The stage was long and wide enough to be considered as grand. The front end of it was wrapped by a transparent force-field that didn’t restrict people on the stage. The force field was programmed in such a way that the fluctuations from the items in the auction wouldn’t be sealed.
The chatter in the auditorium has completely died by the time Wassily made the introductory speech. Yasmine continued to stand beside him, sporting a seductive smile.
"Everyone knows the rule so let the auction began," Wassily said to the audience. "The first item for auction is Misty Spring Flower. Let me describe its scientific classification for those who don’t know it by its popular name..."
At the same time, Yasmine showcased the flowering plant.
Surprised gasps and audible exclamation ringed throughout the auditorium as the flower was introduced.
It has trumpet-shaped six mist-like petals that were glistening with radiance. Its leaves were alternate, ovate to lanceolate, with toothed margin, just like a hibiscus.
The vital essence and the potent strength of Misty Spring Flower formed an important component of the liquid gell used in experiment pods. It wasn’t restricted to just experiments but also to cloning and other genetic engineering fields.
Most people here were either directly or indirectly affiliated to corporates or organizations who backed scientistic research. Misty Spring Flower was a valuable component and everyone knew it.
"Please start the bidding," Yasmine requested the audience. "We don’t have a minimum starting price as we trust the wisdom of our guests."
"$1000!" A young man in ordinary seating rows called out.
"$3000!"
Kiba looked on as people bid excitedly.
Many of them had no interest to buy it as they had reasonable confidence that even if they bid at the start, they wouldn’t win. They did it so that they could tell it to their friends and acquaintances on how they participated in a bidding war for a precious and valuable item.
"$12000!"
"$15000!" A middle-aged man working for a medical corporation called out.
The flower was valuable but not valuable enough for bidding to go out of scale. As such, he has enough confidence in acquiring it at this price.
"$50000."
A nonchalant voice ringed in the auditorium, making everyone silent by such a brazen jump in price. Many of them peeked in the direction from where the voice came.
"The companion of the demoness!" Lambert muttered. "
"Why is she bidding such a high price..." Pollard wondered aloud. "Does he not know the value of the money?!"
Kiba did know the value of money but since he acquired it from others, he didn’t mind spending it freely. He has no shortage of money cards thanks to the owner of Byron’s Charm Shop and a few unlucky people he met before arriving to the fair.
As for why he bided so high from the start, well, it was because he didn’t want to engage in one bidding after another. Such a high bid would prevent the hassle.
It wasn’t like he was losing his own money so he decided to be open-hearted and generous.
Just like Olly once said, Kiba always enjoyed using the wealth of others as if it was his own. It didn’t matter if the wealth was monetary or something even more valuable.
In Olly’s case, well, he was referring to the way Kiba made himself comfortable at his father’s house while drinking their whiskey and making out with his father’s wife in their marital bed!
In the auction hall, no one made subsequent bidding. This was to be expected given the bid.
Wassily looked at Kiba as if he was the god of wealth. He rubbed his hands excitedly and proclaimed Kiba as the winner of this round.
A female staff walked to Kiba with an enchanting smile. She was holding the wooden box inside which the bid item was stored.
Kiba retrieved a money card worth $50000 as she arrived in front of him.
"Please check," She said, still smiling, as she handed the box.
"No need," Kiba replied while taking the box. "A beauty with a smile like yours can not be deceptive."
"Oh my! You are naive!" She took the money card from him and left after giving him a wink.
Meanwhile, Sophia entered into a private booth reserved for her. She was accompanied by a middle-aged woman.
Sophia sat down on a sofa. She looked through the glass wall as Kiba took the box containing the flower.
"I missed a chance to ruin his chances!" Sophia was angry at herself for getting late. "Oh well, there would be more items and I’m sure there would be things he would want... He would have to beg and apologise, only then I might spare him."
The middle-aged woman looked at her eighteen-years-old miss and smiled bitterly.
"Miss, if you do such a thing, you will be only making the auction house rich," The middle-aged woman reasoned.
"It doesn’t matter!" Sophia relaxed on the sofa while looking forward to messing up with the shameless villain...
On the stage, a female employee brought a flower pot.
People were surprised as there was no flower growing on the pot. Instead, there was a misty-blue seed that was emitting cold fluctuations.
The seed was germinating with misty-like threads stretching in the medium. Everyone instantly noted the medium could not have been any different from soil.
The medium was glassy, brittle, and shining like a diamond.
Dendritic ice crystals.
The entire surface looked a dazzling frozen dessert. The cold fluctuations, in the form of diamond dust, passed through the force field covering the stage and swept through the audience.
Everyone instantly felt refreshed and energized. The cold energy was like water to a thirsty man, it felt them desiring for more.
"This is a seed of Icy Dew Flower," Wassily informed the audience.
A discussion erupted among the crowd and even the conversations were loud, there was not much interest. Sure, it has the ability to nourish the body with a refreshing and cooling sensation but that wasn’t enough to arouse interest.
The curiosity further dipped when a few botanists explained the properties and uses of this flower. Basically, it was a top flower one can have in their garden. It was pleasing to the eyes and a delight to the senses. Most people were here to improve their chances in the core region and the seed didn’t seem to offer enough incentives.
This didn’t mean there weren’t people who were interested in the seed of Icy Dew Flower. There was a good amount but it was just that they would not bid a large amount.
Wassily could easily grasp the thoughts of his patrons. He wasn’t worried though. If anything, he knew the moment he said his next sentence, the crowd would go in a frenzy. He just wanted to build up momentum for the final result.
"The seed is from Eden," Wassily slowly said.
As soon as his voice entered people’s ears, the entire auditorium turned pin-drop silent. Not a single person moved a muscle as the gravity of the sentence struck their consciousness.
Eden!
Just as Wassily expected, the audience went into a frenzy. Everyone, especially men, looked at the flower pod as if it was the most treasurable item in the entire world.
"Eden," Kiba thought of the legends he has heard about this mystique land. "The masses know it by its other name - Women’s Island."
The legends indicate the island is only inhabited by women. There has never been a man who has even come close to the island.
Even the strongest and wicked men didn’t dare eye the island despite the beauty of its natives.
It was a fantasy land in the territory of the World Government. Not only due to its legendary inhabitants but also by the fact that it wasn’t actually ruled by the government!
Eden has complete autonomy.
The island, in fact, has a monarch. A queen, to be precise.
A queen who brought complete freedom to her land and turned it autonomous by earning a seat in the World Council.
No one knew her name or the extent of her true strength. All they knew was her title - The Ice Queen.
No one besides the members of the World Council has met her and yet, everyone in the world agreed on one thing.
She was the most beautiful woman in the entire world.
The lucky few who have seen her reflection remembers her as a goddess in the world of mortals.