Sick, can't even roll around anymore.
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None of the items up for auction afterward contained the materials Leon needed, and Salomon's attention seemed to drift away from the event. The two began chatting idly, their conversation quickly turning to magic. Technically, with one being a Grand Mage and the other just a Mage, they shouldn't have much common ground—their ranks and levels were worlds apart.
But Leon was no ordinary Mage, and Salomon seemed intent on accommodating him. Even when Salomon initiated topics, he tried to stick to knowledge accessible to Mages, and if he did touch on Grand Mage-level concepts, he'd only skim the surface, never lingering too long.
Both possessed an extraordinary depth of magical knowledge, and with Salomon’s thoughtful approach, their exchange was surprisingly harmonious.
Unfortunately, this pleasant conversation didn’t last long.
Because an uninvited guest arrived at the box.
"Grand Mage Salomon, I’m Mason from the Monty Family. May I come in?" Mason stood at the doorway, taking a deep breath and straightening his appearance.
Mason, who was rarely favored by Monty, had finally gotten a chance to represent the family. Naturally, his mood was easy to imagine.
As he stood at the door, Mason kept reminding himself to make a good impression, to let Salomon see his remarkable magical talent. Maybe, if Salomon was pleased, he’d offer some personal guidance. Yes, he had to perform well—so that his father, his brother, and everyone in Seaview City would know that the Monty Family was more than just Ryan.
"Come in," Salomon said, shaking his head helplessly and offering Leon an apologetic smile.
"Hello, Grand Mage Salomon, I am from the Monty Family..." Mason entered the box with a solemn expression, about to repeat his rehearsed family lines—when he suddenly noticed two extra people inside.
One was Farrow, the other—Matthew Merlin!
Perfect! Mason’s heart leapt with delight. He’d just been wondering how to trouble Matthew Merlin after the auction—and now, luck was on his side. The event wasn’t even halfway through, and here was that guy, right in Salomon’s box.
Salomon’s box wasn’t a place just anyone could stroll into. Even before coming, Mason’s father had warned him repeatedly to be polite and respectful. Now, Matthew Merlin dared show up here? What kind of guts did he have?
That’s right—he must’ve heard Grand Mage Salomon was here and wanted to try his luck, hoping Salomon would pity him and grant him a chance to study at Sage’s Spire.
As if such petty scheming could fool me, Mason!
But this works out nicely. I was just wondering where to find you, and you’ve walked right into my hands. Now’s my chance to show Grand Mage Salomon just how clever I am!
Mason took a deep breath, steadying his excitement, then pointed at Matthew Merlin with righteous indignation and barked, "Matthew Merlin, what are you doing here? Get out—this isn’t a place for you! Disturbing Grand Mage Salomon’s rest—is that something you can answer for?"
With Mason’s words, the box suddenly fell silent...
Leon and Salomon weren’t bothered much by it...
But Farrow stared at Mason, utterly dumbfounded. What kind of performance was this? Was the Monty Family’s second young master out of his mind or something?
Didn’t he realize he was pointing at a future alchemy giant? Someone Kadgar himself addressed as 'Sir'? And here was this pampered wastrel, daring to point a finger at him—was he tired of having hands?
And what’s this about 'this isn’t a place for you'?
Hell, if Salomon hadn’t insisted, the guy would’ve gone back to his own box ages ago.
No wonder Monty’s hair was half white by fifty—must be from dealing with this idiot son. Poor guy. If I had a son like that, I’d probably never show my face in public again...
"What, still not leaving?" Mason had no idea what Farrow thought of him. Standing there, finger pointed at Leon, he felt on top of the world. Everyone was staring at him in silence, which only convinced him his presence was overwhelming. For a moment, he was absolutely ecstatic.
"I’m telling you, you’d better get out now. Don’t say I didn’t warn you—if someone throws you out in a minute, you’ll be the one embarrassed."
"Enough, Mason." Salomon, who’d been enjoying the show, finally had enough as Mason grew more and more outrageous. After a few coughs, he cut in: "Mage Merlin is my guest. If your father sent you here, just say what you came for."
"Huh?" Mason was stunned. What was going on? Why wasn’t this playing out the way he’d imagined?
When did Matthew Merlin become Grand Mage Salomon’s guest? Was Salomon just saying that to give him an out, feeling sorry for him? No way—Mason had worked hard for this opportunity, he couldn’t let it slip by so easily. Growing anxious, Mason blurted out, "No, Grand Mage Salomon, listen to me! Matthew Merlin is a master at playing the victim. Don’t let him fool you!"
"Solon, please show Young Master Monty out." This time, Salomon didn’t even bother to hear Mason out—he simply instructed Solon to escort him away.
"Young Master Monty, please."
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"Grand Mage Salomon, please, listen to me..."
Mason tried to struggle a bit more, but Solon was already pushing him out of the box. Whatever else he said, no one cared. For Leon and Salomon, this was nothing more than a minor distraction. Neither of them paid any attention to the Monty Family’s second son.
With Mason gone, the atmosphere in the box quickly returned to its former harmony. The auction continued, and after about half an hour, Leon finally obtained the second and third ingredients for the Mana Baptism.
Compared to the earlier bidding for the River Styx Water, these two transactions went much more smoothly—so much so that nobody even noticed. Both ingredients sold for less than ten thousand gold coins each.
Only Salomon seemed to notice, casting Leon a thoughtful glance...
With three out of four ingredients secured, Leon was in no rush. He chatted idly with Salomon, waiting for the final ingredient to appear.