NOVPUB
Chapter 228: The End of the Auction
"This occasion also serves to announce that the Alchemist Association has welcomed another 10-star badge alchemist into its ranks. He is the one who concocted all of these six stripes pills. Let us applaud the new esteemed grandmaster and the association’s success."
The applause that followed this announcement was mixed with shock. The Alchemist Association had gained another grandmaster? Why hadn’t there been any announcement from the imperial family? The second prince, however, only raised his eyebrows. To think that another 10-star badge alchemist had joined the association’s ranks.
For the past few days, he had been receiving reports that something was going on in the association. He didn’t know the details, but it seemed to be related to the three grandmasters of the association and an unknown person. He didn’t want to ask the association master for his own reasons and chose not to dwell too deeply on it, letting the events take their course.
To think that it was the new 10-star badge alchemist. However, he was confused as to why the association hadn’t informed the imperial family about this. He knew that the Alchemist Association was an independent organization, separate from the imperial family, but although not mandatory, news of a new 10-star badge alchemist was typically shared with the imperial family first.
The imperial family could then reward the alchemist and extend their protection to the association’s alchemists. In this way, they maintained a strong connection with the Alchemist Association.
The second prince wondered why the association had chosen to hide this matter. There could be many reasons, but he set those thoughts aside as he listened to the auctioneer continue with the announcement.
"As for his identity, I must apologize to the ladies and gentlemen here. At his request, we cannot disclose his name or any information related to him. However, he has stated that he will reveal himself when the time is right."
Many were disappointed by this, but they understood the alchemist’s request for several reasons. With his abilities, he would be under immense pressure if his name were made public. There would be many inconveniences, such as people seeking his pills, especially nobles or even the imperial family, as well as threats from those who might wish to kill him to prevent the Alchemist Association from rising further.
However, people wondered if the imperial family knew about this—it seemed this alchemist truly wanted to distance himself from all kinds of potential trouble. If he didn’t want to inform the masses, it meant he wasn’t seeking fame and was only leveraging the benefits of being a member of the association.
The second prince, knowing that the imperial family had not been informed, shared the same thoughts. However, if this alchemist believed he could entirely avoid the imperial family, he was mistaken! The second prince began contemplating how he might find this alchemist. He then looked at the platform, pondering for a moment, before glancing at the wall that connected his room to Aldrian’s.
"Who is the person in the room next to mine?" he wondered, someone who seemed to hold the same status as the imperial family according to the Alchemist Association. At first, he hadn’t cared, and the association had also refrained from revealing the identity of the private attendee. This was in line with the association’s rules, which prohibited disclosing the identities of those using private rooms, so he understood their commitment to secrecy.
However, now that there was the mysterious identity of the alchemist, he couldn’t help but wonder about the person residing in the room next to his. Sometimes, the least likely places turned out to be where mysterious figures were hiding. But this was not confirmed, and if he was wrong, he would bring trouble upon himself for offending someone of such caliber. There were other things that made him doubt the identity of the person in the room beside him, but he wasn’t in a rush. He would approach the matter carefully.
"As you can see, his ability is unparalleled. He can concoct these pills with the highest quality every time, and the good news is he will continue to release his products in the future. So, ladies and gentlemen, please pay attention to the Alchemist Association for upcoming auctions. We look forward to your attendance. On behalf of the Alchemist Association, I, Dave Gallard, would like to thank you for your participation and say goodbye until the next auction," the auctioneer said, as the light illuminated the entire hall once again.
The people were still in disbelief that they had just witnessed an auction for the six stripes pills. After this, the news of the pills’ authenticity would spread, and the continent would be in shock once again, just as it had been after the appearance of the middle divine-grade artifact. The name of the Alchemist Association would soar to new heights, and there would be a surge in orders for the pills due to the existence of the six stripes pills.
The mysterious alchemist’s identity would also be a topic of conversation in the future, until he reveals himself.
As the people began to disperse, Aldrian looked at his group.
"Let’s go back; we have nothing more to do here," Aldrian said, then turned his gaze to Grandmaster Marco, who was still in his room since he had entered earlier.
"Grandmaster Marco, I will take my leave now. If there is anything, you can contact me as usual," Aldrian said, cupping his hands.
"Alright, safe journey," Grandmaster Marco replied with a smile.
After that, Aldrian left the room and followed the pathway that connected to the Alchemist Association’s main building beside it. The VVIP rooms were designed with special paths, ensuring that no one could know who was inside, even after the auction was over. Each VVIP room had its own separate pathway, so even if two people came out of these rooms at the same time, they wouldn’t see each other’s faces due to the different routes.
After they reached the end of the pathway, Aldrian moved toward a different exit from the others. Finally, he saw the main street of the city. From there, everything was fine, as they could blend with the crowd easily and avoid raising any suspicion.
They walked for about half an hour before arriving at the huge mansion in the luxurious district. This was the new residence for Aldrian and his group, a place provided by the Association Master not long after he mentioned that the association would give him a place to stay. The Association Master had truly exaggerated by offering such a large mansion, but Aldrian had accepted it. After all, he had his own plans in mind.
The Association Master explained that the mansion was empty because the previous owner had passed away, and there was no one to inherit it. So, he decided to buy the mansion. However, he purchased it through a third party, using a name unrelated to the association, to avoid making it obvious that the mansion had been acquired by them. This also helped to avoid drawing suspicious eyes that might try to uncover the identity of the mysterious alchemist.
Aldrian and the others always used the back gate, where no one passed by, due to the mansion’s exclusive nature. This way, no one would recognize his face and realize that he was now the owner of the mansion. It would be easy for those who knew him and his connection to the three grandmasters to discern something if they suddenly saw him owning such a grand mansion.
After tonight, many people might start to doubt his identity, but as long as they don’t have solid evidence, it would remain nothing more than baseless speculation. He could simply deny being the alchemist they were searching for, and that would be the end of it. After all, he never wore his alchemist robe or 10-star badge anyway.
However, after moving here a few days ago, Aldrian finally discovered something. True to his suspicions about this place, after establishing his domain and checking the entire mansion, he found many hidden formations that would be missed by most people. These formations could only be detected if the resident of the mansion focused their senses or accidentally touched the formations with their energy.
The formations were located in some hidden places within the mansion, making them difficult to find. Once Aldrian became aware of their existence and their locations, he checked each one carefully.
Most of these formations were actually a type of tapped formation, where every sound near the formation would be transferred somewhere else. The rest of the formations were teleportation formations. Aldrian didn’t know where these teleportations led, but he could manipulate the teleportation formations to redirect anyone who teleported here, ensuring they would land in his designated location.
He also manipulated the tapped formations so that they wouldn’t transmit voices clearly. Instead of the actual conversations, what could be heard at the opposite end was the sound of heavy rain, which would obscure the real sounds. This would confuse anyone trying to eavesdrop on his or his group’s conversation. If he completely disabled the formations, it might raise suspicion in those on the other end, so it was better to make it seem like the formation had a problem.
After they arrived at the mansion, Aldrian immediately checked for anything amiss while they were at the auction. After a few moments of scanning, he found nothing unusual, so he and the others entered their respective rooms.
Aldrian had already informed Sylphia and the others about the formations, so they also treated the mansion with caution. After everyone settled in, Aldrian sat on his bed to meditate, something he enjoyed when he wasn’t practicing or engaged in any other activities. He remained in that position for hours until, suddenly, he sensed a movement.
