Chapter 157: The Oriole
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 157: The Oriole
Muen waited until the auction had completely concluded and the crowds had dispersed before leisurely strolling out of his private room.
By then, a waiter was already waiting outside, bowing respectfully.
"Honored guest, here is the item you purchased."
On a silver tray sat a gold-trimmed jewelry box, radiating a layer of luxurious light. Muen opened it casually. The Pink Teardrop Gem, a symbol of true love, lay quietly against the red silk lining. Even without direct lamplight, it remained dazzlingly brilliant.
"Very good."
Muen didn't bother checking its authenticity; he trusted the auction house wouldn't be stupid enough to pull any tricks at this stage. He tucked the gem away.
Just as he was about to reach for his funds, the waiter spoke up deferentially.
"Sir, as an apology for our previous rudeness, this gem is being gifted to you free of charge."
"Oh? Didn't you already give me a twenty percent discount?"
"But aside from this gem, you didn't purchase anything else, did you?" The waiter wiped the sweat from his forehead and lowered his voice. "This is our boss's wish. He would very much like to make your acquaintance—to be friends, so to speak."
"The boss?" Muen arched an eyebrow.
He wasn't particularly surprised by the mastermind's move. Earlier, he had warned the waiter to keep his presence a secret, stating that no "fourth person" should know a big fish like him had entered the auction. Those three people were himself, the waiter, and the boss behind the waiter.
Since this was the boss's territory, there was no way to keep him in the dark. He just hadn't expected the man to react so quickly.
"Do you underworld types always enjoy making friends this much?"
"The more friends one has, the wider the path, wouldn't you agree? For people like us who dwell in the darkness all day, if the path isn't wide enough, it’s far too easy to trip."
"Fair point." Muen patted the waiter on the shoulder. "Then I, the son of Duke Raymond, shall accept this friendship. Next time I come, remember to give me a discount."
"Of course, of course." The waiter nodded like a woodpecker pecking for grain. However, with his head bowed, he couldn't stop his lips from twitching.
The son of Duke Raymond?
Who are you kidding!
They had just used their intelligence network to check. That "model of nobility" had long since returned to his family's fief with the Duke. If you're going to lie, at least make it plausible! It would have been more believable if he’d claimed to be the son of Duke Campbell!
*
At the auction house exit.
The seductive woman stood by the door, a brilliant smile on her face as she bowed to every guest entering or leaving, appearing as though she never grew weary.
As Muen passed her, she kept her head down and whispered in a low voice, "Most of those people headed west."
"Thank you." Muen nodded and kept walking without pause.
But after just one step, he felt something tugging at him. He turned back to see the heavily made-up woman clutching the corner of his coat. Her eyes were filled with the anxiety of a startled fawn, yet she summoned her courage and spoke.
"I’m going to leave this place. I’ll use the money you gave me to apply for the Greyline Women's Academy. I want to become a teacher."
"Is that so?" Muen smiled. "That’s wonderful. Good luck."
"Yes." Like the rising sun or a blooming flower, all her anxiety and fear vanished. The woman let go, her eyes shimmering with light as she nodded vigorously. "I will, sir."
*
Muen walked unhurriedly through the streets of the Black Market as if taking a stroll. He even stopped at a roadside stall to buy a pair of binoculars that supposedly allowed one to clearly see a beauty bathing from a kilometer away.
The Black Market was an underground space—whether naturally formed or artificially excavated was unknown—and while large, it only spanned a few city blocks. Even with the complex terrain, shaking off a tail here was nearly impossible.
Therefore, Lorenzo’s immediate plan after obtaining the Ancient Dragon Heart Blood would undoubtedly be to leave the Black Market. The Lower District of Belland was his true home turf.
The other greedy "wild dogs" looking to rob the robber likely thought the same. After all, fighting was strictly prohibited within the Black Market. To start a brawl here would be a direct slap in the face to the giants backing the place. Anyone with a brain would avoid that.
Thus, all Muen had to do was determine which exit they took and follow them at a leisurely pace. The chances of losing them were slim because there were only a few passages out, and...
Muen’s gaze swept across the path ahead. Several shifty figures were doing exactly what he was—trailing the group in front from a distance, moving stealthily.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind?
A mischievous smirk played on Muen’s lips.
Who the true oriole was remained to be seen.
*
In the Lower District, a group of fully armed men hurried through a labyrinth of narrow, sewage-drenched alleys. A vagrant sleeping by a trash heap was startled awake by the commotion. He opened his bleary eyes to glance at the group, but his sleepiness vanished instantly. He scrambled to dig into the trash pile and bury himself inside.
"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"
Lorenzo felt the gazes pinned to his back—sticky and impossible to shake, like gum that had been stepped on a thousand times. His expression was deathly grim.
He had underestimated the greed of these wild dogs! He had assumed that even if people coveted the Ancient Dragon Heart Blood, few would actually dare to follow him given the fearsome reputation of the Red Fire Gang.
But since leaving, he had felt at least twenty different sets of eyes peering from various directions!
And those were just the brainless ones. The truly cunning and troublesome bastards were still hanging back further away, all waiting to be the oriole that reaps the spoils.
"It’s fine, Boss. No matter how disgusting those dogs are, they’re just a bunch of disorganized strays. As long as they don't team up, they’re no threat to us," his confidant whispered, scanning their surroundings to comfort him. "And the chances of those greedy bastards teaming up are lower than Miss Seth turning over a new leaf!"
"Who the hell is Miss Seth?"
"The star of the brothel on Elma Street. She can take on twenty dockworkers in a single night. They call her the Lake Monster of the Old Rhine." The confidant smacked his lips, reminiscing. "When she twists those hips, she’s more constricting than a giant python."
"Dammit, I told you to stop going to those shady places! Do I give you all that money just so you can catch some infectious disease and bring it back to screw me over?" Lorenzo barked, slapping his confidant on the back of the head.
"Hehe, I gotta save money for my sister’s medical bills," the man muttered, scratching his head nonchalantly.
"You’re going to let that sickly sister of yours drag you to the grave!" Lorenzo rolled his eyes hard, but the distraction did help settle his nerves.
He was right. Wild dogs were just wild dogs. Unless they formed a pack, they would never become wolves capable of threatening him. Once they reached Red Fire Gang territory, no one would dare snatch anything from his mouth.
Lorenzo quickened his pace.
Suddenly, a cold wind whipped up, like an invisible hand waving through the air, disturbing the thickening night mist.
He heard a sharp whistle—ghostly and ethereal—echoing through the dark alley.