Arendt came out of the hall and stood in the hallway for a moment, listening to the conversations inside.

As soon as the auction began, a commotion began to flow. Even though the highest bid was announced every 15 minutes, it seemed impossible to completely prevent the commotion.

The servants all looked equally busy. They were constantly delivering food, so they didn’t seem to have time to pay attention to the apprentice knight who had left alone to run an errand.

Arendt began to walk leisurely, putting the snacks he had brought separately into his mouth one by one.

On the first and second floors, he could often see people running around busily.

There were also a few people who came out to contact their parents during the auction. It seemed like the price of the jewel was rising faster than expected.

Arendt, who had been pretending to look around the second floor, soon went up the stairs to the third floor.

Unlike the noisy lower floors, there was no sign of life on the third floor. Perhaps because there were no plans to use the third floor today, the lights weren’t on.

Arendt walked leisurely down the dark hallway.

It felt like the commotion just below was a lie.

Because it wasn’t properly organized, various pieces of furniture were strewn about haphazardly on the third floor.

As the interior was renovated, pieces that had been pushed back were covered in white dust, and carpets that had been hung on the walls to prevent mold were also visible here and there.

It was a very familiar silence, akin to the backstage of a theatre.

Arendt walked slowly without stopping.

Thud thud.

How much time had passed?

Suddenly, he felt a strange presence behind him.

Arendt stopped walking and let out a deep sigh.

“…I don’t really want to do something like this either.”

A small grumble that no one could hear came out of his mouth.

“The highest price is three thousand two hundred gold!”

A clear but loud shout shook the hall.

Kendrick let out a small groan.

“Everyone is more generous than I thought.”

“It looks like they’ve made up their mind?”

Diana also grumbled, running her hands through her hair in annoyance.

All three captains made their own bids, but this time the amount that was bid was far beyond their expectations.

“Collectors have a strong desire to collect. I don’t think it will end easily.”

Arthur, who had been quietly observing the situation, shook his head. Benjamin and Helen just stood there blankly, unable to even think of intervening.

“I’ll have to bid a little higher next time.”

“I’m afraid that if I go back, I’ll be beaten to death by His Highness the Crown Prince.”

When Diana groaned, Laius responded seriously.

Once again their turn came and a loud declaration was made.

“Four thousand gold has been bid!”

The nobles’ faces instantly turned pale at the unimaginable amount of money. On the other hand, Kendrick smiled triumphantly.

“This time, I guess I said the highest bid. It’s a bit of a stretch.”

“F, F, thousand gold…”

Benjamin muttered vaguely. That was an amount of money that even the wealthiest people would not easily be able to afford. Helen also muttered with a tired expression, perhaps feeling the same way.

“Surely it won’t go up any further from here?”

“That would be nice, though.”

Richt answered quietly. He saw several nobles step forward, hesitating.

Arthur was disgusted.

“There are still people who want to try. Captain, it might not end with just this… Captain?”

Arthur, who had been mumbling, suddenly realized that the captains were quiet and turned his head.

Before they knew it, all three of them were staring out the window with their faces frozen in place.

“…Is this a mistake?”

Kendrick blurted out first, his tone completely devoid of the playfulness he had previously displayed.

The one who gave the answer was Laius, who had remained silent the whole time.

“No, I don’t think it’s a mistake.”

The knights tensed as they saw his hand slowly reaching for his sword.

“Four thousand five hundred came out!”

As the loud declaration was heard again, an unfamiliar silhouette shimmered outside the window.

The moment when the captains ran out without hesitation…

Kwaaang!

A thick arm broke through the window and came in.

“What… What are you doing here alone?”

A voice came from behind him, extremely cautious.

Arendt turned his head.

Baron Cromwell stood tall in the middle of the dark hallway. Arendt relaxed his tense shoulders and turned around.

“I was invited here, but I don’t really like noisy places. Why is Baron Cromwell here? The auction must be in full swing.”

“Me, me too. I guess I’m just nervous about standing in front of people… Phew, but I didn’t know someone would come here before me.”

Baron Cromwell sighed with a pale face and smiled bitterly.

He could faintly hear the noise from downstairs.

“Lord Arendt von Eckhart… is that right? I don’t think you’re interested in the jewel.”

“I’ve seen it, so it’s enough for me. Where would an apprentice knight have the money to buy something like that?”

In fact, Arendt shrugged his shoulders naturally. Then a faint smile spread across Baron Cromwell’s lips.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“No need for thanks, but you must be having a hard time. You got caught by a crazy guy.”

Arendt looked straight into the Baron’s eyes.

Apart from his smiling lips, the Baron’s eyes were filled with fear.

His pupils, shaking uncontrollably, were filled with tears that had yet to fall. Baron Cromwell moved his lips with a smiling face.

“…Please save me.”

“I would have even if you didn’t say anything, so you can relax.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, the Baron took out a dagger from his chest pocket and rushed at him. Arendt easily dodged the blow by slightly twisting his body, and then easily subdued the Baron by striking the back of his neck.

The unconscious Baron fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut off.

Across the dark hallway, he saw a familiar mask staring at him.

The eyes behind the mask sparkled and shone.

“You’re quick-witted. If I was going to do it, I would have just killed him.”

“Because you are different from everyone else and are not a human being.”

After pushing the Baron into a corner of the hallway, Arendt walked briskly toward Vincent, rounding his shoulders.

“We’re all going to die anyway, so the order doesn’t really matter, right?”

“No, it does matter. You’re the only one who’s going to die.”

In the darkness, the eyes of two people met.

And the next moment, without a word, they kicked the ground.

Kwaaaaang!

The violent collision raised a cloud of dust.

Arendt opened his eyes wide and glared at the man who had taken his sword. Vincent smirked, and the corners of his lips were revealed beneath his mask.

“I am so glad to see you again.”

“Me too. I’m so moved I don’t know what to do with myself.”

Clang. Clang.

As the swords clashed with difficulty, fierce words were exchanged.

And the next moment.

Kwaaaaang!

A tremendous vibration erupted from downstairs, but Arendt’s expression didn’t change at all. It was as if he had expected this to happen.

Vincent let out a hollow laugh.

“Oh my… You, a little brat, knew exactly how I was going to move?”

“Your way of thinking is too simple, you pervert.”

Arendt calmly took the blow and swung his sword hard. Vincent didn’t bother to resist and jumped back, putting some distance between them.

To be honest, it wasn’t a very pleasant feeling. It was no different from getting caught up in a child’s trick.

Vincent’s number one target for elimination was Arendt. Even if there was just one mistake, that little brat could not come back alive, so he had to chase after him like this. If he were to disappear from sight, it would be a problem.

Arendt read that will.

“You were confident that you could face me alone? How arrogant.”

“A traitor is enough to deal with someone like you.”

A cold wind swept through for a moment, and Arendt’s sword froze white. Tsk, Vincent clicked his tongue and responded by raising his sword.

Kaaaaang!

The two men’s swords repelled each other violently.

Vincent blocked Arendt’s attack, which came rushing towards him without hesitation, kicking the ground, then kicked it cleanly away and extended his hand.

The next moment, a ting sounded!

Vincent hurriedly withdrew his hand as if he had been thrown off by something and stepped back.

“Uh?”

This was clearly a rejection reaction. The artifact’s ability was not working properly and was being bounced off.

“I know you’re excited about getting a new toy, but it’s probably a good idea to at least know the precautions beforehand.”

Vincent, who had been dumbfounded by Arendt’s babbling, opened his mouth slightly and then suddenly came to his senses as another attack came at him.

“Tch!”

Kaang!

Although he struck hard with his sword, Arendt did not back down once he had taken the offensive. Vincent, who had been reflexively focusing on defense, soon realized what the problem was.

The Frosty Touch.

He noticed the corners of Arendt’s mouth slightly rising.

At that moment, Vincent was sure that Arendt definitely anticipated this situation.

‘But how?’

It was only recently that he was granted the Eyes of the Ruler, and yet Arendt already saw through the characteristics and weaknesses that even he himself was unaware of?

“…Ha, it seems it’s not just the spirit of sacrifice that’s blocking my path.”

His lips formed a sharp curve. The eyes behind the mask changed into those of a wild beast.

“I’ll have to change my plan. I’m going to drag you down no matter what.”

“Gyaaaah!”

A scream from an unknown source tore through the air, but even that sound was drowned out by the noise of the walls breaking apart.

A golem three times the size of a normal human squeezed through the shattered window and entered.

“What, what is that? What is that?”

“Where did that come from!”

It wasn’t just one body. With a roar, the golem’s thick arm shot out again through the collapsed wall.

People started running outside, one after another.

The knights immediately drew their swords.

“Captain Laius!”

As Neumann came running out from inside, Laius shouted urgently.

“It’s dangerous. Don’t come near! Please guide the guests and employees so that they don’t disperse as much as possible.”

The garden beyond the half-broken wall was also in ruins. The panicked security forces had fled, and the hired mercenaries tried their best to fight back, but were helpless.

“Sir Helen, Sir Benjamin, Arthur! Go with Lord Neumann and protect the guests!”

“Yes, I understand!”

“Good luck!”

At Laius’ command, the three people immediately left their positions. Sensing this movement, the golems that had been silent suddenly began to move their heavy bodies.

The golem, which was about to fly towards Arthur, suddenly stopped in place with a roar.

Kendrick, who had stepped forward, blocked the golem’s path.

“I never thought it would come to this.”

Kendrick spoke calmly, despite facing a giant golem several times his size.

“Didn’t they say that all you had to do was destroy the nucleus?”

Kwaaang!

Kendrick, who had struck down the golem, quickly unleashed his sword energy and cleanly cut its sturdy body in two.

The golem that lost its core collapsed into a pile of stones.

“It’s not that difficult.”

It was the signal for a full-scale fight.