Ch. 161..170

Chapter 161

Inside Jack’s room, one person was startled beyond belief and the other was overwhelmingly happy. A few minutes passed and Eliza had yet to return to the stage, but a tiny knock came to Jack’s door.

"Who could that be?" Getting up after such a long time sitting, Jack stretched himself and walked over to the door. Unsure who it could be, Jack looked through the peephole and saw a friendly, familiar smile on the other side. "Come in."

As Jack opened the door, Eliza walked in, acting even more respectful than before. "Young Master Jack, I’m sorry to disturb you. I’ve been sent here to verify that you can afford the things you’ve purchased as well as bring them to you. So far you’ve bought a world atlas, a fossilized egg, a dark type peak-tier spell, and now three bestial rings. You’re total is eighty-four thousand and two hundred gold. Can we make the exchange now?"

"Of course, I’m happy you’ve already brought me my things!" Jack laughed as four chests appeared around him. "Here you are, feel free to take a look and count it all. I may have given a bit too much, but just consider that a delivery tip. You’ll get the same if you bring me my things in a similar fashion next time, as well."

"Next time... Young Master Jack, do you still plan to keep purchasing items?" Eliza asked, thinking that Jack wouldn’t have much left after she saw the four chests.

"Of course I am, I still need more bestial rings!"

"Young Master Jack, here are your things. I have something I need to report and I’ll be right back, okay?" Eliza said a few words as she threw Jack a ring and then stored the four chests.

"Very well, we’ll be waiting for you here."

With that, Eliza vanished and left the room. Within minutes she was back and her smile was even more resplendent. "Jack, I spoke with the managers and considering the amount of gold you’ve spent and are still willing to spend, they’ve decided to offered you a platinum emblem in exchange for you gold one. Here it is."

Too curious about the sudden change of emblems, Jack asked, "What does this mean, exactly? What’s the difference between gold and platinum emblems?"

"Very few people throughout the continent have platinum emblems; you can count them on one hand, so you’ll be the fourth person to receive one. From now on, this private room is yours indefinitely and you’re also allowed to browse our warehouses personally. Doing that, you’ll be able to make private offers outside of auctions is you wish, though we can’t guarantee that we’ll accept them if we don’t feel it’s worth it on our end."

"Also, I’ll be your dedicated attendant whenever you visit us. If you wish, we can connect your contact crystal to ours so that I can keep you aware of any precious items you might be after. How does that sound? You’ll even be allowed free room and board here whenever you’re in town, as well as food of course."

"Wow, I’ll gladly accept the upgrade!" Jack immediately agreed after hearing the free benefits. He was basically offered the royal treatment for doing whatever he wanted.

The Fat Goose may have appeared too generous, but they knew exactly what they were doing. With three major auction houses inside Federal City, how could they not try and rope in such a massive spender like Jack by any means necessary? His spending alone would earn them more than a common auction.

Switching the emblems, Eliza curtsied to Jack. "This is great news! There is one thing I need to ask. Are you with any organization, and if so can you please tell me which one?"

Scratching his head, Jack thought for a moment before he answered, "The organization I’m with is only in its initial phases of growth, but in time we’ll reveal more of our strength."

"And which organization is that?" Eliza was even more curious now.

"Will this information be confidential?"

"All information involving our platinum guests is entirely confidential and impossible for other’s purchase. Your secret identity is safe with us."

"Alright, then I’ll tell you but make sure not to inquire of me or my guild further. If you do, then I’ll have to find a different auction house to help acquire my many needs," warned Jack, making sure to appear top-secret and stern. "I’m with the Leisure Guild."

"Leisure Guild..."

Chuckling to herself, Eliza was wondering what the higher-ups would think when they heard that Jack was with the Leisure Guild. Eliza knew of it but she knew very little and that it’s former grandeur had dwindled into a minor guild in Trodar. But if Jack was really from there, did that mean there was a lot more to the guild than anyone knew?

"Thank you, Young Master Jack. For now, I must return to the stage. Once the auction is over, you can stay here and I’ll come to bring you your goods personally. Again, thank you for your patronage." She bowed to both Jack and Maura, leaving them with a very strong first impression.

"Maura, what do you think?"

"I think you’re spending too much..." While Jack was alert and attentive, Maura was drunk and unfocused. "Shouldn’t you save some for me too?"

"Who said I haven’t?" Jack joked around with the drunken Maura, sure that she wouldn’t remember much of the auction the following day. "Let’s get back to the auction, shall we?"

Like Eliza had said to Jack, she soon after reappeared on the stage and riled up the crowd. But instead of offering more armor and items, she presented another batch of bestial rings. It was probably due to the time she was away and they wanted to reignite everyone’s passion to spend money.

"Here’s another three bestial rings of the same quality and type. After these, there is one last batch and another special batch of bestial rings. Like before, we’re starting at ten thousand gold."

"Ten thousand gold!"

"..."

When Jack didn’t immediately respond with a higher bid, the others all felt better. If Jack wasn’t bidding, then maybe he had finally reached his limit. No one else dared spend so much before the auction’s final item was up for grabs.

"Eleven thousand gold!"

"Thirteen thousand gold!"

The bids came left and right. Since the man with the deepest pockets was joining the bid, no one was afraid to finally start competing for the items. Very quickly, the price reached nineteen thousand gold and the bids were slowing.

"Twenty thousand gold!" shouted Prince Tyrel from the Zuran Empire.

"Twenty thousand gold going once! Going twice..." Eliza’s pause felt a hair longer than usual as she looked up to Jack’s room with a suspicious glance.

Unlike the rest of the room, she knew that Jack was nowhere near his limit and that he wanted these items in particular.

As if her glance had predicted the future, that same voice left Jack’s room yet again to stun the crowd.

"Twenty-five thousand gold!"

Tyrel’s face twisted and contorted in fury. When he finally felt he would get a bestial ring for himself, that same annoying voice reappeared and stole his thunder.

"Prince Tyrel, he should be at his limit now. No one would dare give so much gold to a young man," reasoned the old man behind Tyrel.

"Fine... we’ll wait since there’s another batch..." Tyrel complained to the royal advisor, agreeing only because he felt he had no choice.

"Twenty-five thousand going once! Going twice... Sold!"

"Gong!"

"Alright, on to the next one for another ten thousand gold," immediately going into the next auction, Eliza hurried the crowd to bid.

"Ten thousand!"

"Fourteen thousand!"

Again, the bids went on without Jack and the others raised the price over and over again. But the moment it started to stall, a familiar voice rang out and angered everyone.

"Twenty-five thousand gold!"

"Twenty-five thousand gold going once! Going twice..."

The extra-long pause was a test to see if anyone dared compete with Jack, but it proved unnecessary.

"Sold!"

"Gong!"

With every bid Jack won, Eliza’s smile became more brilliant. How could she not be happy that the person she was in charge of was spending more than anyone even thought possible? Her stance in the Fat Goose would sky-rocket after this!

"Now, we’ll sell the last of this batch. Who will offer ten thousand gold for it?"

Silence. Not a soul dared make a bid. Everyone had the same thought and fear. No matter what they offered, Jack would trample over them with his money.

"Ten thousand gold!"

This time, Jack took advantage of the situation and offered ten thousand gold to start everything off.

"Ten thousand gold going once! Going twice--"

"Eleven thousand gold!"

The counter shocked the audience and Jack as well. Jack looked and saw Prince Tyrel on the second floor staring at his private room. A cold smile appeared on Jack’s face when he saw that Tyrel dared bid him up.

Chapter 162

"Fifteen thousand--

"Sixteen thousand gold!"

"Twenty thousand--"

"Twenty-one thousand gold!"

Tyrel’s aggressive counters kept the crowd in suspense. Someone dared counter that person and what would happen in the end? They were excited to see such a bidding war take place.

"Twenty-five--"

"Twenty-six thousand gold!"

"Your highness, if you’re not careful then we won’t have enough for the later items. Please, be prudent with your spending," warned the royal advisor.

"Don’t worry, I’m just trying to force him to dry out his stash. Once he’s out, then everyone will thank us and we’ll get what we need," answered Tyrel, paying the old man little attention.

"Thirty thousand gold!"

"Thirty-one thousand gold!"

"..."

"Thirty-one thousand gold going once!"

"Thirty-five thousand gold!"

When Jack momentarily hesitated to raise the bid, Tyrel smiled evilly. If that’s the case, the impulsive Jack should almost be at his limit. "Thirty-six thousand gold!"

"Thirty-six thousand gold going once! Going twice..."

As the long pause came, Tyrel looked proud and felt accomplished. He had shown everyone that he wasn’t someone that could be toyed with and forced the auction’s biggest spender to waste his money. Now, he should be able to get what he wanted without worry.

"Sold!"

"Gong!"

"WHAT?!" Tyrel shouted at the top of his lungs and stared back at the stage in disbelief.

"Congratulations, you’ve secured the last bestial ring of this batch, young prince. Now we’ll move on to a few more items before bringing out the next batch of bestial rings."

While some people on the first floor were excited to see the lv. 35 items start to arrive, most everyone was staring at the angry prince and a particular room on the third floor.

Furious, Prince Tyrel glared at that private room on the third floor. He was supposed to only spend twenty thousand on a bestial ring and a maximum of twenty-five thousand. Now, thanks to whoever was inside that room, he had spent thirty-six thousand gold, destroying his bidding budget. How was he going to afford the final items?!

"I’m Tyrel, prince of the Zuran Empire! Who are you to dare belittle and trick me?!"

"Your highness!" This time the royal advisor yelled back but finished with his normal voice. "There are times where you must prove your bearing and keep calm. Don’t make a fool of yourself in front of the other nations."

"You chose to make the bid, not me. You wanted to compete, you won. Don’t blame me for your victory."

Jack’s response caused the others on the second and third floors to swallow some saliva. That mysterious buyer had used the Zuran prince as an example of what would happen if you try and compete. This was a lesson that everyone would remember.

Hearing that, both Tyrel and the royal advisor were grinding their teeth. The man dared to call the prince’s heavy spending a victory? He was obviously making fun of the prince.

"Keep calm, your highness. There’s nothing we can do about it anymore."

"We should try to--"

"No more! You won’t be allowed to compete with him again. You got the item you wanted and now I’ll handle the rest of the bids." The Zuran prince may have been the face of that party, but why would the Zuran Empire leave it all to him without having sent someone to handle things in emergencies?

The royal advisor was sent for that reason and he would now take control of all further business. Sadly for the prince, that meant he had proved himself too irresponsible and failed the test of this journey he was sent on.

People on both the second and first floors were winning various items and time passed at a decent pace. Eventually, the last batch of bestial rings appeared.

"Ten thousand gold to start off the bids. Who will it be--"

"Ten thousand gold!"

"..."

Jack instantly made the first bid before Eliza could finish speaking. Normally she would take offense, but this time it made her happy.

No one dared offend Jack this time. After what happened to the Zuran prince, they all let Jack take the first ring and would try for the second and third.

"Ten thousand gold going once! Going twice... Sold!"

"Gong!"

With six bestial rings claimed and purchased, Jack felt satisfied with the Fat Goose Auction House. He had found some of the most important items he needed and at a good price and formed a great relationship for future business. Plus, he was able to mess with Prince Tyrel, and that was well worth his spending.

"As for the next bestial ring, we’ll start it off with ten thousand gold again."

"..."

When Jack didn’t make a bid, the other’s on the third floor heaved a sigh of relief. They understood that Jack was done chasing the bestial rings.

"Ten thousand gold!"

"Thirteen thousand gold!"

The bids raced on and someone soon reached twenty-two thousand gold. Everyone stared at that private room on the third floor, wanting to know what would happen.

"Twenty-two thousand gold going once! Going twice... Sold!"

"Gong!"

As the gong sounded, the entire crowd was happy. That crazy money-bags had finally stopped taking the bestial rings!

The last bestial ring was purchased for twenty-six thousand gold, most likely from someone that was sent for that item specifically. Why else would he offer so much? Not everyone was as rich as Jack.

"Moving on, we’ll now bring out the lv. 40 items and give you a range of options to choose from. They’re all peak-tier, so don’t think you’ll get them for too cheap. This spear will be first and the bidding will start at ten thousand gold."

Maura and Jack watched on, not caring for any peak-tier equipment. What he wanted to know was what was special about the next batch of bestial rings? Also, what would be the final item that had attracted so many influential people?

The spear sold for sixteen thousand gold and the bids continued for some time. It was already evening by the time all lv. 40 items were sold and the next special items were wheeled out.

"These are the special bestial rings I mentioned earlier. These are peak-tier lv. 40 rings which the Fat Goose commissioned a long time ago. Now, they’ll finally be sold here. The bidding will start at twenty thousand gold!"

Eliza’s announcement struck the crowd dumb. Not only were they lv. 40 but the bidding started at twenty thousand gold?

Special items would almost always sell for at least twice their starting price, if not more. They all knew these three rings would be the most expensive items yet. It would be a battle between the third floor.

"Twenty thousand gold!" One private room started the bid causally.

"Twenty-two thousand!"

"Twenty-five thousand!"

"Forty thousand gold!"

Just when people were wondering if the money-bags on the third floor had reached his limit, Jack raised the price by fifteen thousand in a single shot. He wanted everyone to know that he wanted the first ring.

"Forty thousand gold going once! Going twice..."

"Wait!" Another young voice rang out from a private room. "I don’t have more gold, I can offer a lv. 45 peak-tier sword. Would that be enough?"

Eliza chuckled, "We’ll have to check it out but it may--"

"I’ll offer a lv. 50 peak-tier shield."

That calm, confident voice cut-off Eliza and startled the young man who had offered the sword.

A moment passed without a response before Eliza replied, "A lv. 50 peak-tier shield will definitely work, so no inspection will be needed. Young master, do you have anything to counter?"

"I have nothing to beat such a great deal. I’ll wait for the next ring," stated that young man. "Also, I hope that his excellency can forgive the Aazoon Kingdom for raising the price. If you wish, please come and visit us, it would be an honor."

With his invitation on the table, that young man stopped talking and let the auction continue.

Everyone was startled to hear the young man’s final words. Even more surprising, the young man had offered that mysterious buyer to visit the Aazoon Kingdom as a guest of honor. Only a prince could make such an invitation.

"Thank you." That was all Jack said in reply, not wanting to hold up the auction or accept in the open.

That Aazoon prince said nothing more but he smiled. He found Jack amusing and could tell that whoever was bidding in that booth was young like himself. And although he hadn’t accepted the invitation, he hadn’t denied it either. It seemed like that person just didn’t want other’s to know much about him.

Happier than she thought would be possible, Eliza quickly moved on. "If there are no other counters, then the Fat Goose will accept the offer of a lv. 50 peak-tier shield in return for the lv. 40 bestial ring."

It wasn’t that there was no one else with lv. 50 items, but most of them weren’t peak-tier. And if they had peak-tier lv. 50 items, who would willingly part with it?

In Modern Kartonia, peak-tier lv. 50 items were extremely rare because very few blacksmiths could make them. Typically, a peak-tier lv. 50 item was priced for over sixty thousand gold. For that reason, the Aazoon prince had apologized and wished that Jack would forgive them.

Chapter 163

As for the crowd, they were in awe of Jack’s wealth. It was common for the great auctions to climax with a lv. 50 peak-tier item, yet they saw someone they presumed to be a young man offer such an item for a lv. 40 ring. That was truly showing off one’s wealth.

The other two rings were both traded away. One went to that Aazoon prince for the lv. 45 sword. The other was traded for a complete set of lv. 40 armor.

Eliza quickly moved on to the lv. 45 items but the crowd wasn’t as shocked as they normally would be. How could they be shocked after hearing a young man trade a lv. 50 peak-tier shield like it was nothing?

Those lv. 45 items came and went, leaving them ready for the next special item.

A dazzling lance was brought forward, captivating the audience. Its aura was radiant and holy as if it were created by the gods.

"This is lv. 45 lance is a holy item from our archives at the Fat Boar. Blessed by Halmut himself, it allows its user to wield light itself and cut through anyone who dares to get in your way. This item will begin at thirty-five thousand gold."

"Thirty-five thousand gold!"

"Forty thousand--"

Fifty thousand gold!"

The entire second and third floors started to compete, easily doubling the price.

It wasn’t hard for the auction’s regulars to figure out that the holy lance was supposed to be the final item up for grabs. From the noble’s reactions, it was easy to see. What was surprising was that it was brought out one round too early. Since there was still one last round of bids for mid-tier and high-tier lv. 50 items, there should also be one last special item up for grabs.

Did the auction house change to selling roster because of that mysterious young man’s earlier trade? Some of the wiser men in the room started to think that.

Those in running the Fat Goose Auction House had their own reasons for changing the selling roster. Though it would appear less significant after Jack’s incredible trade, what the managers wanted to know was if Jack might be able to afford something even more expensive.

When Jack said nothing and showed no interest in the holy item, it only confirmed Eliza’s thoughts.

She had spoken with the managers and they guessed that Jack would only be enticed by special or strange items and nothing else. They had considered this because of his purchases and by the fact that he ignored every normal item they had offered. Their conclusion was that they wanted to test Jack and his spending limits with an item that would typically never be sold outside of the yearly auction.

If they failed to find a buyer, they didn’t mind because they had earned a fortune already thanks to either Jack buying things or Jack causing others to overspend. And if they guessed correctly that Jack would go after such an item, they would be thrilled to have found such an amazing patron out of thin air.

As an auction house, they would naturally collect extremely valuable items, some of which very few people could ever wish to afford. The managers wanted to know if Jack was one of those few people.

"Seventy-one thousand gold!"

The bids started to slow down. As Eliza started the countdown, many looked up to that particular room on the third floor. Would he bid again? Many hoped he would.

"Seventy-one thousand gold going once! Going twice... Sold!"

"Gong!"

Everyone on the third and second floors was amazed that the mysterious young man hadn’t said a word about the holy item. Other than Jack, almost every person on the second and third floors had made a bid.

The only other group that didn’t was the Zuran Empire. Before they knew it, the price had passed their limit.

Originally, they had set aside seventy-five thousand gold to purchase that holy item. With it, they planned to lead the next war against Reinolt and challenge their mysterious expert. However, they were cut short thanks to the prince’s antics and had no chance to win the auction.

"Moving along, we’ll bring out this week’s mid-tier and high-tier lv. 50 items. Mid-tier items will start at twenty thousand gold and high-tier will start at twenty-five thousand gold. First, this helmet!"

Keeping things moving, Eliza continued to sell the regular items with a feeling of suspense in her heart. She knew that the managers would select one of the Fat Gooses rarest items to sell at the climax, but she had no clue what it would be. The managers didn’t have much time to find an item that might appeal to Jack’s strange taste for merchandise. Not wanting to wait for long, Eliza rushed the rest of the auction.

As the night was getting late, the final high-tier lv. 50 items were sold off. To crowd’s surprise, that mysterious voice hadn’t spoken up in a long time.

All those people in the second and third floor were anxious to see what the auction’s final item would be. The supposed final item they all came to bid for was already sold and they had no clue what would happen next.

The worst thing was that the previous winner of the holy item wouldn’t be able to bid on what was about to arrive. He won what he had wanted, but he also felt like he lost because he had no money left to compete.

"I know what you’re all thinking. What could top the holy lance that we just sold off last round? Well, not even I know, not until this curtain disappears!"

On cue, the curtain slowly opened and revealed seemingly-regular black cloak inside of a well-adorned glass case.

While everyone was looking at it in confusion, Jack’s heart was pounding as he stood up and stared at the cloak.

"Most of you are probably wondering why we are trying to sell a common cloak. Let me tell you all that this cloak is worth more than everything mentioned here today," explained Eliza, startling the crowd further.

"The Fat Goose has held onto this cloak for more than a century. All we know is that it has the ability to change the wearer’s appearance at will and it can work for anyone of any level. Yes, I said for anyone of any level. This is a true treasure, so we are only offering it in trade for another item or set of items we feel would be sufficient. The bids will begin in one minute, that way you can double-check what it is you have to offer."

The entire main auction hall was silent, other than the sounds of heavy breathing.

Those wealthy nobles above were staring greedily at the cloak. Even if they had to give up everything they had on them, they had to try and get that item.

Jack was thinking the exact same thing. But unlike the nobles, Jack knew what that item was and had even used it countless times in-game. During his antics to became the achievement junkie, that cloak was his most used item during his entire time playing "A Hero’s Tale."

Named "Sterfen’s Cloak," the item was exactly what its name described. It was created by Sterfen himself and only available during events and special bosses.

One minute passed by as if it were a second and the nobles made their first offers and they were all equal to Jack’s previous offer for the ring, a lv. 50 peak-tier item.

"We, the Aazoon Kingdom offer a peak-tier lv. 50 war axe."

"We, the Zuran Empire offer a peak-tier lv. 50 katana."

"We, the Maltor Kingdom offer a peak-tier lv. 50 flame sword."

"We, the Stladen Kingdom offer a peak-tier lv. 50 ivory bow."

"We, the Fulken Kingdom offer a peak-tier lv. 50 long shield."

"We, the Sandros Kingdom offer a peak-tier lv. 50 speed boots."

"We, the Barzdol Kingdom offer a peak-tier lv. 50 war hammer."

The entire audience was in awe. A peak-tier lv. 50 shield was offered in trade earlier and astonished everyone. Now, they were fully desensitized to all of the previous bids.

With seven competing bids of peak-tier lv. 50 items from seven nearby countries, only the yearly auction could boast of such a deal taking place.

All eyes were on a single private room on the third floor. The young man in that room had amazed everybody with his wealth and only ever bid on strange or special items. If any item of the whole auction should catch his eye, it was that cloak.

While everyone was looking at his room, Jack contained himself and kept from bidding just yet. He understood that the bidding had only just begun.

Once the true bidding war broke out, then Jack would make his move on the cloak. No matter what any of his competitors offered, Jack would finally show a glimpse of just how wealthy he was. In order to get that legend-tier cloak, Jack was willing to give up anything.

Chapter 164

Eliza was also eagerly staring at Jack’s room. She knew he had more to give and Eliza was convinced that the managers may have found the perfect item to tease Jack’s buying spirit.

Looking back to the audience, Eliza stated, "We’re sorry, but the Fat Goose will deny all current offers. We believe that is too low a price for such an item."

"The Aazoon Kingdom will offer a peak-tier lv. 50 set of armor," shouted the Aazoon prince.

"Please display in on the wall of your room. There is a small, black platform in the corner of your room. Place the armor there and then we’ll all be able to see it," explained Eliza.

Jack looked around his own room and found a similar pedestal as well. He thought it was an ingenious contraption, one able to help conceal people’s identities yet helpful to speed up the process of the auction.

"Take a look."

The set of armor came into view, big enough to easily be seen from the stage. It contained a breastplate, two bracers, and two shin guards. It was blue and appeared to be made of the toughest of metals, yet it shined let a sapphire. The beauty of the craftsmanship was enough to stun the crowd.

"It’s a water-type armor that is resistant to cold and ice. Thanks to the materials used, there’s also a significant boost to the wearer’s defenses. This should be a better deal, right?"

Nodding, Eliza replied, "You’re right, we’ll accept this as the first valid bid. What other offers will we have?"

A fiery sword appeared on one of the room walls without any warning. A young man’s voice came from inside. "This is the lv. 50 firs sword that we offered earlier. Note that it is a magical flaming sword, dealing extra fire and burn damage to its enemies. I believe it to be even better than that armor."

Eliza stared deeply at the image of the flaming sword and then back to the blue armor. Then, she looked around the crowd in thought.

What others didn’t know was that the managers had all snuck into the crowd to watch the auction personally, but they acted like common citizens. The reason Eliza was looking around the crowd was to get the approval of the four managers.

When all four shook their heads, Eliza looked back to the room with a flaming sword. "I’m sorry, but we hold the set of armor in higher regard to your magic sword, though it is an amazing weapon. If it were only a portion of the set, then you would have won, but the complete set is too valuable to compare."

"Thank you for considering the offer," stated the young man as the image of the fiery sword disappeared.

"Who’s next?" asked Eliza, not doubting that each kingdom would again make an offer.

Another private room’s wall lit up and showed another set of armor. "The Fulken Kingdom offers a combination of two lv. 50 peak-tier weapons, a long shield and a scimitar. The long shield greatly increases defenses, matching the armor, while the scimitar is a wind type magic weapon. Its blade is light as a feather and its attacks are as quick as the wind."

"That is a wonderful combination," Eliza complemented the representative of the Fulken Kingdom. When she consulted the managers, they were split on which was better.

"I’m sorry, but it’s hard to decide which of the two offers would be better. We’d like to more closely examine the items offered unless someone else has an offer that would prove more valuable."

"That would be us," a gentle, female voice chimed in as another wall lit up. "Together with the ivory bow, the Stladen Kingdom will offer a four-piece set of armor. The bow is also a wind type weapon, creating a similar effect as the aforementioned sword."

Hearing that, all four managers nodded and agreed that it was the best offer without a doubt.

"The Fat Goose accepts your bid as the highest and most valuable at the moment," stated Eliza.

"We’ll add this ice whip to the offer!" shouted the Aazoon prince. "That makes our offer both offensive and defensive items like their’s, yet with a five-piece armor. Also, both items are magical. Clearly, our offer is the best."

"Indeed, that would put the Aazoon Kingdom back in the lead," replied Eliza. "I’m sorry, princess, but they’ve countered you."

"It’s to be expected. I’ve nothing else to offer and wish the prince good luck in acquiring the cloak." The Stladen princess took down their offer’s image and kept watching.

"Who’s next?"

The Zuran Royal Advisor was livid! Not only were they unable to compete for the holy weapon, but they didn’t bring sufficient items to trade for the strange cloak. They would return as laughing stocks would don’t know how to handle money and are lacking wealth.

It was true that the empire’s wealth was starting to dwindle thanks to their war with the three countries that had broken off from them. Adding the humiliation of the prince to their lack of supplies, all of the strong nations that were present wouldn’t forget how insignificant the Zuran Empire’s presence was.

"The Barzdol Kingdom offers the combination of a six-piece peak-tier armor and the war hammer. Both are earth-type magic weapons, increasing defensive strength to the maximum and offensive power to its limits." An image of the sturdy iron armor appeared together with the war hammer, adding more suspense to the auction.

Eliza looked back to the managers and found that three of them agreed to take the Barzdol Kingdom’s offer. "We accept the Barzdol Kingdom’s bid as the highest and most valuable yet. Is there anyone else making an offer?"

"The Sandos Kingdom is unable to compete with the Barzdol Kingdom’s offer, so we won’t be bidding," said a depressed voice from a private room on the third floor.

The Aazoon prince grunted, "We can no longer compete with the current bid. Had there been more notice that such an item was to be revealed, we would have come more prepared."

"Thank you, we’ll make sure to announce any such auction better in the future," Eliza commented, making sure to address the fact that it was an uncommon surprise to everyone. She didn’t want anyone feeling like they had planned to give the item away to anyone.

"If there are no other bids, then the Fat Goose will accept the Barzdol Kingdom’s offer. Going once! Going twice--"

"Wait!"

An elderly voice filled the room, surprising even the managers, however, they were happy. They brought out the cloak to bait a monster of a buyer. If they traded it for the current offer, the managers all felt that they may be getting short-changed.

If they knew what Jack knew, that it was a legend-tier item, they probably wouldn’t have even dared sell it anywhere but the yearly auction.

"I’ll offer a lv. 55 set of armor!" yelled the old man as an image of the armor appeared on a wall. "It’s also an earth type armor and is a four-piece set that is peak-tier. No one else here could dare match it!"

The bold statement rocked the hearts of the crowd. Not only was it a peak-tier lv. 55 item, it was a set! Only extremely high-level experts would have such things.

Jack recognized that private room. Earlier in the auction, that same old man had purchased the life tree dew. Luckily for Jack, that man had offered to not compete with him if the situation came to happen. He doubted that the old man would back down, but he still had to try.

"I’ll also offer a combination of peak-tier lv. 55 items!"

When everyone heard Jack’s voice, they all started to feel excited. If the ruthless mysterious young man made such an offer, that means he would go after the cloak with full force! It would be a good show against the Adventurers Association.

The auction house managers were elated! They took the chance to catch the big fish, and they finally hooked him.

A few images appeared on Jack’s wall. "There are a total of four items: A robe, a staff, an amulet, and a ring. All of which increase mana capacity and regeneration."

Now was the time for the managers to make a big decision, but again they were split. The armor was perfect for warriors while the robe was perfect for mages. It was an even split.

Jack knew that both offers were equal, so he added, "Kind sir, earlier on you said you would back down should we ever enter into a bidding war over an item. Since that exact situation has occurred, I ask that you please withdraw your bid."

All eyes turned to the association’s private room. Such a deal really had been made yet how could they imagine this situation to occur later.

If the old man agreed it was the same as honoring the deal and keeping the prestige of the association. If he didn’t, then it would just prove that the old man valued the cloak too highly and still wouldn’t give it up.

"I’m sorry, but I’ll have to retract my previous statement. This cloak is more valuable than you know, young man, so I can’t possibly give it up." It didn’t take long for the man to reply and for a new image to replace the armor on his wall.

"I’m changing my offer. Now, I’m offering two lv. 60 high-tier weapons!"

Smiling wide, the mangers all nodded in unison to accept the deal. Looking to the association’s room, Eliza stated, "We acknowledge that the association--"

"I’ll offer a lv. 65 peak-tier weapon!"

Jack’s shout silenced everyone, especially the old man competing for the cloak.

 

Chapter 165

"I’ll offer a lv. 65 peak-tier weapon!"

Everyone turned back to Jack’s room as a new image appeared on his wall. It was a halberd with golden dragons etched into the handle and the blade. As the dragons coiled around the shaft of the halberd, they formed grip for the user.

"That should be enough, right? Or do you have anything else to offer?" Jack’s question was spoken out loud, but everyone knew he was talking to that old man.

Inside the association’s private room, that councilman was fuming mad. He was certain that no one else at the auction was stronger than him and that his personal wealth could win him that precious cloak. Since it was so valuable, he even went back on his word and continued to up the bid.

But now, the entire situation flipped. That mysterious young man pulled out a lv. 65 peak-tier weapon! Less than five people in all Kartonia could make such a weapon, and their odds of success weren’t the greatest either. How could he have such a thing and be so young?!

The worst part was that Jack could have offered a lv. 60 peak-tier weapon and he still had a good chance of beating the councilman’s two high-tier weapons.

But a lv. 65 peak-tier weapon... The councilman wasn’t even able to wield such a high-level weapon, let alone own one.

And now, that same young man was playing with him like the auction was just a game. He even had the gall to ask if that was enough as if he could keep going!

Of course, everyone was thinking the same thing but Jack. He had lv. 70 and lv. 75 items too, so he really could keep going if he needed to, and he would’ve still found it a steal to get a legend-tier item in return.

The old man’s silence spoke volumes. There was no way he could beat such a bid.

All four managers were breathing heavily and panting as they admired the golden halberd on display. Each of them agreed that their efforts to test Jack’s spending limit succeeded beyond their imaginations. Even if the cloak was sold at the yearly auction, the price probably wouldn’t have been so high. They didn’t dream of getting a lv. 65 weapon for it, yet they were looking at it, and it was peak-tier!

"The Fat Goose accepts your offer of a lv. 65 peak-tier weapon. Thank you for your generosity!" Eliza bowed to Jack, overwhelmed with all kinds of emotions.

"Thank you, I’m glad I could find such an item. If only you had more."

That statement echoed in the minds of everyone present, "...If only they had more." Did that mean he still had more things worth as much as the cloak?!

That councilman took a deep breath and tried his best to calm down. Hearing Jack’s last statement, he also started to wonder if the boy really could keep going.

"Thank you all for coming and supporting the Fat Goose Auction House. We look forward to our future auctions and hope to see you all at a later time." Finishing with a final bow to the audience, Eliza hid behind the curtain and the auction came to a close.

No one moved, however. They all kept staring at that particular room on the third floor with a single question in mind. Who was inside that room?

Jack also wasn’t in a rush to leave. He only had to wait and all his goods would be delivered to his room. Besides, Maura was drunk and had fallen asleep before the cloak was even revealed. He thought that he might as well wait and see if she wakes up in the meantime.

One minute passed... Five minutes passed... Ten minutes passed and people finally started leaving. Those who had won an item left the main auction hall and went to one of the many claiming rooms to collect their winnings.

Those on the third floor waited even longer. Some even sent a servant into the hallway to keep an eye on room six. They all wanted to know who that young man was.

There were a total of seven kingdoms with representatives present and the Adventurers Association, as well as a couple of secretive groups that don’t like working in the public eye. Soon, other than room six, each occupied room had a servant waiting just outside the door.

To their disappointment, no one exited the sixth room. But after thirty minutes, a group of five people appeared on the third floor and made their way to the sixth room, quickly entering it.

All the servants recognized the woman leading that group and informed their masters of the news.

When they all heard that Eliza led four men into the room, they either groaned or sighed. It was clear to them that the Fat Goose Auction House was trying to rope a financial giant as a future partner. They understood that is was probably the managers that had entered room six together with Eliza.

Figuring out who that person was would only get harder now. If they weren’t able to figure it out before the mysterious young man exited the auction house, it would be impossible. And with the auction house helping his escape, each of the kingdom’s representatives felt that they would be returning home without any explanation for what had occurred.

Inside Jack’s room, Eliza and the managers all bowed the moment they entered. Eliza was the first to speak, "Young Master Jack, we’d like to thank you for your extreme generosity. I’ve brought with me the auction house’s four managers to help me do so."

"Young Master Jack, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Baral and I’m the First Manager," a middle-aged man stepped forward to introduce himself. "My comrades and I would like to personally thank you for your kind support. Is it alright if we host a private banquet for you?"

"I don’t think that will be necessary," answered Jack. "I’ll soon be leaving Federal City and I’m not sure when I’ll be back."

"Please, Young Master Jack, my father would like to meet you," added Eliza.

"Your father? And who is that? What position does he hold within the Fat Goose Auction House?"

"He’s the Owner. Without him, the Fat Goose would’ve never existed and we would have been raided time and time again," answered Baral. "He’s the most powerful man in the Fat Goose and the one who controls everything we do."

When Jack heard that, he finally understood why Eliza’s status in the Fat Goose was already so high for being so young.

Also, Jack could tell that each of the managers was over lv. 55 and Baral, as the First Manager, was already lv. 65. If they respected Eliza’s father so much, then the owner should be near lv. 70.

"If I were to stay for the banquet, when and where would it be held?"

The managers all smiled as Eliza explained, "We can hold it within the hour. My father is currently away but he’s already been informed and is now hurrying back. As for where we hold it, is it alright if we host it within our guild quarters?"

"Yes, I’d prefer that."

The guild quarters was the area where only guild members could go and where they lived. There shouldn’t be any prying eyes from the other kingdoms if the banquet was to be held there.

"Great, because we’ve already started the preparations," Eliza laughed as she pulled out a luxurious looking ring. "Here are all of you purchased items, and we’ve included this ring as a gift to show our gratitude."

"Thank you." Jack slightly bowed his head as he waved his hand. Three chests filled with gold appeared and surprised the manager. "This should cover the sixty thousand gold I owe. As for the rest..."

Two items appeared in Jack’s hands. In his left, it was a green, glossy shield that was lv. 50 and peak tier. In his right, a golden halberd appeared and radiated a heavy, golden aura.

"Here you are."

Nonchalantly, Jack stepped forward and handed the two items to Eliza.

"Th-thank you." Even with her upbringing, it was hard for her not to stutter and fumble her words while holding such a valuable item. She had never even seen a lv. 65 peak-tier weapon, let alone held one.

"Thank you, Young Master Jack!" They all bowed deeply to Jack. At first, they doubted that Jack was as casual with wealth as Eliza had mentioned to them, but now they were proven wrong.

"I have one last request, however."

"Feel free to ask us anything you wish," replied Baral, happy to grant Jack a favor for a chance to get on his good side. For them to make friends with someone as wealthy as Jack was something out of their dreams.

"I’m not leaving this room until all other people in the main auction hall have left, including those on the second and third floors."

 

Chapter 166

"I’m not leaving this room until all other people in the main auction hall have left, including those on the second and third floors."

The mangers all looked at each other and nodded. Without a word, the three other managers left the room. Baral smiled and said, "Something so simple is easy the Fat Goose. Is there anything else?"

"No, that’ll be all. I’ll wait until it times for the banquet." Jack returned Baral’s smile, happy to see that the managers were understanding and didn’t ask too many questions.

"Do you mind if I stay here and wait with you? I’d love to get to know you," asked Eliza. She glanced at the sleeping Maura and giggled.

"If you wish."

"Great! Baral, you can inform me when everything will be ready and I’ll bring him down."

"Very well," replied Baral. "Young Master Jack, our little miss is in your care."

With that, Baral fled the room to make sure everything was in order. While the three managers quickly cleared the main auction hall, he hurried to help the banquet be ready for the owner’s arrival.

Everyone on the third floor was saddened or irritated. They all wanted to at least see who that mysterious person was. Now, they could only hope that he would show up again in the future.

The person most irritated was the old councilman from the Adventurers Association. At first, he respected and thought highly of the mysterious young man. But later that same young man had forced him to renege his promise in public and then continued to poke fun at him after clearly winning the bid.

Few people could even come up on the councilman’s radar because he was a lv. 63 adventurer, but a young man had managed to do it with flying colors.

Grumpily, the old councilman finally left after everyone else but he still didn’t learn anything about the mysterious young man. After he left the auction house, it was already evening and the marketplace was packed. Not wanting to give up yet, the old councilman stayed there and was waiting to see who left the building after him.

He understood that the young man could use the cloak, but he had to try something. Angry and depressed, the councilman wanted to vent his emotions with something.

Inside the Fat Goose Auction House, the main auction hall was soon cleared and some people emerged from the sixth room on the third floor. In the lead was Eliza, who wore a seductive smile. Behind her was Jack, who was carrying the drowsy Maura on his back.

"Follow me, Young Master Jack." Eliza waited until Jack was beside her to keep walking, still wanting to chat with the wealthy young man. "Won’t you please tell me more about you?"

"What else is there to know? You know I’m rich and that I’m with secretly with the Leisure Guild."

"But I want to know about you. I don’t even know you’re class and subclass!" whined Eliza, acting pitiful.

To most people, introducing your class and subclass was common practice, but Jack wouldn’t even tell her that much. He would only answer vaguely or he’d ask her questions about what was going on in the world. No matter what she said, Jack wouldn’t budge.

"Why do you need to know that? That’s unimportant compared to everything else. How you tell me about yourself instead?" reasoned Jack.

Giving him an adorable frown, Eliza pointed ahead of her. "Since you don’t want to talk, then we won’t talk. We’re almost there."

She led him not to the main hall with the receptionists, but to a side hall that seemed insignificant. However, the moment they entered a door at the end of the hall the atmosphere was completely different.

Jack felt like he was inside an imperial palace at that moment. Everything was lusher and more vibrant.

"This way," pouted Eliza. Seeing that Jack didn’t mind if they weren’t talking, she decided to try again. "Please? If you don’t answer my questions, at least let me call you Jack."

"Fine, I’m alright with that."

"So, Jack, what’s your relationship with her?" asked Eliza, motioning to Maura on his back.

"I already told you, she’s--"

"Jack, I’m not stupid. I know she tried to say otherwise but you didn’t let her. You seem close, but not close enough to already be together," stated Eliza.

With a loud sigh, Jack looked back at Eliza. "What’s wrong with that? Can’t I have a friend who’s a female?"

"Having those kinds of friends must drive your wife crazy."

"I don’t have a wife."

"Girlfriend?"

"Nope, she died almost a month ago."

"..."

Eliza had no response to that. How could she know that? Trying to salvage the conversation, she apologized. "Oh... I’m sorry for asking."

"That’s okay, what’s happened has happened. Those responsible are already dead," replied Jack.

"Well, do you have any room left for more female friends, maybe for someone like me?"

Chuckling to himself, Jack asked, "Are we there yet?"

"Yeah..." groaned Eliza. They neared a courtyard and entered it without another word. Very quickly, they entered a small yet extravagant hall.

In the center was a dark brown table that seemed to be made from an ancient tree. Gold flatware and silverware were laid out in three spots; two together on one side and another spot at the head of the table.

"You can set her down her and come take a seat." She pointed at one of the sofas to the side of the room.

Jack carefully laid Maura down on the couch and smiled one last time as her cute sleepy face. Then, he turned around and sat at the spot furthest from the head.

"Silly, that’s my seat. You’re sitting next to my father. He’s very interested in you."

"I wonder why," sighed Jack as he stood up and let Eliza take her seat. Sitting down again, he asked, "So, how long has the Fat Goose Auction House been around?"

"Not long. We’ve only been doing business for about twenty years. My father opened the auction house when I was a baby. Since then, we’ve kept growing and eventually became the third biggest auction house in Federal City," explained Eliza. "Of course, it wasn’t easy. My father always worked hard and kept getting stronger. Without him, some strong groups may try to take everything from us."

"What good is having so much treasure if you can’t protect it?"

To Eliza, Jack sounded profound. But if Maura had heard him, she would think Jack was a hypocrite.

Jack was easily one of the wealthiest people in Kartonia, the auction was proof of that. While his only backing was the powerful Adventurers Association, they had no clue just how rich he was. If they did, it was likely that they would take advantage of him. Who wouldn’t succumb to greed when tempted by so much wealth?

Across the hall, the sound of a door unlocking echoed. Both Jack and Eliza looked up to see a figure emerging and locking the door behind him.

He appeared to be younger than Jack had anticipated, looking like he was in his thirties. Wearing an open red robe over a plain white shirt and black pants, the man walked closer and took his seat at the head of the table. With a glance at his smiling daughter, he laughed.

"So, you’re the wealthy young man I’ve heard about? My name is Argyle Wittam and it seems you’ve already met my daughter."

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Master Argyle."

"Please, my name is enough. Don’t worry about honorifics with me, I never liked them in the first place," stated Argyle. "Sorry for being late. Let’s hurry up and get the meal started."

Right on cue, a side door opened and a few servants brought a few platters of different foods. There was a fully roasted boar with its ribs sectioned and ready to eat. A large pot of roast beef was laid in front of Jack. Loaves of bread and dozens of cheeses covered that end of the table, showing that the Fat Goose was truly bringing out its finest for Jack.

"Please, dig in. No need for manners here."

Jack was hesitant to believe Argyle until he saw the man tear off the leg of a turkey and eagerly devour it. His impression of Argyle was nothing like he had expected from an owner of such a wealthy auction house.

Not missing a beat, he joined in and happily ate his fill. Even the sophisticated Eliza ate with a touch of savagery.

"So, Jack, I heard you’re with the Leisure Guild, is that true?" asked Argyle.

"Yes, but it’s on a need to know basis. There are some things we’re trying to do in secret."

"Makes sense, it sounds like something that Tralon would do," added Argyle.

Jack’s fork stopped. He didn’t reply but froze in place for a moment. Unsure of what to think or how to respond, only one question was on Jack’s mind. ’Tralon is still alive?!’

 

Chapter 167

Argyle looked at the confused Jack and laughed, "So you’re not from the Leisure Guild after all; that’s what I thought."

"You know Tralon? Tralon Dyrshire?"

Jack’s question caught Argyle off guard. He assumed that Jack’s momentary confusion was from a slip of character, not that Jack struggled to believe that Tralon and Argyle were friends.

"Sure do, but it has been a long time since I’ve seen him," replied Argyle. "How’s he doing nowadays?"

"I’m not sure..." His words trailed off as Jack started to get lost in his thoughts.

Wondering what to believe and what no to believe, Argyle studied Jack. "Jack, are you really from the Leisure Guild? You should tell me now before I contact Tralon personally."

"You can contact him?!"

The question didn’t confuse Argyle, it was Jack’s expression. It wasn’t a face of regret or anger, Jack’s was a face filled with joy and longing. Now he really was baffled by Jack’s antics and his ruse.

"Yes, I can contact him via our guild contact crystal, it is high-tier after all."

"Can you give me a moment to think? It’s hard to think how I can best explain this," asked Jack, further surprising Argyle.

"Sure..." he agreed and stopped eating as he waited for an explanation.

Eliza was even more lost. She knew that her father would test Jack and that he had some connections with the Leisure Guild, but she had no clue what to think of either Jack or her father at the moment.

Taking a minute to calm down and gather himself, Jack finally spoke. "I’m not currently part of the Leisure Guild, not at the moment at least."

"Not at the moment? What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It’s very hard to explain, but I do know Tralon personally. If you want to test that, then I’m more than willing to. It’s been too long since I’ve spoken to him..."

While Jack trailed off like a war hero talking about his glory days, Argyle was trying to make sense of the situation.

"If you’re not part of the Leisure Guild, then what good is there in contacting Tralon? What’s stopping me from just taking everything you have right now and kicking you out of my home?"

Coming back to himself, Jack shook his head and laughed at the unexpected development. This was going to be trickier than he expected.

"Can you cast silence, please?" Jack asked Eliza, not Argyle, which surprised him.

If Jack asked Eliza to cast silence and not him, that meant Jack was able to see through his level and class. Jack was getting more mysterious by the second.

She looked at her father first but quickly cast silence after getting his permission.

"Alright, now spill it. Who are you really and why aren’t you afraid of what I might do to you?"

"A lv. 71 is going to act personally against a lv. 22 adventurer?" Jack joked with Argyle, confirming Argyle’s thoughts. "Can you please promise to keep everything I’m about to say between us? None of this can leave the room."

"Fine." Argyle nodded, intrigued by how confident Jack was despite being in such a particular situation.

"First off, Jack is my real name and I’m with the Adventurers Association."

"Seriously?" asked Argyle. "Weren’t you in a bidding war with them just an hour ago?"

"Yeah, but they didn’t know that was me. I’m the recently summoned hero that joined the association and faced off with the Chaos Syndicate. Does that ring any bells?"

Argyle’s eyes went wide as he realized that Jack’s confidence had something to back it up. "But if they don’t know that you were the one bidding and winning all those items, that means they don’t know how wealthy you really are, right? So if we just take your things, then what could they do?"

"It’s not that simple either," Jack kept laughing, destroying Argyle’s seriousness. "I recently raided the hidden tomb of Ponlinne the Great in the Zuran Empire. There, I found too many treasures to count, including Ponlinne’s lv. 85 staff. The association doesn’t know about most of the treasure, but I’ve already promised them that staff. Also, if you take everything, I can inform the association of all the treasures you take. Then maybe it wouldn’t end as well as you would’ve hoped."

With squinted eyes, Argyle stared harshly at Jack. He was at an impasse. He couldn’t take anything valuable or the association would learn about it. But he also gained some leverage on Jack since he knew that Jack had kept secrets from the association. The most confusing thing was how Jack knew Tralon, even by his last name.

"So... how should you and I handle this situation then. I know some secrets about you and you can keep me from taking things. Now what?"

"You should let me go and we can be friends, how about that?"

Argyle chuckled and said nothing. He took a moment to think before he asked, "And how is Tralon tied in all this? You said you know him but that’s impossible. How did you even learn about a minor guild on the other side of the world?"

Scratching his head, Jack answered, "That’s even more complicated... Can you give me another minute to think?"

"I... fine." He didn’t like not having answers, so Argyle put his impatience aside and let Jack have time to explain.

All the while, Eliza was staring at Jack. She thought he was handsome and the fact that he talked down her father was a huge turn on for her. Were there any other young men could argue with a lv. 71 expert and not flinch?

Considering everything, Jack sighed, "Can Eliza please leave the room?"

"Hey, I want to--"

"You heard the man, Eliza. Just wait outside or in your room. I’ll call you back in soon," stated Argyle, nodding to his daughter.

"Father!"

"Please," begged Argyle.

"Hmph!" Mad at both Jack and her father, Eliza pouted as she left the silenced room.

"There, now speak! I don’t like waiting for too long," shouted Argyle.

"Calm down, I’ll tell you everything. And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING," stated Jack. "Know that I’m about to put even more of my life in your hands, so please be merciful with me."

"Good!"

"You already know that summoned heroes are summoned from different points in time, right? Well, I’m a special case. I’m not like other heroes because I didn’t arrive here with my old level or skills. If I had, I’d be the one scaring you half to death."

Thinking about Jack’s words, Argyle wasn’t sure if he should believe him.

"You asked how I know Tralon, so let me tell you. I was the hero who he had a pact with during Ancient Kartonia," explained Jack. "I didn’t know that he was still alive and I have no clue why, but I can promise you that I am who I say I am."

"You’re..."

More a moment, Argyle entertained Jack’s words as true. If Jack was really the man he said he was, wouldn’t that mean...

"Yes, I am," answered Jack. "Now, let me tell you something. At the moment I’m not a member of the Leisure Guild, but I was one of its founders in the past and I will head again in the future. I don’t plan to stay with the association forever. My treasures will all go to rebuilding the Leisure Guild."

"Now I have a question. If Tralon is still around, how on earth is the Leisure Guild only a minor guild?"

Argyle stroked his hairless chin, deep in thought. This was way more than he was expecting to hear. "Tralon... a long time ago he was cursed and he started to lose all his EXP bit by bit."

"Skaryn’s Vengeance..."

Since Jack could easily name the curse, Argyle started to believe him. "Yeah, that’s the one. The last time I saw him was years ago and Tralon was at lv. 66. With his decline, the Leisure Guild went from being a global superpower to a dwindling guild in a broken country. Are you really--"

"Yes, I’m really him, but no one can know. Also, are you from Trodar?"

"I’m not, but my wife was. She was from a fallen noble family. During the war, her family was chased out of the country. Luckily for her, she was already with me at the time, but her family didn’t make it," Argyle explained with sunken eyes. "She’s no longer with us either, sadly..."

"Sorry for bringing back sad memories."

"Don’t worry about it, I’m sure you’ve got too many of those to count," joked Argyle. A long-time had passed since his wife died, so he was used to it.

"Do you understand why I ask for us to part of friends?" Jack asked Argyle. At the same time, a pure white blade appeared in Jack’s hands.

"This?"

"This is too prove that we’re friends," stated Jack as he passed Argyle the perfectly white sword.

"I can’t accept something so valuable, not as a gift," Argyle said that, but he immediately stored the sword. He glanced at the locked door and looked back at Jack. "I’ll give you the most precious thing I own, my daughter

Chapter 168

"I’ll give you the most precious thing I own, my daughter."

Those words grated on Jack’s ears. It was unexpected and Jack couldn’t even take back the sword because Argyle had already stored it away.

"HUH?!"

"My daughter will be in your care, Jack, so make sure to treat her right," stated Argyle, oblivious to Jack’s response. "I still feel like I’m the one losing out in this deal, but I can make an exception this once."

"What are you talking about? I can’t marry your daughter, I’ve got way too many things to do!"

"You will marry my daughter, whether you like it or not. I’ve already accepted your gift, so you must accept mine. If you can’t accept my kindness, then I’ll be forced to act in anger and take everything you have, including your life!"

"Really? What makes you think you can pull that off?"

Argyle showed Jack a wry smile. "You’ve kept so many secrets from everyone, including the association. You covered all your tracks and somehow managed to enter into our auction house without anyone even knowing it was you. In other words, other than that girl on the sofa, there’s nothing linking you to being here in my home, right?"

"But--"

"But what? You only told me who you were and gave me that sword for your own benefit. Don’t tell me that you were willing parting with something so great, not when it only appeared after I’d found you out," explained Argyle.

"You’re right about one thing; I don’t want to kill you. As a former friend of Tralon and partly from the slight chance I’m found out, but I should be fine considering I can say you hid your identity and offer treasures to pay for your death. Does any of that sound illogical?"

Jack’s face twisted as he looked back at Argyle. "... So, you’re blackmailing me instead?"

"Correct!"

"And you think I’ll just accept it?"

"You have no choice!" laughed Argyle. "You may have been stronger than me in the past, but now you’re nothing more than an ant for me or the association to play with to our hearts desires."

"If anything, you should be thanking me! My daughter is beautiful and has many suitors, but we both know I’ll never meet a man more capable than you. Plus, with her as your wife, you’ll always have the Fat Goose as a backer, no matter what you decide to do!"

Giving Argyle a strange look, Jack asked, "No matter what I do? Even if I start a war or have the gods themselves chase after me?"

Still laughing, Argyle put his hand firmly on Jack’s shoulder. "That doesn’t matter to me. I get bored and tired of living like this, so why not? I’ve always wanted to try and help Tralon, but never had a reason to."

The high-level swordsman suddenly stopped laughing and looked Jack in the eyes. "Would you like to know why I opened the Fat Goose in the first place?"

Jack relaxed and nodded.

"I was always a strong adventurer, even at the time I was visiting Trodar frequently for my wife. Back then I was almost lv. 60 and I thought I could offer the world to my wife. But while we were on our honeymoon, my wife’s family was attacked and pillaged, and there was nothing I could do about it..." Argyle sighed, pausing for a moment. "Without a powerful backer, no one would be able to protect the people they love."

"So, I looked for the fastest way to create a background for myself. I didn’t dare be someone else’s pawn, so it was my only option. Now, after twenty years of endless grinding for EXP and collecting countless treasures, I own the Fat Goose."

"But what does that have to do with me," asked Jack.

"Everything, now," answered Argyle. "My wife’s tragic death was impossible for me to stop and all I have left is Eliza."

"In other words, your passing responsibility to me so that you’re not worried about protecting her?"

"Correct. For you, it’s only a matter of time that you’ll reign over the continent, so long as you survive till then. The association is a great backer, but you and I both know that you’re like me. You refuse to be someone else’s pawn in their scheme."

"So I should be your pawn instead of the association’s?"

"Wrong, you will be no pawn of mine. I wouldn’t dare control every action of someone as wild and ambitious as you," answered Argyle with a shake of the head.

"But you’ll blackmail me into marrying your daughter?"

"That’s not me controlling you, that’s me forcibly making us permanent allies," added Argyle. "Wouldn’t you rather have the freedom to roam with us, then be at the beck and call of Lorwynn?"

Trying to think of something, Jack asked, "And what if I’m interested in someone else?"

"Marry her too! Someone like you is bound to have women thrown at you." Argyle looked at Jack like he was young and naive. "Jack, please don’t take this issue to heart. I only want the best for my daughter and I can offer you the full support of the Fat Goose, no matter what!"

"Why are you acting like this? You’re blackmailing me, yet you’re acting like I’m already your son-in-law," asked Jack. Suddenly, a thought came to Jack’s mind. "Argyle, how did your wife die?"

Argyle blinked and groaned, "That’s unimportant at the moment."

"You want to get revenge but never bothered while you were protecting Eliza, so it should be someone very powerful."

Hitting the nail on the head, Argyle’s gaze softened. "You got me. But I won’t tell you who it was, not until you’ve rebuilt the Leisure Guild and are at least lv. 60. Until then, it’s pointless to tell you."

"Do I really have to marry your daughter?"

"Yes, you’ll have the honor of marrying me only daughter," Argyle answered Jack with a piercing gaze. "You’ll break the hearts of many young men, but it must be done."

With a confused sigh, Jack asked, "When’s the wedding?"

"Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!"

"The sooner the better, both for me and for you. You said you were in a hurry, right?" Argyle joked with his soon to be son-in-law.

"I... I don’t want to believe that all of this happened..."

"Believe it, and you’ll be thanking me in the future." Patting Jack on the back, Argyle continued. "I can let you leave, but you’ll have our people escort you until the wedding tomorrow at noon. Make sure you’re back here by morning."

"..."

"Cheer up! Anyone else would die to have this happen to them," reasoned Argyle.

"I... it’s a lot to take in so suddenly." Jack now knew that he had heavily underestimated Argyle’s cleverness.

But he had no choice. Without telling the truth, Argyle could just kill him and take his things. And rather than face a renowned lv. 71 expert, the association would probably accept a generous offering of materials and items instead of seeking vengeance for a lv. 22 hero.

If anything, the association would be more furious at Jack for keeping everything so secret.

"Jack, I really do want someone like you as a son-in-law. You’re the only one good enough for Eliza," added Argyle, speaking gently like a father would. "I can only hope that one day, you’ll forgive me and thank me for this."

"We’ll see..." Standing up, Jack walked to the couch and picked up Maura from the sofa. "Can I leave now? There are some people who will want to know about this."

"Of course. Our escorts will follow you in secret, so there’s no need to worry about them getting in your way. And with your new cloak, I’m sure you’ll be able to make a clean get-away."

Just then, a slight smile showed on Jack’s face. He looked back at Argyle and laughed, "By the way, I’ll have to thank you again for this cloak. I couldn’t have asked for a better price. All I had to give up was a peak-tier lv. 65 item and in return you gave me a legend-tier cloak. You really did lose out."

With that, Jack exited and closed the door behind him, not daring to look back at the twitching Argyle.

Livid at his losses, the man laughed out his anger. Even when he had successfully blackmailed Jack, that young hero still had to have the last laugh.

Soon, Eliza came back to the room and found her father laughing hysterically. Unaware of everything that just happened between him and Jack, Eliza asked her father, "What happened? Why did you let Jack go?"

Calming his laughter, Argyle smiled at her. "Eliza, tomorrow you and Jack will be married. From then on, you’ll be traveling together with him and you both will have the full support of the Fat Goose."

"WHAT?!?!"

"Hurry and talk to the managers about how you’d like the wedding to be, it’s your big day after all."

Not saying another word to his daughter, Argyle left the shouting Eliza alone in the room and immediately started talking to a deep purple crystal in his hand.

 

Chapter 169

Outside the Fat Goose Auction House, Jack was using Sterfen’s Cloak and carrying Maura on his back as he made his way through the Federal Marketplace. He went unnoticed and undetected, but a commotion still emerged around the Fat Goose Auction House.

A sudden announcement was being made across the marketplace and was making its way through Federal City like lightning.

Everyone was surprised by it as it came out of nowhere. Apparently, Jack, the rising hero of the Adventurers Association, would be wed to Eliza, the young master of the Fat Goose Auction House. And the wedding was tomorrow?!

The streets were normally quieting down as the night sky arrived, but that night was the opposite. Messengers and dignitaries of all kinds rushed through the streets to verify the news.

Some people went to the Adventurers Association but they were all turned away. They wouldn’t get involved with the personal life of a low-level adventurer, even if he was a summoned hero. However, when a messenger from the Fat Goose cordially invited the association to the wedding, they accepted.

The Fat Goose Auction House was livelier than ever. With Eliza’s marriage needing to be planned, arranged, and taking place in less than twenty-four hours, how could it not be?

News of the marriage spread faster than Jack could comfortably carry Maura, so the Heavenly Palace Inn heard the news before Jack’s arrival.

Marisha was perplexed and utterly confused. She had tried so hard to get Jack to accept her daughter, yet he never did. And now, someone that no one knew was to marry Jack the following day?!

"What in Halmut’s beard is that brat doing?!" yelled Zariff as he chugged a bottle of wine.

"Calm down, I’m sure there’s an explanation for all this. Maura should still be with Jack, so I’m sure he’ll be here soon to explain." Martha was the voice of reason. With her age and wisdom, she found it easier to stay calm.

As Martha said, Jack soon arrived at the inn. He had already dispelled his cloak’s ability so the moment he stepped inside, Jack was bombarded with questions.

"Give me some space, I’m not too happy about this either," yelled Jack. "Martha, get me something to drink, the strongest you have."

With a laugh, Martha nodded and left to the kitchen.

Jack walked past them and found a private booth near the back of the restaurant. Since the others followed him, he finally spoke after sitting down and setting down Maura, "This is not my fault and I’m being forced to do this."

"Yeah, right! You’re being forced to marry the beautiful little miss from the Fat Goose?"

"Calm down, you old fart, and let me explain!" Jack shouted back at the former chief and continued. "Long story short, we went to see your friend Lilly and bought some things. She gave me a gold emblem for the Fat Goose Auction House and I purchased plenty of things to help us on our journey."

"Then, the auction house decided to put a legend-tier item up for bid, so I had to show a little too much wealth to get it. After that, I ate with Argyle and Eliza but Argyle quickly figured out my ruse. In the end, he blackmailed me into becoming his son-in-law. And now, here we are."

Zariff and Marisha were speechless. Too many things had happened so quickly and it was hard for them to process it all.

"Legendary item... Blackmailed..." Mumbling to herself, Marisha was putting everything together. "So, you’re really being forced into this?"

"Yes!"

"And you agreed to this?"

"I had no choice... Even after mentioning the chance that I go after another girl, he insisted further."

"Jack, you’re an idiot," stated Maura. "I know you, you’ll have plenty of women try to go after you. Since it’s you, I’m sure not many will succeed but I’m certain that a few will."

"Anyway, since this is happening, you’d better marry Maura too."

"What?!"

"You heard me, you’re marrying Maura too," repeated Marisha. "It doesn’t have to be a large ceremony. Everyone important to Maura is here at the inn. We can even do it tonight."

"Tonight?!"

"What do you think, dear?" Maura turned to her husband and asked his opinion.

The burly man stared at Jack, not sure what to believe. "If Maura wants it, I’m okay with it. I’d rather her be the first wife than the second."

"You’ve got to be joking, right? Don’t I get a say in this?!"

"TWANG!!"

Suddenly, a huge butcher’s knife stuck itself into the table, almost cutting off Jack’s nose.

Looking up, Jack saw two people entering the booth. One was Martha with an entire casket of wine. In front of her was a muscular, old man. He wasn’t as tall or as broad as Zariff, but he was more defined and wasn’t any weaker.

"If my little Maura wants it, she’s gonna get it!" yelled the old man.

"Dad, calm down. Maura isn’t even awake yet," said Marisha.

"I can fix that." Taking out a small bottle, the old man neared Maura and drained its contents down her throat. "Just give her a second."

Like magic, Maura starting blinking her eyes and groaned loudly. "Ahhhh... My head hurts... Where am I?"

"Sweetie, your back at the inn." Marisha sat beside her daughter and stroked her hair. "Do you know what’s going on?"

Maura looked around the room and asked, "Did Jack win the ring?"

"Yes, I’m sure he did. But do you remember anything else?"

"She was out cold before the auction ended. Unlike her parents, she’s a lightweight like no other," stated Jack.

Shaking her head, Marisha explained, "Sweetie, listen carefully to what I’m about to say. While you were sleeping, Jack and the little miss from the Fat Goose have decided to get married."

"WHAAAAT?!?!"

"And it’s happening tomorrow at noon," Marisha continued. "Jack says he was forced by her father, which is very possible. Your father and I want to know, do you want to marry Jack too?"

"I-I-I..." There was no way she could answer such a question so suddenly. Her headache was still setting in and she hadn’t even gotten past the fact that Jack was going to be married.

"Maura, it’s okay. If that old man can force Jack into it, so can we," Zariff spoke up, trying to calm his daughter. Though he didn’t want to admit it, Zariff knew that Maura was interested in Jack.

"Zariff!" Jack yelled, trying to not get blackmailed twice on the same night.

"Jack, be honest with me. Would you rather have Maura or that other girl you don’t know be your main wife?" Zariff looked into Jack’s eyes and asked him seriously. He wasn’t joking around like usual and was determined to make his daughter happy.

"Does anyone care about how I feel?!" Jack was baffled and was grasping at straws.

"My daughter does, that’s why I’m asking. You know I wouldn’t want it to happen like this, but my daughter has more right to be your main wife than that girl from the Fat Goose," reasoned Zariff.

Looking proudly at her husband, Marisha smile and said, "You know he’s right, Jack. Are you really so against marrying Maura? Do you not think she’s beautiful?"

Jack turned to Marisha and saw Maura looking up at him from Marisha’s side. "I... Of course, she’s beautiful. She’s always been kind to me and caring whenever I’m hurt. When she lets herself, she’s playful and fun too... But this is WAY too sudden. Even she hasn’t agreed to all this!"

"I-I want to."

That quiet statement from Maura’s lips left Jack with a slack jaw.

"See, Jack? I know my daughter, and I know you’ll be the best man for her," reasoned Marisha.

"..."

Jack was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Not only was he being blackmailed by his soon to be father-in-law, now he was being backed into a corner by people he cared about.

He couldn’t argue with Zariff’s logic, that Jack would prefer Maura as his main wife. However, forcing the two of them into it so suddenly was overwhelming to the extreme. Jack didn’t want either girl to become his wife, not under such circumstances.

But Jack knew enough about the culture of the world during the short time he had been in Kartonia. Whoever was wed first would be considered the main wife and would have the most influence of the wives. Also, at least with Maura, Jack could better keep her under control.

Jack had no clue how Eliza would act or what kind of person she really was. Over time he would learn, but there was no telling what would happen since she might complain to her powerful father.

Silence filled the room as Jack was busy thinking.

Maura stared at Jack, hoping deep down that he would accept. She had finally admitted her feeling to Jack, and though she would never want this to be why they got together, Maura would rather get together under such stressful circumstances than not get together at all. Both Marisha and her were thinking the same thing, about the chance that Maura may never get Jack’s heart if he was already married.

It took a long time, but Jack finally made his decision late in the night. While laughing at his own miserable circumstances, Jack told everyone his decision.

 

Chapter 170

The next morning, the entire city was abuzz. People were crowding the streets since the early hours and all the powerful dignitaries and organizations were scrambling to prepare wedding gifts.

Not too many people were invited and it was made a private event, but every person that received an invitation was very influential within Federal City.

Jack arrived at the Fat Goose Auction House early in the morning, just like Argyle had asked. He also brought a few people along, those being Maura, her parents, and her grandparents. They all entered the Fat Goose Auction House and were guided to the guild quarters deep inside the property. Soon, they reached Argyle’s personal courtyard.

When Argyle saw Jack, he smiled warmly and waved. But as Jack got nearer, Argyle noticed something different about Jack that caught him off guard.

"Jack, is there something you needed to tell me?"

As the group neared Argyle, most of them couldn’t help but be hesitant. They didn’t want to offend someone who was lv. 71.

Maura was especially shaky, trying to hide behind Jack. The last time, she was asleep and never met the man. But now, it was totally different...

Grabbing Maura’s hand, Jack pulled her to his side. He looked to Argyle and said, "I’ve come just like we agreed."

"And what’s with her? Neither you nor she was wearing those rings last night."

"Considering the conditions you placed on me, we had to make a decision. Though it was much sooner than I would’ve wanted, we made it official last night," explained Jack. "If I remember correctly, you said that if I’m interested in another girl, you said you wouldn’t mind me marrying her, so I did."

Speechless, Argyle stared at the confident Jack and the timid Maura. After a moment of thought, he shrugged. "Does this mean you’ll go through all this willingly?"

"Yes, it does."

"Good, then I’m glad." Argyle heaved a sigh of relief. "Since you’re doing this of your own will now, I’m glad my planned surprise won’t be wasted."

"What surprise?"

"Forget about it, you’ll find out after the wedding," stated Argyle. Then, he smiled at Maura. "Now, doesn’t this mean that she’s also my daughter-in-law?"

Unsure how to answer, Maura looked to Jack. When Jack nodded, she took a deep breath and introduced herself, "Hi, I’m sorry for being unable to meet you last night. My name is Maura Jaldor and I’m... I’m--"

"My wife," added Jack.

"Yes, I’m Jack’s wife," repeated Maura, feeling a bit better after Jack said it. It was her first time saying it out loud, so she wasn’t used to it yet.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Maura. I’m Argyle Wittam, owner of the Fat Goose Auction House and Founder of the Fat Goose Guild, but you can just call me Argyle." He bowed to Maura, showing much more respect than most lv. 71 experts would.

Jack motioned for the other’s behind him to step forward as he mentioned, "This is Maura’s family. They’re all from Federal City and they own the Heavenly Palace Inn."

"I’m Zariff and this is my wife Marisha," announced Zariff as he reached his hand forward. "I was recently released as an association branch chief, so I’ll be staying in Federal City for some time."

Giving Zariff a peculiar look, Argyle firmly shook Zariff’s hand. "I’m so sorry to hear that. It’s a sad thing to see an outstanding man like yourself succumb to something so terrible as Skaryn’s Vengeance."

"Yes," agreed Zariff with a pitiful smile.

Marisha also stepped forward and shook his hand as she introduced her parents, "They are my parents, Rayard and Martha Tomlin. They own the Heavenly Palace Inn, not us."

"Hmm, I’ve heard a lot of great things about the Heavenly Palace Inn. According to rumors, they have some of the best food in the city. I’d love to recommend the place to some of our clients. In a few months, we’ll have the yearly auction, so plenty of dignitaries will be searching for a place to stay."

"Thank you, Master Argyle!" Rayard bowed and confidently added, "I can guarantee the best meal in the city and would gladly invite Master Argyle over for a meal whenever you’d like."

"I’ll take you up on that offer one of these days, and just call me Argyle." Turning to Maura, Argyle asked, "Is it alright if your husband leaves to go get ready? The ceremony will be starting soon and I’ll make sure you all have the best seats."

Jack nodded to Maura and let go of her hand. After waving to everyone, Jack left with Argyle toward a dressing room.

"I’ll leave you here with Baral, he’s the man in charge of it all. He’ll make sure you’re taken care of. Also, I have one question that we need to be answered before the ceremony," stated Argyle. "What’s your full name?"

"Jack..." He thought for a moment but soon nodded after thinking of a suitable name. "Jack Dyrshire."

"Dyrshire? The same as Tralon?" asked Argyle, a little confused by the coincidence.

"You wouldn’t know this, but Tralon actually took my old name for his own after he and I formed a pact," explained Jack. "So, technically, it’s Tralon that borrowed my name, not the other way around."

Though Jack’s main in-game character was Jack_J, the family name used for his account was Dyrshire. Once Jack had chosen Tralon as his NPC companion, he changed Tralon’s name to match his for personal reasons.

"Interesting..." Opening the dressing room door for Jack, Argyle looked at Baral inside, "Make sure everything is in order. If Jack asks for something, you make it happen. I’m off."

*****

A couple of hours passed and guests were already being guided into the Fat Goose guild quarters.

Maura and her family were some of the first people to take a seat, but not the first. First was a tall, thin elderly man with pointed ears. He was seated in the back though and didn’t have much of a presence, so they doubted that he was important.

Following them, a few groups arrived in succession. One group sauntered up to the front, glaring despisingly at Maura’s family. One of the leading men laughed and asked, "And who might you be? If you’re important enough to sit here, then how come I haven’t recognized you. Move back and make room."

They felt an invisible pressure emanating from that man. Clearly, his level was far higher than any of theirs.

"Kaldor, stop threatening my guests!" Argyle’s booming voice appeared as he also stepped in. "I treat these people like my own, so don’t try and throw your weight around. I’d sooner kick you out than make them move unwillingly."

"Really, then just who are they?"

"I already told you, they’re my people. So shut up and take a seat elsewhere."

"Fine, fine, since you asked so politely I can only do so." Kaldor laughed and took a seat as he continued, "Even though your Fat Goose is powerful now, it doesn’t mean you can boss me around. Don’t forget, my Golden Haven Guild was here long before you were. You were the one to arrive and start stealing our business."

"What are you two complaining about?"

An elderly man approached them and sat beside the group from the Golden Haven Auction House.

"Hurmot, I was wondering if you would come. I’m sorry for giving you such short notice, please forgive me." Argyle bowed his head slightly, acting very sincerely to the old man.

"Forget about it, I’m just surprised you actually agreed to something like this," replied Hurmot. "When I offered any of the young men from my Celestial Crane Guild, you turned me down with a second though. Yet here we are now, at your daughter’s wedding which takes place less a day after the announcement. What’s with the rush?"

"There were some complications with schedules, so we all agreed that now would be best and that it wasn’t worth the wait."

"Whatever you say." Hurmot still didn’t fully believe Argyle and had no clue what was going on behind the scenes.

The three men chatted and bantered as the other dignitaries of the city arrived. When the Adventurers Association walked in, it was surprisingly only Lorwynn that had come.

Since most people wouldn’t recognize him, Lorwynn’s warm smile and mysterious aura made everyone wonder who he was. Then, he walked straight to the front and passed both of the Gold Haven Guild and the Celestial Crane Guild. Taking a seat next to Zariff, he smiled but said nothing.

Zariff was startled but also said nothing, not even to his family. He didn’t dare to say that Lorwynn was the association founder in public, not since Lorwynn liked his privacy.

Soon Argyle stood before the entire crowd. "I’d like to thank you all for coming and supporting my daughter and her husband today. We’re happy to accept your gifts and your personal witness to today’s event. Now, let’s allow the husband and bride to step forward."

The doors at the back of the room slowly opened, gradually revealing two figures.

On the right, there was a beautiful woman, whose white dress accented her curves and added to her natural sexiness. The veil covering her face added to her allure, enticing the crowd. Almost everyone recognized her as Eliza, the little miss of the Fat Goose.

To her left, a proud, confident man walked hand-in-hand with her. His eyes were sharp and his demeanor was incredible. They could all tell that Jack was meant to be a hero.

As Jack led Eliza to the front for all to see, they stopped in front of Argyle and bowed to him.

"Jack Dyrshire, do you take Eliza Wittam, my daughter, to be your lawfully wedded wife and your lifelong companion, no matter the circumstances or situations you two may face?"

"I do."

"And do you, Eliza Wittam, take Jack Dyrshire to be your lawfully wedded husband and your lifelong companion no matter the circumstances or the situations you two may face?"

"I do."

"Then I pronounce you two husband and wife."

Eliza’s face filled with blush, so much so that it could be seen through her white veil. Her heart was thumping as she held out her left hand.

Showing a beautifully crafted ring with a golden band and a bright red ruby, Jack gingerly grabbed Eliza’s hand. He slid the ring onto her finger, completing the ceremony.

"You may now kiss the bride," added Argyle with a playful smile.

Jack’s hands trembled slightly as he removed her veil and showed Eliza’s beautiful face. He couldn’t help but admit just how beautiful she was. While Maura had a sense of purity and gentleness in her beauty, Eliza was fiery and sexy. They were both very different, yet equally beautiful in Jack’s eyes.

When he saw her tender gaze, Jack gave in. He caressed her face as he leaned in and took her first kiss for himself.

Cheers filled the air! Applause was sounded and congratulations were shouted. Some guests approached Argyle to congratulate him and others did the same with Jack and Eliza.

Time slowly passed and the multitude of people winded down and the afternoon was set in. With fewer guests, Maura and her family finally approached Jack.

"Congrats, I can’t believe how lucky you are. Just wait till Keela and the others learn about all this," joked Marisha.

Worry filled Jack’s thoughts as that thought ran through his mind.

As if to calm him down, Maura grabbed his other hand and held it tightly. It made both Jack and Maura feel a bit better.

"You’re Jack, right?" asked a calm, clear voice from behind Jack. At the same time, a hand gently landed on Jack’s shoulder and turned him around. "It’s been a long time, Jack. Far too long."