Freeman was visibly excited; the big man had finally arrived.
The legend of Gaal had been circulating among various merchant guilds and auction houses on the Ishgar Continent for quite some time.
Three years ago, Gaal began appearing as a mage from Fairy Tail at major auction houses, not to buy common items but peculiar, often unwanted materials.
These auction houses and merchant guilds, having been in business for years, had piled up countless materials.
Some were initially thought to have value, but nobody knew their purpose, leaving them unsold.
Such examples abounded, yet businesses couldn't outright refuse such items, resulting in warehouses filled with odd materials gathering dust.
But three years ago, a mage named Gaal Bronns appeared, buying nothing but those materials others couldn't find a use for.
The most shocking incident happened over a year ago when Gaal purchased 70% of a specific auction house's unsold materials, making waves in the auction industry.
It wasn't Gaal's wealth that stunned the industry but the fact that a customer specifically sought unknown materials.
They'd never seen someone like that before!
Everyone hoped Gaal would visit and clear out their stores of unsold items. After all, those items would sit unnoticed if tossed, better to sell them for some jewels.
With the Fairy Tail versus Grimoire Heart conflict raging, no one knew when Gaal might return to the auction houses. But no one expected him to appear here.
Freeman hastily tidied himself up and personally went to greet this valuable client, Gaal.
Inside the VIP room of the Kael Aurum Auction House, Gaal sat on the sofa, flipping through the latest newspaper.
The headline, of course, was about the ongoing battle between Fairy Tail and Grimoire Heart.
With the involvement of the Magic Council, the newspapers reported daily on the elimination of various Dark Guilds and displayed the Council's strength to the public.
Just a few seconds into reading, the door to the VIP room opened. Freeman rushed in with a broad smile, grasping Gaal's hand: "You must be Master Gaal Bronns. Indeed, you look just as dashing as in the papers."
Gaal's lips twitched as he nodded, then spoke: "There's been quite a crackdown on the Dark Guilds lately. I'm here to sort through my inventory."
Freeman's eyes twinkled at this statement: "No problem at all, our Kael Aurum Auction House happens to be the largest in this northern area. You've come to the right place."
Originally thinking he just needed to clear out inventory, Freeman didn't expect this to be a significant business opportunity, his smile growing warmer: "Take a look at this. These are rare materials we've collected over forty-plus years in business. Only a mage like you can discern their value."
Handing over a thick book, each page featured a photo and a brief description.
Of course, there wasn't a detailed explanation, as even they were unsure of their uses, only able to make educated guesses based on material characteristics.
Gaal turned the pages, occasionally marking places with a pen. Once he finished with the entire thick catalog, he said: "Find an empty warehouse and move the items I've marked there for me to inspect. And tally what I want to sell."
Freeman, visibly thrilled, responded: "No problem. Your needs come first. I'm the highest-level appraiser here; anything you have, bring it out. No need to go to the warehouse; it's not that troublesome."
Gaal shook his head, replying: "No... It's that this room can't hold everything."
Freeman was taken aback. Just how many Dark Guilds had Gaal raided, with items too numerous for one room to contain?
Hurriedly, he led Gaal to an empty warehouse and instructed staff to move the marked materials over.
Outside the warehouse, Freeman opened the door, gesturing for Gaal to enter. A group of about ten appraisers followed.
Gaal nodded, stepping into the warehouse and with a wave of his hand, the two-story-high, ten-meter-long small warehouse was instantly filled with a dense array of items.
"Wow—!"
The sound of gasping echoed around Gaal.
Freeman stood dumbstruck, mouth agape, while other appraisers were equally shocked. After a long pause, Freeman finally commented: "This room indeed can't hold it all..."
Gaal chuckled: "I only looted a few Dark Guilds. Many of these items are of no use to me; you should estimate their value."
In addition to some architectural decorations, there were various magical materials he'd previously collected that he couldn't currently use.
Absorbing their Essence would be wasteful, so it was better to convert them into jewels at auction.
Freeman nodded, quickly signaling the appraisers to begin their work.
Then, he accompanied Gaal outside to an area where materials were being gradually brought in and laid down in the open space.
Gaal picked up and inspected the items one by one, finding many that could replenish his System's Essence.
After examining all the materials, he purchased about 80% of them. Meanwhile, the warehouse appraisal was still ongoing, so he decided to settle accounts once everything was complete.
Back in the VIP room with Freeman, Gaal asked: "Has anything new in alchemy products come from the Southern Continent recently?"
Freeman shook his head: "No, in the past few years, nothing noteworthy has emerged from the Southern Continent's alchemy sector; it's just the usual auxiliary magic. However, we've recently received a batch of magic guns from the Alvarez Empire in the Western Continent. They were upgraded and decommissioned by the Empire last year and are said to be able to kill a C-class Magical Beast from a kilometer away."
Gaal nodded: "That sounds impressive, though not particularly useful."
Such tools might work against ordinary mages, but against stronger ones, it was just a stick.
Freeman agreed: "I think so too. Mages ultimately must rely on their own strength. No matter how powerful the weapon is, what happens if one day you lose it? Surviving then becomes an issue."
Gaal pondered for a moment and said: "Do you have any intelligence on the Alvarez Empire? I'd like a report, as comprehensive as possible."
The portrayal of the Alvarez Empire goes beyond the original emperor Zeref.
Its multitude of magical weapons, Magic Equipment, and human resources, expressed in over a million troops, form the foundation of this superpower.
Consisting of over 700 guilds, the empire even possesses long-range magical artillery, missiles, and more. Despite being seemingly unbeatable... they did lose.
One of the empire's ultimate goals is to seize Lumen Histoire and defeat Acnologia the Black Dragon.
In this magical world, Acnologia's immunity to magic truly makes it an unbeatable, god-like entity.
Freeman didn't dwell on it, nodding: "No problem,, are you planning a trip to the Alvarez Empire? They can be somewhat xenophobic."
Gaal shook his head: "No, just gathering information. The Dark Guilds in the Fiore Kingdom aren't completely dealt with yet. I'll consider other matters after taking care of that."
Freeman had no qualms, and soon someone delivered the intel.
Gaal settled back on the sofa, flipping through the thick stack of documents as Freeman commented: "To be honest, the existence of the Alvarez Empire is baffling. An empire composed of over 700 magic guilds has persisted without signs of fragmentation. Even the guilds here in the Fiore Kingdom have broken into several factions. And such an empire, born solely for war, has yet to launch offensives against other continents. I cannot fathom their mindset."
Pointing to a section Gaal had just opened, Freeman continued: "Look at this. It's their Imperial Research Institute's latest scientific achievement—a Magic Cruiser. It not only navigates the sea but can also fly into the sky, equipped with dozens of magic cannons. Yet even with these, their equipment is continuously upgraded. A few years ago, their magic guns had a 300-meter effective range; it's now extended to a kilometer and completely integrated into the military. If unleashed on the Ishgar Continent, they would utterly crush any kingdom's military forces. Fortunately, the Alvarez Empire doesn't seem to plan any invasions at the moment."
Gaal reviewed the materials, commenting: "That's because of the Magic Council's weapon, Etherion. Until they find a way to deal with Etherion, they won't mobilize."
Freeman paused, digesting this: "You mean to say... they aren't avoiding war; they're being deterred by Etherion? So, when do you think they'll make their move?"
Gaal furrowed his brows, contemplating: "With their current pace of weapon advancements, how long do you think they need?"
A few years ago, their guns had an effective range of 300 meters, which has since expanded to a kilometer, and that's just what they've decommissioned and showcased.
Who knows the real extent?
Freeman grew serious, pondering deeply: "Ten years?"