Forest City Auction

Just as Haotian had predicted, the representatives from the Crystal Chamber of Commerce had returned to Forest City. This bustling trade hub, located in the southern part of the Forest of Life, was a vibrant center of commerce, attracting merchants from various kingdoms. Its economy thrived with unparalleled prosperity.

From a bird's-eye view, one could see wide roads stretching out from Forest City in all directions, reaching deep into the forest. These roads teemed with caravans, travelers, bounty hunters, and professionals from various kingdoms, creating a constant flow of activity. Remarkably, the city hosted not only humans but also a diverse array of other races, including dwarves, orcs, half-elves, and even pure-blooded nature elves, mermen from the Seven Seas, and giants from the Ice Wastes. This unique convergence of races created a lively and extraordinary scene rarely found elsewhere. In this world, the saying "those who are not of our kin are sure to be of a different heart" held true, as many races remained wary of others, often resorting to conflict at the slightest provocation. Forest City's ability to maintain peace among these diverse groups was largely due to its being under the jurisdiction of the nature elves, a powerful and high-ranking race on the Sacred Continent that ruled the Forest of Life. Even dragons dared not challenge the nature elves' authority, making Forest City a uniquely safe haven.

Back at the Chamber of Commerce's headquarters, Sophia finally enjoyed a relaxing bath and a long-awaited sumptuous meal. However, she didn't linger in indulgence. She needed to finalize the transactions quickly and return with a large sum of gold coins to the Golden Oasis, where the mysterious and handsome lord awaited her return.

After attending to her personal and business matters, Sophia dressed elegantly and, accompanied by the old mage Simon, headed to the Forest City's [Wisteria Auction House]. They were bringing an impressive collection of one thousand bottles of Elven Spring Water for auction. The sheer volume astonished the staff and appraisers alike, even catching the attention of the auction house manager.

"Lovely Miss Sophia!" greeted a portly middle-aged man as he approached her. "While our auction house doesn't have the authority to investigate the origins of auction items, we must ask for your understanding. This is Forest City, the domain of the nature elves, and anything related to the elves requires special consideration."

"Rest assured, the provenance of this Elven Spring Water is beyond reproach," Sophia replied calmly. "Your task is simply to auction it. If any issues arise, the Crystal Chamber of Commerce will take full responsibility. We can even sign a magical contract if necessary."

The man's face lit up with relief and excitement. "In that case, I am more than happy to proceed. Coincidentally, there is an auction tonight. We will feature your Elven Spring Water as the highlight."

Sophia nodded slightly. "What are your fees?"

"Seven percent," he answered, "which is standard across all auction houses."

Sophia smiled, "But no other auction house has handled a thousand bottles of Elven Spring Water in one go. This is a perfect opportunity to boost your reputation, isn't it?"

The man hesitated, then countered, "Five percent, that's the lowest I can offer."

Sophia feigned walking away, saying, "I believe the Serilan Emerald Auction House next door might offer me a better deal."

The man's face twitched. He knew Sophia was well-versed in the business and recognized Serilan Emerald as their rival. After a moment of silence, he said, "Please wait a moment, I'll be right back."

"Of course," Sophia replied with a smile. Her exquisite features, lightly adorned with makeup, and her elegant gown left an unforgettable impression. However, the man had no time to admire her beauty; he promptly left the room.

After a while, he returned and announced, "If Miss Sophia agrees to a long-term partnership with us, we will waive the fee for this auction entirely."

The so-called long-term partnership was a pretext to waive the fee. Whether or not future collaborations happened, they needed to secure this batch of Elven Spring Water. As Sophia had pointed out, this would significantly enhance their auction house's prestige in Forest City and attract more clients.

"Future matters can be discussed later," Sophia said. "But I do have another batch of Elven Spring Water that would interest some generous clients."

The man's eyes gleamed with surprise and delight. It was unexpected and remarkable that the thousand bottles were not the Chamber of Commerce's entire stock. He asked eagerly, "How many more bottles do you have?"

Sophia shook her head with a knowing smile.

Understanding her hint, the man said, "After tonight's auction, I will introduce you to several key clients."

"Thank you, Manager," Sophia replied graciously.

With the contracts and auction agreements swiftly signed, the manager left. The old mage Simon then asked, "Miss, aren't you going to check other auction houses?"

Sophia shook her head. "Even if we did, the results would be similar. We need to act quickly and return the gold coins to the lord."

Simon nodded, no further arguments.

As night fell, the Wisteria Auction House was brilliantly illuminated. The auction proceeded as scheduled, amidst a lively and packed house. On the stage, the attractive and energetic auctioneer presented one item after another, including extraordinary equipment, rare magical stones, magical notes, and potions.

When it was time for the finale, the auction hall fell silent. On the stage, two hundred bottles of radiant [Elven Spring Water] were neatly displayed.

"As you all know," the auctioneer began, "the Water of Life is a treasure exclusive to the nature elves, reportedly made from the sap of the Elven Mother Tree. It can revive even the fallen, as long as their souls remain intact. Elven Spring Water, a diluted form of the Water of Life, has remarkable effects on a practitioner's training and healing of injuries."

"This evening, we present two hundred bottles of low-grade Elven Spring Water. The starting bid is one hundred fifty thousand gold coins, with each increment no less than a thousand gold coins. Esteemed guests, the bidding starts now!"