A faint, enchanting smile curved her lips. In that moment, she looked less like a student and more like a clever, playful spirit guiding the flow of fate. Every movement, every expression, drew attention effortlessly.
She knew exactly how to squeeze the greatest value from rare items.
In her past life, this sort of thing had been routine.
The crowd fell silent for a breath, then excitement surged.
Three Elixirs!
That was far more than anyone had dared hope for. As long as there was a chance, as long as they could gather enough resources, hope still existed.
More importantly, the auction method was fair.
No favoritism. No background required.
Whoever prepared the best would win.
It would all depend on their own abilities.
Raphael's own eyes sparkled with surprise and admiration. Even he hadn't expected Zora to have three Elixirs, let alone announce an auction so decisively.
What amazed him even more was her sense of timing and strategy.
An auction.
