Chapter 29
The sound of applause echoed from all directions.
Receiving generous praise from the audience, Auriel felt her heart swell with emotion.
At the same time, in this moment, Auriel came to realize something important.
Until now, she had thought the songs she sang were solely for God.
Prayers meant to convey His grace to the people.
She believed it was right to sing solely to praise God and share His light.
However, today, for the first time, she had sung a song of a different nature.
A song her “master” had taught her to sing.
A song that was not a hymn to God but simply one that spoke of dreams and hope for the future.
Through this, Auriel finally realized something.
“I… truly… love singing.”
Even though her worldview had crumbled,
Even though everything she believed in had been shattered and destroyed,
The song, which continued to bring her joy even in such dire circumstances,
It was the one thing that remained unwavering by her side.
Feeling grateful for this realization—that no matter what happened or who she became, singing would always stay with her—
Auriel bowed to the audience one last time and stepped off the stage.
She felt some regret, knowing it would be difficult to sing before so many people again.
Nevertheless, she was convinced that singing would never disappear from her life.
With the joy of rediscovering a light she had momentarily forgotten,
Auriel approached the person who was waiting for her.
The man wearing a black raven mask.
The only person who had given her something akin to “faith” alongside her love of singing.
He clapped softly as he looked at Auriel.
“Excellent. I didn’t expect it to be this incredible.”
“Thank you for your kind words, Master.”
“When you’re aboard the ship, address me as ‘Captain.’ In any case, it was truly an outstanding performance. You’re a genius, without a doubt. To think you could arrange that song so perfectly in such a short amount of time.”
“The original song itself was remarkable. I had never heard it before, but… could it be that you composed it yourself?”
“Mm… not quite. It’s just a song I happened upon by chance. I happen to like it personally, so I thought I’d make a request.”
“I see.”
Though she felt an urge to meet the original composer of such a wonderful piece,
The Pirate King didn’t seem to know the details either.
Speculating that it might be a song from the distant East,
Auriel followed the Pirate King down the hallway.
At that moment.
“…”
“Ah…”
Before them stood a figure.
A naval officer with neatly arranged attire and striking red bobbed hair.
As the woman bowed politely toward them, Auriel stiffened slightly before managing to compose herself and return the gesture.
“You’re the person I met two days ago… Your name was Acril—”
“It’s Arcroyal. I enjoyed your performance, Auriel. As expected, your reputation precedes you. It was truly a wonderful song.”
“I’m glad you liked it. Well, if you’ll excuse me.”
Given her newfound position as a pirate, dealing with a naval admiral was naturally nerve-wracking.
With a brief farewell, Auriel attempted to leave the area.
At that moment…
“Allow me to escort you. As a distinguished guest at Bennessa’s Grand Auction, you deserve at least this level of security.”
“No… no need, thank you. To be honest, I’m feeling a bit tired… I’ve left the items I wanted to purchase with my escort, so I’ll be heading back to the hotel.”
“Is that so? Hm… very well then. In that case, I wish you a pleasant journey.”
Pointing to the man in the raven mask behind her, Auriel spoke.
Arcroyal, expressing genuine regret, departed with her soldiers.
Immediately afterward…
“Phew…”
“Well done. It was a close call, but you handled it quite skillfully.”
“…How should I put this… It was a rather… thrilling experience. Quite spine-chilling, actually.”
“…”
Auriel spoke as if she had awakened to some strange new sensation, prompting a brief silence from the man before he responded.
“Ahem… Anyway, you should leave now. My men are waiting outside; follow them to make your exit. I’ll stay behind to wrap up the remaining matters.”
“Understood. Please take care of yourself.”
Having completed her role here, Auriel left the scene.
Once her figure was entirely out of sight,
The man in the raven mask—
Pirate King Ezra Drake—turned and began to move again.
Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes remained.
Thanks to the unexpected variable that was Auriel, the schedule had been significantly expedited.
However, this was no time for complacency.
Just earlier, I had encountered Arcroyal.
In the original story, she was a prickly character but played a supportive role.
Yet in this world, due to the natural conflict between pirates and the navy, she and I had frequently clashed.
Among the numerous incompetent naval officers, she was one of the few true professionals.
As such, she could become a significant obstacle in this operation.
However, what concerned me most wasn’t Arcroyal, whom I had anticipated, nor her naval subordinates.
The reason I didn’t send Auriel, my subordinate, directly to the ship but had her sing here wasn’t for mere amusement.
And it wasn’t just any song—she sang an edited version of a famous tune that those familiar with my past life would recognize.
This was intentional.
The Grand Auction in the Central Gallery was filled with nobles from across the continent.
Attendees had come from places as far as the Britannian Empire, Franz Kingdom, the Holy Empire, and even the distant northern Kalmar Union.
Among these attendees, there might be the very individuals I had been wary of—transmigrants—or their pawns.
Auriel’s song was bait to draw them out.
With the stone cast into the water, if there were any transmigrants present, it was likely they would respond in some way.
If they hastily approached Auriel, that would be ideal.
Considering the skills of the subordinates assigned to protect her, they would be sufficient to reel in anyone biting the bait.
If not, it was possible they would take more active steps to interfere with the commotion that would soon unfold.
Alternatively, they might grow suspicious of the bait and become more cautious instead.
However, even that wouldn’t matter.
While they tread cautiously, I could accomplish my objectives here and leave unbothered.
With the mindset of a fisherman waiting for the catch, I returned to the auction hall.
“The next item is the tusk of the mythical beast Ginesia, brought from the distant East in India! A must-have for those who understand its value. The starting price is 100 Talants!”
“120!”
“135!”
“200!”
The auction had already begun, heating up rapidly.
Watching the bids rise higher and higher, I felt a strange temptation to raise my hand.
Of course, buying such tusks would serve me no practical purpose, but this was what people meant when they talked about getting swept up in the atmosphere.
As I took a moment to enjoy the scene, part of my attention remained fixed on the pocket watch in my hand.
The second hand moved steadily.
As I observed the unrelenting flow of time, untouched even by the divine, a faint smile crept across my lips.
“Remaining time… 1 hour and 15 minutes.”
***
“Should I have asked for her autograph? …Tch… I was so distracted…”
After parting with Auriel, Arcroyal felt a tinge of regret.
However, setting aside such feelings, she headed directly to the designated meeting place.
Regret was regret, but she had a job to do.
Upon arriving at the agreed location, on the outskirts of the Central Gallery, she saw them.
“Arcroyal, over here.”
“Hmm…”
Though slightly early, the people were already approaching.
Arcroyal greeted them with a bright smile.
“Welcome, I’ve been waiting for you.”
“Haha, sorry about that. I didn’t expect you’d come out to greet us early.”
“Good to see you.”
Despite arriving about ten minutes ahead of time, Arcroyal was already at the entrance to greet them.
Elkana and Ambasha exchanged warm greetings with her, appreciating her bright smile.
Both were dressed in the naval uniforms sent to them beforehand.
Arcroyal had explained that without invitations, disguising themselves as navy personnel was the only way to access the venue.
“It suits you both quite well. You could join the navy right away. What do you think? How about enlisting?”
“Haha… I’ll pass. Staying in one place like this doesn’t suit my nature.”
“Fair enough… That’s a shame. Oh? By the way, where are the other two? Magellan and… the masked person from yesterday?”
“They’re sitting this one out. Magellan isn’t a fan of shopping, as you know. Honestly, he only came here because of me, so I had to cut him some slack.”
“Haha, true. That does sound like him.”
Arcroyal chuckled lightly, evidently understanding.
Having known each other for a while, their easy camaraderie was evident.
Seeing his friend unchanged from the past, Elkana thought Franklin’s worries might have been unnecessary.
“Well then, let’s head inside. The item you’re looking for will come up soon.”
Blending in with the navy, the two entered the building.
Just before stepping inside, they checked their pocket watches.
“Remaining time…”
“1 hour left…”
—
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