Chapter 110: The Ring's True Owner

A single sentence instantly silenced everyone in the Cervantes Alchemy Shop, both on the first floor and the second, and all eyes turned toward the speaker.

At the back of the first-floor crowd sat a remarkably handsome young man with short silver hair. He had a high nose, deep blue eyes, and a faint, elusive smile at the corner of his lips that only added to his irresistible charm.

Such a young, handsome, and captivating man immediately drew soft gasps from several coquettish women seated beside paunchy men in the hall. Ignoring the threatening looks of the men at their sides, they even sent him one alluring glance after another, hoping to catch his attention. Yet they were disappointed. That devilishly attractive man kept his eyes fixed on the black spatial ring in Cervantes’s hand, never even sparing them a look.

In a private room on the second floor, Andrew had originally intended to rebuke the fellow who had brazenly driven the price of the spatial ring, which Princess Nancy was about to obtain, up by a full one hundred thousand gold coins. Even he, the son of the Minister of War, had given up competing with the princess—who was this thickheaded fool, sitting on the first floor, daring to challenge the bids from the second? But when he saw the other man’s face clearly, he closed his mouth again.

“Hey, Bill, don’t you usually boast about how handsome and dashing you are? Take a look at this one. Compared with him, you’re practically...” Garbaz glanced at the exceptionally handsome youth, then at Bill, who was shrinking beside him, and could not help laughing.

“Hmph. I’m still young. When I’m his age, my masculine charm will be fully revealed,” Bill said indignantly. Though he spoke that way, he was already thinking privately that he had to hurry and find the medicinal ingredients so the fourth brother could refine that beauty-enhancing potion. Otherwise, in a few more years, he might truly not grow into such striking good looks.

“I really didn’t notice just now. So this kid has also come here,” Male said quietly.

Simone nodded. “Looks like with his appearance, there should be no suspense over who gets that spatial ring.”

Hearing Male and Simone’s strange remarks, the other three—Rowling and the rest—were somewhat baffled. They did not know how this young man sitting in the back row of the first floor dared to compete in bidding with the princess in the second-floor private room. Just as they were about to ask who he was, Princess Nancy’s voice drifted out softly from the opposite room.

“Anthony, so it was you. Since you are so interested in this spatial ring, then I shall concede it to you.”

What followed made everyone’s jaws drop: Princess Nancy, the cherished jewel of Emperor Nicholas of the European Empire, had not only refused to bid against this young man, but had actually yielded the spatial ring to him at once. This only made everyone present all the more curious about the mysterious youth.

Inside the private room, hearing the name Anthony, Rowling immediately recalled the potion alchemist in the academy that Simone had introduced to him earlier. Anthony’s name had been the one singled out for special mention at the end. “So this is Thomas’s potion alchemy disciple, Anthony?”

Male and Simone both nodded.

“I heard that this Anthony was taken in by Thomas when he was very young. When he grew a little older, Thomas taught him potion alchemy. No one expected his talent in that field to be so terrifying—within only a few years, his alchemy advanced by leaps and bounds, and he entered the Alchemists’ Guild at an early age!” Male gave a quick but thorough account of Anthony’s background.

Simone nodded. “Anthony’s talent in potion alchemy is simply monstrous. He is regarded as the best candidate to become the next president of the Alchemists’ Guild after Thomas. Thomas himself praises his alchemical talent endlessly and dotes on this disciple tremendously. Since Thomas is such a powerful figure in both the Holy Church of Light and the Alchemists’ Guild, no one dares provoke Anthony, his most favored disciple. There was originally a private room on the second floor reserved for his master, but for some reason he did not go there.”

“Heh, and I’ve also heard that little Nancy seems to have some interest in Anthony...” Male said with a gossiping grin.

Garbaz, Bill, and the others exchanged looks, not expecting that Anthony, who had been sitting on the first floor, would have such a background. No wonder he dared to bid against the imperial princess.

Upon hearing Princess Nancy’s words, Anthony lifted those deep-blue eyes that were like the ocean and looked toward the second-floor room. In a calm, neither humble nor overbearing voice, he said, “Many thanks to Princess Nancy for your generosity!”

Then he glanced at the people around him and at the private rooms on the second floor, and said in a clear, ringing voice, “I wonder if there is anyone else who wishes to bid against me. If so, I will gladly accompany them.”

As soon as he spoke, silence fell both upstairs and down. After more than ten seconds of stillness, Cervantes on the stage symbolically asked once more. Seeing that no one answered, he gently brought down the small hammer in his hand.

Clang!

“This auction is concluded. The spatial ring goes to Mr. Anthony, with a final bid of one million two hundred thousand gold coins!” With Cervantes’s announcement, the auction came to an end.

What followed was the customary process of all successful bidders going onstage to settle the gold coins and collect their items from the alchemy shop.

Among them, Anthony was undoubtedly the most eye-catching. As he walked toward the stage, countless women fixed their gazes on him. A young man like that—handsome, capable, and rich—who would not be captivated by him?

Anthony stepped onto the stage and handed a crystal card to Master Cervantes. Cervantes checked it briefly with the machine beside him and confirmed that it was correct. Then, smiling, he handed the spatial ring over to him. Anthony took it with both hands, sent a trace of magical power into the ring, and after a moment smiled in satisfaction and put it away. After exchanging a few polite words with Master Cervantes, he departed.

From two private rooms far apart on the second floor, two figures emerged separately. One was a silver-haired woman in a pale yellow dress. She was breathtakingly beautiful, no less so than Victoria, and between her brows there was a touch of heroic spirit. Her eyes were also fixed on Anthony below. Seeing him leave the alchemy shop, she quickly went downstairs as well, apparently intending to speak with him.

The other was a black-faced young man with red hair and a trace of arrogance on his features. There was a hint of infatuation in the way he looked at the woman. Seeing her go downstairs, he no longer lingered and followed after her.

From the earlier conversation, it was clear that one of them was Princess Nancy and the other the overbearing Andrew.

“Hey, looking at them, it seems like a love triangle...” Garbaz said softly when he saw both of them head downstairs.

“Heh, among our little circle, Anthony and Nancy are both hotly sought-after figures. There are plenty of men and women chasing after them,” Male said with a chuckle.

As they were joking, Master Cervantes came in. The few of them hurriedly rose to offer him a seat, but the master waved a hand and said, “No need. I still have some matters to attend to later, so I won’t sit. Rowling, this is the proceeds from the spatial ring auction—one million two hundred thousand gold coins, all here.” With that, he handed over a crystal card.

Rowling accepted the card and bowed deeply. “Master, I truly cannot thank you enough for this. If not for your help, my ring would never have fetched this price!”

Master Cervantes waved it off with a smile. “Rowling, there is no need for such courtesy. From how things looked just now, I was even worried I might ruin the auction for you. Fortunately, the outcome was still quite satisfactory. Simone, take good care of your classmates here. I still have matters to attend to, so I won’t keep you company.” With that, he turned and left the private room.

Rowling, too, could not stay any longer. After exchanging a few polite words with Simone, he took his leave as well. With that one million two hundred thousand gold coins in hand, his younger brother’s surgery could be carried out tomorrow as promised. He had to hurry home and tell his parents this wonderful news!