Chapter 11
We broke the magical restraint device around the child’s neck and immediately returned to the auction house.
Fortunately, we managed to keep the timing barely within the limit.
“It looks like the auction is about to start.”
The lights in the party hall focused on one spot as Victor, the owner of the auction house, appeared.
“Thank you for waiting.”
He was a large man with jet-black hair tied back.
A long scar stretched from his neck down to his jaw.
But despite the grotesque scar, he was dressed quite properly.
Looking at the long hem of his coat, I whispered to Simon,
“Is it possible he’s just a figurehead?”
“The voice I heard in the room was the same.”
At Simon’s quiet reply, I nodded.
If it was Simon’s judgment, there was nothing more to add.
“I’ve carefully selected precious items that cannot be found anywhere else, so please enjoy the auction.”
After Victor stepped back, the attendant beside him began the auction in earnest.
Magical artifacts were brought onto the stage one by one.
Seeing Simon’s eyes occasionally glow made it clear they were truly rare items.
The auction seemed to proceed smoothly.
It was interesting to see that the more useless an artifact seemed—at least to me—the higher its price was set.
I felt like my impression that this was a gathering of eccentrics wasn’t wrong.
Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like many people came here targeting humans from the beginning.
Probably some people here didn’t even know a mage was being sold as an item.
Thinking that way made my heart feel a little calmer.
And when the atmosphere had ripened, the final item was finally brought onto the stage.
“The final item to conclude today’s auction. A mage who uses elemental magic. Though still young, he is skilled in advanced cold-attribute magic.”
When the young boy walked onto the stage, the heated atmosphere inside the hall strangely cooled.
Some people observed quietly, while others stared closely at the boy.
Then someone asked,
“Can we test its performance?”
“Unfortunately, it is controlled by a restraint device, so it is not possible.”
I reflexively looked at the child.
Will he keep his promise?
Would he endure such treatment and stay still without letting his anger burst out?
The magical restraint device was already failing to function properly.
So even if he caused chaos here and attacked Victor immediately, there was nothing that could stop him right away.
If that happened, in the worst case, Victor might hide or even die before the secret of the auction was fully uncovered.
And all I can rely on is a verbal contract, a promise.
At that moment when anxiety was sprouting in my heart, I met the boy’s eyes.
He was looking directly at me.
“….”
He gave no signal, nor did he move his lips.
But I could feel it.
He’s saying he will never betray me.
The emotions contained in those blue eyes were transmitted completely to me across the distance.
Then my vision suddenly went dark.
“…? What are you doing?”
“Why does Ariel also need to exchange such heated eye contact? It looks suspicious.”
Simon had blocked my view with his hand.
“Fair point.”
Laughing awkwardly, I pulled his hand down and looked forward again.
Before long, the boy’s final auction price was decided.
It was enough to build a two-story mansion—but far too little to place on a human life.
He’ll be able to escape safely, right?
Since I was so confident, I told myself not to worry too much.
Steeling my heart, I turned away without looking back and left the auction house with Simon.
Time had already passed into the deep night.
After confirming that no one was following us, Simon and I headed to the meeting place we had agreed on with Ian beforehand.
Ian, who had been waiting for us on time, teleported us back to the shop and then disappeared after receiving Simon’s report.
Occasionally he sent me scrutinizing looks as if interrogating whether I had caused any trouble, but he didn’t openly pick a fight.
That was fortunate. I didn’t have the energy left to bicker with Ian right now.
Unlike me, who collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion the moment we arrived, Simon calmly removed and organized his outer coat as if he were used to it.
I stared at him quietly and spoke.
“Thank you, Simon.”
“For what?”
“You were stubborn. Even though there wasn’t a proper basis…”
“Then shouldn’t you usually apologize?”
He replied while moving busily, not even looking at me.
Judging from him changing into another set of clothes, he seemed about to go out to work again.
“I want to say thank you because you accepted it knowing that.”
“…Did your younger brother come to mind?”
“Yes. Since we’ve relied on each other while growing up, I feel a little sentimental whenever I see boys around that age. Saying it out loud makes me sound really silly.”
Maybe I was too honest. My cheeks felt slightly warm.
In the end, I laughed out of embarrassment.
“I’m sorry. I won’t follow you around and cause trouble next time.”
Simon, who had been moving briskly, stopped and turned toward me.
Only then did I meet his eyes and look at him quietly.
Is he going to scold me?
A thin tension flowed in the short silence.
Then he said calmly,
“It was certainly reckless.”
“….”
“But I was the one who moved first when I mentioned the transaction, and today you did quite well.”
“Really?”
I could only ask back stupidly, since his words were so far from what I had expected.
Simon blinked and nodded at my expression.
“Yes. You followed instructions well, and there were no mistakes in using magic. Thanks to you, the infiltration went smoothly. And…”
“….”
“After repeating work like this, I’ve long since stopped choosing complicated but morally correct paths.”
He pulled the corners of his lips into a smile.
“It’s been a while since I felt something like accomplishment. Thanks to Ariel’s kindness.”
Up until now, I had seen Simon’s smiling face countless times.
But I had never once thought of him as warm.
His smiles always looked bright at a glance but were closer to mockery.
But then…
So he was someone who could smile this warmly.
Even though I was breathing the dawn air, warmth spread inside my chest.
I smiled brightly and answered him.
“Thank you.”
“Of course, from next time I won’t go easy on you. Relying on uncertainty is too troublesome.”
He returned to his usual self and spoke cheerfully.
Then, changing his appearance into yet another form, Simon prepared to leave the shop.
“Where are you going?”
“I can’t just wait around.”
“But it’s almost morning…”
“Don’t worry about it and sleep. And you don’t have to open the shop today.”
Without waiting for my reply, Simon slipped out of the shop.
I sat there blankly, staring at the place where he had left.
That’s really strange.
Today, he felt unusually unfamiliar.
What was I thinking?
Impulsive actions were the worst behavior for a mission.
Simon knew that fact very well.
Not long ago, a moment of carelessness had caused him to suffer a serious injury.
And yet he had created such a large variable.
I can’t understand it.
His steps toward his destination gradually quickened.
At first, he only wanted to confirm the identity of the specially stored item.
His mission was to gather information about the auction and its owner.
But when he heard the words telling him to leave the boy behind and saw Ariel silently biting her lip…
An emotion he could not clearly name rippled deep inside his chest.
He was dissatisfied seeing her endure it and smile just to follow his orders, even though it bothered him.
Was it annoyance? Or pity? Or perhaps something commendable?
Whatever that feeling was, Simon had impulsively accepted the deal with the boy.
And once he did, his restless heart finally became calm.
He decided to call it the reward of doing a good deed after a long time.
Have I been influenced by someone so carefree?
He had clearly placed her beside him only to use her for profit, yet somehow his own workload had doubled.
Right now, he would have to monitor whether the child had been safely delivered to the buyer, plan the future escape, and even check the meeting point one by one…
Seriously. Good thing I’m competent.
Had he ever acted this recklessly in his life?
Simon thought that he was acting strangely today.
