NOVEL NEXT Chapter 140: The Norm
As the hours passed, Butler Judge indulged Julia's questions with the patience of a man who'd spent decades serving a capricious family… Even Van felt impressed at the butler's patience at this point.
In any case, he at least learned a lot of things about the Auction they were about to attend.
There were only twenty slaves to be sold, and the rest would be various artifacts, potions, and others…
Normally, the bidding currency would only be Low-Grade or Mid-Grade Mana Crystals. However, there were some special cases in which High-Grade Mana Crystals had to be used, especially for the main attraction of the Auction.
As for gold or even trading with favors, that was not possible, no matter what status you had in the kingdom.
Van also learned that when staying inside the Mage Tower, there shouldn't be any spells cast on the premises. Such Violators are removed unless they were actually permitted by the organizers.
Then, Butler Judge showed a Black Sun Token…
"Every guest receives one. We just have to raise it to bid." He said.
Julia twirled the token they'd been given—a flat disc of black wood etched with a sun.
"What happens if I throw it at someone?"
"Do not test that," Judge said wearily. He could only pray that Julia would behave inside.
Van's Lens zoomed in on the token's edge.
[ Micro-sigils detected. ]
The Lens then continued to analyze the sigils but unfortunately, it failed to analyze them. It must be a high-level sigil made by a high circle Magician.
***
After some time, the carriage halted at a fortified waystation—a checkpoint before the Ashenveil border.
"Stay inside," Butler Judge ordered, as he stepped out to speak with the hooded sentinels.
Julia immediately disobeyed, cracking the window to eavesdrop.
"—Farrell delegation?" a sentinel muttered. "The Archmage isn't with you?"
"His business is his own," Judge replied coldly.
"And the package?"
Julia frowned. Package?
Before she could ask, however, Judge had already returned…
"We'll proceed."
Soon, the carriage moved forward, leaving the outpost behind. Julia and Van were a bit curious but Butler Judge didn't seem to like talking about it at all.
Even after Julia tried to pester him, he only mentioned that it was a gift for the sentinels as they were working hard for their safety…
***
As they continued on their way, to the Ashenveil Tower, Van thought that everything would now go smoothly.
However, just about 15 minutes later, the carriage shuddered to an abrupt halt as the horses started neighing in alarm as something blocked the mountain path ahead.
Van's Ocularis Lens snapped into focus and he immediately realized what was going on.
A pack of One-Horned Lynxes encircled them!
They had silver-blue fur prickling with static energy.
'There are twelve of them… Not good…' Van mused.
Each beast moved silently to surround them.
They were definitely not easy opponents, as Van knew about their ability to use lightning abilities. Their horns even seemed like lightning rods at this point...
Grrrr~
.The Lynxes locked onto their carriage and they seemed too excited for their meal.
One-Horned Magic Beasts were the weakest of their kind—but "weak" meant little when a dozen surrounded you… There was a power in numbers, after all.
At this time, Julia also noticed the situation and gasped. She pressed against the window to see it clearly.
"Are those—?"
"Stay inside," Butler Judge ordered... Then, he turned to the coachman: "Deal with this. Quickly."
'Ah?' Van was shocked as he heard this. He thought that the Butler himself would make a move but it was actually the coachman!
'Can he even use Magic? How did he hide it so well?' He mused.
Then, Van expected the grizzled old man to fumble for a weapon.
But he was wrong.
The coachman moved and started gathering mana!
He wasn't a warrior but a Magician!
'How did I miss it?' Van was frozen in his spot as he watched the coachman cast First-Circle and even Second-Circle Spells!
One moment, the coachman was hunched in the driver's seat—the next moment, he had already arrived close to the Magical Beasts… Then, the coachman took out a staff.
Soon, the battle between the coachman and the Lynxes started.
Needless to say, Van's Ocularis Lens scrambled to analyze the battle. This was important information after all.
[ Mana Signature: Wind-Aspected.
Combat Style: Close-Quarters Spellcasting.
Threat Level: High. ]
'He's not using Aura, but he's a close combat mage? This…' Van was shocked as he realized that everyone in the Farrel Manor was special at some point.
Just like that, Van saw how the Lynxes pounced on the coachman.
However, instead of feeling scared, he simply laughed.
With a flick of his fingers, the wind itself obeyed.
"Gale Scythes."
'It was a Second-Circle Spell…
Whoosh~
Soon, invisible blades of compressed air cut through the pack.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
In an instant, the horns were shattered. Bodies fell mid-leap, and many of them had their limbs cut off cleanly...
However, one Lynx, faster than the rest, attacked his throat—only to implode as the coachman clenched his fist, crushing it in a vortex of wind.
'A Wind Magician, huh…' Van mused.
The entire skirmish lasted for only three minutes.
After that, silence returned, broken only by the coachman's boots crunching on the bodies of his targets. He then dusted off his sleeves and climbed back onto the carriage.
Julia also seemed shocked as soon as she realized what had happened.
On the other hand, Van was truly impressed after his Lens finished analyzing the Coachman and reported to his status…
Just like that, he also confirmed that the coachman was actually a Two-Circle Magician—disguised as a driver!
Now, Butler Judge could only sigh as if this were a minor inconvenience. "Proceed."
The carriage rolled forward, leaving the Lynxes' corpses in the snow…
'Hmm? Are we not going to take their fur, horns, or even beast cores?' Van was confused as he looked at Julia and the others.
It was as if leaving these Magical Beasts was the norm!