Chapter 223 - Everything Can Be Compared To War

There were plenty of things to do to prepare for the auction. Besides securing the transportation (that won't be on boat), I also had to prepare funds in case there would be something worth buying, make research on the Cornellio, make arrangements for my first serious business trip and so on and so forth.

It was pretty distracting, but I still found time for both my magical studies and for managing my store, and that included dealing with the clients. Though on that particular day, the reason while I lounged around the store was less about showing people I was here and in charge, and more with the fact that JJ was manning the counter.

It was always a pleasure to watch him, and twice so to watch him work. The way he gracefully gestured to supply his words, the way he smiled with delight at the sight of another client he could rip off.

"Business is much like war," he had told me once. "Merciless, fascinating, and inevitable for any big enough society. It can be just as bloody, too."

And when there were no clients, we had each other's company. Diddling at the work place… something you could only do when you were the boss. It was good to be one.

I was just that, diddling, when the door opened and a person stepped in. A man of respectable age and respectable manner, who walked leaning on a cane that, I could tell from a first glance at its polished wood and eagle-shaped knob, cost more than Panda earned in a month. The rest of him was just like that. Not in-your-eyes, but expensive and visibly so.

People that dressed like that had money and weren't afraid to spend them, but tended to have a high opinion of themselves and their taste for antique art. It wasn't always justified. I found that mildly annoying, but the amount of profit one could get from them offset that.

I had to pull myself away from the counter I was leaning on to greet the man. Next to me, JJ smiled, joining me in that.

"We are glad to see you in this store, sir. Please, feel free to peruse our wares, or ask for our assistance with picking an item you will bring home today. Or maybe you are looking for something in particular?" JJ asked, with a "happy-to-serve" attitude, unless you knew him and what that glint in his eyes meant.

He was already itching for another victory in selling this man as much as possible.

"I do, in fact." The man nodded, though his nose stayed high at all times. His eyes fell on me. "You must be the owner of this place. I've heard a lot about your supernatural powers."

I fought an impulse to frown. He heard, all right… and didn't seem very enthusiastic about that. "Not everything that people say about me is true. I'm sure you noticed the plaque at the entrance that said that I don't provide magical services—I am just an antiques trader." I smiled politely. "Hopefully, this isn't a disappointment to you."

At the same time, I did a quick scan of the man's aura. It came all clean of magical influences or powers, but I didn't close my well again because I was distracted by another thing I caught. This man, despite his outward composure, was a nervous wreck on the inside—or at least, this is what the clouds of emotions he emanated told me. But why?

"Not at all. This is just what I came here for. I am searching for magical items I could add to my collection. I don't seek amulets that do actual magic, but items of historical value that related to the supernatural. If you have any, I'd be very interested in purchasing them."

Ah… too bad I didn't have a lot of those around at the moment. Everything magic-related got sold like hot cakes. But after a moment of thinking, I went to a showcase that hosted an elegant silver pin shaped like a butterfly.

"Well, then, how about this? It's the only thing I have on hands right now. A pin that signified ownership in Swallowtail Coven, which was destroyed during the Civil War. The name of its owner is etched on the underside of the butterfly's wing." At my wordless gesture, JJ came up with keys to open the showcase. I got the pin out and showed the client the etchings. "It has no magical properties, but would make a fine accessory for any woman. Your wife, perhaps?.."

The man gestured at me to put the butterfly away, but despite his attitude, his strongest emotion wasn't anger, or annoyance, but fear. "This is not worth my time. I don't need an item that belonged to a nobody. Are you sure you have nothing else? If it's reserved for someone else, I can pay more than them."

JJ subtly shifted closer to me, and when I lifted my eyes at him, I saw him giving our client a brief, but pointed glance. He realised that something was wrong with the guy, too… Now, I frowned. What could make a person so afraid? This man seemed fine on the first glance, but if I looked closer, I could spot the signs of fear: the glistening of sweat on his neck, the way he clasped his cane.

"I'm sorry, mister, I have nothing like that for sale. If you want, I can notify you when the new items arrive." I frowned and, acting on my intuition and concern, added, "If there's something bothering you, please, don't be afraid to speak out. I consider it my social duty to allay people's concerns about magic and people who wield it."

The man's alarm shot up, but outwardly he just widened his eyes for a fraction of a second. Then he scoffed harder. "The only thing that bothers me is the lack of decent merchandise in this place.. I shouldn't have come here, and I know I won't return."