Chapter 20 – Fentisma Auction

Redius having safely snuck back into the city, not knowing the turmoil currently happening in the Ip family was standing in front of the Fentisma Auction. A large auction for the sale and purchase of any goods across several kingdoms. Redius had heard of it’s background when he was still in the Ip family, that the backing of the auction was from a power even higher than the major families in Darabas.

Considerable as it had an auction in every major city. Redius walked into the auction after a brief glance at the building. Ji hidden underneath his cloak, he couldn’t afford letting Ji out so people could see. It was one of the ways the households identified him.

Redius came to the auction because he needed money for herbs to create pills. Although his master left him with mountains and mountains of pills and herbs, they were of a much higher level than he needed currently. And since 

Redius’ centre and crystals were much larger than an average 3rd stage disciple, he needed more elements to fill it up. 

And by going into cognia alone, the process was too slow. He needed pills to provide the extra boost of power to speed up the process. He was facing the major families after all.

In order for a magician to advance into initiate level, they had to have activated their sense field. The ability to expand their diatis outside their body. Redius had already done so when he had first stepped foot into the disciple class. For him, he had half a foot into the door of initiate class already. All he needed was enough power to break through the veil.

He stepped into the busy great hall of the auction, his magician’s cloak covering his face. People buzzed around the area heading back and forth as they traded items, had items classified or sent items into counters to be auctioned.

Some who saw Redius in the way avoided him quickly and left quite a distance between them as they noticed his clothing. Others, were magicians, knights or meditros who were not afraid of another and merely walked by but did not avoid him like the others did.

After scanning the area, Redius headed into an auction counter.

“Items for auction sir?” A young man behind the counter asked as Redius stood behind the other side. Even though he could not see Redius’ face under the hood, he was used to anonymous characters auctioning things off.

“Pills.” Redius said as he placed down his meditro’s badge first, and then began pulling out vials of pills from within his cloak. He was not about to show everyone his item ring.

“May… may I ask what pills these are sir?” He asked seeing several vials out on the desk. He was just a mere counter boy, he couldn’t tell.

“Frenzy, healing, restoration, coctis and advancement.”

The young man nodded, he didn’t really know much about pills. He opened one vial and was about to take whiff as he quickly closed it again. But in that split second, a strong spell of medicine had already spread between the space of him and Redius. He looked at Redius wide eyed. Immediately he knew that the medicine were of a high grade and that he could not decide alone.

“One moment while I get the classifier.” He said as he headed off and Redius pocketed back the items he placed out. A classifier was a position granted to a meditro who worked for an auction to determine the prices of pills and herbs.

Soon, an older middle aged man followed him and led Redius into a guest room on the second floor.

“May we check your pills?” The classifier asked politely, and Redius once again took them out.

The classifier began opening the vials and examining it. Pills were determined by the veins on them, it tells the quality of the pill. They were classified into poor, mediocre, excel and supreme quality. The first three were determined by the veins of the pill, whilst the last was extremely rare. Said to only happen once in a million even by a high level skilled meditro.

As the classifier examined the pills, his amazement grew and grew with the number of vials he opened. Finally as he opened the last one, the room had already filled with the smell of a strong medicine.

“Is… is this a 2nd class advancement pill?! And… and this… the coctis pill that allows one to go without food or water for several days?!” He said as he looked at Redius in shock who nodded in turn.

His amazement was not only that, it was also the fact that most of the pills were of excel quality. Only the advancement pill were of the mediocre quality, but it was at the peak of it. Know that to create a pill of excel quality, usually you needed to be more than a class above the power it contained. So if you had a 1st class pill of excel quality, normally the meditro would be at least a disciple class. Either that, or your skill was immensely well controlled and gifted.

He looked at the badge and cloak of Redius, although he could not tell his power by sight, the cloak and badge indicated he was a disciple class meditro and magician. To be able to create these pills… and finally the advancement pill.

Like the name, it’s a pill that advances the person who takes it by a stage automatically. Just from that you could understand the power it contained. An advancement pill’s success rate is normally 10% even when created by someone of a class higher than the pill’s class. And it was extremely difficult to get a good quality.

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But with Redius’ highly pure diatis, he was able to accomplish that. Though the classifier did think that perhaps someone else created it, for example Redius’ teacher or master, it did not matter. It only meant that if Redius was pleased, either way, the auction would benefit.

“Give me one moment.” He got up and said to Redius as he left the room.

Redius remained alone, they were asking for a lot of moments he thought.

Soon, the door opened and the classifier entered again. Only he didn’t walk towards the sofas, he merely stood holding the door as a young lady in a red dress walked in.

She was around Redius’ age, and he was sure her features would captivate any young man who sees her. Her body was slim, full in the right parts, her dress, although hanging loosely, showed off her curves perfectly. She was beautiful.

But Redius was Redius, he did not lose his composure to the surprise of the classifier and her. The surprise of a lack of reaction caused her steps to halt, but she too quickly regained herself and walked towards Redius. She had faced many powerful people, she was skilled in handling herself. Though her interest sparked when unlike every male who saw her, she could not detect any sense of surprise or amazement from him.

‘Maybe it’s an old man?’ she thought as she walked towards him.

“Nice to meet you, I am Sophia, assistant head of this auction.” She said smiling as she held out her hand.

Redius’ eyed narrowed slightly as he smiled whilst looking at the hand. ‘This girl is good’ he thought, but he didn’t shake the hand. His head tilted to meet her eyes, only she couldn’t see his. Redius couldn’t quite tell her power, something was masking it, an artefact. But he was sure that it was of a high stage initiate. His eyes furrowed as he thought, a high stage initiate at the age of 18… incredible. It made him rethink the power of the auction in his head.

Just as he was doing, Sophia was checking Redius. She couldn’t tell what class Redius was in, but the cloak indicated at least a disciple. Though she could feel a sense of… uneasiness as she approached him. Her instincts told her, he was dangerous, unpredictable.

Sophia retracted her head with a smile on her face as she sat down opposite him and examined the pills. Her look was an exact copy of the classifier’s.

“Was this created by you?” She asked Redius after settling down the vials.

“Does it matter?” Redius replied making his voice deeper than usual.

“No no… of course not. Just curious, it would be a pleasure to meet the master who created this.” She said as she eyed Redius’ reaction to see if the word ‘master’ had any effect. But to her disappointed, Redius gave off nothing.

“These are of an excellent quality and we will buy all these pills. We will place the advancement pill in auction next month, we take 10% of what it’s sold at. But we’re willing to take 7% if you could bring us the pills you make next.” She explained, and once again tried to get more information by using ‘you make next’.

“10% it is.” Redius replied not giving her anything.

“haha” she laughed sweetly at the silent battle going on between them. “Just kidding sir, we’ll only take 5% this time. We hope the next time you have something to auction, you think of us first.”

Redius nodded in reply as he took 300 gold off the classifier and left leaving the Sophia staring at the vials intensely.

“My lady, why did you offer only to take 5%? That is against the rules of the auction. Is it worth it?” The classifier asked her.

“Yes… did you notice our conversation?” she asked in return as she looked at where Redius was sitting.

“Of course my lady. Very well phrased, although he did not give any information away.” It was very well phrased, it took a smart mind to gouge for information. As expected of the lady he thought. If Redius was here, he would immediately know that Sophia was not the assistant head of the auction. The classifier was treating her way too differently. She was bigger, more powerful.

“Yes, but he did give something away.” She smiled as she said sheepishly.

“He did?” The man asked trying to think back but couldn’t quite make out what it was.

“Yes… he didn’t shake my hand…”

The classifier stood in silence for a few seconds, and then enlightenment dawned on his face as he understood. The cloak masked Redius’ face and body. Even his voice was changed so they couldn’t tell anything. But what about his hands?

He didn’t wear gloves. That was the reason he didn’t shake her hand. It would reveal his age to her. And just what age would he not want revealed? If he was an old man, he surely wouldn’t mind. Therefore…

“He’s young.” The lady said as she interrupted his thinking. She picked up a vial, and looked at the advancement pill inside.

“If he’s capable of creating this… then he’s talented. Extremely so… unrivalled even in Ourenos… perhaps… maybe if 

it’s him…” she muttered the last few lines to herself.

*Author's note - haven't had much time writing lately or even thinking about the story. Too busy with work for uni :( Hope you guys understand