Ryuu and company showed up at the auction house all dressed for the event. Not as much as the nobles and rich merchants, or even the White Dragon, Orion, but their looks covered the lack. 

“Good evening,” The silver-haired man greeted with a polite smile, Askr peeking from behind, holding a bundle in his arms. “You seem alright now,” he said, looking from Ryuu to Kai.

“I didn’t realize Sir Orion would be here as well,” Kai said with an odd smile.

“I wasn’t planning to, but I thought I should show these two around and pick Neris up,” The disguised dragon said while Neris walked past him to check on Askr and the young dragon. 

“Sir Orion speaks as though I do not know my way back.”

The young dragon tried to peek but was pushed down. The four went ahead to the VIP area while Ryuu and Kai chose to go to the general auctions first. 

Selcouth’s Biennial Auction held all types of products, from a hairpin to mystical items, all sold separately, depending on the value range. 

Ryuu didn’t need mystical items; he needed simple things. 

Many items were being sold in bulk, just like the stones Ryuu planned to buy. Low-grade magic stones cost 15 to 30 silver per piece. The opening bid for the crate was 15 gold. 

Ryuu could gather stones himself, but most of what he came across were mid to high grade. If he were to grind them, it would probably become an issue. 

The competition for the crate was tough, but Ryuu managed to get it for 25 gold and 50 silver. 

There was nothing else he particularly needed from here. “Do you see anything you like here?” He asked, earning a questioning glance from Kai. 

‘Thought so’

Unlike him, Kai didn’t need base products for anything, so it was natural for him not to find anything interesting here. With only one made and won bid, they went into the VIP area of the main auction. The staff took them to a balcony after verifying their passes. The other four were already there. 

One step in, and Ryuu somehow ended up in a face-off with a large pair of blue eyes. “Hello?”

“You don’t look like you’re dying.” 

‘Three days in, and the child is already talking about death. And you say I was corrupting him?’

[...]

“Nice to see you too,” Ryuu said with a frown. 

The little dragon didn’t linger long, moving on to Kai and circling him until he said he was fine, then going back to Askr.

Ryuu went forward to take a look at the surroundings. Most seats below were already filled, all waiting for the auction to begin. 

“Everyone seems fancy,” Ryuu muttered. 

“Wait until the auction begins, you’ll see how ‘fancy’ they get,” Neris commented as he took a seat in a corner, shielding the dragon behind him. The white dragon took the seat beside him, doing the same for Askr.
‘It’s like they gained one parent each.’ 

It was another ten minutes until the auction actually began. 

“Ladies and gentlemen!” The lights dimmed, and the crowd hushed. “Esteemed nobles, adventurers, and those who came for a good show, welcome to Selcouth’s Biennial auction!” 

“A good show? I didn’t know there would be a performance?” Ryuu asked, confused, looking at Kai. 

[There won’t be any.]

“They mean something else,” Kai answered. 

“I am your humble guide for the evening, a proud survivor of three auctions, excluding my apprenticeship.”

A soft laughter echoed through the crowd. 

“This evening, we bring you wonders from far lands, amazing crafts that are yet to meet the public eye, and things that really do not need introduction.”

“But remember, every purchase is permanent; we do not offer refunds.”

‘Isn’t he scaring away customers?’

[That’s part of his job.]

“As always, we will start small and move upwards!”

“Let us begin!” 

Claps erupted through the room, and the first item, items, was brought over.
“Our first deal of the day! 1st-grade healing potions, quality checked by our team. You can bid per vial or multiple, your choice. The base price for one is 3 gold.”

Ryuu stared for a few long moments. ‘System!’

[...You are overreacting.]

The first-grade potion in question was still lower in quality than what Ryuu had made for a mission a few months back. The system had suggested he sell them for 1 gold per vial. 

If the potions here weren’t being sold in magical bottles like the one he bought from the night market, he had given away those potions for nothing! 

Ryuu had never thought he’d face such a loss in business. Well, technically, there wasn’t any loss since the material was not bought, but still. 

“What’s wrong?” Kai asked, seeing him sulk.
Ryuu began to share his agony of losing profit. By the time he was done with his sad tale, the price of the potions had risen to five gold and was still going up.

“Do you have any with you right now?” Neris asked. 

Poisons and potions. Ryuu never not had them. At least after becoming an assassin. The sea prince observed it carefully. “Although it’s not rare or special grade, it seems consumable.”

“That’s the point?” Ryuu said, confused. Most healing potions were for external use only. Ryuu’s mission was to work on edible ones. 

“It could have sold for ten gold minimum. Why would you sell it for ten times below the rate?” Neris, too, was confused. Ryuu was very business-minded. How could someone like him make such a mistake?

“It’s the system…” he could only shed invisible tears now. Kai seemed like he was unsure how to comfort him, so he told him not to worry. 

Meanwhile, one while dragon was suffering through a glare, the rest hadn’t noticed. “Ahem,” he coughed to draw attention, “Do you have more of that?”

Ryuu nodded with the dejected expression that refused to leave his face.

“Would you like to auction them?”

Ryuu looked up, confused. The dragon only waited for an answer without explaining, so Ryuu nodded again. 

The white dragon got up and called for staff, talking in hushed voices before asking Ryuu to bring the items over. Ryuu did as told, handing over three vials of healing potion. 

Soon enough, the ones on the stage had sold for 7 per unit, and the stage coordinator had arrived with the next thing, along with something extra, passing it to the announcer. 

“Ah, it’s that time again! Before we go ahead with the next one, we have an addition from the audience!” 

Only then did Ryuu find out that it was possible to sell like this. It wasn’t how it usually worked, but so were many things at the auction. It didn’t always play by the same pattern. 

“We have another set of healing potions, 1st grade again. Highest quality and consumable.”

He didn’t need to explain any more than that; those who knew already knew enough. 

“The opening bid is 12 gold.”

Four times the ones sold before. Ryuu thought it wouldn’t sell. He would never buy potions for that much. But to his surprise, the price actually reached 20. 

“Feel better now?” Kai asked him. 

Back then, he had sold more than fifty bottles; statistically, there wasn’t anything to feel better about. But surprisingly, he did.
[...I apologise.]

‘What use is your apology?’

[The buyers back then were bulk purchasing for a warzone; they couldn’t have bought for that much.]

He couldn’t have sold for more back then; he knew that. What angered him was that he never got to know the original value until now. But now he felt better.

“I guess I do since the system apologised.” 

[...]

How many could get the system to apologise?

The next item was finally being unraveled, drawing their attention.

“Time for something sweet!” 

Ryuu thought there wouldn’t be anything he’d want to buy here. Guess he was wrong.