System Change

Both Derek and Alanah settled into their seats to watch the proceedings more comfortably. If Derek had any questions or concerns, Alanah would be there to answer them. It paid to share a booth with the owner and host of the auction.

“First and foremost, we will certify the authenticity of our auctioned items.” Stella’s voice boomed over the room. “Usually, we would do this with oaths or contracts, but for today’s auction, I am pleased to announce that all items have been authenticated by City Lord Natalie Savannah and have earned her seal of approval. Miss Savannah, if you would do the honor.”

Natalie’s petite figure stepped forward from the side of the auction’s stage, and she walked up the steps to stand beside Stella.

“Thank you, Miss Brighton.” Natalie stepped forward as Stella bowed, all eyes focused on her. “Over the last few days, I have had the chance to examine all items related to this auction, and I can, in good faith, announce that each item planned for auction today is authentic and provides the benefits that will be listed.”

Then Natalie flicked her wrist, and a contract appeared in her hand. “This is a written and signed contract from the Crown commissioning my services. If any item auctioned here today has not been verified by myself, the contract will dissolve before everyone’s eyes.”

Natalie then moved to the back wall and placed the contract where everyone could view it at all times. It was quite the display. Derek had to praise Alanah and Natalie for using this method. With the Crown’s reputation and Natalie’s identity, there would be no issues going forward. He doubted any would have arisen anyway, but this added an extra layer of certainty.

“I didn’t expect Natalie to come aboard to verify the goods,” Derek said.

“It wasn’t easy, but this way, there will be no room for dissent. Normally, it wouldn’t be needed, but since everyone was allowed to bring guests, I thought it better to be thorough.” Alanah explained.

“Good thinking.” Derek agreed. “What did it cost to get Natalie to do this?”

“She was paid with one of the potions and one of the lesser meals. Unfortunately, her powers do not benefit greatly from the meals, as Wisdom is her main stat. Still, it is very hard to resist the appeal of free stats for such little work. Even if she is a very busy person.”

“Even more so with her ongoing interrogations.” Derek agreed.

“Indeed.”

“Are there any questions about the authenticity of our items today?” Stella asked. She waited for a few moments to give everyone time to process everything. “Since there are no questions, City Lord Savannah may return to her booth.”

After that, Natalie walked back off stage, then headed to one of the private booths. Stella waited for her to go in and close the door before continuing.

“We will now bring out the first set of items.” Stella motioned to her left, and a Crown worker came in with a cart of three dishes. She pushed the cart to the center of the stage. Stella gave the woman a nod, and the woman removed the lids from all three dishes.

On each plate was a small serving of what looked like processed meat slathered in a thick gravy. To Derek, it didn’t look appetizing at all. There were herbs of different colors and other vegetables and sides to make the meal more palatable, but the main part of the dish did not set well with him.

He hadn’t actually inspected any of the meals he was given earlier. Derek flicked his wrist and one of the meals he had received earlier appeared in his hand. He removed the lid covering the plate and examined the contents. It was the same as what was on stage, except it did not have any of the extra garnishments. It was just the overly processed meat and unappetizing, gravy-like substance.

Derek took a deep breath of it and was pleased that it at least had a quality aroma. He still had a hard time getting past the appearance.

“It is not easy to squeeze the full potential out of one of the dishes.” Alanah commented from the side as Derek put the dish away. “You know the size of the Void Beasts, yet they only provide a few dishes of that size.”

“I guess…” Derek said. “I wasn’t reacting to the size of the dish, though. It was the look. I’m just so used to seeing beautiful and perfect meals prepared by the Crown Restaurant, so when looking at this highly processed dish, it took me by surprised.”

“Yes. Because of how much of the Void Beast we have to condense to draw out the full effects, the resulting look of the dish is… unappealing. For the auction, we do our best to dress it up with garnishes and sides, but for the meals you received, and those I keep, we only provided what was actually needed for the stat increases.” Alanah explained.

“I see,” Derek said. “Well, it’s not like I can complain. At least it smells much better than it looks.”

“It also tastes phenomenal,” Alanah said. “You couldn’t tell by the way it looks, but it is one of the most delicious and hearty dishes I have ever eaten.”

“That’s good to know.”

With Alanah’s explanation finished, Derek turned his attention back to the auction. The crowd was staring with wide, hungry eyes at the three dishes being presented.

“That is one of the weaker Void Beasts that we processed,” Alanah said. “Its stat increases will not be much, but will still draw in quite the profit. I expect even more profit with the extra people we allowed to attend.”

Derek nodded at her explanation as he listened to Stella on the stage.

“First up is a dish from a low strength Void Beast. Said Void Beast was able to provide us with three meals, and the stat distribution for each meal is as following: 4 Strength, 2 Endurance, and 2 Intelligence.”

Murmurs spread throughout the crow as they discussed the information they received.

“This stat distribution may not seem like a lot compared to past and possible future dishes, but it is still close to buying an entire level worth of permanent stats with just a paltry amount of gold coins,” Stella announced to the crowd.

“This is good,” Derek said. “There are many people who came here just to watch the show because they were sure they wouldn’t be able to afford anything. With such a set of meals, it will allow them to possibly walk away with something.”

“That was the plan.” Alanah smiled.

“We will start the bid at 500 gold coins and each bid must be increased by at least 100 gold coins.” Stella announced.

“Only 500?” Derek asked.

“Indeed.” Alanah nodded. “You don’t have to worry. These meals will set the tone for the future of the auction. Eight stat points is eight stat points, and we have allowed members and guests to buy more than one meal each, this time. With all that known, these small meals should sell for much more than they’re worth.”

Derek sat back and watched the action.

“Begin.” Stella’s voice boomed over the floor.

“500.” A man holding a paddle with the number 28 etched into it shouted.

“That’s 500 gold coins from number 28.” Stella said.

“600.”

“700.”

“1,000.”

“1,000 gold coins for number 17.”

“2,000!” Number 28 shouted once again.

“2,000 from number 28. Going once…”

“2,500 gold coins.” Number 17 shouted.

Derek watched the antics from the comfort of his booth. None of those that Derek knew had plenty of money to spare had jumped in to battle this time. He didn’t recognize number 17 and number 28, but he was sure they were both from lower noble houses, or may have even been commoners.

After some time, the very first meal of the auction was sold to number 28 for 7,500 gold coins. It was very impressive. He was offered 25,000 gold coins for the very first Void Beast he presented to Stella, and it was many times better than the one used to make the three small dishes.

“I’m guessing that is a good price?” he asked, just to make sure.

“That is a very good price for such a low quality dish.” Alanah confirmed. “Anything over 3,000 gold coins could be considered a good price, actually.”

“Great!” Derek leaned forward, excited.

“Now it’s time for the next dish. We will once again begin the bidding at 500 gold coins.”

Soon, all three dishes were auctioned off. The second dish fell into number 17’s hands for 6,000 gold coins, yet the third dish reached 8,500 gold coins. Scarcity definitely played a big factor in its pricing, as those who weren’t exactly flush with gold did not know when the next opportunity to buy such a thing would come, and they knew they wouldn’t be able to compete for the better dishes.

The Crown worker stepped back onto stage and took the cart containing the dishes away. They would distribute the dishes to the winners at the end of the auction.

Another worker quickly brought another cart onto stage. This time, it was a singular plate with a lid. Stella walked forward and shot the crowd a beautiful smile.

“Our next item is something only recently discovered.” She reached out and removed the cover. Three vials sat upright on the plate. Each vial contained a constantly changing rainbow colored liquid. The sight was fascinating, and something only a few people in the room had ever seen before.

“This new item is called The Potion of Physical Permanence.” Stella announced as hushed whispers fell over the crowd. “What does The Potion of Physical Permanence do? Well, it gives permanent stat increases just like the previous meals.” She explained.

The rowdy crowd fell silent. They were almost disappointed in the statement.

“However, unlike the meals we prepare, this Potion of Physical Permanence does not increase Intelligence. Instead, it increases Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, and Vitality.” She dropped a bombshell on the crowd. An item that actually increased Vitality, plus, it increased Dexterity along with it. Finally, with a knowing smile, she said, “It is also a potion, so you can obtain the benefits of it without spacing out consumption.”

With that, the crowd went into an uproar. The auction was about to get interesting.

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