The Legendary Method Actor

"My lord! I have your iced tea!"

Ray turned to see Aila hurrying down the aisle, carefully balancing a silver tray holding a tall, frosted glass of iced tea. Condensation dripped down the sides of the glass, clinking with ice.

Ray took the glass, took a long, refreshing sip that instantly cooled the lingering burn of the spicy giant-boar skewer, and nodded his thanks.

"I believe I have found the items that I am looking for. I would like to purchase the Ring of Warmth, the Pipe of Remembrance, and the Bottle of Boundless Tea."

Ray told the clerk.

"Excellent choices, my lord!"

Aila said, quickly tapping the items into her master slate.

"I would also like to purchase the Thermal Cube. In fact, I would like to purchase it in bulk. I need several dozen of them, if you have the inventory."

Ray continued, pointing to the brimstone block.

Aila flinched, her cheerful demeanor faltering slightly. She looked at the brimstone cube with a complicated expression.

"I am so incredibly sorry, my lord, but we cannot fulfill a bulk order for that item There is only one Thermal Cube in our entire inventory. To be perfectly honest, it is the only one in existence, to our knowledge."

Aila apologized, bowing her head.

"Truly? It seems highly practical. Why hasn't it been mass-produced?"

Ray asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We acquired it just last month when a desperate noble student sold it to us to pay off his gambling debts. It was part of an old family inheritance. Our in-house enchanters were fascinated by it and asked the young lord for the crafting schematics so we could replicate it. Unfortunately, the noble informed us that the method on how to make it was lost in a tragic manor fire generations ago. It is the last of its kind."

Aila explained softly.

"I understand. I will purchase the single cube, then."

Ray said smoothly.

"Of course, my lord. For the Ring of Warmth, the Pipe of Remembrance, the Bottle of Boundless Tea, and the Thermal Cube... your total comes to exactly 4,750 Academy Marks."

Aila said as she tapped her master slate with practiced efficiency and quickly finished the tally of items.

Aila unconsciously braced herself, fully expecting the young noble to scoff at the price. In her experience, customers, especially the wealthy ones, would spend at least twenty minutes to aggressively haggle, demanding bundle discounts or threatening to walk away over a sum that large.

Instead, Ray simply nodded. He gestured toward a small, circular runic transaction array embedded directly into the mahogany shelving of the aisle, a standard convenience feature in SMT for seamless magical transfers.

Aila hastily linked her master slate to the array, causing the runes to glow with a soft, expectant blue light. Ray stepped forward and casually tapped his Custodian Crest against the center of the formation. The array flashed green, emitting a pleasant chime that signaled the instantaneous transfer of 4,750 Marks.

Aila blinked, staring at her updated slate in absolute shock. He hadn't even batted an eye. He just casually dropped a small fortune without a single word of negotiation.

"T…Thank you for your generous patronage, young lord! I will have these packed immediately!"

Aila stammered, bowing deeply before rushing off to the packaging counter.

As Aila hurried to safely package his purchases, Ray smiled inwardly. A lost schematic was a tragedy for a merchant, but it was hardly a roadblock for him.

He let his consciousness slip into the Ambient Presence of his mind.

A lost schematic, what do you guys think? Can we reverse-engineer this artifact's matrix?

Ray projected his question to his mental council.

Scholar: "Confident? Bah! It is a puzzle begging to be solved! I will relish dissecting its mechanics layer by layer! It will be an absolutely joyous endeavor!"

The Eccentric Scholar practically vibrated with manic delight, his eyes wide with academic obsession.

Scribe: "The foundational runes will undoubtedly be layered in a standard geometric progression. While the Scholar dissects the core logic, I shall map the containment arrays and draft a schematic reproduction for mass production."

The Arcane Scribe added with meticulous clinical calm.

Ray pulled his focus back to the physical world, highly satisfied. Between the obsessive genius of the Eccentric Scholar, the runic precision of the Arcane Scribe, and not to mention, if needed he can call on the System’s analytical tools, Ray was supremely confident they could recreate the artifact. He didn't need to buy a dozen cubes; he just needed the blueprint hidden inside this one.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

After completing the transaction, Ray took his neatly wrapped parcels and ascended the staircase to the lounge.

The lounge was lavishly decorated. Plush velvet seating arranged around low mahogany tables offered a perfect, unobstructed view of the massive auction floor below, which was currently bustling with staff setting up seating rows and a grand podium.

Ray took a seat near the balcony ledge, sipping the rest of his iced tea in the quiet, luxurious atmosphere.

A half-hour later, the hurried footsteps were heard near the stairs to the lounge.

Rina walked in a hurry, looking incredibly satisfied and completely unbothered, carrying two modest, beautifully wrapped shopping bags. She spotted Ray and beamed, hurrying over to the table.

"Young master! The market was wonderful. I found the perfect frost-silk for my father."

Rina called out as she showed her shopping bags..

"I am glad to hear it. Where is Svane?"

Ray said. He looked past her, toward the doorway.

"Right here."

A deep, muffled voice grunted.

Through the stairs slowly climbed a walking mountain of commerce. Svane, the towering Gold Aegis, a terrifying vanguard warrior capable of shattering boulders with his bare hands, was currently completely buried under a towering stack of shopping bags, wooden lockboxes, and wrapped parcels. The bags hung from his massive arms, dangled from his shoulders, and were stacked dangerously high in his grip.

Rina had clearly gone on an absolute shopping spree, and the mighty warrior had dutifully accepted his fate as her pack mule.

Ray hid a smirk behind his glass of tea as Svane carefully navigated the lounge, letting out a heavy sigh as he deposited the massive pile of purchases onto a nearby velvet sofa.

"I see you found everything you needed."

Ray noted dryly.

"And then some."

Svane grumbled, rolling his massive shoulders.

Rina took a seat across from Ray, her eyes wide as she looked out over the balcony at the grand stage below.

"So this is an auction? I have never been to one before! What kind of items are they going to sell?"

"I have no idea. This is my first time attending one as well."

Ray admitted, leaning back in his chair.

Svane, having finally freed himself from the shopping bags, took a seat. He looked down at the auction floor with a mix of respect and wariness.

"You should expect the extraordinary, Rina. SMT is not just a shop in the Academy. They are incredibly famous throughout not just Eldoria, but the entire Aethelguard continent. They have massive branches in all three major kingdoms, all the major academies and established outposts in dozens of smaller territories."

Svane informed them.

Svane pointed a massive finger toward the SMT banner hanging over the stage.

"Their wealth is built on a single, legendary guarantee:

“If you are looking for it, we have it for sale. And if we don't, give us time, and we will find it.'”

They pride themselves on never failing a customer's request."

Ray let out a soft, amused chuckle.

Rina looked at him curiously.

"What is funny, Young master?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking about how casually breaking that exact guarantee is what earned us this free VIP room in the first place."

Ray smiled wryly, swirling the ice in his glass.

Before Svane could ask exactly how Ray had managed to completely stump the greatest merchant network in the world, the soft click of heels approached their table.

Aila, holding a silver tray with an auction paddle, stopped beside them and offered a deep, polite bow.

"My lord, the auction is about to commence. If you and your companions are ready, please follow me. I will escort you to your private viewing room."

The clerk announced, her voice carrying a thrill of excitement.

Ray stood, adjusting his coat.

"It is time to go."

He told Rina and Svane.

He paused, his eyes shifting to the towering Gold Aegis, who had only just managed to sit down after hauling the massive pile of shopping bags, boxes, and parcels. Ray looked at the sheer volume of Rina's purchases, then back to his vanguard.

"Do you need help with those, Svane?"

Ray asked, offering a rare moment of sympathy for the warrior's plight.

Svane let out a low rumble. He stood back up, effortlessly scooping the mountain of commerce back into his massive arms, balancing the boxes with practiced ease.

"I've got it, my lord."

He grunted stoically.

Ray offered an amused nod and gestured for them to follow. Aila led them down a plush, dimly lit corridor lined with heavy velvet drapes. She stopped before a solid oak door marked with a glowing gold 'VII' and pushed it open.

The private viewing room was a marvel of magical architecture. It featured a sprawling, curved wall of enchanted, one-way glass that offered a panoramic, bird's-eye view of the auction stage below. Inside, plush leather recliners were arranged around a polished obsidian table adorned with fresh fruits and crystal decanters of wine.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable."

Aila smiled, gesturing to the central, most luxurious chair.

As Ray took his seat, Rina and Svane settled into the chairs flanking him. Before sitting, the towering warrior carefully deposited the mountain of bags, boxes, and wrapped parcels onto the floor beside his recliner. He stacked the shopping haul with the meticulous, practiced ease of a man organizing standard-issue armory crates, a highly efficient, yet inherently ridiculous visual for a terrifying Gold Aegis.

"Allow me to explain the bidding mechanics, my lord. Should you wish to place a standard bid on an item, you simply press this button. I will be stationed on the balcony just outside your window with your paddle. The moment you press the stone, my slate will notify me, and I will raise the paddle on your behalf."

Aila said, pointing to a glowing green gemstone embedded in the right armrest.

She then pointed to the left armrest, where a smooth, translucent crystal rested.

“If you wish to inquire about an item's background, request a closer appraisal, or set a maximum bidding ceiling, or if you have any other questions, simply press this button and speak to the communication crystal . It links directly to my earpiece."

To demonstrate, Aila tapped a small, silver runic cuff clipped to her right ear.

"Like this, my lord."

She said normally, but her voice simultaneously projected from unseen acoustic runes embedded in the room's ceiling, sounding crisp and clear as if she were speaking through a high-end speaker system.

"Interesting. Very efficient."

Ray murmured, admiring the seamless integration of magical utility.

"We aim for absolute perfection in our service. I shall take my position outside. Enjoy the auction."

Aila beamed, bowing deeply.

She slipped out the door, appearing moments later on the small, open-air balcony directly in front of their glass, holding the paddle marked with a golden 'VII'.

A heavy, anticipatory silence fell over the lounge and the packed floor below.

Suddenly, the glowing arcane lanterns illuminating the grand hall dimmed to a soft twilight. A single, brilliant beam of concentrated light snapped down from the ceiling, illuminating the grand wooden podium on the stage.

A distinguished man in a tailored, silver-threaded suit stepped into the light. He carried a polished ivory gavel. He offered a dramatic, sweeping bow to the sea of wealthy merchants, nobles, and VIPs.

He raised his gavel and struck the sounding block. A deep, resonant crack echoed through the entire cavernous building.

"Lords and ladies, masters and scholars!"

The Auctioneer's magically amplified voice boomed with charismatic flair.

"My name is Chapman and I will be your host tonight… Welcome... to the SMT’s Quarterly Elite Auction!"