Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 140

“I was worried after hearing about Kaise. I heard you were working as a broker, but seeing you, you seem to be doing much better.”

“I wasn’t particularly attached to that life. I should focus on what I need to do from now on.”

It felt strange to see Jenny using honorifics with someone, but Liam’s reaction was perfectly natural.

The two exchanged pleasantries and quickly got to the point.

“So, what do you need from me? Knowing your personality, you wouldn’t have come to me without a reason.”

“Liam knows me too well.”

Jenny smiled awkwardly and then spoke.

“Please tell me the current bidding price for one of the items being auctioned on the second floor.”

Liam immediately understood and nodded.

“It seems you want an item that’s being auctioned off in a closed bid.”

“Yes. I think I can win it without much trouble, but I want to eliminate any possible uncertainties.”

“If it’s your request, I have to grant it. Is there anything else you want?”

Jenny seemed momentarily taken aback by Liam’s kind words, but she soon relaxed and smiled.

“…Visit my bar sometimes too. It’s in a good spot in District 49.”

“You even know how to say things you don’t mean, you’ve grown up a lot!”

Liam chuckled and looked up at Renok, saying,

“Take good care of Jenny. People can’t always take care of themselves. There are times when we need to help each other, like now.”

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

After Liam left, Renok immediately asked,

“I know he’s trustworthy, but isn’t it too risky to ask a staff member of the auction house for something like that?”

“He’s not a staff member, he’s the owner of this building.”

“………”

“He’s also an investor who owns a portion of this street.”

“………He must be incredibly wealthy.”

The building where the auction house was located had a hall large enough to comfortably accommodate hundreds of people.

It wasn’t hard to guess how much it would be worth, considering that such a large venue was located in an affluent area with stable prices.

“He’s an old acquaintance of mine, and after renting the building to the auctioneer, he’s made it his hobby to come down to the first floor and watch people. He’s also close friends with the staff, so he’ll get the closed bid price for me quickly.”

“I didn’t know you had connections even in an auction house like this.”

“Well… when I first started this job, that was all I had. So I decided to hold onto that one thing.”

“………”

It seemed that the man named Kaise, who was mentioned by her acquaintances, was a more significant figure than Renok had thought.

Should he look for information separately?

Or would it be faster to ask her directly and learn about their relationship?

It had been quite a while since Renok started working with Jenny, but he still found it difficult to gauge the distance between them.

She could act like a friend to a boy like Rayan, whom she had just met, but she was also someone who could quickly distance herself when she felt like they were getting too close.

Until now, Renok hadn’t paid much attention to her attitude, but eventually, they would have to reveal their secrets and make a decision.

If Jenny were to cooperate with Renok’s true purpose, like this job to meet the Yakseon [a mythical being or entity], it would be impossible to get concrete help without revealing some of the secrets he held.

Whether to build a deeper relationship of trust and become reliable colleagues, or to remain strictly as employer and employee and focus on freelance work.

It was ultimately up to Renok to decide.

While Renok was lost in thought, Jenny grabbed his arm and pulled him.

“There’s still time before the auction on the third floor starts, so let’s look at the items on display on the first floor before that.”

“If what you say is true, aren’t only worthless items left here?”

“Still, there are many items that look good enough to be displayed in the lobby of a building like this. Besides, as we know, it wouldn’t be strange if there were items left that the auction house hadn’t properly assessed.”

Since that wasn’t wrong, Renok quietly followed Jenny and began to walk around the first floor.

There were so many customers who had come to the auction house with a partner that the large hall on the first floor was constantly bustling.

It had been a long time since Renok had been in such a crowded place, and he was sweating.

Because he was wearing a mask, it wasn’t easily noticeable, but Jenny seemed to have noticed that Renok wasn’t in good condition.

“Are you okay?”

“…It doesn’t matter. Keep walking.”

He ventilated the surrounding air with magic and widened the range of his shield to create space between people, and he felt a little better.

Renok walked around with Jenny, looking at the various items on the first floor.

As befitting the name of an auction house, the items they handled were all diverse and colorful.

A dagger wrapped in old bandages. A golden mask. A sparkling belt.

There were also items like cell phones with cracked screens or car keys, and in the case of paintings or sculptures by famous artists, there were so many people that it was difficult to get close.

“How does the closed bid work?”

“If you look at the bottom of the displayed items, there will be a space to write down a number. You write down the number assigned to you according to your entry order, and later submit your bid price in private, and you can buy the item depending on the auction results.”

“Hmm…”

It seemed that the auction house thought the items were not of great value, but in fact, it was rare to find an item here that did not possess magic.

The clashing waves of different colors of magic were even slightly irritating to Renok.

While looking around, Renok turned his head towards a strange magical power he felt nearby.

Teina Auction House (2)

It was natural for the color and texture of magic to differ depending on the item or the individual’s disposition, but even so, a magical power that had clearly crossed a certain line and changed felt different.

A magical power that had undergone a change in nature beyond a certain limit.

For Renok, who had experienced a change in the nature of magic, it was a sensation that was as clear as if he could touch it.

Renok stared down at the item emitting the magic, picked up a pen nearby, and wrote a number below it.

Jenny checked the item and looked slightly surprised.

“Ban, you don’t need a lighter, do you?”

A silver, finger-sized lighter. Or rather, a torch that creates a flame.

It was surrounded by an antique gold frame and emitted a faint magical power, but it wasn’t very noticeable.

There were a couple of other people who had written numbers below it besides Renok, but they were probably customers who liked the design rather than recognizing the true value of the item.

However, Renok was able to discover a trace of truth in this faint magical power.

A change in the nature of magic. It was also a very refined form of fire magic.

Perhaps the flame that would be emitted when this lighter was lit would definitely not be an ordinary flame.

‘An attribute-based change in nature. Considering how stable the magical power is, it’s probably… an item from the Magic Tower [a place where mages study and practice magic].’

If he looked for a Magic Tower that handled fire-type unique magic, he would probably be able to trace the origin of this item.

However, Renok was more interested in the magic itself contained in the lighter than in finding the Magic Tower.

‘If I research the change in the nature of magic and dig into it in reverse, will I be able to reach fire-type unique magic?’

Fire-type magic is characterized by its powerful firepower and wide range of powerful diffusion, and it is one of the most efficient types of magic for breaking and burning things.

In terms of other ways of use, the so-called utility aspect, it feels ambiguous to call it magic, but even so, its unique powerful firepower is an irresistible charm for magicians.

It is not without reason that the most preferred type of magician in wartime is this firepower type.

Until now, he hadn’t felt a great need for fire-type magic, so he hadn’t bothered to research it deeply, but there was no reason to refuse when the opportunity came.

Renok submitted numbers for items that felt similarly strange magical powers.

Since all the items on the first floor were being auctioned off in a closed bid, he could just write down a reasonable price and take the items he could get his hands on.

Jenny, who had been watching Renok from the side, said with an amused smile.

“How is it that you, Ban, seem to be enjoying this auction house more than I am?”

“Who knows when we’ll be able to come back here again. It’s a chance to get artifacts from a favorable position.”

Unlike other customers, VIPs could conduct transactions and bids anonymously, so Renok could comfortably obtain items that caught his attention without revealing his special status.

If Renok’s magical power detection was triggered, they wouldn’t be ordinary items.

If even one of these items could be a starting point for proper magical research, that alone would be a sufficient gain.

“It’s time. Let’s go up to the third floor.”

He had already achieved his goal of getting a ticket to meet the Yakseon by getting Liam involved, but writing down the prices for the items he had bid on on the first floor was something he would do after the main auction on the third floor was over.

Since they had come to the auction house as VIPs, Renok agreed with Jenny’s opinion that it would be good to watch the main auction as well.

The VIP rooms on the third floor had a view of the main auction on the second floor, and instead of struggling with the many people gathered on the second floor, they had the advantage of being able to observe the situation much more comfortably.

In addition, they had the privilege of having priority over VIPs if there was competition at the same price, so it was not easy for the distinguished guests who came here to miss the items they wanted.

Renok lightly shook his head as he looked at the other guests who were sitting sparsely, wearing masks that hid their faces just like them.

‘What kind of magic is this…’

As if to prove that not just anyone could enter this place, each of them emitted an unusual aura.

Rather than simply having a large amount of magical power, many of them showed a unique feeling that was solid or sharp.

It was proof that they were not ordinary superhumans, but superhumans who had consistently trained and honed themselves.

Here, Jenny, who had a relatively small amount of magical power, was the one who stood out.

When Renok and Jenny appeared arm in arm, the eyes of the others were momentarily drawn to them, but they quickly subsided.

This was possible because both Jenny and Renok were hiding their magical power to some extent.

Even Ivelin Marcia had not been able to see through the fact that Renok was hiding his identity as Ban, so unless Renok revealed himself, there was no way he would be exposed.

The two of them looked for a quiet spot and chose their seats.

As soon as they sat down, they used soundproofing magic to prevent their words from leaking out.

When he gave Jenny the signal that it was okay, her mouth naturally began to open.

“There’s a rumor that the items are quite good today, so a lot of famous people have come.”

“…Can they recognize them even though they’re wearing masks?”

“Of course. If they couldn’t tell just by slightly covering the upper part of their faces, they shouldn’t be working as brokers. Besides, VIPs wear masks to hide their identities from the other people on the lower floor, but they actually want to show off to the people gathered here. Look closely.”

As she said that, Jenny subtly pointed to two men sitting diagonally behind them.

“Those two over there. They’re not even trying to hide the tattoos they have on their necks. They could easily hide them if they chose their clothes carefully, but they’re showing them off. They’re the Joo brothers of the Six Harmony Group. They’re famous for being skilled enough to maintain a usury business in this city.”

Renok’s eyes narrowed as he confirmed the two men’s presence.

As Jenny had assessed, their magical power was very stable, and although they were sitting in a relaxed posture, there were no gaps in their breathing.

Thoroughly trained martial artists. He could guess their skills without having to confirm them.

If he were to face them head-on, how many minutes would it take to kill them?

Thinking that way, they were not easy opponents.

“That’s the director of the Kraiburg Art Museum. He’s one of the most famous illusionists. The woman leaning against the wall over there is a war mercenary who recently arrived in this city, and it seems she decided on her destination yesterday after receiving dozens of offers from various places.”

“The woman sitting alone on the left is a famous pianist who is famous enough to hold a solo concert in the city council hall. She has hundreds of thousands of fans, but she has a crazy hobby of collecting human bodies. Everyone who knows about it knows.”

“………”

Even though she was talking about people who had nothing to do with them, Jenny knew how to pique the interest of the listener.

She freely shared stories about the various connections and knowledge she had as a broker, and she cut them off neatly without being boring and constantly changed the subject.

Thanks to that, Renok was able to learn about the identities of the VIPs sitting around him while listening to her stories without getting bored while waiting for the auction to begin.

They were all people who had their own businesses or belonged to famous organizations.

In the end, if you had a certain level of skill, it wasn’t a big advantage to remain a freelancer.

He couldn’t stay a freelancer forever.

Someday, Renok would have to choose whether to start his own business under his own name or join an organization.

Even while he was lost in thought, Jenny’s words continued.

“The ones sitting at the very back of the line… Ah, it’s the Arashak Exploration Team. They’re a relic exploration team that has made a name for themselves by producing results for several years in a row, but they haven’t had any significant results for the past few quarters. There was a rumor that they were involved in a big dispute, but it’s been a while since they’ve appeared in a place like this.”

While Jenny was muttering with a slight tilt of her head, the auction began.

As the host, who had been talking for a long time on the platform, moved to the side, the first item appeared from behind a thick curtain.

“Now, we will begin the PG-47th main auction!! The first item we will introduce to you is the ‘Twilight Scale’!!”

“This item was originally owned by a very prominent collector, but he has personally decided to put it up for sale only this once because he needs cash. You all know what this means, right? The opportunity is only for today.”

“………”

Renok narrowed his eyes as he looked at the bronze scale swaying behind the host.

Even though they were a bit far away, the various magical powers mixed together to form a group were so diverse that Renok could not easily identify them.

In particular, the magical power swirling in the two dishes of the scale was of a type that Renok had never seen before, and it was difficult to guess its nature.

Considering the characteristics of a scale, it was probably an item used to determine the value or concept of an item.

While he was thinking, the auction began.

“200 million cell [currency unit].”

“300 million.”

“500 million.”

“850 million.”

The price soared in an instant with the voices coming from all over the place.

Jenny, who was sitting next to him, whispered in a small voice.

“They brought out a pretty strong item as the first item to be revealed at the auction.”

“Do you know what that scale is?”

“It was owned by a famous art museum curator, and it was usually used to distinguish fake works of art. It had a very good success rate, so many people coveted it, and the price will probably go up even more here.”

“That’s crazy…”