Chapter 595: Law changed

"What does this mean? Is the Reborn company disqualified?"

"I think so. They don’t have enough Maugnetics to fight. Not to mention, Michael is still only in the 4th stage!"

Barnaby, as much as he liked Michael, knew that he had to follow the rules. He had to give him the bad news that he wouldn’t be able to participate in the bid for the 15 Soo drops.

And because he didn’t want this to be public any more than it should be, he decided to go to their private suite to tell him the news personally.

But just as he was about to walk backstage, he suddenly saw a golden-haired boy walking towards him.

It was Michael!

Barnaby quickly moved closer to him, whispering in his ears.

"Michael... Let’s talk. You simply do not have the capacity to participate in the auction. The Association is really strict with these kinds of stuff. They will not allow me to allow you to fight people four stages above your own strength."

Michael didn’t seem fazed by the rejection. He anticipated it.

"Well, what if they allow it?" he asked.

"They can’t," Barnaby insisted. "They’re bound by their own rules and the rules of Metropolis.

Unless you can change the very rules that stood in place since the establishment of Metropolis, then you won’t be able to persuade the Association to let this happen."

But not even that was enough to dissuade Michael of his plans.

"So as long as I can change the laws, then they’ll allow me to do it?" he asked, reaching down to his pockets.

He held in his hands a circular object, one that seemed decorative at first, but was actually a priceless item with untold power.

Then, he brought it out for everyone to see.

It was a black medallion, with the image of a young Duchess Regina engraved onto it.

At first, no one recognized what it was. Its jet black luster made it hard for anyone to discern its true nature other than a normal medallion.

But Barnaby had a closer look.

His eyes widened, his heart palpitated, and his breath was taken away from him as soon as he realized what was in Michael’s hands.

"The...the....the medallion!" he shrieked.

It was at this point that the powerful Minor Factions and even the Major Factions also realized what was in Michael’s hands.

How could they not recognize it?

It was one of the most sought-after treasures in the entirety of Metropolis. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this black medallion was even more expensive than the Soo drops and the automobile. After all, those things could clearly be bought with enough money.

In comparison, this black medallion couldn’t be forcefully bought even if one had trillions of gold coins. It was literally priceless.

Alaric looked down at the stage, his face riddled with shock and confusion. "How does he have that?!"

Even the other Legacies were dumbfounded. Even with their status as the top companies in Metropolis, even with the contributions they made to the local market, they still hadn’t gotten close to getting the privilege of the rumored black medallion.

It was completely nonsensical that a new company like Reborn could get the black medallion from the Duchess in such a short amount of time!

"Why does everybody look shocked? What is that black medallion?"

"You don’t know?! It’s been rumored that whoever held the black medallion was given unrestricted free reign over anything and everything in Metropolis! Even if you commit murder, you can be set free as long as you use the Duchess’ black medallion!"

Basically, what Michael held in his hands was a get-out-of-jail free card. Being bestowed upon with the Duchess’ authority for just one single time allowed him absolute freedom within the walls of Metropolis.

Black medallions could be given out by the reigning royal in any major city in the Royal Continent. And throughout the entire history from its birth to now, there had only been a handful of documented cases where people were handed out with the medallions.

This rarity was to ensure that there wouldn’t be too much chaos. After all, having this much freedom could wreck an entire city or civilization.

Reigning royals had to be extremely careful about who they would give this to.

Usually, they were given out to heroes and legends with upstanding morals, who dedicated their lives to service the greater good of a community. That way, it can be ensured that the medallion wouldn’t be abused.

But clearly, Michael wasn’t a celebrated hero or legend. He had barely even been a few months inside Metropolis!

Yet he was given a black medallion? That sounded absurd.

"Is... is that real?"

"There’s nothing special about the medallion itself. It can even be replicated quite easily. But there is one thing that cannot be faked, and that’s the Duchess’ approval. Only she knows whether that thing is real or not."

But before anyone could even doubt the authenticity of the black medallion, they suddenly heard the sound of raucous laughter coming from one of the VIP suites.

Just then, the tinted glass slipped off to the sides to reveal the Duchess Regina standing on the edge, looking down at the auction stage.

Everyone looked up at her, their eyes filled with admiration for their Duchess.

"HAHAHAHA!" she laughed, barely able to block her mouth with her hand. "Michael, you rascal! I didn’t expect you’d do this out of the blue!"

Michael smiled and shrugged back at her. "Well, you gave it to me, so I’m using it."

"That’s true. I did! I expected you to make waves in Metropolis after getting the medallion. But I guess this is good too, HAHAHA!"

The Duchess’s subtle words were enough verification.

The black medallion was real, much to the surprise of everyone in the room.

And judging from the light and joking conversation between Michael and the Duchess, it seemed that he didn’t get the medallion arbitrarily. He gained it after gaining the Duchess’ trust, which was the hardest thing to achieve in Metropolis!

"It’s... it’s real..." Barnaby muttered, looking at Michael with shock.

He introduced the two, but he never expected him to impress her so much that she’d give him the black medallion!

"So, can I participate in the bidding now?"

His question broke Barnaby out of his stupor.

"I guess so," he muttered, still in disbelief.

But according to the rules, black medallions could nullify any legality in Metropolis. This included the Association’s rule about fighting people three to four stages above your own.

"Thanks," Michael replied casually, as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

Meanwhile, everyone was wondering to themselves how and why Michael got the Duchess’ approval. Sure, he was extremely talented as a young boy, but that wasn’t enough of a reason. The Duchess wasn’t supposed to favor a company just because she liked someone’s potential.

Just then, they saw Michael float towards the top of the auction venue.

He moved towards the Duchess and gave her back the black medallion. After all, it could only be used once.

"You’re so full of surprises, aren’t you?" she asked him.

"It’s not a surprise to me," he replied cheekily.

Then, he floated on over to the VIP suite next to hers.

The tinted glass walls moved over to the side, and Michael stepped into his own room.