Location- Sun Blossom City, Card Creationist Association, Auction house, West Wing Hall
Cheng did not leave after handing me the cards but reported about a person who claimed that one of the energy swords I won in the open auction was their fate ingredient and they were willing to pay enough to procure that card.
But here's the thing, if one of the energy sword cards was their fate ingredient then why did they not bid for it in the open auction instead of coming to me?
If they were willing to pay enough price for their fate ingredient then why did they not just outbid my bid in the open auction? Why come to me now?
This whole thing seemed suspicious. And I don't know what to make of it. As much as I wanted 8 energy swords for my Gigamite form, I did not want to be the one to come between a card apprentice and their fate ingredient as long as they compensated me appropriately for my troubles.
And the timing of this incident could not have been worse. Still, I kept an open mind thinking there must be a story behind this, and ordered Cheng, "Ask them, if what they say is true they should try and find me in the sky blossom city at my card boutique in the next two days. You can give them my address if they still stick around."
"Yes, Master Wyatt," saying that Cheng excused himself and exited the hall.
'Do you think the circle is behind this?' Agatha's voice sounded in my head.
'To do what exactly? Don't they know a semi-demigod bodyguard is hiding in my shadow? You are overthinking it,' I said so to Agatha but I couldn't help but wonder if the circle was really behind this.
'Really? Now, who is the dumb one? If I can hide in your shadow then the Circle's semi-demigods too should have one or two tricks under their sleeves. Wyatt, one cannot be too cautious about stuff like these. It is for the good that you did not meet whoever it was,' Agatha said, she spoke from her decade of experience as the bodyguard of her princess.
'You are right, but what about Anna, can't she sense the unknown card apprentices, semi-demigods, and demigods once they enter the southern region?' I asked, remembering how Anna mentioned an array that informed her of Yin Widow's arrival.
'You mean the array formation covering the southern region? There are many card apprentices out there with ways to deceive it, the demon worshipers are one such example,' Agatha explained, showing that she has taken her job of protecting the boy very seriously.
'What was I expecting? Fuck, this fantasy world.' Having learned that Anna could not monitor every high-level card apprentice that entered the southern region unless they showed themselves I was genuinely dejected as I thought within the southern region under Anna's grace I was untouchable but it seems I was under the wrong impression.
'What is that supposed to mean?' Agatha asked, hearing my cuss.
'Nothing,' I said, not knowing how to explain fantasy to a person in a fantasy world.
"Master Wyatt, they left saying that they will meet you in the sky blossom city within two days and urged you to keep the energy sword cards safe," Cheng returned having dealt with the person who claimed that one of the 8 energy swords I own was their fate in the ingredient.
"Good," I said and after thinking for a while I added, "Cheng, I will send you a list of mortal materials and their properties. I need you to find appropriate card ingredients of rare grade matching the properties of the mortal materials. You do that?"
"Yes, master Wyatt, please leave this matter to me to handle. You won't be disappointed," Cheng as my calamity daughter gem immediately agreed to my request without even considering the amount of work it meant for him and his staff.
"Good," I nodded, sharing the list of mortal materials and their properties with Cheng's grimoire. Receiving the list Cheng left to arrange for the mission I had assigned to him.
'Was that about the invention you spoke of for the medical field,' Agatha seemed to be very keen about this stuff. She sniffed that I was speaking about the product that I was planning to invent for the medical field.
'Yes, why do you ask?' My tone became skeptical as I relayed these words to Agatha.
'Great, I am here to help too,' Agatha offered help hearing that I sought Cheng's help with the product I was planning to invent for the medical field.
'Okay, what do you know about the rare grade ingredients and their properties? How many of them can you name without using the grimoire network?' I asked Agatha trying to show her that she can only be helpful in this situation by keeping out of it.
'Point taken, but if you ever need an extra hand for that project I am available,' Though rejected Agatha took it like a champ and let me know that she was available if I needed any help with the product in the future. Now I felt bad for undermining her offer to help by quizzing her.
'Sure, I will keep it in mind. Maybe you can help me with acquiring the rare grade card ingredients after Cheng has managed to find card ingredients matching the properties of the mortal materials I listed to him. Are you up for that?' I decided to leave the acquiring of the rare-grade ingredients to Agatha because if I involved Anna in this then I will have to involve the southern royal family in it who would have no qualms about taking over the entire project. To avoid all that I decided to keep this project known to a select few whom I could trust. I know my semi-demigod slave was still in a rebellious phase but I don't think she will do anything to jeopardize her dream to have a stable source of extra income.