Chapter 13 Justice X_2

"450 pounds." The bids were becoming fewer as most were frightened off by the bid from bidder number 13. Someone attempted to raise the bid once more, which was immediately met by: "500 pounds."

Holy crap, 500 pounds! An armor selling for 500 pounds? In Western countries, 500 pounds was enough to buy a manor with fields and income-producing properties, the self-sufficient kind!

"500 pounds. Any more bids?" The host looked around and asked.

"Tsck, tsck." Booth 7 had clearly not expected such a price either. After a moment of silence, somewhat reluctantly, he asked, "Are you certain there is not the recipe I am looking for?"

"Lend me a pen and paper," Aske suddenly turned around and said to Nora.

"Oh, okay." Nora tore off a sheet and obediently handed it over.

"I have the recipe." Aske quickly wrote something down and pressed the speaker, announcing.

"You have the recipe?" Booth 7 immediately exclaimed with joy, "Which recipe? Numerical Control I? Mechanical II? Power II?"

"Numerical Control I." Aske replied. From the shadows, a tentacle from the host deftly twisted and whisked away the paper in his hand.

"How do you have the recipe for Numerical Control I?" Medea also turned around, asking half out of curiosity and half skeptically.

"I used to work in a workshop, where I once handled Magic Potion Materials related to Mechanic bloodlines; I just so happen to remember it," Aske said with a smile, not saying much but with a look that said, "It's a long story," thinking to himself, "Those were carefree times indeed."

"Need verification of its authenticity?" The host, having received the recipe, did not rush to hand it over to Booth 7 but instead asked, "It's 10 pounds for a one-time verification."

"Let it be verified," Booth 7 hesitated for a moment but then decided.

The possibility of the recipe being fake certainly existed. For instance, as a Mechanical I Transcendent, Booth 7 could verify the authenticity of a Mechanical II recipe due to the sequence sensing and Spiritual Intuition of the same sequence. However, for a different and new sequence like Numerical Control I, they would be powerless.

Being able to hold this secret gathering, the host was naturally capable of verifying authenticity, despite some inevitable leakage of the content during the process, essentially giving the organizer a free peek at a Sequence I recipe.

Of course, being able to organize a transcendent secret meeting right under the Church's watchful eye, the organizer was evidently a powerful figure with extensive connections, not lacking in common I level Magic Potion Recipes (and more valuable II or III-level recipes wouldn't normally require verification by the organizer). As long as the organizer didn't broadly disclose the content of the recipe, buying this I-level recipe at its face value wouldn't result in a loss for Booth 7, so he eventually chose to have it verified.

The host nodded and then... pulled out a smartphone, took a photo of the recipe, and sent it out using a social media app.

After a while, a notification sound of a new message was heard. The host glanced at the screen and said:

"I have an old friend who's a high-sequence Numerical Controller, and he says the recipe is fine."

Old friend... a high-sequence Numerical Controller? Booth 7 then responded, "I am also fine with that, the transaction stands."

"Wait a moment," bidder number 13 tried to salvage the situation, "I offer 600 pounds."

"I'm sorry," Booth 7 said, "I must have the Numerical Control I recipe, even if the offer was 1000 pounds."

"Number 3." Bidder number 13 said, "If you are willing to part with that armor, it can be delivered to Charck's gate. The price will not disappoint you."

"I'll consider it," Aske replied.

"Charck's gate, isn't that the main entrance to the Imperial Palace?" Nora immediately remarked, "Could bidder number 13 be one of the Imperial Palace Guards?"

"Maybe it's the royal mercenary barbarians of Valangia," Medea suggested, "Only Normans would be so passionate about a piece of armor."

The recipe was delivered to Booth 7, and the host used shadows to transport the armor inside. Aske examined it briefly, then handed it over to Eleanor.

"Give it to me?" Eleanor was surprised, as she hadn't contributed anything to this deal.

"We are a team," Aske said, "Isn't it normal for armor to be prioritized for defenders?"

Despite Eleanor's thick skin, she was left speechless this time and struggled to squeeze out a "Thank you."

Following that, the gathering continued with the sale of various items, such as crystal balls and pendants used for divination, an Ancient Dragon Scale said to be made of Extraordinary Material, and a few bottles of Magic Potion. After the sales phase, it was time for the buying phase.

When it was Aske's turn at booth number 3, he pressed the speaker switch and announced, "I would like to purchase the following recipes, paying in cash: Life I, Justice X, Life Stealing I, Desire I."

"Justice X?" someone from booth 16 exclaimed, "Can I request a private conversation, Moderator?"

"Ten minutes for one pound," the Moderator replied. A Shadow Tentacle then slowly extended, connecting booth 16 to booth 3.

"Just to confirm," a crisp female voice came through the tentacle, not disguised by a voice-changer, sounding roughly like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, "the Justice X you mentioned, is that the one anciently known as 'Glory X'?"

"Glory X was its name during the Third Epoch," Aske answered.

"Well, I happen to have the recipe for Justice X that you need," the girl responded, "It costs 100 pounds. But if you can tell me what specific effects the Justice X Magic Potion has, I can give you a 40-pound discount."

Clearly, she had acquired the recipe under unexpected circumstances, since she didn't even know what purpose the Magic Potion served.

"Justice X," Aske said, "first, it increases a Transcendent's Physical Power and Spiritual Power. Second, as its name suggests, it predisposes the user towards a justice-oriented disposition. Third, when the user combats evil enemies, it unleashes much greater battle strength."

"Makes the user lean towards justice? I understand," the girl said, her voice enlightened and slightly disdainful, "Deal, I'll give you the recipe."

After paying 60 pounds, a note with the recipe for Justice X was sent over by the tentacle. Aske handed it to Eleanor, who eagerly read it. The recipe was in the three-part format characteristic of "Song of Iron and Fire":

- Main Ingredient -

Three feathers of Valar Eagle

- Subsidiary -

Pair of eyes from a Shadow Insect

100 milliliters of Garr Valley river water

A small pinch of Diamond Powder

- Processing -

Take 100 milliliters of Garr Valley river water, boil it in a flask, then add a pair of Shadow Insect eyes. Continue boiling until the liquid turns black and opaque, then add a pinch of Diamond Powder (the size of a fingernail). Once shiny particles appear in the liquid, add the Valar Eagle feathers, one at a time. Once the liquid is stable, it's ready for consumption.

"Do you think this recipe needs verification?" Eleanor asked.

"It should be authentic," Aske said, "as I have some recollection of it."

"The Shadow Insects live in the Syrian Desert, I can manage to get that," Medea said.

"The Valar Eagles nest at the tops of Saint Sophia Cathedral and the Golden Governance Palace," Aske added, "Garr Valley is located in the southern provinces of the Frank Empire, you could ask the western merchants in Constantinople."

In just a few sentences, these two managed to procure all the Extraordinary Material, leaving Eleanor moved to tears. Is this the benefit of being in a team? It's truly touching.