Newly Summoned Demoness - Chapter 6 – Highest Bidder (Patreon)

The light-hearted banter died as they crossed the threshold into the Mercenary District. A half dozen other guardsmen nodded to Henri as they passed by. Traffic flowed freely between the market and the district, but only under the watchful eye of the authorities. If someone wasn’t dressed the part and tried to pass into one of the other, higher districts, there would be questions.

Yolani frowned as she took in the stark contrast to the orderly chaos of Artisan Row. They didn’t make it two streets before evidence of poverty and sick inhabitants sitting homeless on the sides of the street came into view. Desperate eyes scrutinized her and Henri’s every move with a predatory gleam.

She tugged her jacket tighter around her, suddenly conscious of how her outfit screamed ‘wealthy artificer.’ She checked her wand for easy access, just in case there was some trouble.

Playing [Advanced Identify] over those they passed by, she kept note of the few who had higher levels. She didn’t want to slot the skill, so the information was just basic, but the class titles gave her a good approximation and idea of what they were about.

[Struggling Artisan – Human – Lvl 25]

[Wandering Minstrel – Human – Lvl 28]

[Silent Observer – Human – Lvl 49]

[Orphan – Human – Lvl 7]

[Unemployed – Human – Lvl 32]

[Thug – Human – Lvl 27]

[Beggar – Human – Lvl 19]

Most were of lower level and had probably never ventured outside of the city. That wasn’t to say much. Someone’s skill ranks mattered much more than their class or level. Any of them could have a S rank skill that was dangerous, and she kept an eye out for anyone getting too close.

Henri was similarly vigilant, but one thing she was thankful for was his uniform. No one in the city messed with the guard. Even the gangs and thugs that ran the Mercenary District didn’t want a swarm of them descending on the location to knock heads. And one thing every guard had was an instant line of communication with the primary guardhouse and the ability to relay their position to each other.

“Do you remember when we snuck out here as kids?” Yolani asked, side-stepping a puddle in their path.

Henri grunted at the memory, despite himself. “How could I forget? We were nearly pick-pocketed by that gnome.”

“Yeah, but who chased him down and got your apple back?”

“You did,” he admitted begrudgingly. “But I remember holding onto him until he gave up your coin pouch.”

Several times she spotted small groups standing at the entrance to an alley or other side-street, eyeing them with glares. No one bothered or approached them though, and by the time they made it to the Dungeon District, Yolani let out a sigh of relief.

Henri looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “You’re the one that wanted to go that way.”

“Yes, yes. Thank you for the escort, again.” Yolani replied quickly.

The guards at the gate into the other district were in the middle of swapping out with their compatriots, so their presence was heavy. The Syndicate uniforms were mostly gray cloth wraps with red tasseled caps, all of it hiding what she suspected was chain or leather armor underneath.

They were mostly foreigners. The Syndicate was a multi-national group that was spread all over Eladu, at least on the western continent. They had a lot less presence in the Underworld, and Neftasu, by relation, but they were still a force to be reckoned with. The city’s nobility and ruling council didn’t take kindly to outside influences, as far as she was aware of the city-state’s politics.

Still, they were very useful and many of the more important imports, like hardwood and surface foods, would have been impossible with the well-guarded and maintained caravan routes to the Overworld that they maintained.

Yolani gave Henri a smile. “We made it, though. All fine.”

He shot her with an admonishing look, but it bounced off. “Just because nothing happened doesn’t mean it couldn’t have,” he grumbled.

The auction house wasn’t that far into the district, and while it had elevated security, it wasn’t anything like the dwerven dungeon that ran deep underneath the city. When they reached the pavilion just outside the large stone building, she stopped and turned toward him.

“I don’t want to take up your entire day, and I’ve no idea how long the auction will actually be. I’ll head back through the conclave, so you don’t have to worry.” Yolani offered. Before he could respond, she reached up and gave him another kiss on the cheek. Maybe she was overdoing it, because somehow, he managed not to blush this time.

He still looked extremely uncomfortable, which elicited a little laugh.

“I…I’m glad to hear that. If you need any help again, just send a message.” Henri stammered.

She nodded and headed into the thin crowd outside the auction house, stopping and waving goodbye after a short distance. There was always a crowd of people to watch the auction, but most of them weren’t actual participants. She headed to a small, non-descript side entrance. A guard stationed there frowned and raised his hand, halting her.

“Stop,” he ordered before gesturing to the two main doors that were propped open. “Public entrance is over there.”

“I know. I’m a participant,” she replied, fetching a small pendant out of her tool bag. The piece of jewelry had the Syndicate’s sigil engraved on its silver polished surface and the man stood up straighter and took it from her. He pulled out a small wand and waved it over the metal, causing a small blue glow to emanate from the engraving’s grooves.

Yolani smiled; she made engravings like that all the time. They were even fun, at least when someone wasn’t posting an order for a thousand of them.

He nodded, then handed it back to her. “Sorry, Ma’am. Can’t be lax about the security.”

She nodded, and he opened the door and let her in. The atmosphere inside was radically different, and as the door shut behind her, the sounds of the city were muted. The stone environment was plastered with fabric tapestries that provided a lived-in warmth to the large building, and the burgundy carpets and dimmer lighting made the place feel…arcane.

Making her way down the hall and to the auction chamber, she found she was very late. Nearly all the seats had been taken, and she had to accept a standing position near the back of the hall. It wasn’t usual that things were so packed. The bench seating for the public was on the second level, and it was similarly packed.

A few seconds after she settled in, the flamboyantly dressed auctioneer arrived on the main stage under the glow of multiple light spells, illuminating him and two men who carried a square pedestal with a cloth covering hiding a valuable item underneath. An expectant hush fell over the room as everyone’s attention focused on both the man and the hidden good he would present.

From monster cores glowing with residual energy, to peculiar-looking artefacts harvested from deep within Neftasu’s labyrinthine dwerven dungeon, all the items that would be presented held potential value for the different bidders that had assembled.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” he began, his arms sweeping wide in a grand gesture. “Today, we have gathered for an exclusive collection of items harvested from our very own labyrinthine dungeon beneath Neftasu.”

As he spoke, the two attendants unveiled the first item up for bidding. Yolani immediately recognized the large, glowing orb as a high-quality monster core. The residual energy pulsed visibly, proof of its potential use as a catalyst.

Yet she wasn’t interested in it. It was a Drake Core, which was perfect if someone wanted to make an artifice forge or other source of heat, but that wasn’t what she was looking for.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, before you is an exceptionally high quality Drake Core, harvested from an Elder Fire Drake. The heat that it can channel when properly crafted will be unmatched! Let the bidding start at five small golds!”

A hand shot up almost instantly, taking the offer only to be outbid immediately—the value incrementally increasing as bids went flying until it was finally sold off for five large golds. It was an exceptionally large amount for a monster core considering that it would need a lot of artifice work to be useful, but if the auctioneer had been honest about its quality, then it was likely worth it to someone running an industrial forge or smithy.

Next came a pair of enchanted obsidian daggers, which went for even more. A strange map with glowing sigils detailed the insides of the upper floors of the dwerven ruins and went for ten large golds. None of it was what she was interested in. After the fifth item, she began to feel anxious. Normally the auctions were filled with mana shards, the most common item sold, but so far there had been none.

The efficient Syndicate members ran the proceedings smoothly, but she could tell that there was an undercurrent of confusion throughout the crowd. It wasn’t just her that was after the mana shards. Ten items went, then fifteen. Bidding slowed and eagerness died as anticipation for some explanation for the lack of mana shards built.

The sixteenth item nearly caught her attention. It was a loaded artificer want with built in defensive auras that were self-powered by the user’s own mana. That was rare for artifacts—most of them required mana shards to empower and direct conversion of human mana to artifice power was nearly impossible.

She wanted it just so she could take it apart and figure out how it worked. Yet getting the mana shard for the light stone project was critical and she held back. The wand went for a single large gold, which was a stupid steal, considering how awesome it was.

As it was carried off the stage, no new item arrived, and the auctioneer cleared his throat, creating an expectant silence throughout the room once again.

“Ladies and Gentlemen. I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, but the Syndicate is afraid to inform you that today’s auction is dry of mana shards. Fear not, however, for we have one high-quality shard available for bidding today. It is likely to be the only one for the rest of the month due to supply difficulties.” As soon as the man was finished with his announcement, an uproar from the bidders exploded.

Yolani tried to hammer down her own panic while guards bristled and stood resolute against the outrage. Most of those assembled for bidding were higher middle class, or even a few nobles, so she doubted the guards wanted trouble with them.

When the auctioneer cleared his throat, they finally quieted down, his voice slicing through the room. “Due to supply issues in the dungeon,” he began, his tone apologetic yet firm, “there is but one mana shard for this week’s auction.”

He reached out and removed the cloth covering the mana shard. Yolani activated her [Advanced Identify] skill and peered at it closely.

[Mana Shard (Condensed) 888/888]

It was a mid-grade stone, and probably the lowest quality and lowest power level that they could get away with for the light stone project. That seemed lucky. It was larger than normal, and wouldn’t even fit in her pocket, so that was annoying, but once installed, that wouldn’t likely matter much for her application.

“Let us start the bidding, then. Keep in mind that this is likely the last stone the auction will see for some time! Let’s start with one large gold!” The auctioneer’s enthusiasm was the polar opposite of dread filling Yolani’s stomach.

A large gold? The mana shard shouldn’t have gone for more than several small golds! She raised her hand in a panic. Still, she had come well prepared, and her father had entrusted her with forty small golds in her pouch. “One large and five small golds!”

“Two large golds!”

Yolani eyed her opponent with a panic, but before she could bid again, someone else shouted another bid.

“Three large golds!”

She raised her hand again. “Four large gold!” That was everything she had.

A second later she felt like doom had arrived. “Five large golds!”

If she had a seat, she would have sat down. What was she supposed to do? The Syndicate was the only source of mana shards, and if they weren’t available, then the project would be a failure. Her father’s entire shop could be at risk, depending on what penalties the contract stipulated.

The bidding continued all the way up to fifteen large golds. It was a preposterous sum; she’d bought a stone of much higher quality for a tenth of that price just a week earlier!

The auction was promptly brought to a close, which hammered just how astray things had gone. The entire city ran on mana shards, if there was a massive shortage like the auctioneer alluded to, there would be trouble. Rather than give up hope and panic, Yolani turned and headed out. She wasn’t sure how widespread the news was, yet.

It was the first time she had heard of a shortage, but she suspected that after today’s auction that news would run wild. But maybe if she hurried, she could find someone still offering one for sale.

She knew just the place, as much as she hated the shopkeepers there: the noble district’s ‘artificers’ who sold marked up artifacts and artifices for highly marked up prices to the nobility who cared more for what was in vogue than function.

She noticed others leaving quickly as well. That added a spring to her step.

They probably had the same idea.

The knowledge of the mana shard shortage was going to spread like wildfire.