Book Eater

Chapter 131: Duel Bid (1)

Theo hadn’t intended on causing a disruption either. He had only stepped up because his opponent was the Orcus Company. However, regardless of his intentions, Theo had done something irreversible as a result. The agent of the Orcus Company, who made even the Information Guild step aside, had declared war.

Theo felt sweat flow down his spine.

Damn... If only I hadn’t come here today...!

He couldn’t close his eyes once he knew. Theo sighed as he looked at the item. It was an average white gold item, which looked like one of the many sold at ordinary stores. The silver necklace with a red jewel hanging from it was the source of the commotion.

It was called Charlotte’s Necklace, a relic famous for being worn around the neck of Charlotte, the last princess of a kingdom destroyed hundreds of years ago. Why had the necklace caused Theo to do such a reckless thing?

One would have to rewind time to exactly thirty minutes ago, when everything seemed calm.

***

[Then 8...9...10! No. 64! Guest No. 64 has won ‘Heart of the Lake’ at a bid of eight hundred gold! Congratulations! This jewel has finally found an owner who matches it!]

A huge amount of money was mentioned casually. Eight hundred gold could buy a few small estates. It was an amount that flew over the head of a young master from the countryside.

Theo thought he had collected a lot of money while living as a magician, but it was nothing compared to the people gathered here. It would’ve cost all of Theo’s resources just to bid on Heart of the Lake.

Theo couldn’t help sighing deeply. Gibra glanced at him and asked, “Huhu, how is it? Didn’t I say it was better not to come?”

“Did you mean this?”

“Well, halfway.” Gibra nodded before continuing, “Employer, think about it. Those guys have so much that it’s just unpleasant. The watches on their wrists, the clothes they are wearing, their words and actions... it all seems designed to mock us for being poor.”

“... That.” Theo stopped breathing for a moment as he grew conscious of the deep-rooted inferiority that he had forgotten about.

Theo had suffered a lot at Bergen Academy. Not every student had bothered him, but Theo had hated all of them. He had hated those who were born with a talent he didn’t have but wasted their lives by lazing around. Now that wealth was swirling about in front of him, Theo was silent as he found common ground in an unexpected place.

However, the host suddenly raised his voice.

[Dear customers! As half the items in this auction have found an owner, we will give you a moment to breathe! But this next item is from the distant past, a legacy of a kingdom that was destroyed for an unknown reason!]

As he stretched out both arms, the host looked around like he was trying to make eye contact with every member of the audience. Satisfied that he had piqued the interest of the majority of the guests, the man pointed to the object on the stage.

It was a square object covered by a piece of cloth, presumably a glass box. The host skillfully pulled away the cloth.

Then at that moment...

- Hoh?

Gluttony woke up from its sleep.

What, is it a big deal again?

- Very interesting. User, it seems that luck has been following you around these days.

Luck? That necklace?

As the host revealed the silver necklace in the glass box, Gluttony continued talking in a relaxed voice.

- That is an impressive item, so take note. The princess of Antioch... Charlotte's Necklace is a special cursed item intended for one country.

C-Cursed?!

- The necklace transforms any spirits nearby into specters and banshees. In the hands of a skilled necromancer, it can demonstrate the power of a national treasure.

Then Gluttony sent Theo the information window about the necklace.

[+16 Charlotte's Necklace (Accessory)]

[This is a necklace left behind by Charlotte, the last princess of Antioch, a kingdom destroyed by a sinister mind. It is a seemingly simple accessory, but the curse contained in it is fearsome. It curses those who are still alive, and any spiritual body with even a little bit of attachment will be turned into powerful evil spirits. However, the seal left by a saint is blocking that power.

* The rating of this necklace is Treasure.

* When consumed, a very large amount of magic power will be absorbed.

* When consumed, it can cause serious damage to the mind.

* When consumed, ‘Antioch’s Curse’ will be applied.

* When consumed, the digestion time will be eleven days.

Dangerous!

Theo noticed the terrible nature of this cursed necklace in just a moment. Magicians were taught from an early age that just because there were many things in this world they couldn’t see didn’t mean it wasn’t there. So Theo was immediately aware of the dangerous nature of the necklace.

There were countless ghosts roaming the material world. Of course, most of them couldn’t be seen nor could they inflict harm on people. However, those who were deeply drawn to evil in life were reborn as things like specters and banshees. Such beings were classified as non-corporeal creatures on which physical attacks were effective. They were tricky enough to require aura users or magicians of at least the 4th Circle, but they weren’t a big problem because there weren’t many of them.

However, this necklace could cause a disaster!

However the host began the auctioning off Charlotte's Necklace with a casual expression.

[Then I will start! I told you this was to help you take a break, right? As such, the bidding for this item will begin at thirty gold! In other words, the maximum bid is three hundred gold! It is a preserved old relic, but it wouldn’t be bad to buy it as a souvenir!]

Three hundred gold was a huge amount for the common people, but the majority of those gathered were the richest people on the continent. Some nodded at the host, while others whispered sweet words into the ears of the girls they brought with them.

However, there was an unexpected bidder. The agent of the Orcus Company, who had not shown any interest in any item, raised his sign.

[N-No. 133 has bid by 100%! Therefore, the current bid is sixty gold!]

The crowd didn’t care about the words of the host. The people gathered here had considerable power, but they couldn’t ignore the name of the Orcus Company. Additionally, this was the first 100% bid at the auction today, so it was tantamount to a declaration. If someone bid in such a situation, it would be accepted as an unspoken statement against the Orcus Company.

Unsurprisingly, Theo was bound to hesitate as well.

Damn, stepping up here. Orcus Company!

If someone other than the Orcus Company had bid, Theo might’ve given up on the necklace. The necklace contained a dangerous curse, but according to the information window, it couldn’t exert its power due to a seal. The person who bought the necklace wouldn’t imagine that it had any abilities, so it was likely to be used as ordinary jewelry.

However, Theo already suspected the Orcus Company of being involved in black magic, so he couldn’t just let the agent win the bid. If a disaster ever occurred with this necklace, Theo wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.

But before he threw himself into the fray, he asked Gluttony one last thing.

Hey. What did you mean by that necklace is lucky for me?

- Have you already forgotten? I ate the specters in the dungeon created by the host of Death’s Worship.

Ah.

Theo had forgotten about the evil spirits that had entered the cramped passage and the information window that appeared after Gluttony ate them.

[The user still hasn’t unlocked the feature yet.]

The more he thought about it, the more the matters were tied together. As he thought of the relationship between the vessel, specters, and Charlotte’s Necklace, Theo’s brilliant mind instantly gave him an answer. He understood why Gluttony told him that luck followed him.

Make evil spirits with the necklace and feed them to Gluttony.

The process of capturing souls in original books was several times simpler and easier than tracking down specters and banshees to eat. However, the efficiency would reverse if he got his hands on Charlotte’s Necklace.

Theo took a deep breath and raised his right hand, which was holding his sign.

[N-No. 472! Guest No. 472 has also bid 100%! The current bid is ninety gold!]

The host stuttered in surprise. He hadn’t thought there would be someone who would bid against the company.

Fortunately, no one cared about his mistake. The gazes of all the auction house guests snapped to the agent of the Orcus Company and the young man who stopped the agent’s winning bid. Theo could feel the gazes from every direction.

A faint red light flickered to life in the brown eyes of the Orcus agent.

***

As a result, the auction house placed the two bidders in a separate room.

It was a rule of the Kargas auction: The winning bid can’t exceed the minimum bid price by a factor of ten. In other words, it wasn’t uncommon for there to be joint bidders. There was a separate way to solve it, but this incident was a special case.

The auction had advised them to settle it through conversation, if possible.

“... So, what do you want?”

“Huh?” Theo was surprised by the question.

The agent’s eyebrows rose as he said, “I investigated you a little on the way here. Your name is Theo. You’re a 4th Circle magician from Meltor’s Magic Society. Didn’t you come to Kargas to meet distant relatives? You got a plaque from Bear of the Polonell Company, and you are a very promising young man.”

“You're overpraising me.”

“Bah, it isn’t a compliment. I said it so that you understand what I mean.” The agent didn’t want to waste time acting politely and asked, “How much do you want? No, I will give you the item you want. Of course, on the condition that you yield the necklace to me.”

“Umm.” Theo realized the misunderstanding.

The agent didn’t know that Theo was actually aiming for the necklace. He thought it was just a bait for Theo to get something else he wanted. Indeed, that was a more realistic possibility than the actual truth. Aside from the fact that the necklace was old, it was just an ordinary accessory. So, it was senseless to go against the Orcus Company and bid three hundred gold for it.

The agent took Theo’s response as a positive answer. “By the way, you truly are bold. Daring to make this type of bargain at your age. You aren’t a magician but a genius trader-”

“I’m sorry,” Theo interrupted the agent. “I need that necklace.”

The atmosphere froze. The agent’s face hardened as his hand curled into fists. However, it only took a moment for the agent to regain his poise and speak. But his voice carried a different tone from before. “... I see. Are you saying that you won’t withdraw the bid?”

“Yes, you heard correctly.”

“How bold. Truly bold,” the agent murmured before lifting his head.

The red light in his eyes seemed to have grown deeper. It wasn’t Theo’s imagination, the agent’s brown eyes had transformed into a full red, like the color of blood.

The agent stared into Theo’s eyes and declared, “This is my last bit of advice. Let go of that necklace.”

Simultaneously, his red eyes flashed. Red eyes had been known as demon eyes in the past, possessing the power to deceive or exert a special power.

However, it was useless today. Gluttony, who had fallen asleep, woke up as the gaze tried to penetrate its defenses. It was a futile effort. There were only three monsters even in the Age of Mythology who were capable of overcoming Gluttony’s mental defenses.

As the red eyes tried to penetrate Theo, the greedy grimoire spoke condescendingly.

- How trivial. Even with the evil eyes.

It kicked the agent’s presence out.

“Kuaack!” The agent suddenly shrieked and covered his eyes.

Unaware of Gluttony’s actions, Theo walked closer. “What happened?!”

“-Don't come near me!”

The agent’s eyes were fine, but it was the first time he had such a spiritual backlash. His demon eyes not only had no effect, but he had even received a retaliatory blow! To add insult to injury, this young man acted as if he had done nothing.

The agent was incensed, and screamed. “Fine! Then we’ll go with a duel bid! Three days from now, I will fix your cocky attitude!”

“That- Why all of a sudden...”

“I no longer have anything to say to you!”

The agent ran out of the room, eyes watering. He couldn’t understand what had just happened, and it was already clear the young man wouldn’t give up on the necklace.

In any case, I’ll win if it’s a duel bid.?

It would take a few days, but the agent was completely confident that the necklace would fall into his hands. There was no need to rush. But he was definitely going to kill that youth. The agent’s face distorted as he walked down the passage with a shaky gait.

On the other hand, Theo was meeting up with Gibra.

“W-What happened?” Gibra asked anxiously.

Theo smiled at him and replied, “It is a duel bid! The agent has left.”

“What!? Employer, have you really lost your mind?! I clearly told you that you must not accept a duel bid!”

A duel bid was an additional rule of the Kargas underground auction that only applied when an item reached the maximum bid. The two sides would pick warriors to participate in a duel, and the winner would obtain the item. The problem was some of the rules set for the duel bid.

“Employer, I know that you are a good fighter, but you can’t participate in it yourself. Why accept the duel bid?”

“Well, it is something that I need to obtain.”

“That isn’t it! Going against the Orcus Company... What sort of lunatic warrior would accept your offer? If you are thinking about me, then please stop. Participating in the duel bid wasn’t part of the commission.”

Gibra might sound heartless, but there was a line he couldn’t cross. Theo had commissioned the Information Guild to obtain information and purchase the original books. There was nothing about risking themselves against the Orcus Company.

However, Theo was as calm as ever. He never had any intention of asking Gibra. He already knew the person he wanted to hire for the duel bid.

“There is no need to worry. I have already decided on a warrior.”

“What, is that true?”

“Yes. I’ll have to send him a message, but he will meet us sooner or later.”

As branch director of the Information Guild, Gibra couldn’t repress his curiosity and asked, “Cough. So, who is it? He will need to be a great warrior.”

According to rumors, the Orcus Company had a monster who could cut down huge trees with a blade as well as kill an ogre with his bare hands. Rumors tended to get exaggerated, but no one doubted that black armored individual’s skills after they brutally defeated a knight a few years ago. Their face and voice were all unknown, but it was obvious that the Black Knight would be the one participating in the duel bid.

Even though Theo didn’t know the rumors, he was confident that the person he picked would be able to win against the Black Knight. Amidst the wide lands of Sipoto, Theo picked his strongest option.

Without looking back, Theo replied in a voice which was filled with a strange nostalgia, “The leader of the Wandering Wolves mercenaries, Randolph Clovis.”

It was a name he’d found while exploring Sipoto a few days ago. Randolph was the skilled swordsman who had broken through thousands of undead at the Miller Barony. If Theo hadn’t known of Randolph’s presence in the city, he might not have accepted the duel bid. There had also been the encounter with Randolph’s sister Rebecca, so the siblings seemed to be deeply involved with Theo in many ways.

Theo declared confidently, “He isn’t a master, but he will surely win against the Black Knight.”