So, about those recommendation votes—how do you want to cast them?
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"Come on, young master will help you get your revenge." Mason led the butler Jonathan out of the private room, then called a few members of the family mercenary group outside—each one formidable, with one named Monsk even being a level nine swordsman, a person of considerable status even among the skilled ranks of the family mercenaries. With these capable men guarding him, Mason instantly felt secure. His eyes scanned the hall, hoping to spot Matthew Merlin at a glance.
At this moment, Mason was already deliberating—once he found Matthew Merlin, should he beat him up first and then make him eat two glass bottles, or should he have him eat the bottles first and then beat him up...?
It was really a tough decision...
So Mason wandered the hall with his group, struggling with his dilemma as they searched for quite some time.
The reason they spent so long searching was that, as soon as the auction ended, Leon was invited into Kadgar's reception room.
"Master Merlin, your two bottles of alchemical potion fetched a total of four million gold coins. After deducting the two million you spent at the auction, and a twelve thousand gold coin auction fee, the remaining one million eight hundred eighty-eight thousand gold coins are all here. You can withdraw them at any place in Northend where the Blackhorn Auction House operates."
Kadgar handed over the crystal bank card, his wrinkled face beaming with a smile so wide his eyes nearly disappeared. When he looked at Leon, it wasn't like he was seeing a living person—it was more like he was staring at a pile of walking, talking gold coins...
No wonder Kadgar was looking at him that way...
A master alchemist on the verge of Grandmaster status is already legendary—turning ordinary things into miracles, conjuring wonders from scraps. For Blackhorn Auction House, partnering with such a figure is an opportunity that comes once in a lifetime.
Just look at today's sale: two bottles of alchemical potion, closing at four million gold coins. Blackhorn Auction House takes a three percent commission—don't scoff at that, it's a hefty hundred and twenty thousand gold, nearly the price of a Soulbound Relic. And all Kadgar had to do was talk.
And that's not even counting the boost to their reputation...
Take this auction for example: two potions, both flirting with Grandmaster level, fetching four million gold coins. That kind of price is enough to send shockwaves through the eastern kingdom. Next time, even more alchemists and rich collectors will be drawn to Blackhorn Auction House.
Who wouldn't want their goods to sell for a fortune? Who wouldn't want to buy the very best?
And all of it was thanks to the young mage standing right here...
Thinking about this, Kadgar's grin grew even wider. "Mage Merlin, if you ever come across anything good, don't forget about us at Blackhorn Auction House."
"Of course," Leon replied, seeing through Kadgar's intentions—but he didn't mind at all. It was a win-win.
As a mage, Leon's need for magical materials was bottomless. In Stormhold, Blackhorn Auction House was the unrivaled source for rare ingredients. Building a solid partnership with them would save him endless time.
For a mage, time was always the most precious thing. With Kadgar offering, how could Leon refuse?
They clicked instantly—barely a few words exchanged, and the partnership was sealed.
Then Leon handed Kadgar a list.
The list contained over a hundred magical materials, most of them so rare you'd never see them on the market. Many were completely unfamiliar to Kadgar, who only understood after Leon's detailed explanations.
When Leon first asked Blackhorn Auction House to help source magical materials, Kadgar had agreed without a second thought. But after seeing the list, his confidence took a hit—out of all those items, there were at least a hundred he'd never even heard of.
Kadgar was secretly impressed by Leon's broad knowledge, but also deeply uneasy. The items on that list were so extraordinary, even Blackhorn Auction House would be lucky to find just a few.
Kadgar stared at the list for a long time, wrestling with how to respond.
It sounded unbelievable—Kadgar, archmage and chief appraiser of Blackhorn Auction House, hesitating over what to say to a young mage. The anxious look on his face, like he was scared of offending Leon. This was Kadgar! Archmage, master alchemist, the man behind Blackhorn Auction House—his status in Stormhold rivaled even Saruman, the Mage Guild president!
But here he was, genuinely second-guessing himself, genuinely afraid of making the wrong move with Leon...
Because standing before him was a future Grandmaster Alchemist!
If Leon really reached Grandmaster status, it would be like ascending to the heavens. Even titled archmages would have to show respect—a true Grandmaster Alchemist could work miracles, a single word could decide the fate of mages and alchemists. In front of someone like that, caution and nerves were only natural, at least for Kadgar...
Kadgar mulled it over for ages before finally offering a hesitant answer.
"Honestly, Mage Merlin, I wouldn't lie to you. The materials on your list are just too rare—even with the full weight of Blackhorn Auction House, I can't promise we'll get them all. All I can guarantee is that I'll try my absolute best..."
(Omitted: Irrelevant meta text per guidelines.)
After he finished, Kadgar kept a close eye on Leon's face, afraid that such a vague answer might put a crack in their fresh partnership.
"I'll leave it to you, Mage Kadgar..." Leon replied politely.
But honestly, that was more than enough for Leon. Others might not realize it, but he knew his list was basically an encyclopedia of rare magical materials—the kind that even the greatest mages in Northend's heyday would pay a fortune to get their hands on.
He'd only made the list to see what would happen. If Blackhorn could find a few, great; if not, no big deal. They'd do all the work, and Leon wouldn't have to lift a finger.
Kadgar had no clue what Leon was really thinking. If he did, who knows what kind of look that ever-smiling old face would have...
Right now, Kadgar was completely focused on how to cozy up to Mage Merlin. If only he could get two more bottles of alchemical potion for the next auction—or better yet, make it a tradition. If Blackhorn Auction House could feature two potions every time, their influence would jump a whole level.
But how could he even ask...?
Kadgar was still wracking his brain when a heavy thud echoed from outside the reception room.
Next thing he knew, the reception room door was kicked open.
Not pushed—kicked.
"Matthew Merlin, let's see where you run this time!" Mason swaggered in, trailed by his butler Jonathan and seven or eight elite mercenaries. Their intimidating presence made it clear they were here for trouble.
Kadgar wasn't stupid, but right now he was utterly lost. What on earth was happening...?
And no wonder he was so baffled—Blackhorn Auction House was one of Stormhold's top powers, and Kadgar himself was both archmage and master alchemist. His reception room wasn't a place just anyone could barge into; even Saruman would knock politely first.
In more than twenty years, no one had ever kicked the door open like Mason just did.
He really did kick it...
Kadgar gaped for ages before finally accepting that, yes, his reception room door had actually been kicked open...
For a moment, Kadgar was at a total loss. He glanced at Mason, then at Leon, the cheerful smile wiped clean by pure confusion.
Mason didn't care about any of that. He spotted Leon, strode straight over, and pulled two glass bottles from his pocket. "Well, Matthew Merlin, how do you want to swallow these?"
"I was actually thinking of offering them to you..." Leon said, touching his nose. If Stormhold ever held a contest for guts, Mason would win hands down—he had the nerve to kick open Kadgar's door; what wouldn't he dare to swallow?
"Still got some attitude, huh!" Mason snapped, waving his hand. His mercenaries surged forward, swords and blades drawn, surrounding Leon in a ring of cold steel.
"What do you think you're doing?" Kadgar snapped, finally jolted awake by the sound of drawn weapons.
Seeing the standoff, Kadgar's face turned grim. The chief appraiser had never imagined anyone in Stormhold would dare brandish weapons in his own reception room!
"Old man, you'd better keep your nose out of this. If you piss off the young master, maybe you'll get to swallow two bottles yourself..." Mason cursed, brushing past Kadgar and muttering to Jonathan, "This old guy looks kinda familiar..."