Chapter 66 – Bad News.

The receptionist’s abrupt change in demeanor sent a chill through Rusty’s metallic frame. Her eyes darted nervously to the side, where a small door led to the back rooms of the guild. She seemed to be struggling to maintain her composure, her fingers trembling as they fiddled with some papers on the counter. It looked like a list of something but he couldn’t really tell what it was.

“I’m afraid there might have been a misunderstanding, ”

She said while glancing down at the paperwork, her eyes squinting as if she was trying to confirm something.

“Please, if you’ll wait here for just a moment, I need to consult with my superior…”

Rusty stiffened, the gears in his mind turning rapidly. The atmosphere around the receptionist changed the moment he mentioned Gleam and her monster name. He was eventually left standing there pondering his options with Alexander talking to present him with the possible reason.

“Is everything alright? Did I do something wrong?”

“No, you did everything right, you shouldn’t be in danger but…”

“But? Is there a problem?”

“There might be. You probably noticed that Gleam’s status is still grayed out, right?”

“Yeah… Aburdon and you said that it should turn back to normal once I’m close enough, could Gleam not be in the guild?”

“That’s a real possibility but there could be another one. They usually don’t send found monsters out of the guild it gets placed in but if the time runs out…”

“If the time runs out? What happens if I’m too late?”

Before Alexander could answer his question the door the guild receptionist vanished through opened and she returned with another person. It was a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard. The man looked different than the adventurers; his body was not meant for combat but perhaps for something else. He wore a dark, well-worn robe, and the smell of old books and old wood clung to him. A guild emblem was stitched on his chest, marking him as someone of significant rank, perhaps a scholar or an archivist.

“Is this the one asking about the Gleaming Mana Ant?”

He asked, his voice carrying a slight edge of impatience. The receptionist nodded quickly, her nervousness evident.

Rusty felt a knot tighten in his metal chest as the man’s gaze bore into him. His mind raced, trying to analyze the situation that he wasn’t familiar with. Luckily, Alexander’s voice echoed in his mind, trying to calm him down.

“Stay calm, Rusty. He might just be confirming something. We need to keep up the act.”

The man sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as if dealing with a troublesome issue.

“Look, even a lesser or minuscule Gleaming Mana Ant is rare and highly sought after. When one is found without a master, it’s usually a big deal. But if it’s left unclaimed for too long, the guild can’t just hold onto it indefinitely. I’m afraid you’ve come too late, and confirming your status as its master won’t change anything now.”

Rusty felt something rise up in his metal chest, it was a similar feeling when he had when Gleam had been kidnapped and taken out from the dungeon.

“What do you mean? Where is Gleam?”

The man frowned, hesitating for a moment before continuing.

“Your ant… if it truly was yours, was identified as unclaimed, and the guild held onto it for as long as they could. But it’s been a month already. You have to understand that resources are limited, and if a monster remains unclaimed for too long… it’s put up for auction. That’s what happened here.”

Rusty’s body started shaking and soon enough his metallic fist landed on the counter. Surprisingly the wood held through the impact but it generated quite the loud peng.

“You lie, it has not been a month yet!”

The room fell silent as Rusty’s voice, laced with anger, echoed through the guild hall. The sudden outburst drew the attention of several nearby adventurers, their conversations halted as they turned to see the commotion. Rusty’s metallic frame trembled with barely suppressed rage, his fists clenching as the reality of the situation sank in.

“Rusty calm down, don’t even think about using any of your skills, there is no way you can win against all of these adventurers, please calm yourself or all of this will be for nothing. There still might be a way to save Gleam, just ask the clerk when and where the auction is being held.”

His metallic body continued to tremble, his thoughts spiraling out of control. The room’s silence pressed in on him, but Alexander’s voice cut through the haze of anger, grounding him.

“Rusty, focus! We need to find out where Gleam is now. There’s still a chance.”

Finally, his rage started fading away and he managed to gather his thoughts. The two people that he had been talking with had taken a step back out of fright. His metalic of his frame creaked as he unclenched his fists. The gazes of the other adventurers eventually vanished as they sensed his killing intent vanishing.

“Where… when… is the auction?”

The man in the dark robe, who had flinched at Rusty’s outburst, straightened up. His eyes were cautious now as if weighing his words carefully.

“Ah yes, do not worry you still have some time, the auction will probably take place in two weeks, maybe more, the precise date has not been announced yet as the auction house is still in the process of gathering more items.”

Rusty managed to relax, there was still time – two weeks or more. That was enough to come up with a plan. He just needed to find out where this auction would be held and how to get inside. The word ‘auction’ didn’t really ring any bells, but if Gleam was being held there, then there was still a chance to save her. Alexander was also telling him that this might be a good thing, and hope was still alive.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

The man continued, likely sensing Rusty’s desperate need for information.

“The auction house is located in the Merchant District. It’s heavily guarded but access is granted to everyone that can pay the initial entrance fee. My apologies that this issue arose but there was no indication for this monster’s owner to have been alive.”

“Merchant District… entrance fee…”

Rusty muttered, committing the details to memory. Alexander chimed in, offering guidance as always.

“Okay, we have at least two weeks, probably a bit more than that, they always push back on these things.”

The man in the dark robe, still cautious, took a step closer, perhaps feeling bad about letting the tamed beast out of his hands before it could be returned to the rightful owner.

“If you plan on attending the auction, you should know that these events attract all sorts – merchants, nobles, adventurers, and even some less savory characters. It’s not just about having money. This Gleaming Mana Ant is quite a rare monster and it will probably go for a steep price. You seem to just be an F-rank adventurer, it might be better to give up on this endeavor…”