The hall, which had briefly frozen with the appearance of the knights, soon became lively again.

Arthur scanned the hall.

There didn’t seem to be anything special happening yet.

The leaders were already mingling with the people and chatting lightly, and Benjamin and Helen were standing close behind them as if they were guards.

Perhaps because of what Arendt had said earlier, their shoulders seemed to have relaxed a little, but they still seemed unable to completely relax.

‘Actually, that’s normal.’

The guy next to him who was calmly munching on cookies was the weird one.

Arendt was staring at people with indifferent eyes, stuffing cookies into his mouth. His face was so blank that it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

“…Hey, what are you doing?”

In the end, Arthur’s question, which he couldn’t hold back on asking, received a less sincere answer than he had expected.

Even in the midst of all this, he was maddened by the way Arendt’s cheeks moved while he was chewing the snack, and was about to snap at him again, but stopped when he saw Arendt’s eyes scanning the people in the hall.

His expression was as indifferent as usual, but his eyes were shining sharply. It would be hard for others to notice, but Arthur, who had fought with him several times, could easily notice it.

Those were eyes that looked for the opponent’s weaknesses.

Finally, Arthur let out a short sigh and slumped his shoulders.

“…Shouldn’t you say observing instead of watching?”

“Okay.”

It wasn’t a negative thing.

Arthur followed Arendt’s gaze.

There was nothing particularly different. He could just see the wealthy, collectors, and nobles gathered in small groups, chatting away.

Some were admiring the food and drinks, others were praising the wonderful atmosphere of the place… and others were seriously discussing business and the jewel that was the star of the day.

Arthur turned his gaze back to Arendt.

No one paid any attention to him.

Well, it didn’t seem like they would pay any attention to the apprentice knight who was quietly curled up in a corner and eating snacks. The captains they valued were over there.

It was like he was putting into practice the theory about the hunter that had been used against Benjamin and Helen earlier.

Arthur approached quietly and asked.

“Do you think he might be mixed in there?”

“Well, maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. I’ll just wait and see for now.”

Arendt put another cookie in his mouth and chewed.

“What do you know by just looking?”

“If I tell you, will you understand?”

“You wanna die?”

“If you can do it, try it.”

The hall became a little noisy as their meaningless bickering continued.

Arthur and Arendt both closed their mouths and lifted their heads at the same time.

Neumann, who had returned alone, was on the stage. The event organizer, who had drawn everyone’s attention by coughing, smiled warmly.

“First of all, I would like to thank all the distinguished guests for coming despite the uncertain circumstances.”

As his voice filled the hall, the noisy interior suddenly became quiet.

“We have prepared this with great care, even if it is a small one, so I hope you will enjoy today’s event comfortably.”

Next to Neumann, a man’s eyes were flickering, unable to hide his nervousness. From the look of him, he seemed unfamiliar with standing in front of others.

“I hope you will enjoy your time here, and I would like to introduce to you Baron Franz Cromwell, who has arranged for us to be here today.”

Neumann finished speaking with a smile and took a step back. As a result, Baron Franz Cromwell ended up standing at the very front of the stage.

As the applause began to pour in, Baron Cromwell’s face turned a little paler, but he forced himself to clear his throat and opened his mouth.

“I would like to thank Lord Neumann for his consideration in making this place available to me. My name is Franz Cromwell.”

The Baron went on and on about how he would donate the proceeds from the sale of the jewel to an orphanage and how he was at a loss for words because of the attention given to such unpleasant matters.

Arendt stared at the Baron again, shoving another cookie into his mouth.

‘The speed must have slowed down a bit because of the threat.’

When he saw his face darkened and dead, he felt a little, just a little bit sorry.

Neumann stepped forward again, after the Baron’s greeting, which had become unnecessarily long-winded due to his tension.

“I know you’ve been waiting a long time already, so it would be rude to delay any longer. I think everyone here has been looking forward to this moment.”

Neumann paused for a moment, slowly looked around the room, and then declared powerfully.

“For today’s auction item, we will reveal the Unquenchable Heart.”

“Oh oh…!”

“At last!”

People began to stir. The knights’ eyes also lit up.

He quickly swept aside the velvet covering of the display case, and the rumored jewel finally came into view.

At that moment, Arthur also had no choice but to forget the situation for a moment and lose his mind.

Decorated on the black backdrop was a necklace of elegant design.

The jewel set on the intricately crafted silver necklace was a vivid red, as if it was soaked in blood.

People exclaimed in admiration at the sight that seemed to bewitch people, yet at the same time seemed pure and innocent.

“No matter how many times I see it, it’s still breathtaking.”

“I don’t regret the time I spent coming here.”

A smile spread across the lips of the people who were listening. Neumann also looked quite pleased with their reactions.

“After independent research from above, it has been confirmed that this is a jewel with a very ancient history. It was first named by the royal family of a distant foreign land, and eventually flowed to the Caerleon Empire.”

Neumann’s voice continued.

“It is said that this jewel invites disaster until it finds a suitable owner, and when it leaves the hands of its owner, it wanders the world on its own.”

The misfortunes that Baron Cromwell himself had suffered were enough to increase the value of this jewel.

Interest and greed began to appear in the attendees’ eyes at the same time, but the knights’ reactions were a little different. Arthur, who had been standing there blankly, started tapping Arendt, who was right next to him.

“Hey hey hey…!”

“I know that too, so don’t hit me.”

Arendt, despite his irritated response, did not take his eyes off the jewel.

Richt’s face hardened, while Diana and Kendrick’s lips curved in strange ways.

The moment the jewel came into view, they felt it too.

There was a wave of dubious magic power.

However, Helen and Benjamin didn’t seem to notice anything strange.

“It’s a beautiful jewel, just like I heard.”

“It’s no wonder people are gathering here.”

Diana, who heard the two people whispering, blurted out the words as a joke.

“I think you guys should train more.”

“Yes?!”

Arendt slightly curled the corners of his mouth, leaving the inexperienced knights wide-eyed.

‘As expected… that was an artifact too.’

In the novel, it fell into Vincent’s hands without them even having a moment to stop it, so they didn’t even notice its existence.

“…I think it would be better to take it back with us.”

“I agree with you.”

Arthur agreed with Richt’s softly mumbled words. Whether the enemy attacked or not, he instinctively realized that such a thing should not be allowed to wander outside.

The knights glared at the podium with cold, sunken eyes.

“Since you are here, I would like to conduct the auction in a slightly different way.”

Neumann, who had no idea what they were thinking, continued his explanation.

“The current time is 8:00 p.m. While you enjoy your refreshments, please bid your prices in order from now on. I will announce the highest bid every 15 minutes.”

It was a way to prevent the hall from becoming too noisy while maintaining the dignity of the nobles.

“I will award it to the highest bidder by 11:30 tonight. I will start at 1,500 gold.”

As soon as he finished speaking, those who had been eyeing the jewel from earlier began to flock to Neumann like a cloud.

Kendrick burst out laughing.

“I think I know a little bit why that little brat was trying so hard to drag us in.”

“I totally agree.”

Diana replied calmly, glancing sideways at Arendt.

Whether it was coincidence or fate, whenever that guy moves, a big shot always follows.

It was as if he was looking ahead.

Arendt, who was the one who brought the knights to this place, just stared at the stage with an expression on his face that made it unclear what he was thinking.

After a while, Arendt beckoned Arthur and Richt to come closer. Arthur, who had been quietly listening to his whispered words, suddenly frowned.

The two people who had been bickering seemed to pause for a moment due to Richt’s mediation.

And a moment later, Arendt was seen quietly leaving the hall with his hands in his pockets.

“Sir Laius, it seems like your little knight has some sort of secret agenda?”

“…”

At Diana’s playful remark, Laius quietly stared at Arendt’s back as he walked away.

“Is it okay if you leave him alone?”

“I’m sure he has his own thoughts.”

Laius answered Kendrick’s subtle question indifferently, but even then, he couldn’t easily take his eyes off Arendt until his back completely disappeared.

As he disappeared, Arthur and Richt approached the captains.

“Where did Arendt go?”

“That…”

Arthur paused with a puzzled look on his face at Laius’s question.

“…He said that he had to go to the bathroom.”

“…”

“I think he ate too much… he’s been eating nonstop since a while ago.”

For a moment, a look of bewilderment appeared on Kendrick and Diana’s faces. Even Benjamin and Helen looked puzzled, and then quickly frowned.

“Was that the only reason he left?”

“He’s such a free spirited guy…”

Arthur smiled awkwardly without adding any further comment.

After a long moment, Kendrick burst into laughter.

“I told you, he really is an ignorant guy…”

“Did he not say anything else?”

But Laius seemed to think a little differently.

Richt, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

“He told us that he’s the only one leaving, so we shouldn’t leave this room unless absolutely necessary.”

“What does that mean?”

“Well, we don’t know either.”

At Diana’s question, Richt’s words trailed off slightly. At that moment, the servant’s loud shout echoed through the hall.

“The highest price so far is two thousand five hundred gold!”

As if that was a signal, the knights shut their mouths. It didn’t seem like the time to be concerned about the guy who left.

Laius muttered seriously.

“First, we need to retrieve the jewel.”

“Surely… he’s not thinking of participating in the auction?”

“There’s nothing we can do. We can’t forcibly take away something that already has an owner.”

When Benjamin was shocked, Kendrick answered for him.

Diana smiled faintly.

“First of all, we are qualified since we received an invitation. I have never participated in an auction in my life.”

The tone of voice showed no intention of hiding her interest.

Helen was taken aback by the unusual sight of the strict leader.

“Why don’t you just transfer it in the name of the Imperial Knights? After asking for their understanding that the auction must be stopped because a dangerous person is after it, you can pay the price to Baron Cromwell…”

“Look over there, Sir Helen. Do you think that will work?”

But her words were easily interrupted by a word that Diana lightly threw out. The nobles seemed determined to keep the jewel for themselves without giving an inch of concession.

“Then we too should compete fairly.”

Since the Crown Prince was responsible for Arendt’s actions anyway, it wouldn’t be a big deal to charge him for the expenses.

Kendrick grinned and hammered home the point.

“Let’s join the fight too. Let’s take this opportunity to uproot at least one of the royal pillars.”

There was something the Crown Prince overlooked when he joined hands with Arendt.

If you get close to black paint, you will also turn black.

The ‘Arendt Way’ was spreading slowly but surely among the knights like poison.