Cedar pulled out the remaining vials of Sunflame Qi Potions.
He handed a 12% one to Doyle.
Doyle didn't hesitate for a second.
He took the vial with shaking hands and began his examination.
He dipped his new tasting needle into the potion and tasted it.
His eyes widened immediately.
It was true.
The surge of energy was far more potent than before.
The boost was 12%.
And Cedar had four of them?
Doyle's head spun.
This was a treasure, something so valuable, it could fetch unimaginable prices.
Four of them, casually mentioned like it was no big deal.
How could someone possess such items and not even bat an eye?
Cedar did expect some surprise, but this was beyond his expectations.
Doyle looked like he had been hit by a divine revelation.
Vanessa stood to the side, unable to hide her amazement at Cedar's casual attitude.
Well, there wasn't much Cedar could do about their reactions.
What mattered now was that his financial worries in this world would probably be solved.
But money alone wasn't his goal.
Cedar's true aim wasn't to become an alchemist but a beast tamer.
Potions were merely a means to support his path, not the path itself.
Power.
That was what he truly needed.
Money couldn't save him if he was too weak to survive.
With that thought, Cedar reached into his pouch and pulled out another potion.
This time, he handed it to Vanessa.
"This is the Troll Beast Power Potion."
"It can enhance a contracted beast's physical strength and endurance by 12% for 20 minutes."
"I have ten of them."
Doyle, who was already on cloud nine, looked like he had ascended straight to heaven.
"Another 12%?" Doyle gasped.
Vanessa, meanwhile, stared at Cedar.
This man…
He was mysterious, unfathomable even.
Doyle regained focus, holding the potion with reverence.
"Young master, Cedar."
"To properly examine this potion, I'll need specialized tools and a much longer process."Doyle said, almost apologetically.
Cedar nodded without hesitation.
"You can go ahead, Master Doyle." he replied.
Then Cedar turned to Vanessa.
"Miss Vanessa, can we proceed to the contract?" he asked.
Vanessa, who had been momentarily lost in thought, snapped back to reality.
"Y-Yes, of course, Mr. Cedar." she replied hurriedly.
"What are your conditions for these potions?"
Cedar thought for a moment before speaking.
"I only have two conditions."
"First, it must be a one-day auction."
"Second, my identity must not be revealed to anyone."
Vanessa blinked, surprised.
That's it?
No other strict terms?
Just these two simple conditions?
Still, as a professional, she asked respectfully.
"I hope it's not rude to ask, but why only a one-day auction, Mr. Cedar?"
She hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"If we extend the duration, we could gather more attention and potentially earn you more."
"Do you perhaps need money immediately?"
"If that's the case, we can loan you the money upfront."
"Of course, without interest, and we'll deduct it from the final sale proceeds of these potions."
Cedar paused.
He hadn't thought of that.
After all, he wasn't exactly a businessman.
"Oh… you could do that?"
Vanessa nodded.
Cedar thought quickly.
There were no downsides to this suggestion.
If anything, it was advantageous.
"Alright."
"As long as I can get the money as soon as possible, I have no issue with that."
Vanessa smiled, relieved.
"How about 400,000 UPD, Mr. Cedar?"
Cedar froze.
What?
The word echoed loudly in his head, but his lips refused to move..
400,000 UPD?
He had spent about 1,000 UPD to make those potions.
And now they were worth hundreds of thousands?
This was insane.
Vanessa, watching Cedar's expression, began to panic internally.
Did he not find it satisfactory?
Was the price too low?
Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately adjusted her offer.
"500,000 UPD." she muttered quickly.
"We'll also reduce the auction charge fee to just 5%!"
Cedar's mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
What just happened?
The offer had just gotten even better without him saying a single word.
What kind of cliché situation is this?
He took a deep breath.
"We have a deal, Miss Vanessa." he smiled, finally breaking his silence.
Vanessa let out a small sigh of relief, her smile returning.
"Thank you, Mr. Cedar. I promise we'll handle everything perfectly." she replied warmly.
Inside, Cedar was still in disbelief.
This world really is something else…
Vanessa prepared the contract.
It was done in just a few minutes.
Cedar scanned through it carefully.
Everything seemed perfectly in order.
Without hesitation, he signed the document.
Vanessa looked at him, her smile professional.
"May I have your bank account number, Mr. Cedar?"
Cedar stopped for a moment.
Bank account?
He suddenly remembered the original host hadn't set one up yet.
"I don't have a bank account." he replied, a bit awkwardly.
Vanessa didn't flinch.
"No worries, Mr. Cedar. I'll handle it for you." she said smoothly.
Cedar nodded, grateful.
After a few moments, Vanessa returned, carrying two ATM cards.
"These are bank accounts under your name, Mr. Cedar." she said, handing him the cards.
"Each account contains 250,000 UPD."
"Here are the PIN numbers."
She handed him two small papers with the numbers written on them.
"You can change them whenever you wish."
Cedar took the cards.
"Thank you, Miss Vanessa." he said sincerely.
Vanessa smiled and nodded.
"Now, Mr. Cedar."
"May, I have your contact details?"
Cedar took out his phone.
It was an older model, nothing fancy.
In this world, technology wasn't as advanced yet.
But it was still useful for communication.
He opened the messaging app and handed her his ID.
Vanessa took out her phone and immediately added him.
As Cedar saw the friend request pop up, he raised an eyebrow.
A white cat?
That was her profile picture.
Cute.
He smiled and accepted the request.
Vanessa's cheeks flushed red as she quickly realized what had happened.
This was the first time she had shared her contact information with someone outside her family and close friends.
In her line of work, the norm was that clients would come to the auction house personally.
She tried to hide her embarrassment, looking away slightly.
Cedar, however, didn't seem to notice her awkwardness.
Vanessa, however, convinced herself that it was all just for business.