Chapter 170: The Midnight Auction (8)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 170: The Midnight Auction (8)
After my tryst with Melissa, I returned to my room and immediately summoned Lina Hessler.
Dressed splendidly for the upcoming auction, she was horrified to see Melissa tied up with ropes and collapsed on the sofa.
“A black magician...”
Iris and Sylvia seemed surprised as well. Sylvia, in particular, toyed with the hilt of her sword at the mention of a black magician.
Seeing this, I realized Melissa was lucky.
If she had run into Sylvia instead of me, she would have lost her head before she ever lost her virginity.
Iris's reaction, however, was quite different.
Instead of showing hostility at the mention of a black magician, she was secretly sniffing Melissa's scent.
Then she suddenly turned her head toward me and mouthed something.
'Did you... enjoy it...?'
The moment I saw her coquettish, smiling eyes, a shiver ran down my spine.
I had not only changed her clothes but also washed her with magic and changed her underwear, yet she'd figured it out already.
I couldn't tell if my cleanup was sloppy or if Iris just had sharp instincts.
“What happened to my brother, Henriot?”
“I left him lying on a sofa. I hinted to his guard that he seemed to be having a good time with a maid and it would be best not to go in for a while, and he said he understood.”
“...Sir Henrik, you said my brother was afflicted by black magic, correct?”
“Yes, I sensed a faint trace of black magic within the young master.”
I had indeed felt it from beyond Henriot Hessler's heart. It was likely a black magic spell Melissa had cast on his soul.
“I've unraveled the black magic as a temporary measure, so he should wake up on his own after some time.”
Perhaps it was thanks to the divine power of the World Tree imbued in my magic, but I was able to counter the black magic to some extent, despite knowing nothing about the specific spell Melissa had used.
Of course, it couldn't compare to the divine power wielded by a priest.
In any case, my reason for dispelling the black magic on Henriot Hessler was simple.
This incident could have ended up working against Lina Hessler.
“...Thank you for your consideration, Sir Henrik.”
If it were revealed that the eldest son, the most likely successor, had fallen victim to black magic, the Viscount would have a high chance of using this as an opportunity.
To paint his son as the victim, and his daughter as the culprit who, blinded by her ambition for the title, tried to harm her own family.
Of course, we had the real culprit, Melissa, in our hands, but I wanted to avoid any unnecessary gambles.
Above all, what I wanted was for Lina Hessler to ascend to her title as quickly as possible.
“I am merely fulfilling our contract, so there is no need for thanks.”
Just as you can't get a seat on a fully booked flight no matter how much you complain, the fastest way to get a promotion is not to push out your competitors, but to make your superior quit and open up a position.
Of course, this was a method an ordinary person could never use.
*
After Lina Hessler left to prepare for the auction, only Iris, Sylvia, Melissa, and I remained in the room.
Clinking the teacup a maid had brought, I quietly broke the silence.
“Iris.”
“Yes?”
“Have you ever heard of Malefis?”
Before discussing what to do with Melissa, I needed to share some information about her.
But the reactions from the two of them were quite different from what I'd expected.
“Sir Hyun-woo, where did you hear that name?”
“Huh?”
Seeing Iris's expression freeze over and Sylvia's even sharper-than-usual reaction, I sensed something was seriously wrong.
After a moment's thought, I cautiously continued the conversation.
“That woman said she belongs to Malefis...”
Before I could even finish my sentence, Sylvia suddenly drew her sword and charged straight at the unconscious Melissa.
There was no hesitation in the tip of her sword.
I scrambled to my feet, but this time, Iris was a step faster.
“Sylvia.”
As Iris stepped in front of Melissa, Sylvia's sword stopped mid-air.
“...Lady Iris, she is a witch of Malefis.”
Sylvia's eyes, fixed on Melissa, were filled with deep-seated hatred.
She looked ready to slice off Melissa's head the moment Iris moved even slightly.
“It is not our place to decide her fate.”
“But...!”
Sylvia bit her lip, her expression one of disbelief.
In the end, however, she sheathed her sword and took a step back.
“...I'm going to go cool my head for a bit.”
Sylvia's figure disappeared as she walked toward the balcony.
Just as I was wondering if I should follow her, Iris quietly took my arm and shook her head.
“Sylvia needs some time alone, too.”
I felt uneasy, as if this whole mess was my fault, but for now, I decided to trust the judgment of Iris, who had known Sylvia for hundreds of years.
My mind a tangled mess, I slumped down onto the sofa.
As I did, Melissa, collapsed on the opposite sofa, came into view.
“Malefis is the name of a god.”
Iris leaned her head on my shoulder.
“To be precise, the name of an evil god who tried to destroy the world.”
Seeing what came after Melissa's name, I had guessed it was a baptismal name, but I never thought it would be the actual name of a god.
Iris gave me a brief summary of this world's creation myth.
The creator god, Lumiel, who created the world.
The evil god, Malefis, master of death and demons.
The conflict between the two gods eventually led to a war. Only after blood formed oceans and corpses formed great mountain ranges did the war end in Creator God Lumiel's victory.
Defeated in the war, Malefis left fragments of himself scattered across this world before vanishing.
“He had countless followers. The organization known as Malefis is presumed to have been founded by the descendants of those followers.”
“Sounds like they're quite large.”
“I'm not sure about that. So little is known about them that many people don't even know they exist.”
All Iris knew was that they had a leader and five executives.
“The Fourth Throne, Lavinia... I've never heard that name before.”
“There could have been a change in generation.”
For a long-lived species like elves, it might be different, but for humans, 200 years was more than enough time for several generations to pass.
“Still, to know the name of an executive, her position within the organization must be quite high.”
Iris looked like she had many questions for Melissa.
“We'll have to interrogate her when she wakes up.”
There wasn't enough time to interrogate her right now.
*
Not long after I bound Melissa with a barrier created with Iris's help, the maids arrived.
“The young lady has asked us to help Sir Henrik and Lady Seria get ready.”
I followed the maids, changed into formal attire, and accepted the mask they handed me. This time, it was a wolf mask.
When I went down to the first floor, a woman wearing a splendid mask that looked as if it were made of roses was waiting.
“...Iri... Seria?”
Iris was wearing an evening dress that harmonized beautifully with the color green. I was pleased with the design, which didn't reveal any of her chest, perhaps reflecting my opinion.
The slightly high heels were like giving wings to Iris, who already boasted model-like proportions.
“You're beautiful.”
“You look very handsome too, Sir Henrik.”
Pleased by the compliment, Iris gently hugged my arm.
A typical escort would only require holding hands, but not for us.
“You two look good together.”
While Iris and I were making small talk, Lina Hessler came down. As the host of the auction, she wasn't wearing a mask.
Waving the maids away, she approached me.
“It seems my brother will be participating in the auction.”
Lina Hessler seemed inwardly disappointed.
After all, if her brother, one of the main figures of this auction, had been absent, she would have been able to monopolize the spotlight.
More importantly, the fact that he was participating despite likely having a vague sense that he'd been manipulated showed he had no intention of backing down from the succession race.
“He'll probably wait for the auction to end safely, then report me to the temple tomorrow morning.”
Lina Hessler gave a cold smile. It was a sneer directed at her foolish brother.
Of course, how the two of them fought it out was none of my business.
“Sir Henrik.”
Lina Hessler offered me her hand.
“Will you be my escort?”
“...Do you not have a fiancé or a lover?”
She was 23 years old, an age where it wouldn't have been strange for an ordinary noblewoman to have already married.
“No. I haven't found a man who meets my standards.”
It felt a little awkward, but I couldn't embarrass her by refusing, so I took her hand.
It was small and soft, but it had more calluses than you'd expect from a typical noble lady. They weren't calluses from holding a sword, but from holding a pen.
“You don't have to worry. I won't use this as a pretext to try and pull you into my family. Normally, a family member would be the escort, but unfortunately, we are not exactly a happy family.”
Lina Hessler said this while looking not at me, but at Iris. Iris just smiled, seemingly unbothered.
And so, with a flower on each arm, I headed to the garden where the auction was being held.
Despite the late hour, the garden was as bright as day thanks to the lights embedded in the trees and bushes.
The main garden was filled with masked people and servants.
Perhaps because of the previous attack on the auction house, some had even brought their own guards.
'At this rate, even if the Viscount dies, there will be too many suspects.'
When we arrived at the auction, all eyes and attention followed us.
Part of it was because Iris was so beautiful it was hard to look away even with her mask on, but a larger reason was that Lina Hessler was standing next to me.
“For your information, I've never once been escorted by a man from outside my family.”
So that's why the younger-looking men were glaring at me with such ill will.
After receiving all that attention, Lina Hessler said she was going to see to the vassals participating in today's auction and went off somewhere.
Since Iris and I weren't here for the auction, we moved to a corner.
“Sir Hyun-woo, would you like to try this?”
“...Isn't this alcohol?”
“It seems to be a fruit wine made from a specialty of a nearby territory.”
She wasn't a heavy drinker, but surprisingly, Iris enjoyed alcohol.
The fruit wine was pleasantly sweet and delicious. The problem was that its alcohol content was quite high.
As we were sipping from our wine glasses in the rather pleasant atmosphere, it wasn't long before Henriot Hessler walked onto the stage.
He looked to be in better shape than I expected.
After his opening remarks, the auction began.
It wasn't a particularly pleasant sight, so I moved away with Iris. Surprisingly, there were spots where the stage wasn't visible.
We passed the time making small talk.
Of course, servants came and went occasionally, so we weren't completely alone.
“...Sir Hyun-woo.”
Her cheeks slightly flushed, Iris leaned against my shoulder.
“Thank you...”
“For what?”
“Just... for everything...”
Stroking the cheek of the slightly tipsy Iris, I summoned my magic.
As the magic drove away the effects of the alcohol, Iris flagged down a passing servant and requested a refill.
“You're drinking more?”
“Hehe, it's been a while...”
Iris gave an awkward laugh and tilted her glass back and forth.
Well, it was probably her first drink in 200 years. It was fine for her to enjoy it a little.
Besides, if she got too drunk, I could just blow it away with magic. Her only job tonight was to hold her position.
As we passed the time like that, the moon was already climbing toward its zenith.
In other words, the auction was nearing its end.
“Sir Hyun-woo, are you about to leave?”
“I have to. She'll be angry if I'm late.”
Knowing who I was talking about, Iris gave a small laugh.
“You have to be careful.”
“Of course.”
[Phantom Shifter]
[Hallucination]
My body turned invisible as an illusion of myself was created in the spot where I had been sitting.
There might be a guard among the auction attendees who could sense my presence, so I suppressed it as much as possible and headed for the mansion.
As I neared the location Lina Hessler had told me about, I felt a familiar presence.
“...You've arrived?”
“I told you to speak casually. That formality doesn't suit you.”
“...”
Sylvia cursed at me with her eyes.