Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The Blue Castle Auction House is built in a magnificent style, exuding grandeur without being vulgar. The four of them, led by a maid, walked through a corridor adorned with exquisite carvings and entered the auction hall, where the seats were arranged in a semicircle around a massive auction stage.
The auction was about to begin, and the hall was packed with people, buzzing with excitement. Those attending the auction were either wealthy or influential, including some students from the Holy Light Academy. The arrival of the four did not attract much attention as they followed the dimly lit staircase to the VIP area.
After finding Box 130 under the maid's guidance, they realized that their room was among the lowest tier of the boxes. Compared to other boxes they had seen on their way, Box 130 was not only located in a remote area but also smaller in size.
Touching his nose, Bu smiled at the three beside him, not overly concerned. After all, a set of Seven-Rank Azure Jade was not as valuable as one might think. It was already fortunate for them to have been assigned a box; two million Silver Kall might sound alarming, but for some real big shots, it was merely a drop in the bucket. Otherwise, Lange wouldn't have casually tossed Bu a pile of them that day.
In contrast to some rare Mind Method Secret Manuals or Intermediate combat techniques, while Azure Jade is precious, it is not particularly scarce. At least if Bu were to auction off the Sleeping Dragon Heart Sutra, with its Intermediate level 4 ranking, it could potentially fetch over a hundred million Silver Kall.
Upon entering the box, Bu casually chose a spot with a good view. From there, he could clearly see the happenings in the auction hall. He noticed a red button on the armrest next to his seat, presumably for bidding.
The auction had not yet started, and the ordinary seating area was filled with heads bobbing up and down amidst noisy discussions. Even within the well-soundproofed box, they could faintly hear the commotion outside. Two beautiful maids dressed in thin robes brought wine and pastries, smiling gracefully as they filled their glasses before retreating to a corner of the room, appearing ready to serve at any moment.
"Master, you really don't need to go through so much trouble for us. Even if we don't enter Holy Light Academy, Ivan and I can still gain some resources by returning to the Thieves' Guild; it's just not as free as it is now," Locke said thoughtfully while waiting for the auction to officially begin. He always felt that Bu's efforts to cultivate them were somewhat unwise or perhaps he lacked confidence and felt undeserving of such treatment.
Bu did not expect Locke to bring this up and was taken aback. "You've been following me for so long without returning to the Thieves' Guild; can you really go back? Ivan came after us because he received a mission; hasn't he essentially defected? Can the Thieves' Guild still accept you?"
Locke shook his head with a bitter smile. "You think too highly of me or perhaps too highly of the Thieves' Guild. There are plenty of thieves with my level of skill within it; even if I defected, what would it matter? Besides, I didn't actually defect; the Thieves' Guild doesn't restrict its thieves' personal affairs but requires that we complete an alliance mission each month; otherwise, there will be consequences.
I simply haven't completed my required missions for two months. According to the alliance's punishment for a one-star thief, I only need to pay four hundred Silver Kall as penance. If I fail to return and complete my required missions for over six months, enforcement thieves will come after me. If they find me, I'll definitely be taken back to face punishment; resisting would lead to death."
"Is there really such a rule? What happens if you fail your mission? Ivan failed when he chased us last time; wasn't that a failed mission? Why didn't he mention any punishment?" Bu began to understand Locke's point; according to him, the Thieves' Guild did not restrict its thieves from joining other factions but required that they complete an alliance mission each month regardless of their affiliations.
"If you fail a mission, you must take on another until it's completed. Ivan told me that after his unsuccessful attempt at chasing us, he returned to the guild as per your request and reported misinformation before taking on another mission."
"Uh?" Bunamon said, "Are you saying that after Ivan reported this, the Thieves' Guild has given up on hunting me down?"
Locke nodded and then shook his head. "While killing a member of the Alliance's thieves will lead to an investigation and a bounty on the killer, many people on the Alliance's wanted list remain unharmed, including Anran.
For example, if a high-level expert kills a one-star thief, once the investigation is completed, a bounty will be issued. If another thief kills that high-level expert to complete the mission, they will receive several Silver Kall as a reward and some Qualification Points. Tell me, who would willingly take on such a thankless bounty mission?
Because of this, after Ivan reported the information to the higher-ups, the Alliance reassessed the master's strength. The master killed Ricky and is wanted, but very few thieves would take on such a thankless bounty mission; they would only accept missions where the rewards outweigh the risks."
"No wonder," Bu understood, pondering for a moment before saying, "With someone like you, the Thieves' Guild does not restrict its lower-level thieves from joining other factions. Wouldn't that be detrimental to the Thieves' Guild? For instance, if the Thieves' Guild wanted to deal with me, how would you and Ivan handle it?"
"That's not really an issue," Locke shook his head. "In fact, the structure of the Thieves' Guild is quite similar to that of the Mercenary Guild, except that it is much stricter. The Thieves' Guild does not interfere in the personal grievances of its lower-level thieves. For example, serving my master is like being hired as a Mercenary; even if others hire different Mercenaries to deal with you, I can still retaliate without contradiction."
"I see," Bu said with newfound clarity, but he did not agree with letting Locke and Ivan return to the Thieves' Guild.
"Actually, I already have a plan. I intend to establish my own faction. You and Ivan will be my trusted aides. At this critical moment, if you two leave, wouldn't I be left alone?
Alternatively, after you and Ivan enter Holy Light Academy, you can continue completing tasks for the Thieves' Guild each month. Additionally, you both should gather useful information within the Thieves' Guild; this will greatly benefit the future development of our faction. Of course, you can also help me recruit some trustworthy individuals within the Thieves' Guild. They don't need to be particularly strong; they just need to be reliable."
Bu spoke candidly about his ideas. Reynold's eyes lit up at the thought of forming a faction; this idea resonated with him.
Locke clearly did not expect his master to have such plans. He was momentarily stunned and after a while nodded blankly. "Since you have made arrangements, I will follow your lead."
"What about me, Brother Brent? How can I help you?" Amy interjected from the side. Although she was a woman who had experienced much tragedy, she had gradually developed a stubbornness and did not want to rely too much on others—especially not wanting to be a burden to Locke and Bu. She wanted to contribute her share of effort, no matter how insignificant it might seem.
Bu smiled lightly and glanced at Reynold before saying, "The best way you can help me now is by quickly improving your strength. If you need anything, just let us know; both I and your brother Reynold will do our utmost to assist you. I hope that soon you'll be able to participate in that Outer Gate assessment."
Reynold smiled upon hearing this and nodded seriously at Amy.
"Thank you, thank you both, brothers." Amy's eyes were slightly moist. This kind of care, which was not familial but comparable to it, filled her heart with warmth. She suddenly felt very happy. Despite looking back at her past, which was filled with tragedies, not all of the misfortunes had befallen her. At least in this moment, she felt a long-lost happiness.
Reynold had only recently learned about Amy's situation. When he discovered her identity, he was almost incredulous. He never expected that Amy was actually an old acquaintance. Remembering the ugly girl who had been despised by everyone in the Thunderous Merchant Guild, and comparing her to the beautiful and confident Amy now, Reynold couldn't help but sigh.
The two faces, so vastly different in appearance, were merely connected by a past acquaintance. It was no wonder Reynold did not recognize Amy. After learning about Amy's background, Reynold showed even more surprise.
As the young master of the Thunderous Merchant Guild, he would not usually remember ordinary subordinates or servants. However, due to Amy's ugliness, he had seen her several times beside Elder San and thus had a deep impression of her. Yet he never knew that the ugly girl back then was actually Elder San's daughter. Not only did he not know this fact, but almost everyone in the Thunderous Merchant Guild was also unaware.
After hearing about Amy's tragic experiences—her mother killed by her father and her appearance destroyed by him—the shock left Reynold in prolonged silence. So much so that when it finally dawned on him that Amy's father had died at his hands, he completely forgot that her father was Elder San from the Thunderous Merchant Guild and exclaimed loudly in delight.
Life is but a grand dream; how many autumns have we seen?
Feeling pity for her misfortune, especially since Amy was originally from the Thunderous Merchant Guild, Reynold felt ashamed as he recalled the past. He solemnly promised to recognize Amy as his sworn sister, leading to the earlier scene.
During this conversation among the four of them, time passed quickly. When the lights suddenly dimmed and ethereal music began to play, the auction officially commenced at that moment.
Comment 0 Comment Count