Reyn looked that way. Thanks to his height, he spotted a woman in a mage's robe at the crowd's center, showing those around a magnificent azure ring lying on her open palm.
This mage woman, appearing not much over thirty, had a mane of fiery-red curly hair and stern, cold beauty, her entire demeanor radiating immense wealth. Her robe was undoubtedly enchanted, humming with hidden magical energy. Moreover, the exotic necklace at her throat, pair of bracelets on her wrists, and elegant brooch on her chest—all were powerful enchanted artifacts.
This luxurious outfit, combined with her striking appearance and perfectly sculpted figure, made this female mage the second most attractive person at today's trade gathering, second only to Viola herself—and it was no wonder she drew the gazes of many men.
Reyn had noticed her earlier, but Viola hadn't had a chance to introduce them yet.
Viola headed toward her, and the crowd parted, letting the hostess through to the female mage. Reyn followed.
Glancing at the ring in the woman's hands, Viola asked with a smile:
"Phyllis, are you planning to sell this ring?"
The woman called Phyllis looked at Viola, her gaze briefly flicking over Reyn with barely concealed contempt, and she replied indifferently:
"I've acquired a better enchanted ring, so I don't need this one anymore. I decided to take advantage of your trade gathering to sell it. Maybe I can trade it for something worthwhile."
Those present noticed another ring on her hand, adorned with a massive green gem whose class was impossible to determine at a glance.
Reyn chuckled softly; this woman was far too ostentatiously flaunting her wealth. Moreover, it seemed she and Viola weren't on the best terms—whether due to some old grudge or just typical female rivalry.
A female mage bold enough to challenge Viola in Longsand must have some very influential backers.
Reyn activated his Soul Eye and gave Phyllis a fleeting scan. He immediately saw that her soul was extraordinarily strong: it consisted of eight concentric layers, and at its deepest core stretched a misty sea of elements containing more than twenty Magical Seals! Each Seal held a spell, meaning one Secret Element.
Reyn had never seen so many elements in the soul of a being who hadn't reached Legendary level, and it surprised him greatly.
"A School of Law Seals mage, eighth-level elementalist!"
An eighth-level mage was already considered a high-rank professional, and an elementalist at that, renowned for the incredible power and destructive force of their spells. Phyllis looked fairly young but possessed impressive magical power; the sheer number of Magical Seals in her soul far exceeded the norms for mages of her level.
This was a rare, near-genius talent. No wonder Phyllis dared to challenge Viola—her own power truly surpassed the hostess's magical abilities. And while Phyllis fell short of Viola in appearance and demeanor, in terms of wealth, this female mage seemed far more affluent, overshadowing her despite Viola hosting the guests in her own home.
The atmosphere between the two beauties instantly heated up.
The onlookers inwardly snickered, anticipating a show, especially the men. If this were a less formal event, they probably would have started cheering them on loudly by now.
But Viola seemed utterly unperturbed. Her rival was making a deal on her turf, bringing her profit—what more could she want?
"According to the rules, this ring needs our appraisal. You don't mind?"
With that, Viola nodded to Levinstet standing in the crowd. The gray-haired appraisal expert stepped forward and said:
"Mistress."
Phyllis casually handed him the ring.
Levinstet adjusted his glasses and began examining the ring with utmost care. He inspected it meticulously, cautiously infusing a bit of spiritual power to test it. In that instant, an icy chill emanated from the ring, making those around feel a breath of winter for a moment.
The cold quickly dissipated. Levinstet finished the appraisal and returned the ring to Phyllis.
"Well, what about my Frostflame Ring?" Phyllis asked about the ring, but her gaze was fixed on Viola.
"So it's the Frostflame Ring," Levinstet replied on behalf of the hostess. Genuine admiration showed on his face, and he raised his voice slightly so all could hear: "Lady Phyllis's Frostflame Ring is a top-class enchanted artifact of superior grade. Its creator was undoubtedly a true master alchemist."
"Superior ring!"
"And made by a master alchemist!"
A murmur rippled through the crowd, with astonishment in many guests' eyes.
When Phyllis first pulled out the ring, she called it a superior item, but many had been skeptical. A superior enchanted piece of equipment, especially something as wearable as a ring—who would voluntarily part with such a treasure?
Among enchanted items, weapons and armor were the most common; they had the highest demand, so their prices remained relatively moderate. But small, convenient enchanted accessories—rings, necklaces, bracelets, and badges—that could be worn constantly and used anytime were always the most popular. Due to their size, crafting them was far more complex, they were scarce, and their prices soared.
The guests were affluent—Superhumans, aristocrats, or merchants—but few owned even one superior item, let alone an enchanted accessory.
Levinstet continued:
"The Frostflame Ring contains three spells. First, 'Frostflame Rocket' of the fourth circle, three uses per day; second, 'Cold Mind' of the third circle, one use per day; and third, 'Ice Armor' of the second circle, two uses per day."
A gasp of amazement swept the hall.
The gazes fixed on the ring in Phyllis's hand burned with desire, especially among the spellcasters, who seemed ready to snatch it and slip it on immediately.
Reyn, who had never seen anything like it, just shook his head in admiration.
Fearing some might not know the spells, Levinstet explained them in detail.
The standout one, "Frostflame Rocket," was a rare fourth-circle spell combining ice and fire properties. It merged the strengths of Ice Arrow and Fireball: high flight speed, great range, and upon impact, a powerful explosion releasing cold energy that froze everything nearby. In pure destructive power, "Frostflame Rocket" was slightly inferior to Fireball, but its other advantages made it preferable in many combat situations.
"Cold Mind" was also rare, but supportive; its sole function was to slightly increase spellcasting speed! Anything that sped up casting—be it buffs, potions, or special gear—was the dream of every spellcaster, and there was never enough.
The last spell, "Ice Armor," was more common, but its effect was still significant. Plus, it activated passively: upon any attack, a layer of ice armor formed on the caster's body, compatible with regular magic shields and stacking for extra protection.
Three spells, each with a unique function—this Frostflame Ring nearly reached the limit of ordinary enchanted equipment. It was rightly the best of the best. Excluding unattainable epic or legendary artifacts, even a mortal with vast wealth could only hope for enchanted gear of this class.
And yet Phyllis planned to sell it, claiming she had something better.
For a moment, everyone marveled at her wealth while wondering about the class of that green-gemmed ring on her hand.
Epic, perhaps?
Seeing the whispers about her and glances at her other ring, Phyllis felt a surge of smugness and shot Viola a challenging look.
Viola remained composed, a smile playing on her lips.
At that moment, Levinstet approached her and quietly stated the price. She nodded slightly and announced:
"Per the appraisal, we're setting the price for this Frostflame Ring at eighteen thousand gold shields. What do you say to that, Phyllis?"
"Acceptable," Phyllis agreed. "The price is quite reasonable."
Reyn, still observing her with his Soul Eye, noted her emotions were calm, as if the price didn't faze her at all.
That struck him as odd.
No matter how rich she was—even a multimillionaire—no one could be so indifferent to a ring of such staggering value.
Reyn pondered and quickly understood.
Phyllis had no real intention of selling the Frostflame Ring. Finding a buyer for something so expensive was extremely hard. Eighteen thousand gold—few could shell out such an astronomical sum. And if someone wanted it, she could always refuse.
She just wanted to show off and overshadow Viola.
"Female envy!" Reyn sighed inwardly, at a loss for words.
He glanced at Viola; clearly, she had seen through Phyllis's ploy but chose not to call it out. Instead, she announced loudly:
"Ladies and gentlemen, if anyone wishes to acquire this Frostflame Ring, you may approach Lady Phyllis directly. We will provide independent appraisal and fair pricing."
Silence fell over the trade hall for a few moments. No one moved. Several spellcasters were clearly interested, their eyes gleaming greedily, but the sky-high price deterred them, leaving them hesitant. Others, seeing through Phyllis's intentions, just shook their heads skeptically, unwilling to play along in the farce.
"What's all this excitement?" a soft male voice asked.
Reyn turned and saw a impeccably dressed middle-aged man entering the hall. He was of average height, quite handsome, with a warm, inviting smile; he held an unlit cigar, exuding true gentlemanly poise.
"Lord Galloueyna!"
"Your Lordship the Viscount!"
This man clearly enjoyed universal favor, and his status was evidently high. Everyone greeted him enthusiastically and respectfully made way. He responded with frequent nods, maintaining impeccable courtesy.
Approaching Viola, he said warmly:
"Viola, business at the company delayed me, so I was late. I hope you're not upset with your uncle?"
"Of course not!"
Viola's face lit up with a smile, and she said joyfully:
"Uncle Galloueyna, I'm thrilled you could come. Welcome!"
Reyn figured this must be another Silveri family member, senior to Viola—no wonder he was so popular. But Viola didn't seem too fond of this uncle: at his appearance, her soul's color shifted to an unpleasant gray-blue, indicating strong, though hidden, irritation toward this relative.
"To hate him so much inwardly while smiling so sweetly…"
Reyn marveled once again at how women were natural-born actresses.
"Ha-ha, in that case, I must carefully inspect today's wares. Perhaps something will catch my eye, and I'll buy a couple of items, making a modest contribution to your house's prosperity," Galloueyna said, then spotted the Frostflame Ring on Phyllis. He seemed to know her too and promptly struck up a conversation.
From start to finish, Galloueyna ignored Reyn standing beside Viola.
Viola had no intention of introducing Reyn to her uncle either and, taking his arm, continued introducing him to other guests.
But the guests were distracted, repeatedly glancing at Phyllis and tracking the superior ring's fate. Even the number of deals dropped noticeably.
Reyn just shrugged helplessly. Phyllis's ploy was simple but highly effective: she not only drew all attention to herself but also disrupted the trade gathering. Yet it was all within etiquette and trade rules, leaving Viola powerless for now.
Seizing a moment alone, Reyn quietly asked Viola:
"So who is this Phyllis?"