Astraea led Ryu and the others inside. Roy made sure his own people had the best seats, with an endless supply of drinks and snacks. Despite the entry requirement of a one-million-Valis net worth, the venue was packed to capacity. Gods from major Familias, elite adventurers, and guild presidents—over three thousand people in total—were present.
Because of the tasting samples, the entire area was already thick with the scent of alcohol before the auction even began. Under the influence of that mellow aroma, everyone felt a sense of euphoria, as if they were about to transcend into the heavens for eternal pleasure. Even the gods were enchanted.
Since the goal was to drain everyone's wallets, Roy didn't delay. As the clock struck the hour, the auction began.
Roy stood on the temporary stage as the auctioneer. He opened with a classic introduction: "Honored Gods, brave adventurers, and esteemed Guild Presidents—thank you all for taking the time to attend this hastily organized auction."
The fact that he had given out the Divine Wine for free samples earned him a lot of respect. The crowd gave him a thunderous round of applause that shook the sky. Roy began by explaining the current state of the Soma Familia, detailing their hardships and shifting the blame for the previous "diluted wine" onto the deceased Zanis.
Roy's speaking style was clever. He didn't point fingers directly but used subtle hints, letting the audience draw their own conclusions. Every word he said was true, but the context implied so much more that even the gods couldn't detect any deception.
"The Soma Familia's numbers have been drastically reduced, and after paying out contract penalties, the Familia is at its wit's end. This auction concerns our very survival, so I ask for your support." Roy gave a deep, respectful bow.
The gods could sense that Roy's words were sincere. Normally, in business, one hides their weaknesses to gain leverage. But Roy laid his cards on the table, meeting them with total honesty. It moved many people and allowed them to feel the boy's "sink or swim" determination.
Expelling 95% of the corrupt members, paying massive penalties to merchants, refusing to cheat or bully... he truly intends to build an honest Familia.
"Roy, we believe in you!"
"I want to buy ten jars!"
"Don't stop me! I'll sell my house and my gear if I have to support Roy!"
As Roy finished his speech, the atmosphere reached a fever pitch. Many gods were moved to tears, shouting that they would support Roy even if they had no money for food tomorrow. The goddesses, in particular, were screaming in excitement.
Unlike the fun-loving gods, the shrewd merchants and veteran adventurers looked at the spirited Roy on stage with somber eyes. They couldn't help but admire him. The Soma Familia had taken a massive hit, but you could feel a brand-new vitality. As long as that boy was there, the Familia would eventually recover. Actually... it was the Astraea Familia that had truly found a treasure. Besides, if the Soma Familia went bankrupt, where would they buy their wine?
A consensus was reached: the Soma Familia had to survive! Ryu, Daphne, Cassandra, and Lili all broke into a cold sweat for Roy. Standing under the spotlight, being watched by thousands of people of varying status—they would rather go to the Dungeon and slay high-level monsters than do what he was doing. It was terrifying.
Yet, Roy showed no stage fright. He masterfully guided the mood of the room. To them, the boy seemed to have become the center of the world, the protagonist in everyone's eyes, controlling the very rules of this space.
Roy took a deep breath. "The Divine Wine auction will consist of ten lots. Each lot contains ten jars of original Divine Wine, with each jar weighing approximately half a kilogram."
Only ten lots?
The hearts of the gods below skipped a beat. That was too little! There were over three thousand people representing nearly a thousand different factions. But as Roy had said, the Soma Familia was in a crisis; producing a hundred jars was already a feat. The bidding was about to turn into a bloodbath.
Roy's voice boomed, "We will now begin the bidding for the first lot! The starting price is five hundred thousand Valis, with minimum increments of ten thousand!"
Soma members brought out the ten jars to stimulate the crowd's desire. In truth, he didn't need to stimulate anything; everyone's eyes were already bloodshot. A five-hundred-thousand starting price? That was practically a giveaway! Those diluted drops used to cost fifty or sixty thousand for just a few milliliters; a whole lot was five kilograms!
"Five hundred and fifty thousand!"
"Six hundred thousand!"
The bids started flying. In the blink of an eye, the price for the first lot shot past a million. This was exactly why Roy had set an entry requirement; anyone with less than a million had no business being here. At first, the bidding was conservative, but it quickly turned insane.
"Ten million Valis!"
The room went silent for a split second before being drowned out by even louder shouts. A lot had ten jars; at ten million, that was only one million per jar. That wasn't enough to scare them off yet.
The first lot finally sold for eighteen million Valis. Surprisingly, the winner was Loki. People were shocked that the "God of Deception," who was usually so calculating, would strike so early. Loki sat there with a smug grin, her eyes narrowed with the satisfaction of a successful scheme.
Soon, everyone realized Loki was right. As the auction went on, the crowd grew more desperate, and the prices for each lot began to rise uncontrollably. Small guilds that couldn't afford a lot on their own began pooling their money to split the wine later.
From the second lot onward, the price broke twenty million and kept climbing. For the final lot, people emptied their pockets and fought until the metaphorical streets ran red with blood. The final hammer price reached a staggering fifty-three million Valis!
The gods who had passed on the earlier lots were filled with regret. If they had known, they would have gorged themselves during the free tasting!
The Soma members, Lili, and even Soma himself stood there agape. From the moment the bidding started, they had lost their voices. It was ridiculous—the price per jar had been hyped up to several million Valis, far exceeding their wildest expectations.
By the end of the ten lots, the total sales reached 320 million Valis. They looked at the boy on the stage with utter disbelief. He had raked in 320 million in a single night! He had created a commercial miracle in Orario.
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