The auction was made in the Mirstone theatre. The adventurers have gotten the money together to rent it for the event. They paid five gold coins each and announced it in the paper.

On the day of the big event, many came from far and wide. Even grandpa Thinker was there as he declined to take one of the clovers as a gift from the children. Lena, Jasper, and Lysandrus all were in the audience, even if their chances looked grim.

Larriel has been busy organizing the whole event with Brandon and they barely had a chance to speak the way Larriel wanted. But she found many things about the man.

He had a murder muffin for a pet. Owning dungeon monsters was illegal but Brandon had it since it was a kitten and he kept it hidden. He also liked pink, which made Larriel dress in pink for the whole time they were together.

But most of all he invited Larriel to his parent’s graves. They sat by the tombstones and placed flowers at their base. Brandon spoke a lot about them that day and Larriel took him to meet her parents later. The teasing that ensured after that made them both blush bright red.

When the last guest sat down Larriel, wearing a pink long conservative dress, came on the stage.

“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. Today we will hold the very first auction for a four-leaf clover. Now, before anyone asks, an enchantment fountain can absorb only one of these. It has been tested by the finders of the enchantment secret themselves.”

A man raised his hand and Larriel pointed at him.

“Why is there only a single clover for sale? It has been a week! The nymph can upgrade them with mana, can’t she?” He said and many muttered their agreement.

“Why, yes. But you have to understand that we prepaid the tax for a single clover. If we sell more our taxes will go up. Next week we will organize a new auction for more clovers.”

This calmed down the man. Even though it has been a week some of the mana went towards upgrading the enchantment fountain, more plant upgrades, and enchanting. All the S rank adventurers were frothing at the mouth at the thought of more than four enchantments, but it seems like they needed recalculating, even with the absorbed clover.

“We will start the betting at 10000 coins. Who gives 10000 coins?” Asked Brandon and immediately grandpa Thinker raised his number height. A forest of numbers followed. Only a handful of people hadn’t betted.

“10000. Can we get 15000?” Asked Brandon and again he received the same answer. He sweatdropped. This was going to take a while.

Hours passed and grandpa Thinker and a single enchanter, the head of the mage’s guild, in fact, were still betting.

“4 500 000. Can we have 4 505 000?” Asked Brandon, expecting for the two to once again both raise their numbers but the head of the mage’s guild was the only one to do so.

“4 505 000 once, twice. Sold! Madam Newfrost, come to the stage and take your clover.”

Now, Jasper, Lena, and Lysandrus were regretting not being part of the auction committee. 10% split five ways of 4 505 000 was 90 100 golden coins. That was more than what they made as adventurers in a month! Now they would only get their five coins back.

Madam Newfrost came on stage, took the clover, and then absorbed it in her own skin.

“With this, my spells will be stronger than ever! Come and challenge me, if you dare!” She cackled and everyone raised their eyebrows. She wasted the clover on spells when she could have used it on the guild’s enchantment fountain and profited madly from enchantments made by her members? Madwoman.

“Remember everyone, in a week’s time, we will have more for sale. Don’t forget to take your thank you cards made by two wonderful children on the way out.” On one side of the card was a four-leaf clover and on the other, it was written:

Thank you for coming. Come to the next auction and grab your clover.

“The kids are going to throw a party at the number. Heck, they might even stop enchanting.” Said Brandon. That would dry their income some, but with all the money they could make from the auctions to come they could become the personal protectors of the apple grotto full time. At no additional cost, too.

“Yes. Just imagine what they could do with an extra four million mana. Do you think they will split it this time?” Asked Larriel, subtly leaning in Brandon’s personal space.

“I don’t see why not. Theanore is not a scrooge.” Said Jasper as Larriel handed him his five gold coins back.

The money sack was sent over to the apple grotto with a flash of light and Brandon and Larriel took out the rest of the party members to a nice dinner. They already knew who the winner of the next auction could be. That is if Madam Newfrost hadn’t gone broke and outwitted grandpa Thinker again.

When the large sack, as big as a wardrobe and as wide as a bed, appeared, Theanore squealed and began counting the money as she absorbed them at a quick pace. She managed to reach 520 coins before she was found almost swimming in the gold.

Crassus gave her a talking to and Marinus was given 41000 coins to absorb so that Theanore and Marinus could be equal. But the rest of the money Crassus send to the empty bank account of Theanore and Marinus he made when he heard that the auction was going for more than one million coins.

“You will flood the markets and end up without clovers if you absorb more coins. You will absorb no more than 1000 coins per month, little lady. The same goes for you too, Marinus.”

Theanore pouted but agreed. It was not like the money was going anywhere. She would just need to spend them on a later date.