In a warehouse near Phil's residence, Orin and Phil were discussing the material Phil had gathered.
"These are the materials you asked me to find. Now what else do I need to do?" Phil inquired. He was in a really happy mood. He had gotten an overwhelming positive response from the people in the party, and many people wanted to buy it from him right at that moment for an astronomical price, but as a great businessman, he knew profit was often proportional to patience and time. The longer he waited, the more valuable his item would become. Thus, he didn't succumb to temptation and declined every offer.
Orin gave him a thumbs up and said, "You did a good job." With these materials, he could now make about 20 soaps. "What should the name of our soap be?" Orin asked as he inspected the quality of the material.
"What?" Phil replied, puzzled, "Isn't it already named 'Soap'?"
Orin glanced at Phil, smiled, and shook his head slightly. "You are right, I forgot." Orin had forgotten that this was the first soap in existence, and the term soap was not a generic term used for a cleansing product on earth.
Two weeks passed by in a flash, and now it was finally time for the soap auction.
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In a grand, spacious hall, low murmurs of conversation surrounded the air. At the front, an elevated stage held a grand podium where the auctioneer sat. "Welcome to Obsidian Hall Auction!" The auctioneer announced excitedly. He had a very charismatic voice, and soon everyone's attention was upon him. "Most of you probably know this, but in case you weren't aware, this auction is quite a special one, consisting of just a single item!" He exclaimed. "Bring it out!"
They then brought the soap to the display as if it were some sort of precious art piece or an ancient artifact. "What we have here is a magical item known as the'soap'. It can keep you free from diseases and extend your life by a large margin. It makes you healthier and makes your skin look flawless and wrinkle-free. And it has already been tested before, so worry not, its not a scam." He then took a pause and added, "One thing you must be aware of is that its uses are not unlimited and, if not used fresh, it will degrade over time."
"Before we begin the bidding, I want to remind you all that the bids must be done in gold." He clasped his hands together and took a brief pause.
"Now let's start the bidding process!" He announced, and the voices came pouring in.
"100!"
"500!!"
"600!!"
.....
...
As the bid started to escalate, so did the tension of the auction. Many participants wanted the item just because of its exclusivity, while others coveted it because of its life-extending magical capabilities and beauty-enhancing properties. Although the soap couldn't outright increase one's lifespan. It could decrease the chances of inflicting transmittable diseases by a lot, which in this world was a big thing since cleanliness and tidiness were only something that the rich could afford, but due to a lack of products like soap, they were still very vulnerable to diseases.
"900!!"
"1200!!!"
...
.....
....
The price continued to rise more and more without any sign to stop. Orin was also in the auction with Phil in a room that overlooked the whole auction. It was where the VIPs sat, reserved for the people who had at least 100 thousand gold coins in liquid. There were about 7 VIPs, and each was assigned a different room.
Among all the common crowd, there was an odd person who didn't fit in the crowd. He wore a cloak that hid his face and looked to be alone. He hadn't bid even once and was quietly observing the bidding like the VIPs.
"5000 gold coins." I got a bid from one of the VIPs.
"VIPs are starting to bid. We don't have any chance now," a person among the common bidders anxiously remarked.
"It doesn't matter. I need that soap, and I'm going to get it, no matter how much money it takes me. I'm already old without any descendants; money would be of no use to me," another replied. Everyone was determined to get the item.
As the bidding continued, whispers filled the hall as common bidders realized they could no longer compete with the wealthier participants.
"9000 gold coins"
Orin's throat tightened. He never expected the soap—which had cost him practically nothing, if you were to discount the time he spent and the near-death experience—would fetch such an astounding price. Nine thousand was a lot of gold coins, enough to feed a common family of four for 10+ years. The business Phil ran barely earned a revenue similar to that amount in 6 months, and mind you, he and his family ran a very successful business.
Even Phil was taken aback by the amount it had soared to. He had expected it to reach 10,000 gold coins, but its rapid rise utterly baffled him.
"15000 gold coins" A sweet voice resounded from the crowd, surprising everybody. After she spoke, all heads turned to locate the source of this unexpected bid; however, unfortunately for them, she had worn a cloak that hid her face.
"Why is such a prodigal bidder in the common area?" One person wondered aloud
"Maybe she is from another town," another suggested.
"Possibly"
"Who do you think she might be?"
"No idea," another responded dismissively. "But look at her figure; she looks quite alluring." One remarked perversely.
Despite her cloak concealing her body, it couldn't hide her curves, which garnered quite a number of lustful gazes. Sensing those lecherous gazes, the girl clenched her hand tightly, and suddenly, the whole hall got really cold and chilly. It was very unusual for the temperature to change suddenly, not to mention it was currently summer.
The temperature drop startled everyone; it was unusual for such a shift during summer months. Realizing something was amiss, the onlookers quickly withdrew their gazes out of fear of offending what might be a powerful mage.
"These lowly fuckers dare look at me that way," the cloaked figure muttered under her breath.