curves, her clear and pretty voice resounded throughout the s.p.a.ce.

"h.e.l.lo everyone! My name"s Jacqueline and I"ll be your host tonight. May the Auction begin!"