The Superstar of the Auction House (2)
The short path leading from just outside the auction house to the building itself.
But however brief that distance, you'd think pushing through a sea of reporters would be an absolute nightmare.
…None of which applied to the current situation.
Instead, something like a parting of the Red Sea had occurred, entirely against expectations.
"Pretty comfortable, actually."
"Yes, I expected it to be far more congested than this."
Anyone working in a hunter-related profession held a fundamental respect for those at the very top of the industry.
The absolute strength that S-Class hunters represented.
And the countless duties and proofs that came attached to it.
The reverence born from all of that was enough to make even the reporters' hunger for a scoop fold itself neatly away to one side.
And such respect naturally demanded a fitting return.
So Lee Jun had asked Jeanne whether she'd care to give the reporters an interview for the ten minutes or so they had left.
She had nodded readily, and the result was what they saw now—Jeanne fielding questions in front of the press.
Well… it's a farce either way.
He hadn't expected it to proceed quite this smoothly, but the interview request itself had been anticipated.
He'd confirmed Jeanne's opinion beforehand, too.
As always, she was fine with everything.
Lee Jun had simply added a dash of seasoning to the situation, staging it to work in both his and Jeanne's favor.
I play the part of the one arranging it, and Jeanne pretends to deliberate before graciously agreeing.
That made Lee Jun the man who'd secured a difficult interview on the reporters' behalf, while Jeanne came across as someone who, despite being caught off guard by a sudden request, ultimately obliged.
A very simple piece of theater—one that fit their usual public images while leaving plenty of room for the most generous interpretation.
In Jeanne's native tongue, you might call it a sketch.
Though that was a fact known only to Lee Jun and Jeanne.
Timothy could probably figure it out on his own, at least.
And judging by Siara, who was slumped on the ground looking utterly bored… she was almost certainly in the dark.
Choi Jeong-hyeon, too, was watching Jeanne handle the interview with open admiration.
"Wow… I expected it, but I didn't think it would be to this degree…."
"Jeanne doesn't get much media exposure. The reporters must figure this alone is enough."
Granted, the response was even warmer than Lee Jun had initially predicted.
The reporters must have been starved for an exclusive lately, because their passion for asking questions was practically piercing the sky.
Still, that wasn't a bad thing.
This much spotlight was good for their side.
Yes—shoot away, and spread it far and wide.
So that Liberation could feast its eyes at leisure.
Those bastards… won't have any choice but to pay attention one way or another.
The reason Chapman had entered Korea was almost one hundred percent Jeanne.
The others might have been here for any number of reasons, but with Chapman coming, that was the conclusion.
Which meant they needed to broadcast their location as clearly as possible, so the attack wouldn't break out at some random, pointless place.
That was exactly why he'd willingly embraced the commotion and brought Jeanne to the auction house.
He'd assumed the raid would come around the approaching Chuseok holiday, but that too was ultimately just speculation.
If they didn't know the exact date, then the least they could do was narrow the enemy's options.
{Isn't it dangerous?}
This way was better, all things considered.
At the very least, these guys were right beside her.
{Hmm… is that so?}
Obvious, if nothing else.
The safest place in Korea right now was the Korean Hunter Association's Technology Bureau director's office. The second safest was at Jeanne's side.
After all, this spot already had three combatants who were practically S-Class.
Siara and Timothy weren't recognized as hunters in their doll bodies, but both were Initial Awakeners with their own unique abilities on top of that.
And as for Jeanne's abilities… well, he'd wear his mouth out trying to explain them.
With these three together, they could go toe-to-toe with Kyle.
It would probably take someone on the level of Pablo or Yelena—those who could simply bulldoze through with raw firepower—to break through.
Ah, though with the matchup involved, even Yelena would struggle.
{Even that monstrous woman can't manage it?}
That one came down to elemental affinity, but… regardless, the result stood.
By the way, what's with that nickname?
{…No idea.}
In any case, for all those reasons, today's outing concept had been settled.
They'd have needed to come here for this auction's listings regardless.
So while they were at it: draw Liberation's aggro, raise Jeanne's public profile, and—simultaneously—stir up a little chaos at today's auction.
Truly, killing four birds with one stone.
{I have my doubts it'll all go according to plan.}
Well… as long as the auction itself succeeded, the original objective was accomplished.
Everything else was, strictly speaking, incidental.
{Hmm….}
Besides, the mere fact of a proper outing with the triplets was worth it on its own.
That, too, was a very long time overdue.
"Ah, it looks like Jeanne's interview is mostly wrapping up."
"Indeed… Lady Bernadotte must be quite tired by now."
"The problem is she's far too agreeable with requests like these. Being S-Class, I suppose she's used to even this much, but still."
Once Jeanne started an interview, she almost invariably answered everything.
At heart, it was because she couldn't really register the concept of annoyance in the first place.
Normally, interview requests went through the French Hunter Association, which filtered them out on her behalf—but faced directly, as she had been today, she answered every last one in earnest.
At this rate, her air of mystery might be completely worn away before long.
Fortunately, Lee Jun had already drawn up a list of expected questions.
It had been obvious as day that a situation like this would arise.
He'd walked her through them one by one, indicating how far she should answer, so nothing truly awkward would come up.
Even so, it hadn't cut the time spent down to anything revolutionary.
Which was why he'd deliberately come down ten minutes before the auction started—so they could use time as an excuse.
"Tsk tsk."
Lee Jun sent a signal that Jeanne could hear.
Catching it, she began winding the interview down.
"We just need to close that out, so Seo Yoon, Jeong-hyeon—head in first and secure our seats."
"Ah, yes!"
"Understood, Boss."
Even starting the wrap-up now, it would still take a little while.
If they wanted to join the bidding the moment they walked in, their seats had to be filled in advance.
So there was no choice but to send the two of them ahead.
Seo Yoon had participated in an auction before, so she could be trusted with it.
And with that, the two disappeared into the auction house.
Lee Jun, too, set himself in motion.
"Alright, everyone~ that'll be all for today."
Lee Jun appeared, smoothly interposing himself between Jeanne and the reporters.
Here and there, disgruntled murmurs threatened to spill out—but his words were faster.
"I truly wish we had more time, but the auction is about to begin, you see. You all know how ruthlessly punctual this venue is, don't you? Please, do understand~"
Lee Jun said it with a smile spread across his entire face, his tone slyly impish.
And sure enough, disappointment surfaced among the reporters.
Those who knew him relatively well, on the other hand, gave up quickly and began organizing their interview notes on the spot.
They understood there was nothing more to be squeezed out of this.
My, my. Years of experience really do count for something after all.
"Jeanne, let's go in."
"Yes."
And so the two of them headed toward the auction house.
Then, right before the entrance.
Close enough that a single outstretched hand could push open the door and step inside—
Jeanne's footsteps stopped.
"……?"
"……."
"What's wrong?"
She didn't answer him. She simply kept her gaze lifted toward the building.
"…This building is odd."
"Hm?"
Odd?
A strangely worded observation.
It wasn't as though the place had been designed with any particular eccentricity to begin with.
"Do you see something?"
"Here… well. You could say it's completely the opposite."
Completely the opposite meant she couldn't see anything at all.
A great deal had been left unsaid, but for the moment, Lee Jun asked for her full opinion.
"If it bothers you, we can turn back."
"……."
Lee Jun trusted Jeanne's intuition.
If, through a clue only Jeanne could catch, her powers of deduction had picked up on something amiss—
Then Lee Jun would follow it without a word of complaint.
Whatever today's original objectives had been, they'd fall to the bottom of the priority list in comparison.
"…No. Let's go in."
Jeanne said it after a brief hesitation.
So, by her own judgment, it wasn't enough to warrant turning back.
"Tell me if anything strange happens."
"I think it's a coincidence."
"No, hold on."
Lee Jun did not open the auction house door.
Was something actually inside?
Should he call Seo Yoon and Choi Jeong-hyeon back out right now?
Every one of those decisions hinged on what Jeanne was about to say.
"Let's be certain."
Jeanne held his gaze for a moment.
Those eyes… were completely serious.
As he was now, Lee Jun would unconditionally believe her and withdraw—even if Jeanne made the claim with no evidence whatsoever.
And then… everything prepared for today would become meaningless.
Shake, shake—
Jeanne lowered her head from side to side.
It meant: no problem.
Having confirmed her reaction, Lee Jun cast a casual glance over the reporters lingering nearby.
"……."
Swish—
Silently, Lee Jun extended a finger and pointed at Jeanne, then drew a circle toward the ground.
Then he formed the number one with his fingers.
After that, he pointed at Jeanne once more and crossed his two index fingers into an X.
This time, he formed the number two with his fingers.
The former meant: a situation Jeanne could handle on her own.
The latter meant: she truly believed it was nothing more than a feeling.
Jeanne considered for a moment, then extended only a single index finger.
Number one—in other words, the former.
At that answer, Lee Jun gave a small nod and walked straight into the auction house.
Respecting her decision.
"……."
Watching his back as he went, Jeanne gave a small nod of her own.
Whatever happened from this point on was Jeanne's choice.
Lee Jun would support that choice with everything he had.
Jeanne knew that. And Lee Jun knew that she knew.
"…Joanna?"
Timothy, who had been watching the exchange, quietly called out to Jeanne.
He meant: follow him in.
At some point, Lee Jun had already slipped inside the auction hall.
"Yes, let's go."
Swiiish—
The door, which had opened without the slightest hitch, revealed the building's interior without making a sound.
Gazing at the scene of the opulent hall, Jeanne took her first steps inside.
— The auction will begin shortly. Please take your seats.
The auction was moments away from starting.
Seated in his spot, Lee Jun scanned his surroundings.
Nothing in particular stands out, though….
Jeanne's words weighed on his mind as well.
What she'd described—the complete absence of something—was, almost certainly, the soul.
Given Jeanne's method of combat, fighting in a place where souls did not exist placed her at an extreme disadvantage.
Lee Jun had no real understanding of how souls were constituted, or how they attached themselves to this world.
Jeanne had tried to explain it to him before, but the concept had been far too abstract.
Still, one thing he did know: there was no space in which a soul failed to linger.
Unless some artificial measure had been taken.
…It's not a coincidence.
Jeanne had said it was possible such a thing had occurred by pure chance.
But Lee Jun believed that if a coincidence reached that scale, then even the coincidence itself warranted suspicion.
"Siara. Timothy."
"Ah, yeah! We get to spend as much as we want, right?"
"That's right. Spend as infuriatingly as possible—but make sure the possibility is visible. That's what will make them follow."
"Alright! Then shall we do some serious overspending?"
"Haha, Siara's all fired up. Guess I'd better put in the work too, huh?"
The two of them seemed thoroughly absorbed in the task Lee Jun had entrusted to them.
Right. Strange was strange, whatever else it was.
For now, they'd proceed with the plan as originally laid out.
Even so, Lee Jun rose from his seat to prepare for any eventuality.
"I'm going to step out to the restroom for a moment."
If Liberation intended to pull something here, chances were they'd planted people inside in advance.
Time to find out.
If something really does happen… I have to stop it, whatever it takes.
A few of the hunters inside this hall right now were indeed capable players—but only in the sense that they belonged to upper-tier guilds.
The representatives from mid- and lower-tier guilds could very well be outmatched by Liberation's forces.
No—not "could." They almost certainly would be.
Those bastards would have deployed their personnel assuming Jeanne herself might be the target.
Well… knowing my luck, it could turn out to be nothing.
Even so, it was always better to act on the worst-case assumption.
Compared to the opposite scenario, this one was infinitely more hopeful.
And behind Lee Jun as he rose, Choi Jeong-hyeon stood up as well.
"Ah, then I'll…!"
Apparently she'd needed the restroom herself, as it happened.
The problem was that Lee Jun wasn't actually going to the restroom—he intended to survey the building's interior….
"……."
"Ah, um… is… is that not okay?"
"No, of course there's no problem at all."
He had no grounds to leave her behind, for one.
And besides, she might genuinely have needed the restroom.
It would be rather cruel to keep someone like that seated here.
"Seo Yoon, we'll step out and be right back."
"Yes, Boss."
And so the two of them slipped out of the auction hall and headed for the corridor.
And behind them, Jeanne stared after them.
Stared.