Magician in Type-Moon

Page 12

After hearing the doll's explanation, Zouken Matou's doubts were somewhat dispelled, and he nodded in understanding.

Then, he put away the quill pen and the cardboard, tucked them into his pocket, and prepared to follow the doll to the auction.

The doll led Zouken Matou through the partitioned room to the entrance of the auction.

The atmosphere here is completely different from the hustle and bustle outside the black market; a solemn and dignified aura washes over you.

Tall stone pillars lined both sides, covered with ancient runes, radiating a mysterious light.

Zouken Matou glanced around and realized that the auction house was shrouded in numerous barriers.

These barriers are not limited to the physical level; there are also many hidden magical barriers that prevent outsiders from probing and spying.

After entering the venue, the doll led Zouken Matou to a seat. The venue was fairly spacious, but there were only a dozen or so seats.

The seating arrangement is circular, reminiscent of the legendary Knights of the Round Table. Each seat is placed around the round table, forming a complete circle.

This layout ensures that every participant is seated on an equal footing, without distinction of rank, thus highlighting the principles of fairness and equality in the auction.

At the center of the round table was a special instrument, which seemed to be a ceremonial garment used to create magical illusions, and was presumably a tool for displaying the auction items.

After everyone was seated, the entire venue was completely silent due to the masks. Compared to a typical auction venue, this place seemed more like a gathering place for cultists.

The underground auctions in the magic world tend to avoid direct commentary.

This is not only due to the mystery and secrecy, but also because of the need to respect the privacy of sellers or buyers.

Although sometimes trash may be bought, it is part of the principle of this trading method to consider it as reaping what you sow.

Even auctions in the world of magic vary greatly.

It's just that under the guise of an auction, there are casual transactions involving leftover items from rituals, as well as transactions involving the buying and selling of body parts of fantasy species that have long disappeared from modern times.

For the highest-level auctions, the Mystic Eye Collection Train, which trades Mystic Eyes, is quite famous.

Zouken Matou sat on one side of the aisle in the hall; his seat was the seventh seat.

Before long, the first item to be auctioned appeared in the center of the round table: a batch of "Dragon's Fangs".

While the Dragon Fangs produced by Wyverns are not materials for Mythical Beasts, they are still considered among the best materials for Monsters.

But isn't this number a bit too much? There are a full 20 sets. To get so many dragon teeth, you would need to kill at least ten wyverns.

After the auction items were displayed, a piece of text appeared in the center of the round table. What was peculiar was that no matter which direction you looked at it from, the text always faced you.

"I need a Hydra larva, or a support-type magical artifact. If I don't have any, I can consider selling my items for 500 mana."

The appearance of this text caught the attention of the auctioneers present. Some began to consider whether they could fulfill the request, while others watched silently, seemingly waiting for a better opportunity.

However, Zouken Matou was pondering a different problem at that moment.

The number of magical beasts of the dragon race appearing in the present world is already small, but now there is a large amount of such material.

The currency used for transactions was Mana, a crystal formed from the compressed magic drawn from the Great Source. Since the end of the Age of Gods, it has always been a sought-after item.

Does this situation mean that the boundaries between the inner and outer worlds and the present world are gradually becoming blurred?

The intelligence just obtained from the black market, "Monsters are appearing in large numbers in the present world," further confirmed Zouken Matou's current thoughts.

In this tranquil auction hall, the only sound was the quill pen gently gliding across parchment, each stroke representing keen interest and competition for the items up for auction.

In the end, the fourteenth bidder successfully acquired the item. However, the price he offered remains a mystery; no one knows exactly how much he bid.

However, this item did not interest Zouken Matou.

He knew that what he needed was in this auction, and all he had to do now was wait patiently and extract the information he needed from these items.

In such an environment, he has enough time to observe, wait, and decide on his next move.

Therefore, he sat quietly in his seat, attentively waiting for the next item to appear and for the opportunity he needed to come.

As time went on, dozens of items appeared and were auctioned off, and the auction was drawing to a close.

Zouken Matou sat in his seat, his gaze fixed on the center of the round table, waiting for the item he needed to be auctioned.

He has now determined that something must have gone wrong on the other side of the world, causing a large number of magical beasts and mythical beasts to frequently appear in the present world.

Zouken Matou remained calm, showing no panic despite the fact that the item he desired had not yet appeared. He knew perfectly well that the item was undoubtedly in the hands of the auction house's owner.

At the end of the auction, when the item finally appears, Zouken Matou will be ready to act, and he will make sure he gets everything he needs, no matter the cost.

It was a strand of golden wool that shone like gold, soft and smooth, emitting a faint golden glow. Its delicate fibers seemed to be woven from gold, and its texture was luxurious and opulent.

The owner's requirement was a collectible of equal value or a piece of mana of equivalent worth.

Golden wool is a top-tier treasure, used not only as a high-grade material in occult rituals but also as a magical artifact.

Its appearance became the focus of the entire auction, attracting the attention of everyone present.

The sound of pens and paper scraping against each other was constant, but no one took the piece.

The auction was drawing to a close, and the fate of the Golden Fleece seemed to remain uncertain.

The auctioneers present were probably weighing the pros and cons. After all, the value of this wool was self-evident, but for them, either they could not provide the corresponding transaction terms, or they had doubts about its practicality.

However, Zouken Matou was determined to win the bid, especially since he could easily discern the auction house's owner's preferences by examining its layout and decorations.

The other party is also pursuing a relic, but the purpose behind their pursuit of the relic is no longer within Zouken Matou's consideration.

All he had to do was prepare everything Matouchi needed, since it was thanks to this grandson that he was able to witness those scenes.

Since Matouike chose this himself, everything will be done according to Matouike's preferences.

This Holy Grail War is not yet his time to participate, and whether his current actions constitute aiding the enemy is no longer his concern.

His battlefield lies in the future!

Having made up his mind, Zouken Matou picked up his quill pen and wrote his response on a piece of parchment.

“I am willing to exchange the ‘Undamaged Lake’ for the ‘Golden Fleece’. As for the terms of the transaction, we can discuss them after the auction.”

The auction was drawing to a close, all the items had been displayed, and Zouken Matou's response had been relayed to the auctioneer.

After everyone had left, Zouken Matou was led to another room by a doll maid.

This room was more private than the auction hall, with mysterious runes hanging on the walls, emanating a faint magical aura.

An antique table was placed in the center of the room, covered with soft silk, which made it look particularly solemn.

The doll maid gestured for Zouken Matou to sit down, then stepped aside and waited quietly.

Sitting opposite Zouken Matou was a man with silver hair. His eyes were deep and firm, as if they could see through all the troubles and confusion.

The man made no attempt to conceal his identity; he was none other than Marisbury Animusfiah, the monarch of the Clock Tower's Astronomical Department.

Upon seeing Maris, Zouken Matou also removed his mask without hesitation and placed it aside.

At this moment, another doll entered the room and placed the vessel containing the Golden Fleece between the two.

"Hello, I am the head of the Matou family from Fuyuki."

Upon hearing this, Zouken Matou knew that the man before him had a very clear and accurate grasp of the information regarding the Holy Grail War.

"Hello, Monarch Animusphia of the Celestial Science Department. As I stated in the auction just now, the Golden Fleece can be exchanged for the Indestructible Lake.

"Yes, exchanging the Golden Fleece for the Undamaged Lake is a pretty good deal. I've also prepared 3000 Mana for the difference."

As he spoke, Marisbury beckoned a doll and placed 3000 mana on the table.

Seeing this, Zouken Matou also drew out the "Indestructible Lake Light" from his body and handed it to the doll beside him.

"The way the Matou family head stores things is really, well, peculiar."

“Well, something this big is inconvenient to carry around, so I embedded it into my body,” Zouken Matou replied as he put away the Golden Fleece and Mana from the table.

The transaction was completed smoothly without any unexpected problems.

"Is the Matou family planning to use the Golden Fleece to summon the Servants who will be participating in this battle?"

"Lord Animusphia, are you also planning to participate in this Holy Grail War? It seems there's still one spot left in the Clock Tower." Zouken Matou didn't answer, but instead asked.

However, the monarch of Animusfia shook his head and explained with a smile:

"No, I have no intention of participating in this Holy Grail War. My interests lie in other areas, and the Holy Grail is not my priority."

"Why is the monarch so interested in the Holy Grail War?" Zouken Matou tried to extract more information.

Zouken Matou's question caused Lord Animusfia to pause slightly. He pondered for a moment, then gently explained:

"My interest in the Holy Grail War lies not in the struggle for the Holy Grail itself, but in the fact that the way the Greater Grail operates overlaps with my current research direction."

Zouken Matou did not continue to ask questions, as rashly interfering with someone else's path of demonic cultivation could easily provoke unnecessary hostility.

"I recently heard that someone wants to contact Lord 'Gemstone Elder'. I presume that person is you?"

Seeing that Zouken Matou didn't want to continue the previous topic, Animusfia shifted the focus elsewhere, her words tinged with arrogance.

“It’s just some private matter from two hundred years ago,” Zouken Matou replied casually.

Although it was just a simple statement, it was easy to hear the retaliation against Animusfia's recent impolite behavior.

Of course, appropriate silence can better promote cooperation, which applies to both parties.

After the two of them avoided the topic and discussed their views on the boundary recording tape and the outside world for a while, Zouken Matou felt that the time was right and bid farewell to Animusfia.

"Talking with you has solved many of my problems. If you would like, I would like to invite you to join our research."

Animusfia stood up and looked at Zouken Matou, who was about to leave, and extended an invitation to him.

"No, thank you. I don't have long to live, and I need to make arrangements for my affairs after I'm gone." Matou Zouken politely declined the request from the monarch before him.

“Alright then, but I have a feeling we’ll meet again someday.” Animusfia said this with a strange glint in her eyes.

Zouken Matou remained silent for a moment, then said:

Yes, we will meet again someday.

......

On the third day, the day the clock tower was to give its answer, Zouken Matou arrived at the clock tower ahead of schedule.

On his way to the clock tower, he happened to meet Weber Fairweather.

Weber Fairweather seemed to be in a hurry, but when he saw Zouken Matou, he stopped and showed a hint of surprise.

Since that day they met, he went back and looked up information about Machiri Zorgen, and discovered that he had been active in the Clock Tower in the sixteenth century, but seemed to have disappeared for the past two hundred years.

“Oh, Mr. Zorgen, you’re here too?” he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.