In the main world, everyone had tried to search for him, but he had concealed his identity exceptionally well, leaving no one with any clue as to who the druid was outside.
Given how Toji Hisami was acting right now, the druid was terrified that he would be kicked out right before the event even began.
If that happened, this entire trip to the auction would be in vain! Furthermore, his name would be added to the blacklist, meaning that unless he paid a steep penalty afterward, he couldn’t even dream of returning.
At that moment, up in a luxurious private suite high above the floor, a man clad in a magnificent robe also noticed the commotion down below.
After watching the spectacle for a short while, he could not help but reveal an amused, intrigued smile.
"Count Li Yang, what are you looking at?"
Beside the man in noble attire, a dashing woman dressed in hunting gear noticed his smile and could not refrain from asking.
Her question drew the attention of the other occupants within the suite as well. In truth, there were several young people in this private room who were no older than thirty.
The man in rich clothes was considered the oldest among their group.
"Nothing much, just watching something for fun. That fellow’s seeds are extraordinarily expensive; I just want to see how he ends up faring this time."
"Huh? You mean that mysterious Druid?"
"I bought his seeds before as well. Their quality is indeed top-notch, far superior to those cultivated by many elves."
"They are just a bit too pricey. A single seed of his costs as much as a whole packet of the standard variety."
Everyone in the suite began chiming in one after another, joining the man in colorful robes to watch the entertainment below.
It was the woman who had spoken first whose eyes settled firmly upon Toji Hisami.
"Count Li Yang, that person down there is probably the youngest participant present, isn’t he?"
"You can tell? Indeed, his vital energy is incredibly vibrant, like the rising sun. He is definitely no older than twenty."
The moment those words were spoken, the young elite in the private room gasped once more.
One had to understand that their own ability to enter this auction relied entirely on the guidance and backing of their parents and ancestors.
Even so, they still had to treat Count Li Yang before them with absolute deference.
When they had first gained entry to this auction back in their day, they had already been developing their respective territories for goodness knows how many years.
"Her Royal Highness Li Luol was already over twenty years old back then, right?"
"Yes, when I first came here, I had already been developing in my territory for five years, and I was level twenty at that time."
The valiant woman in hunting attire was none other than Li Luol, the record-holder for the highest trial points achieved over the past century.
When she said this, the others could not help but turn their gazes back toward Toji Hisami.
To be capable of entering here at an age even younger than Li Luol, just how formidable must this young man’s identity and background be?
Li Luol was a direct descendant of royalty, so could this young man be...
For a time, wild speculations filled everyone’s minds.
Only Li Luol slightly furrowed her brows, as she could tell that Toji Hisami was not a descendant of any prince or duke she knew.
There were very few royal descendants who met this age requirement. After going through them in her mind, the only one who fit was Victor.
Yet Toji Hisami’s aura and temperament were completely different from Victor’s.
"Victor is still participating in the trial. He does not possess the independent capability to qualify for this auction on his own," Li Luol thought to herself.
Her furrowed brows gave her delicate features a unique, striking appeal, leaving the others in the suite momentarily dazed.
Count Li Yang also noticed Li Luol’s unusual reaction, but he said nothing further and merely smiled.
Down below, the excitement had reached its absolute climax. Seeing that the puppets were about to restrain and haul him away, the druid was truly driven to panic.
"Hahahahaha! Uncle was merely joking with you just now, why did you have to lose your temper!"
The druid spat out those final words through tightly gritted teeth.
At last, he reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a single seed.
The moment this seed emerged, it instantly captured everyone’s attention.
Previously, he had been pulling out seeds by the packet, yet now he produced only a single one, which clearly demonstrated just how extraordinarily precious this seed was!
Furthermore, the seed appeared crystal clear on the outside, with a faint divine radiance shimmering within, so ethereal that no one could discern its true nature clearly.
Toji Hisami could not prevent his own heartbeat from accelerating upon seeing it.
Because he was participating remotely, however, no one could detect any outward anomaly from his avatar.
"Young man, know when to quit while you’re ahead. This seed is far more precious than you could ever imagine."
"Whether you can actually cultivate it or not, however, will depend entirely on your own capability."
The druid firmly pressed the seed into Toji Hisami’s hand, then stared at him silently, awaiting his response.
At that moment, the entire audience turned their eyes toward Toji Hisami. Everyone knew that he was undoubtedly making a massive profit this time.
That seed had already proven its extraordinary worth purely based on its visual manifestation alone. It was impossible to guess how many points it would command if put up on the official auction block.
Toji Hisami had undeniably offended the druid in the process, however. Weighing the gain against the grudge, no one could tell whether this outcome was truly good or bad.
Some onlookers sneered internally, considering Toji Hisami ignorant of proper social conduct.
In a situation like this, if he had simply given the man a way out, he would have earned a valuable favor, making future cooperation far easier.
By acting like this, Toji Hisami had alienated not only the druid, but also caused other attendees in the venue to think twice before ever dealing with him.
He had needlessly damaged his own reputation for a petty gain.
Up in the private suite, many held this exact opinion, feeling that Toji Hisami had pushed things too far.
Who were the people qualified to attend this auction? No matter how unfortunate they might be, they were all lords ruling over their own domains, and one might require their assistance at any given moment.
Leaving such a terrible impression on others now, how could he expect to navigate relationships with them in the future?
Coming from prominent backgrounds, these young nobles understood the vital importance of social etiquette and networking deeply.
Even Li Luol showed a look of slight perplexity.
Only Count Li Yang maintained the posture of someone enjoying a show from start to finish.
Deep within his eyes, however, lay a subtle trace of disdain for the superficial commentary of the others.
Down on the floor, Toji Hisami gripped the seed and looked back at the druid.
Just as everyone assumed he was finally going to offer a line to save the druid’s face, Toji Hisami suddenly reached out his other hand and smoothly swept up the previous two bags of seeds as well.
"Haha, since that’s the case, I suppose it’s better to accept your generosity rather than decline out of politeness."
"We haven’t seen each other for so many years, yet Uncle Druid still enjoys teasing me so much. I will certainly pay you a personal visit after I return."
The moment those words left his mouth, the corners of the druid’s lips twitched violently.
Expressions of utter shock washed over the surrounding crowd, while the young nobles in the private suite erupted into a complete uproar.
"Wait, they actually know each other?!"
"Hiss, so that’s how it is!"
Not only inside the private suite, but onlookers across the venue also voiced similar exclamations of surprise.
Upon hearing those words, the two puppets lowered their raised arms and stared at Toji Hisami in complete silence.
Though they were clearly emotionless alchemy constructs, Toji Hisami could practically read the words "You are truly brazen" right out of their gazes.
Up in the suite, Count Li Yang’s face also flashed with astonishment before he finally burst into uncontrolled laughter.
He laughed so hard that tears welled up in his eyes, leaving everyone else in the room completely bewildered.
Down below, the two alchemy puppets finally released their grip on the druid and declared:
"The auction is about to commence. Please do not create unnecessary misunderstandings, and kindly participate in the auction in a quiet manner."
With that, the alchemy puppets slowly sank directly into the floorboards, departing as mysteriously as they had arrived.
The druid man glared at Toji Hisami for a long time before he finally could not resist raising his arm to slam a heavy pat onto Toji Hisami’s shoulder.
Because Toji Hisami was participating remotely, however, the heavy blow struck empty air, smashing heavily into the chair’s armrest instead and bending it out of shape.
[Damage to venue property detected. Fine: 500 points.]
A mechanical prompt rang out, turning the druid’s face completely green.
Over on his side, Toji Hisami had already settled back into his seat comfortably, gesturing casually toward the adjacent chair.
"Do sit down, uncle."
"Oh, right away, my dear nephew!"
The grinding of teeth was vividly audible in the man’s voice.