Zeke froze. This was the worst possible scenario. If he couldn't salvage this situation, then he might very well end up not selling anything today. His mind spun, conjuring up and discarding one possible strategy after the other. However, before he could even settle on a course of action, Messenger continued.
"King Midas, in his wisdom, has foreseen this situation. He entrusted me with a message for this very scenario. Are you ready to hear the king's words?"
Their voice was quiet, far too quiet for a gathering of this size under normal circumstances. However, at this very moment, the surroundings were as silent as a graveyard. It was as if the passage of time had ground to a halt. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard as everybody waited in stunned silence for what was going to happen next.
"Please tell me."
Despite his calm façade, Zeke could barely keep the tremor out of his voice. The fate of his family was out of his hands now. It all depended on the message of the king.
"Very well. Here are the King's words," Messenger proclaimed as they took out a scroll. He broke the seal, and read the content out loud, "Ezekiel von Hohenheim, despite your tender age, I am certain you are aware of the fact that every action begets its consequence. To accept your offering would entail indebting myself, while the worth of your vessel fails to live up to the value of my favor."
Zeke's heart dropped. Was this it? Did the king send someone to ruin his chances? Had all his hard work been for nothing?
"...However," Messenger continued, a hint of admiration creeping into their voice, "this doesn't mean that I am ignorant of the intrinsic worth of your creation. In a span of weeks, you have breathed life into an industry previously dormant, crafting something extraordinary in the process. The maiden manifestation of your ingenuity, christened 'Silverwind,' shall serve as a splendid offering for my wife's imminent birthday. Therefore, I have resolved to compensate you twice the sum bestowed by the loftiest bidder for your remaining vessels."
The entire crowd gasped in unison, their collective breath suspended in astonishment. In that fleeting moment, even Zeke's heart seemed to pause. Finally, his mind started to catch up with this development. A present for the queen? Twice the amount of the highest bidder? Slowly, he began to realize the implication of those words.
A radiant smile sprouted on his face. By gifting it to his wife, the king had quite literally declared the Gondola fit for royalty. Moreover, by paying double the highest bid, King Midas unequivocally affirmed its remarkable value. It was the most favorable outcome he could have ever envisioned.
Amidst his joy, Zeke realized something peculiar. How did the king know the ship's name? They had only decided upon it during an impromptu christening ceremony the previous night. An icy chill coursed through his spine, triggering Zeke's apprehension about the extent of the king's knowledge. What other secrets might the man have discovered?
Before he was able to delve further into his rumination, his thoughts were interrupted by a commotion among the crowd. People jostled and pushed, vying for attention from the overwhelmed staff members handling the flood. For the next couple of minutes, Zeke silently observed as one order after the other was placed. A burden lifted from his shoulder with every new transaction he observed.
A lone tear escaped his eye, swiftly wiped away as he regained composure. The intensity of his reaction had caught him off guard, highlighting the tremendous relief he felt. The weight lifted from his shoulders was immeasurable. At this moment, he realized that all his financial woes would now be over.
This success had been sorely needed. It served as a validation for Zeke's relentless efforts, every decision questioned, and every risk undertaken. However, even more important was the fact that he was finally able to plan ahead. Without this massive debt constantly weighing him down, Zeke could finally dream again. Maybe, just maybe, his newfound fortune would even allow him to bargain for Maximilian's freedom. Waging war was not a cheap undertaking, after all. His smile turned even more radiant at the thought.
His moment of bliss was soon interrupted as more and more people clamored for him to start the auction. Zeke gauged the position of the sun. The morning had turned to noon, but it was still much earlier than he had planned. However, he was not somebody to be stuck in his ways. It would be a mistake to disregard the crowd's eager mood.
"Very well," Zeke declared, as he signaled for the first ship to be brought out. "As the host, I am left with no choice but to surrender to the desire of my esteemed guests." The proclamation, coupled with the infectious fervor in Zeke's demeanor, sparked a new surge of excitement among the crowd.
"May I present to you: the 'Serenity'. This ship is functionally the same as the 'Silverwind'. The differences are merely aesthetic in nature. The motives and carvings of the Serenity aim to instill peace of mind. It is —"
"100,000 gold," somebody yelled before he could even finish his introduction. This first bid opened the floodgate.
"110," "115," "117," "120," "125," "135!"
One after the other, people proclaimed their bid. Even after several minutes, a victor had not yet been determined. However, the number of competitors had been widdled down to only two parties. The elven ambassador was having a showdown with the group of dwarves.
"Are you sure you're willing to spend that much, long-ear?" the leader of the dwarves called out. "205,000."
"210," the elf replied right away, but even his brows were furrowed now.
The short men formed a huddle, discussing their options. After a few terse words, the leader crossed his arms and remained silent. Apparently, they had reached their limit. A slight smile emerged on the elf's face and Zeke was just about to end the auction for the first vessel when a new bid was called out.
"250,000 gold."
All eyes fixated on the source of the voice. Godfrey Goldfinger's smug countenance turned toward Zeke, creating a palpable tension in the air. The crowd held their breath, awaiting his response.
"Any further bids?" Zeke scanned the throngs of people, his gaze searching for any contenders. Once he was assured that nobody else was going to bid, he clapped his hands.
"Sold!" Zeke declared, to the satisfaction of the Goldfinger family. Yet, before their jubilation could fully bloom, Zeke continued, "to Lord Caelithorn, for 210,000 gold."
"Didn't you hear my bid, boy?" Godfrey thundered, his voice echoing through the silence.
"I heard you loud and clear, Mr. Goldfinger," Zeke retorted in a nonchalant tone.
"Then what is the meaning of this?" Godfrey demanded, his eyes blazing with fury.
"The meaning of this," Zeke repeated, his voice steady and unwavering, "is that I will not sell any of my ships to you or anyone associated with your wretched company."
Godfrey's sneer deepened as he hissed, "So you would turn down 40,000 gold out of stubborn pride? You aren't much of a merchant after all."
Zeke's gaze hardened, meeting his contemptuous stare head-on. "It wouldn't matter if you offered me a million gold, I'd still refuse," he declared, his words slicing through the tension. "This may be a difficult concept to grasp for you, but my von Hohenheim family cannot be bought. I reject the very notion of conducting any business with you or your despicable kin."
A murmur swept through the crowd. It was one thing to talk about principles, but a completely different thing to actually follow through when it cost thousands of gold. With this one action, Zeke had indisputably established to which category he belonged.
Godfrey remained rooted to his spot, wordlessly glaring at Zeke. After what felt like an eternity, he abruptly turned. Without as much as a backward glance, he led his son and guard away. However, before he could make it more than a couple of steps, Gilderoy gripped his arm. "Father, look."
Annoyed, Godfrey glimpsed in the direction his son indicated. His disinterested gaze sharpened immediately. From the other side of the garden, a group had just entered their line of sight. Margret, Leo, and a group of veteran Mages escorted a defeated-looking man onto the premise. This man was Ludwig Steffano, the former caretaker of the von Hohenheim estate.
"Explain yourself!" Godfrey bellowed, whirling on Zeke with a murderous glare.
Zeke's face remained as placid as a lake, not a ripple could be seen in his façade. "Whatever do you mean, Mr. Goldfinger? Do you happen to know this criminal? In his functions as caretaker of this estate, Mr. Steffano stole upwards of 100,000 gold from my family. Thankfully my guards managed to catch him before he could flee the city."
"You clearly abducted him from —" Gilderoy yelled but was quickly silenced by a slap from his father.
"I see," Godfrey said through gnashed teeth, "and what do you intend to do with the man?"
"I intend to turn him over to the authorities," Zeke responded. "…as soon as I've found his accomplices. You see, we couldn't figure out how he managed to stay hidden for so long. No need to worry though, I'm confident I'll be able to get to the bottom of this."
Godfrey's gaze turned murderous. If Zeke actually managed to get Steffano to testify, the Goldfinger name would be tarnished. He swept his gaze over the gathered crowd, calculating his next move. Thankfully, nobody seemed eager to intervene in this dispute. The guests were using the pause between the auctions to socialize. Most were crowding around Messenger, oblivious to the confrontation happening only a short distance away.
"Hand the man over," Godfrey demanded.
Zeke's gaze turned hard as well. "No."
"Then you leave me no choice," the man said, nodding at the Arch Mage at his side. The man frowned but still returned the gesture. In the next moment, a pressure descended upon Zeke. He had never felt anything like it. It was like he was encased in stone. He, alongside all his retainers, was rendered motionless.
However, before he could even begin to panic, a flash of light blinded him. In the next instant, the force holding him vanished. Confused by this development, Zeke looked at the Space Mage.
With wide eyes, the man was staring at the stump where his right arm used to be. Despite the injury, there was no blood. The wound had been seared shut. In all urgency, the man tried to raise his other hand, but another flash of light severed the limb as well.
Zeke hadn't been able to follow the spell at all. Luckily, his sphere of awareness captured the attack. A beam of white light, too fast for the eyes to perceive had hit the Mage. With a relieved smile, he turned toward the source — Lara Sonnenstrahl.
Lara walked toward the wounded man, her face eerily calm. The only exception was her glowing eyes. She was still aiming one finger at the man as she approached. "Well, well, well, what do we have here? Is that how guests should behave?"
The man could barely speak over his pain and shock. "A-A-Aurora? You dare to —"
"Dare to do what?" Lara interrupted as she came to a halt right in front of the man. She pointed her glowing finger right in between his eyes. "Tell me, what exactly is it that I can't do? Defend the heir of my oldest friend from being threatened in his own home? Stop an Arch Mage from detaining children? Prevent you from freeing a criminal? Which one is it?"
The man remained silent, not daring to make excuses with his life on the line. In the next moment, Zeke appeared next to her. Being in range of his sphere of awareness, it was a simple matter to [Teleport] over.
'I owe you again,' he said telepathically to Lara as he joined her in staring at the Goldfinger group.
Godfrey had a sheen of sweat on his face now. It had clearly come as a shock to him how helpless his Guard had been in the face of someone like Lara. Zeke also had a newfound respect for her. He had been aware that not all Arch Mages were similar in strength, but this hadn't even been a fight. The man had been completely outclassed.
"Fine," Godfrey eventually said. "Let's make a deal."
Zeke didn't respond but raised a single brow.
"You hand over Steffano, and I'll consider your debt paid."
Zeke scoffed. He didn't even deign to answer such a proposition. 100,000 gold was a lot of money, but nothing would be better than to humiliate the Goldfinger family publicly. At least, that was what Zeke thought before he heard Godfrey's next words.
"Don't be so quick to refuse, boy," the man said with a cunning grin. "You haven't heard my entire offer yet. In addition to clearing the debt, I will also reveal to you Maximilian's current condition."
It was like a bolt of lightning had hit him. He immediately wanted to scream out his acceptance. However, Zeke couldn't just believe that man's word. In an inhuman feat of willpower, he managed to control his expression and nodded.
"I want that in writing," Zeke demanded. "There is no way I would trust your words otherwise."
"Fine by me," Godfrey responded. The man was so carefree and confident that Zeke was certain he actually had the information he promised. It took mere minutes for the contract to be drafted. With the many punishment clauses in place, Zeke could be assured that Godfrey wouldn't dare to lie.
"Out with it," Zeke demanded the moment the signatures were on the paper.
The grin on Godfrey's face turned even crueler. "Maximilian… is dead."
"Nonsense," Lara responded. "The emperor wouldn't kill a man like him."
"It wasn't by the emperor's will," Godfrey explained. "My sources claim that his body was found in his cell only a week after his incarceration. Apparently, he committed suicide. The news will probably reach Tradespire in the coming weeks."
Zeke was in a daze. He wanted to call the man a liar, wanted to scream at him, wanted to refute his words. Instead, he did nothing. He merely stood there, staring straight ahead. No matter how much he wanted to refuse to believe it, in his heart, he knew the words to be true.
Maximilian was dead. He had been dead from the very first day Zeke arrived in Tradespire. All his hopes of someday rescuing the old man had been nothing but the fancy dreams of a naive child. He just stood there in a stupor. Unable to even muster the energy for a response.
He didn't take any notice as the Goldfingers left with Steffano. He completely ignored the second half of the auction, hosted by David. He mechanically nodded at his guests, as they said their goodbyes. He merely went through the motions, but there was no light behind his eyes.
Zeke didn't even take notice of the passage of time. He was numb, ignorant of the goings on of the outside world. He didn't care about the auction anymore. All his earlier joy had turned to ash.