Chapter 14: Before the Auction Begins
Aeron's mission this time was straightforward.
First, place the Opals generated by Carlotta's Resonance Power at the auction. Then, seize the opportunity to gather more intelligence on Capollo.
Finally, when the timing was right, notify Carlotta to step in and reap the rewards, while he would find a chance to eliminate Capollo.
With unlimited resources, reinforcements already on the way, and the advantage of waiting at ease to take on a weary enemy—taking them down would be a cinch!
Of course, Aeron now faced another issue.
"Zani, my arm's going numb."
"You're really this weak, huh?"
"Do you all have to take a jab at me every single chapter..."
From the moment they entered the venue, Zani, to stay in character, had leaned almost half her body weight against Aeron, her arms tightly wrapped around his.
There was a reason the two of them were acting so affectionate.
Zani was from the Averado Bank, while Aeron specialized in handling external affairs for the Order. Here, quite a few people knew them.
Even with sunglasses and disguises, a single misstep could still lead to recognition.
So, they chose to forcefully create an intimate atmosphere, shielding themselves from others' gazes.
Admittedly, being treated like this felt rather nice—whether it was the texture of the fabric straining against his arm or the scent coming from Zani. Who wouldn't be a little captivated?
And, well... she had massive breasts.
Aeron tried to pull his arm away, but Zani clamped down even harder.
"What, can't handle it already? Are all the priests in your Order this fragile?"
Zani lowered her voice, a hint of teasing in her tone.
"I don't want to be one arm down if things go sideways later."
"Relax, isn't that why I'm here with you?"
And so, maintaining their intimate facade, the two moved through the auction attendees, weaving their way across the venue.
Say what you will, Aeron had to admit he was impressed with Capollo's arrangements.
The scene felt more like an exhibition than an auction—the guy had really splurged.
Here, gathered were major and minor families of Ragunna, and even members of the Order and Fisalia were present, all there to bid on the valuable items Capollo had brought from Montelli.
The crowd was a mixed bag, and if things turned violent later, it could indeed get messy.
But fortunately, none of that mattered much to Aeron.
Exits, security, pathways leading from the hall to various sections—after compiling all the auction intel in his mind, a faint smile touched Aeron's lips.
Just thinking about how Capollo's carefully laid plans were about to be thrown into chaos—if he could keep a straight face through that, he'd deserve a depression diagnosis.
It was still too early to pop the champagne at halftime. Right now, Aeron's gear, especially the terminal Carlotta had given him, had been stashed in an inconspicuous spot earlier to avoid security checks. Retrieving it was the top priority.
Aeron tilted his head slightly, leaning close to Zani's ear, and whispered just loud enough for her to hear:
"I need to go get my things. Can you handle being alone here?"
Upon hearing this, Zani didn't respond immediately. She lowered her head slightly, scanning the surroundings through her sunglasses. Only after confirming there was no one who might recognize her did she finally release her grip on Aeron's arm.
"Be quick, don't keep me waiting long."
"Understood."
Aeron then swiftly moved through the crowd, arriving at the outer area of the auction venue. Behind a sculpture of the Imperator, he retrieved the items he had discarded earlier.
The Opal given by Carlotta, the terminal, along with his knife and gun.
After confirming no one was around, Aeron used the terminal to report the situation inside the venue to Carlotta.
"Proceed as planned. We'll await your signal."
"Understood."
After briefly replying to Carlotta's communication, Aeron immediately shut down the terminal. With a sharp flick of his arm, he tossed the terminal Carlotta had provided into a narrow alley outside the auction venue.
A soft "thud" echoed, followed by complete silence.
"Pleasure working with you, Second Miss. Now, just stay out of my way."
After all, the score Aeron intended to settle with Capollo was not part of his deal with Carlotta.
With his belongings secured, Aeron took a deep breath and reassumed his composed demeanor, ready to return to the main hall and reunite with Zani.
However, upon his return, he noticed something amiss.
Zani was still in her original spot, but someone had joined her—a man speaking to her in an overly familiar and frivolous manner.
"Sigh..."
Aeron let out a long breath. He hadn't expected to encounter someone so driven by baser instincts in a place like this, and one who seemed to value his life so little.
Even from a distance, Aeron could see Zani clenching her fist behind her back. The man's behavior had already drawn some attention from those nearby, and it was only a matter of time before it caused a scene.
But Aeron didn't have time to dwell on it.
Exposure? Disruption of the plan? The moment Aeron saw Zani being harassed, these concerns were overshadowed by a more direct emotion—he couldn't let her face such a situation alone.
Without breaking stride, Aeron strode forward, pushed the man harassing Zani aside, and naturally returned to her side.
"Sorry I'm late, Zani."
"...No, you came back just in time."
Seeing Aeron return, Zani visibly relaxed, the tension in her body easing as she leaned closer to him.
But the other man was clearly displeased, especially at being so blatantly ignored.
"Who are you? I was talking to this lady, how dare you—?!"
Before the man could finish, Aeron grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground.
"I'll count to three. Either leave on your own, or I'll help you. Choose."
"Bastard! Let me go! I—I am..."
The man tried to say more, but the look in Aeron's eyes made it clear he wasn't bluffing. One more word, and this seemingly refined man would snap his neck.
"My mistake, bro! I'm leaving!"
Struggling free from Aeron's grip, the man fled into the crowd without looking back, vanishing instantly.
The subtle, prying glances from those around them quickly withdrew. In such settings, knowing when to yield was far wiser than stubborn pride.
With the crisis averted, Aeron suddenly felt a tight grip on his arm. Turning, he saw Zani had already linked arms with him again.
"You came back just in time. I was about to take matters into my own hands."
"Someone trying to snatch you away right in front of me—that's definitely unacceptable. Besides, if you take action, won't all our hard work in maintaining this disguise go to waste?"
Hearing Aeron's words, Zani smiled, a somewhat intriguing expression crossing her face. She turned to face him squarely and reached out to straighten his tie, which had been messed up earlier.
"Save the clever remarks for later, darling."
Zani's movements were gentle, her fingertips lightly brushing against Aeron's jawline.
"We still have work to do tonight."
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