Gilded Birdcage
Thus, the horrific murder aboard the airship came to a stylish close, thanks to the great detective Luna's starring role. I would've loved to snag that siren's corpse as a rare material, but with all the eyes around, it wasn't feasible to just grab it outright. Well, no real loss—I did score a tiny bit of essence directly infused with an outer god's power.
"Haha! Thanks so much, everyone! If you've got any cases that need solving, call me anytime! See ya!"
Exmus vanished like a ghost, still booming with laughter even as he left. He ended up claiming the siren's body left behind on the airship. Probably to brag about it later at some detective gathering.
After leaving the airship amid all the chaos, we finally reached our destination—the Bell Epoque Auction House—under Katrina's guidance.
The auction house we arrived at by rattling carriage, just like before... well, it was ridiculously opulent. A massive gate towered like a castle wall, adorned with a pair of snakes that gleamed with a smooth, molten-gold sheen. Their eyes even sparkled with a vivid red glow, like fist-sized rubies embedded in the metal. Countless gems were artfully inlaid everywhere, pushing luxury and extravagance to the absolute limit—nothing like the airship's banquet hall.
"Whoa... it's really pretty...!"
"It deserves to be. After all, it's personally run by the third son of the Fortuna family."
The Fortuna house—one of the seven great families that aid the emperor in ruling the kingdom. They oversee wealth and luxury. Gold, jewels, artifacts, masterpieces, even fine liquors. Just the merchant guilds under their banner outnumber most knightly orders!
"Well, he's pretty much lost his succession rights, so he's the poorest among his brothers."
"This is poor...?"
Luna stared at a statue of a girl holding an urn that poured out water like molten gold.
Splash, splash...
Hmm. Honestly, sneaking off just one cup of that water would cover a commoner's living expenses for a month, easy.
As we wandered the auction house's lavish interior like tourists, a group in black suits approached from afar.
"Good day. Are you Miss Luna of the Shadow Academy and Miss Katrina Ivanov the alchemist?"
"Yeah."
"Y-yes."
Even with Katrina's rude reply, the burly old gentleman at the front bowed politely.
"A pleasure to meet you. I am Alfred, humbly serving as acting manager of the Bell Epoque Auction House."
[Hmm? Isn't the manager supposed to be some Edith-something, the Fortuna family's third son?]
As if reading my mind, Alfred continued in his measured tone.
"Master Edith, our head manager, regrets that personal matters prevent him from greeting you personally, so I have been tasked in his stead. Please, follow me inside."
At Alfred's words, the suited men smoothly escorted us with practiced precision. We passed towering buildings and ornate statues for quite a while before arriving at a hall where the rest of the group waited.
The vast hall was packed—apparently, we were the last to arrive. Priests in pristine white robes stood silently in one corner; mercenaries polished their swords, bows, morningstars, daggers, and more while chuckling among themselves; even a blond, tanned mage with gold earrings was there. A motley crew with no common traits.
Yet they all radiated a fierce aura—no amateurs here. Huh, hiring over a hundred seasoned fighters like this? Money talks, alright.
"Now that all promised parties are assembled, allow me to briefly explain the task at hand."
Alfred and his men had taken the stage, addressing us with the details of the commission.
"Lately, strange phenomena have plagued our Bell Epoque Auction House. These incidents cluster in three main areas."
Alfred pointed to a map he'd brought out.
"The hotel, the casino, and the auction house."
Poke. Poke. Poke.
The three spots formed a triangle. An ominous pattern from cursed places... no coincidence, that.
"In the hotel, guests report ghost sightings. In the casino, patrons wander into nonexistent facilities, only to vanish or be found unconscious. And in the auction house..."
Alfred sighed softly, looking pained.
"...bidders who win our final lots fall mysteriously ill or die. Previously, our own forces handled these minor anomalies with ease. But recent events have escalated beyond our internal security, prompting Master Edith to hire you all. However."
Alfred paused awkwardly before continuing.
"However, in three days, we celebrate our auction house's 100th anniversary opening. That day must be flawless—no incidents whatsoever. Solve the source of these anomalies by then, and we'll pay five times the original fee."
The hall's mood shifted at Alfred's final words. Bored mercenaries perked up instantly; quiet priests huddled whispering; the gold-sun mage licked his lips with a sly grin.
"That concludes my briefing. I wish you all the best in fulfilling the commission."
Alfred bowed as courteously as he'd entered, then withdrew with his black-suited entourage.
Left in the now-empty hall, the group eyed each other warily.
"The Fire Hearth Church priests will take the hotel."
The white-robed priests stepped forward from afar. Their leader—a curvaceous woman—spoke, and the mercenaries nodded along, glancing her way.
"Y-yes, Archpriestess."
"Priests are ghosts' natural counters, after all."
"Makes sense for efficiency."
The gold-sun mage shrugged in agreement, and Luna and Katrina nodded too.
"Then the Red Scorpion Mercenary Corps claims the auction house. It's the biggest area, so our numbers make us the best fit."
The others assented to the red-bearded captain's words. That left our group and the gold-sun mage for the casino.
"Ha..."
Katrina sighed deeply at the beaming mage approaching us.
Either oblivious or just that friendly, the earringed mage grinned wide and greeted us.
"Haha! Hello! I'm Oswald, a 4th Circle mage of the Gold Sun school. Pleased to meet you!"
"...Alchemist. Katrina."
"I-I'm Luna from the Shadow Academy!"
Oho, a 4th Circle mage. Walter, that red tower mage we met hunting the red book, was 2nd Circle. The heads of noble houses propping up the kingdom, the three great towers' lords, and hidden hermits hover around 6th to 7th. Only mythic heroes and dragon-slaying legends from epics hit 8th. Not bad for a fringe school member—solid firepower.
Hmm. If this guy's 4th Circle level, the Red Scorpion captain looks similar, probably same rank. That veiled archpriestess with the pure-white garb... hard to tell. Her holy aura obscures it, but I'd guess 5th Circle. At least she won't lose to the merc captain.
"Ooh! Shadow Academy? Never heard of it!"
"Ah, w-well, you see, I'm—Ack!"
Katrina hooked her arm and dragged Luna out of the hall mid-sentence.
"Wh-whoa! Wait up!"
Oswald chased after them in a fluster.
Will this commission even get done right? Praying no more anonymous murders derail us, since teamwork's already a lost cause.
'Another case?!'
I shook off the mental image of Exmus dancing with his cane and sighed, dangling from Luna's waist as we went.
What grand incident awaited this time? Our group slowly stepped into the golden trap, its blood-red doors yawning wide like a demon's maw.