Chapter 195: The Golden Companion (2)
Nicholas, who had been silent for a while, barely parted his lips.
“I’m just the general manager of this auction house. I don’t know how individual transactions work.”
An excuse first.
Then he slowly turned his eyes to Wiseman, who frowned as if she didn’t like the situation.
“And the buyer wasn’t scammed. She bought it knowingly, and I don’t know how to compensate her for the fact that it’s too powerful and she’s unhappy with it.”
Squeeze—
Wiseman clenched her white hands tightly.
The point Cain had pointed out once.
She wanted to buy a core to use as the center of signature magic, and they just sold her the right core.
The only problem was that the core was so strong that a devil was dwelling in it.
Cain glanced at Wiseman and spoke to Nicholas.
“Actually, I thought about that part too. The sellers did a good job selling their stuff, so I wondered if it was right to blame them.”
“Indeed, hero.”
The corners of Nicholas’ lips rose little by little.
He seemed to understand a little why Cain was called a hero, not a thug who just yelled at him.
“But then I thought about it again, and there’s no reason why we can’t blame them.”
“What……?”
But that thought was only for a moment.
It broke right away.
Cain looked around the luxurious office where Nicholas worked, then pointed to the entire Mytilene auction house.
“If we can catch those who are trying to commit terrorism in the Empire in a clever way within the framework of the law, this kind of coercion is nothing.”
“You’re not a hero, you’re just a common thug.”
Thump—
Cain once again crossed his legs on the table and tilted his head slightly.
Then he smiled faintly.
“If necessary, a hero can be a thug.”
“……”
Nicholas was speechless for a moment because his brazen appearance was so natural.
So did his companions.
Cardinal Aurelia, who had only heard about Cain through reports, wanted to put her hand to her forehead.
Administrative Duke Morning was smiling, and Lourens shook his head.
‘Commons.’
The reason why Cain is pushing so hard unlike usual is to catch them, whose true identity is not easily revealed.
They’ve always been on the receiving end of their attacks, so there’s no way they’re going to miss an opportunity to counterattack.
As Cain slowly gathered his thoughts.
Thump.
A strange heartbeat rang out from somewhere.
It seemed that no one else had heard it.
Thump—
When the second sound rang.
[‘Winter’ looks down at the basement.]
[‘Summer’ is appalled.]
The two sacred treasures reacted and Cain’s eyes narrowed.
Unaware of Cain’s reaction, Nicholas sighed deeply.
“I can’t just refuse, since you’re not making empty threats but threatening to bring two nations down on us. I’ll clear a room for you, so please wait.”
He rose from his seat.
He ran his hand through his neatly combed hair and headed for the small door at the back of his office.
Then he turned his head and said to Cain.
“Again, I’m the general manager, so I have to report all these matters. I’m not stalling for time.”
“Seven Wise Men?”
“Correct.”
Nicholas rang a small bell nearby.
After the bell rang a few times, the door to the office opened and several employees in stiff suits entered.
“Show them to the best room.”
“Understood.”
Nicholas sighed, looking ten years older than before, and went into the small room.
It seems to have a direct line of communication with the Seven Wise Men.
Cain rose from his seat and followed their guidance.
“Is it okay to leave him like that?”
Aurelia asked Cain.
She didn’t understand why he was giving them time after pushing them so hard at first.
On the other hand, it seemed that Lourens and Morning understood immediately.
Cain glanced at them and answered so that the employees, who were pretending not to, but listening to their conversation, could hear.
“They know better than anyone how much gold flies away every moment they’re blocked. So they’ll take care of it.”
Cain smiled and shrugged.
Whether they come up with a way to catch themselves, or think of another way, it’s their loss.
If they attacked in the merchant’s way, the counterattack was Cain’s way. In other words, the warrior’s way.
Leaving Nicholas’s office, Cain looked back at the empty room.
Thump—
The faint, slow heartbeat was still audible.
🔹🔹🔹
Wiseman’s eyes flashed blue for a moment with magic. She checked if the room was bugged and nodded.
“There is no eavesdropping.”
As the party was about to open their mouths, Cain and Lourens rose from their seats. They looked at each other once, then moved in opposite directions.
And they each pointed to a different object.
Lourens pointed to a famous painting with a vase on it, and Cain pointed to a magic phonograph that played music.
「It’s a bugging device.」
Cain moved his finger in the air to write white letters.
“Yes, there really isn’t.”
But what came out of his mouth was a different sound. Lourens returned to the round table and wrote on the paper.
「It’s a mechanical bug. It’s a device that picks up small sounds so you can hear them from afar.」
“It looks like they can’t play tricks after all.”
Everyone hesitated for a moment as Cain and Lourens were writing instead of talking.
Whoosh—
Cain gestured to Elena to speak naturally.
“It smells good. The word ‘top notch’ is not awkward.”
She immediately hit the prepared line.
The important thing is writing.
What is not important is bathing.
「It’s a room designed for high-ranking wizards.”
As magic developed, most eavesdropping devices were replaced by magic.
However, there was one crucial drawback: high-ranking wizards, whose flow of mana is sensitive, could detect it.
Therefore, the Special Intelligence Division also mainly used mechanical eavesdropping devices of the past.
Lourens looked at Cain curiously.
He wanted to ask how he knew so much about these eavesdropping devices, but he held back because he couldn’t ask in this situation.
“That doesn’t mean we’re just going to stand around, so everyone get to work. Lourens and Anje, see if there’s anything worth buying at the permanent market.”
「How about looking for spies from the Empire?」
Originally, they would be abandoned if found.
However, for the sake of information about Mytilene, which is infiltrated to this extent and whose inside cannot be known, it is also a good way to find it.
Lourens readily nodded.
“I’ll buy you something delicious if I can.”
If the situation allows, he will.
And Cain looked back at Elena, Wiseman, and Morning.
“There are so many amazing things here because money and people gather here. It would be nice to look around, with the two attendants—”
“I see.”
Wiseman nodded immediately.
Elena and Morning, whose true identities had not been revealed, decided to move together as Wiseman’s attendants.
While Lourens was looking for a spy, the three of them were scheduled to look around the Mytilene auction house in general.
Lastly, Cain looked back at Aurelia, who was left alone.
He found it difficult to say anything to her, a beautiful woman with white skin and ebony-like black hair, and a cardinal of the Holy See.
[‘Summer’ says to take her with you because you’ll need her.]
At that moment, ‘Summer’ flashed once.
“Cardinal, why don’t you stay with me?”
Realizing that it was the will of the Holy Sword rather than Cain, Aurelia made the sign of the cross and nodded.
“Everything is by the will of the light. I understand.”
Thump.
Cain tried to locate the source of the heartbeat that kept sounding.
[‘Winter’ says that it’s not necessary to intervene this far.]
[‘Summer’ replies firmly that there’s nothing he can do about it because it’s ‘that person’ who’s involved.]
Sacred treasures whose opinions continued to differ more than expected.
When the five went outside and he was left alone with Aurelia.
She picked up a pen.
「The reason why ordinary merchants became the Seven Wise Men who dominate the continent’s commerce is because of the mysterious funds.」
Almost infinite gold.
They were originally very capable, but what would they be afraid of if they had unlimited funds?
They proved their ability by building the merchant city 〈Delft〉 at once and unifying the world’s currency into 〈Del〉.
Small countries like Airian used the 〈Del〉 normally, but the Holy See and the Empire could not afford to let go of the currency zone.
As one of the vanguards fighting so fiercely against them, Aurelia wrote again.
「As far as we know, it was only after they took over the Mytilene auction house that they started getting that kind of money.」
“Oh. Do you know what this place used to be?”
Aurelia, the curator of the Holy See Archives, which is no exaggeration to say that it contains all the records of mankind, knew it well.
“It was an ordinary island, though its name no longer remains. But it was in a good location, so merchants started to come and go and rest.”
“Naturally, a market would have been created.”
“Yes, and then an auction house was built.”
Sweep—
And Aurelia wrote afterward.
「It’s strange how peacefully it’s developed.」
‘The fact that there was no major accident where the money was concentrated means that there is a strong backer.’
Aurelia predicted.
Cain was certain.
At that time.
Sweep—
The golden ‘Summer’ that had been resting on Cain’s waist rose into the air.
“……!”
Aurelia hurriedly made the sign of the cross as if she had encountered a miracle, and Cain watched silently.
It was the first time that a sacred treasure acted so directly, so he waited.
Maybe soon.
+
『Summer’s Regret Ⅰ』
The seasons have encountered countless lives and deaths. Then they met an existence that broke free from that cycle.
The being was weak, timid, and fragile, but had a heart and dreams that shone brighter than anyone else. Even the seasons watching over the being wanted to cheer for it.
May the blessings of the four seasons be with the being who endured the time even the seasons would melt away in the seasons.
World Line Fixation: 27.7%
Clear Conditions: Peace.
Success: World Line Fixation increases, contact with Ain.
Failure: ‘Summer’s’ sadness.
+
Because this quest window will appear.
Cain looked at the quest that appeared as expected and then looked back at ‘Summer’.
He blinked the light and slowly showed his will.
To do it if possible.
But he wouldn’t burden him.
[‘Winter’ firmly states that there is no need to do such a quest. And Cain draws the line, saying it’s not time to reach Ain yet.]
[‘Summer’ retorts that it’s up to Cain.]
Cain shrugged and rose from his seat. Then he grabbed the holy sword in the air, put it back on his waist, and opened his mouth calmly.
“My body is stiff, too. Let’s take a light walk.”
“All right.”
Aurelia realized Cain’s intentions and followed him.
Thump—
And Cain began to walk, following the little heartbeat he had been hearing. Past the noisy and bustling market of Mytilene, looking up at the huge Colosseum ahead of the Great Summer Auction.
Moving like a typical tourist.
Thump—
Beyond that bustling center.
Far away, he saw a white temple on a high hill where no one could be seen.
Thump, thump—
The heartbeat grew louder, as if it was only there that he could find himself, and Cain brushed his hair back and walked slowly.
The sunlight was shattering like a blessing over his head as he was about to head down to the basement.
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