Chapter 8: Julius does not like working for Diedrik.

Julius does not like working for Diedrik, and it only took a month to cement that thought. It’s well into the night and Julius should be lounging at home but oh no, he’s here to watch the first unveiling of the mana rain potion and to report back what the reactions of the crowd are.

The auction house is set up in a slanted building of clean glass and sleek metal, the rain hammering down in hushed white noise. The windows open out into dark shadows but inside is lit up by elaborate chandeliers that make the first floor’s white walls and floor practically blinding.

Pedestals and towering glass cabinets are dotted around the room, holding priceless artifacts on plush red cushions or beautiful cuts of marble. Quiet but obvious security stands out of the way against the walls. Staff wander the floor, one hand tucked behind their backs while the other carries silver trays full of precisely arranged mystery hors d'oeuvres that Julius isn’t brave enough to try even when they pass close by.

Julius weaves between it all among the nobles and rich merchants, occasionally stopping at a particularly intriguing piece. But all of this is just low-class products, the cheap stuff despite the price tag being able to feed a commoner’s family for the next three generations.

“Sir,” a waitress says politely, coming up to him without a tray but with a leather-bound menu under one arm. “The auction is starting briefly.”

“Lead the way,” Julius demurs and follows as the waitress leads him through the first floor and onto the red velvet staircase that leads up to the second.

The second floor is a large ring hallway with double doors back down into a dimly lit amphitheatre for the auction. The waitress leads Julius past the main doors and further along the curving hall into a private booth.

The private room has two plush seats looking out over the balcony above the stepped seating, the view bracketed by heavy red curtains.

Julius did not pay for this and since there’s no one ominously waiting for him inside, he assumes the auction house is acting coy by upgrading him in hopes he’ll get arrogant and splash some more cash around.

“The drinks menu, sir,” the waitress offers after Julius takes a seat, holding out the menu she had kept tucked under an arm.

“A Dragon Tongue Cheval Blanc,” says a new voice.

Julius looks over his shoulder to find Ede standing by the doorframe, her curves outlined in a draping red dress with a plunging neckline and no back. Her lips are a bright blood red even in this lighting, as are her sharp nails.

Ede smirks, long eyelashes lowering as she watches Julius. “My, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

Julius gestures at the waitress. “Whatever the lady wants.”

Ede giggles and slips into the other seat, the slit of her dress opening as she crosses her legs, displaying the dark tan of her plush thigh.

The waitress bows and steps out of the room, closing the door behind her just as the lights dim and the presenter steps out to welcome the crowd and introduce the auction.

“Did you buy this room?” Julius asks Ede, knowing there are silencing wards to keep it private.

Ede is halfway through draping some of her wavy black hair over her shoulders when she pauses. “Did you not?”

“I was just led here,” Julius muses. “So you…what, saw me and wanted a free ride?”

“Darling, don’t make a fuss,” Ede tsks and rolls her shoulders back to press out the swell of her chest. “Just enjoy the eye candy, you’re welcome.”

“I’m the one with the private room, shouldn’t you be saying thank you?”

“It’s nearly our ten-year anniversary and you act like this,” Ede huffs. “I can’t take you anywhere.”

“We never once spoke in school, what do you mean ten years?” In fact, they barely speak now, and only when she needs something. Julius stops himself and waves it off. “What are you buying?”

“I was going to trick some poor thirsty dog into buying me the mana rain potion I’ve been hearing so much about.” Ede places a hand on Julius’ thigh. “But now I’ve met you, darling.”

Julius frowns down at it. “Are you threatening me?”

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“I can, if you’re into that,” Ede purrs, nails sharpening and biting into the material of Julius’ robes. The hair framing her face is shifted as feathers grow from the sides of her face and her heels audibly strain at holding back the beginnings of talons.

Julius picks up her hand and places it on her own lap. “I’ll have you know I’m here on business, not pleasure.” He pauses. “Mana rain won’t have much of an effect on you.”

“Oh? Have you gotten your hands on some already?”

“I have a procurement contract with the maker.”

“With the research lab? Haki or something?”

“Hakim,” Julius corrects. “And no, Hakim only does mass production. I’m working with the person who created mana rain.”

Ede pauses. “The Govain boy? I thought that was a joke.”

“Unfortunately not,” Julius deadpans.

For the last month, he’s been on his feet constantly trying to get the marketing and distribution channels done for the potion. The alchemy lab synthesises it but Julius also is the one who needs to get the ingredients, and then vials and labelling, and he’s had to subcontract an apothecary but it clearly needs to be scaled up even now just making initial smaller batches.

Diedrik has good ideas and has devoured all the books Julius threw at him to learn the basics of running a business in only a few weeks. The boy isn’t a genius, he still gets tripped up on some common things, but he’s smart and motivated. A prodigy out of spite?

In fact, Diedrik doesn’t need to know these things since he’s contracted Julius for it but the boy is insistent about knowing every step. Diedrik isn’t what Julius would call a micromanager but by the gods, if you try and do it differently from his outline, he’ll become one.

“Will he be ramping up production?” Ede asks.

The principles of supply and demand mean that Diedrik will be occasionally putting out small vials on the market for exorbitant prices, and then watching people claw over each other to reach it. After bleeding the magicians dry, the market will slowly dip as the hype dies down. He’ll scale up production and outsource to a local alchemy lab when it reaches the point of steady background income.

“There are certain difficulties with ingredient procurement,” Julius admits, lying. “Currently it’s based in the research lab because it needs to be – there are too many setbacks with volatile ingredients and storage conditions. At this stage, it can’t be batch made.”

Ede’s eyes dart back to the stage, where another item is being bought, the presenter with a nice rhythm to his calls. “Why do you say it won’t work on me?”

“You’re 3^rd class but your mana is at 4^th,” Julius explains. Ede’s creature mother means she has a higher mana pool; everyone talked about it at school. “The potion is negligible at 4^th.”

Ede sucks in a sharp breath. “It works up to 3^rd?”

Julius rears back. “I – untested, the lab didn’t verify. It’s more theoretical.”

“I won’t tell,” Ede assures him but smothers a smile. “I completely understand why it’s advertised as 1^st class only. If people knew, there’d be chaos.” She giggles. “Why Julius, you’re moving up in the world.”

The conversation stops then as the waitress returns with drinks and complimentary desserts.

Julius sits back and relaxes. His staff are in the crowd below, buying what the shop needs. His own job was to mingle and discretely hype up mana rain but Ede will do that for him.

In fact, as the intermission rolls around, she vanishes off somewhere and doesn’t come back. As the final item comes out, the presenter introduces it as mana rain and gives a small snippet of its abilities in vague terms according to the script Julius gave him.

The bidding starts at fifty gold and jumps straight to two hundred.

Ede is wonderful, isn’t she?

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