Wizard, I Have Another World – Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Transaction

After getting off the carriage, Karl put on his Homburg hat with its hard brim and satin ribbon, adjusting his clothes.

Unlike the formal attire he wore in the morning, his current outfit appeared more casual.

“Sir.”

The coachman helped carry down the grandfather clock wrapped in black cloth:

“Your item.”

“Thank you.”

Karl politely expressed his gratitude, reached out to pick up the clock, and strode towards the bustling market.

‘What strength!’

Watching Karl’s departing figure, the coachman’s face revealed surprise.

Just now, carrying the item down from the carriage had taken quite a bit of effort from him. He estimated the weight to be at least a few dozen pounds.

Such a heavy item, yet the other party could carry it so effortlessly. Could it be that he was a knight squire?

Or…

A noble knight?

But such a person should have their own carriage.

…………

Buddy Auction House.

Karl had long heard of this place, but today was his first time here. His father, however, was a frequent visitor.

When many respectable families in the city were experiencing financial difficulties, they would often bring items they didn’t need at the moment to exchange for crowns or gold pounds. They could then buy them back when their finances were more stable, as a temporary solution.

Similar to a ‘pawn shop’.

However, the vast majority of items were pawned without being redeemed, so there were many second-hand goods here.

Various second-hand rings, necklaces, watches, and other jewelry accounted for about 75% of all the goods sold at the auction house.

There were also some artworks and luxury items.

Therefore, many people called this place the ‘treasure warehouse of the middle class’, and would come to hunt for treasures when they had some spare money.

“People call me Old Nick. I’ve worked at Buddy Auction House for over thirty years and have never misjudged an item.”

Nick, standing before him, had a white beard, a bald head, cloudy eyes, and a face full of wrinkles. He didn’t look impressive, so it was no wonder people would question his expertise.

Looking up at Karl, Nick grinned:

“First time here?”

If it wasn’t his first time, there’s no reason why he wouldn’t recognize him.

“Yes.”

Karl nodded, placed the grandfather clock on the table, removed the black cloth, and gestured for Nick to appraise it:

“How much can you offer for this?”

“Oh!” Seeing the clock, Old Nick subconsciously sat up straight, his expression turning serious:

“This is a good one.”

“This outer layer, it’s all gold!”

The grandfather clock in front of him was nearly half a meter tall, shaped like a spire, with an exquisite design, made of a mixture of gold, wood, and porcelain.

Gold and wood were common enough, but porcelain was rare, and even rarer to be used on a clock. Moreover, the combination was seamless and natural, making it a rare piece of art.

Old Nick took out a magnifying glass and carefully examined the clock inside and out for a long time before looking up at Karl:

“How much are you looking to sell it for?”

“Asking me?” Karl sat opposite him, his expression calm, concealing his inner nervousness. He retorted:

“Shouldn’t you be the one to tell me the price?”

“Yes.”

Old Nick nodded:

“That’s the usual practice, but I’m afraid the price I offer will disappoint you.”

Karl frowned: “Let’s hear it.”

He didn’t believe it could be that cheap.

Old Nick extended a finger and slowly said:

“Ten gold coins!”

“Artworks worth a hundred pounds are not common. This clock is well-crafted and also a large piece, which is very rare. However, some parts inside are broken, so I can only offer this price.”

“Heh…” Karl was speechless:

“Old Nick, are you kidding me? Ten gold coins are probably not even enough to buy the gold used on this clock.”

The clock wasn’t just coated with a layer of gold paint; some parts inside were entirely made of gold.

Ten gold coins?

What a joke!

“Yes.”

Old Nick didn’t deny it, but turned the clock around, lowered a hidden back panel, and pointed at the engraving:

✿✿✿

“Do you see this?”

“This…” Karl had only briefly glanced at the clock and didn’t understand the engraving inside, not even noticing the back panel.

Now, focusing his gaze, he subconsciously frowned:

“God worship?”

“That’s right.”

Old Nick grinned:

“This depicts a scene or ritual of mortals worshipping a deity, indicating that this item is a sacred artifact.”

“And the key is…”

“They are worshipping an evil god!”

“Moon Goddess, Goddess of the Moon, I’ve lived for so many years and have never heard of this deity.”

In this world, there were deities who held dominion over the moon, but no deity was specifically called the Moon Goddess.

And worshipping an evil god was a grave sin. If discovered by the Church, even being slightly involved could be a matter of life and death.

Not to mention worshipping an evil god, even worshipping a true god other than the Morning Sun could cause a lot of trouble in this country.

Moreover, hiding the engraving of god worship in such a concealed place, if there was nothing fishy about it, it wouldn’t be normal.

Seeing Karl’s increasingly gloomy expression, Old Nick smiled and said:

“Report it to the Church, or sell it to me for ten gold coins, you can choose.”

Karl’s eyes narrowed.

No wonder!

No wonder he offered ten gold coins, he was threatening him!

“Old Nick.”

Pursing his lips, Karl slowly said:

“I forgot to introduce myself, I am a noble. This item is a war trophy my grandfather obtained from the battlefield. It’s normal not to know its background.”

“A noble?”

Old Nick was taken aback, he really hadn’t expected that.

In that moment of his daze, Karl suddenly reached out, clenching his fist and smashing it towards the back panel of the clock.

“Bang!”

The metal back panel was forcefully smashed and distorted. Although it didn’t break, the engraving on it became blurred and indistinct, making it impossible to tell if it was a god worship ritual.

“I know Buddy Auction House doesn’t fear a noble’s status, but if you want to bully me, it won’t be that easy.”

“Now!”

Karl leaned forward, staring directly at Nick:

“How much?”

“…” Looking at Karl, Old Nick’s cloudy eyes flickered, and he suddenly grinned:

“Don’t be angry, let’s talk this over.”

The result of the discussion was fifty gold coins.

When Karl walked out of Buddy Auction House, he realized that his back was covered in cold sweat.

At this moment, a gust of wind blew by, and he couldn’t help but tighten his clothes.

‘Unexpectedly, selling something brought from another world would cause such trouble?’

Touching the few small items remaining in his pocket, Karl gently shook his head, temporarily giving up on the idea of selling them.

He would go back and carefully check them again, anyway, he had enough money for now.

Just as he hailed a carriage to leave the market, a burst of commotion and noise came from behind.

“Breaking news! Breaking news!”

“Duke Gombis passed away from illness during his campaign against Coburg, Duke Saxon is suspected to be taking over the command of the army…”

“Important news…”

Duke Gombis died?

Karl was startled.

The Duke was only in his fifties and a renowned legendary knight, with a physique as strong as a tiger, even swords and blades could hardly injure him, how could he suddenly die from illness?

The key point was, Duke Saxon, who was taking over from Gombis, had once served as the City Lord of Signo. If this was true, would he conscript the citizens and nobles of the city?

‘Forget it, it’s useless to overthink now.’

‘I’ll get some rest and secure the barony first. According to Colon, the Day of the Burning Moon is approaching, and Black City will also usher in its monthly safe period. I’ll have to go there again then.’