19: Chapter 19 The Auction! The Glorious Griffin's Life's Dedication!

Ice Lake City, Hela Auction.

Various complex scents mingled together.

mana lamps lined the walls, their flickering light and shadows casting an uncertain glow over the crowded faces below the stage.

Rowan sat in a corner of the back row.

A black hooded robe concealed most of his face.

Only his eyes were visible as he looked toward the high stage in front.

A gorgeous woman was presiding over the stage.

She had a voluptuous figure, wrapped in a dark red velvet dress with a slit that reached almost to her thigh.

With every step, a flash of snowy white skin was blindingly apparent.

Her makeup was exquisite and seductive, her lips as red as blood; every glance she cast carried a natural, effortless allure.

"Next up is something good~" she drawled, her slender fingers pulling back the velvet cloth from a silver tray held by a maidservant.

Ten dark amber potions flowed quietly within crystal tubes, emitting a restrained shimmer.

"basic rock potions. Top-tier quality, freshly made. Excellent for solidifying foundations and tempering bones. Especially suitable for Apprentice Knights or warriors who have just begun practicing a Breathing Technique."

Her gaze swept over several plainly dressed but burly figures in the audience. "A set of ten, not sold separately. Starting bid... eighty gold coins."

Rowan's gaze flickered over the woman.

The system panel quietly surfaced.

[Rating: 78]

His eyes remained completely impassive.

Three points lower than Lady Lillian.

Not worth mentioning.

His gaze fell back onto his own potions.

A commotion broke out below the stage.

"Eighty-two!"

"Eighty-five!"

The price began to climb.

Most of the bidders were representatives of small to medium-sized mercenary groups or individuals sent by minor families.

For them, potions from official channels were expensive and limited; such high-quality goods appearing in bulk on the black market were a rare opportunity.

"Ninety!"

"Ninety-five!"

"One hundred!"

After breaking one hundred, the pace slowed down.

But the competition continued.

"One hundred and five!"

"One hundred and eight!"

"One hundred and ten!"

A brief pause.

Martha, on the stage, chuckled at the right moment, leaning forward slightly to reveal a dizzying expanse of fair skin.

"Everyone, this is for ten bottles~"

"That's barely eleven gold coins per bottle."

"Where else could you find such a price?"

"One hundred and twelve!" a scarred, burly man in the front row grunted.

Two seconds of silence.

The gavel struck.

"Sold! Congratulations to this gentleman!"

Rowan's expression was calm.

It was within his expectations.

The competition for the second set was even more intense.

Finally, the gavel fell at one hundred and fifteen gold coins.

The third set was taken by a shrill-voiced merchant for one hundred and twenty gold coins.

Thirty potions had brought in three hundred and forty-seven gold coins.

After deducting the auction house's commission, it was a decent recovery of funds, Rowan calculated.

Although the cost was still painful, at least he saw a solid inflow of gold coins.

The auction continued.

Some magical beast materials, antiques, jewelry of unknown origin... Rowan lacked interest.

Until...

Martha personally brought out a heavy lead box.

Upon opening it, the lining was revealed to be dark blue velvet.

A fist-sized, crystallized object lay in the center.

It wasn't in the original fleshy form of a heart, but resembled a brilliant gold-red amber, with threads of bright silver radiance sealed inside, flowing and flickering slowly like a living thing.

Merely being exposed to the air, it emitted a faint, scorching, and majestic aura, with the phantom screech of a griffin echoing faintly in the ears.

The entire hall fell silent abruptly, followed by a chorus of suppressed gasps.

"Radiant Griffin heart blood." Martha's voice lost some of its flirtatiousness and gained a touch of solemnity.

"Appraised by a master, it was taken from a prime Radiant Griffin, and its vitality is perfectly preserved."

"It is the core primary material for many high-level potions, especially certain high-ranking knight secret medicines."

"Its value... needs no further explanation from me."

She scanned the room, her red lips parting slightly: "Starting bid, one hundred and fifty gold coins."

"Each bid increment must be no less than ten gold coins."

"One hundred and sixty!" someone immediately shouted.

"One hundred and eighty!"

"Two hundred!"

The price skyrocketed.

It broke two hundred in an instant.

Only a few competitors remained.

All were in the second-floor private boxes.

Clearly, they had come prepared.

Rowan's heart tightened slightly.

He needed this.

The lionheart dawn secret potion was an indispensable part of his future plans.

This heart blood was one of the most difficult primary materials to obtain.

"Two hundred and twenty," he spoke for the first time.

His voice, muffled by the hood, was slightly low and raspy.

A cold snort came from a box on the second floor. "Two hundred and thirty."

"Two hundred and forty," another box followed suit.

"Two hundred and fifty," the first box's voice carried a hint of displeasure.

Rowan fell silent.

Two hundred and fifty was already a high price. He could feel the cold gazes shooting down from the boxes on the second floor.

But he did not hesitate.

"Two hundred and sixty."

The whole venue went silent.

"Two hundred and sixty once." Martha looked toward the second-floor boxes.

The curtains of the boxes swayed slightly. No sound came out.

"Two hundred and sixty twice."

Still silence.

Only the sound of heavy breathing.

"Two hundred and sixty, three times... Sold! Congratulations to this gentleman!"

The sound of the gavel settled it.

Rowan felt a slight sweat in his palms.

Two hundred and sixty gold coins.

It had nearly emptied most of the money he had just earned from the potions.

But it was worth it.

He no longer had the heart to pay attention to the subsequent auctions.

He couldn't afford them anyway.

The auction ended.

The crowd dispersed noisily.

Rowan was led by a maidservant to the checkout area backstage.

Martha was already waiting there.

Up close, the powder on her face was a bit thick, and there were fine lines at the corners of her eyes.

Her smile remained professional and full of Charm.

"Excellency, here is your take."

She pushed over a heavy leather bag; the gold coins inside clinked with a pleasant sound. "81 gold coins. The commission and the payment for the auctioned item have been deducted. Please count them."

"And this." She personally presented the lead box, her fingertips inadvertently brushing across the back of Rowan's hand—warm and smooth. "The Radiant Griffin heart blood you purchased. Please take care of it."

Rowan withdrew his hand without a word.

He first counted the gold coins.

The amount was correct.

Then he opened a small crack in the lead box; the gold-red amber-like crystal lay there quietly, its radiance contained within.

The aura was correct.

He nodded.

"A pleasure doing business with you." Martha smiled, a searching look in her eyes. "If Your Excellency has more potions of similar quality, our auction house is always welcome."

"We'll see," Rowan replied raspyly. Without further words, he turned and left the auction venue.

Afterward, he found a hidden corner and stored both the leather bag and the lead box into his silver star ring.

The night wind was cold.

Ice Lake City's nightlife had only just begun.

He pulled his hood tight, his figure quickly merging into the shifting shadows and scattered lights, vanishing from sight.

...