C114: Rudgerâs 8 (2)
The signals sent by Rudger were all passed on to the other members.
âLeader canât act? Will the operation be okay?â
Violetta, who followed the key master to a private room, was worried about the news she had heard through the communicator. However, they had planned in advance to have backup personnel move instead in preparation for this situation.
âClap!â
The Key Master smirked as he locked the door to the room.
âHahaha. Hey, girl. Shall we play a fun game?â
âOh, itâs nice to play.â
Violetta replied in a lively tone and the key master, who thought she would stumble with her drunkenness, was instantly stunned.
At that moment, Violettaâs slender hand grabbed his collar. She narrowed her eyes and smiled seductively at the bewildered key master.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âHow about this kind of game?â
Then she threw the key master on the floor with all her might.
âAgh!â
Unable to take the pain, the key master rolled his eyes and passed out. Violetta clenched the hand and circulated the mana in her hand throughout her body while her arms shone with a subtle charm.
âStrengthening the body with magic. Itâs a mysterious sensation.â
The only magic Violetta knew to use was âAttribute Elementâ and âMagic Emission.â Even in the case of elements, she can only deal mainly with the wind element, so she wasnât considered a real wizard but Rudger recognized her abilities and taught her what she was lacking.
Violetta realized how fit she was for magic and she specialized in the manifestation series among the 5 magic series.
With so much help from Rudger, Violetta was able to master the remaining specializations of her manifestation series in a short period of time, and . (If anyone knows the english term for this please let me know .)
Although her mastery was superficial and hasnât reached the advanced stage it was enough for now.
âAnyway, I need to get the key first.â
Violetta rummaged through the fallen key masterâs body but no matter how hard she looked, she couldnât find the key.
That means the key master doesnât have the key right now.
âThis is the room where the key master lives so it must be here somewhere.â
Violetta walked toward a tightly closed shelf on one wall, opened it wide and saw them.
ââ¦â¦Oh, my God.â
There were hundreds of keys that were used in the Kunst auction house and hotel inside the shelf.
* * *
âDamn. Why do I have to go on my own?â
Hans grumbled inwardly, but got dressed and was ready to go out.
âMr. Hans, are you leaving?â
âYes, I have no choice but to step up because brother canât move. Arpa, please use this device for me.â
âOh, come to think of it, Mr. Hans, we have a problem.â
âProblem? Whatâs wrong?â
Arpa said, pointing his hand at the machine Hans had entrusted to him.
âItâs not working.â
âWhat? That canât be.â
âI pressed it once as a test, but there was no response. Is the signal weak?â
Hans looked at the invention Seridan made with a serious face.
The way it is used is simple, you just have to press the button at the set time and the machineâs lights were designed to illuminate red as proof that it was working properly.
However, Arpa pressed the button for a demonstration, but the red light did not appear on the contrary, only a squeaky sound resonated.
Realizing that something was wrong, Hans hurriedly contacted Seridan.
âThis is . Can you contact me now?â
[Oh, this is >Wells>. Whatâs going on?]
âI think this machine you made is not working properly.â
[Oh? Really? Wait a minute. Where are you now?]
âIn the building opposite the auction house.â
[Hmm. Whatâs the status?â
âItâs squeaking and the lights arenât working properly. I canât find anything else strange.â
[Maybe itâs a problem with the signal? Is there some kind of jammer between the inside and outside of the auction house?]
Seridan, who had been muttering something, finally came to a conclusion.
[The light is still on, right?]
âUh. Itâs just not working well, but the machine itself doesnât seem to have a big problem.â
[If itâs about transmission, thereâs only one answer. All you can do is go a little closer and use it.]
âCloser? How much closer?â
[At least closer than in the building across the road.]
Hans felt a headache coming because he would have to move with Arpa in that case.
[What are you going to do?]
ââ¦â¦I have to do it.â
[Okay. Good luck, . Itâs time to move on this side, too.]
After communicating with Seridan, Hans patted the middle of the forehead with his finger and told Arpa.
âLetâs get out. We have to move now.â
âYes.â
Hans and Arpa wrapped the machine in a cloth and left the building.
* * *
Erendir, who had been resting in the VVIP room, couldnât stand it because she felt a little sore when she stayed still.
âItâs okay to just leave it like this and go, but itâs kind of weird.â
Still, it should be enough to tell her friend, Rene, what mysterious objects were found at the auction house.
Erendir imagined herself explaining nicely what she saw at the auction to her junior and Rene, shining eyes as she listened to her.
She enjoyed that admiration.
âItâs pretty good.â
Thinking in such a positive way, Erendir felt motivated. She immediately rose from her seat and finished getting ready to go down.
The servant, who was waiting at the entrance, hurried to her side when she came out.
âPrincess, where would you like to go?â
âThe auction is just going on right now, isnât it? I want to go take a look.â
âYes, Iâll take you to the best VVIP seats.â
Erendir headed to the place where the auction house was held, guided by the escort.
It was a spacious hall on the first floor with many opera-like seats that were full of VIPs dressed up in expensive clothes.
Erendir sat in a VIP seat where only invited guests could sit. It was a high-rise seat overlooking the auction house and she sat down just as the auction started.
âLadies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming to Kunstâs auction house today!â
The host stepped up, greeted everyone lightly and immediately started the auction.
âWell, then! This is the first item that will come out on day two of the auction! The Mermaidâs Tears!â
From the very beginning, something great came out.
The mermaidâs tears were a beautiful blue jewel worthy of its name. As if the legendary mermaid had shed her own tears, the jewel in the shape of tears emitted a dazzling and pure light.
âWow.â
Erendir, who was not interested in such a thing, was unconsciously drawn to the beautiful jewel.
âThe starting price is 1 million denars! Please feel free to bid!â
The auction started strong and when the price of more than 500 million denars came out, Erendir started thinking about different things.
âBut itâs not even a mermaidâs tears, itâs just a jewel. You spend that much money on such an extravagant item? How many people can be fed with that money?â
When she had that thought, she felt uncomfortable for no reason.
The negative energy emitted by a place where desire and greed were entangled was incomparable to when she faced her sister, but that did not mean that this atmosphere was comfortable.
âShould I leave?â
Just as she was thinking, someone came and sat down next to her.
âYou donât look very happy.â
âOh, yes.â
Talking to her was a woman with sky blue hair with a side ponytail hairstyle. What stood out in particular were the blue sea-like eyes staring at her.
She was a mysterious yet beautiful person. In a way, it was natural to have such a thought.
âThe tears of a mermaid are the tears shed by a legendary mermaid who lives in the ocean. Of course, the mermaidâs tears on the stage right now are fake.â
âHow can you be sure of that?â
âI saw the real thing. At least the beautiful light remains the same, but the mermaidâs tears should emit a calm, flowing mana but this one doesnât do that.â
Her blue eyes glared sharply through the essence of that gem.
Can you feel that thereâs no magic even though youâre so far away?
While Erendir admired her and suddenly wondered who the woman she was talking to was.
âWho are you? I donât think youâre a normal person, considering that youâre here.â
âOh, youâre right. My introduction is late. Iâm this kind of person.â
She skillfully took out her business card with her index and middle fingers from within her own arms and handed it to Erendir. It wasnât polite, but Erendir accepted the business card because it was such a good fit.
The name on the business card read Casey Selmore and underneath [job: detective].
Casey Selmore. Casey Selmore. Erendir, who was muttering the name in her mind, uttered a startle of astonishment.
âNo way! The famous genius detective Selmore?â
âOh, you recognize me.â
âWell, of course! The one who arrested the notorious criminal, James Moriarty! Youâre even known as a water element wizard!â
As Erendir was a magician, she could see how great Casey was. It was because wizards who got the title âColourâ for the Magic Tower arenât common.
âI didnât expect to see you here. Nice to meet you. Iâmâ¦.â
âYouâre the Third Princess Erendir, arenât you?â
âHuh? Did you know about me?â
âNo, we met for the first time today.â
âBut howâ¦â¦.â
Casey grinned at the bewildered Erendir.
âYou have a bored look on your face even after watching the auction. Besides, I saw that the back of your hair was slightly pressed, so you were lying in a room until a while ago. The scent of the air freshener used to clean the room is strangely lingering.â
ââ¦â¦!â
When she was caught, Erendir hurriedly smoothed her hair while Casey shrugged her shoulders to continue her reasoning.
âBut you didnât put on perfume and didnât even wear makeup. This simplicity canât be seen in the VIP seats. So you have an overwhelming status that you donât have to pay attention to other peopleâs eyes and the situation.â
Feeling bored and sitting in a VIP seat where only the invited guests can watch the auction from.
âThere is already a rumor among guests that a child of the imperial family participated in the auction so thereâs only one answer, right?â
ââ¦â¦Thatâs great.â
Erendir admired Caseyâs reasoning and admitted that she was right. Indeed, she was a genius detective who was famous throughout the continent.
Erendir suddenly asked Casey why she came to the auction.
âYou seem to be curious.â
âYes.â
âWell, I got an invitation when I came to Leathervelk and they offered great hospitality and a nice room so I didnât say no.â
âWhy did you come to see this auction?â
âThe bigger an event is it brings together the eyes and attention of countless people, so more incidents can happen.â
Erendir thought Casey was joking. What kind of incident can happen in this place?
The security of the Kunst auction house was so strict that it reminded her of the Imperial Palace. In addition, considering that there are even personal guards brought by guests who come here, any criminal inside will be overpowered in no time.
âThe princess seems to think Iâm joking.â
â What? Ah, no. No, not exactlyâ¦â¦.â
âWell, I understand. When I say that problems can pop up out of nowhere, itâs only natural to think so but I wonât ignore the possibility that something might happen.â
Erendir had to be taken aback by Caseyâs confident remarks.
* * *
In the alleyway adjacent to the Kunst Auction House building Hans and Arpa leaned against a wall, fiddling with machines, in a messy alley near the garbage dump that disposes of food waste from the restaurant.
âLike this?â
âOh, Mr. Hans, look at this. The light is on properly. I think the signalâs working.â
âGreat. You donât even need to go inside. And here, call me . Do you need to reveal my name?â
âOh, right. Thatâs right. Mr. Kafka, please call me Dumas, too.â
âI was going to do that anyway.â
Hans, who had been complaining lightly, is now ready to operate the machine at the required time.
It was that moment.
âWhoâs there?â
Perhaps he heard the two of them chattering but a man dressed in a suit came into the alleyway.
âOh my! Did I get caught?â
Hans was embarrassed because he didnât expect that the outside guards would patrol the alleyway.
âWhat are you guys doing there?â
The guard could signal his colleagues to come at any time so Hans pondered what to do. At that moment, Arpa raised his crouching body and approached the patrol guard.
âHey, hey! What are you going to do?â
Hans quietly called from behind, but Arpa approached the man regardless.
âHuh? What? Youâre a kid, arenât you?â
The patrol man relieved his vigilance at the sight of Arpa, who looked young and that was his defeat.
âOk!â
Arpaâs tiny fists were firmly entrenched in the larger guardâs abdomen. The guardâs massive body collapsed, and Hans looked at the scene with a blank expression.
âWhat did you just do?â
You put that giant to sleep in one blow? It is said that the external security of the Kunst auction house is a little lower than the inside, but even then, he would not be an ordinary human, right?
Arpa, who did the unbelievable thing calmly, looked back at Hans with a smile. It became more difficult to evaluate Arpa with that stupid expression, âI did a good job, right?â
âWhat the hell is he?â