I picked up another document. Hmm, nothing on this one either. Where is the list of items up for auction? I refuse to believe the merchant’s guild wouldn’t have one. After finishing, I carefully placed the document back where I had found it. I pull out another drawer and begin rummaging through it.

  While rummaging through the drawer, I paused and tilted my head to the side. I could hear a groaning sound and a squeaking sound. Somebody is coming up the stairs. I knew I should have waited until I went home to upgrade my Soul Forge. I even told myself it was a bad idea to upgrade. Despite all that, I just couldn’t wait. It felt like opening a Christmas present, and those are always hard to resist.

  Currently, I don’t have any of my abilities equipped. I’ve already attached them to the 4.0 update. All I have left is to uninstall the 3.0 system; however, tomorrow night is the auction, hence why I’m here in the middle of the night. The sounds are getting closer. I carefully close the drawer, close the cover to the lantern, and start seeking a hiding place.

  Now I could use mana to recreate stealth, but without several of my abilities which help hide my mana signature, it would leave evidence behind. A good spy leaves no trace behind. This room doesn’t offer much. I would have loved to hide on the ceiling, but with my small body, that would be impossible without mana.

  The sounds are maybe a few feet from the door. They sound like they are heading for this room. I quietly sigh and hide under the desk. I suppose being small makes it easier to get under the desk and as close to the wall as possible. The door opens, and a man walks in. He is using a lantern just like mine. When he is looking around the room, I get a good look at his face, and it looks like one of the security guards I met the first free day I had in the capital.

  Seemingly happy with finding nothing, the guard closed the door and proceeded to another room. I wait for several more minutes until the groaning of the floorboards quiets down. I crawl out from my hiding spot and proceed to pick up where I left off. There is a folder with the date of the auction on it. Finally, this is what I was hoping to find. I skim the papers and settle on three items that look interesting. No surprise that they are all soul stones. I would have loved it if any of them were twenty-four connection abilities, but those would be impossible for any normal person to absorb.

  The first ability on the list could pull water from the air. A very good survival ability. The second ability that I was interested in was called an ‘inventory’ ability. What kind of monster needs an inventory ability? I scanned the document, but it’s not listed where such an ability is acquired from. All three abilities come from the southern continent, from the Empire of Tritus. Well, that place is now on my must travel to locations.

  The third ability was the crowning jewel of the auction. It was called ‘spell storage’ and it allowed you to prepare and store a spell in advance. I can see why this would be something every noble wants. Even I want it. I wonder what its limits are? Unlike the inventory ability, this is an ability I could totally see some epic monster having. Actually, I would classify this ability as a national security-level ability. Why would the empire willingly let something like this out of its borders?

  I looked over the documents again, hoping to discover who had put the items up for auction. However, it seems these papers don’t have that information on them. I carefully put everything back away and sat in a chair. What should I do now? Steal the abilities? The problem with that is I don’t have my normal toolkit, so I don’t want to risk that option. I could attend the auction in secret and make a note of who buys what and take it from the new owners.

  I can’t absorb soul stones anymore anyway, since 4.0 blocks that feature. That means I would need to sever the ability from its new owner to attach it to myself. That isn’t a problem for me. My biggest concern would be somebody buying the abilities and me being unable to act because of my self-imposed ethics.

  The last option would be sneaking in and purchasing the abilities. I have limited capital, though. The third ability will cost too much money. If I could bring all the loot I have gained from bandits and liquidate it, I just might have enough. I don’t know enough about the second ability to make a guess on how much it will go for. The first ability probably won’t go for much money; in fact, I likely have enough capital on hand to get it.

  I got out of the chair and put it back under the desk. The door creaked as I opened it, but the guard was gone now. I gently close the door and work my way back outside the way I came in. It’s time I headed home and ripped the band-aid off. 3.0 must get uninstalled, despite how ill I know it’s going to make me.

  ***

  Man, this was way easier than I thought. I came prepared for any sort of problem, but once I snuck into the venue, it was as easy as grabbing a mask and paddle with a number on it. Since this is a venue for nobility, it makes sense that the hardest part would be the entry. I took a seat in the back and made myself scarce. I was also surprised that they would let children my age participate. But I am not the only young child here.

  The lights dimmed and everyone took seats, making sure there was plenty of room in between people. Magic sure is amazing. Lights turning on and off is a luxury that I’ve taken for granted. The auction hall contained magic stones that dimmed. Mana powers everything in this world.

  “My fine ladies and gentlemen.” The man on the stage bowed deeply. “I won’t take up too much of your time. As you all know, I am the master of this guild hall. I have some regrettable news about one item that was to be on auction this evening. The item in question was the ‘spell storage’ soul stone.”

  “You already sold it, didn’t you?” A noble sitting near the front asked. He wasn’t the only one upset.

  The guild master raised his voice to continue. “We received a direct order from His Majesty. An official from the Empire of Tritus arrived a few days ago and demanded the return of the soul stone. They threatened to wage war on the kingdom if the soul stone wasn't returned. “The King decided it would be in the Kingdom’s best interest to comply and hand the soul stone back over. The empire officials didn’t care about any of the other items; thus, the auction will go forward as planned.”

  Several people got up and left the venue, including the noble who accused the guild hall. When things quieted down again, the Master continued. “That is all I have for tonight. I wish you all the best of luck and a very fine evening.” He bowed once more and left the stage.

  A cute, no, it would be better to say a sexy young lady took the stage and gestured to the side. Several other cute young women wheeled something onto the stage. The first lady grabbed a cloth draped over the item and pulled it off. “Now for the reason we are all here tonight. Our first item...”

  I tuned them out; I wasn’t interested in weapons or anything other than those, now two soul stones. I knew that last ability was valuable. Never thought this would be the outcome, though. That means I won’t be getting it now, sense those officials are probably already on their way home. I am surprised that they tracked it all the way down. They must have some way of getting information quickly to act that fast. For a medieval society, that is extremely impressive.

  Not long into my remuneration, the first soul stone on auction came up. “Now this soul stone comes from the pufferfish from within the Empire of Tritus.”

  Pufferfish, it makes sense that aquatic monsters are also out there. This doubles my resolve to explore everywhere when the time is right. Who knew what amazing abilities I might discover from a sea creature at the bottom of the ocean?

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “The pufferfish can store parts of its body within this ability, thus allowing the fish to grow and shrink to incredible sizes. For those of you who might not know or understand the value of this amazing ability, it allows you to store items inside your very own pocket dimension. You have a maximum volume limit, but if you need more space, you can always absorb another soul stone.” The lady picked up one of the three soul stones. “This may be a common ability within the Empire, but we don’t see it that much out here. Let’s start the bidding at a hundred gold.”

  A man on a private balcony raised his paddle. There was a tall man standing behind and to the right. Knowing them both well, I didn't bother looking at either of their souls. I just hope Father doesn’t recognize me. I have disguised myself as best I can, but that doesn’t mean I am safe. The reason I picked this spot is that it would be the hardest for him to recognize me.

  Nobody else raised the paddle, and the first soul stone of the night went to Duke Wellmont. The lady clapped and continued. “Now, do we have a starting bid for the second inventory ability?”

  I swallowed my nerves and decided that this ability was going for way cheaper than I expected. I should be able to get my own soul stone without having to resort to something unsavory. The second one will be cheaper than the third one. The third stone is a trap; when the second stone increases in price, people will hope that the third one will be cheaper and thus limit the competition for the second.

  “Do we have a hundred and fifty gold?”

  I raised my paddle.

  “Do we have a hundred and seventy-five gold?”

  The man who first raised his paddle raised it again.

  Before the announcer could say anything, I raised my paddle again.

  “We have two hundred gold; do we have two hundred fifty?”

  The other man hesitated, but it seemed he was giving up on the second stone.

  The lady looked around. “No takers for two hundred fifty, going once. Going twice and sold.” She gestured to her attendants, who started wheeling the items away. “Now, onto…”

  I tuned her back out, sense I didn’t need the third soul stone, and I highly doubt she would have back-to-back soul stones. I took a quick peek up at my dad, just to make sure he wasn’t looking at me. My heart stopped; he was absolutely looking in my direction. Why? I have never worn this outfit before, and plan to get rid of it as soon as this is over. I am wearing a wig, so my hair color isn’t blond anymore.

  I didn’t think it could get any worse, but my father whispered something to the Duke and pointed at me. I made sure my face was staring in another direction, but my eyes could clearly see. The Duke nodded, and my father withdrew from him. I waited for the Duke to look away, then I stood up and hurried away.

  When I got to the counter near the entrance where we were to pay, I handed my paddle to the clerk. I chose a clerk who didn't have a view of the stairs leading to the upper balconies. I took out two of my three wallets and emptied them. The clerk took his time counting the gold. The longer he took, the louder my heart raced.

  “Wait one moment while we get you your item.” The clerk handed me my change and bowed. He walked away.

  I held my breath. Please take your time, Father, no need to hurry. I think that would be unbecoming, wouldn’t it? And teller, please for the love of everything, hurry your ass up. I don’t know if some God out there granted my fervent wish, but the teller arrived with a stone in hand and held it out to me. I took it and nodded my head to him and quickly headed for the door.

  I know I wanted to stay longer, but things took a turn in a completely unexpected direction. My father was looking around when I glanced at where I was sitting. I ran to the door and hurried outside. No need to gamble anymore with fate tonight. When I reached a side alley, I hurriedly activated stealth and sprinted as fast as possible back home.

  ***

  “Did you find that young noble?”

  “I looked everywhere for him, Your Grace. I asked the tellers, and they said a child paid for his soul stone and left the venue.”

  “I see." The Duke paused a bit. "I really wanted to find out which family the boy belonged to. I can’t believe they would let a child attend the auction alone, with no protection. What were they thinking? The princess was abducted just a few weeks ago.” The Duke shook his head.

  “I apologize for my failure.” The Duke waved him off.

  “Nothing we can do about it now, but I plan to see what I can dig up on the matter. We will stay in the capital for a few more days; it shouldn’t take that long to find something.”

  ***

  “Your father is looking for you.”

  I thought my heart was done with its antics after last night, but I guess not. It was obvious I would not fool Father. I still don’t know how he figured it out. “Thank you, Mother.” Best to fake it till you make it. I am going to pretend to know nothing.

  "Good luck."

  I found my father in the backyard, training with a bunch of other knights in the Duke’s employ. I knew better than to interrupt a bout, so I waited patiently like a good, obedient, dutiful, and well-behaved boy would. When my father disarmed his opponent, they bowed, and he gestured for me to come to him.

  I walked up to my father and bowed. “You called for me, Father?”

  He handed me a wooden sword. “I hear you've been hard to find around the Duke’s house. You haven’t been sneaking into the city, have you?”

  If I have learned anything from modern-day politicians, it is that you need to sidestep the question. You must appear to provide the answer without outright lying. “You know me, Father, I like to just find a nice, quiet place. I am sorry that I made it difficult for people to find me.” I am pretty sure nobody in this time-period is skilled enough to know when a question is being dodged.

  “Well, good thing your mother found you before you could hide again. Have you been slacking on your training?”

  When I train, I don’t like others watching me for obvious reasons. However, sometimes I have to make sure others see me. Though I make sure I just do the bare minimum to get by in those instances. “I have kept up with them, Father.”

  My father nodded to me and took up his stance. I sighed and headed to my position. When I nodded and entered my ready stance, Father charged me. He always does this, likes to humiliate the first round by overpowering his opponent. He goes extra hard on his boys. I don’t use my arm for slow time, as that is just theatrics. With time slowed, I pondered what to do this time.

  It would be funny to execute a counterattack against him. His overhead swing has too much momentum. The reason I don’t make any move, even to help visualize things, is because of my father’s ability. He has what I like to call the poor man’s time control. His ability doesn’t manipulate the fabric of time like I can; instead, it heightens his brain’s processing capacity when he is in danger. Thus, swinging a sword at him, even just to help myself visualize things, would trigger his ability. I don’t want that to happen for obvious reasons. I wish I knew where that ability comes from, but that is a national secret, it seems. And only nobility and their head knights usually receive them.

  I sped up time, so now my father is moving at fifty percent. His sword comes down, and I take a few steps back, moving slowly. It should look like I just missed his swing. He changes tactics and goes for a side-swipe. Now I must be careful here. He knows I shouldn’t be able to evade this one like his last swing.

  I brace my sword and put my other hand on the flat of the blade near the tip. By doing this slowly, I fool everyone outside my time distortion. I kneel and angle the blade so my father’s swing slides up my blade and avoids me. When his sword contacts mine, I let his strength push me to the side he was swinging.

  Then he does something new. Usually, he swings his sword from the opposite side next, and I just have to let him disarm me. I learned that if I make it to the third attack, my father is happy, or well, I assume he is happy. As I get more freedom in my training. I take the knee that my father hits me with straight to the chest. I resume time as I get launched into the air and thrown to the back wall.

  It pains me to have to allow it, but I let my ribs fracture. He put way too much force into that strike, and I am pretty sure it would be suspicious if I survived uninjured. I'm sure one of my lungs needs to be punctured too. After taking one last, amazing, full breath of air, I allow my left lung to be punctured. I let out a cry of pain.

  I can tell everyone is looking away. My father walks up to me; he has disgust written all over his face. He kicks my sword away from me, but not by kicking the sword, but by kicking my arm. I want to sigh, but that would be painful. I let my arm break on impact. The extra momentum crushes me against the wall some more, too. I let out another cry of anguish, like anybody in my position would.

  “Your brother would have dodged that. I see you aren’t keeping up with your training.” My father looks angry. “You would be dead right now if this were an actual fight. Let that sink into your worthless little head.”

  I swallowed my pride, knowing it would only make matters worse for me and draw unwanted attention. My father steps on my other hand and crushes it. “You are weak and pathetic. I wish you weren’t my son.” He kicks me again and then walks away.

  This changes all the plans I had for the last few days.

  One of the other knights knelt next to me. “I am glad your father isn’t my father.” He gestures to the others, and several men pick me up. “Don’t worry, we will get you to the church and get you healed up.”

  Oh, goody, maybe my plans won’t be completely ruined.