Zero turned his masked face toward the trembling maid in the corner of the VIP room.
"Lyra. Come here," his mechanical voice commanded calmly.
Lyra flinched but slowly walked forward. Her terrified eyes darted between the imposing black-armored man and the massive giganteus Centaur-kin resting comfortably by his legs. Lyra worked at the Golden Scales; she knew exactly what Kaelith was. A giant centaur was an incredibly rare species that would sell for an astronomical fortune in the underground slave markets.
But Lyra was smart. 'If I tell the guards he pulled a rare centaur out of a shadow, they will think I am completely crazy,' she thought, her heart pounding in her chest. 'No one would ever believe me. And more importantly... I have no desire to make an enemy out of a terrifying monster like him.'
She bowed her head deeply, keeping her mouth shut about the centaur. "H-How may I serve you, My Lord?"
Zero silently accessed his System Shop and purchased a high-grade item. A glowing, golden vial materialized in his armored hand.
"Take this to your Chief Appraiser," Zero instructed, handing her the vial. "Tell him I want this added to the auction stage immediately"
Lyra carefully took the warm glass vial. It was a Rank B Deep-Tissue Healing Lotion. Unlike normal healing items that only fix surface cuts, this lotion had a miraculous property. Because it was 100% pure, it could sink deep beneath the skin to repair torn muscles and completely mend shattered bones back together in seconds.
"R-Right away, Lord Zero," Lyra whispered. She quickly bowed and hurried out of the VIP room, relieved to escape the heavy, intimidating aura of the titan and his giant vanguard.
Lyra ran down the velvet-lined hallways and rushed directly into Chief Appraiser Bartholomeus's office.
"Sir!" Lyra said, holding up the glowing golden vial. "Lord Zero wishes to add one more item to tonight's auction!"
Bartholomeus looked at the golden liquid, his small greedy eyes widening. He could physically feel the pure mana radiating from the glass. "Get the Alchemical Appraiser in here! Now!"
Within seconds, an elderly man wearing grey robes—the guild's top potion tester—rushed into the room. He took the vial, carefully opened the stopper, and let a single drop fall onto a special magic testing stone.
The stone instantly glowed with a blinding, pure golden light.
The Alchemical Appraiser gasped, his hands shaking in shock. "Marvelous! Sir Bartholomeus, items of this quality are incredibly rare! This doesn't just heal skin; it restores broken bones to perfect condition. And the purity... it is a perfect 100% pure lotion! There is absolutely no doubt about it!"
Bartholomeus's face flushed red with sheer excitement. Lady Valmont had just paid a fortune for raw ingredients, but a fully crafted, 100% pure Rank B healing item was practically a myth in this era of war.
"Don't just stand there!" Bartholomeus shouted, pointing his fat finger toward the door. "Take it to the Auctioneer immediately! Put it on the stage right now
Down on the main stage, the lights dimmed again. The Auctioneer stepped forward, looking breathless. He held a velvet cushion. Resting on it was a single glass vial glowing with a warm, golden light.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the Auctioneer shouted, his voice shaking with excitement. "We thought the Velkora Fruits were the peak of tonight's auction. But we were wrong! I present to you a Rank B Deep-Tissue Healing Lotion!"
The crowd leaned in. A Rank B potion was already incredible, but the golden glow proved this was something entirely different.
"This is not a normal potion!" the Auctioneer explained loudly. "This is 100% pure! It does not just close cuts. It reaches deep under the skin to instantly repair torn muscles and perfectly heal shattered bones! In this time of war, this is a miracle in a bottle!"
Up in VIP Room Two, Lady Elara Valmont stood up so fast her chair almost fell backward. She pressed her hands against the glass, staring at the golden vial. Her eyes were wide with absolute shock.
"How is this possible?" Elara whispered, her voice trembling. "I have spent my entire life studying alchemy. I use the best ingredients in the Kingdom. How can someone create a potion that is so perfect? It is completely flawless. Who could possibly make something better than me?"
Behind her, Brielle Ironheart frowned, gripping the hilt of her sword.
"El, you are the youngest of the top alchemists in the world," Brielle said softly, trying to calm her friend. "Who else could have this kind of skill? Wait... do you think it is the same person who just sold those perfect Velkora Fruits?"
Down on the stage, the Auctioneer answered her question for the whole room to hear.
"Many of you, especially our esteemed alchemists, must be wondering who crafted such a masterpiece," the Auctioneer smiled broadly. "You guessed right! The person who provided this miracle lotion is the exact same person who gave us the Velkora Fruits! He has generously offered this item to the auction. His name is... Lord Zero!"
Murmur. Murmur.
The massive hall suddenly filled with confused whispers. Everyone started talking at once.
"Zero? What kind of name is that?" a wealthy merchant whispered.
"It's a very interesting name," a noblewoman muttered. "But wait... he didn't give a family name. No surname at all? Does that mean this incredible genius is just a commoner?"
Inside VIP Room One, Crown Prince Caspian Aldric stared at the golden vial. His heart was beating fast. Beside him, Princess Seraphina looked shocked, realizing that a single commoner held more valuable items than their entire royal vault.
'Zero...' Caspian thought, a greedy smile forming on his face. 'If a man like this can supply perfect fruits and miracle healing potions, he is more valuable than an army. If I can take this man under my command, my military will be unstoppable. I will be the most powerful King in history!'
Across the hall in VIP Room Three, Crown Prince Kaelen Aurelius of Solaria was thinking the exact same thing.
'I don't care if he is a commoner without a surname,' Kaelen thought, his eyes locked on the stage. 'I must recruit this Lord Zero. If I bring him to Solaria, we will crush Oakhaven in the war.'
Back in VIP Room Two, Lady Elara Valmont took a deep breath. She stopped trembling. Her shock was replaced by a cold, sharp determination.
She turned to her knight.
"You are absolutely right, Brielle," Elara said, her eyes flashing with intense focus. "This man, Zero, is too talented and too dangerous to be left alone. If he works for a rival kingdom, my family's potion business will be destroyed"
She crossed her arms, looking up toward the dark glass of VIP Room Seven, as if she knew he was watching from somewhere in the building.
"We cannot let the royals get to him first," Elara declared firmly. "We must find this Lord Zero, and we must bring him under our family's control, no matter what it takes
Here is the continuation of the scene, written in simple and clear English just as you requested.
Down on the stage, the Auctioneer held up the glowing golden vial of Rank B Lotion.
"The bidding for Lord Zero's miracle lotion begins at Ten Platinum Coins!" the Auctioneer shouted, banging his gavel.
The royal VIP rooms immediately lit up.
"Eleven Platinum!" Prince Caspian called out from Room One.
"Fifteen Platinum!" Prince Kaelen countered loudly from Room Three.
Before the two Princes could fight further, the calm, powerful voice of Lady Elara Valmont echoed from VIP Room Two.
"Twenty Platinum Coins"
The crowd on the main floor gasped. Everyone thought the bidding was over. Lady Elara had just crushed the royals in the last round. Surely, the Princes would give up again, right?
But this time, the outcome was completely different.
"Twenty-seven Platinum!" Caspian roared, not backing down.
"Thirty Platinum!" Kaelen shouted back instantly.
The auction house went crazy with whispers. The Princes were openly defying the Valmont Family! The crowd was shocked, but inside VIP Room Two, Elara Valmont was not surprised at all.
She knew exactly why the Princes were taking this massive risk. They were not fighting over the healing lotion anymore. They were trying to show off their incredible wealth to get the attention of Lord Zero. If either Prince could recruit Zero, his perfect items would completely destroy the Valmont Family's monopoly on potions.
"I will never let that happen," Elara whispered coldly. She pressed her hand on the dial. "Thirty-five Platinum"
Before the Princes could shout another number, Brielle Ironheart stepped up to the edge of the balcony in VIP Room Two. As Elara's sworn knight and bodyguard, it was her job to protect the family's business. She used her loud, trained voice to speak directly to the royal rooms.
"Your Highnesses of Oakhaven and Solaria!" Brielle called out respectfully, using formal knightly language "Please, do not waste your Kingdoms' hard-earned tax money on a single item. The Valmont Family greatly requires this lotion for our alchemical research. If you graciously step back and allow us to buy it, the Valmont Guild will offer both of your royal armies a very large discount on your next bulk order of healing potions"
Both Princes froze in their rooms.
They were arrogant, but they were not stupid. They understood Brielle's hidden warning perfectly: You do not have Lord Zero yet. We still control your military's medical supplies. Step back now, or we will cut off your potions.