Part of the Truth

An orange light appeared at the end. Pushing open the door, a receptionist in a suit and tie greeted him.

Surrounded by a dozen burly men, he felt an invisible sense of oppression and fear.

She slowly bent down, taking out a pre-prepared key from her skirt pocket for the briefcase.

The one-eyed man, who was missing an eye, easily caught the key thrown to him. He seemed to scrutinize the girl, who looked around, wearing glasses, while her hand was on the case.

Before her, the dark and deep tunnel was filled with a dozen men, dressed in a way that would make any girl uncomfortable, but Selina remained expressionless.

She placed the case on the ground, then threw the key to the one-eyed man with the eye patch at the head of the group.

After a long pause, he spoke, his voice low.

“According to the information provided, you?”

“Yes,妾身 (concubine/this humble one) Selina. To pay and supervise the auction item.”

Selina smoothed her skirt, calmly saying, “My sister.”

“Hmm, as per the agreement, 60 million gold coins, open the box for inspection.”

A subordinate next to him took the key from the one-eyed man and carefully inserted it into the briefcase’s lock. With a crisp click, the briefcase opened.

Immediately, a dazzling golden light shone into the dimly lit backstage, reflecting in everyone’s eyes.

Gold cards, rows upon rows of shimmering gold cards.

Sixty million gold coins, the final amount for this auction.

‘Is she VIP No. 23’s sister?’

“Yes, I am here on my sister’s orders to oversee the process.”

Selina’s eyes were like a dutiful servant.

The plump man, acting as the leader, accepted the gold cards. “Since you are attending a black market auction, it is natural to carry so many gold coins with you, as it is one of the proofs of your identity.”

In a world of magic, the gold cards here were the largest and most credible currency on the continent, issued by the Proptos Bank itself.

They were neatly stacked, and when counted, each gold card made the subordinate’s hands tremble slightly.

The sweating subordinate quickly returned to the one-eyed man.

His gaze towards the silver-haired girl held a hint of awe.

“As expected of the Blood Empire’s public guest. Given your trust in us, we will act with integrity. Someone, take her to receive the goods. Don’t make any mistakes…”

With that, the group of men in suits left the backstage. Only Selina and the scholar who had previously led the way remained.

“Miss Selina, please follow me.”

“Did you bring the alchemical potion? This is what I was specifically told to bring.”

“Don’t worry, we are professionals.” The scholar smiled lightly, pointing to a hanging leather pouch on his waist.

After leaving the backstage, the two turned towards the secret room where the goods were stored.

Because payment had been made, the auction house seemed to have sent no additional people to monitor them.

Selina, noticing the change in atmosphere around her, started a conversation with the scholar beside her.

“What is your name, young sir?”

Selina, from behind, seemed intentionally or unintentionally curious. Perhaps because payment had already been made, the distance between them felt a little closer. The bespectacled young scholar, despite Selina’s noble status, pondered for a moment before replying.

“My name is Hart. My age is 20.”

“So young, Mr. Hart, and already a professional alchemist? Your future is truly limitless!” Selina’s praise was calm, yet carried a hint of a girl’s unique charm.

Hearing himself praised, Hart’s usually calm demeanor couldn’t help but brighten.

In this dark auction house, whether it was the mages, mercenaries, or even the elegant auctioneer, his status as a mere alchemist had never earned him recognition.

The young man’s pride.

His past qualifications in his teacher’s eyes were merely those of a student.

Now, being praised as an alchemist by such a beautiful girl made him feel quite proud and pleased.

“Miss, you flatter me. I still have much to learn.”

Hart still maintained a gentlemanly modesty on his lips.

“Oh no, I think Mr. Hart will surely shine brightly in the field of alchemy. Alchemists are the most respected profession in this world, those masters in the field of alchemy…”

“Really? I didn’t expect Miss Selina to also have such a thirst for alchemical knowledge…”

Almost every praise from Selina hit Hart’s weak spot. There was no one in the world who disliked flattery, when done well and on point.

And Selina was clearly an expert in this area. Just a few words had already made this young scholar, who had little experience, let down his guard.

In his heart, his vigilance dropped considerably.

He began to constantly talk to Selina, all about his research and discoveries in the field of alchemy.

Some details he had gathered from auction house staff were also inadvertently revealed.

Selina patiently listened from behind, a gentle and qualified listener.

She wasn’t actually interested in the young man before her, but in the secrets he unknowingly disclosed.

The path from the backstage to the storage room was not short. The conversation between Selina and Hart made the journey pass quickly.

Reaching the door of the secret room, Hart, his lips slightly dry, pulled out the string of keys from his waist.

He found the corresponding key and opened the door to the secret room.

“Miss Selina, please come in.”

Selina nodded and stepped into the room.

The kerosene lamp in the secret room was lit.

The two entered a small space. The stuffy air made her feel uncomfortable.

Her gaze remained fixed on the two figures in the center of the secret room’s iron cage.

The older sister held her younger sister tightly. Pale green hair scattered over Aileen’s shoulders.

Her beautiful and delicate face bore dried tear marks.

The light didn’t elicit any reaction from her.

She sat in the cage like a puppet, still clutching her sister.

Selina walked forward and knelt down.

She looked into the Wood Elf’s eyes. She didn’t wait for the light.

The deep green eyes were originally full of vitality.

Selina could not see the light through her eyes. What she saw was only the chaotic numbness, the woody darkness, and the despair for life.

A smile slowly spread across Selina’s face as she subconsciously tightened her fingers into a fist.

“What is your name?”

The Wood Elf mechanically lifted her head.

A silent aura filled the space between the two.

“Her name is Aileen, and the smaller one in her arms is Ifya, but these are no longer important. As slaves, they naturally belong to a master, and it’s right for the master to give them new names.”

Hart’s tone was relaxed as he spoke. He once again pulled out the string of keys from his waist, accurately finding the corresponding key to unlock the iron cage.

“Miss Selina, next I will demonstrate how a genuine alchemist performs a standardized drug injection on the merchandise.”

With that, the young man pulled out a syringe filled with an alchemical injection and another test tube containing purple liquid from the leather pouch on his waist.

Hart skillfully used his thumb to flick open the cap of the test tube.

At the same time, he inserted the needle of the syringe into the liquid in the test tube and slowly pulled back the plunger.

The syringe began to draw in the purple liquid from the test tube.

With the popping sound of the plunger being pulled back, the scent of the liquid began to spread in the air.

Elves had extremely keen senses. The previously numb and dull eyes of Aileen, who was tightly clutching her sister, regained a hint of expression.

She tremblingly pushed her sister behind her, her deep green eyes filled with helplessness and despair.

“No, don’t hurt my sister! Don’t inject her with those medicines! No, please, no!”

At this moment, she was incredibly weak, and having just endured a mental s*ave brand, even standing up was difficult, let alone resisting.

Hart continued calmly, as if he hadn’t heard her voice, proceeding with his steps.

The alchemical solution in the test tube was sucked dry. As if to demonstrate his professionalism, he deliberately held the syringe upright and flicked its barrel with his middle finger.

A trickle of faint purple liquid sprayed from the tip of the needle.

That tiny droplet, in Aileen’s eyes, was like the deadly venom released from a poisonous snake’s fangs.

“Just be quiet. You and your sister are now the property of this young lady. Slaves have no right to choose. Always begging and crying, what a pathetic and useless race…”

Hart forcefully kicked the outside of the cage, his eyes disdainful and cold.

No one could feel pity for a life. He stepped into the cage, reaching out to grab the small elf behind Aileen. His sudden movement was met with a voice.

“Wait a moment, Mr. Hart.”

Hart’s hand froze in mid-air. In his heart, there was a glimmer of excitement.

His process, which he had just begun, was interrupted, but thinking that it was the beautiful and talented lady who had stopped him, he suppressed that hint of dissatisfaction.

“What is it, Miss Selina?”

“Hmm, indeed.”

The silver-haired girl extended her index finger and gently pointed at her chin, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Because of this, Hart always felt that the distance between Miss Selina and himself had become somewhat closer.

“Is there anything you don’t understand?”

“Mr. Hart, you know I greatly admire alchemy, but unfortunately, my talent isn’t enough to fully understand various alchemical reagents and ingredients. Therefore, I’ve long been keen on collecting various alchemical creations for no particular reason. I’m quite interested in the alchemical potion in your hand, Mr. Hart. Could you tell me the raw materials and formula for this potion?”

As she spoke, a sweet and alluring smile appeared on Selina’s face.

The young man looked troubled, hesitating for a moment, but still decided to refuse.

“I apologize, Miss Selina, but the formula is confidential. Moreover, this alchemical potion that can make elves grow quickly is only known to me and my teacher.”

“Leaking a confidential formula is a great taboo for alchemists. I ask that Miss Selina not make things difficult for me with such a request.”

Hart sighed, a troubled expression on his face.

“Is that so? It seems my request has indeed put Mr. Hart in a difficult position.”

Selina sighed, her beautiful eyes showing a distressed expression. Her two jade hands lightly massaged the corner of her skirt as if from habit.

Perhaps due to the strong rubbing, the skirt swayed, and with a few crisp sounds, golden gold cards fell from the girl’s skirt onto the floor.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry, my small pocket money accidentally fell out.”

Selina stuck out her tongue apologetically, then bent down to pick up the gold cards that had fallen on the ground.

Hart? Hart was already stunned, standing rooted to the spot.

What had he just seen? What had he just heard?

‘This lady’s pocket money?’

A thought arose in his heart. Alchemists needed money, but as an apprentice, he couldn’t get any. His supposed master would only ask his teacher for money. The amount he received, while not small, was pitifully meager.

‘I wonder what kind of great experiments alchemists need to conduct?’

‘I know Mr. Hart has talent, but he’s still doing this menial job. What’s the reason?’

‘Vulgar money has restricted your talent. Money is the only thing limiting your potential.’

Selina’s words were like a bullet, accurately hitting the accumulated restrictive shackles.

‘Yes, this lady is right. I shouldn’t be doing menial jobs here. I should be sitting in a luxurious laboratory, tinkering with various precious alchemical creations and experiments that could overturn the world. These vulgar money and worldly goals have limited my potential, purely restricted my abilities.’

Experiments required materials, and experiments were a money-burning process.

He had talent but no means to utilize it. All he needed was substantial financial support.

He didn’t care for vulgar money, but he was still stuck doing this.

‘What? What is it you want to say? Your words have restricted my potential.’

Hart’s thoughts paused at this moment, then completely plunged into darkness.

For the next moment, what fell to the ground was his head. Blood gushed out, and a thick smell of blood permeated the entire secret room.

Selina stood alone at the entrance of the secret room, a dagger in one hand, her expression dark.

“Hestia, did you know this result long ago?” she questioned the air, the chill in her eyes growing sharper.

Hestia’s voice slowly echoed in her mind.

“The truth is right before you. Even if I didn’t tell you, you would have found it yourself, wouldn’t you?”

Hestia’s voice then fell silent again.

“So, that’s how it is…” Selina stared intently at the test tube containing the red liquid.

The moment she smelled the liquid’s scent, her mind spun for a moment.

‘It was wrong. She and Sister Avia were both wrong. The truth about the elf growth serum was that its raw material did not come from within elves. This blood-like liquid was indeed blood, and its scent was all too familiar to her.’

Who would have thought that the ingredient for the potion that promoted elf growth actually came from the blood of the Elf Royal Family?

Now, Selina only wanted to return to the auction hall immediately and confirm this answer one last time, because along with the revelation of this truth, an unbelievable suspicion in her heart was gradually surfacing.

But now she had more important things to do.

Lowering her head, she looked at the body lying beside her, severed hands. Selina’s cold eyes showed no emotion.

‘A race that only cries, cowardly and useless… truly laughable!’

‘A scum who only curls up in a dark corner, relying on external power to bully the weak, your existence is even less than those rats active in the sewers. I will personally send your pathetic and filthy soul to hell.’

‘But don’t worry, you won’t be alone on your way to hell, because your companions will go down to accompany you!’