"Ancestral" Treasure, Wind of Glory

Having obtained the Elemental Crystal and iron ore, Donald remained in his room for two days without stepping out, even reducing his food intake to a single meal per day.

During this time, aside from instructing his Steward, Code, to use the remaining money to purchase a carriage and two medium-grade horses for a few Gold Sols, he took no other actions.

Steward Code had heard rumors about the cultivation habits and eccentricities of mages, so he thought nothing of his young master's strange behavior; in fact, he was secretly pleased. His only concern was that the young master might be overexerting himself and damaging his health. Consequently, he invested quite a bit into that single daily meal, hoping to ensure the young master received enough nutrition. As a result, the three or four Gold Sols remaining in his hands quickly dwindled to just a single Gold Sol and a few Silver Moons.

However, Code did not care about this; as long as the young master finished his cultivation, they could earn as many Gold Sols as they desired.

Another day passed, and Donald, who had not slept soundly for two days, emerged from his room looking refreshed and spirited.

Having spent two Tier 2 crystal cores to summon a Spirit Walker twice, he had successfully meditated and officially become an Apprentice Mage. He could now tentatively mobilize his mental energy to perform simple spells, such as the Mage Hand trick to make a small feather or leaf float in the air, or lighting a candle out of thin air. These spells, which lacked any offensive power, were Level 0 spells, also known as cantrips or apprentice spells. Once one's mental energy reached a certain level and could be manipulated flexibly, one could spontaneously learn these spells.

The effects of meditation left him full of energy despite two days without sleep; the process of meditation itself could replace a portion of one's need for rest, and combined with the joy of his recent success, he appeared particularly vibrant.

After enjoying a hearty breakfast, Donald pulled Code into the empty backyard. They spent some time doing something out of sight, and soon, the master and servant emerged carrying a long, grey cloth-wrapped bundle with an air of mystery.

After returning to his room to tidy up and changing into his newly purchased clothes, Donald took Clinton and Code into the carriage, ordering George and Bush to act as coachmen and drive toward Giant Stone City.

On the road to Giant Stone City, the three of them sat facing each other inside the carriage.

"Code, you remember the plan I told you earlier, right?"

Code looked at his young master with an expression that was both excited and somewhat strange, replying:

"Yes, Young Master, Code has remembered every word!"

Donald smiled upon hearing this.

"Very well, once we arrive, we shall act according to the plan!"

Code glanced at his young master, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

Donald, having finished speaking, had already closed his eyes to study his newly acquired mage abilities.

Half an hour passed. This private carriage was much faster than the cargo carriage Donald had ridden previously, and they soon arrived in Giant Stone City.

Before long, an inconspicuous black carriage pulled up in front of the Gold Sol Auction House, the largest and only auction house in Giant Stone City.

Compared to the gorgeously decorated, resplendent facade of the auction house, the black carriage and the ordinary horses—worth fifty Silver Moons each—looked small and lowly. Even the carriages parked at the entrance were decorated with expensive finery; those of a lower grade did not dare park in front and were forced to squeeze into the distant alleys.

Donald ordered Clinton and George, who was outside, to lift the long grey bundle out of the carriage. Before he had even stepped out, he heard a shout from outside:

"What are you doing? This is the Gold Sol Auction House, not a place for country bumpkins like you! If you want to buy farm goods, go to the market in the commoner district! There are carriages belonging to noble lords arriving soon; get out of here, don't be an eyesore!"

It turned out that two of the auction house's servants had seen Bush, who was not wearing armor, park an ordinary carriage in a conspicuous spot in front of the entrance. When the other coachman turned back into the carriage to retrieve something, they couldn't help but shout insults at them.

They were working with the steward in charge of welcoming guests, hoping to guide a high-ranking person to a parking spot and receive a handsome tip!

The fact that this tacky carriage had occupied the only empty spot in front of the door was effectively cutting off their source of wealth.

Relying on their status as employees of the auction house, they began to berate the coachman who appeared to have no background. After all, such a carriage was at most used by country peddlers, and they weren't afraid of offending anyone important.

Steward Code, who was still in the carriage and about to step out, was furious upon hearing these insults. If it were his former self, he might have endured such verbal abuse and let it pass, but the fact that they had insulted his young master as well was something the loyal Code could not forgive.

Pushing past George and the others who were carrying the bundle, Code rushed out of the carriage, his face flushed with anger, and began to reprimand the two servants.

When the two servants saw a middle-aged man who looked like a steward emerge from the carriage, they felt a bit guilty. They were merely the lowest-ranking servants in the auction house, responsible for the dirty work of moving goods and tethering horses for guests. Their status was not even on par with the guards, and even the waiters and maids who served the lords were a cut above them.

The fact that they could stand at the entrance to guide guests was a lucrative position they had obtained by bribing their superiors with two months' worth of wages.

However, the more lowly a person is, the stronger their self-esteem. In the face of high-ranking figures, they hid that pride, but when facing those they perceived as having similar or lower status, they would intensify their belittlement of others to highlight their own importance.

So, despite their guilt, seeing that Code was likely just a steward from some small shop—though his status was higher than theirs—they were in the Gold Sol Auction House, one of the largest commercial powers in Giant Stone City! With such a behemoth behind them, they felt emboldened to mock Code with a sense of borrowed authority.

Code was extremely angry. After the House Merlinar fell, he had endured much hardship raising the young master alone, yet he had never let the young master suffer such humiliation.

However, upholding the status of a noble steward, Code could not bring himself to retort with vulgar insults against these slave-like servants. He could only stand there, too angry to speak.

The two servants, seeing that he did not speak, assumed he was unable to refute them and laughed even more loudly.

At this moment, a steward who had just personally escorted two guests to their seats inside the auction house heard the commotion and hurried back outside.

Seeing the scene, the middle-aged steward, who looked like a scholar, frowned.

Compared to the shallowness of the two servants, as a steward responsible for receiving VIPs, he naturally did not judge everyone by their appearance. He knew that many powerful Professionals had eccentricities; there had even been cases of them arriving at the door dressed as beggars. He had once heard a story about a steward of a large shop in the Royal Capital who had insulted a high noble traveling incognito in plain clothes, only to end up as a lowly slave himself.

This story served as a warning to many merchants' stewards, and as one of the stewards of the largest auction house in Giant Stone City, he was no exception.

However, looking at the targets of the servants' mockery, they didn't look like important figures; at most, they were small merchants interested in the salon the auction house was hosting recently. But how could small merchants attend such a gathering? A few words would send them away, and it wouldn't affect the auction house's business.

Thus, the steward decided on a course of action.

"Why are you two making such a loud noise here? Do you not want your jobs anymore?"

Seeing the steward arrive, Code was pleased, intending to complain about the servants' rudeness. But before he could speak, he heard the steward say:

"We have many important figures visiting our auction house recently, so we are not handling small business. This guest, please return home!"

The words choked Code, his face turning red as he was unable to speak.

At this moment, Donald stepped out of the carriage, stopping Clinton and the others from taking action to teach the others a lesson. If they were to strike, they could easily beat the others half to death, but that would make things difficult to resolve.

Donald did not take the servants' mockery to heart. With his status as an Apprentice Mage and his trump card, the Book of Truth, he would eventually become a figure admired by thousands. Furthermore, even now, he held the status of a quasi-noble; though fallen, he was not comparable to two servants. Why bother getting angry with them? It wasn't worth it!

However, he hadn't expected that in just a few short sentences, the situation would escalate to this point. If he didn't take action, not only would their goal for this trip be unachievable, but his steward would have been insulted in vain.

This was something Donald, who viewed Code as family, could not forgive. Today, he would have to use his status to bully others!

"What? Has your firm's power grown to the point where it rivals the Celt Royal Family? A mere servant can insult a noble heir and his servants? If that is truly the case, then I shall have no choice but to go to the Council of Nobles and the Royal Court to demand a just verdict!"

A single, lukewarm sentence spoken by Donald was enough to make the two arrogant servants tremble in fear, and it caused the manager who had just arrived to turn pale.

From the moment the young man stepped out of the carriage, the manager's heart had skipped a beat, a bad premonition washing over him.

Although the handsome youth before him was not dressed in flamboyant attire, he wore the formal, legitimate formal wear of a nobleman, which undoubtedly marked him as a true aristocrat or a noble heir. Even a minor noble was a superior being, not someone commoners like them could afford to provoke.

Insulting a noble while being a commoner was punishable by whipping, and his own frail body could not withstand those twenty lashes!

Furthermore, although he had not participated, he could shift the blame onto the two death-seeking servants; however, if word of this got out, it would certainly damage the reputation of the Gold Sol Auction House, and his job would be at risk.

The boss would never offend a noble for the sake of a lowly manager, even if it were a penniless, powerless fallen noble. Looking at the three carriage drivers, who appeared to be burly attendants, they hardly looked like ordinary drivers. To have such attendants, this noble's capabilities were likely not insignificant.

Fortunately, there was no one else around, and the situation had not been witnessed by outsiders. As long as he could appease this young noble and his servants, things would be much easier to handle. At worst, he could just let them attend the upcoming noble Salon; after all, if he arranged a seat in a side hall, not many people would notice.

With that, the manager immediately put on a smiling face and bowed repeatedly:

"My deepest apologies! These two servants must have lost their minds to dare insult you, my lord. I, Baro, as the manager of the Gold Sol Auction House, will certainly deal with them using the harshest punishment!"

"Distinguished guest, please follow me to the reception room to rest for a moment. Our auction house will be holding a Salon shortly; perhaps you might find it of interest!"

Having said this, he bowed and led Donald inside.

Donald nodded, neither pleased nor angry.

Seeing his young master's calm, simple sentence transform the attitude of the manager of the largest auction house in Giant Stone City, Code felt both relieved and unable to fathom his master. Unable to make sense of it, he could only attribute it to the fact that his master had become a great mage.

As for Clinton and the others, they didn't think too much about it; in their minds, everything their master did was reasonable.

Little did they know, although he had been a shut-in in his previous life, Donald possessed enough confidence in his own foundation to put on a facade in front of outsiders without revealing a single flaw. Of course, this was also because his own strength was sufficient to prevent him from showing fear; otherwise, it would have been easy for someone as experienced as Manager Baro to see through him.

With his steward and Clinton in tow, and ordering George and the other man to carry the long grey cloth bundle, Donald walked into the auction house with steady steps, following the manager.

In a private reception room, Baro ordered a servant to present exquisite tea and snacks to Donald, then instructed two auction house guards to take the two foolish servants away, asking for Donald's opinion on how to punish them.

Donald had no interest in such trivial matters and waved his hand, leaving the decision to Code. In the end, the kind-hearted Code did not punish them severely, letting the two wretches off with a simple dismissal. Otherwise, they would have at least suffered physical pain, and even if they had been beaten to death, no one would have stood up for two commoner servants who had offended a noble.

With the unpleasantness resolved, Donald elegantly took a sip of the milk tea in his cup, then smiled at Manager Baro: "I have a business deal I wish to conduct with your auction house. I wonder if Manager Baro has the authority to decide?"

Baro looked at the composed youth with some surprise. At such an age, to be so steady in his dealings—his background must be extraordinary. Had his previous assessment been wrong?

He immediately replied: "For general business, I, Baro, can make the call. Judging by your tone, do you have goods you wish to consign to the Gold Sol Auction House? If so, I can authorize a favorable rate for you!"

"Heh! Thank you for your kindness, Manager Baro, but this item is not ordinary. Moreover, I am not looking for a direct sale, but rather to enter it into the auction. You had better see it for yourself before making a decision!"

Donald signaled to Code, who immediately stepped forward and spoke according to the words his master had given him earlier:

"Because our young master has recently become an Apprentice Mage, he requires a significant amount of Elemental Crystal for his cultivation. Therefore, he has had to painfully decide to sell this ancestral treasure, intending to redeem it once he becomes a formal mage in the future!"

As he spoke, he pulled on the grey cloth in his hand, and the item that had been wrapped all this time finally revealed its true form.

It was a long, slender greatsword, nearly twice the length of an ordinary two-handed longsword, resting quietly on the table. It featured an exquisite hilt, a deep blade etched with faint inscriptions, and a bright, chillingly sharp edge.

Having first heard of the youth's status as a mage, the manager felt exceptionally fortunate that he had handled the situation properly and not offended this noble among nobles. Then, seeing the beautiful greatsword that looked more like a work of art than a weapon, the shock in his heart was even more profound.

Baro stammered out a single sentence:

"Is, is this... a Knight's Greatsword?"

"Exactly! I wonder if your house considers this ancestral treasure worthy?"

Hearing the voice, Baro snapped back to reality and spoke respectfully to Donald:

"My lord, this treasure is truly beyond my authority to decide. However, during this period, our Gold Sol Auction House has invited all the nobles within the Giant Stone City region to attend our annual, fortnight-long auction Salon, providing rare artworks and magical items for the noble lords to bid on. Most of the prominent nobles are currently staying in the city. If you can persuade our Head Manager, it would not be difficult to have this treasure auctioned off this very evening!"

"Oh? That is quite a coincidence. In that case, please inform your Head Manager, Baro! I must have this treasure included in the auction!"

Baro bowed and exited the reception room.

Looking at the calm and collected Donald, Code couldn't help but ask with some concern:

"Young master, do you think that Head Manager will agree to auction our knight's sword? And I've heard that the forces behind this auction house are not small. Do you think they might harbor any ill intentions?"

Donald reassured his steward:

"Don't worry, Uncle Code. I have great confidence in my own abilities. The managers of major auction houses are usually very discerning; they should be able to see the value of this treasure! If it really doesn't work out, we can just go to another city. Surely they wouldn't dare to seize it by force, would they?"

The simple-minded Code felt that made sense, so he set his heart at ease and waited.

Not long after the two had finished speaking, they heard a knock at the door.

"Please, come in!"

A round-faced, chubby man wearing robes even more magnificent than Baro's, with the air of a genial merchant, pushed the door open and entered. Behind him followed Baro and an elderly man with a long beard.

After entering, Baro first introduced them to Donald.

"My lord, this is our Gold Sol Auction House's Head Manager, Bert, and this is our chief appraisal master, Mr. Orchi!"

Code, acting as the steward, stepped forward and said:

"Head Manager Bert, Master Orchi, allow me to introduce you. This is my young master, whose ancestors were granted a hereditary knighthood by the Kingdom. I am his steward, Code!"

Bert and Baro were slightly shaken upon hearing this and hurriedly bowed.

"Good day, Sir Knight!"

Donald waved his hand and said:

"I have not yet come of age, nor have I passed the knight's examination. It would be better to wait until I have officially inherited the family title before using that title."

To think that the youth before them had not only become an Apprentice Mage but was also a Hereditary Knight; if he were a lord with a formal fief, he would be a landed noble with status equivalent to most of the nobility in Giant Stone City.

Although many nobles held titles higher than a knight, as long as there was no lord-vassal relationship and they were both local nobles under the royal family, their status was in principle equal. Of course, according to the four-tier ranking of nobility, a Hereditary Knight was usually one rank lower than a baron and two ranks lower than a viscount who governed at least one city. When meeting, the former was expected to salute first, and the latter would return a half-salute.

Moreover, in general, nobles with higher titles possessed more land and power, so nobles had to know how to be humble when facing those more powerful than themselves.

Compared to the two stewards, Baro and Bert, the Chief Appraisal Master Orchi had his eyes completely drawn to the massive longsword on the table the moment he entered the room, muttering words like "A masterpiece! Simply beautiful!"

Regarding Orchi's rudeness, Head Steward Bert offered an apologetic explanation:

"Please do not mind him, Sir Knight. Mr. Orchi has dedicated decades to the appraisal profession, so it is inevitable that he gets a bit carried away. As for the auction details of your item, we shall discuss them once Mr. Orchi has finished his assessment!"

Donald replied as if he did not care:

"It is no matter. I understand the feeling of someone who loves a craft upon seeing a rare treasure! After all, my ancestral knight sword, Wind of Glory, is a treasure rarely found in this world; it is only natural to want to look at it for a while longer!"

He then proceeded to explain the fabricated history of his "ancestral" treasure to the three men.

Standing respectfully to the side, Code nearly burst out laughing upon hearing the story his young master had concocted to deliberately inflate the value of the greatsword. He knew full well that this thing had been traded for a cartload of iron ore worth a single Gold Sol and had only been forged a few hours ago—there was no such thing as a thousand-year legacy or participation in a holy war!