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"I want to bid on the Orichalcum mine on the list," replied Daniel, handing Ragnar his tablet to show him the details.

ραпdα nᴏνa| сom Ragnar examined the information on the mine and then checked something on his phone with a subordinate before letting out an amused grunt.

"This? It's the largest mine in Southeast Asia, but it's an underwater mine 100 kilometers off the Tessia Kingdom coast. To get a return on your investment and make it worthwhile, you would need to mine it for at least 20 years. And even if you were to acquire it, you wouldn't have the capital to set up an underwater mine," Ragnar explained.

Despite Ragnar's explanation, Daniel remained convinced that he could find a way to mine the Orichalcum. He recalled many cards in the Atlantis set that could assist in mining the underwater resource.

"If it's such a bad investment, why was it on the auction list?" Daniel asked, still skeptical.

Ragnar smirked. "Because the royal court mage didn't have the technology or expertise to mine it themselves, and they needed money urgently. That Orichalcum mine belongs to the Tessia royal family."

Daniel realized that the royal family wouldn't have the necessary resources to open the underwater mine. He was determined not to let the royal family benefit from the auction, regardless of why Victor needed the money.

An impish grin crossed Daniel's face as he formulated a plan.

"I don't like the look on your face right now, kid. I hope your plan doesn't cause too much trouble," Ragnar cautioned.

Daniel showed the buckler and the order card to Ragnar, and asked, "Lord Stenmark, from your point of view, how much is this worth to you?"

Ragnar's face grew solemn upon seeing the buckler. "If I may be frank, if this buckler were not soulbound, it could potentially ignite a war within the circle of small clans in the Curtained World. It's not an exaggeration. I have witnessed such wars myself."

Daniel was taken aback by the seriousness of the situation. "Really? I had no idea it was that valuable," he said with a smile, thinking Ragnar was joking.

"Kid, I never joke or exaggerate when it comes to matters of life and death. Trust me, I have seen the devastation caused by wars over artifacts like this," Ragnar said solemnly, drawing on his own experiences.

Ragnar shook his head in disbelief. "Seriously, how careless are your teachers? He was a great Artificer. If he can teach you to make an artifact like that buckler, why is he so eccentric? Didn't he live through the artifact war? God!" He clutched his head, feeling a headache coming on, and grumbled about the carelessness and eccentricity of Daniel's teacher.

Daniel could only smile wryly at Ragnar's outburst. The old man loved to grumble.

"Lord Stenmark, can you ask Mr. Montgomery to move the mine to a spotlight section and put these two items up for auction just before the mine? And I promise I'll make you a custom artifact that is even better than this buckler," Daniel offered with a mischievous smile.

"You want to prevent the money from going to the royal family?" Ragnar asked, immediately understanding Daniel's aim.

Ragnar gazed into Daniel's eyes, which held a wicked and malicious intent, but also an unwavering sense of humanity. These were the eyes of someone who would go to great lengths to achieve their goals but still held themselves back in order to maintain their principles.

"Kid, can you make the artifact soulbound?" asked Ragnar, his gaze intense as he searched for any hint of deception in Daniel's eyes.

"That's my plan. I don't want a civil war breaking out in the Curtained World either," Daniel replied with genuine honesty. With his expertise as a Grand Artificer, he was confident he could add the soulbound function without the need for his workshop at the safe house.

Satisfied with Daniel's answer, Ragnar grinned and patted him on the back. "That's my boy! Gaaaah HAHAHA! Just remember, if I find out that my artifact was worse than what you're going to auction, I'm going to get you for that." He chuckled and playfully threatened Daniel.

Despite his jest, Ragnar was genuinely interested in the Atlantean Technique-made artifact that was of better quality than the buckler he had seen. After all, he was only human and still possessed a certain degree of greed.

"Since I'm feeling generous, I'll even help make it better. You can use this chance to promote your workshop. My clan will sponsor it," Ragnar declared, patting Daniel's back with increasing force.

"Thank you, Lord Stenmark, but I promised Miss Wrath that I would talk to her about it first," Daniel responded.

Ragnar made a face as if he had just heard someone simping on their girlfriend. "Kid, did you know that Wrath is your girlfriend?"

"I suspected as much, but I won't intrude on her desire to remain anonymous until she tells me herself," Daniel replied, recalling the various hints and clues he had picked up during his brief interactions with Wrath.

"Kid, don't be such a simp," Ragnar teased, a sly grin on his face. "Just tell her like a man that you're changing sponsorship. Or, if you're worried she'll kick you out to sleep with the dog, you can say I forced you to do it, and let me deal with her. I've faced tougher women than her, trust me."

Daniel couldn't help but let out a chuckle at Ragnar's words. "It's not about being a simp, Lord Stenmark. It's about maintaining my principles when it comes to business," he replied with a wry smile.

Ragnar rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, kid. But I'll be your sponsor anyway. There's no rule saying a workshop can't have two sponsors," he said, still insistent on getting Daniel into his sphere of influence.

Daniel couldn't help but shake his head at the older man's antics, but he was grateful for the offer of sponsorship nonetheless.

After their argument came to an end and Ragnar got what he wanted, he pulled out his smartphone and dialed Montgomery's number.

"Baldy! I've got a proposition for you," Ragnar said with a lighthearted tone before explaining what he wanted.

Initially, Montgomery was hesitant to move the mine auction to the highlight spot, as it could affect his reputation. But Ragnar proposed a compromise: Montgomery could add another surprise highlight just before the mine auction by showcasing Daniel's buckler and offering a free soulbound customization service from the founder of Astral Artelier.

Upon hearing this, Montgomery realized that he could gain without any loss. Although he knew what Daniel was planning, he didn't care because Victor had already annoyed him during their previous meeting. Besides, he wasn't foolish enough to offend a mage who could use ancient magic like teleportation with just a snap of his fingers.

Montgomery accepts the offer and sends his people to receive Daniel's buckler and customize the order plate before letting one of his best script writers write a quick script for his elven employee to announce about this surprise highlight.

— Prosperity Auction Hall - Auction Stage —

Entariel was a top-tier auctioneer in the event circle, with a fee that ranged from 5% to 10% of the value of the auctioned item. Her rate would go up even higher if there were any unexpected changes in the schedule. Some would say it was a blatant robbery, especially for those auction halls that didn't read the fine print.

Entariel despised surprises, so much so that she made it a point to include a clause in her contract that discouraged auction halls from requesting any unexpected changes outside of the agreed-upon schedule. It was a necessary precaution to maintain her reputation and ensure that she always delivered the highest level of professionalism.

But what on earth is this? The Prosperity Auction Hall, renowned for their impeccable organization and professionalism, has requested Entariel to add a surprise highlighted section to the auction featuring an artifact so powerful that it could even rival the legendary Shield of Achilles!? Is this some kind of scam!?

And to make matters worse, this new workshop called Astral Atelier claims to be the sole inheritor of the Atlantean Artifact Creation Technique and is being sponsored by the prestigious Stenmark clan! The cherry on top of this unbelievable situation is that the penny-pinching Montgomery actually paid the upfront cash fee to make Entariel do a surprise schedule! It's utter madness! Who knows, maybe tomorrow the sun will actually rise from the west.

[Well, since that stingy old Montgomery agreed to pay my fees, I might as well do my job properly and present this surprise item as the highlight of the event. After all, that's what being a true professional is all about,] Entariel thought to herself, determined to make this surprise section a success despite her reservations about the whole thing.

Entariel perused the script and found it to be too bland and lacking in any flair. It seemed as if Montgomery was afraid to offend the founder of Astral Atelier, so she decided to create her own version of the script, folding up Montgomery's version and tucking it between her ample bosom for safekeeping.