When Finn stepped out of his dormitory, he was surprised to see Isake waiting quietly by his door.
"Isake? Were you waiting for me?" he asked in surprise.
"Pretty much," Isake replied, scratching his head. "You locked yourself in your room for two days, and I got bored with this whole institute because I had no one to talk to. You know you're the only friend I have here. Almost everyone else is from some Aristocrat Clan. I really can't stand how they act."
The day before, Isake had also visited Finn's dorm, but when he realized Finn wasn't coming out, he left without waiting.
"Eh?" Isake suddenly noticed something strange about the aura surrounding Finn Doria. He couldn't help but exclaim, "You advanced again?! How…?"
"Just got lucky," Finn replied with a forced smile. At the moment, he couldn't reveal the knowledge and abilities he'd received—doing so could bring disaster.
There was a saying: animals die because of what they eat, while people die because of their wealth—and Adventurers were no different.
Until he had enough strength to protect himself and those dear to him, he would have to keep this secret to himself.
"Anyway, do you need something?" Finn asked, quickly changing the subject.
Isake snapped out of his thoughts. A moment ago, he'd been so deep in them he forgot why he'd come.
"Right. Do you want to come with me? I'm going to the Heavenly Auction House to watch the auction this afternoon."
"To be honest, only members of the Aristocrat Clans or important individuals are usually allowed to attend today's auction. But since you're my only friend here, I was hoping you'd come along so it's not so boring for me. So—will you join me?"
'Heavenly Auction House… Perfect. I also need to go there,' Finn thought.
"Mm. I'd also like to see what happens inside an auction house," he said with a smile.
"Let's go!"
The two of them quickly made their way to the gates and left the Sacred Dragon Institute. As they walked, they talked about their personal lives.
Finn was surprised to learn that Isake wasn't just any member of the Golden Lion Family—he was the youngest son of the current clan leader. That meant he was the third young master and had a chance to lead the clan in the future.
It was noon by the time they arrived in front of a large concrete building. The power behind the Heavenly Auction House was said to be far greater than that of any Aristocrat Clan. But Finn never understood why that was.
'Could it be that a Profound Rank Adventurer owns this place?' he wondered.
Just as they were about to enter, a guard blocked their way. This guard was Gold Rank in strength!
"Which Aristocrat Clan are you from? Show your proof," the guard demanded firmly.
"Sir, I'm from the Golden Lion Family," Isake said, showing his badge. He pointed to Finn at his side. "This is my friend."
The guard nodded and let them in. It was clear from his demeanor that even the status of an Aristocrat Clan didn't faze him. This only made Finn more curious about who was truly behind the auction house.
"My father told me never to cause trouble here," Isake said seriously as they walked. "He also told me to be respectful to the staff, because even our clan can't compare to the power backing the Heavenly Auction House."
Finn listened carefully.
"My father also told me the reason," Isake continued. "The owner of this place is none other than the Alchemist Association."
'Th-the Alchemist Association?!' Finn thought in shock.
"The Alchemist Association is the most influential faction in the entire Sacred Dragon Kingdom. But they don't compete to be the strongest faction. Since you're a student at the Sacred Dragon Institute, you'll eventually learn about the many powerful factions and clans in this kingdom," Isake explained.
Finn nodded. Now that he knew who owned the auction house, he hesitated about auctioning his potions. The Body Strengthening Potion didn't exist in this world—so the Heavenly Auction House might try to take the formula from him. But then he laughed to himself. It was just a Rank 1 potion; an organization as influential as the Alchemist Association would never lower themselves to rob someone as weak as him. They wouldn't risk their reputation over a Rank 1 potion.
--
Isake stopped in front of two elderly men, so Finn stopped too. Though Finn couldn't sense their power, he was sure they were far stronger than even the current leader of the Azure Wood Family.
"Father, First Elder," Isake greeted them with a respectful bow. He gestured to Finn. "This is my friend from the Institute, Finn Doria."
"It's an honor to meet you," Finn said, bowing as well.
"Hmm? Doria? If I'm not mistaken, you're from the Azure Wood Family, correct?" Isake's father asked with a smile.
"You're correct, sir."
After introductions, the two young men sat beside the elders and continued chatting. Finn could hardly believe he was face to face with the famous Augustus Reeve. Of course, he'd heard the name before—his father often told him stories about the Aristocrat Clans of the kingdom.
Augustus' strength was comparable to that of Frederick Marren, the current leader of the Black Tiger Family.
As that name crossed his mind, Finn clenched his fist and turned to Isake. "Isake, I need to go somewhere."
Isake nodded and resumed his conversation with his father.
Once Finn was gone, Augustus shifted the topic and asked, "You know there's conflict between the Azure Wood Family and Black Tiger Family. What are you thinking, boy?"
"Father, you know those tigers are our sworn enemies. And the enemy of our enemy can be considered our friend. If those tigers manage to seize the Doria's lands, ten years from now their clan could rise from Aristocrat to Noble status. When that happens, we won't be able to compete with them anymore," Isake explained seriously. Even though he was young, he knew much about their clan's affairs.
"You want to help the Azure Wood Family? You know they're one of the weakest clans. Do you really think it's worth it?" Augustus asked.
"But Father, you should know they've raised a talented Adventurer—and that's Finn Doria!" Isake insisted.
"But he's only 7th Level Bronze Rank. Unlike you, who are already at 8th Level," Augustus countered.
"Father, be honest—could you raise your level from 5th Bronze to 7th Bronze in just six days? And he did that without any support or wealth," Isake challenged, meeting his father's gaze.
Both elders looked surprised. Augustus turned to the First Elder. "First Elder, what do you think?"
The old man sighed deeply. "For now, we can't draw any conclusions. If he manages to enter the Inner Institute before he turns eighteen, then it will be worth supporting him—he could be a great asset to us in the future."
Augustus nodded thoughtfully at the First Elder's opinion.
'Finn Doria… I don't know why I want to help you so much. But this is all I can do for you. Whether there's hope for your family now depends on you,' Isake thought.
From the moment he saw Finn's eyes staring defiantly at Seve Marren, he felt something he couldn't explain—those eyes, so full of courage and determination. He would never forget them.
--
"Stop!" barked the guard as he saw Finn approaching. "This area is for auction house staff and clients submitting items for auction!"
Finn didn't say anything. He simply took a bottle from his interspatial sack and handed it over. "I'd like to auction this."
"A Rank 1 potion? This has a strange scent. Wait here—I'll call our esteemed appraiser." He returned the bottle and quickly left.
Moments later, he came back. "Follow me—the appraiser wishes to see the potion you wish to auction."
The guard began walking, and Finn followed him. They stopped in front of a door.
"You may enter. Our respected appraiser is inside," the guard said.
Finn nodded and bowed in thanks. He pushed the door open and found himself in an elegant room. A beautiful woman sat on a wooden chair behind a table.
'The appraiser is a woman?' Finn thought in surprise. From what he understood, potions and pills appraisal was usually done by elderly experts with vast knowledge and experience.
The woman ignored his reaction and spoke in a serious tone. "Sit."
She gestured to the vacant chair in front of her. Finn promptly sat down, still alert.
"The guard told me you wish to auction a Rank 1 potion?" she asked with a smile. "Normally, we don't auction Rank 1 potions. But according to him, yours is unusual, so I wanted to see it myself."
Without hesitation, Finn retrieved the potion and handed it over. The woman sniffed it, and her expression changed instantly.
"I must apologize, but I've never seen or smelled a potion like this," she said seriously, fixing her gaze on Finn before offering a warm smile. "Can you explain what it does?"
Finn nodded and explained the effects. As he spoke, she kept nodding—she'd never heard of a potion like this before.
"Truly unique and remarkable! It's just unfortunate that it only works for Bronze Rank Adventurers," she said thoughtfully before continuing. "How many do you wish to auction?"
"I have six," Finn answered nervously. He placed the remaining five bottles on the table. He was eager to know how much they might be worth.
"Hmm, six… I believe the starting price for each potion should be five gold coins. I'll divide them into two batches. That means a starting value of fifteen gold coins per banch, for a total of thirty gold coins. But don't worry—the price will go higher."
'Thirty gold coins?!' Finn could hardly believe it.
In towns and cities, the main currencies were copper, silver, and gold coins. One gold coin equaled a hundred silver coins, and a silver coin equaled a hundred copper coins.
Because of just a few hundred copper coins and his own perseverance, he could earn thirty gold coins! With this money, he could start making pills—worth far more than the potions he was selling.
Finn suddenly stood up and bowed to the smiling woman. "Thank you so much! I'm Finn Doria!"
"Doria… From the Azure Wood Family?" she asked, surprised. Then she continued, "Did you make these potions yourself?"
Finn hesitated, unsure how to respond. But in the end, he nodded shyly.
"I didn't know such an extraordinary talent came from such an ordinary clan. Mm. My name is Alicia, and I currently manage this Heavenly Auction House. Don't worry—by our rules, we never reveal our clients' identities," she said with a reassuring smile.
--
By afternoon, Finn rejoined the Golden Lion Family's group. The auction was about to begin. As he looked around, something unpleasant caught his eye: the Black Tiger Family. Among them, Seve Marren was smiling and chatting with a man about Augustus' age.
Seve suddenly sensed a pair of eyes on him. He searched the crowd, and when he spotted the Golden Lion Family group, he couldn't hide his shock at the familiar face.
"Finn Doria?!"