Chapter 80: Old Gwae

The auction meticulously prepared by Baron Merlinna, the lord of Dalaran, in collaboration with the Kinthor Auction House will take place at the end of next month, when the Silver Moon is at its fullest in the night sky.
Unlike in Donald’s previous life, this world uses the full moon as the boundary between months—when the full moon appears, it marks the last days of January, and as the moon wanes, it marks the beginning of January. It is said that this calendar was established by the gods themselves and is known as the Gods’ Calendar. The stars in this world’s sky are said to be the thrones of the gods, and this is not just a legend but a reality.
As for the exact details, Donald couldn’t deduce them from the incomplete ancient books he had!
Every June, when the Silver Moon is at its fullest, it is said to be the day when the Goddess of the Silver Moon fell during the ancient turbulent times. According to certain church scriptures, the movement of the Silver Moon is now governed by three goddesses: the Elven Goddess of Moonlight and Night, as well as the Human Goddesses of Magic and Agriculture.
Of course, these are all legends recorded in the scriptures of the gods’ churches across the continent, and ordinary people like them know nothing about the actual details.
“Baron, please follow me.” It was the end of the tenth month of the year, and it was not yet night. As one of the organizers of tonight’s auction, Donald arrived early at the auction house and was led by the chief steward, Bert, to the VIP room.
To Donald’s surprise, aside from him, there was also a tall old man with silver hair sitting in the VIP room, smiling at him. Yet his gaze seemed aggressive, as if it could see through a person completely.
“What does this mean, Steward Bert?”
In response to Donald’s question, Steward Bert bowed to both of them before retreating, closing the door softly behind him.
“Baron, I hope you won’t mind my little arrangement. I asked Bert to do this just so I could meet with you privately,” said the silver-haired old man across from him in a kind tone, like an elderly neighbor. But Donald felt that this man was not so simple.
“Oh? Why do you want to meet me, sir? I don’t recall knowing you.”

Donald spoke those words, but secretly assessed the old man’s strength. He found that aside from being in better physical condition than ordinary people, the old man’s strength was roughly at the upper level of Black Iron, with nothing more to report. Yet this reassured Donald greatly—with such strength, even without using the Book of Truth, he could easily deal with him on his own.

“Let’s stop guessing here and introduce ourselves. My name is Angwa, the true owner of this auction house. You can call me Old Angwa.”

Hearing this, Donald was somewhat surprised. As far as he knew, the Golden Sun Auction House had been established in Giant Stone City for over a decade, but its true owner had never appeared in person. It had always been managed by the chief administrator, with rumors suggesting the owner was a noble from the royal capital, possessing a very powerful background.

Now, this mysterious owner of the auction house had appeared before him—why?

Seemingly sensing Donald’s confusion, the old man smiled and gestured for him to sit. “Stop standing there. Come and sit. Since the auction hasn’t started yet, we can get to know each other!” Confident in his own strength, Donald showed no fear and sat down beside the old man.

The design of this VIP room was quite ingenious. Guests sat in a semi-enclosed space, from where they could clearly see everything going on in the auction hall below through the terrace. Meanwhile, those below could not see anyone above, except for the staff at the auction table.

Soon, a servant came in to serve exquisite snacks and fine wine.

After the servant left, the old man spoke first, “I’ve come to meet you, Lord Baron, to make a deal!” “What kind of deal?” Donald asked, puzzled.

“Of course, it’s the deal between you and the Ansel family!”

Seeing Donald’s displeased expression, the old man quickly explained, “Please don’t be angry. The Ansel family didn’t reveal your secret. It was I who deduced your secret deal from various clues!” Donald became even more confused. He thought he hadn’t revealed any clues—how could someone know about the secret deal taking place in his own manor? Even if the Tree of Life’s sensing was blocked by a Gold-rank powerhouse using the power of laws, it still couldn’t be hidden. Who exactly was this old man?

Noticing Donald’s disappointment, the silver-haired old man waved his hands and said, “You see, no one outside can hear us talking here. If you knew my identity, you’d realize I have no ill intentions—on the contrary, I have a request of my own!” “My identity isn’t exactly a secret; basically, all those ministers and nobles are aware of it. You can find out by asking someone from the Ansel family. I used to be the head of the kingdom’s intelligence agency. Over the years, by the king’s orders, I retired to the North County to monitor the Macbeth family, a source of instability in the kingdom, and also to gather supplies and wealth for potential future crises.”

“I’m sure you’re aware of the king’s health condition. A stable kingdom is beneficial for the development of your own territory, isn’t it?” Donald quickly thought about the other man’s identity and intentions, speaking calmly on the surface. “Indeed. But what does that have to do with me?” “Not long ago, the king received a vial of life potion from his sister, Marchioness Ansel—called Moon Essence. Its effects are remarkable, with no side effects at all. It’s more suitable for the king, whose health is already extremely weak, than those advanced alchemical potions. If he could take more than two vials per month, it could extend his life by at least two more years, which would undoubtedly be highly beneficial for the stability of the kingdom. Only…”

“Let me guess—only the Ansel family can’t provide an extra supply, right?” “Exactly!” The old man, Angwa, nodded in approval at Donald.

Donald pressed further, “You still haven’t explained how you figured out it was me dealing with the Ansel family!” The silver-haired old man continued, “As soon as you first stepped into my auction house, I took an interest in you! I know about you becoming a mage apprentice, inventing Moonlight Wine, defeating peak Black Iron mages, and even being assassinated in Stone City. The more I learn about you, the more I’m amazed by your rapid progress. It’s hard to believe that a young man with mage talent could achieve so much in just half a year!” While the other man spoke, Donald listened quietly, already secretly activating two magic cores in his hands, preparing to unleash his innate mage ability, Frost Nova. This old man’s methods of gathering intelligence and spying on him were far too sophisticated. Although he hadn’t discovered many of Donald’s secrets yet, it had already made Donald resolve to eliminate him and escape from the auction house back to his territory.

But then the old man’s words made Hua lower his guard.
“But for your situation, I don’t want to delve too deep. No matter how far you grow, you remain a citizen of the Celt Kingdom. Your strength will bring even more power to the kingdom to deal with the increasingly complex situation on the continent!”
“Let’s put aside these exaggerated claims for now. The situation on the continent isn’t something a mere intelligence officer like me can control. You don’t need to worry about it—just be prepared.”
“Once I learned the name of the potion the king is taking, I immediately thought of you. Baron, your Moonlight Wine has become famous throughout the kingdom lately and is poised to become the third greatest wine, on par with those two top-quality wines. Both ‘Essence of the Moon’ and ‘Moonlight Wine’ share the name ‘moon.’ And that kid from the Ansel family has been visiting your estate repeatedly lately—this can’t help but raise suspicions. So my preliminary conclusion is that you are the real owner of the Essence of the Moon.”
“Remarkable!” Donald applauded in admiration.
“I thought I’d kept things secret enough, yet someone still figured it out!” “Actually, you’ve done well. If not for my years of experience and habit, as well as my early interest in you, I wouldn’t have thought in that direction!” Donald said bluntly, “Enough talk. Does the old man want to make a deal with me as well?” “Exactly! I’ve served the king for decades, and my loyalty remains unwavering. But since the king’s days are numbered, I must plan for myself and my descendants. Time is pressing, though. If the king could provide support for another two years, I could make full preparations. Even if changes occur in the kingdom, it won’t affect my position.”
“The old man is quite calculating!”
Donald praised him with a mix of mockery and admiration, then said, “But dealing with the Ansel family already involves some risk for me. Yet their family’s reputation is generally reliable. What can you offer as a guarantee?”
“It’s not that I’m heartless—it’s just that I’ve offended many forces. Not long ago, someone even hired assassins and sorcerers to kill me. After visiting the capital, I accidentally offended the Mage Association as well. If they find out I possess a substance like the Essence of the Moon that can prolong the king’s life, I, as a minor local noble, will surely become a target!”

The silver-haired old man remained silent for a while after hearing what Donald said, then said, “That minor trouble with the Mage Association has already been resolved for you by Your Majesty. It is said that the mage in question has been locked up and won’t be able to get out for a year or so. There are other reasons behind this, but as long as Your Majesty is in power, those old folks in the Mage Association won’t dare to cause you any trouble! That’s something I can guarantee.”

“Oh? That’s indeed good news!” Hearing this, Donald truly felt much relieved. With a giant like the Mage Association looming over him, it would be hard for anyone to feel at ease.

As for the reasons the old man mentioned, Donald guessed they were related to the one who had stopped the black-robed mage that day. It was likely that the person who intervened was even more powerful than an ordinary Gold Rank warrior—only such a being could make the top figures in the Mage Association bow their heads.

The old man continued, “As for sincerity, I can provide you with the information you want and warn you in advance about any dangers. I, Old Gwai, have been operating in this kingdom for decades, with spies everywhere in Celt. Don’t doubt that! The auction is about to start. We can discuss the details after it’s over. Today’s auction is quite interesting!”