Divine Beast Ascension

Curious, Oli asked, “What would you say the difference is between custom orders and auction pieces?”

“Hmm,” a little irked by the question, the man sighed, “I’d say the craftsmanship on auctioned pieces is a bit better in most cases.”

“How so?” Before Oli got the lazy eye from the man, Oli laid a few gold coins on the nearby shelf.

Lightening up, the man explained, “That’s because there are a few ways to reach the requested grading for a weapon. The first is to use materials strong enough to match the grade, sometimes including a formation to boost a particular essence type. These are typically the easiest type of weapons to forge. The second...”

As the man slowed his speech, Oli smiled and dropped more gold on the shelf.

“... The second way is to incorporate a core of the requested grade. Those are more costly to make and even more costly to purchase. You’ll save money if you supply your own core, but they’ll still be more expensive than the first type of weapon,” continued, the man. “That’s why custom orders and auction pieces are of greater quality than what you’ll find on anyone’s shelves.”

.....

Oli squinted in thought and asked, “... Is there a way to incorporate essence without using a core?”

The man nodded but frowned. He waited until Oli put up more gold before answering, “There is, but it’s extremely time-consuming for the smith and the client. It would involve the client supplying essence every day for a minimum of a moon, stretching out the crafting process that entire month to best incorporate the essence. And the amount of time necessary increases as you make a stronger weapon.”

Fulkar and Oli both sighed in disappointment hearing that. Fulkar shook his head and replied, “... I see. Well, that’s not an option. I need this sword before the Provincial Qualifier.”

“Oh, then you’re right. We’d have it finished in time, but you’d be exhausted and depleted of your essence. You wouldn’t have time to recover,” stated the man. “Then your best bet is as I said, making a custom order with a core or searching the auction.”

Fulkar took a moment to think and asked, “Then, how much would a custom order cost?”

“For a peak-elder, one-handed, ice type broadsword...” The man did some quick mental calculations. “With wind included or not?”

“Not included.”

“Then it would be around fifteen hundred gold because it’s a rare type of blade.”

Oli’s eyes bulged as he heard the number but Fulkar didn’t seem too fazed, just a little disappointed.

Fulkar asked, “... Would that have an incorporated core?”

“No. For that, it would cost upwards of five thousand gold without supplying a core.”

“I have one, luckily,” Fulkar admitted, retrieving a glacial blue core from his ring. “How much would it be now?”

“In that case, it would cost would be halved, two thousand five hundred gold,” answered the man, smiling a bit warmer now that actual business was happening.

“Hmm...” But Fulkar was still thinking. “How much would an auction piece go for?”

Shrugging, the man replied, “That depends on the piece, and on the smith who made it. The works of the more famous smiths will always cost more, even for the same level of craftsmanship. But you’re allowed to include a core in your bid, or even barter with items if they’re valuable enough.”

Oli heard that and finally felt more at ease. Thinking back to his treasure trove of weapons and cores, Oli had more than enough to get anything he’d want, at least within the realm of elder grade items. So Oli had to ask, “Excuse me, but I’m curious. What would be the cost of a perennial grade sword of the same style and type?”

Spotting the curious spark in Oli’s eye, the man answered, “Astronomically higher, for multiple reasons. Not only are the materials far more expensive, but the amount of smiths that can create perennial items is far fewer as well. And king grades are even rarer and more expensive. As for getting the same blade he’s asking for but at perennial grade... To get an early-perennial grade sword with a supplied core would cost almost ten thousand gold, almost twenty thousand if you can’t supply the core.”

Both youths felt their lungs stiffen as they subconsciously held their breath.

“But there’s no need to worry about that for now. Focus on that after you get your divine core,” suggested the man, trying to calm down his customers and reel them back in for the sale. “I’m a low-perennial, so I can make elder grade pieces fairly quickly. I can have your order finished in about three days since you’re providing the core. How’s that sound?”

“For twenty-five hundred...” Fulkar took some time to think before nodding. “I think-”

“I think we’ll check the auction first, but we’ll definitely remember everything you’ve taught us,” Oli chimed in, leaving more coins on the counter, totaling almost than fifty gold. “I think that’s more than worth these few minutes of your time.”

Chuckling, the man nodded and lightened up even more. “It is. If you’re not lucky at the auction, come see me again. So long as you come back today I’ll make the sword for two thousand.”

“Thank you, sir!” Oli bowed, convincing Fulkar to follow his lead. “Then, sir, could you point us in the right direction?”

“Head to the city’s center. You’ll find a few auction houses to choose from, but I recommend Icicle Palace. That’s where most of us smiths send our works, so that’s the best place to go if you’re looking for weapons or armor.”

Bowing once more, Oli waved goodbye. “Thank you, sir! If it’s fated, we’ll see you again later tonight!”

Fulkar followed Oli out in silence. Even if he wasn’t feeling lucky about the auction, he wasn’t going to complain about Oli paying for the information or getting him such a great discount. But he did ask, “What now, Oliver? I only have three thousand gold, so I don’t think the auction will be any good to us.”

Laughing and shrugging, Oli replied, “Well, there’s nothing wrong with checking. We’ve already got a solid backup option with that smith, so we might as well see what the auctions are like. Who knows, maybe I’ll find something I like too.”

Surprised, Fulkar asked in a whisper, “I don’t mean to pry, but are you saying that you can afford such things?”

Oli only shrugged and smiled, not offering a verbal response. But his confident demeanor spoke volumes to Fulkar. That being the case, Fulkar sighed and followed Oli. He didn’t say it but Fulkar was also interested in the auction. At least he’d get a feel for such an environment and possibly gain some experience.

The streets were crowded but the roads were very wide. That made it much easier for everyone to move and get where they needed to despite how many people lived and visited Avalanche City.

After ten minutes, the duo was back in the sea of stalls and shops. But they weren’t as discombobulated as before. Now, they just looked for the large buildings surrounding the central market in search of the auction houses. They found one but moved on. Icicle Palace was the second auction house they found, so they ended their search and entered with excited grins.

Once inside, the lush furniture and architecture drew their eyes in. A woman in silk robes approached the masked men, bowing her head. “Welcome to Icicle Palace. How may I be of service?”

Oli bowed his head in turn, replying, “It’s our first time here. What do we need to do to participate in the auction?”

Lifting her head, the woman was extremely respectful to the unknown men. “Throughout the day we sell various things. But our daily auction won’t truly begin for another two and a half hours. If you’d like to participate, you’ll need to register and pay a deposit.”

“How much would that be?” Fulkar asked.

“That depends on where you’d like to be placed. We have a standing section, a seated section, a lounge section, and a section of private booths. Each section has a corresponding deposit. And, in the case of our most valuable purchases, you’ll only be allowed to participate with either lounge or private deposits to prove that you’re able to afford such a purchase,” the woman explained with her customer service smile.

“Hmm...” Oli stroked the chin of his mask and asked, “Our focus is to find peak-elder weapons. Which deposit would be necessary for that?”

“Any section can bid on mortal grade goods. If you’re interested in perennial grade or higher, we’ll need at least a lounge deposit,” the woman answered without batting an eye.

Curious, Oli asked, “In that case, do you sell perennial grade goods every day?”