Chapter 364 Chapter363-Don't Ask So Many Questions, Kid!
Seeing John lost in deep thought, Master Reo did not urge him, instead sitting quietly beside, waiting. Moments later, John came back to his senses.
"If the master thinks there's a risk, then just remove those six daggers from your auction inventory," John said, weighing his words. "However, as I said before, since I brought those items, I'll naturally deal with the associated risks. The only requirement is your trust in me..."
Master Reo didn't decide immediately, looking somewhat astonished as he asked, "Are you implying, Mr. Galewind, that if AGHHO assassins really act during the auction, you would intervene and handle them?"
"That's a team led by an assassin master. As far as my limited knowledge goes, to be titled a master in the assassin class means at least level 200. They're not comparable to ordinary powerhouses. Handling such powerful figures, even with Mr. Galewind's capabilities, shouldn't be easy, right?"
John responded with a faint smile and a casual tone, "Do you know Saphir?"
Master Reo paused slightly, "The Fire Grand Archmage from the Mercenary Guild?"
John nodded nonchalantly. "Of course, he's the highest authority in our Silverglow Mercenary Hall. We have a lot of transactions with Dawn Breeze Auction House, and he just bought a lot of materials here a few days ago."
Though unsure why John suddenly brought up Saphir, Master Reo shared everything he knew.
"Since you know him, then you must be aware of Saphir's grudge shared everything he knew.
"Since you know him, then you must be aware of Saphir's grudge against AGHHO, right?"
At John's probing, Master Reo responded with a wry smile, "I've heard about it. Back when I was studying appraisal in the capital, I heard of the Grand Archmage's tragic past, how his wife and children died at the hands of assassins…"
Pausing, Master Reo's face filled with astonishment as he gazed at John uncertainly, "Are you saying that the assassins who killed Saphir's family were from AGHHO?"
John didn't answer, but his expression said it all.
Master Reo's aged face suddenly lit up with insight. "If we could get assistance from the Grand Archmage, the AGHHO assassins infiltrating the auction really wouldn't be a concern... I've heard that Mr. Saphir has been searching for the killer's whereabouts for the past ten years. If he learns that AGHHO assassins are appearing in Silverglow, he definitely won't hesitate to help."
As he spoke, Master Reo stood up to seek Saphir's assistance.
However, John gestured, stopping him mid-action.
"There's no need to rush like that. The man is likely already at the military camp by now; you won't find him at the Mercenary Guild…" John spoke with a calm indifference.
At these words, a look of surprise flashed across Master Reo's face.
He only had a passing knowledge of Saphir's affairs.
Apart from business interactions, there was no personal rapport between them, so naturally, he was unaware that Saphir, having avenged his great grievance, had unhesitatingly chosen to battle against abyssal monsters on the frontier battlefields.
Seeing Master Reo's partial understanding, John briefly explained the situation concerning the Cloud Sea.
The enlightened expression on Master Reo's face quickly faded. "So, Mr. Saphir is no longer in Silverglow. Then, are we not back in a deadlock? Without his help, there's no way to deal with those aggressive AGHHO assassins!"
John's lips curled into a smile, serene as a light breeze. "I mention this not to seek his help, but to tell you that I was fully involved in Saphir's revenge."
"If I could take down even the so-called ten elders of AGHHO, do you think a mere assassin master would make waves in my presence?"
Only then did Master Reo realize the implication.
That's right, if Mr. Galewind could join Saphir in annihilating an entire leader's stronghold, it clearly indicates his formidable strength.
At least on par with Saphir, the Fire Grand Archmage. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become his partner.
The AGHHO assassin master infiltrating the auction, no matter how high his level, probably couldn't surpass the enigmatic Mr. Galewind standing before him, right?
With this thought, the heavy stone in Master Reo's heart finally dropped.
He smiled, slowly standing up, "Hearing Mr. Galewind's words, I am finally at ease. So, I'll leave the following matters in your capable hands…"
John nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, speaking in a light, dismissive tone, "Honestly, I've been rather curious about what exactly you've been worrying about. Don't forget, those six daggers were seized by me from AGHHO assassins. Assassins, as players, may seem troublesome, but in reality, they are just that – nothing more, a bunch of rats lurking in the shadows. They are at their weakest in a fair, open fight."
Master Reo could only offer a wry smile. "With your formidable strength, Mr. Galewind, these people naturally don't concern you. But it's different for us merchants. Often, what we fear the most are fighters who don't play by the rules."
In fact, the reason Master Reo took time out of his busy schedule to meet with John was to secure a promise of assistance from him.
He himself didn't wish to yield to threats and cancel the auction.
Since its inception, Dawn Breeze Auction House had been unrestrictive, daring to acquire and sell anything.
If they capitulated to AGHHO's threats this time and chose to forgo the auction of those equipment, surely other powers would use the same tactics to intimidate the Auction House in the future.
If everyone adheres to established rules, there would be no issues.
But once these rules are broken, it leads to one compromise after another.
Having spent a lifetime in the appraisal business, Master Reo understood this well.
After a few more exchanges, Master Reo hurriedly left.
There were many more equipment waiting for his appraisal at the auction, and even this small window of time had been hard-earned.
After Master Reo departed the private box, John's smile faded as he approached the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Through the glass, he could clearly see the densely packed crowd in the lobby below.
With only two to three hours remaining before the auction commenced, most of the qualified players invited had already arrived.
John quietly unfurled his divine power, a vast support of mind power silently enveloping the entire auction hall. Unbeknownst to everyone present, he swiftly scanned through them all, leaving no corner, not even the empty shadows, unchecked.
Yet, he found no trace of the AGHHO assassins Master Reo had mentioned.
Evidently, these assassins either hadn't arrived yet, or weren't here for the auction at all.
Thoughts raced through John's mind. Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, his gaze quickly swept across the first floor.
In just a short while, John recognized many familiar faces, including Dirge, the guild leader of Tide Guild, a girl known for her blunt and often biting remarks.
However, Dirge appeared unusually constrained today, lacking the ease she had shown on the day of the Guild Battle, probably due to her first-time attendance at an auction of this scale.
Unexpectedly, John couldn't spot Darklord and SoulSong, those two rascals, nor were the members of Wolf Guild, with whom he had clashed twice before, present.
John's brow furrowed subtly.
If his memory served him right, his first encounter with AGHHO's assassins was related to these two factions.
It seemed that Wolf Howl, the vice guild leader of Wolf Guild, had received training from AGHHO's peripheral assassins.
If AGHHO's assassins intended to infiltrate this auction without detection, tagging along with them seemed like the obvious choice...
A composed smile played on John's face, the more he thought, the more he felt his speculation was close to the truth.
Dawn Breeze Auction House had prepared extensively for this event, and naturally, the security was impeccable.
To infiltrate unnoticed would be exceedingly difficult.
On the other hand, blending in with the players attending the auction, entering openly, would be much simpler.
While John was deep in thought, Loving_Lollipop, who had been quietly listening by his side, finally couldn't hold back her curiosity. "Galewind, who exactly are AGHHO that you just mentioned?"
Loving_Lollipop was growing more perplexed by the minute.
In his limited understanding, the highest level a player could currently reach was just over a hundred.
Even if Galewind's progression was exceptionally rapid, he would only be a few dozen levels higher than himself at most.
How then did Galewind get involved with these centuries-old NPCs, who boasted levels in the hundreds?
And listening to Galewind's conversation with that appraisal master earlier, it seemed Galewind was now entangled in the battles among these high-level NPCs...
Is this what the daily life of a big shot looks like?
AGHHO... the name alone suggested an ancient and formidable organization.
How did Galewind come to harbor such deep-seated enmity with such an age-old group?
Unable to contain the blazing gossip-hungry spirit within, Loving_Lollipop eagerly began to inquire as soon as Master Reo left.
However, upon hearing Loving_Lollipop's curious questioning, John didn't even turn his head, merely responding in a tone that was both light and dismissive: "Why should a child concern himself with the affairs of adults?"
The young man was left speechless, silenced by the response.
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