"You look like you are extremely nervous." A girl wearing formal dress added, who was none other than Alice.

"No I'm not. Hehe...", Edwin shook his head in disagreement and laughed with an obvious insecured tone.

Earlier, Allen and Edwin met up with Alice in front of her shop. The three of them were now on their way towards the venue of the auction.

'He's definitely in love.', Allen thought.

'He's definitely getting crazy.', Alice thought.

'I'm definitely embarrasing myself right now.', Edwin thought.

"So Sir Alchemist Morgan, I already gave the merged pill that you sold me to the auctioning officials to be merchandized as one of the items in the auction.", Alice said with her still carefree att.i.tude. Even in front of her idol, she could still talk with Allen like they knew each other for a long time.

"Also sir, I placed it inside a small box along with a note. I submitted it to them and I left at once." She added.

"Allen, can I talk to you privately for a moment?", Edwin requested.

"Mhm." He nodded in response. After which, Alice volunteered herself to go a bit farther away from the two of them.

Lowering his voice, Edwin asked, "Why do you want to auction the pill?"

Allen paused on his steps, prompting both Edwin and Alice to also stop. The former looked at Edwin. "The alchemy compet.i.tion that only takes place once in every two decades is held here in Ryon City is coming. Attracting more partic.i.p.ants to join the contest will be beneficial."

'Beneficial?' Edwin was confused, "Huh? Attract more people to join? Isn't it suppose to be the other way around?"

Although Edwin doesn't know what was Allen's status in the world of alchemy, he grasped that it's not something so simple; specially when he saw the reaction of Alice on the merged pill he concocted.

Allen: "You have no idea what are the real traits of true alchemists."

"Then, if more alchemists partic.i.p.ate in the event, won't they try to work together to against you? I mean, you made a merged pill which seems to be a great achievement for you, but what I mean is that they'll be scared of you and try to kick you out of the compet.i.tion, I think?", Edwin voiced out his thoughts.

"Then it will be a fair fight." Allen replied and resumed walking. On the other hand, Edwin didn't ask anymore questions and gaped at Allen from behind him.

"A f-fair fight?", Edwin looked blankly at Allen as if his soul was s.n.a.t.c.hed away from him by those very words.

***

Somewhere in the northern section of the city, there was a large structure with many solid columns on its exterior.

Due to its complex designs and multifaceted column branches, it could be mistaken as a small palace.

The said building's roof was made of tough and s.h.i.+ny iron with its radiance could be spotted from far away, and there were gemstones socketed onto the arcs of the fancy wooden double doors making them look like portals.

Its design also made it stand out from the buildings around it.

The Alchemist Union which was the general governing group of alchemists in the region, owned the edifice. Just from that palace-like structure alone showed the mightiness and influence of alchemists in the surrounding area.

"Whoa." It was a short reaction made by Edwin, nonetheless, it represented nearly everybody's first impression of the building.

When he snapped out of his stupor, he saw Allen and Alice already left him behind and entered the building.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

Setting his foot through the opened doors, Edwin became stunned once again by the adorned interiors of the entrance hall.

The tall pillars holding up the ceiling weren't just inserted with gemstones and pearls, but the pillars themselves were made from pure silver to the point where one could seen their reflection on them.

The chandeliers above and the torches on the walls were inlaid with firestones that release out flames until their energies would be depleted.

Meanwhile, the floor below was made of the finest marble and waxed so thoroughly that it directly reflected everything over it like a real mirror.

Edwin shuddered and his hands slightly quivered at the sight of such extravagance.

Allen tapped his shoulder. Edwin movements went back to normal.

"I have the urge to... you know...", Edwin only shrugged and shook his head.

"Steal them.", Allen resumed the other's sentence.

"Yeah.", Edwin nodded.

"Come on, ignore everything and let's go to the auctioning hall.", Allen nudged Edwin on his back and they tided through the lobby.

"Sir, I got us three seats at the back just like you told me to do. I don't know why you wanted to sit there, we could have actually purchased VIP room." Alice approached and pa.s.sed a ticket each to Allen and Edwin.

"It's too exorbitant to purchase those rooms." Allen replied.

'Says the person who could probably buy a whole town.', Edwin ludicrously rolled his eyes in contempt. He didn't know if Allen was being too humble or too shameless on his statement.

Entering a separate room, the three of them sat to their designated seats and waited for the auction to begin.

There were nearly every kinds of people joining in the event. They spotted, of course, alchemists, n.o.bles, magicians, church officials, and rich merchants.

"There are so many people in this auction compared to the past ones. Maybe the approaching contest attracted them." Alice commented.

Meanwhile, from one of the private rooms above the audience, Gavin and Mr. Howard took their seats and watched the people below while enjoying the delicacies delivered to them.

Mr. Howard took a bite on an apple and remarked, "The apple that they grow here is juicy and sweet!"

"It's because of the abundant energies within the Monarch Walls that they're so delicious." Gavin also took a bite on an apple and a wide smile appeared on his face.

"What makes master so happy today? I'm sure a fruit won't suffice you.", Mr. Howard asked.

"You already know. I'm finally able to copy Allen's layered pills! But I still need to perfect my own layering technique. Nevertheless, everybody who are attending will see my success, it will be my first step on surpa.s.sing him.", Gavin's smile was so wide that his cheeks started to hurt.

After a pause, he added, "The second one would be me being the victor of the upcoming alchemy compet.i.tion. A lot will be watching it because it only takes place once every few decades. Then everybody would finally begin to forget about that Allen."

"It's a pity that he suddenly disappeared from everyone's eyes. Everyone expected that he'll win that compet.i.tion, but now that the prodigy not in the limelight, sir would be able to conquer in that tournament.", Mr. Howard said.

Gavim's expression darkened, "Don't call him a prodigy."

"My apologies, master.", Mr. Howard replied.

'He was never a prodigy! I was suppose to be that prodigy! He only took it away, that accursed being took it away! If it wasn't for him, that...', Gavin's thoughts stopped halfway and he only sighed in the end.

The lights in the main hall dimmed and a man wearing an alchemist's robes walked out from the curtains of the stage. He bowed down and loudly declared, "The auction will now begin!"

Just after the man announced the commencement, he threw a potion up onto the air which exploded out and formed fireworks.

Afterwards, the fireworks turned into a cloud which shaped up to a lightning stallion that galloped on the air above the guests and dispersed into miniscule ticklish bolts that dropped down to the audience below.

However, it didn't end just there and the man catapulted another potion above everybody and it released a black smoke above them which turned to a faceless figure of an alchemist along with a furnace and cauldron. 

Then, the cauldron and furnace turned to shapeless smoke and moved towards the figure's closed hands, after which, it opened his hands and elixirs and pills flew out of them that were s.n.a.t.c.hed by the people.

Finally, the figure slightly bowed down and dissolved.

"The Alchemist Union is getting creative in attracting patrons." Gavin said as he hid a pill he obtained from the freebies the figure gave out.

"Ha! I got a potion!" Edwin happily placed the elixir inside his satchel.

"Only got a tiny pill.", Alice only shrugged at her bad luck and hid it.

Meanwhile, Allen inspected a sack of potions he got. Suddenly, he threw the sack away unnoticedly amidst the numerous people.

"Aw! Who threw... wait, it's a sack full of potions! HAHA!"

"Huh, what? You're so lucky!"

"What a lucky person."

"So lucky of him, I only got a little pill."

"You got a small pill, while I got absolutely nothing! d.a.m.n it."

"Everybody, we will now bring out the first item!" The host loudly proclaimed. The declaration silenced the whole place and everyone focused their eyes onto the stage.