MTL NOVEL Chapter 30: chapter 30 options
Step 2: Manipulate the Bids
Kaelith had already completed Step 1—stirring the pot. The young alchemist was primed, anxious, and ready to spend everything he had. Now, it was time to introduce a rival bidder and escalate the situation until the price skyrocketed.
Step 2.1: Find the Perfect Rival
The best target was someone too proud to lose, someone who wouldn't back down from a challenge even if it meant overpaying.
Nobles.
Kaelith's gaze swept across the auction hall until he spotted Lord Bellmere—a plump, overdressed noble with a habit of overbidding just to show off. His gold-trimmed robes screamed wealth, and his fingers glittered with unnecessary rings. More importantly, he had already been eyeing the alchemy catalyst, likely wanting it as a status piece rather than for practical use.
Kaelith smirked.
> "Perfect. This guy has more ego than brains."
Bellmere wasn't actually interested in the item—he just liked winning. If he felt like someone was trying to take it from him, he'd bid out of spite.
Step 2.2: The Gentle Push
Kaelith couldn't just walk up and tell Bellmere to bid. That would be too obvious. Instead, he baited him indirectly.
He strolled near the noble's entourage, pretending to be just another casual observer. Then, with the perfect mix of excitement and urgency, he loudly whispered to no one in particular:
> "Wow, look at those adventurers. They're really going all in for that catalyst. Guess nobles don't care about rare alchemy items anymore~."
He let the words linger in the air, making sure Bellmere's attendants heard him. Nobles didn't like to be told what they couldn't have—especially not in front of others.
One of Bellmere's aides scoffed.
> "Ridiculous. A noble should never let commoners claim such valuable treasures."
Kaelith hid his grin. Hook, line, and sinker.
Bellmere adjusted his robes, his expression hardening.
> "Hmph. Let's see how far these peasants can go."
Kaelith had set the stage. Now, the real fun began.
---
Step 2.3: The Bidding War
The auctioneer stepped forward, clearing his throat.
> "Next item—a Rare Alchemy Catalyst, an essential ingredient for advanced potion-making. Starting bid: 10 silver."
Kaelith barely had to do anything now.
The young alchemist immediately raised his hand. "10 silver!"
Bellmere raised an eyebrow but didn't move. He was watching, waiting to see how desperate the adventurers were.
> "15 silver!" one of the alchemist's party members shouted.
Kaelith's grin widened. They were all in.
> "20 silver!"
> "25 silver!"
The adventurers were panicking, convinced they needed to outbid anyone to secure the catalyst. Kaelith had already won—but he wanted more.
He leaned toward a random noble nearby and muttered:
> "Wow… those adventurers must know something we don't. They're willing to spend everything. Maybe that catalyst is rarer than we thought…"
The noble shifted uncomfortably, then turned to Bellmere.
> "My Lord, should we bid?"
Bellmere scoffed, then lazily raised his hand. "30 silver."
The adventurers froze.
Kaelith bit back a laugh. Pride had entered the game.
The young alchemist hesitated—30 silver was most of what they had. But Kaelith had already planted the seed of desperation.
> "35 silver!" the alchemist shouted.
Bellmere smirked. He wasn't going to lose to some adventurers.
> "50 silver."
The alchemist's group whispered in panic. They had pooled their money, but…
Kaelith walked past them, pretending to talk to himself.
> "Tsk… if they don't buy it now, they'll never see one again."
The alchemist clenched his jaw.
> "55 silver!"
Bellmere's smirk faltered. He hadn't expected a commoner to keep pushing. The audience was watching now, whispering about how some nobodies were challenging a noble.
He couldn't back down.
> "70 silver!"
The alchemist paled. That was everything they had. His hands clenched around his coin pouch.
His party members looked at each other.
> "We… we can't go higher."
The young alchemist gritted his teeth, his whole body tense. Then, with defeat in his voice, he sat down.
> "We're out."
---
Step 2.4: The Payoff
The auctioneer smiled.
> "Sold! To Lord Bellmere for 70 silver."
Bellmere leaned back in his chair, smug. He had won.
Or so he thought.
Kaelith walked past the alchemist's group one last time, his voice low.
> "See? It went way higher than expected. Guess you weren't the only one who saw its value."
The alchemist sighed.
> "Damn it… we should have prepared more silver."
Kaelith had just made 70 silver disappear from a noble's pocket—without spending a single coin himself.
And the best part?
Bellmere didn't even want the catalyst.
Now, Kaelith had options:
1. Find Bellmere after the auction and "suggest" selling the catalyst to the alchemist for a slight profit.
2. Make a deal with the alchemist—promise to "help them" find another catalyst in exchange for a favor.
3. Wait and watch—maybe Bellmere would regret his purchase and offload it at a discount later.
Kaelith didn't just manipulate the bids—he controlled the entire outcome.
And he never even raised his hand.
Step 3: Flipping the Catalyst for Maximum Profit
Kaelith had done the hardest part—he had manipulated the auction, forced Lord Bellmere to overbid, and now watched as the noble sat with an item he never wanted in the first place. The auction had concluded, and most of the attendees were either leaving or engaging in private deals. But Kaelith knew that this was where the real game began. Winning an auction was one thing, but what came after was just as important. He had created an artificial demand, and now he needed to ensure that the catalyst changed hands in a way that benefited him the most.
He didn't approach Bellmere directly. That would be too obvious. Instead, he focused on predicting the noble's reaction. Bellmere had bid purely out of pride, not necessity. Kaelith knew that as soon as the rush of winning faded, regret would start gnawing at him. He had spent 70 silver on something he had no practical use for, and the more he thought about it, the more he would wonder if it had been worth it. However, Bellmere was a noble—he would never admit he made a mistake in public. His pride wouldn't allow it. But pride and regret were two sides of the same coin, and once regret settled in, Kaelith could use it to his advantage.
Instead of speaking to Bellmere, Kaelith planted the seeds of doubt through his entourage. Every noble had a few attendants or lesser companions who weren't as careful with their words, and Kaelith found one of them—a young attendant who seemed eager to speak—and struck up a casual conversation. He made it seem like simple curiosity, mentioning how surprising it was that Lord Bellmere had been so interested in alchemy materials. As expected, the attendant hesitated before responding, "My Lord… isn't really into alchemy." Kaelith feigned surprise and let the silence stretch before responding as if he were figuring something out himself. "That's odd. The catalyst he bought is only useful for someone planning to craft advanced potions. Maybe he's investing in an alchemist?" The attendant looked even more uncertain now, which meant he hadn't heard anything about Bellmere working with an alchemist. Kaelith sighed dramatically, as if he had just realized something unfortunate. "That's a shame. The adventurer group from earlier actually needed it. I bet they'd be willing to buy it back for a good price… if they knew Lord Bellmere wanted to sell it." He didn't say anything more and walked away. He didn't need to push. The moment the attendant started talking to others, the idea would take root.
Kaelith watched from a distance as murmurs started spreading through Bellmere's entourage. It began subtly—quiet questions, uncertain glances, hushed whispers—but soon, even Bellmere himself was starting to hear the doubts. His companions were discussing how unnecessary the purchase had been. One even suggested that if Bellmere didn't sell the item quickly, he might not find a buyer willing to pay a fair price. That was when a merchant overheard and approached, offering to take the catalyst off Bellmere's hands—for a lower price, of course.
That was the breaking point. Bellmere immediately rejected the offer, snapping, "I won't sell at a loss!" But that reaction told Kaelith everything he needed to know. Bellmere was now thinking about selling. He wasn't going to hold on to the catalyst indefinitely. However, he wouldn't accept a bad deal. That was fine. Kaelith didn't want him to sell for cheap—he wanted the adventurers to overpay for it.
To make that happen, he had to make Bellmere believe the catalyst was even more valuable than before. If Bellmere thought someone else might be willing to pay 80 silver or more, he would hold onto the item just long enough for the adventurers to get desperate. So Kaelith carefully spread the next rumor—a noble from another city had been searching for this exact catalyst and was willing to pay extra to acquire it. Bellmere, overhearing this, perked up. Kaelith saw the moment realization dawned on the noble—he believed he had made the right choice after all. That was exactly the mindset Kaelith needed.
The adventurers, meanwhile, were growing increasingly desperate. They had barely been able to scrape together 70 silver, and now they were being told that the price might rise even higher if they didn't act fast. Kaelith played his final move by casually suggesting, "Why not have a private negotiation? Set your price. If they can't pay, you'll find another buyer." That was all it took. The young alchemist panicked—he couldn't afford to lose the item again. He and his team hurried to negotiate with Bellmere, and after some back-and-forth, they agreed to pay 85 silver.
In the end, Bellmere walked away smug, thinking he had outplayed everyone and made a profit. The adventurers left, relieved that they had secured the catalyst, even though they had spent 15 silver more than they needed to. And Kaelith? He had orchestrated the entire thing without spending a single coin.
As he strolled out of the auction hall, Kaelith smiled to himself. "The best deals are the ones where you never even enter the bidding."