"Your Excellency, this is the place."
The duty manager of Modo Auction House was busy with accounts inside when voices reached his ears. He looked up to see a shabbily dressed youth bowing as he led a masked figure inside.
The newcomer stood with hands clasped behind his back, carrying a bundle. He wore a silk robe uncommon in the northern lands. Though only his eyes were visible, his bearing immediately conveyed extraordinary presence.
After entering, the visitor surveyed the auction house. The shabby youth offered a brief introduction: "Your Excellency, this is the largest auction house in Modo Town." "Mm," the masked man nodded, casually tossing a gold coin. The impoverished youth snatched it up and hurried away, bowing and scraping.
The manager watched with envy: That was a gold coin! The poor boy had merely shown the way and received a gold coin's reward.
He could tell the youth's silk robe was made from fabric popular in the imperial capital, Dragonrage City. Few wore such material in the bitter northern cold. Though the youth bore no guild insignia, wearing only a silk robe in such freezing weather without showing signs of chill suggested formidable strength.
Silk robes, a gold coin tip, an air of distinction—the steward instantly deemed him a major customer. He plastered on a smile and stepped forward, about to speak, when the masked man raised a palm. "You're not the one in charge. Get someone who is."
Though cut off before he could speak, the steward dared not show anger. Smiling, he nodded: "Please take a seat, sir! I'll be right back!" He hurried off into the back.
In his previous life, Gaia had suffered repeated failures, but they were all due to encountering petty villains or luck so utterly dire that the gods and immortals seemed to conspire against him. He lacked neither experience nor skill. In this life, he understood that a teenager carrying a treasure to sell would inevitably be fleeced.
He decided to project an air of grandeur and deliberately cultivate an aura of mystery—the face covering served more than just avoiding trouble—to prevent the other party from underestimating him, hoping to secure a good price for the breastplate. Before arriving, he had mentally rehearsed the entire transaction process countless times.
The chief steward pondered the duty steward's report, still uncertain but convinced the visitor held something valuable. Auction houses never shied away from trouble—they thrived on it—and he cared little for the visitor's background.
"Show him in."
"As you wish."
Gaia still felt uneasy. After all, this world teemed with powerful individuals, and he currently possessed no means to defend himself. If the other party turned hostile and tried to seize the item by force, he would be helpless. Yet outwardly, he maintained a calm demeanor, projecting the image of a master whose true abilities lay hidden.
"Sir, what have you brought? Why not present it for me to see?" The steward was a seasoned veteran, undeterred by Gaia's feigned authority.
Gaia placed the bundle on the table, signaling the steward to open it himself.
The steward gave a nervous chuckle before unwrapping it. The moment the breastplate was revealed, his expression shifted abruptly. Even with his deep reserves of composure, it took two full breaths to regain his composure.
Gaia, too, was speculating on the item's worth. What rank of master was Hoganberg? Sixth? Seventh? He couldn't tell. An ordinary item wouldn't catch the eye of such a supreme expert—the Bloodthirsty Nightmare Orchid was proof enough.
The steward pondered briefly before asking, "How much would you like for it?"
Gaia hadn't set a firm price either, but he'd prepared mentally beforehand. The moment the steward asked, Gaia confidently held up one finger.
"One thousand gold coins?" the steward tentatively inquired.
Even with Gaia's mental preparation, the sudden mention of a thousand gold coins startled him. A look of genuine surprise flashed in his eyes.
Gaia inwardly cursed. He couldn't let this old fox see through his bluff. His mind raced, and he quickly devised a cover-up. After the initial shock, his eyes now flashed with genuine anger. Gaia stepped forward, grabbed his bundle, and strode toward the exit without looking back, signaling: Your price is an insult.
The steward hurried to block his path. "Sir, sir, please don't be hasty! If you find it insufficient, we can discuss further. I understand—you desire ten thousand gold coins." Gaia snorted, standing at the doorway with the bundle, his gaze cold and fixed on the other man.
The steward looked troubled. "But ten thousand gold coins is truly an exorbitant price..." He glanced at Gaia and continued, "I suggest three thousand gold coins. Not a penny more. I assume you came here to avoid trouble, and we need some profit too."
The manager's meaning was clear: their offer would inevitably be lower.
Gaia considered it, then decided to take a gamble: "Five thousand gold coins. Not a single copper less, or I won't sell."
The steward protested, "Sir, five thousand gold coins is simply too high..." Gaia shook off his hand and started walking out. The steward didn't try to stop him. "Sir, you can try selling elsewhere, but nowhere will be as safe as here. Three thousand gold coins—truly, not a single coin more."
Gaia's foot was already over the threshold, and the steward still made no move to call him back. Gaia's heart sank: He'd shot himself in the foot. Three thousand gold coins was actually quite a sum. For Greenland, it was a godsend. If all else failed, he'd have to peddle it at the Adventurers' Bar, but that would inevitably bring a heap of trouble...
As Gaia was about to exit the passageway back into the main hall, the steward who had greeted him earlier suddenly stepped across his path. Startled, Gaia froze, but the steward smiled and said, "Sir, the head steward says we'll take it for five thousand gold coins." Gaia exhaled a long breath of relief.
...
Clutching a pouch holding one hundred gold coins and a Dragon Bank crystal card loaded with four thousand nine hundred gold coins, Gaia hurried to a magic shop. He bought an alchemical syringe, then circled the town several times to ensure no one was following him. Only then did he head to the northern gate, where Roy was waiting for him. The moment they met, Gaia snatched his coat from Roy's hands and pulled it on. As his mind relaxed, he suddenly felt stiff with cold.
Inside the Modo Auction House, the manager's eyebrows twitched with excitement: "A Grade 7 Superior Cracked Steel Dual-Defense Armor! Ha! Five thousand gold coins—a bit steep, but worth every coin! Prepare the finest gift box immediately! I'm presenting this top-tier armor to His Lordship!"
Gaia and Roy spent two days wandering the edge of the frozen wasteland, braving the still-biting north wind of early spring, before daring to return to Greenland. It wasn't that he was overly cautious; it was simply that Gaia knew all too well how weak he was now. The slightest misstep could bring utter disaster.
Along the way, Roy insisted on returning the gold coin to Gaia, earning the young man's respect. When Gaia tried to reward Roy with the coin, the boy refused outright, insisting on returning it. This showed Gaia that though Roy might be naive, his sincere heart far surpassed the honeyed-tongued, treacherous souls of the imperial capital. He was a trustworthy seed worth nurturing.
He sought vengeance against his father, who controlled the Gangro family—one of the Four Great Clans of the Dragon Dynasty—in the imperial capital. Going it alone was impossible; he needed his own team.
This trip to Modo not only resolved his financial issues but also revealed the gap between Greenland and Modo. To compete with Modo, his previous plans were clearly insufficient.
Over these two days in the frozen wasteland, a complete strategy had taken shape in his mind. Now was the time to execute its first step.
Within his modest manor, Gaia summoned the municipal official, Strong, with the earnest youth Roy standing by. Gaia announced his decision to them.
"Lord Strong, Greenland requires more than just shops and taverns providing basic supplies. It needs additional facilities. Calculate immediately how much it would cost to establish a high-level adventurer supply camp."
The honest municipal official promptly obeyed the lord's command, not even pausing to consider beforehand whether the lord actually possessed such funds.
After all, Gaia had arrived in Greenland bearing the title of the Sean family head's son. Though no one understood why the Sean patriarch would send his son to such a godforsaken place, everyone assumed that as a direct descendant of the Gangro family—one of the Dynasty's Four Great Clans—he surely wasn't short on gold coins.
Half an hour later, Strong delivered his findings: "My lord, if we proceed this way, we must construct houses from stone. There are no stonemasons within your domain, which will incur significant expenses. Adding in procurement costs, a single adventurer's advanced supply camp alone will require six hundred gold coins."
Anderson sucked in a sharp breath.
Gaia nodded. "Very well. I entrust this matter to you. Proceed immediately." He tossed a money pouch. "Here are one hundred gold coins as start-up funds. Come to me whenever you need more."
"Yes, sir!" Strong faithfully carried out the order without further questions.