The auction concluded, guests dispersing in small groups.
"Overlord, shall we leave as well?" Darius rose and asked.
Eren's gaze was deep as the night, fixed on Erskine's retreating back.
"Not yet."
Darius's heart tightened. "You plan to act here? This is the Sixfold Trade Guild—"
"Relax," Eren cut him off with a wave, his tone detached. "I know the limits."
He turned and walked straight towards Selene.
"Selene," he stated bluntly, "where did that 'Mirage Incense' come from?"
Selene was taken aback, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, that is the Guild's top secret. I cannot disclose it."
"Can not, or will not?" Eren's voice was calm, yet held an undeniable pressure.
Meeting his gaze, Selene remained firm. "My answer remains the same."
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Eren's lips.
"Selene, you use such strong perfume—to cover up an odor on your body, correct?"
Selene jolted as if struck, the blood draining from her face. "You... How do you know?!"
This secret was known only to her immediate family—no one else!
"How I know is unimportant," Eren said flatly. "What matters is—I can cure it."
"Cure it?" Selene was stunned.
"Indeed," Eren's gaze was certain. "The condition is, you tell me the origin of the Mirage Incense."
Selene hesitated, torn.
Eren's voice softened slightly, yet became more persuasive. "That scent has plagued you since birth, hasn't it? It's not an illness, but a embedded since before you were born. I can eradicate it. But this chance comes only once."
Her heart raced violently. After a long internal struggle, she finally gritted her teeth.
"...Fine. I agree."
Eren nodded. "Then, remove your clothes."
"Re...remove my clothes?!" Selene's cheeks flushed crimson. "Why would I need to—undress?"
"If you don't trust me," Eren's expression remained serene, "we can stop now."
Selene glared at him, shaking with anger.
But ultimately, she turned her back, her fingers trembling as she began to undo her garments.
Her pale, smooth skin was exposed to the air. She was so tense she could barely breathe steadily.
"Like... like this? Is this enough?" she asked in a voice so faint it was almost inaudible.
Eren's expression was placid as still water. He took a deep breath, brought two fingers together, and lightly pressed them just below her navel.
A faint glow shimmered as he activated his power. The Obsidian Sigil slowly stirred, and the energy of toxin devourment began to flow.
"Mmm—"
Selene's body quivered; the sensation was like an electric current passing through her, sapping her strength.
For a fleeting heartbeat, time seemed to stop—the air thick with tension and disbelief.
Her instinct was to pull away, but in his clear eyes, she saw—not a trace of desire.
Instead, a strange sense of loss inexplicably welled up in her heart.
In the next moment, a powerful suction force surged within her.
Something foul that had been suppressed for years was being drawn out. She felt her body become incredibly light, as if her very soul had been cleansed.
The pleasurable, tingling sensation washing over her was so intense she nearly moaned aloud.
"Done."
Eren withdrew his power and stepped back.
"It's... over already?" Selene stared at him blankly, a flicker of that strange loss returning.
She hurried into an inner chamber. Moments later, when she emerged—
Her face was filled with utter shock and exhilaration.
"Eren! That smell... it's really gone! Thank you!"
Eren offered a faint smile. "No need for thanks. It was a transaction. Now, can you tell me the origin of the Mirage Incense?"
Selene nodded, no longer holding back. "The one today was consigned to us by a man in black."
Eren pressed further. "Who was he? You investigated, surely?"
"Naturally." Selene smiled slightly. "There is little the Sixfold Trade Guild cannot uncover if we set our minds to it. That box of Mirage Incense was traced back to the brother-in-law of GVA Logistics Director Leonard—a man named Chapman."
"Whether it was stolen, or Leonard tacitly allowed it, no one can say for certain."
"Leonard... Chapman..."
Eren repeated the names softly, his brow furrowing deeply.
— Could they be connected to the massacres of the Caelthorn and Veyne families all those years ago?
His thoughts churned, his expression growing darker.
Perhaps the one who truly framed him wasn't Damien Vale after all...
As Eren was lost in thought, Selene spoke again. "Eren, to thank you for healing me, I'll give you one more piece of information... I think you'll be very interested."
Eren looked up. "Speak."
Selene leaned closer, lowering her voice. "That gourd... do you know who consigned it?"
Eren frowned. "Stop playing games."
"A freakishly powerful and notoriously vicious old monster," Selene's tone was hushed. "She didn't auction the gourd for money—but to find someone who recognizes its origins."
Eren raised an eyebrow. "Old monster? How monstrous?"
"That gourd has been auctioned over a dozen times in recent years," Selene's voice dropped to a near whisper. "And every single time, the person who successfully won it... died a gruesome death—their entire household exterminated, down to the last dog. Rumor has it... she was the one behind it all. Tell me, isn't she a madwoman?"
Eren's expression shifted slightly. "So Erskine is now a walking target?"
"Precisely," Selene's expression was grave. "And not just him—Seraphine, Clara too... I've heard—"
She gave him a meaningful look, "—that Seraphine was once your—"
"Thanks for the warning," Eren cut her off, pulling a jade talisman from his robe and handing it to her. "But I won't take your information for free. I see a dark aura gathering between your brows; you are likely in imminent danger. Take this talisman. It might help you avoid calamity."
He pressed the talisman firmly into her palm, not allowing refusal, then turned and left.
"A dark aura? Imminent danger?"
Selene stared blankly at the warm, smooth jade talisman in her hand, then couldn't help a soft laugh.
"Really... someone so powerful, still acting like a charlatan."
She had no idea—
this very talisman would soon save her life.