Chapter 128

Chapter 129. For Pure Love (3)

Three hours before the explosion at Pedders Hotel.

After sending Henya and Wid on their date, I immediately began scouting the alleys in the outskirts.

“I really have no luck when it comes to finding things.”

In the fourth alley, I found the sign I was looking for. A small sign with a golden maple leaf painted on it.

I pushed open the shabby door and entered. A middle-aged man, as shabby as the building’s exterior, greeted me.

“Welcome.”

The middle-aged man, mechanically wiping a glass without even glancing at me, seemed too lazy to even breathe, let alone care about customers.

But I’m a customer who knows exactly what this place is, after all.

*Ting!*

I threw a platinum coin at the middle-aged man’s face. It had to hit his face precisely.

“Ow!”

The owner, struck by the coin, clutched his face and shouted. He’s really good at acting, huh?

“Who do you think you are, throwing coins at my face…!”

“Akashic Code Number 666, 13, 22, 40.”

“What on earth does that mean? I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“In the darkness, gold shines like the sun. Ugh, stop with the stupid code phrases already.”

The middle-aged man, who had been flustered and indignant, suddenly transformed. Even his hunched back straightened.

“Lord Keter, a top-tier member of the Infinite Bank. Welcome to the Golden Fragrance. What brings you here today?”

Golden Fragrance.

A subsidiary guild of the Infinite Bank, a secret organization that operates auction houses exclusively for the wealthiest individuals.

I came here, of course, to complete my mission as a Solver.

For Wid and Henya’s perfect date, I need to turn this city and Lord Eslow’s plans upside down.

Let’s start off easy, shall we?

“I’m here to sell something as a seller.”

“Please proceed to the second floor.”

“Alright.”

I headed up to the second floor of the tavern. The staircase, which had seemed no more than ten steps, stretched like taffy as I began to climb.

It wasn’t an illusion. It was a ‘spatial transition’ spell. And a seamless one at that, so smooth that the caster wouldn’t even feel any discomfort. Probably around the 8th Circle?

The transition didn’t take long.

A door was waiting for me.

The door opened before I could even touch it.

“Welcome, Lord Keter. I am the manager of the Golden Fragrance branch in Lord Eslow’s direct jurisdiction. Please feel free to call me Manager.”

A man in a black tuxedo, a round hat, and a white mask greeted me. Everyone in the Golden Fragrance looks like this. It’s like their uniform.

The space inside the door was ordinary. Except for the lack of windows. The furniture was simple. An oak table and two chairs.

I sat down and got straight to the point. I’m a bit busy.

“I want to auction some information. There are two conditions. The auction must start tomorrow night, here in Lord Eslow’s direct jurisdiction.”

“Unique conditions. First, let’s hear the information. It must be worth at least 100,000 gold to hold an auction.”

“I’m selling information about the location of the ruins where Sword Saint Magenta’s legacy lies.”

“……”

I can see the expression behind that mask. Probably thinking, ‘What the hell is this guy talking about?’

Sword Saint Magenta.

The first commoner in history to reach the realm of a 7-Star Prime.

He disappeared without leaving behind any swordsmanship or aura techniques for future generations. That was about 200 years ago.

And now, here I am, claiming to sell information about the ruins where his legacy lies. Must be shocking.

But what can I do? I’m a regressor.

In the future, someone spreads this information to the world. The rumor spreads so widely that even I, who had no connection to it, ended up knowing about the location.

Most people thought it was a baseless rumor, but quite a few still went to check it out. And there, they found the real ruins of Magenta.

So why am I not claiming the ruins for myself and instead trying to sell them?

‘Because it’s all a lie.’

Aside from the fact that the ruins are in the territory of elves and beastmen, making it impossible to enter recklessly, there were no swordsmanship manuals or aura techniques in those ruins.

That’s not to say Magenta’s legacy wasn’t there. His legacy was definitely in those ruins.

Books and paintings.

I don’t know what kind of books and paintings they were, but they’re said to be closely related to Magenta’s… personal tastes.

In short, it’s a ‘bust. Better luck next time.’

‘But I’m the only one who knows this, and Eslow might be interested.’

Even if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t matter. I’ll still be able to extort money and time from the wealthy pigs gathered in this city.

After a long silence, the manager finally spoke.

“A map to the ruins where Sword Saint Magenta’s legacy lies… If it’s real, it’s an incredible item. However, we can’t just put it up for auction based solely on your word, Lord Keter. Could you show us the map first? We’ll keep it completely confidential.”

“I don’t have it.”

“Ah, I see. You must have left such a valuable item behind. In that case, we can send someone to retrieve it for you.”

“No, I mean there is no map.”

“……”

“If you want to buy it, I’ll draw it for you right here.”

“……”

“If I draw the map, it’ll be fun to see you guys add some ancient language and twist it into a cipher.”

“…Lord Keter. The Golden Fragrance only deals in genuine items. Even if you are a top-tier customer, we cannot sell something false.”

As expected of the Golden Fragrance. They’re strict.

But in the end, you’re just merchants. As long as you can make money, you don’t care about the rest.

“Where the map came from doesn’t matter. What matters is that I truly know where Magenta’s legacy lies. And all you have to do is sell it.”

“If the information turns out to be false, the Golden Fragrance will have to pay ten times the penalty to the customer.”

“What do I have to lose by lying?”

“……!”

“Magenta’s legacy. Of course, it’s a great item. But once it’s put up for auction, everyone will know about its existence. Even if someone buys it anonymously, no one in their right mind would spend their entire fortune on it. But it’s too valuable to just give away. It’ll probably sell for around 3 million gold. After deducting fees, I’ll get about 1.8 million gold.”

The Golden Fragrance, a subsidiary of the Infinite Bank.

These guys, like the Infinite Bank, don’t interfere with world affairs. Their sole purpose is the ‘circulation of money’ and its ‘recovery.’

The Infinite Bank exists even in Ruquer, a place cut off from the outside world. They even use the same currency as the outside.

This means the Infinite Bank knows.

About Ruquer’s existence, about the Grand Duke’s existence.

So there’s no way this guy doesn’t know I’m from Ruquer.

“I, who have deposited 5 million gold in the Infinite Bank, I, who am from Ruquer, I, who am a member of the prestigious Sephira family—”

I leaned back in my chair, balancing precariously as if it might tip over.

“What do I have to lose by doing this for 1.8 million gold?”

“…It’s an irrefutable logic, but there’s still a question. If the information is real, why aren’t you monopolizing it, Lord Keter? Why are you trying to sell it?”

“Because there’s nothing special there.”

“……!”

“And if the nobles start fighting among themselves and weaken, it’ll be good for us Sephira.”

“…….”

Even though your face is hidden behind that mask, I can see everything.

You’re probably itching to ask where I got such high-level information.

But the Golden Fragrance can’t ask ‘personal’ questions to sellers or buyers. If they do, it’s like they’re committing suicide.

Will they really die? I’d like to see that.

The manager in front of me remains silent, standing still.

“Are you buying or not? Time is money, friend.”

It’s not an empty threat. I immediately got up from the chair. If you keep hesitating, I’ll just use another auction house.

“We’ll buy it.”

“Okay.”

As soon as he said they’d buy it, I pulled out a pen from my pocket. Then I drew a picture on the table. To avoid confusion, I even kindly added notes below the drawing.

– Near the entrance, the space is distorted by nine totems. If you keep circling the same spot, that’s the entrance to the ruins!

I omitted the part about needing the elves’ help to destroy the nine totems.

Good luck convincing those stubborn elves, hehehe.

“I understand for now. Let’s draw up the contract.”

In principle, they should verify the truth, but trusting in Keter’s credit and reputation, the manager handed over the contract.

It’s the same contract I use. A contract guaranteed by magic, overseen by the Infinite Bank.

There are no toxic clauses. The fees are ridiculously high, but there’s no need to pick unnecessary fights. That’s the Golden Fragrance’s strength.

“Ah, and put my name on the seller list.”

“Are you serious? If it turns out there’s nothing special in the ruins, as you said, their anger will be directed at you, Lord Keter.”

“That’s the point. They need to know who screwed them over to get even angrier. Hehehe.”

“…Lord Keter, you’re a dangerous man.”

“The Infinite Bank, whose motives for maintaining the world’s order are unclear, is no pushover either.”

What exactly is the Infinite Bank’s purpose in managing currency? It’s a secret I couldn’t uncover even in my past life.

“The contract is complete. As per your request, the auction will be held tomorrow night in Lord Eslow’s direct jurisdiction.”

“One personal request.”

I took out a platinum coin and placed it on the table.

I don’t think the auction alone will be enough to shake Eslow’s foundations. We need an extra push.

“Got any spare paper?”

* * *

There’s a saying in Ruquer.

Revenge is best served quickly, but it’s never too late.

Pedders Hotel. The hotel Mail’s party visited, and the hotel that rejected them.

“If I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it.”

Keter muttered in front of the hotel. Passersby heard him, but they never imagined he was talking about the hotel.

“Hmm.”

Keter, who had been looking around the hotel, crossed his arms.

What he was looking for wasn’t visible.

“There’s a water supply, but no underground waterway.”

A major city like Lord Eslow’s direct jurisdiction has a well-maintained water and sewage system. Naturally, there should be an underground waterway for sewage.

But for some reason, there was no trace of an entrance or path to the underground waterway here.

“They can’t just not maintain it. They must have hidden it well.”

It’s not an unreasonable assumption. Infiltrating a city through its underground waterways is a strategy anyone with half a brain would think of.

Keter, who had planned to bring down Pedders Hotel to spite Eslow and the hotel for disrespecting Sephira, pondered for a moment.

It wasn’t a moment of giving up.

He was trying to deduce where the entrance to the underground waterway might be hidden.

‘If we go by the book, the outlet should be downstream. But getting there would take too long, and it’s not exactly exciting.’

Keter started walking. He needed as much information as possible.

“Oh.”

Arriving at a square with a fountain, Keter found a guideboard with a map of the city.

Lord Eslow’s palace and military zones were left blank, but the general layout of the city was clear.

‘The underground waterways of a city this size must be deep. There should be a straight ladder leading down to the bottom.’

Keter, who hadn’t seen any manhole-like covers on the ground while walking around, thought.

‘They’re not installed along the streets. Then where would they be? If I were the city’s designer, where would I put them?’

Keter, putting himself in the shoes of the city’s designer, mentally mapped out seven points across the city.

‘Places with no people. Landscaped areas. Places with dirt floors. I’ll check those spots first.’

Keter immediately moved to each point. His luck wasn’t great, as the first point was a bust.

Just as he was about to move to the second point.

“Master?”

There’s only one person in this world who calls Keter ‘Master.’

“Oh, Catherine. Perfect timing.”

“Mail said they’re fine and to let you know.”

“I’ve got some places to check out. Give me a hand.”

Both of them just said what they needed to say.

Meanwhile, Catherine held out her hand.

“Were you sightseeing around the city, Master?”

“Well, I was also solving some love problems along the way.”

“I saw a really tall, beautiful woman earlier. She was walking with someone who looked like her son, and the atmosphere between them was… sweet.”

“I’ve already drawn it, so just look at that.”

“Okay.”

On Catherine’s palm was a miniature map of the city, with three circles marked on it.

“We’re here now. The circled areas should be places with no people, some greenery, and dirt floors. If you look closely at the ground, there might be something like a door. That’s what I’m looking for.”

“I see. Should I go look for it right away?”

“Wait a sec.”

*Pluck.*

Keter plucked a strand of hair and handed it to Catherine.

“If you find what I mentioned, infuse mana into this hair and keep calling my name in your mind. I’ll come find you.”

“Is this also manifestation magic? It feels like a spell.”

Catherine, who had learned the basics of spells from Mail, asked curiously.

“Manifestation magic and spells are quite similar. Both rely heavily on willpower.”

“I see! Thanks for explaining.”

Catherine bowed her head in thanks and headed toward the locations Keter had indicated.

Keter smiled warmly as he watched Catherine leave.

“She’s sharp. She knows running would draw too much attention.”

Thanks to Catherine, who he happened to run into, the number of places he needed to check was reduced from six to three. However, Keter had no luck at the second spot either.

Just as he was about to move to the last point, one of Keter’s hairs stood on end.

-Master, Master, Master, Master, Master.

It was Catherine’s telepathic message.

“What, did she find it already?”

By pinpointing the direction of the telepathy, Keter could tell exactly where Catherine had gone.

Coincidentally, it was the place Keter had planned to visit last.

Catherine waved her hand silently, signaling ‘here.’

“Is this what you were looking for?”

Among the trees and bushes. In the spot where the ground had been dug up, there was the ‘handle’ Keter had been searching for.

A chain handle the size of a person’s forearm. It felt too heavy and large for a human to open with sheer strength.

“You found it. Why did you check this spot first out of the three?”

“I didn’t really think about it.”

“You must be the lucky type. Good job, I’ll give you 2 points.”

96 points left until Catherine is freed from slavery.

It’s a long way off, but Catherine smiled brightly.

“At this rate, I’ll be free from slavery soon, right?”

“My business here is done. You do your thing.”

“But will you come back tonight?”

“Don’t know.”

“Okay. Take care.”

Without another word, Catherine brushed off her dirt-covered hands and was about to leave when Keter called her back.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Go get something good to eat.”

He handed her a banknote. A 1,000 gold note.

Catherine’s eyes widened. She had only heard about banknotes but had never actually held one before.

She bowed her head in thanks and left.

“She’s really good at handling things neatly.”

Keter immediately grabbed the iron chain handle buried in the ground.

“It’s heavy.”

It wasn’t designed to be opened by human strength. It required a pulley system to open.

But—

*Grind grind grind grind!!*

With a rough sound, the ground shook. Soon, a circular lid as thick as an adult’s thigh swung open.

A vertical staircase leading underground.

Glowstones densely embedded in the walls.

As Keter had predicted, there was an entrance to the underground waterways.

A foul, rotting smell rose heavily from below, reminding anyone that this was the path to the underground waterways.

It was a smell that would make anyone grimace, but compared to the stench of Ruquer, this was like the scent of flowers.

Keter descended the ladder without any change in expression. The further down he went, the worse the smell became, but Keter only sped up.

“It’s disgustingly deep.”

The underground waterways of a major city were incredibly vast and long. While the ladder had glowstones embedded in it, the waterways themselves were pitch black.

But for Keter, with the eyes of the Sephira bloodline that could see as clearly in the dark as in broad daylight, it wasn’t a problem.

“Pedders Hotel is that way.”

Just as he was about to move toward Pedders Hotel as planned, something caught Keter’s eye.

Keter, who habitually scanned his surroundings no matter the environment, noticed something strange.

On the arched ceiling, there was something round attached, a different color from the brown walls. It could be mistaken for a decoration, but why would there be decorations in an underground waterway?

The ceiling was 5 meters high, with no walls to climb, but nothing could stop Keter’s curiosity.

Using an aura foothold, Keter jumped and managed to pull off the strange object attached to the ceiling.

As soon as he landed, Keter blinked at what he held in his hand.

It was something that shouldn’t exist here, like finding a cactus on a snowy mountain.

“Why is this here?”