Chapter 43: Isela

  Lin Li poked his head out to take a look, but found that the owner of this gilded rose seemed to be too young, looking no more than twenty-something, not even thirty years old. He had a handsome appearance, fair and elegant, with a strong scholarly aura about him, making people feel a great liking for him at first sight.

  "How can you be so young?" Lin Li was slightly surprised and paused for a moment.

  "What can you do, his father died too early and didn't have many sons."

  "He's still younger than Kevin, right?"

  "He's two years younger than Kevin, but he's far more capable than that kid. When he took over the Mannis family at just twenty years old, we all thought it was going to be a disaster for them. But who would have thought that in these few years, not only did the Mannis family not decline, but they actually became even more prosperous under his leadership." Grian said, then glared at Lin Li with some annoyance: "Just thinking about it makes me angry, what kind of world is this? How can Gallos keep producing such freaks? First there was Isela a few years ago, and now you're an even more abnormal little brat..."

  "......" Lin Li scratched his head, thinking "Who did I provoke?"

  "It's strange to say, this kid has been in charge of the Mannis family for seven years and hasn't even made a move once. No one knows what his real abilities are. Old Odin, you know, a few years ago, because of some business conflicts, he sent several killers to test the waters, but none of them came back. Not only that, but just a few days later, while he was still sleeping, someone shaved off his beard. The old man woke up in the middle of the night and was so scared that he became a fool. He ran to the Mannis house that same night, begging for mercy and apologizing, and finally managed to settle the matter."

  When two people were talking, the price of ten bottles of Ofada medicine had already been raised to four hundred thousand.

  "Four hundred and fifty thousand." Ruben Salomon always seemed to carry an aura of coldness around him, and every time Lin Li heard his price, he felt a chill run down his spine.

  "Four hundred and eighty thousand!" Isela's smile was warm and gentle, making people feel like a spring breeze, but when it came to pricing, she was decisive and swift. Almost as soon as Ruben's voice had fallen, she raised the price by another thirty thousand.

  Ruben Salazar was also a ruthless man, otherwise he wouldn't have killed his father and brothers in one night. The withered arm under the black robe of the dark mage lifted: "Five million five hundred thousand."

  At this astonishing price, however, Gallos's richest man was not deterred. Before the scrawny arm had even fallen, Isela Mannis raised the price by another thirty thousand: "Five hundred and eighty thousand."

  "Six hundred and fifty thousand!"

  "Whoa!"

  As soon as the new price came out, the people in the guild hall went completely crazy. A group of magicians looked at each other in dismay, all doubting whether they had heard it wrong. Lin Li took a deep breath and pinched his thigh hard, while even Gryan beside him was involuntarily grasping the armrests of his chair tightly, muttering: "Too exciting... too exciting..."

  "Mr. Kevin, please wait a moment." Isela Mannis did not continue bidding but instead applied for a suspension: "I remember that Chairman Grian once said that if there is difficulty with cash, it can be replaced with things, is that right, Mr. Kevin?"

  The hall suddenly fell silent, with all eyes on Isela Mannis. This statement was even more astonishing than Saruman's offer. No one had expected that the second person to admit they didn't have enough cash, aside from Anthony Rollin, would be Isela Mannis - the richest man in Gallos City!

  "You're right, Elder Isyera..."

  "So, I'd like to ask Guildmaster Grian to appraise this set of mage equipment and tell me roughly how much it's worth in gold coins."

  The young clan leader gave a couple of orders and his attendants quickly brought over a set of equipment.

  This set of equipment consists of three pieces: a staff inlaid with an eighth-level magic crystal, a black rune-inscribed mage robe, and a secret silver necklace pendant with a singing crystal.

  Greer stared at the equipment without saying a word, but in his heart he had already cursed, "Damn your mother's pale face, what are you doing messing with me when you have nothing better to do?"

  The items are indeed good stuff, all three pieces of equipment are top-notch, especially that one Mithril necklace, most ordinary mages would be envious at first sight.

  But what's going on now is an auction of Ofa pharmaceuticals.

  This set of equipment that is neither high nor low, thrown into the Golden Rose, would not be worth more than 20,000 gold coins. In a business where tens of millions are at stake, throwing in two or three million gold coins wouldn't even make a ripple, let alone be enough to save one's life...

  Just as everyone was thinking differently, the young richest man spoke again.

  "I won't hide it from you, Grian, but the Mannis family is indeed facing some financial difficulties lately." The young patriarch's face still wore a warm smile, but his words thoroughly plunged the Saluman family into despair: "So I was thinking of exchanging one hundred sets of this equipment for ten bottles of Olfa medicine. What do you think, Grian?"

  "A hundred... a hundred sets?" Grian swallowed hard.

  "Yes, one hundred sets."

  "Deal!"

  The hall was quiet to the point of being eerie, probably the most absurd scene at an auction. The entire transaction hadn't even been confirmed by Kevin's gavel, but no one present had doubted its validity. What made them feel absurd was the Mannis family - a hundred sets of high-quality equipment, all for ten bottles of Ofar potion. They were even wondering if this young clan leader had gone mad...

  But along with the absurdity comes an unprecedented sense of crisis.

  The current Magic Guild in Galos City is now as strong as the sun at noon, with one of the strongest mages in Galos and a true pharmacist. On top of this terrifying foundation, the Mannis family has even provided them with 100 sets of powerful magical equipment...

  Many leaders just thinking about it makes their scalp feel numb. One hundred well-equipped mages would be a formidable force, wouldn't they?

  Moreover, the leaders of these various forces are not fools. After the initial absurdity passed, they quickly came to their senses. The Mannis family would not do a losing business for nothing. After taking out 100 sets of high-quality equipment, they must have cooperated with the Magic Guild in a series of ways. Thinking of the cooperation between these two giants, everyone's minds couldn't help but think... Gallos City is probably going to change its sky...

  On one side was the richest man in Galos City, on the other was the strongest mage in Galos. Amidst the varied expressions of the crowd, two hands tightly clasped together.

  "Guildmaster Gruen, I have a small request." The young clan leader said softly as he shook hands with Gruen: "I wonder if you could introduce me to the young pharmacist in your guild?"

  "This is probably the only thing I can't decide on my own, I have to ask him before making a decision..." Grian's face showed a hint of helplessness. This matter was indeed something he couldn't take charge of. The current Lin Li could be said to be the most special person in the Magic Guild. Including Grian himself, no one could force him to do something he didn't want to do. Everyone knew that without this young magician, there would be no future for the guild.

  "What a pity..." Isela said with some regret, but soon smiled again: "Then please tell that pharmacist sir that I happen to have a big business on hand, and I need three bottles of magic potion. If he is willing to help, the reward will definitely be satisfactory. He can choose any three items from the Mannis family's collection!"

  "…." Grian took a deep breath, the Mannis family was one of the richest in the Kingdom of France, and after 1300 years since the Dark Ages, who knew how many good things they had hidden away, to be able to choose three items at will, this was something that Grian had never even thought about...