“Good evening, esteemed guests! As always, I’m your host for tonight’s auction, Shameless Sam, the man with no business ethics. And today, I have something truly special to show you!”
“Have you heard the news? Count Montieri’s mansion was recently robbed. Some of you may not know since everyone’s trying to keep it under wraps, but I’m sure those in the know have heard all about it.”
“Now, are you starting to guess why I’m bringing this up? You are, aren’t you? That’s right…. let me introduce today’s luxurious lineup. Fresh out of Count Montieri’s vault, it’s a collection of stolen goods straight from the Count of Montieri’s vault!”
“Oh, don’t give me that look! I’m telling you, it’s the real deal! Yes, indeed, the very same Montieri Collection. The very thing the Count cherished more than his own wife!”
“Nine paintings, seven porcelain pieces, two pieces of furniture, a full set of plate armor, one taxidermy piece, one death mask, twenty-one rare and antique books, one grimoire, and three rare plants. They are forty-six items in total, all verified as genuine by the reputable appraisers of the Thieves’ Guild.”
“Now then, let’s take a look at the first item up for auction: this painting, ‘Pleasure in the Cage’.”
“Measuring 180 centimeters wide and 120 centimeters tall, this nude painting was created with poppy-seed oil paints on canvas. It’s a work that has received high praise from critics for its decadent yet dreamlike atmosphere!”
“If you look at the signature in the bottom left corner, you’ll recognize it as a piece by none other than Belpasso, the renowned imperial court painter. It’s one of the works he left behind during his years as a traveling guest, drifting from one noble household to another across the continent.”
“As for the woman who posed for this painting… well, of course, I can’t say that out loud. Haha! But I’m sure you all know who she is. As you can see, the painting is in perfect condition. The amber varnish coating is flawless and adds a dignified sheen.”
“The starting bid is just 4,500 blancs. How about that? Isn’t that a steal? So, who will be the lucky one to claim ownership of this beautiful masterpiece? Let the bidding begin!”
“4,500 blancs, right off the bat! Yes, now we have 4,600—4,700! And… 5,000 blancs! Still cheap, folks, still incredibly cheap! Anyone else?”
As the bid climbed rapidly, Shameless Sam’s grin stretched from ear to ear.
From the highest level of the auction house, in the section reserved for management, the leader of the Thieves’ Guild’s Assassination Unit No. 4 Nogi watched the scene unfold and scowled.
“That guy’s annoying no matter how many times I see him. Always running his mouth. Should’ve cut out his tongue when we first caught him.”
“Let him be. He’s a cash cow for our operation right now.”
“A cash cow? That chatterbox?”
When Sam had first been brought in, he’d been nothing more than a pathetic gambling addict, buried in debt with no intention of paying it back.
Originally, the plan was to sell him off as a slave to a mine, but thanks to his background as a once-popular playwright, the Thieves’ Guild decided to keep him.
Nogi never quite understood that decision.
“If I went to a shop and a clerk like him started yapping at me, I’d just walk right out.”
“Being loud is part of the job. You’ve got to completely dazzle people so they’ll throw money around without thinking. Not that someone as dense as you with a brain stuffed like a pig’s intestine would understand.”
“Watch your mouth. Or I’ll cut out your tongue before his.”
The woman in charge of running the auction house was a senior member of the Thieves’ Guild. She was known by the nickname “Rattlesnake Mina”.
Despite having a shorter time in the guild than Nogi, Mina had risen through the ranks at a rapid pace.
It was an open secret that she had used her looks to curry favor with higher-ups, and rumors even swirled that she had poisoned the former auction manager to take his position.
Nogi had no intention of treating her like a superior.
Naturally, Mina wasn’t too fond of Nogi either, given how brazenly he acted toward her.
In short, the two were bitter rivals.
“And just who do you think you’re telling to watch their mouth? Seems like you’ve forgotten where you are. With just one word from me, my men guarding this auction could cut you into sixteen pieces and feed you to the dogs, Nogi.”
“Hah. I’d actually like to see you try.”
Nogi spun a dagger effortlessly over the back of his hand as he spoke.
Mina flinched.
She hadn’t even seen him draw the blade.
Every assassin in the Assassination Unit knew how to make a dagger or two appear and disappear at will.
A chill ran down Mina’s spine as she issued her warning.
“Don’t get cocky. Don’t forget the combat unit of the Thieves’ Guild is stationed here, too.”
“You think they’d take your side? Know your place. The only ones in this place who’d listen to your orders are those pretty little playthings you handpicked for their faces. Am I wrong?”
Mina’s face flushed bright red.
She gritted her teeth.
“If you came here to ask for my cooperation, you might want to drop that attitude. Now get rid of that blade. Right. Now.”
“…Fine.”
Nogi gave a faint smirk, and the dagger vanished without a trace.
Mina hadn’t been able to follow it with her eyes this time either.
“So then, what does our oh-so-important Unit Commander want from me?”
“You know our unit’s been monitoring an outside group called Longsoniere under the Master’s orders, right?”
“You mean those guys who recently made a nest in Gray Chapel?”
“That’s right. The person we’re tracking is believed to be either a member of Longsonierz or someone working with them. We’ve seen them going in and out of a front disguised as a restaurant. That person is currently inside the auction house.”
“In the auction house? What, mixed in with the slave stock?”
“See that tall man on the first floor of the audience? The one in the white mask and long black coat?”
Mina asked as she cast her gaze over the railing.
“What are you planning to do with him?”
“Obviously, we’re going to kidnap and torture him. There’s a lot we need to ask.”
***
“Are you crazy?”
Mina immediately pushed back.
“You’re saying you’re going to send an assassination unit into the auction house? Are you trying to cause a scene here?”
“We’ll make it as fast and quiet as possible. Grant the assassination unit entry now, and once we’re in position, seal off all the exits to the auction house.”
“No.”
Nogi growled in irritation, but this time Mina didn’t budge.
“Everyone sitting in there is a noble. They’re suckers who come here relying solely on the Thieves’ Guild’s reputation. And you want to kidnap someone right inside the auction house? You trying to drag the guild’s name through the mud? Want to see what happens when customers stop coming?”
“Hmph.”
“Besides, take a good look at what that guy you’re talking about is doing right now.”
“What do you mean? From what I can see, he’s just standing still.”
“He’s spending money like a madman, damn it!”
Mina grew agitated, gripped the railing, and looked down.
Onstage, the Montieri Collection auction was in full swing, and Shameless Sam was energetically explaining the history of the items up for sale.
“This book right here? It’s a rare antique that dates back 200 years. Looks boring? You’ll be taking that back in a moment. Because this book is a handwritten collection of love letters sent by successive emperors of the Empire back when they were crown princes to married women!”
“The Imperial Family has fiercely denied the existence of such letters, but the book’s value has been re-evaluated nearly 40 years ago thanks to the testimony of Madame Polenta Su, who risked her life to testify against them. Among historians, there was a heated debate over whether the emperors’ obsession with married women was a hereditary trait, and likewise, whether Princess Kaphna who reaches adulthood this year might share the same… inclination. Anyway!”
“What matters is that the Imperial Family is desperate to recover every copy of this book, and so only a few rare editions remain in circulation! With that said, let’s begin the bidding. Starting bid is a mere 2,000 blancs!”
“We have 2,000 blancs. Anyone for more? Ah, yes—2,050 blancs! We have 2,050! And right away, 2,100 blancs! The bids are climbing quickly. Next is… wait—what?”
“8,000 blancs! Did I see that right? Did someone really say 8,000 blancs?!”
The man Nogi had pointed out as the target was now the biggest spender in the entire auction house.
In fact, the masked man had been the final bidder on every single item that had appeared on stage since the auction began.
He was buying things like a madman.
And at prices more than four times higher than the next bidder!
Mina couldn’t help but drool at the sight of that kind of money.
“Did you hear that? 8,000 blancs! The guy blew 8,000 blancs on a single book! He’s crazy, Nogi! Do you even know how much just the commission on that would be?”
“Money, money, money… Are you obsessed with it or something?”
“Yeah. That’s my life motto.”
“……”
“And do you even know how much operating funds we fork over to the guild every month? Where do you think the money for your food, drinks, and women comes from? You think it grows on trees? Without us, you guys wouldn’t even have time to worry about your next meal.”
The black market auction house was one of the Thieves’ Guild’s most important businesses. So Nogi couldn’t act recklessly here.
If this had been any place other than the auction house, Nogi would’ve ignored Mina’s opinion from the start and sent in the assassination unit without hesitation.
But instead, he kept trying to persuade her.
“This is the Master’s order. The Master wants us to capture the foreign organization’s agent. So stop arguing and authorize the unit’s entry.”
“Don’t lie, Nogi. The Master only instructed indirect intelligence gathering, didn’t he?”
“……”
“You thought I wouldn’t know? That’s funny. Want me to guess something else? I think I know why you’re really doing this. Didn’t a bunch of your men get killed by those Long-something guys last time? Longsoni? Longsword? Anyway, you’re just out for revenge. That’s why you’re throwing the rules out the window and running wild.”
When Mina saw the look on Nogi’s face, she grinned inwardly.
She’d just confirmed she’d hit the nail on the head.
“Oh, poor thing. Our prideful assassination unit leader, always bragging about his skills…how humiliated you must’ve been. But Nogi, can I give you a little piece of advice as someone who’s been in the game longer than you?”
Mina spoke with smug confidence.
“Learn to separate business from personal feelings. If your personal grudge ends up hurting the auction house’s profits, you’ll be the first to get kicked out of the guild.”
“…Blood must be repaid with blood.”
“I won’t argue with that. Just not here. That’s all I have to say.”
Nogi glared at Mina like he wanted to kill her, but all he could do was flex his fists in frustration.
“I’ll repay this debt someday. Count on it.”
“Be my guest.”
Hearing Nogi’s concession of defeat, Mina smirked and began filling her tobacco pipe.
Then, making sure Nogi could hear every word, she gave a deliberate order to her subordinate.
“Jimmy? Go take a nice cold drink to the bidder over there, the one still calling out the highest prices. He must be thirsty from all that bidding. Make sure there’s plenty of ice, and don’t forget to tell him it’s a treat from a lovely lady. Got it?”
Nogi couldn’t hold back any longer. He kicked his chair back so hard it nearly toppled over and stormed out of the auction house.
Outside, one of his subordinates was waiting.
“How did the negotiations go?”
“They broke down.”
“As expected. What’s the plan now?”
“We proceed as planned. Split the forces and surround the auction house. That woman, Mina, isn’t going to tell us which exit the winning bidder will use, so we’ll just have to keep watch on every single one.”
“Understood.”
“And prepare a container of strong acid. Once we’ve wrung every last bit of information out of him, we’ll honor our fallen comrades by watching him melt alive.”
“Once the flesh is gone, we can crush the bones into powder and feed it to the chickens.”
The hounds who were starving for revenge bared their fangs and grinned.
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