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Chapter 85: Bidding for a Breakthrough

"Everyone is going to be at the market, so it\'s the most likely time for a fight to start." Kai didn\'t want to play the northern barbarian role again, so he simply sorted through his clothing and pulled on the tunic that was least torn and stained. "Besides, Razz said that all the best items would be sold there. You might find something you want to buy."

"That is unlikely. What if they\'re staging it as a distraction and intend to attack this estate in our absence?"

"What would they gain by that? It\'s just a few buildings that the Lantrian clan hasn\'t put too much money into yet. And the local people seem to like it, so the Corinins would just be burning approval for no reason. No, Razz said that this market was their way of making a move."

"If I have no choice, I have no choice." She scowled in the general direction of Rayakan. "Exactly what should I expect from this market? If there were valuable treasures to be sold on Cloudspire, they would be sold via a public auction."

"Honestly, I\'m not sure. I get the feeling this will be fancier than anything I\'ve been to." Kai pulled on his functional belt, then a cloth one over it. Good enough. "Alright, let\'s go. Allegedly we\'re supposed to be \'fashionably late,\' whatever that means."

They left the estate to find a carriage waiting for them. That was an entirely unnecessary expense, but apparently Razz wanted them to be treated as respectable potential customers. His letter claimed that there would be rare items present that were never available otherwise. Since Kai was still holding on to nearly five thousand Eagles, he hoped to find something worthwhile.

Maybe something that would help him break through.

The carriage took them through the streets of Rayakan much faster than usual, less due to its inherent speed than the fact that everyone got out of the way. Kai saw the Corinin estate looming out the window, then they turned away. It took him longer to identify the Orgoron estate: it was large and ornate, just not as dedicated to looming.

As soon as Kai stepped into the garden, he confirmed his fear that it wouldn\'t be an ordinary market. He saw many of the same finely-dressed clan members, just wearing the new silks that Razz had brought. The only difference was that they stood and talked around small display tables with various items.

"Not very secure." Zae Zin Nim frowned at the nearest objects and he hastened to whisper to her.

"Don\'t steal anything."

"I don\'t intend to, I\'m just making a point."

She departed to lurk around the edges before the socialites could bother her again. No one seemed as interested in Kai after his previous appearance; killing the Gomodo might have been a big deal in the surrounding farms, but it wasn\'t even a footnote in the lives of the major clans. As he stared around at the fake hunters talking over all of the enhancement scrolls and potions, his anger continued to rise.

It felt like so long ago that he\'d been enraged to be denied his rewards after the Hunter Trials. As unfair as that had been, it was better than this. He could understand why Gunjin Granfian thought a harsh system was better than all this corruption.

Abruptly Kai noticed a much more practically dressed group: there was a whole company of Irunians, including Tusquo. He smiled at the other man and got a nod in return. Before they could meet up to talk, Razz swept up beside him and grabbed his arm.

"Kai, there you are! They\'re putting out some of the best items now, so you want to make your purchases before the Corinins arrive."

"They aren\'t here already?" Kai had seen at least Soeraina, the unfriendly head of the Hunters Guild.

"Some of them, but the main group is waiting to make a big entrance with their new mercenary. Come on, I think I have something appropriate for you." Razz tugged him away from the main part of the garden to a gazebo that reminded him of a floral version of the shrines from home. "We have some rare mana fruit from the highest quality orchards. I don\'t know exactly what your biggest obstacle is, but all of these are supposed to help you break those limits."

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A small group of merchants stood behind the table of mana fruit. They didn\'t have many customers for items with such high costs, so they greeted him cheerfully. Kai dismissed a few of the fruit that just had high concentrations of mana to focus on the most valuable.

"If I could have your attention, sir," one of the merchants said, gesturing to a spiky red sphere, "this is the finest drake fruit our orchards have ever produced. A single bite is said to improve your Physique, and the entire fruit is guaranteed to help you advance to a new stage."

No doubt an exaggeration, but that did sound promising. Kai instead pointed to a plum that glowed with purple mana. "And this?"

"You have an excellent eye, sir. These mana plums are the single most potent source we sell. The perfect choice if you have no more specific needs, and delicious to boot."

"Look at that one." Razz elbowed him and gestured further back on the table. A strange spherical fruit sat on a small plate, like an enormous white grape. The shape was so smooth and unmarred it almost didn\'t look like a plant at all.

"A highly specialized option, but a prized one!" The merchant swiftly moved it forward to join the other two. "Only the greatest of hunters encounter it, but it is said there comes a point when their spirit can no longer contain their strength. This soul fruit will allow you to overcome such limits. We have only one, but it would be a great investment in your future."

"Or your present." Razz pulled him away from the merchants to whisper in his ear. "To my eye, you look like you\'re at 87 Power and struggling to advance."

"Wasn\'t the barrier supposed to be at 99?" Kai asked.

"That\'s what I\'ve heard, but the problem isn\'t that number, it\'s the fact that reaching a full 100 actually means something. If you\'re trying to grasp some power that would raise you over that point, I think it just won\'t work at all. At least, that\'s what our records say about supporting hunters."

Could that be his problem? Kai knew that there was a significant gap between F-rank and E-rank Physique, so perhaps that would take him over the limit. He was fairly confident that the mana plum was wrong for him, but the drake fruit was still tempting. Eventually he decided that there was no more time to waste and chose the longest term advantage.

"How much for the soul fruit?" he asked, pulling out the heavy pouch of money.

"For you, sir, only six thousand Eagles."

Kai couldn\'t hide his wince, but Razz nudged him again. "You have almost everything, I can cover you for a thousand or two more."

"Then I\'ll take it," Kai said. The merchants immediately became theatrically apologetic.

"We\'re glad to see you so eager, sir, but please bear in mind that we have only a single soul fruit for this entire market season. You must give some of the other hunters an opportunity to request it as well, so the bidding can begin."

Razz expertly swung a sack of money from his tunic and dropped it onto the table. "How many of these have you sold every year? Rayakan is fabled for its crops, not its hunters. Close the deal now and save yourselves time."

"That\'s very reasonable, good sir, but we have reason to believe this audience will be unusually thirsty for such valuable treasures."

After arguing for a while longer, Razz seemed to have them almost convinced. He looked away, winced, and then tapped Kai on the arm. "Dommag just got here and he\'s going to grandstand, so I have to go. Close the deal quick and we\'ll worry about money later."

Kai thanked him and then turned back to the merchants as he left. Apparently there would be no more haggling, but he didn\'t mind so long as he got the soul fruit. Even using the fattest coins, it would take a while to count up the entire amount.

"I\'ll give you six thousand two hundred." The voice rang sharply over his shoulder and Kai turned in time to see Soeraina Corinin walking up behind him. She looked no happier to see him than at the last party.

"That\'s very generous, madam," the merchant said, "but this good sir has already begun a transaction..."

"Make it seven thousand. The Hunters Guild needs every soul fruit it can get. They can\'t be wasted on fools with broken Classes."

"Well, in that case..."

"Seven thousand one hundred." The new voice came from a lean man wearing Orgoron colors. Kai watched in disbelief as he was swept aside and the merchants focused on their new offer.

At first Soeraina and the Orgoron man bid up in smaller increments, clearly beyond their intended target price. Thinking he might be able to compete, Kai estimated how much Razz had left with him, but before he was finished the total had already passed eight thousand Eagles. As he realized that they were nowhere near their limits, Kai took the money and retreated.

How could he compete with clans backed by entire mercantile operations? Even though neither clan seemed to have anyone who actually needed the soul fruit, they were still fighting over it. Was it just a petty game for them, or a treasure they\'d stick in their vaults?

For a moment, he considered grabbing the soul fruit and just stuffing it into his mouth. The merchants were all untrained and Soeraina was just an average adult hunter, so they probably couldn\'t stop him. But Kai abandoned the foolish thought almost immediately. He might hate the decadent clans, but these merchants were independent people trying to run a business. Blaming them for wanting a good price would be absurdly selfish.

Soured by the experience, he didn\'t want to look at any of the other items. Anything else that might be suited for him would just be taken by someone else. The clans might even be intentionally blocking him, since he was a thorn in their side. Instead he walked to see what was happening in the central garden.

He froze. Dommag Corinin had entered with a massive entourage and appeared to be arguing with Razz, but that wasn\'t important. None of his petty concerns about money were important. Kai\'s eyes were drawn to the stunning woman in a low-cut dress who accompanied the Corinin clan.

Anaelina glanced toward him and her eyes lit up with joy.