The Book Eating Magician Chapter 131:

Chapter 131 – Duel Bid (1)

Theo didn’t want to cause any unnecessary disruptions either . He had a reason for stepping out . Actually, it was because his opponent was the Orcus Company . Regardless of the cause and process, Theodore had done something irreversible as a result .

The agent of the Orcus Company, who made even the Information Guild step aside, had declared war .

Theodore felt sweat flow down his spine .

‘Damn… If only I hadn’t come here today…!’

He couldn’t close his eyes once he knew . Theodore 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 necklace, silver jewellery with a red jewel hanging from it, was the source of the commotion .

The name of the necklace was ‘Charlotte’s Necklace . ’ It was 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 Theodore to do such a reckless thing? Now, one would have to look back in time to find out the reason…

…Back to exactly 30 minutes ago, when the atmosphere had been calm .

 

*     *     *

1

A huge amount of money was mentioned casually . 800 gold… That was enough money to buy a few small estates . It was a world which couldn’t be understood by 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 Theodore’s money just to bid on ‘Heart of the Lake’ which had just been won .

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 too much, so that in itself is 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 . ”Theodore stopped breathing for a moment . He was conscious of the deep-rooted inferiority that he had forgotten about .

Theo had suffered a lot at Bergen Academy . Not every students had bothered him, but Theodore 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, Theodore 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! This 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 all the audience members . Satisfied that majority of the guests were interested, the man pointed to the object on the stage .

It was a square object covered by a piece of cloth, and there was probably a glass box inside . 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?’

Gluttony agreed with Theo .

As the host revealed the silver necklace in the glass box, Gluttony continued talking in a relaxed voice, –That is an impressive item, so make 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 showed 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 11 days .

 

‘Dangerous!’ Theodore noticed the terrible nature of this cursed necklace in just a moment .

Magicians learned from childhood that there were many things in this world they couldn’t see . Just because they couldn’t see it, didn’t mean it wasn’t there . Due to this, Theodore was immediately aware of the dangerous nature of the necklace .

There were countless ghosts roaming around this 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!

Regardless of whether he knew about the crisis, 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 30 gold! In other words, the maximum bid is 300 gold! It is a preserved old relic, but it wouldn’t be bad to buy it as a souvenir!]

300 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 hadn’t showed any interest in any item from the start of the auction, raised his sign .

[N-No . 133 has bid by 100%! Therefore, the current bid is 60 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 declaration against the Orcus Company .

Unsurprisingly, Theodore was bound to hesitate as well .

‘Damn, coming out here . Orcus Company…!’

If someone other than the Orcus Company had bid, Theodore 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 jewellery .

However, the Orcus Company was suspected of being involved in black magic, so Theo couldn’t just let the agent win the bid . If a disaster arose here, Theodore wouldn’t be able to forgive himself when he could’ve prevented it .

Before that, he asked Gluttony one last thing, ‘Hey . What did you mean by that necklace is lucky for me?’

–Have you already forgotten? In the dungeon created by the host of Death’s Worship, I ate the specters .

‘Ah . ’

It was a memory Theodore had forgotten . He recalled the evil spirits that had entered the cramped passage and the information window which had floated up after Gluttony ate them .

 

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

 

The more he thought about it, the more the matters were tied together . As he thought of the relationship between ‘vessel,’ ‘specter,’ 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 to eat . It would be inefficient to find and eat specters and banshees . However, the efficiency would reverse if he got his hands on Charlotte’s Necklace .

Theodore took a deep breath and raised his right hand, which clutched tightly onto the sign with his participation number .

[N-No . 472! Guest No . 472 has also bid 100%! The current bid is 90 gold!] The host stuttered with 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 were focused on the agent of the Orcus Company and the young man who stopped the agent’s winning bid . Theodore could feel the gazes pouring in from every direction .

The Orcus agent was staring up at him from an oblique angle, with a faint red light glowing in his brown eyes .

 

*     *     *

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

It was a rule of the Kargas auction: The winning bid can’t exceed the the minimum bid price by 10 times . 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?” Theodore was surprised by the question .

The agent raised his eyebrows and said, “I investigated a little bit while 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 you will 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, it is on the condition that you yield the necklace to me . ”

“Umm . ” Theodore 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 300 gold for it .

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

“I’m sorry,” Theodore interrupted the agent’s words . “I need that necklace . ”

The atmosphere froze with his one sentence . The agent’s gaze became cold while his hands twitched like they itched to grab something .  However, after the momentary response, the agent calmed his shaking body and opened his mouth to speak . 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 .

His reddish brown eyes seemed even deeper, perhaps because of his mood . No, it wasn’t Theo’s imagination that the colour changed . Instead of reddish brown, the agent’s eyes had become the colour of a full red, like the colour of blood .

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

Simultaneously, a light sparked in the agent’s eyes .  Red eyes… They 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 again, snorted at the gaze which hindered its sleep . In the Age of Mythology, the number of monsters who had been able to overcome Gluttony’s mental defenses could be counted on three fingers .

As the red eyes tried to penetrate Theodore, the greedy grimoire spoke condescendingly, –How trivial .  Even using the evil eyes .

Then it kicked the agent’s presence out .

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

“What happened?!”

“-Don’t come near me!”

Theodore, who was unaware of the struggle within himself, had approached to give support, but the agent chased him away .

The agent’s actual eyes were okay, but it was the first time he had received a shock in the spirit world, making him greatly upset . To think that his demon eyes didn’t work, and there was even a retaliatory mental blow? Additionally, the young man acted like he didn’t know what was going on .

The agent wanted to get out of this place, so he screamed instantly .  “It can’t be helped! A duel bid! Three days later, I will fix your cocky attitude!”

“That- Why all of a sudden…”

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

After saying that, the agent ran out of the room . It was because he couldn’t understand what had happened and it didn’t seem like the young man would release the necklace .

‘In any case, I’ll win if it’s a duel bid . ’ It would be delayed for a few days, but the necklace would eventually enter the agent’s hands, so there was no need to rush .

He was going to kill that person . The agent’s face distorted as he walked down the passage with a rough gait .  On the other hand, Theodore was meeting up with the waiting Gibra .

“W-What happened?” Gibra asked in a small voice due to his anxiety .

Theodore 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 it was a line he couldn’t cross . Theodore had commissioned the Information Guild to obtain information of the sale goods and purchase the original books . There was nothing about risking themselves to go against the Orcus Company .

However, Theodore’s complexion stayed the same . In the first place, he had no intention of nominating Gibra . He already knew the person he wanted to hire for the ‘duel bid . ’ Theo dismissed Gibra’s worries . “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 . ”

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

According to rumours, 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 .

Rumours tended to get exaggerated, but no one doubted the skills after the person broke a knight a few years ago . It was a person entirely covered in black armour, so their face and voice were all unknown . However, it was obvious that the Black Knight would be the one participating in the duel bid .

Even though Theo didn’t know the rumours, 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 hand .

Without looking back, Theodore spoke 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 top-notch swordsman who had broken through thousands of undead at the Miller Barony .

If Theo hadn’t known of Randolph’s presence, 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 .

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

 

. . 9…10! No . 64! Guest No . 64 has won ‘Heart of the Lake’ at a bid of 800 gold! Congratulations! This jewel has finally found an owner who matches it!