Chapter 30
“This item is the Stone Mask of Immortal, once called the Calamity of the Desert. A genuine artifact retrieved from an ancient tomb in the lands of Egypt. The appraisal price starts at 250 Talants!”
“260!”
“280!”
“300!”
The auction house grew increasingly heated.
Listening to the sounds of various artifacts and weapons from around the world being sold at exorbitant prices,
Elkana finally arrived at the entrance of the Central Hall where the auction was taking place.
She couldn’t help but feel envious.
Not of the people purchasing the items, but of the merchants hosting the auction.
“As expected… No matter what anyone says, the profession that handles the most money is a merchant.”
Having once been the second-in-command of a famous pirate hunter group, she had earned tens to hundreds of Talants from a single expedition.
However, even with such earnings, she couldn’t compare to the profit margins of successful merchants.
Moreover, while she had to risk her life and fight bloody battles during each expedition, merchants earned their fortunes with nothing more than a silver tongue.
This realization had long made Elkana admire merchants.
The reason she had diligently saved money during her hunting days was to one day leave the unstable life of a bounty hunter and live as a merchant.
Though her account had been wiped out, turning her dream into a distant fantasy, Elkana still held onto her ultimate goal in her heart.
One day, she would become a great merchant, sailing freely across the seas and amassing a fortune.
Remembering her long-forgotten dream, Elkana, along with Ambasha, was about to enter the auction house where the sounds of profit filled the air.
At that moment.
“Wait. Not that way, this way.”
“Huh?”
Arcroyal led them away from the entrance, where the auction hall’s lively noise spilled out.
Puzzled, they cautiously asked, “Uh… isn’t this the way to the auction? Why are we going somewhere else?”
“It looks like we could just blend in as security in these navy uniforms.”
It seemed plausible to roam around the interior, pretending to be part of the security.
However, Arcroyal slowly shook her head.
“I can’t let you roam freely inside as outsiders. Remember our agreement? You promised to follow my instructions and not cause trouble while you’re here.”
“Uh…”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Arcroyal spoke firmly.
Then, with a faint smile, she added, “I know it’s frustrating, but please wait elsewhere for now. After all, your goal is to get your hands on your target item, not to watch others bid, right?”
“…”
“…”
With no choice, the two followed Arcroyal to another room.
It appeared to be a waiting area for security personnel—akin to barracks in a military setting.
Several naval officers were already seated inside.
“Well then, I’ll get back to work. Stay put here. I’ll let you know as soon as the ‘Tear of the Sea’ is up for auction.”
With that, Arcroyal left the room, leaving the two surrounded by navy officers.
The situation made them involuntarily frown.
“This is bad… at this rate…”
“Ugh…”
They had planned to enter the auction hall ahead of time, using the chaos from outside as a distraction to slip into the backstage storage and steal the treasures kept there.
Now, stuck among navy personnel and waiting for an uncertain moment, Elkana and Ambasha were completely trapped.
“Besides, these guys here… they’re not ordinary. At the very least, they’re all mid-tier 4th-rank warriors.”
Elkana, being a 6th-rank warrior, might have been able to hold her own despite being outnumbered.
However, ending the fight quickly without drawing attention was impossible.
If a battle broke out, she would also have to protect Ambasha, who was only a 2nd-rank warrior.
That would all but guarantee their defeat.
In effect, Arcroyal’s warning to “behave” was more than just a suggestion.
At this moment, a piece of advice came to mind—Franklin’s words echoed in their heads.
“Elkana… could this be what your sister warned us about…?”
“Probably… Though I’m not entirely convinced yet…”
Speaking in hushed tones, they frowned.
For a moment, they could almost imagine Franklin standing in front of them, saying, “I told you not to go!”
***
“How are the two of them?”
“They’re quiet for now. They seem a little tense but haven’t shown any suspicious behavior yet.”
“Good. Keep a close eye on them until the end. If they try anything unusual, report immediately.”
Arcroyal spoke in a calm voice.
Sitting in the VIP section, she watched the ongoing auction with unwavering vigilance.
Even old acquaintances like Elkana and her young companion weren’t exceptions to her scrutiny.
There wasn’t any concrete evidence against them.
The only suspicious factor was that only two members of Demanes’ original group were present.
While it could simply be a case of the group changing members over time, her instincts told her otherwise.
Arcroyal, who had lived her entire life on battlefields, spilling blood and witnessing countless faces twisted in fear, trusted her intuition.
And yesterday, when she saw the faces of Elkana and Magellan for the first time…
She could feel it.
‘Those guys… they looked at me with fear. Almost as if… they were hiding something…’
It wasn’t clear, but during such sensitive times, even small signs like these warranted attention.
Especially when the ones involved were a formidable 8th-Rank Advanced Warrior and their companions.
‘I don’t want more trouble… I just hope this is nothing more than baseless worry.’
With that thought, Arcroyal sipped her tea, hoping this tense situation would pass uneventfully.
Although she had pressing matters to attend to, this was Britannia’s cherished right: teatime.
If she didn’t have her cup of tea now, her mood for the rest of the day would be utterly ruined.
Regular infusions of black tea were non-negotiable.
Her demeanor was both serious and elegant…
Like a single flower in bloom, she sipped her tea with poise.
Some of her subordinates glanced sideways at her, but she paid them no mind, her thoughts running along the following lines:
‘Ah~ Black tea… so delightful~ Black tea… fragrant and sweet~ Black tea… elegant as I sip away~ This is the happiest moment of my life…’
Humming a melody in her mind she would never dare voice aloud, Arcroyal enjoyed the sweet black tea from the Charlotte region and a few light snacks, unwinding from her stress.
Just then…
“Ad-Admiral!! Something terrible has happened!”
A sailor burst into the room, his urgency shattering the sanctity of her teatime.
Frowning at the interruption, Arcroyal spoke in a cold voice.
“What is it?”
“Well… it’s…”
“!”
***
Dark, heavy clouds blanketed the sky, casting a gloomy atmosphere.
Rain seemed imminent, and the sailors patrolling the harbor’s warehouse district began to frown.
“Damn… looks like it’s going to pour any second.”
“Yeah, of all days, it just had to rain on the day of the Grand Auction. This is going to be a hassle.”
The sailors grumbled as they spoke.
This wasn’t just any warehouse district.
The area housed military weapons, gunpowder, food supplies, and other vital materials.
Rain or shine, this area required constant activity, meaning that even if a storm broke out, the sailors would have to continue their duties without complaint.
Being stationed in Bennessa, the City of Water, meant the sailors were used to wet conditions.
However, getting drenched during their shifts was still an unpleasant experience they preferred to avoid.
Working in such conditions inevitably left them feeling miserable all day.
To make matters worse, if rain fell during a significant event like today, the lower-ranking sailors would suffer the most.
From standing guard in the rain to holding umbrellas for dignitaries or digging out carriages stuck in mud, the workload was always grueling.
In the worst-case scenario, a significant accident could occur, and they would be tasked with cleanup and repair, enduring back-breaking labor while silently cursing their fate.
The thought of such outcomes made the sailors wonder why they had ever joined the navy in the first place.
Quietly, they prayed that the rain wouldn’t come, scraping together whatever remnants of faith they could muster.
At that moment…
“Huh?”
“Who are those people?”
The sailors spotted a masked man and woman approaching their restricted area.
Seeing civilians entering a military zone, the sailors acted immediately.
“Hey, you there! Do you know where you are?”
“This is a restricted area for civilians. Turn back now!”
The sailors explained the situation, hoping to resolve things peacefully.
However, the woman wearing a dog mask responded in a voice that was both eerie and awkward.
“So… this is… the military warehouse district?”
“What? If you already knew, then leave!”
“If you keep this up, we’ll have no choice but to throw you in prison.”
The sailors added a bit of intimidation to their warnings, confident the intruders would leave.
But then…
“Good. We came to the right place.”
“That’s what I was hoping.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to—?!”
Suddenly, a chilling sensation washed over them.
The lead sailor instinctively raised his hand to his neck.
And then—
-Thud.
His head fell to the ground.
Blood sprayed as the remaining sailors froze in shock and disbelief.
Meanwhile, the masked pair—
Franklin, wielding a butcher’s knife dripping with blood and pulsing with mana,
And Magellan, who had drawn the black blade Calalbog—
Moved swiftly into action.
“Fifty minutes left…”
“Let’s hurry. The others are already waiting impatiently inside.”
It wasn’t over.
—
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