Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: I Told You Not to Go...
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“This item is the stone mask of the Immortal, known as the Scourge of the Desert. A genuine artifact retrieved from an ancient tomb in Egypt. Bidding starts at 250 talents!”
“260!”
“280!”
“300!”
The auction house was growing hotter by the minute.
As she listened to the sounds of various relics and weapons from around the world fetching exorbitant prices,
she finally arrived at the entrance to the central hall where the auction was in full swing...
Elkana couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
To be precise, not for the people taking the items home,
but for the merchants hosting this auction.
‘As expected... no matter how you slice it, merchants make the most money.’
Having once been the deputy commander of a renowned bounty hunter group, she could pocket anywhere from dozens to hundreds per expedition.
But even so, when it came to pure profitability, she could never catch up to these savvy merchants.
Moreover, unlike her, who had to risk life and limb in bloody battles every time she set out, merchants earned their fortunes with nothing more than a silver tongue.
And this fact had long fueled Elkana's admiration for merchants.
In fact, the reason she diligently saved every penny was to one day escape the precarious life of a bounty hunter and become a merchant herself.
In the end, her entire account had gone up in smoke, turning it into a distant dream, but Elkana still harbored that ultimate goal deep in her heart.
One day, she would become a grand merchant roaming the seas freely and raking in massive profits.
With that unexpected recollection of a dream she'd tucked away, Elkana tried to enter the auction house alongside Ambasha, where the sounds of money changing hands echoed.
At that moment.
“Hold on. Not there—this way.”
“Huh?”
Ark Royal led them not toward the entrance where clear voices leaked out, but somewhere else.
Puzzled, the two cautiously asked.
“Um... isn't the auction house that way? Where are we going?”
“Looks like we could just go in now? With these Navy uniforms, no one will recognize us.”
It seemed like they could simply wander around inside pretending to be guards.
However, Ark Royal slowly shook her head.
“Even so, they won't let outsiders like you roam freely inside. We had a deal, remember? No trouble, and you follow my lead now that you're here.”
“Hmm...”
“That's... true, but...”
Ark Royal spoke firmly.
Then, flashing a sly smile, she continued.
“I know it's frustrating, but wait somewhere else for now. Your goal is to snag your target item, not watch everyone else's bidding, right?”
“...”
“...”
With Ark Royal being stricter than expected, they had no choice but to follow her into some room.
It looked like a waiting area for guards—something like a barracks in military terms—already occupied by a fair number of Navy soldiers.
“I've got work to finish, so stay put here. The item was called 'Tears of the Sea,' right? I'll let you know the moment it comes up.”
With that, Ark Royal left them stranded among the Navy men and exited the room.
Trapped without a move, they couldn't help but frown.
‘This is trouble... If things turn out like this...’
‘Ugh...’
They had planned to slip inside early and use any external chaos to sneak the treasures from the warehouse behind the stage.
But now, with no clue when the decoy item would appear, Ambasha and Elkana found themselves surrounded by Navy soldiers, feet firmly planted.
‘And these guys here... they're no pushovers. At least 4th Grade mid-tier warriors, every one of them...’
With Elkana at 6th Grade, she might handle the numbers if lucky, but quietly finishing them off without drawing attention was impossible.
Especially since she'd have to protect Ambasha, barely 2nd Grade, making defeat a certainty.
On paper, it was practically a warning to sit tight.
At this point, a certain piece of advice echoed in their minds...
Frankling's words.
“Elkana... don't tell me this is just like sis said...”
“Probably... though I'm still half-doubting it...”
Whispering so others wouldn't hear, they furrowed their brows.
For a moment, it felt like Frankling was right there, saying, ‘I... I told you not to gooo...’
“What about those two?”
“Still quiet. They look a bit tense, but nothing suspicious.”
“...I see. Keep a close eye until the end anyway. Report immediately if they try anything funny.”
Ark Royal spoke calmly.
Seated in the VIP section as guard captain, watching the auction unfold, she never lowered her vigilance.
And her targets included...
Even her old friend she'd reunited with after ages, and his young companion.
There was no concrete proof.
The only suspicious point was that, among Demanes' usual members, only these two were visible.
One could chalk it up to lineup changes over time.
But there was still an instinctive gut feeling she couldn't ignore.
Ark Royal had spent her life on battlefields.
She had seen countless faces twisted in blood and terror.
That's why...
She could instinctively sense if the person before her feared her or not.
And yesterday, on Elkana and Mazelan's faces...
She had felt it.
‘Those kids... they were afraid when they saw me. Like they were hiding something...’
She couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but in these tense times, even small details warranted attention.
Especially from powerhouses like an 8th Grade upper-tier warrior and her companions.
‘I hate complications... I hope this worry is just baseless paranoia...’
With that thought,
Ark Royal sipped her tea, hoping this charged situation would end without incident as soon as possible.
She had urgent work, but right now was tea time—a sacred Briton right.
Skipping even one cup would ruin her mood for the rest of the day, so periodic black tea refills were essential.
Seriously elegant...
She sipped her tea like a delicate flower.
A few subordinates stole glances,
but she ignored them completely, her mind humming a tune she'd never voice aloud.
'Ah~ black tea... my lovely black tea~ fragrant black tea~ elegantly sipping black tea~ This is the happiest moment of my life...'
Thus, auto-replaying that melody in her head,
Ark Royal savored the sweet black tea from the Charlotte region and simple pastries, melting away her stress.
At that moment...
“A-Admiral!! B-Big trouble!”
A sailor burst through the door in panic.
Interrupting her precious tea time sent an ominous chill through Ark Royal.
She scowled briefly and asked coldly.
“What is it.”
“W-Well, it's...”
“!”
The sky was overcast with dark clouds, giving a slightly gloomy feel.
In weather that felt like rain was imminent,
the Navy soldiers patrolling the port's warehouse district started frowning.
“Tch... looks like it's about to pour.”
“Yeah, and on the day of the grand auction, no less. What a pain all around.”
The Navy grunts grumbled.
The area they guarded wasn't just any warehouses—it housed weapons, gunpowder, rations, and other military supplies.
Soldiers had to come and go regardless of rain or wind.
In other words, even if a downpour hit, without orders otherwise, they'd shut up and work soaked to the bone.
Though Bennetsa was a water city surrounded by sea on all sides, no one wanted to work drenched.
Already humid, getting wet soured the mood all day.
And on a day with a major event like this, the grunts like them would suffer the most if it rained.
Dragged into formations for atmosphere, standing in the rain all day,
or shoveling mud to keep VIP carriages from getting stuck—or worse, digging them out filthy if they did.
In the worst case, if some disaster struck and they had to clean up, they'd curse under their breath through heavy labor.
All things they'd desperately avoid, yet utterly unavoidable.
Deeply regretting why they'd joined this damn Navy for whatever perks,
they scraped together faith they didn't have, praying fervently that the rain would hold off.
Then...
“Huh?”
“What the hell are those guys...”
A masked man and woman approaching them.
Spotting civilians entering the military zone out of nowhere, the soldiers sprang into action.
“Hey, you! Do you even know where you are?”
“Civilian access forbidden. Turn around and leave quietly.”
Trying to explain nicely and send them off.
The woman in the dog mask asked in a creepy, awkward voice.
“S-So... this is the... military warehouse district from here?”
“What? If you knew, get lost!”
“Keep bothering us, and we'll throw you in jail.”
The soldiers mixed irritation with threats.
They figured that was enough to make the nuisances leave.
But...
“Good. We found the right place.”
"Yeah, tell me about it."
“Huh? What do you m—?!?”
A chilling sensation hit in an instant.
The lead soldier instinctively clutched his throat.
And.
-Thud.
His head hit the ground.
Red blood sprayed out, seizing the soldiers in shock and confusion.
And then,
gazing at the Navy soldiers, the pair...
Frankling, gripping a bloodied butcher's knife pulsing with mana,
and Mazelan, drawing the black sword Caladbolg,
launched their planned assault.
“50 minutes left.”
“Let's hurry. Those punks are already inside, waiting neck-deep in anticipation.”
No.