Auction (3)
I was up on the third floor of the auction house—with Caesius, of course.
I never thought I'd actually end up in charge of this place. What on earth was Erinn thinking?
Even with Caesius around, my own combat power was basically dead last in the party, yet she'd assigned me to what might be the most important sector… It was a judgment I simply couldn't understand.
…Well, since things had turned out this way, I might as well do a proper job of what I'd been given.
"If you spot anyone suspicious, report it first. Don't go off and act on your own."
"Understood."
If I ordered her to thrash them the moment she found them, she might end up dealing with some innocent bystander by mistake, so this was the right call.
The crucial part was that the instant I got the report, I had to decide whether that person was truly suspicious or not.
So right now I was diligently memorizing the VIP list and the portraits. The easiest window for an intrusion would be right when the guests were entering, so I had to filter them by eye.
"…I miss photographs."
"What is a photograph?"
"You don't need to know."
Caesius glared at me sulkily, as if asking why I wouldn't teach her, but there was no way I could explain that, so I ignored her.
I'd just let a monologue slip out by accident….
"Lord Allen."
"Yes?"
At that moment one of the staff managing this auction approached. She was probably originally one of the grand duke's castle servants or maids.
"Entry will begin in two minutes."
"Ah, understood."
"Yes, then I'll leave it in your hands."
The staff member bowed her head and went back downstairs. I entered the room I'd been assigned.
This room closest to the corridor entrance had been prepared for surveillance. On the outside it looked no different from the other VIP rooms, but inside there was a small mirror enchanted with surveillance magic so you could see the corridor.
You could call this the fantasy version of CCTV. Though it didn't have any recording function….
Caesius and I entered the room and carefully peered into the magic mirror. Caesius stood by the door, trying to sense the presence of those entering.
And so the entry began. Soon a few guests started coming into the third-floor corridor as well.
Everyone's so flashy.
It didn't mean they were all pretty and handsome—just that their adornments were flashy. People wealthy enough to come to the VIP rooms, so from accessories to clothes, nothing was ordinary.
"Caesius, anything unusual?"
"Nothing yet. They're all coming in normally."
I'd told her to report if anyone was hiding their appearance with magic or anything like that. The faces of the guests coming in now also matched the portraits.
Surprisingly, there was nothing suspicious. Caesius had no particular reaction either.
…Come to think of it, the third floor might be the place that needed the least attention.
These were people who'd already been checked once by Ser-Aria at the main gate, once by Freya on the first floor, and once by Letisia on the second floor.
Had Erinn actually assigned me the easiest place?
…No, why would that mesugaki do something like that. It was probably just coincidence.
Whether it was because the Hero's Party was standing guard and they figured there was no point, or whatever, the auction house was truly quiet with no disturbances.
"…Allen."
Just as I was thinking that, Caesius spat out words that directly contradicted my thoughts.
"There's someone who changed their face with magic."
"Who?"
When I showed her the surveillance magic mirror, Caesius pointed to one person.
"This man."
It was a plump middle-aged gentleman. He was someone on the VIP list I'd looked over. Which meant….
"Grab him. And dispel the magic on him too."
"Understood."
Caesius immediately kicked the door open, and soon the man's short scream was heard. When I followed out, the middle-aged gentleman was face-down on the floor, being trampled under her foot.
Blue Dragon Caesius activates Anti-Magic
Anti-magic that dispelled enchantments activated, and the man who had looked like a plump middle-aged gentleman transformed into a skinny, filthy man with messy hair.
"Th-this is…!"
"Shut up."
Caesius seemed to put a bit more force into it, and the man fainted with a short scream.
…Dragon performance is solid, alright.
"What's going on?"
"An uninvited guest. Please take him away. And check his identity as well."
I handed the man over to the grand duke's soldiers and said to Caesius.
"Good job."
"Human infiltration is easy to see through after all."
"……."
You really shouldn't praise a chuuni kid.
After that no more suspicious people appeared, and soon the entry ended and the auction began.
"Welcome, guests from all over! For all of you who have attended this auction, I have brought fine goods today!"
Of course, since they were holding an auction, they wouldn't just auction the Dragon Jade. The Dragon Jade was the main item, but before that there would be a few items to heat up the atmosphere in the hall.
"It's started. From now on is the real deal."
"Since there was nothing suspicious after that man, can't we just relax and enjoy the auction?"
"You never know. They might have given up on the third floor and be scheming on another floor…."
Oh, did I just set a flag?
Just as I felt a vague unease, suddenly the door to the room we were in burst open on its own. I was startled, but Caesius looked completely unfazed.
I didn't know who she was, but it was a woman in quite flashy attire. She looked at me and Caesius once each, then raised the corner of her mouth in a smirk.
Overwhelmed by the atmosphere somehow, I couldn't say anything and blamed Caesius next to me.
"What are you doing? Someone just walks up and you don't say a word…."
"Didn't you say to only report suspicious humans? She wasn't a suspicious woman, so I didn't say anything."
"……Ah, right."
It was my fault for not ordering properly.
"I didn't see wrong, it seems."
"…?"
Who are you?
She in the red and flashy dress spoke while looking at me.
"What's with that dumb face? Don't tell me you've already forgotten me?"
"……What?"
"…Ha, are you thinking you've forgotten the insult you gave me? I'm sorry, but I hold quite a grudge!"
So who the hell are you, you woman.
"Caesius, do you know her by any chance?"
"As if. No matter how you look at it, she's talking to you."
Yeah, of course…? But I really had no idea who she was.
With a dubious expression I looked at her, then casually said in a loud voice.
"Guards, please escort this person out! She's interfering with work!"
"Yes."
"What? W-wait! Interfering with work?"
A few of the grand duke's soldiers came and grabbed her.
"Wait, let go of this!"
"It would be problematic if you act like this here, Lord of the Red Magic Tower. Lord Allen is currently performing official duties. Interference is forbidden…."
Huh?
"…Lord of the Red Magic Tower?"
"Ha, now you look like you've remembered!"
That wasn't it. I just realized she wasn't an ordinary person.
If it was the Lord of the Red Magic Tower… among the magic organizations existing on each continent, the largest ones. One of the six colored Magic Towers.
She was an enormous big shot. Indeed, with such a huge Dragon Jade coming up for auction, even big shots like this were participating.
But….
"Why is the Lord of the Red Magic Tower coming to me?"
"You're asking because you don't know?"
"Yes…."
I couldn't say I knew something I didn't. When I affirmed, she scowled and said.
"You don't remember a single thing about when you compared me to that little brat and insulted me!?"
"What?"
What insult…?
What occasion would I have had to meet the head of the Red Magic Tower. If I had to force a connection, maybe as a member of the Hero's Party I might have run into her, but there was no reason to get specially involved, right?
"Ha, truly shameless."
Just as I was filled with nothing but questions at this incomprehensible criticism—
"Pfft, so noisy~♡"
A voice I had no idea why it was coming from here was heard.
Not only me but Caesius also tilted her head, and the Lord of the Red Magic Tower's expression somehow hardened.
Where we looked, of course, was the mesugaki Hero. Who else would talk in that tone but Erinn.
"Why are you here?"
"I came up because it seemed like dummy Allen was making a racket~?"
I never made a racket, you know?
"But some old maid was screeching away~♡"
…Old maid?
"O-old maid!?"
"That's right~? Red Magic Tower Lord Agresia auntie~♡"
Erinn giggled as she started provoking the Lord of the Red Magic Tower.
"If you're well over thirty and don't even have a fiancé, you're an old maid, right~? Well, with that personality, what man would say he likes you and stay with you~♡"
Hearing Erinn of all people talk about personality was pure comedy. If you keep that up you'll become an old maid too?
Then the Lord of the Red Magic Tower, Agresia, of course turned bright red and shouted.
"Hero Erinn, ever since last time you've been so rude…!"
"Rude~?"
The moment she heard the word rude, Erinn's expression changed. The playfully smiling her was gone, and she looked at Agresia with a gaze that had instantly turned cold.
"The one being rude is you who's interfering with official duties. Is it okay to interfere like this by bringing up old matters~? Could it be that the Red Magic Tower is a group that doesn't even know to distinguish between public and private matters~♡"
The speech style was the same, but that expression and eyes looked ready to devour a person. Then Agresia also faced Erinn with eyes that had sunk coldly.
At this rate it seemed like a fight might break out.
Even if she was the Hero, I thought she shouldn't go that hard on the head of a huge magic organization like the Red Magic Tower, so I stopped Erinn.
"Hey hey, stop it. That much talk is enough."
"Who are you stopping right now, dummy~♡"
"Should I stop the Tower Lord then? I don't even have a connection with her…."
"……Does that mean you're close with me?"
Of course you're closer than someone I'm seeing for the first time—I don't know what this kid is saying.
"So you do think of it that way."
"…What?"
"It's nothing, scrub dummy Allen."
"……?"
Erinn lightly bashed me then said to Agresia.
"If you came for the auction, just nicely buy some goods and leave. Don't go interfering with our work for no reason, got it~?"
"…Using even a porter as security, what a strange sight. More than that, what's that lizard? A new pet you're raising?"
As expected of the head of a magic organization, she seemed to have recognized at once that Caesius was a dragon.
Caesius, not liking being called a lizard or pet, quietly asked me.
"Allen, can I kill this woman?"
"…Don't say weird things."
Agresia didn't say anything more to us and turned around. It seemed she couldn't ignore Erinn's warning.
"She's gone."
"She's gone."
It felt like a storm had swept through and left.
"But the Red Magic Tower Lord seemed to know me…."
"You're a real dummy~♡ You forgot that too~? Is your memory worse than a goldfish's~?"
Erinn giggled.
"Back when we cooperated with the Red Magic Tower, that auntie said she liked you and hit on you, so you dumped her saying you didn't like aunties~♡"
"…What?"
Me?
"Yep, pfft♡"
Just thinking about that time was funny, Erinn let out a kyarr laugh. It was an amusing scene just to imagine, but she was really enjoying it….
Come to think of it, she said I insulted her by comparing her to that little brat….
The only person in our party who could be called a little brat was Erinn. The other party members were average height. Letisia was a bit small, but not small enough to call a brat.
It seemed I'd rejected her in the past by comparing her to my childhood friend Erinn. And that aunt… no, the Red Magic Tower Lord had taken it as an insult.
"…So why are you here. The Dragon Jade?"
"It's about to go up on the auction block so I handed it over and came~ You think I'd irresponsibly leave it~?"
"But shouldn't you be guarding it?"
"The Dragon Jade is in a warehouse the grand duke manages personally. It's a place you can't even enter without the grand duke's own permission so it's fine for now~."
So that means when it's moved again is when it's dangerous, is what she's saying.
"But how did you know to come?"
"It was noisy~?"
You came because you heard the noise?
It seemed Erinn had come not long after the Red Magic Tower Lord barged into this room. That means she noticed in advance and came.
Unlike Erinn's explanation.
Why is she lying?
I was curious, but for now I nodded saying I got it.
"Be careful not to pick another fight with that woman~ She really holds a long grudge~♡"
"Uh…."
Erinn said that and went down the stairs.
Well… anyway, thanks to Erinn I seemed to have gotten through it well.
"Let's go inside."
"Understood."
I went back into the room with Caesius and continued the security duty.
"Erinn, did you take care of that woman?"
To Freya's question about whether she took care of her, Erinn lightly laughed.
"Yep, took care of her~."
In fact, the reason Erinn who was in front of the warehouse storing the Dragon Jade could know about this was Freya's report. While watching the people going up to the third floor she discovered the Red Magic Tower Lord Agresia and called Erinn.
"That woman wasn't hitting on Allen again, was she?"
"Well, it seemed like she was thinking of it~?"
"Wow, she's really persistent."
Freya shook her head as she spoke.
"She's more than ten years older than us, I don't know why she does that."
"Right~."
Erinn came down to the grand duke's underground warehouse where the Dragon Jade was stored with a somewhat refreshed feeling. People were coming down now to move it to the auction block soon.
"Ah, Hero-nim has come. Let's start the transport now."
"Yes, Head Butler."
"We must move it carefully and safely. It absolutely must not break, everyone."
"Yes!"
The head butler who received the key from the grand duke opened the warehouse door. And so the sturdy warehouse door opened and the moment the laborers went in to move the Dragon Jade—
"?"
"Huh? The Dragon Jade is…."
The Dragon Jade had vanished without a trace.
"Oh my~?"
Erinn who had confidently answered it was fine when Allen asked if it was okay to leave her post. She was sure it was a warehouse no one could enter, but….
"I didn't expect this~♡"
Looks like I'm going to get an earful from Allen.